Welcome to Notre Dame International High School
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Welcome to Notre Dame International High School From the headmaster Greetings and welcome to Notre Dame International High School (NDIHS). Please take the time to read through this newsletter carefully and share it with your parents. It includes information about what to expect, how to prepare, what to pack, and how to stay informed of your progress through Powerschool, our online record-keeping system. The fact that you will be far from your parents makes it critical that they continue their role in supporting you academically and Powerschool provides a vehicle of communication with direct access to teachers via email. In choosing to attend NDIHS you have made an important decision regarding your educational career that will shape who you will become. Whether you are a returning student or new to NDIHS, this coming school year will offer many new and exciting challenges and experiences for you. Last year we completed two-plus years of preparation and have become an International Baccalaureate® (IB) World School. Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programs. IB World schools are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that NDIHS believes is important for our students. We are welcoming our first cohort in September-our eleventh graders-with the first IB class graduating in 2020. For further information about the IB and its programs, visit http://www.ibo.org. The diversity of our student body allows each of us the opportunity to connect with people from other cultures on a daily basis. This allows us to find areas of common interest and concern among our varied backgrounds and experiences. We have over twenty nationalities represented in our small school and each person has a unique story to tell. We hope that you take advantage of your time together to share and learn from one another. Major renovation works started in the spring on campus and we expected to move back to the château at the beginning of the school year. However, as with any big project as the one undertaken here, delays often happen. The chateau will not be ready in September so we will have to be flexible while we wait. We thank you for your understanding and patience. On behalf of the entire staff, I wish you a good summer and look forward to meeting or seeing you again in September. Mr. Dan Zicari Headmaster Summer Assignment In order to be prepared to begin classes in September, we have put together a website for you with assignments to complete before you arrive. One is a note-taking project that will orient you in our school-wide note-taking method and the other is a math refresher by level. You can find this website here: https://sites.google.com/a/ndoverneuil.net/ndihs-summer-prep/ There is also a link at the top of the page for seniors to Mrs. Zicari’s college prep page so you can get a head start on that process. NDIHS Newsletter Summer 2018 DZ/07/2018 1
CAS Creativity-Action-Service (CAS) is one of the core pillars of the IB program and we are implementing varying levels of CAS participation for all students next year. The CAS framework provides an opportunity to broaden your experience by getting involved in or taking a leadership role in activities outside of the classroom. You’ll earn more about this during orientation. Arrival Arrival day is Monday, September 3rd. Once travel arrangements have been finalized for your arrival, your flight itinerary must be sent to your sending organization or the admissions office so it can be shared with NDIHS staff. Monday, September 3 If traveling alone, a Nacel escort will meet you at the airport upon arrival and accompany you from the airport to the school. If you will be coming with your parents, you should plan to arrive at 14h00. While there is no official orientation for parents, staff and faculty will be available from 14h00-15h30 to meet and answer questions. Tuesday, September 4 8h300-16h30 Student orientation-attendance required for all students. Wednesday, September 5 8h30-16h30 First full day of classes. Powerschool-the portal to your progress Our student record-keeping system, Powerschool provides students and parents access to information about grades, attendance, schedules, courses and school fees. It also provides access to teacher email accounts to help facilitate communication between the school and parents. All parents and students are provided with a login and password (sent separately) at the beginning of the school year. Parents are expected to monitor Powerschool regularly to keep up-to-date on their child’s academic progress. PowerSchool allows for multiple parent accounts to be created per student. Therefore, both parents can have their own username and password that is linked with the Student's Access Key. If you have any questions regarding grades for class assignments during the current semester, talk with your student first. If you still have questions, you can email your student’s teacher by clicking on the link in Powerschool. General attendance questions should be directed to the school office. Powerschool fees Student Accounts All students pay a powerschool fee which was invoiced with your regular tuition and accomodation fees. The powerschool fee covers miscellaneous charges including supplies, library subscriptions, standardized testing, lab and IT fees, and some school and class excursions. Charges may be added throughout the year and can be found in the “Balance” tab on Powerschool. Additional charges may include school, class or club trips, transcript and graduation charges, consumable books and materials, replacements for lost keys, damaged or lost books, damage to school property, etc. These additional fees are paid directly to the school. Mid-year payments can be made in cash, by French cheque, wire transfer, or by credit card using the Ecole Directe system. Ecole Directe instructions will be sent at the beginning of the year. No final school reports are provided to students or schools until all fees are paid. NDIHS Newsletter Summer 2018 DZ/07/2018 2
SAT Test center NDIHS is a College Board SAT testing center this fall and will be offering the October 2018 and December 2018 SAT exams. The SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States and many international universities. Entering twelfth graders interested in US universities should register for the October exam. Eleventh graders are advised to take the exam in the spring. Registration for the SAT exam is done through College Board exclusively. Registration deadline for the October administration is September 7, 2018. NDIHS is listed as a Test Center on the College Board website. Lunch Daily lunch in the school cafeteria is included in the tuition and is accessed via students’ cantine cards. Alternatively, the Open cafe is a snack bar that is open both in the morning during the recreation break and at lunchtime. The Open cafe offers snacks, sandwiches and drinks that are not part of the typical lunchtime offering. Payment for the Open cafe is managed by deposits on students’ cantine cards. Deposits can be made in cash in the business office or by credit card via Ecole Directe (see Powerschool fees section above). Dormitory Life Dormitory rooms include a bed, desk, closet, nightstand and sink. Rooms are assigned as doubles by dorm staff. Showers and toilets are communal and there is approximately one shower for every 4 or 5 students on each floor. Dorms are on the 2nd & 3rd floors so plan on climbing three or four flights of stairs. Boys and girls are housed on separate floors but common rooms are open to all students. The main common rooms are open during free time in the evenings and are equipped with a TV, DVD player, games, tables and chairs, and water boiler. A kitchen with refrigerator, stove and microwave oven is available at scheduled times throughout the week and on weekends. Electrical appliances (toasters, coffee makers, electric blankets, refrigerators,etc.) are not permitted in bedrooms. Students are permitted to decorate the walls of their dorm room with posters or pictures but may not use nails or permanent hardware to affix anything to the walls. Patafix is the only adhesive that is permitted for use on dormitory walls. The dormitory is closed and students are not permitted in the dorms between 8h30 and 17h30 on school days. In the event that a student is sick during the day and cannot attend class, the student must report to the infirmary at the time the dormitories close. Laundry is done weekly by an outside laundry service for 7-day boarders and dorm students who stay in host families on the weekend. It is not advised to send any very expensive or delicate clothing to the laundry. There is a dry cleaner in town for these items. Neither the school nor laundry service assume responsibility for lost or damaged clothing. Laundry is billed at an average allowable amount of laundry. Students who exceed the allowed amount may be subject to additional fees. Internet The campus has internet available in the classrooms, library, dormitories, and labs. Students must register their computers with the IT department to access the wifi. All students must bring a laptop or tablet with installed updated antivirus software. NDIHS Newsletter Summer 2018 DZ/07/2018 3
What to pack
Bring enough clothes (appropriate for school-see handbook) for 2-3 weeks. It will get cold by late October
and the temperature in the winter will be as low as 0° Celsius.
You may need an adapter for your electronics. France uses TYPE E sockets (230 V, 50 Hz). All electronics
must be inspected by the school electrician or dormitory supervisor prior to use in the boarding quarters.
● School backpack ● pens & pencils
● laptop/tablet (required-with updated ● raincoat
anti-virus software) ● running or training sneakers
● bathrobe (required) ● workout clothes (t-shirt, shorts,
● batteries and adaptor for French plugs sweatpants)
for electronic devices ● heavier jacket or winter coat
● calculator (TI-83+, TI-84 or TI-84+) ● scarf, hat & gloves
● camera ● slippers/flip flops for the shower
● copies of important documents ● swimsuit
● English-native language dictionary ● toiletries (just enough to get
● French-English or French-native language started-there’s a grocery store within 1
dictionary block of school)
● medication ● umbrella
● musical instrument ● USB flash drive (minimum 4 GB)
What NOT to pack
● Linens and bedding (they are provided)
● Very valuable clothing.
● Expensive jewelry, handbags, and other accessories.
● More luggage than you can comfortably transport on your own.
● Hair dryer, curling iron or clothing iron. Foreign electronics are often not compatible in
France-even with adapter plugs- and can be purchased locally.
How to have a successful stay in France
“Bonjour, madame. Bonjour, monsieur.”
You have chosen to attend an American high school in France for any number of reasons, presumably not
least of which is to gain a deeper appreciation for the French culture. NDIHS is on a large French school
campus in a small town in a suburb of Paris. As an ambassador of your country and family and a guest of
the French people it is important that you be ready to adapt to your new surroundings; this means making
an effort to communicate with and show respect to the people around you including students, teachers
and staff. Regardless of the level of French you speak when you arrive, you should be prepared to greet
people when you come into contact with them. Small efforts early in your experience here will set the
tone for success throughout the year.
Spending money
Students should be provided with 200-250€ per month in spending money (perhaps more during the
vacation periods and the first month for school supplies). Prepaid credit cards that have the option of
withdrawing cash is the easiest method of handling spending money. Borrowing money from other
students or host families is not permitted.
NDIHS Newsletter Summer 2018 DZ/07/2018 4Students should not be provided with an excessive amount of money nor be
permitted to make extravagant purchases while at school. All of their basic needs
are met while on the program and this will minimize problems with theft.
Opening a local bank account is not an option. Credit cards, or debit cards are the most popular way to
manage/obtain funds. Be sure to check with your bank and inform them of your travel plans. Card
companies and banks may deactivate your card if they see unusual transactions to your account.
Do not bring traveler’s checks. You would have a hard time finding a store to take them and banks will not
cash them.
Cell phones
Students must have a cell phone during their stay in France and maintain a minimum credit balance.
The following phone providers have reasonable plans:
www.free.fr (registering on-line is fast, easy and can be done before arrival.)
www.sfr.fr www.orange.fr www.bouyguestelecom.fr
Students will be provided with essential phone numbers during orientation.
Packages, mail, deliveries
Only boarding students are permitted to receive mail at school. Students in host families or local students
must use their local home address for all mail. Mail or packages received for non-boarding students will be
returned or refused.
Be aware that items ordered from outside of France or the EU are subject to customs charges that are not
typically communicated at the time of the order. Students are frequently caught by surprise when they are
issued a customs charge at the time of delivery. These charges can exceed 50% of the cost of the item
purchased. Great care should be taken when ordering online.
Travel tips: health and safety
You should take the same common sense safety precautions abroad that you would at home. Be aware of
your surroundings, keep your valuables concealed, be prudent around strangers, and heed safety advice
from the staff at Notre Dame International High School.
Below are some general tips for staying safe when traveling:
● Photocopy your passport, credit cards, plane tickets, driver’s license, and other important
documents - leave one copy in your dorm room or with your host family and keep another one
with you, separate from the originals.
● On trains, keep bags as close as possible and cell phones out of sight.
● Make sure someone else always knows your itinerary.
● Don’t go anywhere alone.
● Always stay in well-lit and well-traveled places. Don’t take shortcuts through alleys or unsafe areas.
● Make sure you can hear what’s happening around you, especially if you are on the phone or
wearing headphones.
● Stay alert and trust your intuition when you feel you may be in danger. If you feel you may be
getting into an uncomfortable situation, try to get to a safe place as soon as possible.
NDIHS Newsletter Summer 2018 DZ/07/2018 5You can also read
