SECTION 4: PRACTICAL INFORMATION
4.01 Supplies and Materials
USP will provide materials for art, text and work books.
Materials and supplies for special projects will need to be provided by parents.
4.02 Cafeteria
Nutrition: A learning opportunity
At USP the school cafeteria is more than a place where students eat; it serves as a classroom to learn about healthy choices, food and nutrition. Students will be taught the nutritional value of different foods so that they learn to choose what they eat from our lunchroom which will also include vegetables and fruits.
USP will have meals available for our students with all the necessary nutrients to ensure their overall health.
Our food provider works closely with a nutritionist who will oversee the monthly menus and will guarantee a balanced and nutritious selection of hot lunch and snacks for our students.
Allergies
If your child suffers from any food allergies or develop food allergies, please notify the school administration immediately. Our food provider will work with the school nutritionist to offer safe, inclusive options for students with allergies.
The Service
All foods and snacks for students, teachers and staff will be available at school. Students are not allowed to bring any type of food and/or drinks. Exceptions may be approved if severe allergic/medical condition as mandated by physician.
The Food & Nutrition Plan at USP consists of: Morning snack + Lunch.
Parents receive a menu every month to pre-order.
For students participating for ECA (Extra Curricular Activities) snacks are offered at an additional cost.
4.03 Transportation
To get your students to school safely and on time, USP recommends private qualified transportation companies for your reference. The contractual service agreement is between parents and providers.
4.04 Library Books
The library is meant to be fun and inviting in order to promote and encourage students to have a passion for reading. Instructional classes include story time and teach children to locate books in the library, check in, check out and renew books, understand and compare the different genres and types of books, and use library facilities and resources effectively and responsibly.
4.05 Field Trips
Students and parents are notified in advance regarding the specifics of field trips along with a permission slip, which must be signed and returned. Parents can act as chaperones on field trips if USP so requires. This is a service to USP and a responsibility that should be considered carefully. Teachers will try to give all parents an opportunity to chaperone on a field trip. Parents who chaperone must start and finish the trip at school. Childcare must be arranged for siblings.
Purpose of Field Trip
- To introduce a unit, enhance a unit, or culminate a unit.
- To provide students with firsthand experiences, learning about their immediate environment and the world they live in.
- To provide group experiences and a fun activity, building good relationships with other children and adults.
- To clarify existing concepts.
4.06 Parents
USP welcomes opportunities for parents to contribute to the school’s mission and enhance the education of the children at the School. The School administration will invite and collaborate with parents to make USP a better place for all students.
4.07 Communication with Parents
The relationship between home and school is of paramount importance in a child’s education. This makes two-way communication a critical factor in the partnership between parents and the school. Parents must feel comfortable to approach us to solve problems and to feel confident about the teaching and learning taking place in the classroom.
USP will provide a digital platform for parents to feel connected with what’s happening at school as well as other channels of communication as e-mail, an WhatsApp business account for easy communication. To ensure best quality and follow bio security measures we encourage parents to set up appointments, however, at all possible, we will maintain an open doors policy for our families.
Please refer to the USP Communications Policy 3.12 for more details.
4.08 Parent Involvement
Our parents are all invited to take an active role in school life. Some events offer parents the opportunity to spectate or participate directly. In addition to this, we encourage families to support their children from home. We have information channels to keep parents informed about classroom learning.
4.09 Unexpected school closure
There are occasions where schools may need to close unexpectedly. This may be due to MEDUCA/government dispositions or other reasons. We will only close the school in the best interests of student and staff safety, following government guidance.
Closure outside of the school day
If the decision to close is outside of the school day, the following means of communications to parents may be used:
- A pop-up message on the home page of the school website.
- An email out to all parents
- Updates on the school’s social media accounts
Closure during the school day
Should the school need to close during the school day, we will contact the school buses to arrange early collection. Once we have an agreed time to send all of the students home, we will communicate via e-mail, WhatsApp, and other possible means to let you know that the school will be closing.
Students who do not use the school transportation will be sent home at the same time as the buses leave school.
Obviously, it is our priority that your child is safe; therefore, if you require that your child be supervised until you are able to make arrangements for them, please reply to the school closure email/WhatsApp or call and this will be picked up by the school office.
USP will keep parents informed whether the school is to remain closed.
Arrangements for Student Work
Depending on how the situation evolves, the academic department of the school will contact parents to arrange on-line learning.