Welcome to the International School of Dakar

Welcome to the
International School of Dakar
ISD CORE Values: Creativity, Open-Mindedness, Responsibility, and Excellence
Director’s Letter
Welcome to the International School of Dakar in Senegal. ISD is a dynamic and friendly English-language
PreK - Grade 12 school located in the Mermoz neighborhood of Dakar.
Founded in 1983, it is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, offering the Diploma
Programme. IB World Schools share a common philosophy – a commitment to a high quality, challenging,
international education that ISD believes is important for our students. ISD is also fully accredited by
the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) and the Council of International Schools
(CIS).
Incredibly diverse, our staff has teaching experience in 55 countries and our students represent over 50
nationalities. We provide a warm and caring learning environment that challenges students both to
achieve excellence and to appreciate this diversity.
We believe strongly that education is a home-school partnership and we encourage you to get involved.
Join the PTO, attend assemblies and sporting events, and cheer for your children as they perform in
school plays. This support for your child’s interests will undoubtedly pay off.
We look forward to your involvement in our community and your contributions to our continued efforts
at school improvement. We welcome visitors, volunteers, and questions. Please feel free to call, email,
or stop by to see us.
Sincerely,
ISD Director
Welcome from the ISD Board
Thank you for choosing the International School of Dakar. ISD is attracting more and more parents who
have heard about our academic rigor, diversity, and community spirit. We are happy to have you with
us.
ISD, as a private, not-for-profit entity, is ultimately governed by ISD parents and faculty (the ISD
Association). Every year, the ISD Association chooses board members to represent them as the governing
body of ISD – this is the ISD Board. We are a collegial group, working in the best interests of the entire
school – not only for the children who are at ISD today but also for those who will be coming here in the
future.
ISD Board members are responsible for chairing various committees, which serve to enhance the overall
well-being of the school. They do this with guidance and participation of the school director, principals,
and personnel. Committees at present are Finance, Buildings and Grounds, and Policy. Ad Hoc
committees are created as needed.
We look very forward to another great year at ISD – thanks to all in our outstanding community.
Sincerely,
ISD School Board Chair
ISD Parent Teacher Organization
Welcome from the PTO!
The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) of the International School of Dakar is a voluntary service
organization managed by the parents and teachers of ISD. Via fundraising, community-building events,
and sales at the ISD Spirit Shop, the PTO works to support the school. PTO is also a fantastic way to
meet other parents and quickly become involved in your child’s school.
With students from over 50 countries, ISD truly is an international school. Just over half of our students
are US, Canadian, French, or British citizens – all multicultural countries, so many have very diverse
backgrounds. The other half of nationalities represented include South Africa, Spain, Rwanda,
Australia, Cameroon, Italy, Germany, Japan, Portugal, The Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Switzerland, Mali,
Benin, Kenya, Brazil, China, Guinea, Israel, Niger, Pakistan, Togo, Burkina, Congo, Denmark, Finland,
Indonesia, Lebanon, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Turkey, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Madagascar, New
Zealand, and Iran!
At a place like ISD, where students, teachers, and administrators are always on the move, we feel it is
particularly important to create a strong sense of community among our families. Your participation
with PTO not only allows you to learn more about your child’s school environment, it gives you an
immediate way to make new friends and learn about the different cultures represented at ISD.
Members of the ISD PTO can support activities without becoming officers or attending meetings on a
full-time basis. We always need parents to help as volunteers with specific activities or events
throughout the year, such as our Book Fairs, the December Santa Sale, or our annual Soiree Litteraire.
You can also join us simply by serving as a room parent, helping your child’s teacher as needed.
PTO meetings are held once a month and are open to all parents and teachers. We hope to see you
there!
Sincerely,
ISD PTO Chair
ISD Communications and School Calendars
ISD encourages close home-school interactions. In an effort to keep communication positive and
open, ISD has numerous ways to keep you informed:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ISD emails a school-wide online newsletter, The Jaguar Journal, to all parents
every week, usually on Friday afternoons.
Targeted emails about events at ISD go out to parents throughout the year –
these events are also posted on the Whole School Calendar and are noted in the
weekly Jaguar Journal Update.
A bulletin board with information from the ISD School Board and the PTO is on
the wall next to the main office. There is also a board with pictures and titles
of all ISD Faculty and Staff next to the main office. We hope this helps parents
put names to the many faces seen around our growing campus.
A message board with a few general announcements stands at the front gate of
school.
A bulletin board with information on sports and activities stands under the
trees, near the playground.
Open House is held once at the start of the school year.
Parent-teacher conferences are held twice each year (November and March)
In the Elementary School, an additional goal-sharing conference is held once
each year in October.
Report cards are sent home 3 times per year – parents must sign and return a
report card envelope.
ISD's website, www.isdakar.org, is a great resource. On the right side of the
page, you will find Quick Links, including links to our weekly newsletter, The
Jaguar Journal, and our Whole School Calendar, a regularly updated Google
calendar, with sports, PTO, student activities, and education-related events.
Under Quick Links, you will also find the ISD Academic Calendar. This calendar
notes holidays, half-days, and parent teacher conference dates for the whole
year. It is approved by the ISD Board well in advance and is available at the very
start of every school year.
ISD Athletics and After School Activities
Welcome from the ISD Physical Education Department.
At ISD, a majority of students participate in athletics as members of one or more of our sports teams.
ISD follows a three-season schedule, which can be found below. Each season lasts 10 to 12 weeks. ISD
coaches are generally ISD teachers with experience in coaching. Students must maintain academic
eligibility to participate on a school team.
ISD Sports Seasons
High School
Fall: Volleyball and Swim Team
Winter: Basketball and Track & Field (After School Activity/ASA)
Spring: Soccer
Middle School
Fall: Soccer and Swim Team
Winter: Volleyball and Track & Field (ASA)
Spring: Basketball
Elementary School (Grades 4 & 5)
Fall: Basketball (ASA) and Swim Team
Winter: Soccer (offered via Gaucher Soccer Academy at ISD) and Track & Field (this ASA is also available
to Grade 3 students)
Spring: Volleyball (ASA)
Practices
High School holds practices three times per week, between 3:30pm and 6:00pm or between 7:00am and
8:15am. Games are held on weekdays and on Saturdays.
Middle School holds practices twice per week, between 3:30pm and 5:00pm. Games are held on
weekdays and on Saturday mornings.
Grades 4 and 5 teams hold practices twice per week, between 3:30pm and 4:15pm (during After School
Activity time). Other than Swim Team, these sports are run as After School Activities. Whenever
possible, the coaches have games/meets with outside schools.
Swim team follows a different practice schedule. This is communicated to parents of swim team
members at the start of the season.
Matches and Tournaments
During the season, ISD plays games against other local clubs, as well as local private and public schools.
In addition to these matches, ISD organizes a one-day tournament on a Saturday for all teams during
each season. ISD also attends the Sports for International Private Schools in Senegal (SIPS) Tournament
at the end of February and beginning of March.
ISD belongs to the West African International Schools Activities League (WAISAL). ISD athletes
participate in tournaments at the conclusion of each season (or, in some cases, ISD hosts the WAISAL
event). WAISAL is open to all American and/or International schools in West Africa.
Activities
ISD’s After School Activities (ASA) program is enriching and engaging, providing new experiences in
academics, sports, and special interests. Our ASA program generally runs for 8 weeks during each of our
three trimesters. ISD offers activities from Monday to Friday during those 8-week periods. Activities
take place between 3:20pm and 4:15pm. Previous activities have included chess, pottery, photography,
fencing and dance, just to name a few.
Packets with registration forms are sent home via backpack before each ASA session. Activities are led
by ISD teachers who volunteer to run two sessions per year. We also invite outside instructors to offer
activities. These instructors charge a fee of between 15,000CFA and 20,000 CFA per child per activity.
We strongly encourage parent volunteers to support our After School Activities program by offering
their expertise during the sessions.
For security reasons and to ensure the smooth delivery of our program, we urge parents to make
arrangements for student pick-up immediately following the end of the activity.
There are no activities held on early dismissal days, parent teacher conference days or non-school days.
ISD Daily Schedule
8.00 am: Supervision begins – students may not be dropped off before 8:00am.
8.25 am: The first bell rings. Elementary students will line up near the playing fields. Middle and High
School students will make their way to their classrooms.
8.30 am: Late bell – punctuality is very important. Late students should report to the office before
going to class.
There is a 15-minute break in the morning – those in the lower grades are requested to bring a
healthy snack for this time.
12.00 pm: Dismissal for PK3 and PK4 classes
Lunch*
12:10 – 12:50
Kindergarten to Grade 5 (Grades are staggered)
11:50 – 12:30
Grades 6 to 8
11:40 – 12:20
Grades 9 to 12
*Children may not be dismissed to go home for lunch.
3.20 pm: Dismissal of all elementary, middle, and high school students.
Visiting Campus
Morning Drop Off
During morning drop-off time, parents can park outside the main gate and walk their child(ren)
to their classroom(s) without wearing a visitor’s pass. Parents/drivers may also drive through
the loop and drop off their child(ren), but no parking is allowed in that area.
Afternoon Pick Up
During afternoon pick-up time, parents may park outside and walk to the sidewalk area near
the school office to wait for their child(ren) without a badge, but may not go to the
classroom(s) without a visitor’s pass.
Elementary School Students:
• Children in PK3, PK4, and KG will be picked up from the classroom.
• Children in G2 will be escorted to the sidewalk area near the school office and can be
met there.
• All children PK3-G5 who are not involved in an after school activity (ASA) MUST go
home as there is NO supervision for them.
• If parents/drivers/nannies are late to pick up:
o Students in Grades 3 to 5 must wait for pick-up in the library.
o Students in Kindergarten to G2 must wait for pick-up in the office.
• Grades 3-5 are NOT ALLOWED on the playground or field after school.
• PK4 to G2 can only be on the playground after school if under the DIRECT
SUPERVISION OF THEIR OWN PARENT OR GUARDIAN.
Middle and High School Students:
• Middle School students are allowed to be on campus until 4:00 pm, but they should be
involved in constructive activities or working with a teacher or coach.
• High School students may be on campus after school until 5:00 pm, but must be engaged
in constructive activities (studying, working with a teacher, etc.).
• MS/HS students leaving school after 6:00 pm MUST leave in a car from the school gate.
Students are NOT allowed to walk to or on the Corniche after 6:00 pm.
After School Activities Program
Most after school activities run from 3:20 to 4:15pm. The same pick-up procedures will apply as
for the 3:20 pm dismissal.
Changes in After School Pick Up
The school requests a note or letter from the parent, in advance, if there is going to be a
change in your child’s pick-up after school. If it is not possible to notify the school through a
note, the individual authorized by the family to collect the student must register a signed note
in the school office indicating he/she has permission to take the child. For the safety and
protection of your child, it is important that the school have a written record of any changes in
your child’s regular routine.
During the Day
Visitors to Campus
• All visitors must sign in with the guard at the front gate unless the visitor has an official ISD
badge.
• If the visitor is there with a delivery for a classroom, the item is left with office personnel.
• The visitor must sign out through the guard gate.
Release of Student
• Any child released during the day, prior to the regular dismissal time, must check out through
the office.
• The parent/guardian should come to the office where he/she will sign the child out of school.
• A member of the office staff will go to the classroom to get the child and bring him/her to the
office.
Note: The ISD gates are locked from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, Monday through Friday, and on weekends and
holidays. Guards will be present at the gate to admit visitors who have a legitimate reason to access
campus. Security personnel will not unlock classrooms for forgotten materials.
ISD General Procedures
Lunch and Snacks
Lunch is provided at a cost for Elementary School students through Shady Shack (the canteen on
campus, near the pool). Students order lunch one week in advance and the lunch is delivered to the
Elementary lunch area. A menu and order form may be found in the weekly school newsletter, the
Jaguar Journal. There are also printed copies in the office. Middle and High School students have the
option of ordering food individually each day at Shady Shack. Students must place their orders and pay
via envelope from their Homeroom in the morning – they should not order at the window during our
brief lunch period.
Students are encouraged to bring a nutritious snack for their mid-morning break. Cold-water fountains
throughout the school provide purified, filtered water. Children in the Elementary School are not
permitted to bring caffeinated beverages or soda to school.
Birthdays
Please contact your child’s teacher to make arrangements to celebrate your child’s birthday. For
birthday party invitations, we believe it is important that all children be welcomed, included, and
appreciated. Therefore, the school or teacher will not distribute written invitations to a student's party
unless every child in that student's class receives a written invitation.
Dress Code and Gym Clothing
Our current dress code calls for girls to wear tops that have shoulder straps that do not show
undergarments and are not low-cut and revealing. For boys and girls, know that low-rider
pants, which reveal underwear or show skin, will not be allowed.
Middle and High School children are expected to wear sports clothing and change before/after
gym lessons. Please make sure all children wear proper athletic shoes for PE classes. Students
should not wear spiked soccer cleats as regular school shoes.
Field Trips
Educational field trips offer an opportunity to enhance and reinforce the subject matter being
taught in the classroom. For this reason, ISD encourages such trips, including overnight stays
both inside and outside Senegal. Field trips are optional and the academic success of students
will not be dependent upon their participation in any one field trip. However,
parents/guardians are encouraged to allow their children to participate in field trips because
of the rich educational benefits.
Field
•
•
•
trips fall into three categories:
Trips that take place within school hours
Trips that involve overnight stays
Trips out of Senegal
Funding and Supervision of Field Trips
The school generally covers some costs for overnight trips (chaperone expenses and others).
The expenses for the trip will be clearly presented to parents at the first organizational
meeting. Parents are then welcome to organize class fund-raising activities, but they are
ultimately responsible for funding their child's trip. All field trips will be supervised according
to the number of students attending. For overnight trips, one of the chaperones will be trained
in first aid. Your child’s teacher may ask for parent volunteers to help chaperone.
FOCUS
Middle and High School parents can see up-to-date grades for their children, using ISD’s FOCUS
Student Information System. MS/HS teachers log the grades at school and FOCUS allows parents
to view them from anywhere they have internet access. Contact ISD’s Tech Director, John
Wishart, if you do not have your access password ([email protected]).
Library and WIFI
Students are regularly scheduled to have classes and instruction in the library. The library
hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Students are permitted to check out books for a period of
one to two weeks at a time (varies with the age of the student). Fines will be levied for books
returned late. Charges will also be made for lost or damaged books. The details regarding
library rules and regulations are discussed with all students during their initial library class.
Parents are welcome to check out books for themselves in the library – same rules / regulations
as for the students apply. A password for free WIFI can be obtained from the library. Parents
are welcome to sit in the parent section of the library and use our network.
ISD Nurse’s Office
ISD employs a full-time nurse, who is on campus daily, except when accompanying a field trip
or sports team to an event. Please communicate directly with both the school nurse and your
child’s homeroom teacher regarding any special medical needs your child may have. To leave
school due to illness, a student must first see the school nurse and receive permission to leave.
Lost and Found
Found articles will be brought to the office or deposited in the lost and found containers.
These containers are cleaned out regularly and items not claimed are donated to local charities
or schools. Encourage your child to look through the containers for anything lost on campus.
Valuables
Personal valuables are the responsibility of individual students. Pocketbooks, watches, money,
cell phones, and other valuable items should never be left unattended. Students are reminded
to lock their personal items in their lockers whenever they are not using them. The school
cannot be responsible for stolen items of any kind. It is not advised that students bring
expensive or irreplaceable items to school.
Messages/Deliveries/Student Use of School Phone
If you must contact a student during the school day, a message may be left with the office
receptionist. Deliveries of assignments, projects, lunches, forgotten textbooks, etc. should be
avoided. In case of emergency these items can be brought to the office where the office staff
will deliver the item to the student or the student will pick it up. The teacher will determine
whether a call is an emergency. Generally, students will be permitted to go to the school
office to make a call only during recess or lunch.
Security Regulations
With the need for heightened security in international schools throughout the world, we
continue to implement our security plan designed to protect our students while they are at
school. We have an Emergency Plan providing procedural details for students, faculty, support
staff, parents and visitors in the event of an emergency. It is revised annually.
Emergencies
It is essential for the school to be able to contact a parent or guardian in case of emergency;
therefore, it is imperative that we have office, home, and mobile phone numbers and the
number of an emergency contact (nanny, driver, neighbor, etc). All changes of address, phone
number, or email should be reported to the school office immediately. You may send this
information to: [email protected].
If parents are going to be absent from Dakar, and someone else is to be responsible for a child,
the school should be notified in advance and in writing, even if it is only for a day or two.
PARENTS' COOPERATION RELATED TO CONTACT AND EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE, AS WE HAVE THE UTMOST CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY AND
WELL-BEING OF YOUR CHILDREN.