Parent Involvement

Gifts and Entertainment

HKIS has a policy on the non-solicitation and acceptance of gifts by HKIS faculty and staff. We understand that grateful parents may wish to give small gifts to their children’s teachers or other employees to express appreciation. The best gift a teacher can receive is a genuine and personal expression of gratitude. A thoughtful thank you will have more impact than a lavish gift. If, in addition to any personal thank you, you or your child wishes to give a small gift, employees have been instructed that they may not accept gifts valued over HK$200 and not in the form of cash.Invitations to lunch, dinner and social events or to participate in Annual Fund events are acceptable as an appreciation of thanks.

Parents’ Presence in Hong Kong

Residency

An enrollment requirement of HKIS is for all students to have at least one parent in full-time residence in Hong Kong.

Temporary Absence from Hong Kong

If during the school year both parents plan to leave Hong Kong for one or more days while a child remains in residence, one or more temporary guardians must be appointed to make any necessary decisions regarding the child’s welfare.A “Notification of Both Parents’ Absence from Hong Kong” form must be completed in PowerSchool each time both parents plan to be absent from Hong Kong. It must be submitted to the student’s divisional administration office as far in advance as possible.The “Appointment of Temporary Guardians” form (available in PowerSchool) must also must also be completed and returned to the student’s divisional administration office as soon as possible before the FIRST planned departure of both parents from Hong Kong. The completion of one of these forms each school year is sufficient, as long as the appointed temporary guardian information has not changed.Parents who do not arrange for and inform the school of the child’s supervision and guardianship may jeopardize the child’s continued enrollment at HKIS.Please note the importance of notifying the school when both parents are leaving Hong Kong, as this helps a great deal in understanding and working with your child in class. The completed form is essential in case your child is injured and emergency medical treatment is required. The form must include all necessary information (such as guardianship, contacts, address and telephone numbers).

Separated or Divorced Parents

Child Care Arrangements in the Event of Marital Separation/Divorce

This administrative policy applies to all separated or divorced parents of HKIS students.HKIS understands that special custody, access and permission arrangements may be required for the children of divorced or legally separated parents. As such,HKIS attempts to accommodate the desires of the both parents and court orders, within reason. HKIS does follow legal guardianship directions from Hong Kong courts in accordance with the school’s policies. Note that court orders relating to childcare and custody obtained from foreign jurisdictions are generally not recognized in Hong Kong unless the parties specifically seek a “mirror” order in Hong Kong.HKIS always defaults to what the school believes is best for the student. Nevertheless, in some cases when parents cannot reach agreement and/or the school cannot accommodate the parents’ requirements (within reason), HKIS’s final response may be to withdraw the student's enrollment.In order to document the terms by which the parents’ jointly request HKIS to provide special custody, access and permission arrangements, a “Child Care Arrangements in the Event of Marital Separation/Divorce” form (the “Form”) must be completed for each student and signed by both parents through PowerSchool. Completion of this form is a requirement to ensure retention of the child’s enrollment at HKIS.To the extent permitted by law, HKIS will abide solely by the arrangements set out in the Form, notwithstanding any court orders. In the event of any conflicts or disputes, parents are advised to seek clarification from the court. If the parents wish to vary the arrangements set out in the Form, they must inform HKIS in writing, and both parents must sign such notice.The information provided in the Form will be used for HKIS's administration purposes and for determining relevant arrangements for the student. As such, the information provided will be made available to those HKIS staff responsible for the care of the student, which may include (but is not limited to) the student's teachers, the relevant teaching assistants, school counselors and/or the school nurse. If and when appropriate, HKIS may release certain relevant information to external providers operating services and activities in which the student participates as an HKIS student (e.g., providing information to extracurricular service providers regarding who may or may not collect the student following such activities).

Student Attendance and Absences

Consistent attendance is essential for a student’s growth and success in school.We support family experiences, but consistency and routines are essential in a child’s development.The absence procedures are intended to accommodate sick days and family emergencies such as funerals or an ill family member. They are not intended to accommodate for extended family vacations. Extended holidays or vacation during the school year is highly discouraged. Student well-being is our top priority, as is supporting students who are absent for medical reasons.Students are expected to be on time for school and for class. This is essential both for students’ individual learning and for the class as a whole. Students must be in attendance for 85% of the school days within each semester. If attendance falls below 85%, parents will be contacted and teachers may give the following semester report card grade: IE Insufficient Evidence – not enough information to accurately access the student.Should a student’s absence exceed more than 25 school days during the academic year, he/she may be required to successfully complete an end of year assessment before being promoted to the next grade level. The decision for placement will rest solely with the LPS administration. After 10 days absent, parents will be informed in order to track days absent from school.If an extended absence is planned, parents are asked to contact the office and inform the teacher. Teachers are unable to replicate the learning that occurs in the classroom, therefore, should a student have an extended absence, teachers will be unable to provide extra home learning. Daily reading is encouraged.All students are expected to be on school grounds from the official start to the end of the school day. Permission for students to leave their school campus during school hours can only be granted by the principal of the school or his designee.When your child is absent from school, please e-mail the classroom teacher.A doctor’s note is required following an absence of four or more consecutive days of major illness, communicable disease or injury. A doctor’s note may also be requested at the nurse’s discretion. The doctor’s note should state that the child may return to class and if there are any physical restrictions. For significant medical needs or concerns, please contact our nurse at 2812-5117.

Early Leaving

Extended absences and early leaving for any reason other than illness are strongly discouraged. We plan our instructional program for the full year. We teach, practice and reinforce new concepts on a daily basis. In addition, classroom reading, writing and discussion form the basis for our theme learning. When absent, children will miss these valuable opportunities to verbalize and work with new instructional concepts. They also miss important opportunities to work as cooperative partners in groups. Children who miss many school days sometimes feel left out when they discover that the class has moved on to new topics or themes.If children leave before the end of the school year, they miss special activities designed to bring closure to the school year.