General Information for the Zebra Class - Welcome to the Zebra Classroom! We are so excited to have your child join us. The information listed ...

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                General Information for the Zebra Class

Welcome to the Zebra Classroom! We are so excited to have your child join us. The
information listed below will be helpful as you prepare for your child’s first day with us.

Our Philosophy
Every classroom has both a native Dutch and a native English-speaking teacher. Thus
the children are constantly immersed in both languages in every subject areathroughout
the entire school day.

Our classrooms are carefully prepared environments, filled with a variety of experiences
designed to lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning. Everything in the classroom is
child-centred. We believe that children should be respected as individuals and allowed
to cultivate their innate desire to learn. Our goal is to provide the highest quality
bilingual education within a global setting to prepare your child for life beyond the
primary classroom.

We teach to the whole child. This means we address the mental, physical and emotional
well-being and development of your child. We offer two formal physical activities per
week and warm meals every day to help your child flourish physically as well as
mentally. At lunchtime, children set the table and serve themselves independently. Each
child may have unlimited water and two plates of food. Of course, there is also the option
of having more servings if your growing child needs more!

We want our classrooms to reflect the global environment that exists within the
Amsterdam community. We believe that children learn best when they are given
opportunities for success through interaction with their peers and the adults around
them. We strive to promote a sense of community through mixed-age groups in each
classroom, where children work, play and eat meals together.

We endeavour to promote each child’s joy of learning by combining Montessori ideals
with the International Primary Curriculum. Our Dutch language curriculum is
VeiligLerenLezen and our English language curriculum is Primary Phonics and Oxford
Reading Tree. Formal language lessons commence in Dutch. Then, once your child is
blending, we begin formal English language lessons.

Flexible holidays
LUS is open forty-eight weeks a year. There are eight thematic projects per year lasting
six weeks each. The projects consist of five weeks of curriculum and one review week.

We have a flexible holiday schedule so that the children can take holidays throughout
the year.

Flexible Holiday Schedule
Every 6 weeks you will be sent an email to ask you if you have any holidays you would
like to book for your child during the next 6 week block. If you would like your child to
take any holidays during the specified time, we ask that you reply to the email. The
school holiday policy is as follows:
    1. Your child has 40 days of flexible holiday entitlement per school year (August to
        July).
    2. These 40 days are in addition to the 10 days the school is closed for summer
        vacation and the 10 days the school is closed for the Christmas vacation.
    3. 10 days are to be used during the period August to end of February (in addition
        to the Christmas vacation) and 10 days during the period March to end July. The
        remaining 20 days can be used at your discretion.
    4. You must request the holidays in response to the email that the school sends out.
        Holidays cannot be booked at any other time, unless there are exceptional
        circumstances and will be at the discretion of the Primary Manager, Joy Otto.
    5. Once your holiday request has been registered, the dates cannot be changed.
    6. When planning your holiday dates please check the school calendar and your
        classroom calendar so that you can see what events are happening when you plan
        to be away

office@littleuniverseschool.nl

Website
Please see our website for more information about our school.

Newsletter
The week before a new project begins, you will receive a calendar and a newsletter
outlining the lessons we will be covering in the upcoming weeks. The calendar will
alsoadvise you of important dates, Field trips and general news.

Email
The Zebra class has its own email address zebra@littleuniverseschool.nl.

Illness/Absence
If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, please email us before 8:15. If you
have questions about our illness policy, please refer to our sick policy document. To
notify us of a late drop off (after 8:30) due to a doctor’s appointment, please email the
teachers directly using the class email address.

School Hours
The school hours are from 08:30-14:30 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
School will finish on 12:30 on Wednesdays. Children can be picked up from the front of
the school.

If someone other than yourself is picking your child up, please let us know. We would
like an introduction or picture if we have never met or seen the person before.

Late drop off/ Early pick up times
If you need to drop your child off late please email the teachers prior to the date. Late
drop off times are 09:30 or 11:30.
If you need to collect your child early from school, please also contact the teachers prior
to this. Early pick up times are 13:30 or 14:00.

If you need to drop your child off late on a Gym day, please email the teachers beforehand
to confirm at suitable time.

Afterschool
Little Universe is open until 18:00, so there is also an option for after-school care,
strictly by prior arrangement. If you need to make alterations to the days agreed upon,
please contactthe afterschool teachers. If you have to cancel these alterations before the
24-hour period, you will still be charged. If you want to make any changes to your days
for afterschool please contact the teachers directly.

Email address for afterschool: baschool@littleuniverseschool.nl

Physical Activity
The address of the gym is : Antonio Vivaldistraat 15. We have Gym on Monday and
Wednesday every week.

Please ensure:
- Clothes are easy for your child to put on and take off
- Long hair is in a braid or ponytail

Pleasebring:
- Gym shoes (only used indoors)
- T-shirt
- Short/long sport pants
- Backpack

Music
Music classes are on Monday afternoons.

Daily outside playtime
Outside in the Beatrix Park.

What do I bring to the Zebra class?
- One set of spare clothes (appropriate to the season)
- Backpack for Gym Clothes (Mondays and Wednesdays)
- Your child will be given a LUSreading book bag
- Water bottle (to leave at school)
- Sharing toy, book or photographs for show and tell on Fridays

Activities
- Depending on our thematic unit, we like to take the children on Field trips, every
  other topic.
- At the end of every other topic, there is an excursion, closing celebration, or a
  presentation/classroom exhibition for parents.
- These dates are included on the 6 week IPC calendar.

Homework
Children in the Zebra class need to bring in their book bags on Thursdays. They will

have a weekly spelling test on Thursday and will change their English and Dutch books.
On Fridays the children will take their new books and homework home with them.

Parent Conferences / Reports
Each year, there are three parent meetings (10/15 minutes) with the teachers.
- November: Discuss the start of the year and goals for the coming year. No report.
- February: Discuss your child’s progress , CITO and English results. Report.
- June: Discuss the achievements of previous year. Discuss new goals for the upcoming
  year, CITO and English results. Report.

Parent Sounding Board The sounding board has a representative from each
classroom. Representatives act as a contact person for the parents, offer feedback about
the quality of the school and, if requested, hold parent nights.

Birthdays
We welcome celebrating your child's birthday. Please let us know if you would like to
send in a special treat 48 hours in advance of the date that you would like to celebrate.

Nuts
We are a nut free school. Please do not allow your child to bring anything containing
nuts into the school.

Coat Pegs
Each child has his or her own coat peg, where they can place their belongings. Jackets
and backpacks should be hung on the hook provided for your child. Please remind your
child if he or she forgets.

Bikes/StrollersPlease park your bike in the bike rack at the side of the school. Do not
park your bike in front of the windows outside, as that is our emergency exit.