Parent Handbook 2012-13.pdf - Beacon Hill School

Parent Information Booklet 2012 - 13CIS AccreditationIn December 2008, Beacon Hill School became a member of the Council of InternationalSchools (CIS) and began the process of accreditation. The accreditation process involvesthe school submitting an initial report on their Philosophy & Objectives, Curriculum,Governance and Management, Staff, Student Support Services, Resources and Students andCommunity Life. This is followed by a preliminary visit from the CIS accreditation team toassess our readiness to undertake the self-study process. The self-study is an 18 monthprocess where all members of the school community undertake an evaluation of the schooland identify areas of strength and areas for development. A team of 8 professionals fromother international schools in the Asia-Pacific region were invited to affirm the school’s selfevaluationin December 2010. In March 2011, Beacon Hill School became fully accredited byCIS and the report was extremely complimentary. An extract from the report perfectlysummarises the ethos of Beacon Hill School:“Something that makes Beacon Hill School special is its passion for inclusion. Welcoming andproviding programmatic support for students with additional learning needs is remarkable.The natural manner in which these students are assimilated into the student body isexceptional and a model for other international schools around the world. It fosters a senseof pride among the adults to watch all the students interact in such a way that it leads oneto a new heart-warming definition of the word ‘normal’. Spending time at Beacon Hill schoolis inspirational.”School PoliciesSpecific school policies can be accessed via the school website www.beaconhill.edu.hk.ESF policies can be accessed via the ESF website www.esf.edu.hk.Parental InvolvementAt BHS, we pride ourselves on the wonderful partnership we have with Parents. Wewelcome parental involvement by asking for volunteer helpers in the lower year levels tohelp with small groups or listen to students read. We encourage parents with expertise inparticular areas to support the learning in units of inquiry by giving talks to the students.School excursions is another area where we welcome parent support. At the start of theyear we provide a ‘Risk Assessment’ workshop for any parents wishing to attend schoolexcursions so that they feel fully prepared to lead a group. We also encourage parents tobe involved with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in organising special school eventsand activities.18