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How to use this handbook
This handbook is primarily intended as an introduction to the Campus des Nations for
parents and students. Its aim is to briefly describe services offered by the school,
expected behaviour from students, formalities that have to be completed by parents and
students, and relevant points of contact, as well as other useful information.
Please make any suggestions to improve the handbook by sending an email to
[email protected].
Points of contact
Pregny
14, rte de Pregny
CH-1292 Chambésy
Tel:
022 748 14 50
Fax: 022 748 14 55
[email protected]
Saconnex
11, rte des Morillons
CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex
Tel:
022 770 47 00
Fax: 022 770 47 10
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction from the Director General............................................................................. 1
A vision for an international education ............................................................................. 2
The school’s vision for its students .............................................................................. 2
School Calendar 2012 - 2013 .......................................................................................... 3
Campus des Nations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) ........................................ 4
The IB Learner Profile .................................................................................................. 4
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) ......................................................................... 5
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Areas of Interaction .................................... 5
The Diploma Programme (DP)..................................................................................... 6
Absences ........................................................................................................................ 7
Non-medical absences ................................................................................................ 7
Unauthorised absence ................................................................................................. 7
Year 12 and 13 students .............................................................................................. 7
Academic Honesty .......................................................................................................... 7
Accidents during school hours......................................................................................... 7
Address, change of ......................................................................................................... 8
After School Care Programme ........................................................................................ 8
Alumni ............................................................................................................................. 8
Annual Fund .................................................................................................................... 8
Arrival and departure times ............................................................................................. 9
Assessment .................................................................................................................. 10
Bookroom...................................................................................................................... 10
Camps........................................................................................................................... 10
Campus Development Group ........................................................................................ 11
Campus Administration ................................................................................................. 11
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Careers and University Entrance ................................................................................... 11
Codes of Conduct ......................................................................................................... 11
Anti-Bullying Statement ............................................................................................. 12
Anti-Drug Use Code................................................................................................... 12
Anti-Smoking Code .................................................................................................... 12
Dress Code................................................................................................................ 12
Code of Conduct for Acceptable Use of ICT Equipment, Internet and Network .......... 12
Communication ............................................................................................................. 13
Communication to your children during the school day .............................................. 13
Community and Service ................................................................................................ 13
Creativity, Action, Service .......................................................................................... 13
Curriculum..................................................................................................................... 14
IB Regulations ............................................................................................................... 14
Emergency Cards ......................................................................................................... 14
Equipment ..................................................................................................................... 14
Extended Support Programme ...................................................................................... 14
Extra-Curricular Activities .............................................................................................. 15
ECA Music Programme ............................................................................................. 15
Food and drink .............................................................................................................. 15
Cafeteria .................................................................................................................... 15
Governing Board ........................................................................................................... 16
Guidance Counsellor (careers and university) ............................................................... 16
Health and Medical ....................................................................................................... 16
Allergies..................................................................................................................... 17
Illness ........................................................................................................................ 17
Contagious diseases ................................................................................................. 17
Infirmaries .................................................................................................................. 17
Medication ................................................................................................................. 18
Homework ..................................................................................................................... 18
Primary School .......................................................................................................... 18
Secondary School...................................................................................................... 18
Identity Cards ................................................................................................................ 19
Language support ......................................................................................................... 19
Dual Language .......................................................................................................... 19
EAL (English as an Additional Language) .................................................................. 19
Mother Tongue Education.......................................................................................... 20
Learning Support........................................................................................................... 21
Leaving School/Transfers .............................................................................................. 21
Libraries ........................................................................................................................ 21
Lockers ......................................................................................................................... 22
Lost property ................................................................................................................. 22
Lunch supervision ......................................................................................................... 22
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Music Band (Primary) .................................................................................................... 22
Outdoor Education ........................................................................................................ 23
Winter sports programme — Primary ......................................................................... 23
Parking .......................................................................................................................... 23
Photocopies .................................................................................................................. 23
Psychologists ................................................................................................................ 23
Parent Teacher Association PTA................................................................................... 24
Pick-up .......................................................................................................................... 24
Reports ......................................................................................................................... 24
School Fees .................................................................................................................. 25
Additional Costs ......................................................................................................... 25
School Trips .................................................................................................................. 25
Security ......................................................................................................................... 25
Sports competition ........................................................................................................ 25
Student Councils ........................................................................................................... 26
Technology ................................................................................................................... 26
IT software ................................................................................................................. 26
Transitions .................................................................................................................... 26
Transport....................................................................................................................... 27
Public transport.......................................................................................................... 27
By car ........................................................................................................................ 27
Transport Services ........................................................................................................ 27
Website ......................................................................................................................... 28
World of Work Week (Year 10) ...................................................................................... 28
Visitors .......................................................................................................................... 28
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Introduction from the Director General
We hope that all our students will enjoy their year at Ecolint and thrive with us. We also
hope that our parents will feel engaged with the life of the school and pleased with their
child's progress. In order to achieve our broad educational aims for our students in a
climate of respect and consideration, the Foundation has developed a number of policies
of which some key ones are presented here:





A vision for an International education
Student Discipline
Considerate Working Community
Complaints
and the Director General’s note regarding absences
With all good wishes
Vicky Tuck
Director General
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A vision for an international education
The school’s vision for its students
Our aim at the International School of Geneva is to provide a distinctive high quality
international education through which all our students are helped to develop their abilities
to the highest level of their potential. We respect students’ individual and cultural
identities, encouraging them to become independent learners eager to carry on learning
throughout their lives.
We prepare students for membership of communities that are socially and culturally
diverse, for citizenship, and for engagement with the political, ethical and environmental
challenges of their times. We expect them to want to take an active part in making their
world a better place and one that is based on the mutual understanding, respect and
shared values to which the school has been committed throughout its long history.
The International School of Geneva serves both the international and local communities
of the Geneva area. We are committed to preparing students to live in a multilingual and
multicultural world and, as a bilingual Foundation, to developing their fluency in both
English and French.
The school exists for the sake of its students and is committed to a continual reevaluation of their needs in the light of social, economic and cultural change. The school
strives continually to promote excellence in all aspects of its provision, to do better than
its previous best, and to model the values that it encourages in its students.
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School Calendar 2012 - 2013
1st TERM: 29 August - 14 December 2011
Orientation Day for new students Wednesday 29 August 2012
Secondary: 11:30 - 13:30
Pregny and Primary 14:00 - 15:30
Term starts for staff
Wednesday 29 August 2012
Pedagogical Day
Thursday 30 August
Pedagogical Day
Friday 31 August
Classes begin
Monday 3 September
Jeûne genevois
Thursday 6 September
(no classes at La Grande Boissière or the Campus
des Nations)
Jeûne fédéral
Monday 17 September
(no classes at La Châtaigneraie)
Pedagogical Day
Friday 19 October (no classes)
Half-term
Monday 22 October through Friday 26 October
Classes resume
Monday 29 October
Classes end
Friday 14 December (at 12 noon)
Winter break
Friday 14 December through Friday 4 January
2nd TERM: 7 January - 22 March 2013
Classes resume
Monday 7 January 2013
Half-term
Monday 11 February through Friday 15 February
Pedagogical Day
Monday 18 February (no classes)
Classes resume
Tuesday 19 February
Classes end
Friday 22 March
Spring break
Monday 25 March through Friday 5 April
3rd TERM: 8 April - 28 June 2013
Classes resume
Ascension
Whit Monday
Pedagogical Day
Classes end
Monday 8 April 2013
Thursday 9 May and Friday 10 May
Monday 20 May (no classes)
Tuesday 21 May (no classes)
Friday 28 June (at 12 noon)
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Campus des Nations and the International Baccalaureate (IB)
The International School of Geneva was founded in 1924 to pioneer international
education. The Foundation is now spread out between three campuses and welcomes
around 4’400 students. The Campus des Nations is the only school in the Foundation
which offers all three programmes of the International Baccalaureate:
PYP
Primary Years Programme for students from 3 to 11
MYP
Middle Years Programme for students from 11 to 16
DP
Diploma Programme for students from 16 to 18
It is accredited by the Department of Public Instruction of Geneva, by the Council of
International Schools (CIS) and by the Middle States Association (MSA).
“The International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) is a recognized leader in the field of
international education, encouraging students to be active learners, balanced individuals
and engaged world citizens.”
The IB Learner Profile
The IB Learner Profile is valid for all the students of the school and is central to the
values of the school. It is a keystone of the continuity and consistency of the learning
experience at Campus des Nations.
IB Learner Profile
Inquirers
Critical Thinkers
Communicators
Risk-takers
Knowledgeable
Principled
Caring
Open-minded
Balanced
Reflective
IB schools are internationally minded communities, by this we
mean their students are learning to become:
Their natural curiosity is nurtured. They acquire the skills
necessary to conduct purposeful, constructive research, and
become independent active learners. They actively enjoy learning
and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.
They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and
creatively to make sound decisions and approach complex
problems.
They understand and express ideas and information confidently in
more than one language and in a variety of literacies.
They approach unfamiliar situations with confidence and have the
independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies.
They are courageous and articulate in defending those things in
which they believe.
They explore concepts, ideas and issues which have global
relevance and importance. In so doing, they acquire, and are able
to make use of, a significant body of knowledge across a range of
disciplines.
They have a sound grasp of the principles of moral reasoning.
They have integrity, honesty, a sense of fairness and justice and
respect for the dignity of the individual.
They show empathy and compassion towards the needs and
feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to action
and service to enhance the human condition, and respect for the
environment.
Through an understanding and appreciation of their own culture,
they are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other
individuals and cultures and are accustomed to seeking and
considering a range of points of view.
They understand the importance of physical and mental balance
and personal well-being for themselves and others.
They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and
personal development. They are able to analyse their strengths
and weaknesses in a constructive manner, and act on them.
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The Primary Years Programme (PYP)
The IB Primary Years Programme, for students aged 3 to 12, focuses on the
development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world
outside.
The Written curriculum
The most significant and distinctive feature of the IB Primary Years Programme is the six
trans-disciplinary themes.
These themes are about issues that have meaning for, and are important to, all of us.
The programme offers a balance between learning about or through the subject areas,
and learning beyond them. The six themes of global significance create a transdisciplinary framework that allows students to "step up" beyond the confines of learning
within subject areas.
 Who we are
 Where we are in place and time
 How we express ourselves
 How the world works
 How we organize ourselves
 Sharing the planet
Student understanding of these themes is important to overall student success in the
PYP. This understanding is demonstrated in the completion of an extended,
collaborative inquiry project, known as the exhibition, in Year 6.
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Areas of Interaction
Five Areas of Interaction provide the learning context for students in the MYP:
 Environments
 Human Ingenuity
 Health and Social Education
 Community and Service
 Approaches to Learning
Environment, Human Ingenuity, and Health and Social Education are broad areas of
inquiry where personal, societal and global issues are explored.
With Community and Service students become aware of their roles and responsibilities
as members of communities.
In Approaches to Learning students learn about – and take increasing responsibility for –
their own learning. These are assessed regularly via the school reports. Approaches to
learning include:
 organizational skills and attitudes towards work
 collaborative skills
 communication
 information literacy
 reflection
 problem-solving and thinking skills
 subject-specific and interdisciplinary conceptual understanding.
When appropriate these five areas of interaction are interwoven throughout the subject
groups taught in the MYP.
Student understanding of the areas of interaction is crucial to overall student success in
the MYP. Understanding of the areas of interaction is demonstrated in the completion of
a Personal Project in Year 11 – successful completion of which is required for the MYP
certificate.
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The Diploma Programme (DP)
The IB Diploma Programme is designed as an academically challenging and balanced
programme of education with final examinations that prepares students, normally aged
16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. The programme is normally taught
over two years and has gained recognition and respect from the world's leading
universities.
The curriculum
IB Diploma Programme students study six courses at higher level or standard level.
Students must choose one subject from each of groups 1 to 5, thus ensuring breadth of
experience in languages, social studies, the experimental sciences and mathematics.
The sixth subject may be an arts subject chosen from group 6, or the student may
choose another subject from groups 1 to 5.
In addition the programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the
educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and
understanding.
The extended essay is a requirement for students to engage in independent research
through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects they are studying.
Theory of knowledge is a course designed to encourage each student to reflect on the
nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception,
emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic,
mathematical and historical).
Creativity, action, service requires that students actively learn from the experience of
doing real tasks beyond the classroom. Students can combine all three components or
do activities related to each one of them separately.
More information about these programmes can be found at: www.ibo.org
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Absences
All absences should be reported by phone or e-mail to the Welcome Desk at Saconnex
+41 (0)22 770 47 00 or [email protected]) or the Pregny School Office
+41 (0)22 748 14 50 or [email protected]) as soon as possible on the first day
of absence. It is also a good idea to inform the class or homeroom teacher as well. If
the child returns within three days, a written explanation is required giving the reason for
the absence. After the third day, a medical certificate is necessary.
Non-medical absences
Absence during term time is strongly discouraged since attendance at school is a legal
requirement. Participation in activities not organised by the school (such as sports
tournaments) require permission by the School Principals. In advance of planned
absences, parents should address written requests to the relevant School Principal for
the absence and specifying the periods and days of absence. Absence from school
represents lost learning time that cannot be replicated outside the classroom setting.
Absence from school is disruptive for the child who is absent but also for their
classmates. The School Calendar is posted a year in advance to allow ample opportunity
for families to plan their vacation accordingly. Extending school holidays unnecessarily is
to be avoided.
Unauthorised absence
Where absence is ‘unauthorised’, i.e. unexplained, the school is unable to assist with
setting additional work to enable students to catch up. ‘Unauthorised’ absence can also
have implications for students’ ability to graduate with a high school diploma or to
complete an IB Diploma course. Excessive absence from school may result in slower
academic progress causing the necessity of repeating an academic year. In some cases
it may result in the withdrawal of the child's place within the school.
Year 12 and 13 students
Students in Years 12 and 13 are required to be on campus when they have lessons. If
their first lesson does not start at 08:10 they may ‘sign in’ at the Welcome Desk before
the start of period 3 (homeroom period). All students in Years 12 and 13 are required to
attend homeroom period. If their last lesson finishes before the end of the normal school
day they may ‘sign out’. Students in Years 12 and 13 may not, however, leave the
campus between their first and last lesson except during lunchtime. If parents of
students in Years 12 and 13, who are under the age of 18, do not wish their child to
leave the campus during the school day then the parent should write to the Secondary
School Principal.
Academic Honesty
"Academic honesty is a set of values that promotes personal integrity and good practice
in learning and assessment, and in the MYP is part of approaches to learning."
Academic honesty can be demonstrated through the dynamic relationship between
personal, social and technical skills."
Personal skills — discussions on integrity, confidence in one's own work, willingness to
work independently, self-evaluation skills, determination to achieve individual potential
Social skills — discussions on how to work collaboratively, how to contribute to a group
or a team, how to acknowledge work by other group or team members, peer-evaluation
skills
Technical skills — recognition of when others' ideas, physical siklls and/or techniques
should be acknowledged, which sources of information should be acknowledged,
understanding plagiarism, how to construct a bibliography, how to reference correctly.
Accidents during school hours
For any major and some minor accidents, the infirmary will call parents and a form will be
sent home with details of what happened and the action taken for parents to sign and
return.
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Address, change of
Parents are requested to inform Campus des Nations administration of any change of
address, before or during the academic year.
The new information should be sent to either: [email protected] (Saconnex) or
[email protected] (Pregny).
After School Care Programme
The After School Care (ASC) programme provides students from Year 1 to 6 with a
secure environment after school hours, allowing children to have a snack, participate in a
variety of activities including sports, crafts and games.
Students may be registered on a regular basis or may avail of the ASC service
occasionally. In any event, only students who are registered in ASC are admitted to the
programme. Information about registration, terms and conditions are to be found in the
Beyond the Classroom website http://beyond.ecolint.ch.
After School Care is centralised at the Saconnex Campus on Level 3, Salle Plato. Pickup point after ASC is at Saconnex.
The ASC programme is available to children from Years 1 – 6 from the end of the
academic day until 17:30 each week day. Hot lunch can be provided in the Saconnex
cafeteria by subscribing to the restaurant service.
Students in Reception class are eligible for ASC only on Wednesday until 15.30.
As ASC takes place at the Saconnex site, a shuttle bus will transport the ASC Pregny
students, accompanied by staff members, to Saconnex after the end of the academic
day.
There is no ability to keep Early Years children in school beyond the normal school hours
at Pregny. Parents must make suitable arrangements to pick their children up on time.
At Saconnex, any primary child remaining at school past 15:30 and not involved in an
extra-curricular activity will be sent to the After-School Care programme and parents will
be billed accordingly.
Any questions regarding the After School Care programme can be addressed to:
Annie Schad, ASC Supervisor, [email protected]
Please note that there is no ASC or supervision for students in Years 7 – 11 between the
hours of 15:30 and 17:00. Students remaining on campus between these times are
expected to work in the Library, which closes at 16:50.
Alumni
Visit the link: alumni.ecolint.ch and register on the site to access all the facilities.
Alumni Office
62, route de Chêne
1208 Geneva - Switzerland
Contact: [email protected]
Tel:
+41 22 787 25 55
Fax: +41 22 787 26 35
Annual Fund
Every year, the three campuses of the Foundation choose a project that will directly
improve or add to our students’ learning environment. The Foundation will solicit parents,
staff and alumni, so that these projects are brought to life over the summer holidays and
students are able immediately to benefit from the changes.
-8-
Arrival and departure times
Pregny arrival times
08:15 School doors open
08:30 Instructional day begins
At Pregny students arriving after 08:30 must sign in at the School Office. Signing in is to
assure the safety of your child so that we can be certain, in the unlikely event of an
evacuation, that your child is registered as being in school.
Parents who have children at both sites are asked to drop off their older children
attending Saconnex first and then proceed to Pregny.
Parents may accompany their child to the classroom or preferably allow the staff on duty
in front of the school to see the children safely indoors. Parents are encouraged to use
this “drop-off” service so as to ease congestion in the parking lot.
Pregny departure times
There is no ability to keep children in Pre-Reception or Reception classes in school
beyond the normal school hours. Parents must make suitable arrangements to pick their
children up on time.
Parents who have children at Pregny are asked to pick up students at Saconnex first and
then proceed to Pregny.
Pre-Reception
Monday-Wednesday-Friday 12:15
Tuesday-Thursday
15:15
Reception, Years 1 and 2
Monday to Friday
15:15
Wednesday
12:15
Children who travel home on the school bus will be transferred to Saconnex to catch
their bus home.
Transfer buses
Monday to Friday
15:25
Wednesday
12:30
Saconnex arrival times
08:00 Arrival time (Primary students in Years 3-6 will be supervised on the school
playground)
08:10 Homeroom (Primary Years 3-6) or Instructional day (Secondary) begins
Students arriving later than 08:10 must sign in at the Welcome Desk, at the main
entrance, and then proceed to lesson 1. Year 12 and 13 students must sign in when they
arrive and sign out when they leave.
Late arrivals are disruptive for the other students and staff and seriously impact on a
child's ability to settle into the school day, resulting in lost learning time.
Saconnex departure times
Parents are requested to respect arrival and pick up times. Primary students must be
picked up at the Primary Pick-Up point (upper entrance) exclusively. Pick up at the
main entrance should be avoided due to traffic congestion at the main gate. All
primary students must be picked up at relevant departure times unless they are
attending the After School Care programme or Extra Curricular Activities.
Primary Years 3-6
Monday to Friday
15:10
Wednesday
12:10
Parents who have children in the Secondary School of the school can arrive at 15:30 to
pick up all their children. Primary students in Years 3-6 who have siblings in Secondary
will be supervised on the playground until 15:30.
-9-
Students who take the school bus will also be supervised on the playground until it is
time to board the bus at 15:30. All primary students must be picked up at this time
unless they are attending the After School Care programme or extracurricular activities.
Any child who has not been picked up within ten minutes of the times specified will be
sent to the After School Care programme and parents will be billed accordingly.
Secondary Years 7-11
Monday to Friday
15:30
Parents can pick up their children at the secondary entrance. Students who take the
school bus should proceed directly to the bus area by 15:40. Buses leave promptly at
15:45. Students who are not on the bus by this time will be left behind. Parents can pick
up their children at the secondary entrance. For parents who have children in Years 7 –
11 and a child in Year 12 or 13, please note that there is no supervision for students
between the hours of 15:30 and 16:15. Students in Years 7 – 11 should work in the
library while they wait for their older siblings.
Secondary Years 12-13
Monday to Friday
16:15
All students must leave the campus by 17:00 unless they are participating in an
extracurricular activity.
Please also note that there is no school transport after 15:45 which may affect Years 12
and 13 students on some days since they may have classes until 16:15. There are
excellent public transport facilities serving Campus des Nations. For more information
about public transport, please go to www.tpg.ch and/or www.sbb.ch/fr.
Assessment
Students are assessed regularly in a variety of ways against specified learning
objectives. The learning objectives for the three programmes at the Campus des
Nations, the Primary Years, the Middle Years and the Diploma Programmes are set by
the International Baccalaureate and are programme specific. Student performance is not
measured against that of other students and hence the students are not ranked. As an IB
authorised world school assessment in the Middle and Diploma Programmes is
monitored by external moderators and examiners.
The information from these assessments is used to compile two detailed annual reports
for Early Years and Primary and three for Secondary. There are internal exams for Year
11 and Year 12. These form part of the overall assessment at the end of the year.
There are no external examinations until the end of Year 13.
Further information about assessment in the IB can be found at www.ibo.org.
Bookroom
Saconnex: School books, supplies and PE uniforms may be purchased at the Bookroom,
Room 403, Level 4.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday 7:30 – 16:00
Wednesdays closed
Camps
The International School of Geneva offers each year challenging and exciting activities to
students during term breaks and summer holidays. Activities take place both on and off
the campus. The teachers and coaches for these activities are all specialists in their
respective field and are often bilingual in English and French. Information about
registration, the activities, terms and conditions, are to be found in the website
http://www.ecolint-camps.ch.
Contact — Martial Thévenaz — [email protected]
- 10 -
Campus Development Group
Each campus of the International School of Geneva has a Campus Development Group
(CDG). This is an advisory group consisting of elected parents, staff and student
representatives that consults the senior management of the campus on key features of
campus life. Details of elections for the CDG will be communicated to parents.
Campus Administration
Campus Administration is responsible for building maintenance, security, cleaning,
preparing rooms for special functions, managing the school bus transport and registering
prepaid cafeteria users. It is also responsible for Extra Curricular Activities, After School
Care, Camps, Competitive Sports, Music and Mother Tongue programmes.
Contact — Martial Thévenaz — [email protected]
Careers and University Entrance
Year 10 students have a week of work experience as part of their career guidance
programme, in order for them to experience the world of work, preferably in an area in
which they already have an interest.
Contact — Adam Bawden, Head of Year 10 — [email protected]
The school has Guidance Counsellors working with students on their course choices,
career possibilities, summer school opportunities, as well as university requirements and
applications for universities in the UK, USA, Switzerland and in many different countries.
Students can participate in exam preparation sessions (SAT). Furthermore all campuses
receive visits from many university admissions representatives. Students can also
participate in an ISG (International School of Geneva) led tour of British universities.
Contact — Mark Grant [email protected] or Ellyn Levin [email protected]
Codes of Conduct
The code of conduct represents the central values of the school and is based on the
belief that one of the school‘s main aims is to support the development of decent,
respectful and caring citizens of the world. Parents and Students are asked to sign the
code of conduct.
Discipline in the school is of a high standard. Isolated infringements of the code of
conduct are usually dealt with through discussion and usually involve a written reflection
by the student. If a student is disrupting a lesson, they may be removed from the room
and counselled. Patterns of persistent disruption of the learning environment may lead to
a student being asked to leave the school.
All members of the community are expected to treat each other with respect. This
means listening to others carefully, acting with good manners and avoiding aggressive
behaviour. Students are expected to follow instructions given by adults regardless of
their role. The teachers and other adults in the school community, including parents will
treat the students and each other with respect.
Sanctions are determined by the school principal, and in the secondary school, in
conjunction with the relevant HOY (Head of Year) and the assistant principals, and may
include any one or a combination of the following: detention, warning letter, parent
meeting, suspension from school, denial of access to school events, exclusion from
activities or, in extreme cases, an expulsion from the school.
Staff address students by their first name and students usually address members of staff
as Mr/ Ms/ Mrs/ Miss/ Dr/ M/ Mlle/ Mme etc. followed by the first name or the family
name, for example Dr Smith or Mme Danièle or Señora Teresa.
Students are actively discouraged from public displays of affection.
Items like iPods and phones should be marked with a name and the serial numbers
should be recorded. The school is not responsible for any lost, broken or stolen personal
items such as ipads, phones, etc.
- 11 -
Anti-Bullying Statement
Bullying of any kind is not tolerated. We are a considerate and caring community based
on mutual respect. Bullying is always taken seriously.
Members of the school community who are aware of bullying have a responsibility to
report it. A student who is being bullied can ask for help from any member of staff.
Incidents will be investigated with the aim of stopping the bullying and reconciling the
students. The school will decide on appropriate steps to take in response to the bullying.
Parents will be called to the school for a meeting to discuss the issues. Serious cases
may result in suspension or exclusion. The school also reserves the right to involve the
police when it is deemed necessary.
Once cases of bullying have been dealt with, there will be monitoring to check that the
problem has been permanently solved.
Anti-Drug Use Code
In reality young people themselves decide to use or to abstain from usage of drugs.
Their choice should be made in full knowledge of the medical, academic and legal
consequences and hence the central aim of our drug policy has to be one of education.
To this end the academic curriculum and the pastoral care system includes a number of
elements concerning drugs awareness.
The school, however, takes a firm line in drug usage in school. Students may not be
involved in any activity that leads to drugs being on campus, even if the activity took
place off campus: such activities include using buying, selling, giving, lending, storing or
transporting such substances. These activities may lead to suspension and a final
warning, or immediate permanent exclusion.
Anti-Smoking Code
We recognise that adults and older students are seen by younger members of the
community as role models. For this reason, despite the fact that some of our older
students may be of an age at which they may legally smoke cigarettes, the school
stipulates that students and adults may not smoke at any time during the school day.
Furthermore, given that younger students often see older students on the way to or from
school, students may not smoke in the vicinity of the school campus.
Dress Code
Standards of dress are expected to be appropriate for a learning environment.
Deliberately torn clothing, offensive slogans and visible underwear are not allowed.
Specialist learning environments like science laboratories and the gym have additional
clothing and footwear rules for safety reasons. Details will be given from the teachers
concerned and safety rules are posted inside the specialist rooms.
If jewellery is worn, it should be minimal and objects of value should not be brought to
school.
Code of Conduct for Acceptable Use of ICT Equipment, Internet and
Network
Teachers, parents and students are asked to sign the Acceptable Use Policy for ICT
Equipment, Internet and Network Use.
ICT/media tools such as computers, the Internet, television, DVD players, cameras,
video cameras, and so on provide possibilities and opportunities, but also require
respectful manners and behaviour.
At Campus des Nations ICT/media tools are provided for staff and students as a
resource to enhance teaching and learning opportunities. Computer usage is a key part
of classroom programs. All students have access to computers with Internet
connections.
Use of ICT/media tools comes with obligations, and expectations of appropriate
behaviour.
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Communication
Each school within Campus des Nations will post regular parent bulletin on the Ecolint
website with important and timely information.
Regular communication between the school and home is essential. Parents and
members of faculty are encouraged to communicate important information regarding a
child’s progress (academic, behavioural, or social-emotional). If needed, a meeting can
also be scheduled.
Regular meetings are scheduled through the school year between parents/ students and
teachers to discuss progress. Parents wishing to make appointments to see individual
teachers about academic or pastoral concerns should first contact the classroom teacher
(PYP) or the homeroom teacher (Secondary) by e-mail or by leaving a phone message
at the Welcome Desk Saconnex or at the Pregny School Office. Sensitive information or
concerns are best discussed in face to face meetings rather than by lengthy
correspondence.
Communication is a two-way process. Parents are welcome to contact teachers through
their Ecolint e-mail address which can be found on the Campus website. Ecolint e-mail
addresses follow the following format: [email protected]
Early Years and Primary parents are encouraged to first address their communication
to the relevant teacher.
Secondary parents may find the following steps helpful:
Academic concerns
Step 1 subject teacher
Step 2 homeroom teacher
Step 3 head of year
Step 4 heads of department
Step 5 assistant principal [email protected]
Welfare and personal issues
Step 1 homeroom teacher
Step 2 head of year
Step 3 assistant principal [email protected]
At the start of the academic year, you will receive a listing of all staff members positions
and contact details.
Unresolved concerns may be brought to the attention of the respective principal:
Lisa Belfry – Early Years – [email protected]
Elyane Ruel – Primary – [email protected]
Lesley Meyer – Secondary – [email protected]
Communication to your children during the school day
In the event that you have an urgent message to pass on to your child, please contact
the Welcome Desk at Saconnex (+41 (0)22 770 47 00) or the Pregny School Office
(+41 (0)22 748 14 50 ). Depending on the urgency, we will endeavour to communicate
the message to your child in a timely fashion.
Community and Service
The MYP Community and Service programme (C&S) of Campus des Nations is currently
referred to as SMACK by the students (Service Makes All Communities Kinder).
Students receive guidance throughout the year to help them meet the requirements
which are one long-term and two short-term activities for MYP.
Contact — Ryan Blyth — [email protected]
Creativity, Action, Service
In Years 12 and 13, CAS is at the heart of the Diploma Programme. It involves students
in experiential learning through a range of artistic, sporting, physical and service
activities. Students should complete a total of 150 hours over the two years of the
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programme (three to four hours per week) with a reasonable balance between creativity,
action and service. Successful completion of CAS is a requirement for the award of the
IB diploma. (Students need to document their activities and provide evidence that they
have achieved eight key learning outcomes).
Contact — Angelica Bernellon — [email protected]
Curriculum
Please see the website www.ecolint.ch for the school curriculum. We are an authorised
IB World School and offer the programmes for Primary Years, Middle Years and
Diploma. Please feel to contact our curriculum coordinators with any related questions:
Contact
PYP Coordinator — Nikki Ross — [email protected]
MYP Coordinator — Fiona Davison — [email protected]
DP Coordinator — Alexandra Juniper — [email protected]
IB Regulations
Campus des Nations is an authorised school for the International Baccalaureate for the
Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma
Programme (DP). As such, you need to be aware of the regulations of the IBO. The IB
regulations can be consulted on the IBO website:
http://www.ibo.org/documentlibrary/regs_ibworldschools/
Campus des Nations is the only school within the Foundation of the International School
of Geneva that offers all three IB programmes.
Emergency Cards
Each student will be issued a partially filled-in emergency card with the data found in the
Campus des Nations database. Parents are kindly requested to correct the data, fill in
missing information and return the card to the classroom/homeroom teacher at the start
of school. This card requires an identity photo. The information is needed in case the
school has to contact parents or another nominated adult during the school day in case
of illness or accident. Parents are responsible for updating information regarding change
of address or contact numbers.
Equipment
Detailed information about equipment, books, etc., will be sent to parents separately and
will be available for consultation on the website (http://www.ecolint.ch/).
Extended Support Programme
There are four Extended Support Programmes (ESP) for children with moderate learning
needs, one each for Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Post-16 for students aged 1620 years. Programmes are individualised, thus maximising each child’s potential and
allowing for a flexible approach. Every child is part of a mainstream or homeroom class
as well as an ESP. This means that opportunities for inclusion are always sought and
welcomed.
English is the main language of instruction. However, many staff are bilingual English/
French.
Applications are made through the Admissions Office and you should include as much
information about your child as possible.
Contact
ESP Coordinator — Stephanie Walmsley — [email protected]
Early Years (Pregny) — Heidi Lothspeich — [email protected]
Primary (Saconnex) — Hazel Balti — [email protected]
Secondary —Lesley Berridge — [email protected]
Post-16 — Catherine Newton — [email protected]
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Extra-Curricular Activities
Extra-Curricular Activities take place outside the regular curriculum and usually involve
after school sports, arts, cultural activities or clubs. They are billed separately.
Places are filled on a “first come first serve” basis.
All activities take place at the Saconnex site or off-campus. Students from Pregny will be
shuttled between the two sites by a school bus accompanied by members of staff. Pickup point after activities is at Saconnex unless otherwise specified.
Information about registration, activities, terms and conditions are to be found in the
Beyond the Classroom website
http://beyond.ecolint.ch/ or at www.ecolint.ch (https://my.ecolint.ch/campus-info/eca)
Please note that ECA is only open to children in the Reception class on Wednesdays.
ECA is currently not available to children in pre-Reception.
Contact — Martial Thévenaz — [email protected]
Sports Activities — Antoine Laffay — [email protected]
ECA Music Programme
Individual and group music lessons are available as extracurricular activities at Campus
des Nations. One of the school's priorities is to offer our students an outstanding quality
of musical education with an emphasis on enjoyment and development of musical skills.
Our curriculum follows the programme as outlined by the Associated Board of the Royal
Schools of Music and students interested in taking the ABRSM exams are fully prepared
by their teachers. Internal exams are also held at the end of the school year.
Recitals will be held once per term for performance opportunities and to allow students to
experience a musician’s life. These recitals will be in small groups or in more formal
concerts. Regular assessments on student performance will be given to parents.
Information about registration, terms and conditions are available on-line at the Beyond
the Classroom website http://beyond.ecolint.ch/ or at www.ecolint.ch
(https://my.ecolint.ch/campus-info/beyond-classroom)
Contact — Florence Ursenbacher — [email protected]
Food and drink
Students can bring snacks and their own lunch as desired. However, the school does
not allow carbonated beverages containing caffeine. The school does not allow baked
goods to contain nuts. Any parents helping their children with bake sales are asked to
remember the school’s “nut free school” policy.
Cafeteria
NOVAE is responsible for catering to Pregny and Saconnex as well as the other
cafeterias of the Foundation. The campus has been awarded the “Fourchette Verte”.
Hot beverages and snacks are available during break times for students from Year 5.
The emphasis is on healthy eating so the availability of fried food and fizzy drinks is very
limited. The cafeteria does not offer Halal or Kosher food, but there is always a
vegetarian option.
Students have three options for lunch:
 Bring own lunch (microwave ovens are available to heat food at Saconnex - Primary
students must ask for assistance from the lunch supervisor, but there is no ability to
heat food brought from home at Pregny)
 Pay as you go
 Parents pre-pay for the term and students need to present their ID card at the cash
desk
Saconnex
Opening hours: 07:30 – 16:00
Parents wishing to register their children with the hot meal service should complete the
application form online by logging in at the www.ecolint.ch website and clicking Campus
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Info – Cafeteria (https://my.ecolint.ch/Foundation/registration/cafeteria). After registering
online, please print the PDF confirmation of your registration which should be signed and
returned to the Campus Services office. Your child will be enrolled once the signed copy
has been received. Online registration may also be done in person at the Campus
Services office.
Detailed information about the rates and registration process can be found in the
‘General & Financial Conditions’ booklet.
Cancellation and changes to the Lunch enrolment will be possible only with a two week
written notice before the end of term. Failure to comply with this condition will mean that
the school has the right to charge the whole term.
Children without a subscription can purchase a hot meal lunch ticket at the Pregny
School Office or pay cash directly at the self-service check-out in the Saconnex
cafeteria.
Pregny
Hot meals served in classrooms:
12:15 - 12:45.
Saconnex
Hot lunches at self-service cafeteria:
Primary
12:00 - 12:30
Secondary
12:30 - 14:00
The school employs lunchtime supervisors and many of the staff eat in the cafeteria.
Parents who are in school for appointments or functions are welcome to use the
cafeteria during opening hours.
Contact — Brigitte Lowe — [email protected]
Governing Board
The Governing Board of the Foundation consists of twelve elected members, one
member appointed by the Federal Council, one member appointed by the Canton of
Geneva and one appointed by the Canton of Vaud. The Board also exercises its powers
of co-option by inviting the United Nations to nominate a representative. Elected
members are chosen by an electorate which consists of parents, members of staff,
former members of staff, Board members, former Board members and former students.
Votes are cast either by postal ballot or in person at the annual Consultative General
Assembly which is held in May.
The Board is responsible for the appointment and the evaluation of the Director General,
the executive head of the Foundation, approving the organisational structure of the
Foundation, supervising the Foundation’s finances and making all major decisions
regarding the objectives, policies and programmes of the Foundation including its
Strategic Plan. The Board is not involved in the detailed management of individual
campuses and schools. The minutes of the monthly meetings are posted on the website
http://www.ecolint.ch/
Guidance Counsellor (careers and university)
The two Guidance Counsellors in the Secondary School provide help and advice for
university and career choices and the IB. Please refer to Contact — Martial Thévenaz —
[email protected]
Careers and University Entrance.
Contact — Mark Grant [email protected] or Ellyn Levin [email protected]
Health and Medical
In line with cantonal regulations, all new students require a medical certificate. Your
family doctor should complete the green form sent to you by the Admissions Office. This
should be returned to the infirmary within one month of the start of the school year.
Failure to provide this certificate could result in the exclusion of your child from school.
New students coming from countries with a moderate to high level of tuberculosis are
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required to have a TB (Mantoux) test. If you are in doubt as to the status of your last
country of residence, please contact the Nurse. If the required Mantoux test has not
been taken before the start of school, the student will not be allowed to attend school.
Allergies
Any existing medical condition including allergies must be declared on the application
form. An appointment with the nurse should be made to discuss care provision.
Children who are highly allergic and at risk of anaphylaxis are advised to bring in any
necessary prescriptions to the school nurse as well as being advised to bring packed
lunches to avoid exposure to allergens.
All Schools adhere to the Foundation Allergy policy. Parents need to be vigilant that no
food containing nuts or nut products should be brought into school for any reason
including events such as bake sales, birthdays or other special events. Any food brought
into school which may contain nuts or nut products will be returned home. This is for the
protection of students and staff who have serious nut allergies and will be strictly
enforced.
Illness
Saconnex employs a full-time and a part-time nurse and Pregny has a Child Welfare
Assistant . Students with contagious diseases or head lice should be kept at home and
the nurse should be informed. If medication is prescribed and a child is well enough to
attend school, the medication (with physician prescription) should be given to the nurse
with clear instructions for administering the medicine. Students should only have
medicines with them (such as an asthma inhaler) which have been discussed with the
Nurse. At Pregny all medication must be given to the Child Welfare Assistant and stored
in the Infirmary. No medication should be left in children’s school bags.
If a child feels unwell at school s/he is sent to the infirmary. An assessment is made and
either the student is allowed to rest, or sent back to class or the parents are contacted.
In the case of more serious illness, parents are asked to pick their children up from
school as soon as possible. Older students may go home alone if the Nurse has spoken
with the parents and both parties are in agreement.
Please ensure that your child is able to cope with the regular school
programme(including outdoor recess and physical education) before allowing her/him to
return. If a course of medicine is prescribed, please follow the guidelines given by your
doctor.
Contagious diseases
Students who have infectious diseases should not be in school.
Please inform the school immediately if your child has a contagious disease. After a
serious illness, a doctor should confirm in writing that the child is fit to return to school.
Contact
Pregny — Helga Renganathan — [email protected]
Saconnex — Virginia O'Dell — [email protected] or
Christine Blom — [email protected]
Infirmaries
The full-time and fully qualified Nurse (Saconnex) and Child Welfare Assistant (Pregny)
are responsible for the health and well-being of the student community. This involves
giving treatment for sickness and accidents, administering medication prescribed by a
doctor, promoting a healthy lifestyle and organising outside speakers on health-related
topics.
Contact
Pregny — Helga Renganathan — [email protected]
Saconnex — Virginia O'Dell — [email protected] or
Christine Blom — [email protected]
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Medication
Students who need medication on a regular or episodic basis, (for example, for
headaches or menstrual cramps) require a doctor’s prescription and a supply of the
relevant medicine. When a child is on a course of medication for an illness, it is often
better to keep him/her at home until s/he feels better. If the doctor recommends a return
to school while still taking prescribed medicine, this medicine (with prescription) must be
given to the Nurse or Child Welfare Assistant in its original package labelled with the
student’s name and with clear written instructions for administering the medicine.
Students should only have medicines with them (such as an asthma inhaler) with which
they are familiar and feel confident to use, after having discussed with the Nurse. All
other medicines should be handed in to the Nurse or Child Welfare Assistant. Epi-pens,
insulin and other medicines should be clearly labelled with the student’s name and
dosage. They will be stored as appropriate in the infirmary.
At Pregny and for Saconnex Primary students, all medicine, including inhalers, should be
given directly to the Child Welfare Assistant or Nurse to be stored in the Infirmary. No
medicine should be kept in children’s school bags or cubbies. The teaching staff is
unable to dispense medication for fever.
Homework
Primary School
Students in the Primary School will be assigned homework on a regular basis. The
purpose of homework is to provide students with the opportunity to revise, practice and
consolidate independent learning skills and knowledge. We recommend that parents
take an active interest in what their children are studying and monitor the completion of
set work. Students are also encouraged to read each evening.
Secondary School
Homework is an important activity in the learning cycle. It is used by teachers to
reinforce the work carried out in class, to prepare students for a future class and to give
students practice in particular skills and approaches. However, a balanced student’s life
should consist of more than schoolwork.
Students work at very differing rates and to very differing depths of complexity. It is also
the case that there will be some fluctuation of quantity of homework from a specific
subject depending on the material being covered at a particular time. It is, therefore,
difficult to set absolute guidelines. However the following homework load table gives an
indication of time spent on homework for the majority of students at Campus des
Nations.
Homework should be handed in on the due date given by the teacher. Subject
departments and teachers decide how to penalise students for work submitted late and
this is communicated to the students by their subject teachers.
Homework Load
Year level
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Hours
each night
1
1 to 1.5
1.5
2
2
2 to 3
3 to 4
Hours
Total
over weekend weekly hours
1 to 1.5
6 to 6.5
1.5 to 2
7
2
9.5
2 to 3
12 to 13
3
13
4 to 6
14 to 21
6+
21 +
Time per subject
per week
40 mins
45 mins
1 hr
1 hr 20 mins
1 hr 25 mins
2. 5 to 3.5 hrs
3.5 hrs +
MYP student diaries are made available to all MYP students free each term, however, a
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replacement diary costs 2 CHF. These are used by teachers to send information to
parents. The diaries should be signed by parents on a weekly basis. In addition there
are websites where parents can see what homework has been set. Information will be
sent out to parents during the school year.
Identity Cards
An ID card will be given to all Saconnex students at the start of the academic year. This
is used as a lunch card. Each damaged or lost card should be replaced. Replacement
cards cost CHF 5 each and may be obtained at the Campus Administration (Level 4,
Room 411) in Saconnex. No meal will be served without presentation of a valid card.
Language support
Dual Language
Early Years
In the Early Years Centre at Pregny we welcome children ages 3 to 7 in our Prereception through to Year 2 classes. In our Pre-reception and Reception classes children
learn in a bilingual environment, where teachers and classroom assistants speak
English and French throughout the day. Beginning in Year 1, children attend French
lessons with specialist teachers in small groups designed to meet their individual
language needs, whether they are at a beginner level or French is their mother
tongue.
Primary
Although the majority of the teaching is in English, most lessons benefit from the
presence of a francophone teaching-assistant. The students also have French language
lessons each week. The French language lessons allow for students to learn specific
language skills as well as explore the classroom curricular focus through French
instruction. The students have access to a range of Anglophone and Francophone
resources in their classrooms and the school library.
Secondary
Students may choose to take courses in the dual language programme starting in 20112012. Dual language options are currently available in French in year 7 (corresponding
to a student’s language level and ability) in the following subject areas: Sciences (little to
some knowledge of French), Mathematics (some knowledge to a good level of French)
and humanities (good to advanced level of French). Students will be able to continue
these subjects in French as they move through the Middle Years Programme and their
language level and subject knowledge increase in parallel. Some subjects are also
taught in a more bilingual way: Technology, Art and Physical Education - allowing for
additional exposure to French.
EAL (English as an Additional Language)
There are many students at Campus des Nations who do not have English as their
mother tongue. Our aim is to provide the necessary support to help these children gain
the language skills they need to access the curriculum and integrate into the social life of
their school.
The school has three EAL programmes:
 Early Years (Pregny) - pre-reception to year 2
 Primary (Saconnex) - years 3 to 6
 Secondary (Saconnex) - years 7 to 13
At Pregny, pre-reception and reception EAL learners have support in class from
specialist assistants. Then depending on need, children in years 1 and 2 come out of
their homeroom class for additional support with the EAL teacher.
The primary and secondary programme is flexible and is designed to suit the needs of
each individual student. These range from total beginners requiring intensive English
through to advanced students who just need some help from time to time. Support is
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provided by EAL teachers and dedicated EAL assistants. We have EAL classrooms
which offer a secure and safe environment for the students.
EAL staff work closely with all the homeroom and subject teachers to link into the inquiry
and skill based learning of the PYP and MYP programmes. Students learn language
that is meaningful and relevant to them. They are very much active learners with every
opportunity taken to connect their prior knowledge and personal experiences to the
curriculum.
We use a variety of materials and resources to develop the language skills of speaking,
reading, writing and listening. They are intended to suit different learning styles and are
carefully chosen to provide differentiation and a balance between the need to establish
fluency and accuracy when using the language.
We want our students to be happy, to enjoy learning English and to be suitably
challenged whatever their linguistic ability. So, while they are learning this new language,
we also encourage them to be critical thinkers and decision makers so that they can
explore and solve problems.
We actively encourage students to use and develop their own mother tongue language.
This promotes the self-esteem of EAL learners, allows us all to value cultural differences
and helps students along the pathway to becoming confident users of the English
language.
Contact
Early Years (Pregny) — Alexandre Sabbag — [email protected]
Primary (Saconnex) — Sarah Edwards — [email protected]
Secondary — Karen Procter — [email protected]
Mother Tongue Education
There is increasing evidence of the benefits of bilingual studies, even multilingual
learning.
Students more than ever are confronted with the need to master additional languages to
access the best academic, educational and professional opportunities. The society we
live in is already multilingual and at our school this is an opportunity rather than a
challenge: the International School of Geneva celebrates this with a Mother Tongue
Programme on each campus.
Students that practice their native language have the opportunity to access the
curriculum and demonstrate their progress while not relying on acquiring a new language
of learning. MTP teachers always look for similarities and differences between languages
and create ways for students to feel more confident and proud of who they are. This in
turn motivates them to want to achieve and progress. Encouraging young children to
learn their mother tongue helps them develop confidence, self-esteem and their unique
identity within today's multicultural society. This helps them learn to withstand pressure
from peer groups of different cultures in schools, work places and society and become a
better integrated individual.
The Mother Tongue Programme provides learning opportunities in 19 languages (Arabic,
Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Farsi, French, Finnish, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian,
Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish). We
celebrate with the whole school on Mother Tongue Day when all courses present their
work and achievements.
Apart from the classes, which are already in place, we will endeavour to facilitate a class
in any language in which parents are interested. Lessons can take place immediately
after the school day or during free periods for DP students. There is no need to shuttle
children to another location. It is possible to take advantage of affordable group rates by
getting other families with the same mother tongue to join the programme. If you are
interested in group lessons, please inform the MTP Coordinator so that she can contact
similar families.
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Registration, terms and conditions are available on-line at the Beyond the Classroom
website http://beyond.ecolint.ch/mother-tongue-programme, or at www.ecolint.ch
(https://my.ecolint.ch/foundation/registration/mtp).
Contact: [email protected]
Learning Support
The Learning Support teachers are specialists who are trained to identify specific
learning needs provide support to students who are experiencing difficulties with their
learning. Students may be withdrawn from a lesson to attend Learning Support, or
assistance may be given within the mainstream classroom.
Some available supports:
 Group tutorials
 Peer tutor groups (organized by secondary students)
 Special needs and language profiles should be disclosed upon application. Students
are placed in age-appropriate classes.
For information on which support programmes are included in the fees, see ‘General and
Financial Conditions 2012-2013’
Contact:
 Early Years (Pregny) — Mario Gagné — [email protected]
 Primary (Saconnex) — Ana Low — [email protected]
 Secondary — Karina Hockley — [email protected]
For classroom assistant support, parents and students can contact Ms. Karina Hockley.
For private tutorials in specific subjects, parents can contact the subject teacher or the
head of department. Financial considerations apply.
Leaving School/Transfers
Parents are asked to inform the school as soon as possible of children who are leaving
the school.
Students wishing to transfer to another campus of the International School of Geneva
are kindly requested to fill the ‘Request for Transfer’ form (available from Saconnex
Welcome Desk or the Pregny School Office). Interested families should make this
request by the end of February for the following academic year.
Libraries
We encourage the entire community, including students, staff and parents to use the
resources available. Families are welcome before and after school hours.
Our main library goals include:
 to help students become effective and efficient users of information;
 to provide print and digital resources to classroom teachers to enhance their curricula
and support student learning; and
 to promote a love of reading, learning, languages, and libraries.
Opening hours
Pregny
Open for parents
Monday through Friday: 08:15 – 08:30
Monday, Thursday, Friday: 15:15 – 15:30
Wednesday closed
Primary (Saconnex)
08:00 – 15:30
Secondary
Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 16:50
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Please note that the libraries are also closed to students on Pedagogical training days
and during the school vacations.
Overdue resources from the library
E-mails are sent to parents and students when resources are overdue Once books, etc
are overdue by more than 28 days there is a 3 CHF fine to pay. Overdues of more than
42 days will have an additional charge of 0.25 cts per day.
Lockers
Students from Year 5 and up are provided with lockers. Secondary students, who wish
to have a key for their locker, are requested to leave a deposit of CHF 10 with the
Secondary Secretary for locker keys which will be refunded upon return of the key.
Lost property
At Pregny, there is a Lost & Found hamper beside the stairs to the gym.
At Saconnex, all items should be brought to the bookroom on level 4, room 415.
Non-valuables
These items should be placed in the Lost & Found box near the bookroom. The box
contents will be moved to the Lost & Found room on level 0 every Friday.
The Lost & Found room will be open upon request at the Welcome desk during the LAST
WEEK OF THE MONTH except Wednesday and weekends, from 11h to 14h.
Valuable items
These items should be handed to the bookroom with a Lost & Found tag filled in. These
items will NOT be moved to the Lost & Found room.
Unclaimed articles
Non-valuables will be sent to charitable organisations around Geneva during each
vacation period. Valuables will be given to the person who found it after 6 months.
Lunch supervision
At Pregny, children eat lunch in their classrooms under the supervision of classroom
assistants and lunch supervisors.
Students are supervised during lunch in the cafeteria and during their play. Campus
Administration is responsible for monitoring this programme and responding to issues or
concerns:
Contact:
Early Years (Pregny) — Heidi Lothspeich — [email protected]
Primary and Secondary (Saconnex) — Martial Thévenaz — [email protected]
Music Band (Primary)
All students in year 5 (from term 3) and students in year 6 take part in the PYP Band
Programme. Students receive weekly instruction from specialist music teachers as part
of their curriculum entitlement. They will have the opportunity to develop their musical
skills and to take part in large and small ensemble performances. All students are
required to either buy or hire a musical instrument from a choice of four (flute, clarinet,
alto saxophone, or trumpet). The school recommends the services of Servette Music
www.servette-music.ch for the hire or purchase of musical instruments and the music
shop offers competitive rates. More details regarding the programme will be sent home
to parents of year 5 and 6 students.
In addition to the PYP Band Programme, the school offers opportunities for students to
take individual instrumental lessons. There is a charge for these lessons. For further
details of the extracurricular music programme please see http://beyond.ecolint.ch.
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Outdoor Education
Students in Years 7-12 will have a mandatory Outdoor Education Programme specific for
their year group. The activities will have inter-disciplinary links and will be used for further
academic projects within the classroom.
Outdoor Education activities will take place during the following two weeks of the
academic year:
 24-28 September 2012
 21-25 January 2013
These activities are a fundamental part of the school programme. There will be a one
time fee of 845 CHF for Years 7-11 and 675 CHF for Year 12.
Contact — Angelica Bernellon — [email protected]
https://sites.google.com/a/ecolint.ch/outdoor-education/
Winter sports programme — Primary
From January to March there is a Winter Sports Programme with tuition from the Ecole
de Ski Français. This takes place during school time. There is an extra charge for this
Programme.
Parking
Limited short term parking is available at both sites. After filling in the online request
form “Visitor Parking Sticker” which will be sent to parents, a parking sticker will be given
to the parents by the Welcome desk or School Office. This sticker must be placed on the
windscreen of their car.
When using the parking, parents must place the “blue disc” indicating the time of arrival
of the vehicle. Failure to place the blue disc may cause the driver to be fined by the
Geneva authorities.
The parking time limitation is set to 1 hour, except for Pregny which is limited to 15
minutes at the UN Tennis club and Chateau de Penthes parking zones.
Visitors such as suppliers, meeting attendees, etc. will not be given a parking sticker and
should collect a parking pass from the reception. Together with the parking pass, the
visitor will place the blue disc on their windscreen indicating the arrival time. Again,
failure to place the blue disc may result in a fine.
Campus des Nations is not responsible for parking fines issued by neighbouring
properties, such as the World Council of Churches, Crêche des Morillons, Château de
Penthes, UN Tennis club, etc.
Students are not allowed to drive to school.
Photocopies
Students may obtain photocopy cards at the Welcome Desk in Saconnex upon
presentation of a student ID card upon which parents will be billed. Cards may be
recharged with cash at the machine in the cafeteria.
Psychologists
There is a full time psychologist at Saconnex and a part-time Psychologist at Pregny who
undertake a variety of support activities, such as counselling students, assessing
students and advising parents. The psychologists also organise a programme of outside
speakers on topics related to the emotional and social aspects of growing up.
The psychologists are available to staff members, parents and students and can be
consulted in all confidentiality by any party. It is, of course, often very beneficial to share
the relevant information with the teacher of your child.
Contact
Pregny: [email protected]
Saconnex: [email protected]
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Parent Teacher Association PTA
The PTA supports the school in many invaluable ways; through social activities, by being
homeroom/ classroom parent representatives, helping organise student events, aiding
channels of communication and fundraising to provide ‘extras’ beyond the normal school
budget. The PTA organises regular general meetings and coffee mornings in the
cafeteria at the Saconnex site. Electronic newsletters and classifieds bulletins are
provided on the school website.
Contact
For general information contact: [email protected]
For the PTA eNews or eClassifieds: [email protected]
Pick-up
Pick up at the main entrance should be avoided due to traffic congestion at the main
gate. All primary students must be picked up at relevant departure times unless they are
attending the After School Care programme or Extra Curricular Activities.
Primary Years 3-6
Monday to Friday
15:10
Wednesday 12:10
Parents who have children in the Secondary School of the school can arrive at 15:30 to
pick up all their children. Primary students in Years 3 6 who have siblings in Secondary
will be supervised on the playground until 15:30.
Students who take the school bus will also be supervised on the playground until it is
time to board the bus at 15:30. All primary students must be picked up at this time
unless they are attending the After School Care programme or extracurricular activities.
Any child who has not been picked up within ten minutes of the times specified will be
sent to the After School Care programme and parents will be billed accordingly.
Secondary Years 7-11
Monday to Friday
15:30
Parents can pick up their children at the secondary entrance. Students who take the
school bus should proceed directly to the bus area by 15:40. Buses leave promptly at
15:45. Students who are not on the bus by this time will be left behind. Parents can pick
up their children at the secondary entrance. For parents who have children in Years 7 –
11 and a child in Year 12 or 13, please note that there is no supervision for students
between the hours of 15:30 and 16:15. Students in Years 7 – 11 should work in the
library while they wait for their older siblings.
Secondary Years 12-13
Monday to Friday
16:15
All students must leave the campus by 17:00 unless they are participating in an
extracurricular activity.
Please also note that there is no school transport after 15:45 which may affect Years 12
and 13 students on some days since they may have classes until 16:15. There are
excellent public transport facilities serving Campus des Nations. For more information
about public transport, please go to www.tpg.ch and/or www.sbb.ch/fr.
Reports
See Assessment.
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School Fees
Please refer to the ‘General & Financial Conditions, School Year 2012-2013’ for detailed
information.
Additional Costs
There are costs incurred by students in addition to the tuition fees as outlined in the
above mentioned booklet and throughout this handbook. These range in general as
follows:
Years PR-2: CHF 200 to 450
Years 3-4:
CHF 650 to 700
Years 5-8:
CHF 650 to 2,000
Years 9-10: CHF 850 to 2,000
Years 11-12: CHF 850 to 1,500
Year 13:
CHF 500 to 1,000
These costs may vary between different classes in the same year group.
School Trips
The school organises a wide range of educational visits and outings to places of
historical and cultural interest in Switzerland and beyond as well as outdoor education
and sporting events.
Primary School students often participate in a half or full day trip to places of interest in
the community or surrounding areas to explore concepts or questions that arise during
their Units of Inquiry. PYP parents will be billed a one time fee of 100 CHF for the school
year to cover the cost of these excursions. The cost of trips for Secondary students is
notified to parents when the students ask for permission to participate on the trip. The
cost is then put on the school bill, so there is no need for students to take money to
school to pay for trips.
Where parents agree to transport other ISG students to and from school trips, or other
school events, they do so at their own risk and must ensure that they have adequate
insurance cover. The school’s insurance does not cover such journeys.
There is a Foundation policy which sets guidelines for trips and visits. Normal school
rules apply on all on school trips.
Security
In order to create a safe and secure learning environment the school offers:
 Supervision of play areas and the cafeteria at break and lunch times
 Supervision of arrival and departure times
 Trained bus drivers
 Regular practice of emergency procedures
 High expectations of student behaviour
 Visitors sign in and out at the Pregny School Office and Saconnex Welcome Desk
 Regular inspection and maintenance of building safety and security measures
 A small number of external surveillance cameras will be installed this year
Sports competition
This is a programme for students with a high level of performance who wish to represent
Campus des Nations or the International School of Geneva (ISG/EIG) Foundation at a
competitive level.
The Structure of the Programme
Campus des Nations is a member of a number of major sports associations. In addition,
there are intercampus Foundation sports within the ISG/EIG Foundation.
Sports: Football, Basketball, Track and Field, Cross Country, Ski.
Team Selection
Trials will take place at the start of each sports programme. A student may attend trials
for more than one school team. Coaches will consider various aspects including skills,
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attitude, team spirit, cooperation, respect of others, etc. when making their selection.
Selected competitors must be committed to attending training and matches. Involvement
on a school team requires the commitment and support from parents as well.
Enrolment
Every selected athlete must submit a completed information form to the coordinator at
the first training session. All competitors must maintain good academic records while
participating in Competitive Sports. A class teacher may refuse a permission request
from a competitor to attend tournaments if she/he fails to meet good academic
standards.
Cost
Parents will be asked to pay for transport, food and hotel accommodation related to
sports activities and a contribution to training costs (to pay coaches, pitch hire outside
school, etc.). There is an extra charge for those competing in the ski programme.
Families will be charged directly through the ISG/EIG billing system for costs incurred.
The calendar for competitive sport events may be found at the Beyond the Classroom
website http://beyond.ecolint.ch/sports-competition
Contacts:
Primary: [email protected]
Secondary: [email protected]
Student Councils
There is a Primary Action Group and a Secondary Student Council (MYP & DP).
The Primary Action Group is an interested group of students representing each of the
classes who meet weekly with the assistant principal during a morning recess. In the
primary school, there is also a Green Team which meets to discuss environmental
issues within the school on a regular basis.
The Secondary Student Council meets once a month. Each class elects one
representative to their council to forward and discuss the concerns of the student body.
Technology
The Campus is equipped with a range of computers, laptops, iPads and smartboards.
IT software
Campus des Nations encourages families to have access to the internet, so that their
children can benefit from email and resources available. If you already have a computer
at home, it would benefit students greatly if you could install an Office productivity suite
which allows them to save their work as Microsoft Office compatible files.
Transitions
The three schools (Early Years, Primary and Secondary) work collaboratively to ensure a
smooth transition of students leaving Year 2 at Pregny and entering Year 3 at Saconnex.
An introduction meeting for parents and school tours are arranged in June. The Primary
and Secondary schools also work cooperatively to ease the transition of students
entering Year 7 from Year 6 by organising opportunities through the year for Year 6
students and their parents. Year 11 students are given support when choosing their DP
options. There is a comprehensive induction programme at the start of Year 12.
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Transport
Public transport
By bus to Saconnex
Bus line
Stop
5 or 28
Crêts de Morillon
8
BIT
F
Vie des Champs
By bus to Pregny
Bus line
Stop
V or Z
Penthes
Note: Buses denoted by letters are cross border buses. Buses 5 and 28 from Saconnex
go to the airport. Further information: www.tpg.ch.
Students who travel to school by public transport should obtain a monthly ticket from
TPG available at Cornavin station or Rive.
By car
To Saconnex
From the autoroute/motorway take the Grand Saconnex exit and follow Genève Centre
or Place des Nations, take the route des Morillons on the left, signposted BIT.
From the centre of Geneva follow Place des Nations, then continue straight on towards
Ferney/Airport, turn right by the World Council of Churches, signposted.
To Pregny
From the autoroute/motorway take the Grand Saconnex exit and follow Genève Centre
or Place des Nations, take the route des Morillons on the left, signposted BIT. Follow the
route des Morillons to the Avenue de la Paix and turn left.
From the centre of Geneva follow Place des Nations, take the Avenue de la Paix towards
Chambésy/US Mission.
Transport Services
Parents wishing to enrol their children with the Transport Service should complete the
application form online by logging in at the www.ecolint.ch website and clicking ‘Campus
Info – Transport (https://my.ecolint.ch/Foundation/registration/transport). After
registering online, please print the PDF confirmation of your registration which should be
signed and returned to the Campus Services office. Your child will be enrolled once the
signed copy has been received. Online registration may also be done in person at the
Campus Services office.
Each inscription will be checked individually in order to propose an adequate stop for
each pupil and will be confirmed in writing before the start of school. No modification of
bus route will be made except for exceptional cases with the agreement of Campus
Administration.
According to the Financial Conditions, cancellation and changes of the Transport
Services should be made in writing two weeks before the end of the term. Failure to
comply with this condition will mean that the school has the right to charge the whole
term.
Shuttles between Saconnex and Pregny (included in the transport inscription) will be
carried out every day, morning and afternoon except Wednesdays when the return will
be made at 12:20. Children not enrolled in the general Transport Services will be able to
use this service and will be billed for the school year. Online registration procedure is the
same as for the school bus.
Parents wishing to use the Transport Service on an occasional basis should send a
written request to the Campus Administration 48 hours in advance. Places are limited
and the possibility to obtain an occasional seat is not guaranteed. There is a charge for
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this service, payable in cash to the Campus Administration office. Rates vary according
to the bus zones.
All students who are registered for the Transport Services, including the PregnySaconnex shuttle bus, should inform the school in writing or by email at least 24 hours in
advance if they will not be using the service for a particular day or days. If you are unable
to inform the school with 24 hours notice and an emergency occurs, please telephone
the school.
Please note children must be five years of age to travel on the school bus or shuttle.
Contact
Brigitte Lowe — [email protected]
Website
The Foundation website is at www.ecolint.ch where cross-campus information, activities
and services are posted. All parents have been issued with a login and password to the
Campus des Nations’ website. Calendar events and other information related to the
students’ academic life is available.
Registrations for After School Care, Extra Curricular Activities, Camps, Music
Programme and Mother Tongue Programme may be done on-line at www.ecolint.ch or
at the Beyond the Classroom website http://beyond.ecolint.ch/.
World of Work Week (Year 10)
Students will be guided through career choices in Years 11 to 13. The work experience
week for students in Year 10 is useful preparation for making subject choices for the IB
Diploma Programme and for the careers guidance programme. Students are taught to
prepare their CVs and to look for work. The student must not be remunerated in any
form. Assessment is done by the employer, a member of the Campus des Nations staff
and a student self-evaluation.
Contact
Adam Bawden, Head of Year 10 — [email protected]
Visitors
All visitors and volunteers must report to the Welcome Desk at Saconnex or the Pregny
School Office, sign the visitors’ book and obtain a visitor’s badge.
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