Policies & Related Documents
ADMISSIONS POLICY
Introduction
Aoba-Japan International School is an environment that provides a challenging and rigorous standard of education with English as the language of instruction. Students who are proficient in English and are familiar with international education systems, in particular the International Baccalaureate, will experience a smooth transition into Aoba-Japan International School (Aoba), however, we accept applications from students with various cultural and educational backgrounds. All students from families with an international mindset, who share the same belief in our core values will be a great fit. Students who are not fluent in the English language will be supported, and will benefit from the education Aoba offers equally.
Aoba offers a rigorous and challenging educational program, but at the same time we accommodate students with a range of academic abilities, provided they are able to adequately access and benefit from our curriculum. We make this determination primarily by reviewing students’ school records and teacher recommendations.
Any changes to the process outlined below will require the authorization of the leadership team, including the Head of School. This policy will be reviewed and the information updated annually in August of each year.
The Application Process is in place to ensure that students can successfully access the curriculum within a reasonable time and to thrive in our English-language learning environment.
English is the language of instruction at Aoba. Every class starting from G1 will have a 70/30 ratio, which means up to 30% of the students will be receiving formally enrolled Communications Support of all ranges. All students entering and applying into G10 will need to be proficient enough to access the curriculum with no Communications Support.
English is also the primary language for communicating with parents. Although not required, it is recommended that at least one parent or guardian is able to communicate comfortably with school personnel in English. In addition, parents must be able to access electronic communications from the school (email and web-based platforms including the school’s parent portal).
Please refer to our Language Policy for more details on eligibility requirements around the English language. The Language Policy and Assessment Policy must be read and understood, and parents will need to acknowledge their understanding by signing the designated area in the application form.
Our Programs
Our IB Primary Years Programme learning is designed to encourage curiosity in an integrative way. A balance is sought between the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, development of conceptual understanding, demonstration of positive attitudes, and taking responsible action.
In the development of our learners, we emphasize the characteristics of:
- Global leaders
- Entrepreneurs
- Innovators
- Effective communicators
- Wise risk-takers
In our IB Middle Years Programme, we emphasize the core values of global leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation. We also emphasize the teaching of effective communication skills, problem solving, and wise risk-taking.
We concentrate on developing independent and interdependent learners who are able to draw upon strong academic skills of inquiry, critical thinking and analysis to discover and apply new knowledge.
We future-proof our middle school learners, helping them be ready to excel along multiple pathways that, in high school, mean a variety of options such as self-designed courses (that learners and teachers develop together) and the internationally recognized Diploma Programme. Our focus is to refine their communication, problem-solving, and risk-taking skills by providing relevant, engaging, meaningful, challenging learning opportunities and possibilities for action.
Choosing the right pathway
In the Senior School Program, we offer challenging academic programs (IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the Global Leadership Diploma Program (GLD)) geared toward students who are planning to go on to college or university in all areas of the world. Students entering at this level must have a fairly high degree of competency in English. Moreover, in order to obtain an Aoba graduation diploma, students must have credits equivalent to four full years of high school English.
Students going into G11 will be required to decide on the DP path or the GLD path.
In the process, we encourage all students applying for admission to G9 – G12 to visit the school and meet with an Admissions Rep or the Secondary Principal for an informal interview. This will also help ensure that candidates will be able to meet academic requirements for graduation from Aoba.
IB DP
For students applying for G11 during the school year who have not yet embarked on the IBDP: the IBDP coordinator will speak to the students and the parents to explain that the students hold a chance of obtaining the IB Diploma, given that the students are capable and there is enough time left in the year to catch up on the months that the students have missed. If the IB Diploma does not sound reasonable given the circumstances, then the students may choose to sit for individual exams to obtain certificates, or aim for the GLD.
For students applying for G11 during the school year, who have started the IBDP at their previous school: the IBDP coordinator will speak to the students and the parents to examine what courses they had been taking, and if the courses offered at Aoba will enable the students to continue with the IBDP. If not, but the students still wish to enroll, then they will be able to sit for individual exams to obtain certificates.
For students applying for G12 who have not yet embarked on the IBDP: the IBDP coordinator will speak to the students and the parents to explain that the students will not be able to obtain the IBDP. However, provided that the students have acquired the necessary credits up until that point, the students can obtain a high school diploma if they successfully complete G12.
For students applying for G12 who have already embarked on the IBDP at their previous school: the IBDP coordinator will speak to the students and the parents to examine what courses they had been taking, and if the courses offered at Aoba will be able to have the students prepare for the final year for the IBDP. The IBDP coordinator will also examine how far they have gone with the Extended Essay, CAS and TOK and how Aoba-Japan International School can assist with the completion of those.
We will not accept any students applying for G12 after the start of the school year.
GLD
For students applying for G11 and G12: the GLD coordinator will speak to the students and parents to examine which courses and projects will match the students’ interests, strengths, and career aspirations at the same time meeting the graduation requirements.
We will not accept any students applying for G12 after the start of the school year.
Application Process
- Inquiry
- Phone
- Open House
- Visit
- Preparation
- Application Forms
- Supplementary Documents
- Application Fee
- Interview & Assessment
Inquiry
When a family inquires about Aoba, the Admissions Office first answers all questions they may have about the school, and then encourages them to visit the school. School visits are the best opportunities for families to meet the Admissions team and to see the facilities and classrooms in session.
When a family is not able to come in for a school tour, the Admissions Office provides as much information as possible over the phone or email.
Application Forms and Supplementary Documents
Applicants are encouraged to apply through our website. If families experience technical difficulties, they can contact the Admissions team to be provided with assistance and further guidance.
All students must submit the following:
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- Completed Application Form (online)
- One confidential recommendation Form – filled out by the Homeroom teacher, sent directly to the Director of Admissions at Aoba
- School records for the past 2 years (including current school year)
- Report cards: Copies of the report cards of the past two years, including the current year are required. The final report for the current school year is required and can be emailed or posted when it becomes available if the student is accepted.
- Students for Kindergarten who may not have report cards but attend a pre-school, nursery, or daycare are asked to submit a recommendation from the class teacher.
- If report cards are in a language other than English or Japanese, it must be translated into English by an official translator.
- Health forms (to be completed by a physician and parent)
- Health forms must be completed before the student can begin school.
- Required immunization information.
- Photocopy of birth certificate or passport, and proper visa for non-Japanese citizens
- One passport size photo for each student and their parents/guardians
- Additional reports, including from specialists if applicable
- A report of testing if the student has received or is receiving any supplementary school services or outside of school support. These may include: learning resources support, speech and language therapy, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) support, counseling, behavior modification, etc.
- Others included are: psycho-educational evaluation, Individual Educational Plan (IEP), speech language assessment, etc.
- An exit report and recommendations for future learning if the student is no longer receiving these services
Additional Documents required for Students applying for MYP, DP & GLD:
- Two Recommendation forms – in addition to the recommendation form from the Homeroom teacher, one from the current English teacher and one from the current Math teacher is required (three in total).
- Standardized test results (ITBS, MAP, ISA, Stanford, PSAT, SAT, TOFEL, etc.) should be submitted for any tests taken.
Additional Documents required for Students applying for DP & GLD:
- Official Transcript
- All high school students applying for G11&G12 are required to include an official transcript from their current school. They should post or bring with them an official transcript which includes the year just completed. Transcripts are required from all high schools attended by the student
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- If official transcripts are in a language other than English or Japanese, it must be translated into English by an official translator
Age of students:
- The cut off date for age placements is September 1
- The age of the student is considered in placements for Kindergarten to G1
- Age requirements for the lower grades are as follows
- K2: 1.5 years old
- K3: 3 years old (must be toilet trained)
- K4: 4 years old
- K5: 5 years old
- G1: 6 years old
- All students for G2 and up are placed according to their completed or current grade level or at the principal’s discretion in consultation with the parents.
Application Fee
- The application fee for all grade levels is 23,000 yen and is subject to change annually based on the Board approved fees.
- This fee is applicable for only one attempt unless the student’s matriculation is affected by space availability for that academic year or an inadvertent mistake on the part of the admissions office.
- A new fee is required on all subsequent submissions of applications
- The application fee covers the processing of the application, testing and interviews.
- An application fee is required with each student
- The fee is non-refundable
Appointments for interviews and assessments
- Upon reviewing the application, student’s school records and recommendation(s), we invite the student and his/her parents for an assessment and interview.
- All students and their parent/guardian from schools within Japan will be invited to come in for an interview before they can be accepted into Aoba. The Admissions office contacts the students’ parents/guardians to set up an interview & testing appointment. If for any reason, the family requests for an online interview, we will do our best to accommodate.
- Students from overseas schools are asked to participate in an online interview or other form of virtual interview/assessment.
Kindergarten/G1
Students entering Kindergarten and/or G1 are asked to come to school for an informal play session and interview before a formal acceptance can be offered. While the student is taken into the relevant classrooms, the Admissions Director interviews the parents.
G1-G9
In addition to the above, an English level assessment using the MAP Test or equivalent is conducted, along with an interview of the student by the Admissions Director. The MAP Test is conducted to ascertain the level of English proficiency of the student. If the student is accepted, but the assessment results show that the student requires Communications Support, the class/grade in which the student will be placed in, must be examined. If the class has already reached 30% of Communication Students, that student will be placed on the waiting list until there is an opening. The school does not disclose the MAP Test, or any other application test results. The acceptance may be dependent on the results of the MAP Test for the upper grades, as the English proficiency is necessary to access the IB Programmes.
The Communications Support is only available until the end of G9. Students applying to G6 and above with a need for the Communications Support must demonstrate that he/she will exit the support program before the end of G9.
While the student is being tested, the Admissions Director may interview the parents/guardians.
For students applying to G10, the application forms and supplementary documents will have proven the student’s English proficiency, and will only be invited in for an interview if the above is true.
Acceptance Decisions
The Admissions Director, with input from the Principal of the school section for which the candidate is applying for, reviews all applications. The Admissions Director, with input from the relevant Principal, makes the final admissions decisions. In the case of G11 and G12, the Secondary Principal and the IBDP/GLD Coordinator, at times in addition to consultation with the Head of School, makes the decision.
Other school personnel, such as Support staff, may also be involved in the review process.
No student may be denied admission due to nationality, race, or religion; all students who meet the academic and behavioral expectations of our school are accepted. The admissions office denies a student only when it believes that it is not in the best interest of the student to join Aoba and/or when it believes that the school is unable to serve the specific learning or behavioral needs of the student.
Conditional and probationary acceptances
- For future acceptances, Aoba uses conditional acceptances.
- All letters of conditional acceptance must offer clear and precise conditions upon which the student has been accepted.
- All letters of conditional acceptance must offer a time frame by which the condition(s) must be met.
- All letters of conditional acceptance must offer clear suggestions as to how the conditions can be met by the student.
- All letters of conditional acceptance must offer clear suggestions as to how the school can support the student in meeting the condition(s).
- All letters of conditional acceptance must state who determines whether or not the condition has or has not been met within the given time frame.
- The principals are responsible for following up with conditional acceptances to see if the student has met the conditions of acceptance such that the student’s acceptance becomes a regular acceptance.
- The principal of each school determines the consequences and next steps when conditions of acceptance have not been met.
Deadlines and timeline
The Admissions Timeline
- Applications are accepted for the following school year, every year from November 1 until December 31, for consideration for interviews in February. Thereafter, rolling admissions applies to all students up to G10 – please refer back to the Introduction for details for students applying to G11 & G12 (IBDP & GLD)
- If a student is accepted, but the class is a full capacity, the student will be waitlisted
Notifications
- Decisions are made by the Admissions Director, with the input of the Principal of each respective school
- Families who have been accepted are sent a confirmation letter by the Director of Admissions
- The school does not respond to any inquiries around acceptance decisions over the telephone
- The Admissions Director informs families of students whose applications have not been accepted with an email
- Letter to announce the student has been put on the Waiting List (if the class is full or disrupts gender ratio), is prepared and sent to the family, by the Admissions DIrector
- An invoice (Registration Fee and/or Tuition and all other relevant Fees) prepared by the Accounting Department is also be sent with the Letter of Acceptance
Enrollment agreement
- If an accepted student decides to enroll, the student’s parents/guardians are expected to sign the Letter of Acceptance and return it to the Admissions Office
- The enrollment is final when the signed Letter of Acceptance has been received by the Admissions Office and when the Registration Fee has been received
Upon accepting an Offer of Admission from Aoba, the family will accept and consent to all Aoba policies, terms, and conditions of enrollment. Parent/guardian/student non-agreement or non-compliance with the Aoba enrollment policy may result in withdrawal, admission, or exclusion from enrollment. All families will consent and sign to the below:
‘Disclosure, Consent, and Permissions:
- I confirm that I am this student’s parent or legal guardian, that I have full authority to enter into this contract, and that by consenting to these policies, terms, and conditions, consent by all other legal guardians of this student is implicit.
- I understand and agree that failure to fully disclose any and all information as requested on the Aoba requested forms may result in incorrect grade or program placement, nullified acceptance, or withdrawal of enrollment.
- I give permission for Aoba to receive and release information from or to any of my/our child’s past, current or future schools, educational institutions, or student support providers.
- I understand that continued enrollment at Aoba is conditional on my child remaining in good academic, behavioral, and financial standing.
By enrolling my child at Aoba, I commit to:
- Accepting and supporting my child’s grade level placement, class list placement, Communications Support placement, and Inclusion Support placement and service model.
- Supporting the school’s mission, vision, values, strategic objectives.
- Ensuring my child’s regular attendance at school.
- Ensuring that my child will be living with a parent, or a legal guardian acknowledged by the school for the duration of his/her enrollment at Aoba.
- Reading, understanding, and following academic and behavior policies.
- Working in partnership with the school to support my child at home in order to help him/her meet the school’s academic and behavioral expectations.
- Reading notifications sent from the school to ensure knowledge and understanding of the school’s academic programs, curriculum, and co-curricular activities.
- Using the channels of communication established by the school when seeking a resolution to a problem or concern.
- Paying school fees and all other fees invoiced by Aoba in accordance with and adherence to the School Fee Schedule.
- Accepting the school’s decision to temporarily close and/or temporarily move to online learning due to immediate or imminent threat to the health or safety of students, staff or community members. This may be due to an emergency, critical incident, extreme weather, pandemic, power failure and the like. There will be no reimbursement of school fees for unexpected temporary school closure.
- Enabling my child to participate in the mandatory Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Program. As a blended learning school, it is a requirement that all students in G1-G12 are part of the BYOD program. G1-G3 students need their own iPad, while G4-G12 students need their own MacBook. Students should bring their charged devices to and from school daily. Device specifications will be provided upon student registration.
- Enabling my child to participate in the mandatory Residential Trips (for MYP students, G7-G9). MYP students are expected to attend the annual residential trips as part of the MYP framework. The inquiry-driven trips, to various locations within domestic Japan, are directly linked to the MYP curriculum; failure to attend may result in failure of the related unit. In the event of an unavoidable or exceptional circumstance that may prevent participation in a residential trip, we request the parents contact the school as soon as possible to discuss.
- Understanding that Aoba is an IB school that implements the PYP, MYP and DP curriculums. I agree to read and understand the relevant International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) Regulations before enrolling my child in each respective IB program at Aoba.
PYP: https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/become-an-ib-school/general-regulations-pyp-en.pdf
MYP: https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/become-an-ib-school/myp-general-regulations-2015-en.pdf
DP: https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/become-an-ib-school/dp-general-regulations-en.pdf - Understanding, agreeing to, and following all other Aoba Policies.’
Orientation
- New students and their parents starting at the beginning of the school year have a group orientation session on the weekday afternoon before the first day of school
- All students who enroll in the middle of the school year have an individual orientation either before or on their first day of school
Payment and Refund of Fees and Payments
It is the family or guardian’s duty to ensure the financial obligations to the school are discharged promptly, even in the case where their employer may be paying the fees on their behalf. Even though a student has been accepted by or is enrolled in A-JIS, if financial obligations are not met by documented dates, the student’s enrollment will be cancelled.
Tuition, CommunicationsSupport, Inclusion Support Fee
Tuition and Support Fees are payable by semesters.
Building Maintenance and Family Community Membership Fees Building Maintenance Fees and Family Community Membership Fees are billed in full with the first tuition invoice and are not divided for mid-year entry. School Trip Fee The School Trip Fee is a mandatory payment for all students to participate in compulsory school trips as part of the curriculum. Enrollment after the School Year Commences For students entering school after the Autumn Break or the Spring Break, tuition is calculated based on the school’s four quarters. A student’s attendance for any portion of a quarter requires payment of the entire quarter. Full payment of the Building Maintenance Fee and Family Community Membership Fee is also required, regardless of the length of attendance. |
Re-entry
For re-entry of students who have left the school, the Building Development Fee will be billed in full and Registration Fee as follows:
Re-entry in the same school year as withdrawal | JPY 100,000 |
Re-entry in the next school year after withdrawal | JPY 150,000 |
Re-entry in the second school year after withdrawal | JPY 200,000 |
Re-entry after two years have elapsed | Full Charge |
In the event of cancellation of re-entry, the fees will be refunded regarding Refund Policy.
Leave of Absence
Students may apply to take a leave of absence by submitting an official notification by 31 July for the 1st semester and by 8 January for the 2nd semester. Leave of Absence is applicable only by semesters. Upon the approval by the Principal, 50% of Tuition will be waived during the leave of absence. Any other fees will not be billed for the term of the leave of absence. Building Maintenance and Family Community Membership Fees will not be refunded for Leave of Absence taken in the 2nd semester.
Delinquent Payment Policy
An arrears charge of 1.20% per month, compounded monthly, will be applied to all overdue accounts. In the case of serious financial delinquency, the school will prohibit class attendance and/or the release of report cards and transcripts.
*This regulation shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted under the laws of Japan. The lawsuits hereunder shall be exclusively brought in the Tokyo District Court of Japan.
Refund Policy
In the case of cancellation of enrollment, the Admissions Office will refund fees as follows, following receipt of the enrollment cancellation (for new students) or Notification of Withdrawal (for current students).
Application Fee, Registration Fee & Building Development Fee
Non-refundable.
Building Maintenance Fee and Family Community Membership Fee
For the coming school year, enrolled students who withdraw by 31 July will receive a full refund. The enrollment cancellation (for new students) or Notification of Withdrawal (for current students) must be submitted. No refunds will be given to students who submit the notice after 31 July.
First Semester of Tuition & Support Fees
Enrolled students who withdraw by 31 July will receive a full refund of the first semester’s tuition (remaining balance after deduction of administration fee for continuing students including those enrolled after April of the year), Communications Support and Inclusion Support Fee. The enrollment cancellation for new students or Notification of Withdrawal for current students must be submitted. No refunds will be given to students who submit the notice after 31 July. Attendance of 6 days or more, at any time in the semester, will constitute attendance for the full semester and will not be entitled to a refund.
Second Semester of Tuition & Support Fees
Enrolled students who withdraw by 8 January will receive a full refund of the second semester’s tuition, CommunicationsSupport and Inclusion SupportFee. No refunds will be given to students who submit the notice after 8 January, nor to a student who attends 6 days or more of school. Attendance of 6 days or more, at any time in the semester, will constitute attendance for the full semester and will not be entitled to a refund.
Re-enrollment (Continuing Students Only)
A deposit of JPY 250,000 is required by the due date in order to reserve a place for the next school year. This deposit will be deducted from the Tuition Fee. Re-enrollment without payment of deposit by the due date will result in a JPY 150,000 Reinstatement Fee. The Reinstatement Fee is non-refundable. In the event of cancellation of re-enrollment, following administration fee will be deducted from the deposit for refund after Notification of Withdrawal is submitted.
Administration Fee | Deposit Refundable | |
Up to May 31 | 100,000 yen | 150,000 yen |
Up to June 30 | 150,000 yen | 100,000 yen |
Up to July 31 | 200,000 yen | 50,000 yen |
On or after August 1 | No Refund |
Graduation Fee
Students who withdraw before Mid-Winter Break in February will receive a full refund of the Graduation Fee by submitting a Notification of Withdrawal. No refunds will be given to students who withdraw after the last day of the first semester.
School Lunch Fee, Bus Fee
Students who withdraw by 31 July will receive a full refund of the School Lunch Fee and Bus Fee. Students who withdraw by 8 January will receive a full refund of the second semester’s School Lunch Fee and Bus Fee.
Other Fees
All other fees (Summer School, After School Program Fees and School Trip Fee) are non-refundable. Parents/guardians will consent to the following:
‘As the parent/guardian of an enrolled A-JIS student, I understand that:
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- By making, or authorizing, a full or partial payment of A-JIS Registration, Tuition and other fees, I give my consent to all A-JIS Payment & Refund Regulations.
- It is my duty to ensure that my financial obligations to the school are discharged promptly (even if I am sponsored by our employer).
- Late payment of fees will result in penalty interest and may result in the withholding of enrollment, reports, and annual transcripts.
- Failure to respond to requests for settlement of late fees may result in a student’s suspension.’
RECORDS MANAGEMENT POLICY
Rationale
The school maintains cumulative records of all student files including application documents, school records and confidential documents.
Policy
Paper records are kept in locked file cabinets on campus. Digital records are stored in a secure information management software solution that adheres to both European GDPR and Japanese APPI data protection and privacy laws. A limited number of school employees have access to student records on a strictly “as needed” basis including school administrators, student support team members, admission office personnel and campus registrars. Teachers may request access to specific records if the information contained therein is found necessary and appropriate in the execution of their duties, including for child protection and safety reasons. Parents have a right to request access to their child’s records, except those for which they have waived rights of access (e.g. admission test results, confidential references).
Upon a student’s withdrawal or graduation from Aoba, the school will only ever forward documentation accrued during the student’s enrolment at Aoba. The school will obtain written consent from a student’s legal guardian before forwarding confidential records to any third party including university admissions departments.
The school will store Google Workspace student records for 10 years after withdrawal of enrollment or graduation after which student records will be destroyed and/or permanently deleted from any software based information management solutions. Academic transcripts and report cards will be kept indefinitely and securely as both digital and hardcopy documents.
SHARING AND PRIVACY POLICY
Rationale
Aoba is committed to the security and privacy of our school community, including students, faculty, staff, and parents. Student photographs, images, quotations and work products may be used in accordance with the Aoba Sharing policy. Aoba cannot be held responsible for unauthorized sharing of digital data by a member of the Aoba community.
Policy
Regarding usage of images and content, I understand and accept that:
- Aoba will take photographic and video footage of the Aoba community for the purpose of informative and promotional materials of the learning, events, and activities of Aoba, including pamphlets, websites, reference materials, year books and the like. The intended audience will be for current and prospective students, alumni, parents/guardians, and the like. Student work may be reproduced for this same purpose; sometimes modified, translated or otherwise changed to meet the Aoba purpose
- Full names and other information will not be used, to minimize the possibility of revealing the identity of the person. The data will be processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the data, including protection against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures
- As an IB World School, Aoba is required at times to submit student work and images to the IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization). The IBO will have a non-exclusive worldwide license to use student work that has been submitted to them by Aoba. These materials may be modified, translated or otherwise changed to meet the IBO’s purposes and names will be removed along with information that may lead to the identification of the child or of Aoba. Photographic and video images, taken in the course of approved Aoba activities and in circumstances under the control of Aoba, may also be reproduced by the IBO with an understanding that the identity of the person will not be revealed
Implementation
Strategies to meet sharing Guidelines
The below Sharing Guidelines are designed to set expectations for online contributions in accordance with Aoba values. The below guidelines have been created to balance participation with privacy, contribution with caution, and action with accountability. This policy and its implementation applies to all members of the Aoba community – faculty, students, staff, parents and alumni. All community members are expected to understand and adhere to the following guidelines regarding the sharing of content:
- Only share such content when there is a reasonable assumption that the content owner or subjects would approve.
- Provide proper attribution to the original content owner or creator when sharing the work of others.
- Not require creation of accounts on sites with age restrictions by students who are underage, asking parents to create the accounts instead.
- Enable content owners or subjects who are personally identifiable in the content to request the removal of shared content from publicly shared locations and have said content removed whenever possible and within reason.
- Not reshare content beyond the audience intended by the original sharer without prior consent.
- Respect copyright in using materials in any context.
- Respect user choice about account creation for sites or tools other than those that are part of official Aoba digital resources.
- Not share information or promote content that is confidential or damaging to the school, its operations, or to other community members.
- Notify leadership if content posted online raises concerns about student welfare.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
School Social Media Tags: @aobajapan #aobajapan
Overview
Aoba-Japan International School (Aoba) recognizes that there are many legitimate professional and personal reasons for using social media. Taking advantage of social media sites to promote our school is encouraged. Because all social media postings may have unintended audiences and consequences, we request that all employees represent themselves and the school in a manner that is respectful of the entire school community. This is to safeguard your professional and personal reputation, the reputation of your colleagues, and the entire school community. When engaged in social media, particularly related to Aoba, consider your activity in accordance with both the Faculty Work Regulations and Staff Work Regulations, Articles 13 (Work Rules) No. 15 that underpin our contractual conditions.
What is Social Media?
Social media includes any website that enables publishing of content to a larger group. Examples of such sites include, but are not limited to, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, blogs, special interest forums, and user communities.
Social Media Content
Posting of content about the school on social media is permitted for all employees. Our school trusts all employees to consider the reputational implications of all posting they do. For advice on posting content please discuss with your supervisor or the Marketing Department.
Content Publishing and Confidentiality Policy
Consider the policy guidelines below when engaging in social media activity. Employees are personally responsible for any content they publish.
- Be professional. As a representative of Aoba your personal web footprint and related content reflects how you wish to present yourself to colleagues, students, parents, and others.
- Seek approval to publish or report on private conversations or confidential information from the people involved.
- When you make a reference to research, a customer, school partner or supplier, link your posting to the source.
- Anticipate the impact of the content might have on others before posting. If in doubt, discuss with your colleagues, supervisor or the marketing department.
- Post photos and commentary you think are appropriate and beneficial to promoting the reputation of all within Aoba.
- Consider the impact personal opinions about Aoba may have on your peers, colleague, students and families before posting on social media
- Ask your own account to be “tagged” by the Marketing Department.
- Always check confidentiality agreements we have with individual students related to social media exposure and privacy.
Malware and Online Crime Prevention
Social media is used by criminals to deliver malware and schemes to damage property or steal confidential information. To reduce risk, follow the guidelines below. Note, they do not cover all possible threats and are not a substitute for good judgment.
- Avoid using the same passwords for social media that you use to access AJIS computing resources.
- Avoid following links or download software on social media pages posted by individuals or organizations that you do not know.
- If any content you find on any social media Web page looks suspicious in any way, close your browser and do not return to that page.
- Inform the IT department of any unusual problems you encounter on social media.
ICT ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
The Internet is a powerful educational resource that can significantly enhance teaching and learning, when used appropriately.
Aoba-Japan International School is committed to providing access to Internet facilities on campus in order to enhance student learning. Vigilance by all members of our school community is required to ensure that students use the internet and digital education resources safely. It is the responsibility of the staff and faculty of Aoba to protect students from harm while at school, including digital environments. It is also the responsibility of Aoba to comply with Japanese Legislation in these areas:
- Protection of Personal Information Act 2017
- Law Banning Child Prostitution and Pornography 2005
- Law on Communications Interception During Criminal Investigations 1999
- Portrait Rights 2005
This policy governs access to and use of the Internet by students of Aoba as well as details, practices, and procedures implemented and carried out by the school and intended to provide maximum protection for users from potential risks associated with the use of the Internet.
The aim of this Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to ensure that students will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s resources in a safe and effective manner. Internet use and access is considered an Aoba resource and privilege. Therefore, if the school AUP is not adhered to, this privilege will be withdrawn and appropriate measures – as outlined in the AUP – will be taken.
Content Filtering, Web Browsing & Downloading
Aoba allows access to millions of websites including games and YouTube, and other similar types of websites, such as blogs but blocks access to websites belonging to categories such as: alcohol, adult content, gambling, and violence.
Students will not intentionally visit internet sites that contain obscene, illegal, hateful or otherwise objectionable materials.
Students will report accidental accessing of inappropriate materials in the classroom to their teacher.
Students are encouraged to report accidental access of inappropriate materials in school but outside the classroom to their homeroom teacher.
Students will not copy information from the internet without acknowledging the creator and referencing the source of the content.
In principle, students will use the Aoba internet connection only for educational and career development activities.
E-mail & Messaging
Online communication through a student’s assigned email account is mandatory. The use of personal email accounts on campus is not acceptable.
Students should not under any circumstances share their email account login details with other students.
Students will not send any material that is illegal, obscene, and defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.
Students should avoid opening emails that appear suspicious.
If in doubt, students should ask their teacher before opening emails from unknown senders.
Social Media
School Social Media Tags: @aobajapan #aobajapan
Overview
Aoba-Japan International School (Aoba) recognizes that there are many legitimate professional and personal reasons for using social media. Taking advantage of social media sites to promote our school is encouraged. Because all social media postings may have unintended audiences and consequences, we request that all employees represent themselves and the school in a manner that is respectful of the entire school community. This is to safeguard your professional and personal reputation, the reputation of your colleagues, and the entire school community. When engaged in social media, particularly related to Aoba, consider your activity in accordance with both the Faculty Work Regulations and Staff Work Regulations, Articles 13 (Work Rules) No. 15 that underpin our contractual conditions.
What is Social Media?
Social media includes any website that enables publishing of content to a larger group. Examples of such sites include, but are not limited to, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, blogs, special interest forums, and user communities.
Social Media Content
Posting of content about the school on social media is permitted for all employees. Our school trusts all employees to consider the reputational implications of all posting they do. For advice on posting content please discuss with your supervisor or the Marketing Department.
Content Publishing and Confidentiality Policy
Consider the policy guidelines below when engaging in social media activity. Employees are personally responsible for any content they publish.
- Be professional. As a representative of Aoba your personal web footprint and related content reflects how you wish to present yourself to colleagues, students, parents, and others.
- Seek approval to publish or report on private conversations or confidential information from the people involved.
- When you make a reference to research, a customer, school partner or supplier link your posting to the source.
- Anticipate the impact of the content might have on others before posting. If in doubt discuss with your colleagues, supervisor or the marketing department.
- Post photos and commentary you think are appropriate and beneficial to promoting the reputation of all within Aoba.
- Consider the impact personal opinions about Aoba may have on your peers, colleague, students and families before posting on social media
- Ask your own account to be “tagged” by the Marketing Department.
- Always check confidentiality agreements we have with individual students related to social media exposure and privacy.
Malware and Online Crime Prevention
Social media is used by criminals to deliver malware and schemes to damage property or steal confidential information. To reduce risk, follow the guidelines below. Note, they do not cover all possible threats and are not a substitute for good judgment.
- Avoid using the same passwords for social media that you use to access AJIS computing resources.
- Avoid following links or download software on social media pages posted by individuals or organizations that you do not know.
- If any content you find on any social media Web page looks suspicious in any way, close your browser and do not return to that page.
- Inform the IT department of any unusual problems you encounter on social media.
BYOD & Mobile Phones
The bring your own device (BYOD) program allows students to bring their own Apple laptop or iPad to school to support teaching and learning activities.
- Students take responsibility for appropriate use of their personal device at all times. The school is not responsible in any way for personal devices or for its use.
- Students/parents/guardians are responsible for their devices, including any breakages, costs of repair, or replacement.
- The school reserves the right to inspect devices during school hours.
- Violations of any school policies or rules involving a student device may result in a student not being allowed to continue using the device during school hours and/or disciplinary action, for a period to be determined by the school.
- During school hours, students are allowed to use their device for learning related activities only.
- Students must comply with teachers’ requests regarding use of devices during school hours, and classes.
- Students may not use the devices to record, transmit or post photos or video of other teachers or students. No images or video recorded at school can be transmitted or posted at any time without their teacher’s permission.
- Students may use the school wireless network and content filtered broadband. Use of other ‘unfiltered’ public wireless connections, such as mobile networks, is not allowed during school hours.
- Each user is responsible for her/his own device and should use it responsibly and appropriately. Aoba takes no responsibility for stolen, lost, or damaged devices, including lost or corrupted data on those devices. While school employees will help students identify how to keep personal devices secure, students will have the final responsibility for securing their personal devices.
- Aoba is not responsible for any possible device charges to their account that might be incurred during approved school-related use.
Images & Video
The development of digital imaging technologies has created significant benefits to learning, allowing staff and pupils instant use of images that they have recorded themselves or downloaded from the internet.
However, staff, parents / carers and pupils need to be aware of the risks associated with publishing digital images on the internet. Such images may provide opportunities for harassment or breaches of privacy to take place. Digital images may remain available on the internet forever and may cause harm to individuals in the short or longer term.
Care should be taken when taking photographic or video images that students are appropriately dressed and are not participating in activities that might bring the individuals or the school into disrepute.
At Aoba, students must not take, use, share, publish or distribute images of others without their permission.
Taking photos or videos on the grounds of Aoba or when participating in school activities is only allowed with express permission from staff.
Students must not share images, videos or other content online with the intention to harm another member of the Aoba community regardless of whether this happens in school or outside. Sharing explicit images and in particular explicit images of students and/or minors is an unacceptable (illegal) and absolutely prohibited behavior, with serious consequences for those involved. Sharing explicit images of other students automatically incurs suspension as a consequence.
Cyberbullying
This type of bullying is increasingly common and is continuously evolving. It is bullying carried out through the use of information and communication technologies such as text, social networking sites, e-mail, instant messaging, apps, gaming sites, chat-rooms and other online technologies.
Being the target of inappropriate or hurtful messages is the most common form of online bullying. As cyberbullying uses technology to perpetrate bullying behavior and does not require face to face contact, cyberbullying can occur at any time (day or night).
Many forms of bullying can be facilitated through cyberbullying. For example, a target may be sent homophobic text messages or pictures may be posted with negative comments about a person sexuality, appearance, ethnicity, etc.
Students are increasingly communicating in ways that are often unknown to adults and free from supervision. The nature of these technologies means digital content can be shared and seen by a very wide audience almost instantly and is almost impossible to delete permanently. While cyberbullying often takes place at home and at night, the impact can also be felt in school.
Cyberbullying is defined as repeatedly engaging in online activities with the intent to harm, harass, or embarrass another student or member of staff. It is an unacceptable and absolutely prohibited behavior, with serious consequences for those involved.
Predominantly drawn from: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/client-castleknockcc/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/AUP-2017-2020.pdf
Other examples:
https://www.k12blueprint.com/sites/default/files/Acceptable-Use-Policies.pdf
http://mercyinchicore.ie/drupal-7.15/node/47
How does Aoba ensure a safe digital learning environment?
At Aoba-Japan International School, the digital safety and security of our students is of utmost importance. Using modern network infrastructure and filtering solutions, our ICT Engineers ensure the safety of the school’s internal network. Additionally, all of our staff and faculty are trained in safe, responsible internet usage and put these skills into practice during educational activities. Many of our teachers are also Google Certified Educators and Apple Distinguished Educators, recognised as global leaders in Digital Literacy and Educational Technology.
Important points:
- Aoba ICT does not control what content students access at an individual level.
- Aoba ICT does not install software and configure parental controls on student devices.
- Aoba Faculty are expected to monitor device and internet usage within the classroom.
- Parents are expected to monitor device and internet usage outside of school.
- Our filtering policies are reviewed and approved by school Leadership. We can schedule a review and adjustment of our filtering policies at any time.
Network Access and Security
Aoba campuses utilise powerful Firewall devices which allow specific control over anti-virus, threat protection, and filtering on the school network.
https://www.cyberoam.com/webfiltering.html
Our Firewall prevents access to inappropriate or potentially harmful content related to drugs, firearms, adult content and more. Furthermore, students only have access to the internet at school via the Aoba Student network. This network falls under the security and filtering protections provided by our Firewall devices. Students must be enrolled into our MDM (mobile device management) system in order to use this. If they are not, they can not access the internet at Aoba.
https://meraki.cisco.com/solutions/mobile-device-management
Parental Controls
Parental controls are not mandated by the school. We encourage parents to carefully consider what protections and restrictions should be placed on their child’s device based on their child’s age and their own family values. There are several options for applying Parental Controls to a student’s device:
macOS Parental Controls / ペアレンタルコントロール
English: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25799?locale=en_US
日本語: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25799?locale=en_US&viewlocale=ja_JP
macOS Monitor Computer Usage / コンピュータの使用を監視する
English: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/monitor-childrens-computer-usage-mchlp2911/mac
日本語: https://support.apple.com/ja-jp/guide/mac-help/monitor-childrens-computer-usage-mchlp2911/mac
iOS Parental Controls / 機能制限を使う
English: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201304
日本語: https://support.apple.com/ja-jp/HT201304
Third-party apps and software solutions for parental control:
Apple以外のソリューション:
For questions, comments or concerns relating to the Aoba-Japan International School ICT Acceptable Use Policy please contact the Aoba Department at ict@aobajapan.jp
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
Introduction
This policy has been developed in accordance with the principles established by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), Children Abuse Prevention Act 2000 (Act No. 82 of 2000) and Child Welfare Act 1947 (Act No. 164 of 1947) in Japan, and also the guidelines provided by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan (MEXT), the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health and the Center for Child Abuse Prevention (CCAP), and the CIS Code of Ethics. This procedure will be reviewed and updated as needed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines child abuse and child maltreatment as “all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.”
Types of Abuse
Abuse can be:
- physical abuse, for example, beating or punching;
- emotional abuse, for example, rejection and denial of affection;
- sexual abuse, for example, sexual assault or encouraging a child or young person to
view pornographic material;
- neglect, for example, failure to provide appropriate care including emotional or medical attention
Students harming themselves, for example through cutting, burning, or misuse of substances as well as forms of self-harm related to anorexia and bulimia, need to be supported. The school will follow the steps outlined in the A-JIS Student Protection Flowchart to notify the appropriate parties.
Signs of Abuse
Possible signs of abuse include (but are not limited to):
- The student says she/he has been abused or asks a question which gives rise to that inference.
- There is no reasonable or consistent explanation for a student’s injury; the injury is unusual in kind or location; there have been a number of injuries; there is a pattern to the injuries.
- The student’s behaviour stands out from the group as either being extreme model behaviour or extremely challenging behaviour, or there is a sudden change in the student’s behaviour.
- The student asks to drop subjects with a particular teacher and seems reluctant to discuss the reasons.
- The student’s development is delayed.
- The student loses or gains weight rapidly.
- The student appears neglected, e.g. dirty, hungry, inadequately clothed.
- The student is reluctant to go home or has been openly rejected by his/her parents or carers.
Duty of Employees
Every employee and director/trustee of the School is under a general legal duty to:
- Protect students from abuse
- Be aware of the School’s child protection procedures and to follow them
- Know how to access and implement the procedures, independently if necessary
- Keep a sufficient record of any significant complaint, conversation or event
- Report any matters of concern to the school nurse who will then inform the Head of School (HoS) and Principals as soon as possible.
- Collaborate with the School Nurse to complete documentation of any incident as required
Teacher-Student Interactions
A member of staff suspecting or hearing a complaint of abuse:
- If you suspect abuse, inform the school nurse.
- If the student approaches you, listen carefully and keep an open mind. Staff should not make a decision as to whether or not the abuse has taken place.
- Staff must not ask leading questions, that is, a question which suggests its own answer.
- Must reassure the student but not give a guarantee of absolute confidentiality. The member of staff should explain that they need to pass the information to the school nurse and/or counselor, who will ensure that the correct action is taken.
- Must keep a sufficient written record of any teacher-student conversations, on the current SIS platform at the time.
- The record should include the date, time and place of the conversation and the essence of what was said and done by whom and in whose presence. The record must be kept confidential on the SIS platform.
Preserving Evidence
All evidence, (for example, scribbled notes, photos, mobile phones containing text messages, clothing, and computers), must be safeguarded and preserved to the best of the school’s ability, within the limits of the law.
Reporting
Central to this aspect of the school is the role of the Child Protection Officer. In short, the CPO:
- Implements child protection policy and procedures in collaboration with the PLT.
- Encourages good practice by promoting and championing the child protection policy and procedures.
- Monitors and reviews the child protection policy and procedures to ensure they remain current and fit for purpose.
- Regularly reports to the PLT.
- Keeps abreast of developments in the field of child protection in Japan and in international schools by attending relevant training or events and reading all governmental guidelines.
- Organize/signpost appropriate training with the PLT for all adults working/volunteering with children at the school.
- Establish and maintain contact with local statutory agencies including the police and social services.
- Respond appropriately to disclosures or concerns which relate to the well-being of a child.
- Maintain confidential records of reported cases and action taken.
- Where required liaises with the PLT and/or statutory agencies and ensure they have access to all necessary information.
All suspicion or complaints of abuse must be reported to the CPO who will ensure that the HoS and/or the principals are aware.
Action by the HoS (or on behalf of the HoS):
The action to be taken will take into account:
- The local inter-agency procedures of the Child, Family Support Center or/and Child guidance Office.
- The nature and seriousness of the suspicion or complaint.
- A complaint involving a serious criminal offense will always be referred to the police without further investigation within the School.
- The wishes of the student who has complained, provided that the student is of sufficient understanding and maturity and properly informed. However, there may be times when the situation is so serious that decisions may need to be taken, after all appropriate consultation, that override a student’s wishes.
- The wishes of the complainant’s parents, provided they have no interest which is in conflict with the student’s best interests and that they are properly informed. Again, it may be necessary, after all appropriate consultation, to override parental wishes in some circumstances. If the HoS is concerned that disclosing information to parents would put a young person at risk, or it is against the student’s wishes, he or she will take further advice from the relevant professionals before making a decision to disclose.
- Duties of confidentiality, so far as applicable.
- The lawful rights and interests of the School community as a whole, including its employees and its trustees.
- If there is room for doubt as to whether a referral should be made, the HoS may consult with external agencies. However, as soon as sufficient concern exists that a student may be at risk of significant harm, a referral will be made without delay. If required, the HoS will confirm the referral in writing to the relevant Social Services within 24 hours.
Confidentiality and information sharing
The School will keep all child protection records confidential in the current SIS platform, allowing disclosure only to those who need the information in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The School will cooperate with police and social services to ensure that all relevant information is shared for the purposes of child protection investigations under Article 25 of the Child Welfare Act 1947, Article 6 of the Child Abuse Prevention Act 2000.
Prevention of student abuse
The school will not hire staff who have a record of abuse. Background checks will be part of the hiring process for employees. Applicants for Aoba positions will agree in writing with the terms of this policy as part of the contracting process.
Abuse prevention and awareness training will be provided for faculty and staff
Aoba will develop and maintain guidelines for faculty and staff to address the prevention, reporting, and investigation of student abuse.
Safeguarding Agreement with Employees
Employees are to read, agree and understand the below, and sign their Full Legal Name, Date, and Position every year.
- I will treat everyone with respect, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity, and consideration.
- I will exercise due diligence and professional judgment at all times.
- I have read, understood, and agree to abide by the Aoba-Japan International School Student Protection Guidelines. I understand that any violation of the guidelines may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from Aoba and/or legal action if warranted.
_____________________________________ _______________________________________
Full Legal Name Signature
_____________________________________ _______________________________________
Position Date
Contact Numbers and resources
Within Tokyo
Tokyo, Child Guidance Office (児童相談センター:保健福祉局)
0570-064-000 / 03-3937-2302
Free, anonymous telephone counseling for anyone of any age. (English and Japanese).
Tel: 03-5774-0992 (9:00-23:00, 365 days a year).
English: 03-4550-1146
Japanese : 03-4550-1147
Tokyo, Child, Family Support Center (子供家庭支援センター:保健福祉局)
03-3227-8335
Tokyo Metropolitan Education Consultation Center (教育相談センター)
for students and family : 03-3360-8008
for teachers : 03-3360-4160
Outside Tokyo
Make contact with local Child Family Support Center first, searching by ○○市、こども、虐待.
Center for Child Abuse Prevention (CCAP)(虐待防止センター:厚生労働省)03-5300-2990
Additional Resources
DRESS POLICY
Hikarigaoka K3 – G9 and Meguro K2 – K5
Daily
Students may wear clothing items of their choice, including the school uniform, being mindful that they are representing the school at all times and should be dressed in appropriate attire for learning. It is important that they are culturally, religiously, socially, politically, and historically respectful at all times. All students may choose to wear skirts or pants in any grade level. Polo dresses can also be worn by K-G3 students.
Formal Occasions
All students must wear an Aoba polo shirt with proper bottoms and shoes, or uniform dress, for field trips, performances, etc, unless otherwise instructed by their teachers. The Aoba polo shirt may be purchased from our suppliers below.
Physical Education
Students are required to be in proper PE uniform for PE classes, these are recommended to be purchased from our suppliers below. All students are required to have proper indoor athletic shoes for the gym. Meguro students do not need to wear the PE uniform.
Bunkyo G10 – G12
Daily
Students in the senior school may wear clothing items of their choice, being mindful that they are representing the school at all times, and should be dressed in appropriate attire for learning. Students should ensure that they are culturally, religiously, socially, politically, and historically respectful at all times in terms of how they present themselves as an Aoba student.
Formal Occasions
All students are required to purchase the school tie and pin badge, to be worn on formal occasions. In these occasions students will be asked to ensure when representing the school they present as a unified group. Formal occasion attire includes a blazer, a white collared shirt, formal pants/skirt and dress shoes of their choice, and the school tie and pin badge.
Health & Wellness and Sports Programme
Students are recommended to be in appropriate sports attire when they are doing any sports or health & wellness programme.
Suppliers
Lands’ End and Top of the Class will continue to be our main supplier of uniforms.
Top of the Class: https://www.schooluniform1.jp/
Please contact them directly for any questions.
Lands’ End: www.landsend.com
The school number is 900160342. Please contact them directly for any questions.
Sizing
Top of the Class provides sizes by age or height (cm).
Lands’ End provides charts to ensure accurate sizing. Trousers, shorts, and skirts come with adjustable elastic inner waistbands. Trousers can be hemmed to the preferred length.
COMMUTE POLICY
Hikarigaoka Campus
Commute route from Hikarigaoka Station
Areas painted grey on the map below is private property of apartment complexes. Please use public roads, roads next to the park, or use the recommended route as outlined in Blue.
Commuting to and from school
Any family members who come to the school, such as pick-up and drop-off, must also check their temperature before coming to school. Families are not allowed to enter the school building in principle. Doors open for 8.10 to 8.30 and 15.30 to 15.50. Family members cannot enter the school building earlier than 8:20 am. For safety reasons, students must use the Main gate (Bus gate) for entering and leaving the school property at all times. If they are accompanied by guardian(s), they also must use the main gate.
Students are expected to walk, ride their bicycle, or take public transportation to commute to school. Other means of transportation are not allowed unless individual arrangements are made and pre-approved by the school. Please refer to the section below “Coming to school by car” in cases for bringing your children by private vehicles.
School bus
Aoba places a high priority on the safety of all the children. For a smooth and safe bus operation, the following rules apply to all Aoba students riding the buses.
School Bus Rules and Guidelines (Hikarigaoka)
Morning Bus
- 8:10 Branch manager and operation manager of the bus company open the bus gate and stand outside of the gate to guide buses, passerby, and the passage of vehicles until all the school buses arrive at school.
- 8:10-8:20 Eight school buses arrive at school and park at designated areas.
- The drivers who arrive early lead the way while other drivers park their bus at their designated area or/and stand outside of the bus gate to confirm safety.
- 8:10-8:25 After parking the school bus, the bus attendant makes sure the bus area is safe to get off. If other buses are arriving into the bus area, the attendant has the bus riders stay inside the bus until the other buses are parked. G1 and above bus riders enter the school building by themselves. Kindergarten students will be accompanied by the bus attendant to their classroom. (If the bus arrives before 8:10, bus riders will stay inside the school bus with the bus attendant until 8:10 the entrance doors of the school building open.)
- 8:30 Branch manager and operation manager of the bus company close the bus gate.
Afternoon Bus
- 15:25 The Transportation Coordinator opens the bus gate to welcome the parents picking up their child(ren) and monitors all students until the last bus departs the school.
- 15:25 Bus attendant stands outside of the bus doorway with the daily bus list.
- 15:30 Drivers turn on the engine and adjust the temperature inside the buses. Drivers and operation manager of Bus company checks if the basic functions such as lights and indicators work well and checks under the bus to make sure that nothing is under it.
- Office staff and teachers who are on duty stands at the bus area to help the students board.
- 15:30-15:45 G1 and above bus riders get on their assigned bus by themselves and Kindergarten bus riders will be accompanied by their teachers to the doorway of the school bus. The bus attendant helps the Kindergarten students to their child seat and fasten their seat belts. While bus riders get on the bus, the bus attendant confirms their name with the daily bus list to make sure all bus riders board.
- After all bus riders get on the bus, the bus attendant counts the number of the students on the bus to make sure they are all on board and checks if their seatbelt is fastened.
- 15:40 Operation manager will stand outside of the bus gate to lead the way to the general road and an office staff will be there for students and the parents going home on foot, passerby and people riding their bicycle.
- 15:40-15:45 All buses depart school.
- 15:45 Office staff will close the bus gate.
Coming to school by car
If you intend to bring your child to school by car, please use parking spaces nearby the school or near Hikarigaoka train station, and walk your child into the school grounds.
Please do not stop outside of the front gate to drop off. Also, please do not park at Family Mart or A-Colle store (opposite the school).
The following are examples of the nearby parking lots.
Hikarigaoka IMA Parking: http://www.ima-hikarigaoka.jp/access/
Hotel Cadenza: https://h-cadenza.jp/en/access/
A limited number of vehicles for student drop-off and pick-up will be permitted on campus.
If approved, the application is effective as of October 1, 2022. Families who were registered for SY 2021-2022 are welcome to drop-off and pick-up your child by car until September 30, 2022.
We are restricted to 25 cars to drive onto our school premises by an agreement with the local government and the local community. In the case when we are oversubscribed, decisions will be made on factors such as student age, distance, number of siblings, medical conditions.
Coming to school by bicycle
Students may ride their bicycles to school. We require that all students wear a helmet and recommend that they wear protective gloves. Please ensure that your child’s bicycle is registered and has insurance. There is a bicycle form that we will ask you to complete, so please contact us. Parents of younger children may ride their child to school by bicycle. They can enter through the main gate.
*As of April 1, 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government requires all bicycle riders to enroll in insurance (such as bicycle casualty insurance) to ensure that they can pay for any damage or injury to others if the rider is involved in a cycling accident.
When a student is late
If your child is late for school, please let the school reception know. A late pass will be issued if there is no problem with the health observation sheet. Those students cannot enter the classroom without a late pass.
Families visiting the school
Parents are restricted from entering the school building. The family will have access to the front door of the school lobby. If you have special circumstances and need to enter the school, please make reservations and registration by emailing at attendance@aobajapan.jp, and follow the instructions. Families without reservations/registrations may not be permitted to enter the school building.
The school office will not receive or keep your child’s forgotten items at the reception. Please be sure to check your child’s items for school use. We can receive lunch, a water bottle and medicine for your child at the infirmary. Please email attendance@aobajapan.jp in advance and follow the instructions.
Bunkyo Campus
Commute route from Sugamo and Komagome Station
Nearest stations to the campus are Sugamo Station (JR Yamanote / Toei Mita Line) or Komagome Station (JR Yamanote).
IMPORTANT NOTE: The commute route from Komagome station is designated by agreement with the local community.
From Sugamo Station
From Komagome station
Commuting to and from school
Any family members who come to the school must also check the temperature before coming to school. Families are not allowed to enter the school building in principle. Doors open from 9.00 to 9.30 and 15.30 – 15.50. You cannot enter the school building earlier than 8:10 am. For safety reasons, students must use the Main gate (Rikugien side) for entering and leaving the school property at all times. If they are accompanied by guardian(s), they also must use the main gate.
Private cars and bicycles are not allowed to enter school premises.
The school does not use school buses for commuting except on some occasions such as field trips and ASP.
Bicycle
There is no bicycle parking at school. Please use the public bicycle lots near Sugamo station if the student cycles to school.
Public bicycle lots near Sugamo station
Place | Address | TEL |
Sugamo minami bicycle lot (North) | 2-7-11 Sugamo | 03-3576-0165 |
Sugamo minami bicycle lot (South) | 1-13-8 Sugamo | 03-3576-0165 |
Sugamo Kitaguchi Hakusan bicycle lot A | 3-31 Sugamo | 0120-773281 |
Sugamo Kitaguchi Hakusan bicycle lot B | 3-30 Sugamo | 0120-773281 |
Sugamo Kitaguchi Hakusan bicycle lot C | 3-27 Sutamo | 0120-773281 |
Car
There is no car parking on campus. Please use the paid parking lots near the school. Please note street parking near the school is strictly prohibited, including temporary parking.
When a student is late
If your child is unavoidably late for school, please inform the school reception in advance. Students who are late will sign in and have their temperature checked at the reception desk before going to their classes.
Families visiting the school
Family members visiting the Bunkyo Campus should inform the school of their visits in advance by Bunkyo Visitor Notice Form or other specific forms for particular events. Please notify the office of your arrival by the intercom at the small gate beside the main gate that you can find opposite the Rikugien garden, and proceed to the school building entrance to check in at the security office. Bunkyo Campus follows Hikarigaoka’s policy for parents visiting school; visitors must submit their vaccination certificates beforehand and show us their Family Visitor Card .
Coming to school by bicycle
Students may ride their bicycles to school. We require that all students wear a helmet and recommend that they wear protective gloves. Please ensure that your child’s bicycle is registered and has insurance. There is a bicycle form that we will ask you to complete, so please contact us. Parents of younger children may ride their child to school by bicycle. They can enter through the main gate.
*As of April 1, 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government requires all bicycle riders to enroll in insurance (such as bicycle casualty insurance) to ensure that they can pay for any damage or injury to others if the rider is involved in a cycling accident.
Meguro Campus
Commute route from Naka-Meguro Station and Shinsen Station
Please follow the red line from/to Toyoko line Nakameguro station. From Keio Inokashira line Shinsen station, please follow the blue line.
Commuting to and from school
Any family members who come to the school, such as pick-up and drop-off, must also check the temperature before coming to school. Families are not allowed to enter the school building in principle. Doors open for 8.40 to 9.00 and 15.00 to 15.20. You cannot enter the school building earlier than 8:40 am.
School bus (School Bus Rules and Guidelines (Meguro))
If your child is registered to ride the bus, he/she may ride the bus from the first day of school. Parents must check the student’s temperature before getting on the bus. If the temperature is 37.4°C or above, the student will need to stay home. Please sanitize the hands prior to getting on the bus and wear a mask (for children from K3 onwards) on the bus.
*Parents must be with their child(ren) while waiting for the bus.
Morning Bus
- 8:40-8:50 Three staff members will wait outside the main building for the bus to arrive.
- 8:50-9:00 After parking the school bus, the bus attendant will make sure the bus area is safe to get off. Two staff members will help K2 and K3 students to walk up the stairs into the building. One staff member will stay with the K4 and K5 children in the garage. Once the bus leaves and it is safe, K4 and K5 students will be accompanied by one staff member into the K4/K5 building.
- Bus attendant will check the bus to ensure no belongings are left behind before leaving the school premises.
Afternoon Bus
- Before 14:30 Before the bus leaves for Meguro campus, the driver will turn on the engine and adjust the temperature inside the buses. Drivers and operation manager of the bus company checks if the basic functions such as lights and indicators work well and checks under the bus to make sure that nothing is under it.
- 14:30 Bus arrives at Meguro campus. The bus attendant will speak to the office staff to identify who will be on the bus in the afternoon.
- Office staff and teachers who are on duty will stand at the bus area to help the students board.
- 14:45-14:50 All bus riders will get on the bus accompanied by staff members to the doorway of the school bus. The bus attendant will help the students to their seat and fasten their seat belts. While bus riders get on the bus, the bus attendant confirms their name with the daily bus list to make sure all bus riders have boarded.
- After all bus riders get on the bus, the bus attendant counts the number of the students on the bus to make sure they are all on board and checks if their seatbelt is fastened.
- 14:50 The bus departs from the school.
Coming to school by car
If you intend to bring your child to school by car, please use parking spaces nearby the school and walk your child into the school grounds. The school does not provide parking for pick-ups and drop-offs.
Please do not park your car on the road of our school or in front of anyone’s house.
Coming to school by bicycle
Parents of younger children may ride their child to school by bicycle. They can park their bicycles in the garage.
*As of April 1, 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government requires all bicycle riders to enrol in insurance (such as bicycle casualty insurance) to ensure that they can pay for any damage or injury to others if the rider is involved in a cycling accident.
When the student is late
If your child is late for school, please let the office know. Students who are late will receive a late pass and will be brought into the classroom by a staff member.
Families visiting the school
Families are restricted from entering the school building but will have access to the office. If you have special circumstances and need to enter the school, please make reservations and registration by emailing at meguro@aobajapan.jp, and follow the instructions. Families without reservations/registrations may not be permitted to enter the school building.
INSURANCE POLICY
Aoba provides medical coverage for all students for injuries or accidents during curricular, co-curricular or extracurricular activities on campus, off-campus locally and off-campus abroad. This insurance also covers food poisoning. Non-students, parents and visitors who participate in any Aoba event are covered for injuries on campus.
LANGUAGE POLICY
Policy Statement
The Aoba language policy is a working document developed by staff and administration and input for the Aoba community. The policy is consistent with the stipulated principles and practices of the IB. This policy is intended to provide an overview and guiding principles for language learning at Aoba which permeates the entire school curriculum through authentic contexts in a culturally rich and diverse environment. Our policy is a statement of agreement—one to which the staff and the Aoba community are asked to commit to so our school can achieve its mission of developing globally-minded, compassionate, collaborative students inspired to learn, take risks, and lead change in the world.
Language Philosophy
At Aoba we share these common beliefs about language acquisition and learning.
- Language is an important focus because it is integral to effective learning in all curriculum areas and across all phases of learning.
- Language is essential for students’ lifelong learning and for their active participation in a highly complex and networked world.
- We value the importance of learning the host country’s culture and language. This is reflected through the teaching of Japanese language and culture from beginner to native level throughout the school.
- All teachers are teachers of language and, as such, need to teach their students explicitly how to engage with the language conventions and vocabulary of their subject area.
- At Aoba we believe that language is central to all learning, is used to construct meaning and deepen our understanding of the world. We believe that language is best learned in an authentic context
- The acquisition of more than one language and maintenance of the mother tongue enrich personal growth and help facilitate international understanding.
- Whilst English is the language of instruction, the language policy allows students to inquire in their mother tongue to assist with understanding, inclusion, and multilingualism.
- Students learn best when they are actively involved in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. At Aoba we approach language through a variety of methods and strategies with a focus on inquiry and team-based learning. As all teachers are teachers of language where the conventions of communication are unique in a given subject, the appropriate scaffolding and teacher modeling must be in place to encourage students to succeed (i.e., lab report, literary essay, letter).
- Identification of barriers to learning and implementation of strategies to remove such barriers ensure students will have access to the curriculum and the opportunity to meaningfully engage in class activities throughout their school day.
- The use of language must be assessed using a balance of authentic assessments, both written and oral. Continuous feedback and student self-assessment support student learning.
The Aoba Language Environment
Aoba students consist of a high percentage of host country nationals and a minority population consisting of many different languages and cultures. This has guided our choices in languages offered to our students. We acknowledge that many of our students speak English as an additional language. There is a range of proficiency in the languages of instruction. Aoba provides support to all students to develop their academic language proficiency in the classroom setting. Results from externally moderated tools such as ISA, PAT-R, and a range of in-class assessments are used to inform teaching, track student progress, and provide feedback and focus for student learning needs.
Admissions
As part of the admissions process, students are required to undergo a comprehensive assessment, which may include a literacy screener, a written assignment, an interview, and a trial day at the school. This multifaceted evaluation helps to inform individual language strengths and needs, and supports our decision making on student placement.
For students with limited proficiency in English, a demonstration of their ability to acquire and engage with the language of instruction is necessary to ensure success in accessing the curriculum.
Language of instruction
To meet the language and communication needs of everyone at Aoba, English is promoted as the language of inclusion as it is the language of instruction and the common language within the community with the exception of our Japanese curriculum.
Beliefs about Multilingualism
As an IB world school, Aoba provides students the opportunity to cultivate proficiency in more than one language, fostering the potential for multilingualism and fluency in more than one language. We firmly believe that exposure to multiple languages and the development of multilingualism contributes to a richer understanding of various perspectives, extending beyond linguistic aspects to positively impact all facets of life and learning.
Beliefs about Mother Tongue
In keeping with the IB philosophy, appropriate use of the mother tongue is encouraged, valued, and supported at Aoba.
We recognize that a solid foundation and continued development of the mother tongue language is essential in the development of all other languages and is crucial for maintaining identity, cultural understanding, and empathy.
At Aoba, we acknowledge the importance of students using their mother tongue language to translate and clarify when they encounter challenges in understanding the language of instruction. We actively advocate for the continued promotion of mother tongue languages within the home environment. Parents are informed about the significance of nurturing the development of their native language(s). In our senior school, students can opt for a School-Supported Self-Taught (SSST) course, which is assessed in the mother language. This option significantly reinforces multilingualism, underscoring the idea that proficiency in the mother tongue directly impacts proficiency in second languages. Supporting mother tongue languages not only adds an emotional component by helping the child maintain connections to their culture but also recognizes the inherent value of their native language. Beyond emotional benefits, there are academic advantages, including the transfer of linguistic structures and thinking skills from one language to another. This transfer provides essential links and scaffolds for language proficiency, contributing to a more robust educational experience.
Beliefs about additional language learning and exposure
The Japanese language programme promotes cultural awareness and language development of the host country, available in both mother-tongue and language acquisition levels offered throughout all grades.
Digital and Multiliteracies
Aoba places a strong emphasis on both digital literacy and multiliteracies. Digital literacy encompasses the skills, knowledge, and ethical understanding necessary to navigate, critically evaluate, and responsibly engage with the digital world. Concurrently, multiliteracies expand beyond traditional literacy by recognizing the diverse ways in which information is communicated, incorporating visual, digital, and information literacies. Our curriculum integrates these literacies seamlessly across subjects, empowering students to harness technology as a powerful tool for learning and communication, while also appreciating and creating meaning through various modes of expression. By fostering these literacies, we aim to cultivate adaptable and informed learners who can thrive in the complex and interconnected landscape of the digital age.
English Language Development in the MYP
Students in Grades 7 to 9 that require support with language development are enrolled in MYP Language Acquisition classes, divided into phases, whilst being immersed in mainstream classes for social inclusion and contextual enhancement of language acquisition. We employ the MYP curriculum to support these students to progress through IB Phases 1-6. The students are taught according to the MYP Language Acquisition guide and are assessed against the related criteria by qualified teachers who have completed IB-sanctioned training.
English Language Development in the Senior School
Students in Grade 10 studying the English Language have an opportunity to pursue DP Language & Literature or GLD English Communication. Alternatively, students whose first language is not English can opt to develop their English language proficiency in DP English B, combined with a language A course, either Japanese A or a school-supported self-taught (SSST) course completed with a tutor in their native language.
Roles and responsibilities
It is recognized throughout the language policy that each facet of the community holds responsibilities in the development and use of language and in the support of student learning.
To support the Aoba language policy:
Students will
- Take an active role in language learning that is outlined in the Aoba language policy.
- Be encouraged to seek a wide range of language opportunities.
- Do their best to develop a second language if appropriate.
- Have an opportunity to learn the language of the host country.
- Be responsible for using the language of inclusion.
Teachers will
- Be aware of the Aoba language policy.
- Provide a safe and supportive learning environment.
- Model effective communication.
- Help students find appropriate language resources.
- Differentiate between student’s language needs in planning, teaching and assessing student work.
- Provide timely and effective feedback about language development to the students and their parents.
- Students who are not developing the requisite language skills need to be referred to the appropriate department.
- Use a range of assessments and teaching strategies.
- Understand their role that all teachers are teachers of language.
- Engage in active communication between students and their family.
Parents will
- Be aware of the Aoba language policy and support it.
- Encourage, provide and support opportunities for their child to maintain their mother tongue.
- Provide resources and support for all areas of language learning both at school and at home.
- Monitor their child’s progress and communicate concerns initially through the classroom teacher.
Administration will
- Ensure all parents have access to the Aoba policy and practices
- Provide adequate resources and staffing for the school’s language programmes.
- Ensure consistency across all sections of the school in the delivery of language instruction, assessment and reporting
- Instigate a regular review of the language policy.
- Ensure that teachers are supported with professional development opportunities to keep abreast of current practices in the teaching of English as an additional language.
References:
Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programme: Guidelines For Developing a School Language Policy. IB Language Policy
ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING POLICY
Introduction
Assessment is integral to all teaching and learning. All IB schools are expected to develop assessment procedures and methods of reporting that reflect the philosophy and objectives of the programme.
The purpose of this document is to present:
- our school philosophy on assessment, evaluation and reporting.
- a common definition for the terms assessment, evaluation and reporting.
- guidelines and procedures for assessment, evaluation and reporting.
This document is based on current educational research, best practice and assessment principles as outlined by the International Baccalaureate organization. This document provides Aoba with models of effective assessment and reporting practices. In addition it fulfills the standards, principles and practices prescribed by the International Baccalaureate (IB). This document is binding to all members of Aoba faculty and administration.
Principles of Assessment at Aoba
The key principles of the IB assessment, which apply to all programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, and GLD) are outlined below and form the principles of assessment at Aoba.
- Assessment is integral to planning, teaching and learning.
- The assessment system and assessment practices are made clear to students and parents.
- There is a balance between formative and summative assessment.
- Opportunities for peer and self-assessment are planned for.
- Opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning are planned for.
- Students’ current knowledge and experience are assessed before embarking on new learning.
- Students are provided with feedback as a basis for future learning.
- Reporting to families is meaningful.
- Assessment data is analyzed to provide information about the teaching and learning, and the needs of individual students.
- Assessment is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum.
Assessment at Aoba
Assessment is the measurement of what students know and can do. How and when we evaluate students directly informs planning, teaching, and learning. Effective assessment places students at the center of their learning by allowing teachers to monitor student progress and adjust instruction to improve achievement. Teachers should provide a balanced variety of assessment tasks as well as conducting teacher-led assessments. Students should be involved in meaningful self and peer assessment, and should be aware of all assessment practices and expectations before embarking on evaluative tasks. Students are also expected to take ownership of their learning and be involved in designing their assessments by being supported by the teacher in feedback sessions and self-reflection activities to support their own learning needs.
Reporting to parents should be meaningful. Parents should be kept informed of student progress, the assessment and evaluation systems and their role in supporting student learning. Accurate assessment records and documentation are kept on each student to inform all stakeholders of student progress and to guide future academic goals. Assessment is managed through an active partnership among students, teachers, and parents/guardians. Clarity of expectations and good communication are shared responsibilities. The assessment component in our school’s curriculum is subdivided into three closely related areas.
Assessing – how do we discover what the students know and have learned.
Recording – how we choose to collect, store and analyze data
Reporting – how we choose to communicate levels of performance and progress
Assessment Data
The Aoba assessment framework consists of internal and external assessment tools. The external assessment tools provide data yearly showing holistic trends based on generic, externally designed assessment. The internal assessment tools provide sequential and iterative point in time data showing student progress specific to the school’s curriculum.
Aoba uses the externally designed International Schools Assessment (ISA) tool and Progressive Achievement Test in Reading and Mathematics (PAT-R & M) instruments. This external data provides information showing whole-school progress. While the external data is comparable to other schools, its strength lies in its capacity to affirm the quality of our programs or to indicate the need for changes to our programs. It informs whole-school or sectional (Grades 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12) interventions designed by the school.
Aoba uses internally designed assessment tools that inform our day to day teaching practices. We apply three school-wide internal assessment tools. These tools are:
- Core Assessment that measures student progress in the domains
- Learning Process
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Curriculum that includes the IB programs, the GLD, and the Grade 10 transition.
- Literacy and Numeracy
Assessment Tools
External assessment tools
ISA
The International Schools Assessment (ISA) is an annual assessment programme specially developed to measure skills in mathematical literacy, reading and writing of students in international schools. The ISA is an internationally endorsed reading and mathematical literacy framework. The ISA reports provide descriptive information about what students know and can do. The results are equated from year to year to track changes over time at the individual and school level.
PAT-M
The Progressive Achievement Test in Mathematics (PAT-M) provides information to teachers about the level of student achievement attained in the skills and conceptual understandings of mathematics. PAT-M addresses the proficiencies of fluency, understanding, problem-solving and reasoning. Measures mathematical ability across three content strands:
- Number and Algebra
- Measurement and Geometry
- Statistics and Probability
PAT-R
The Progressive Achievement Tests in Reading (PAT-R) assess reading comprehension and word knowledge. Test results provide information for monitoring progress over time and interventions. PAT-R assess reading comprehension by covering the processes of:
- Retrieving information
- Implicit and explicit interpretation
- Reflection
Internal Assessment Tools
Core Assessment
The structure of the Aoba Core Assessment provides a framework for evaluating the depth of understanding and application in four domains from Kindergarten to Grade 12:
- Learning Process
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- Communication
- Teamwork
Curriculum Assessment
In daily practice, we apply the assessment protocols of the curriculum being delivered at the time:
- IB (K-12)
- Grade 10 Transition
- GLD Diploma (Grades 11-12)
- Literacy and Numeracy Assessment
Summative and Formative Assessment
Aligned with both current research into best practices and IB’s own guidelines, teachers use a range of formative and summative tasks.※1
※1 Descriptions of research-based best practices may be found in Marzano, R., What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action (2003) and Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J., Understanding by Design (2004).
IB guidelines are described in IBO, The Middle Years Programme: From Principles into Practice (2009); IBO, The Diploma Programme: From Principles into Practice (2009); and IBO, Diploma Programme Assessment: Principles and Practice (2004) and Making the PYP Happen: A curriculum framework for International Education (2009)
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment represents the process of gathering, analyzing, interpreting and using evidence to improve student learning. Ongoing formative assessment is used to inform the teacher’s understanding of the student’s knowledge, conceptual understandings, Approaches to Learning (ATL) and learner profile. Formative assessment is integrated into the curriculum and woven into the daily learning process and is an integral part of instruction. It provides teachers and students with information about how learning is progressing. It helps the teacher to plan the next stage of learning. Formative assessments occur continuously and include structured and spur-of-the-moment observations that are recorded and filed; anecdotal records; formal and informal interviews; collections of work samples; use of extended projects, performances, and exhibitions; performance exams; various forms of short-answer testing, etc. This evidence of learning can be kept in grade books, files or portfolios, which in turn can be used by students and teachers to reflect on, summarize, and evaluate student progress.
Formative assessment promotes deep understanding of knowledge and skills by careful consideration of the types of assignment given. Students are involved in the process of goal-setting throughout the year, for example, at the beginning of each Unit of Inquiry. Students are involved in the formative assessment of their own learning and that of their peers through feedback forms and formal and informal conferences and discussions. Peer assessment requires a very safe and collaborative learning environment and should only be attempted sparingly and after a period of training and discussion with the class.
Formative assessment involves providing students with descriptive feedback as they learn. This provides students with an understanding of what they are doing well, links to classroom learning, and gives specific input on how to reach the next step in the learning progression. Teachers will provide students frequent and descriptive feedback on formative tasks that aim to improve performance.
The feedback given should provide incentives for improvement and should be positive in tone, providing encouragement, positive feedback as well as constructive critique. It is expected that prior to summative assessments being conducted teachers conduct formative assessment at least once for each criteria that will be summatively assessed and that this be documented in the unit planners as applicable, depending upon programme requirements.
Generally this feedback will not include a grade, though occasionally a level or mark will be given as a diagnostic tool and as an incentive for improvement. Formative assessments usually do not support the determination of a final mark, though they may in situations when summative assessment data is lacking. It is far more important that formative assessment correctly identifies the knowledge, skills and understanding that students should develop.
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment plays a crucial role in evaluating students‘ knowledge, conceptual understanding, Approaches to Learning (ATL), and learner profile attributes. These assessments are strategically conducted at appropriate moments within the teaching and learning cycle, providing students with opportunities to demonstrate their learning by applying knowledge in new and authentic contexts.
Designed to measure student progress against clearly defined criteria, which are communicated in advance and reinforced throughout the formative assessment process, summative assessments offer a snapshot of learning at a specific point in time. While this type of assessment yields valuable insights into students’ achievement levels and their ability to meet the established criteria, it is most effective when used in conjunction with other assessment methods to capture the broader scope of the learning process. Summative assessments, therefore, contribute to a holistic understanding of student growth and achievement while supporting the alignment of instructional goals and outcomes.
The timing, type, scope and format of each summative task should be clearly communicated to the students ahead of time, and rubrics, exemplars and practice assessments should be distributed and discussed in advance. MYP and DP programmes use the IB Grading Scale of 1 to 7, and follow the procedures outlined in the respective guides, such as “From Principles to Practice.”
Academic Honesty
For learning to hold true value, students must engage with their studies honestly and ethically. When a student resorts to cheating or compromises the integrity of the educational process, they undermine their personal growth, disrespect the efforts of their peers, and diminish the value of the education being provided. Aoba has established clear guidelines and procedures to address academic dishonesty, ensuring a fair and equitable approach to maintaining academic integrity. These guidelines are reinforced through the school’s Academic Integrity Policy, which outlines expectations and procedures to uphold honesty and responsibility in the learning process.
Conferencing and Reporting
Conferencing and reporting are used to assess the knowledge, conceptual understandings, Core Assessments, Approaches to Learning (ATL) and learner profile respective to each programme. Reporting on assessment at Aoba includes communicating what students know, understand and can do. It describes the progress of the students’ learning, identifies areas for growth, and contributes to the efficacy of the programme. Reporting to parents, students and teachers occurs through conferences, portfolios and reports.
Assessment without feedback is merely judgment; feedback is the component of assessment that lets us interpret the judgment and improve our work. Reporting is perhaps the most public aspect of a school’s assessment policy, and as such needs careful consideration in order to provide clear information that is useful to students and parents. Reporting may take many forms including conferences and written reports.
Effective reporting must:
- involve parents, students and teachers as partners
- reflect what the school community values
- be comprehensive, honest, fair and credible
- be clear and understandable to all parties
- reflect results as assessed against the programme criteria
- allow teachers to incorporate what they learn during the reporting process into their future teaching and assessment practice.
Conferences
The purpose of conferences is to share information between teachers, students and parents. At Aoba we encourage a variety of conferences throughout the year:
- Teacher led three-way conferences
- Student led three-way conferences
- Parent teacher conferences for individual students on an as-needed basis
Teacher-led Three-way Conferences
Teacher-led three-way conferences involve the student, parents and teacher. Students discuss their learning and understanding with their parents and teacher, who are responsible for supporting the student through this process. Students are responsible for self assessing and reflecting upon work samples they have chosen to share, that have been previously selected with guidance and support from the teacher and could be from the student’s portfolio. The student, parents and the teacher collaborate to establish and identify the student’s strengths and areas for improvement. This may lead to the setting of new goals, with all determining how they can support the achievement of the goals. The teacher is an integral part of the process and takes notes of the discussion. These notes may then be used in the written report. All of the participants must understand the format and their roles prior to the conference.
Student-led Three-way Conferences
Student-led three-way conferences involve the student and the parent. The students are responsible for leading the conference, and also take responsibility for their learning by sharing the process with their parents. It may involve students demonstrating their understanding through a variety of different learning situations. There may be several conferences taking place simultaneously. The conference will involve the students discussing, self-assessing and reflecting upon samples of work that they have previously chosen to share with their parents. These samples will come from the student’s portfolio.
The Written Report
The written report is a formal document that outlines the student’s progress and is another means of giving feedback to students, parents and others about the student’s progress based on assessment and evaluation information.
Portfolios as an Assessment Tool
Schools have a responsibility to show evidence of student learning. As an example, portfolios are one method of collecting and storing information that can be used to document and assess student progress and achievement.
A portfolio is a record of students’ involvement in learning which is designed to demonstrate success, growth, higher-order thinking, creativity, assessment strategies and reflection. A portfolio is a celebration of an active mind at work. It provides a picture of each student’s progress and development over a period of time both as individual and group learners. It enables students to reflect with teachers, parents and peers in order to identify their strengths and growth as well as areas for improvement, and then to set individual goals and establish teaching and learning plans.
Evidence of learning in a portfolio should be from a range of experiences and curriculum areas. The portfolio is used to show the development of knowledge, conceptual understanding, transdisciplinary skills, attitudes and the attributes of the learner profile over a period of time. It may also be used to document student action. Portfolio entries should document both the process of learning and the product, including images and evidence of students in the process of constructing meaning. It can be used as a tool for assessment and reporting purposes for students, parents, teachers and administrators.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a guiding principle in education and a choice to act in a responsible way whereby
others can have trust in us as individuals. It is the foundation for ethical decision-making and behaviour in the production of legitimate, authentic and honest scholarly work. Academic integrity goes beyond a definition and a well-structured school policy; it should also be part of an “ethical culture” of any educational institution, be that a primary school or a university. It is an obligation which must be embraced and fostered by the entire school community, so students continue their future life, whether in higher education or in the workplace, in strict adherence to this principle.
Fostering an academic integrity culture, and a personal positive attitude towards it, requires the design of a school strategy that combines policies and good academic practice, while understanding the fundamental dimension it has in the authentic construction of meaning and learning in all IB programmes. The guiding principle of academic integrity can be seen as built up from a number of simpler concepts in education, that can start early during the PYP, be reinforced during the MYP and cemented later through the DP and CP. Expectations should be clearly communicated and modelled at an age appropriate level so that all IB students understand:
- their responsibility for producing authentic and genuine individual and group work
- how to correctly attribute sources, acknowledging the work and ideas of others
- the responsible use of information technology and social media
- how to observe and adhere to ethical and honest practice during examinations.
Educators supporting IB students in their learning should understand their own central role in developing the approaches to learning and reinforce the principle of academic integrity through all teaching, learning and assessment practices. 3
IBO Programmes: Academic Integrity (2019)
Introduction
‘A spirit of community shapes the Aoba experience’. We believe all members of our school community at Aoba-Japan International School are accountable for upholding ethical and moral behaviours in the school. It is the responsibility of stakeholders to learn about and understand the nature of intellectual honesty and academic integrity. The purpose of this document is to guide our actions related to the development of academic integrity across the entire school and to guide our management of cases of malpractice in a fair and transparent manner that is in line with IBO regulations. However, even though we hold people accountable for academic integrity, our main aim is to help young people and the rest of our learning community to become intrinsically responsible for making the right decisions when it comes to matters of integrity. In this way, we provide numerous opportunities and platforms for discussion, debate and inquiry within classes to ensure learners have had ample chance to understand what academic integrity is and the importance of developing it in themselves and the groups to which they belong.
As with other IB schools, we also believe in the importance of our Academic Integrity Policy promoting the development of the attributes of the IB learner profile. We promote a commitment in our students to take responsibility for their own actions so they become knowledgeable and open-minded inquirers who are able to communicate and act in a principled manner as demonstrated through integrity and honesty. This is developed through careful attention to approaches to teaching and learning so that academic integrity is developed explicitly through the normal teaching in the school.
Acknowledgements
Our Academic Integrity Policy has been developed in accordance with the International Baccalaureate Middle Years and Diploma Programmes, and we acknowledge the contribution of policies of Yokohama International School, Japan, Dwight School in South Korea, and NIST in Thailand.
Academic Honesty and Integrity: Definitions
Academic honesty means that all academic [artefacts] should result from an individual’s own efforts. Intellectual contributions from others must be consistently and responsibly acknowledged in an appropriate way. Academic [assignments] completed in any other way are fraudulent’. Academic Integrity is something bigger and deeper. While academic honesty can be seen to be in response to certain situations and especially assessments, academic integrity is more about the responsibility of the individual due to their right to develop as a learner. If academic honesty is how one behaves, academic integrity is why one behaves in this way. Therefore it is the intention to develop a spirit of academic integrity among community members of Aoba rather than merely develop a reactive policy to academic dishonesty.
School Maladministration
The IB defines school maladministration as an action by an IB World School or an individual associated with an IB World School that infringes IB rules and regulations, and potentially threatens the integrity of IB examinations and assessments. It can happen before, during or after the completion of an assessment component or completion of an examination.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct is behaviour by an individual that results in that learner using material, data and information in such a way that they gain an inequitable advantage, particularly in relation to assessment practices. Academic misconduct is when a learner does not follow the school’s regulations as articulated in the school’s academic policy. Academic misconduct mainly consists of:
- Plagiarism
- Collusion
- Submitting work commissioned, edited by, or obtained from a third party
- Duplication of work
- Inclusion of inappropriate, offensive, or obscene material
- Misconduct during an examination
Academic misconduct is ‘any other behaviour that gains an unfair advantage for an individual or that affects the results of another learner (for example, taking unauthorized material into an examination room, misconduct during an examination, falsifying a CAS record)’.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as using another person’s assignments or ideas as their own. This occurs in our school when a learner, teacher or parent does not acknowledge the source of the assignments or ideas of others that have subsequently been used in their own assignments. However, it is important that learners at Aoba learn how to create new ideas, products and processes by refining and extending original ideas and/or assignments. Plagiarism is theft and includes but is not limited to:
- ‘Direct copying of material without proper citation’.
- ‘Use of large segments (sentences or even phrases) of un-cited, copied wording mixed in with your own words’.
- ‘Over-dependence on sources’ phrasing in a way not allowed by the assignment, such as rewriting a paragraph in basically your own words but clearly only using the ideas and structure of the source you are reading’.
- Peer plagiarism is copying work from another student or student lending their work to others to be used.
Plagiarism is a serious offenseoffence at Aoba that will result in disciplinary action. We expect all students to demonstrate an age-appropriate understanding of plagiarism and how to correctly attribute authorship to sources of information.
Collusion vs. Collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration/teamwork is the backbone of our teaching and learning and supports the implementation of our school’s mission, vision and core values. It is when two2 or more learners work together to create or achieve the same tasks.
Collusion7
Collusion is when learners work together collaboratively to take an unfair advantage when carrying out assessment tasks. This is when two or more learners act together in a dishonest way thus contravening the instructions of the teacher and or school in relation to how they respond to assignments, generate ideas, or products.
Example:
Taro and Jenny have been studying algebra together. Jenny is quite skilled in mathmaths and has helped Taro by explaining several topics many times. Taro, who writes well, is quite grateful for her help and offers to write an essay on algebra in everyday life that has been assigned for all students to write independently. Jenny reads over his essay, checks the spelling and adds citation, then submits it as her work, as does Taro.
Taro and Jenny were collaborating initially: it’s perfectly fine for one student to explain things to another. However, each student was supposed to do their own work but when they submitted the same essay as individual work they colluded to deceive the teacher.
Submitting work commissioned, edited by, or obtained from a third party7
This occurs when a student submits work that is heavily or entirely edited by a third party (tutor, parents, external supervisor) to circumnavigate the rules set by the teacher. In our school, we highly encourage students to seek support from their school teachers while completing their work and especially DP coursework needs to be verified by their subject teachers or supervisors.
Duplication of Work7
Duplication of work is when students present the same work, partially or fully, for different assessment components or subjects.
Inclusion of inappropriate, offensive, or obscene material7
This is a major offenseoffence when student work shows disrespect of personal, political and/ or spiritual values. Materials cannot include excessive violence or explicit sexual content that does not consider the racial, gender and religious beliefs of others. Our school’s mission statement, which is in-line with the IB philosophy, strongly supports compassionate and global minded individuals who are always considerate of the cultural diversity present in the school community.
Misconduct during an examination7
Any attempt to exhibit misconduct or disruptive behaviour during an examination; possessing unauthorized material in the examination room; exchanging, passing, obtaining or receiving verbal or written information from other students during the examination completion time; removal of secure materials such as examination papers, questions and answer booklets, from the examination room; gaining access to IB examination papers before examination’s scheduled time; sharing of IB examination paper content before or during the examination’s scheduled time, or within 24 hours after the examination; assisting another student(s) in committing an act of academic misconduct or failing to report an academic misconduct.
Roles and Responsibilities
Pedagogical Leadership Team
All members, of the school’s Pedagogical Leadership Team, including the PYP, MYP, DP, and GLD coordinators, have a responsibility to:
- model intellectual academic integrity and the integrity of the learner.
- foster a culture of academic integrity amongst the members of the learning community
- support all classroom teachers in the development of their understanding of the importance of academic integrity.
- parent and teacher information sessions related to academic integrity.
- provide the resources to ensure the monitoring of academic integrity is adequate.
- investigate cases of malpractice for facts supported by evidence.
- make recommendations to the Head of School regarding cases of malpractice.
Librarian
One role of the Librarian is to regularly collaborate with all PYP, MYP, DP, and GLD classroom teachers to develop the learners’ research skills that are needed to understand and apply academic integrity. The conventions of academic integrity will be displayed in the library and classrooms. Other roles are to identify and relate the use of new resources for fostering a culture of academic integrity and for monitoring it and relating these to teachers.
Class Teachers
IB teachers have a responsibility to teach and monitor academic integrity by:
- modeling academic integrity in their own practices.
- explaining the academic policy and the implications of academic misconduct.
- teaching research skills to all learners in collaboration with the librarian.
- developing and assessing the quality of research skills in all learners they teach.
- providing regular feedback to learners related to the assignments they draft.
- planning a manageable amount of work so that students can allocate appropriate time to produce good quality work according to the expectations of teacher, school and IB.
- identifying and monitoring the causes that lead learners away from academic integrity and ensure they are reduced or eradicated.
- monitoring learner assignments for exemplary practice.
- monitoring learner assignments for academic misconduct.
- reporting any suspicion of malpractice in a timely and professional manner to members of the Pedagogical Leadership Team.
Learners
The path to developing academic integrity in all situations is part of a learner’s path to becoming a good citizen. As part of the community, our young people must become aware of and develop their responsibility as learners with integrity. In an age-appropriate situation, our learners need to be taught about academic integrity and learn how to accept and live up to this responsibility. Our development as learners is a right and so comes with certain responsibilities that respect that right. While we wish integrity to grow within each learner, academic misconduct by learners is not tolerated by Aoba. As such all learners are expected not to engage in acts of malpractice in accordance with the guidelines outlined in this Academic Integrity Policy and associated IBO policy.
IB learners are expected to uphold the integrity of academic honesty in all the assignments they produce by having a full understanding of the policy.
Parents/Legal guardians
Parents/legal guardians play an important role to work hand in hand with the school to reinforce the importance of academic integrity. Parents, teachers and learners will have open conversations together to uphold the IB’s principles on academic integrity and be fully committed to support the student learning and success in the IB programmes.
To manage the process of academic integrity, parents/legal guardians of IB learners are expected to:
- model and understand the tenets of academic integrity in the completion of coursework or examination papers by their children.
- understand school internal policies and process to ensure academic integrity in their work
- talking to their child about the importance of academic honesty and intellectual integrity.
- supporting the school in monitoring academic honesty.
- understand what constitutes student academic misconduct and its consequences.
- submit authentic and up-to-date evidence to support a request for inclusive access arrangements or adverse circumstances considerations for their children.
- avoid excessive assistance in the completion of work for their children
Citing and Referencing
Learners at Aoba will adopt a referencing style leading up to and including the diploma years. Some subjects may require other referencing styles, which will be taught as needed. Learners in all grades will be taught how to use referencing as appropriate to their grade and development.
All learners will reference citations used in their assignments and include a bibliography or footnotes when appropriate. The classroom teachers and librarian will teach citation methods during normal teaching time. Methods used by learners will be adjusted in relation to their stage of development.
Resources:
- Purdue Online Writing Lab by Purdue University
- Effective Citing and Referencing by IBO
- Complete Guide to MLA by EasyBib
Maintaining Academic Integrity
The Aoba school community has a responsibility to ensure the principles and spirit of academic integrity is embedded throughout the school. The school will use any tools and technology that will support the overseeing and supervision of academic integrity in the school. This could include but is not limited to:
- assignments being submitted in draft prior to completion
- the use of plagiarism checkers in our LMS to authenticate learner’s assignments to verify any possible collusions and/or plagarisms between learners and across schools.
- academic integrity workshops for parents and teachers
- all learners being consistently exposed to teaching and learning strategies and opportunities that help develop academic integrity
Detecting Academic Misconduct
All school community members have a responsibility to report any suspicious behaviour related to academic misconduct. If academic misconduct is suspected, an investigation committee, consisting of a classroom teacher and pedagogical leadership members, will meet to conduct an investigation. This investigation will be recorded and include the process of:
- establishing if the evidence of malpractice is legitimate.
- interviewing those concerned (leadership, teachers, learners, parents) .
- convening a leadership team to review the evidence.
- make a reasoned and validated recommendation to the Head of School for further action. (If it is an IB coursework that has been identified to have violated academic integrity, the school will not submit the work and it will be marked “0”. If the work has already been submitted to IB, the programme coordinator must notify IB as soon as possible. For IB examinations, if a learner has violated the regulations of the examination, the programme coordinator has to report to IB within 24hours and the student will still continue the examination and be sent for marking as usual.)
Learner Rights
Learners under investigation for academic misconduct will be provided with a fair and transparent process in which the learner will, of course, have the right to reply. Where possible, the investigation of the facts will be done in collaboration with the learner. The school will inform all parties of the probable duration, possible consequences of the investigation process and alternative pathways after the announcement of the investigation outcome.
Consequences
If a learner has been identified as having engaged in academic misconduct, they will be subjected to internal investigation to verify the facts. Pending the outcome of the investigation:
DP
- A report will be provided for review by the Principal or Head of School.
- The Principal or Head of School will forward a report to the parents outlining the issues
- For internal assessments, students can resubmit and be graded again but for IB coursework, “zero” will be recorded for the assessment piece.
- If the malpractice is related to any DP externally assessed and moderated assignments (Internal assessment, external assessment, ToK, EE and written tasks) for learners in diploma, the malpractice must be reported to IBO by the DP coordinator. This means the student work will not be submitted. As a result, the student will not be awarded the IB Diploma. The IB penalty matrices showing details of the infringement by students and the level of penalty to be applied by the IB.
- After counseling has been provided, repeated incidents of malpractice by a learner can lead to suspension or expulsion from Aoba.
PYP & MYP
- A note of the incident needs to be recorded in the SIS.
- The homeroom teacher or case manager will contact the parents outlining the incident.
- The work will not be accounted for grading.
- After the above consequences, repeated incidents of malpractice by a learner will lead to a PTC and further action plans.
Notification of Academic Misconduct
Parents and the IBO will be informed in writing of cases of learner academic misconduct. The school will follow the regulations as stated in the IBO Academic Policy.
Final Grade
All other processes and procedures related to the final grade of learners in the diploma in cases where academic misconduct has been detected by the IBO examiners, the school will follow the regulations as set out in the IBO Academic Policy.
Reconsideration, Appeal and Arbitration
Learners and parents will be informed in writing of cases of learner academic misconduct that include the procedures for reconsideration, appeal and arbitration in accordance with the IBO regulations.
School Staff: Improper Conduct
If any school staff member has been found to act in an improper manner they will be disciplined in accordance with the school’s faculty labour regulations.
CONDUCT POLICY
Rationale
A spirit of community shapes the A-JIS experience. We are dedicated to developing global-minded, compassionate, collaborative students inspired to learn so they can lead positive change in the world. In doing so we foster five core values in students during their time with us: Global Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Effective Communication, Wise Risk Taking, and Effective Problem Solving. We also value and promote the IB learner profile attributes as they align with our core values and mission statement. These are: Principled, Open Minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, Reflective, Communicators, Inquirers, Knowledgeable, and Thinkers.
In addition to our commitment to positive conduct, our school is dedicated to the safety and wellness of all students and staff. We strive to create a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment where every individual can thrive. Our safety and wellness protocols are designed to ensure that students and staff are supported not only in their academic endeavours but also in their physical and emotional well-being. This policy and the related implementation guidelines are integral to maintaining a healthy school community and will be shared and practised by all members of the A-JIS community.
Policy
At A-JIS, we uphold a proactive, strengths-based approach to student behaviour, focusing on positive conduct and the well-being of our school community. We expect all community members to treat one another with kindness, consideration, and respect. This applies to both our physical and digital learning environments, with further guidelines outlined in our “Acceptable Use Policy” for digital conduct.
Policy Aims
The purpose of this policy is to give students, parents, teachers, and staff:
- a statement of our objective to develop and support positive behaviours, self-discipline, and respect among all members of our school community.
- guidance regarding the roles we all play in maintaining a safe, respectful, and caring environment for all.
Monitoring & Review
All policies are monitored and reviewed annually as follows:
The PLT undertake an initial review each November, with the full faculty reviewing all policies in December. Any suggestions are considered, and if appropriate, actioned, by the PLT in January. A new revision acceptance date is then appended to the policy before it is sent out to families.
This policy was last reviewed and accepted in January 2025.
Related Policies
Implementation
We employ a proactive, strengths-based approach to student behaviour, focusing on positive conduct and the well-being of our school community. We expect all community members to treat one another with kindness, consideration, and respect. This applies to both our physical and digital learning environments.
Strategies to Meet Positive Behaviour Objectives
To achieve positive behaviours, students, parents, teachers, and staff are expected to:
- ensure that behavioural expectations and agreements are clear
- be effective role models and implement the learner profiles within our own behaviour
- have a consistent approach to the adherence to and implementation of the behaviour policy
- intervene effectively in misbehaviour when it occurs
- handle behavioural incidents compassionately and consistently
- lead and participate in regular discussions about behaviour at home, during homeroom classes, and lessons
- foster collaboration between the school, students, and parents in developing lifelong learners
- report behavioural issues and concerns to the relevant personnel
- keep a record of the issues in Veracross – Behavioural comments (+Add Behavior)
Shared Discipline Routines and Incident Reporting
The following diagram outlines the decision and action pathways for minor, moderate, and severe misbehaviour.
Urgent Response
- Requesting Assistance: If a situation cannot be managed independently by the teacher, any teacher can request an Urgent Response when they need assistance managing a situation
- Response Team: The wellbeing team will be the first to respond. If they are unavailable, a PLT member will step in to support the teacher
Urgent Response Situations
- Unsafe Behaviours: When a student is engaging in behaviours that are unsafe to themselves or others. Example: A student physically harming others or self.
- Prolonged Disruption: When a student is disruptive for an extended period, preventing the class from continuing. Example: A student continuously shouting or causing significant distractions.
- Absence from Classroom: When a student leaves the classroom without the teacher’s knowledge of their whereabouts. Example: A student exiting the classroom without permission and not returning promptly.
- Hiding: When a student hides in a location for a prolonged duration. Example: A student hiding in a storage area or in a washroom for an extended period.
Urgent Response Roles and Responsibilities
This section outlines the roles and responsibilities of staff members during incidents, including urgent situations, to ensure a coordinated and effective response.
Primary Responders are responsible for quickly arriving at the scene to assist in the situation, ensuring immediate safety, and supporting all involved. Their responsibilities include:
- Responding to Urgent Requests: Upon receiving an urgent response request, primary responders are responsible for quickly going to the location to assist
- Ensuring Safety: Once on-site, they must ensure the safety of all students and staff involved. This may include removing other students from the area or taking control of the situation
- Requesting Additional Support: If further assistance is needed, primary responders will use the urgent response chat space to ask for help from secondary responders or the Pedagogical Leadership Team (PLT). They will also include the student’s name, location, and a brief description of the issue if not already provided.
Secondary Responders provide backup support to primary responders and may take charge of the situation if the primary responders are unavailable or require additional assistance. Their responsibilities include:
- Transitioning Supervision: If required, secondary responders will take over supervision of the situation from primary responders to ensure continuity in managing the incident.
- Prioritising Based on Relationships: Secondary responders should prioritise responding to incidents where they have existing relationships with the students involved, especially in cases where language or prior interactions are significant.
Classroom Teachers, Support Teachers, and Other Staff are expected to support the urgent response process by maintaining order, assisting as needed, and following the directives of the primary and secondary responders. This includes:
- Maintaining Classroom Order: Ensuring that students not involved in the incident are kept safe and engaged.
- Providing Assistance: Offering help as needed to primary and secondary responders during an incident.
- Initiating an Urgent Response: The teacher or staff member who witnesses an urgent situation must take immediate action to ensure the safety of everyone involved by:
- Remove Other Students: Immediately remove all other students from the situation to a safe distance; get the help of a nearby colleague to do so if required.
- Requesting Assistance: The witnessing teacher or staff member will use the urgent response chat space to request support from primary responders and notify the PLT. The request should include the student’s name, location, and a brief description of the issue.
- Alternate Communication: If a teacher cannot access the chat, they will instruct a student to find the nearest teacher/staff member and say, “Please get help.” The contacted teacher will then send the message, noting the original teacher, student and location.
Minor Misbehaviour
Minor misbehaviors are disruptions that do not pose a significant threat to the safety or well-being of students or staff. These incidents are generally isolated and can be effectively managed by the teacher within the classroom. Examples of Minor Misbehaviors:
- A student repeatedly talking out of turn while the teacher or another student is speaking
- A student ignores or forgets to follow basic classroom instructions, like not lining up properly or not tidying up after an activity
Moderate Misbehaviour and Disruptions
Moderate misbehaviors are more disruptive and can have a bigger impact on the classroom environment. These behaviours may happen repeatedly or show a disregard for school rules or classroom expectations. Examples of Moderate Misbehaviors:
- A student frequently disrupts class by talking loudly, arguing with the teacher, or refusing to follow instructions
- A student uses inappropriate or offensive language, causing disruption or offence
If moderately disruptive or disrespectful behaviours occur, we adhere to the following approach:
First Incident
- Student Discussion and Reflection: The teacher discusses the behaviour with the student, encouraging them to reflect on their actions.
- Teacher Team Meeting: The incident is discussed with the Teacher Team to gain insights and plan further actions if needed.
- Documented on Veracross (VC): The teacher who intervened and managed the situation will record the incident on Veracross. The Veracross report should include a brief description of the incident, a clear and concise summary of what happened, focusing on the key facts.
- Actions Taken: Details of how the situation was managed and any immediate steps that were taken to ensure the student’s safety and wellbeing.
- Communication to Parents: The homeroom teacher will summarise the Veracross report and write to parents to inform them of the incident. The homeroom teacher will also copy relevant teachers (case manager, support teacher, etc.), unless specified otherwise in a student conduct plan. Parent communication should include the following:
- Brief Description of the Incident: A clear and concise summary of what happened, focusing on the key facts.
- Actions Taken: Details of how the situation was managed and any immediate steps that were taken to ensure the student’s safety and wellbeing.
- Next Steps: Information on any follow-up actions or support that will be provided to the student.
- Contact Information: An invitation for parents to reach out if they have any questions or need further clarification, including the contact details of the person who managed the situation.
- The teacher who is planning and implementing the interventions will follow up with the family to communicate the intervention.
Second Incident
- Repeat the steps from the first incident (discussion, team meeting, documentation on Veracross, communication to parents).
- The Wellbeing Team and PLT are brought in to provide additional support and guidance.
- Consequence for Student: A consequence appropriate to the behaviour is applied to the student.
Third Incident
- All of the Above: Repeat the steps from the third incident (including all previous steps).
- SLT Involvement: The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) is involved to take further action.
- Formal Conduct Plan: A formal conduct plan is established, if not already in place, or revised if needed.
- Parents Requested to Meet: Parents may be requested to meet with the SLT to discuss more serious interventions or next steps.
Fourth Incident
- All of the Above: Repeat the steps from the second incident (including all previous steps).
- Parents Requested to Meet: A meeting with the parents is requested to discuss the ongoing behaviour and possible interventions.
- Review/Amend Conduct Plan: The student’s conduct plan is reviewed and amended as necessary to address the behaviour.
Severe Misbehaviours and Disruptions
Severe Misbehaviors are serious actions that pose a significant risk to the safety or well-being of individuals within the school community. These behaviours require immediate attention and involvement from senior leadership. Examples of Severe Misbehaviors:
- Physical aggression or violence towards others
- Self-harm or threats of self-harm
- Bullying, harassment, or discrimination against individuals or groups
- Engaging in illegal activities, such as theft, vandalism, or substance abuse
If moderately disruptive or disrespectful behaviours occur, we adhere to the following approach:
- Initiate Urgent Response: The teacher or staff member who witnesses the severe behaviour is to take immediate action to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Immediately remove all other students from the situation to a safe distance; get the help of a nearby colleague to do so if required. Request support using the Urgent Response chat space to ask for help from the wellbeing team and the PLT and to alert others to be aware of the situation.
- Inform the SLT: The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) is informed immediately of the situation by the teacher or staff member who initiated the urgent response. The SLT will ensure the area is secured and take any necessary actions to prevent further harm.
- Conduct Investigation: An internal investigation will be conducted by the SLT to assess the incident. All relevant information will be gathered from those involved, including any witnesses.
- Determine Course of Action: Based on the investigation’s findings, the SLT will determine the appropriate course of action. This could include suspension, counselling, or other disciplinary measures. Decisions will be made in accordance with the school’s policies and the severity of the misbehaviour.
- Communicate with Parents: The SLT or the designated member of the team will inform parents as soon as possible about the incident, the investigation, and the decisions made. Communication will be clear, professional, and sensitive to the situation. An on-campus meeting with parents will be arranged if needed to discuss the incident and next steps in detail.
- Document the Incident: The SLT member who managed the situation will thoroughly document the incident on Veracross, including details of the incident, investigation findings, and actions taken.
Restorative Focus
Even in cases of severe misbehaviour, A-JIS remains committed to restorative practices. The goal is to repair harm, support the student in learning from their mistakes, and reintegrate them into the school environment with the necessary support.
Consequences for Severe Misbehaviours and Disruptions: Short Suspension
A short suspension is when a student is removed from the class/school for a period of fewer than five (5) days; this is typically conducted in-school, rather than at home. The Group Head of School or Head of Campus has the authority to do this. Suspensions provide the opportunity for the school, students and their families to look at the problem, reflect and work together to try and stop the behaviour from happening again. A student will not be suspended simply because they have broken a school rule or engaged in moderate misbehaviour.
A suspension can be used for:
- continual disobedience (regularly or deliberately disregarding rules or refusing to do as they are told) which is harmful or dangerous to other students and/or members of the school community.
- gross misconduct (serious misbehaviour) which is harmful or dangerous to other students and/or members of the school community.
- any situation where the student needs to be temporarily removed from class/school for the student’s own safety or the safety of others while deliberations or an investigation is proceeding.
When a suspension has been implemented, the Head of Campus will contact the parents to inform them, and then send a formal letter/email regarding the suspension. Parents can ask to meet the Head of Campus, or the Head of Campus may ask to meet with parents. The student can be at the meeting and families may bring a support person, too. The suspension takes effect the day after the Head of Campus’s decision is made. In some cases the school will send the student home straight away, however the suspension officially begins the next day. The student will be able to return to class/school on the date given in the Head of Campus’s letter, but the student may also be required to go to class/school for guidance and counselling during the suspension period. The suspension period can be lifted, shortened or withdrawn by the Head of Campus before it expires.
Consequences for severe Misbehaviours and Disruptions: Extended Suspension
An extended suspension is the formal removal of a student from school by the Group Head of School or Head of Campus for a period exceeding five (5) days. The extended suspension process allows time for an investigation or deliberation that can lead to the cancellation of enrollment. It may be that the Group Head of School will decide to lift the extended suspension with or without some conditions or extend a short suspension with some conditions. As with a short suspension, the Head of Campus must determine whether an extended suspension is warranted on any of these grounds:
- continual disobedience (regularly or deliberately disregarding rules or refusing to do as they are told) which is harmful or dangerous to other students
- gross misconduct (serious misbehaviour) which is harmful or dangerous to other students and/or members of the school community.
- behaviour that risks serious harm if the student is not suspended.
The Head of Campus may consider what information parents and/or carers can give, but there is no requirement to involve parents and/or carers before a suspension, short or extended. The Head of School or Head of Campus will immediately inform parents that they have decided to suspend the student and the reason for doing this.
Parents will also receive a formal letter/email regarding the suspension, information about the suspension meeting and options on how to attend the suspension meeting. At the meeting, the Head of School or Head of Campus may:
- lift the suspension without conditions.
- lift suspension with conditions–the student may return to school full-time but must comply with conditions that are ongoing and reasonable.
- extend the suspension–the student may not attend school and must comply with conditions that are reasonable.
- cancel the student’s enrollment.
Reintegration of Students After Misbehaviour or Disruption
In order to complete the process entailed in restorative justice, the school community allows the student who caused harm to accept responsibility and begin the reintegration process. Reintegration encourages collaboration of the community, typically the class and the person who caused harm, rather than turning toward coercion and isolation. This process recognizes the assets the student who caused harm brings to the school and what they have learned through the process. By accepting responsibility and agreeing to repair the harm, the student who caused harm creates space and trust to be reintegrated into the school community.
Faculty are expected to work closely with the counsellors and school leadership team to follow up with suspended students to ensure the skills they learned are being revisited throughout the year. In order to achieve regular meetings are encouraged with the Coordinators, counsellors, and Support team as appropriate.
- Counsellor will work with student to reflect on the incident and document the process on Veracross
- Counsellor/ Coordinator will correspond with parents on the reflection process and will urge parents to reflect with their child at home as well
- When student returns to class, counsellor will help them make apologies if necessary to those affected and will check in with them throughout the day
- Once reintegrated, teachers will monitor all the students involved for awhile
- All staff involved in the monitoring will check in with counsellors to make sure all students have reintegrated into class without further issue
Consequences for severe Misbehaviours and Disruptions: Cancellation of Enrollment
The Group Head of School and the Campus Heads have the authority to cancel a student enrollment if the student can not meet the expected student behaviour conditions. The decision to cancel student’s enrollment is based on:
- the findings of the school investigation into the student’s behaviour.
- a lack of compliance by the student to meet the school’s behaviour expectations.
- unsatisfactory progress by the student to meet the conditions set out by the school.
If a student has their enrollment cancelled the family does not receive a refund for the outstanding time remaining during the semester in which the cancellation occurred.
Acute Safety Risk
Should a student present an immediate risk to themselves or others, teachers and leaders are empowered to intervene, including physical measures if required, to safeguard everyone involved.
Right to Appeal
The student and/or family have the right to appeal to the A-JIS Board regarding the cancellation of enrollment. Written application to appeal is to be forwarded to the A-JIS Board Chair.
Closure When Enrollment is Cancelled
Provided the students do not pose a risk to their classmates, students whose enrollment has been cancelled will be given the opportunity to collect their belongings, and if they wish, say farewell to their teachers and possibly their classmates, depending upon the details of the situation and collective preferences of all involved. Primacy is given to the preferences of the harmed parties but where possible the student who caused harm will also be supported as they leave the school. Teachers will be given talking points to share with classmates and/or parents, as appropriate, though in the main the responsibility for parental communication falls to the leadership team.
Restorative Approaches and Wellness Space Usage
Aoba primarily adopts a restorative approach to support students in learning from their misbehaviours. Restorative practices provide meaningful opportunities for social engagement that foster empathy and mutual responsibility for the well-being of individuals and the community.
… whole-school restorative approaches build healthy school climates by creating space for people to understand one another and develop relationships; when things go wrong, restorative approaches create space to address needs, repair relationships, and heal. Restorative practices provide meaningful opportunities for social engagement that foster empathy and mutual responsibility for the well-being of individuals and the community. Proactive practices intentionally build trust and understanding within the community to ensure a healthy supportive climate and environment. When things go wrong, restorative practices engage those affected and create space so that individuals and communities can effectively identify, understand, and address harms and needs—this facilitates healing.
Kidde, J. (2017) Whole-School Restorative Approach Resource Guide: An orientation to a whole-school restorative approach and guide toward more in-depth resources and current research. Agency of Education, Vermont, USA.
Where practicable, our campuses offer a Wellness Space for students. The Wellness Space is part of our restorative approach, providing a designated area for self-regulation and confidential conversations. When students need additional support, they may be directed to the Wellness Space where they can engage in restorative practices with guidance.
Purpose of the Wellness Space
- Self-Regulation: This space is designed primarily for students who need a private area to self-regulate with supervision when needed. While PYP students generally use designated in-class Quiet Corners for self-regulation, they may also be directed to this space in more intense situations where additional space and support are required.
- Morning Check-in Space: Between 08:00 and 08:30, whenever possible, a designated staff member will position themselves visibly in the room to provide support to students who need a quiet space to self-regulate, as well as to bus attendants for check-ins. If the designated staff member is unavailable, another team member will take over.
- Confidential Conversations: The Wellness Space is a designated area for teachers, counsellors, or coordinators to have confidential discussions with students. However, regular counselling sessions should still be booked in Quiet Rooms to maintain the space’s primary focus on self-regulation.
- Personal Wellbeing Break: The Wellness Space is available for teachers and staff who need a personal wellbeing break. Please note that this is not a workspace, and the primary focus should remain on wellness and self-care.
Rules of Usage
- Visibility: For child protection, an adult should always be visible in the Wellness Space. Where there are curtains, the curtains to the outside doors will be at least partially open, or the inside door will remain open with another adult present to ensure transparency and safety for all involved.
- Supervision Required: The room is intended for teacher or specialist-recommended use only and is not advertised for general student usage. First responders may escort students to the Wellness Space as needed.
SUPPORT POLICY
Rationale
The Aoba Japan International School Support Policy is grounded in fostering an inclusive and equitable educational environment. It emphasises minimising barriers to learning and ensuring every student has access to the curriculum through strategies like Differentiated Instruction (DI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The policy highlights a student-centred approach, integrating continuous improvement and empowerment to support academic success and personal growth. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined for stakeholders, from admissions to parents, ensuring collaborative efforts. By combining innovative teaching practices with comprehensive support models, the policy aims to equip students with the tools and confidence to thrive academically and socially, aligning with Aoba’s mission for transformative education.
Policy
Aoba Japan International School is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment that ensures all students have access to quality education. Through the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Differentiated Instruction (DI), and targeted support strategies, we aim to remove barriers to learning and empower every student to achieve their full potential. Guided by our core values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), we provide a framework of collaborative support involving students, teachers, families, and administrators. Our holistic approach promotes academic success, social-emotional growth, and personal advocacy, ensuring that all learners are equipped to thrive in both local and global contexts.
Policy Aims
Aoba Japan International School’s support policy is designed to provide a framework for teaching and learning practices that support our students. Our goal is to create an inclusive learning environment that minimises barriers and promotes access to the curriculum for all. This policy outlines essential processes, procedures, and delivery models, reflecting our core beliefs and aspirations for inclusive education. By adhering to this policy, we aim to provide effective support for every student’s academic success and personal growth.
Principles of Support:
- Equity and Inclusion: Aoba Group is dedicated to providing equitable access to education for all enrolled students, fostering progressive mindsets and actions within our culture and leadership. Our support services are tailored to empower students to realise their full potential. While striving for inclusivity, we openly recognize our limitations and prioritise transparency with families regarding our capacity to enrol and support individual students, in line with our transformative mission and vision for education. As part of our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), Aoba will support students to the best of our ability, within the bounds of our resources and capacity.
- Student-Centred Approach: Our student-centred approach to support is aligned with the teaching and learning mission to deliver internationally relevant curricula flexibly, connecting to local and global contexts.
- Continuous Improvement: We are committed to continuous improvement, ensuring sustainable growth and optimal resource alignment with Aoba’s identity. Through reflection, research, and best practices, we continuously enhance our support services to meet the evolving needs of our diverse student body and the broader community.
- Empowerment and Advocacy: We empower students to advocate for themselves and advocate on their behalf so their needs are met. By fostering a culture of empowerment and advocacy, we equip students with the skills and confidence to navigate challenges and take advantage of opportunities in their educational journey and beyond.
Implementation
Definitions and Terminology
- Differentiated Instruction: An approach to teaching and learning that involves adapting instructional methods, materials, and assessments to meet the individual learning needs of students. Differentiated instruction recognizes that students have varying abilities, interests, and learning styles, and aims to provide multiple pathways for learning success.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL): According to CAST, UDL is a comprehensive framework aimed at enhancing and optimising teaching and learning experiences for all individuals, grounded in scientific insights into human learning processes. The three foundational principles of UDL are:
- Provide multiple means of representation, addressing the ‘what’ of learning.
- Provide multiple means of action and expression, addressing the ‘how’ of learning.
- Provide multiple means of engagement, addressing the ‘why’ of learning.
- In-class Support: Students receive assistance and resources within their regular classroom environment to facilitate their learning process.
Roles and Responsibilities
At Aoba Japan International School, we recognize that supporting student success is a collaborative effort involving a variety of stakeholders. The following outlines the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder group, ensuring alignment with the school’s core beliefs and values:
Admissions Staff:
- Identify Support Needs:
- Engage with prospective students and families to gather information about potential support needs or accommodations required for a smooth transition to the school.
- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including support staff and educators, to assess and address any identified support needs during the admissions process.
- Provide Information and Guidance:
- Offer information and guidance to prospective students and families regarding available support services, resources, and accommodations at the school.
- Assist families in understanding the school’s approach to supporting students and how their child’s needs will be addressed within the academic and social environment.
- Facilitate Transition:
- Facilitate a smooth transition for new students by coordinating with relevant school personnel to ensure appropriate support services are in place from the start of their enrollment.
- Communicate effectively with families to address any questions or concerns they may have regarding the admissions process or support services available.
- Promote Inclusivity:
- Promote an inclusive and welcoming environment during the admissions process, ensuring that all students and families feel valued and supported.
- Advocate for the inclusion of diverse student populations and the provision of equitable access to educational opportunities within the school community.
Teachers:
- Lesson Design and Instruction:
- Create inclusive learning environments that promote equity, respect, and cultural responsiveness.
- Collaboratively design and implement differentiated instruction, implement UDL principles, to meet the diverse needs of students.
- Collaborate with students to set goals and involve them in decision-making processes regarding their individual learning needs.
- Advocacy:
- Advocate for students’ needs within the school community, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are respected, promoting a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
- Advocate for faculty development to improve educators’ understanding and use of learning strategies, tools and interventions to better meet all students’ needs.
- Play a key role in reflecting on improvements and developing support services, continually refining and adapting them to meet the evolving needs of students.
- Engage Families:
- Communicate consistently and effectively with families to provide updates on their child’s progress and discuss strategies and recommendations.
Counsellors:
- Provide Emotional and Social Support:
- Offer individual and group counselling sessions to support students’ emotional and social well-being.
- Collaborate with Teachers and Staff:
- Work closely with teachers and staff to identify students who may need additional emotional or social support.
- Provide guidance and strategies to teachers on how to address and support students’ emotional and social needs in the classroom.
- Facilitate Communication:
- Serve as a liaison between the school, students, and families to address concerns and provide support related to students’ emotional and social development.
- Communicate with families to offer insights and recommendations for supporting their child’s well-being at home.
Administrators:
- Establish policies and procedures that promote equity, inclusion, and student well-being.
- Provide leadership and support to ensure the effective implementation of support services.
- Allocate resources and support professional development opportunities to enhance support practices across the school.
Parents/Guardians:
- Partner with teachers and school staff to support their child’s learning and well-being.
- Provide thorough, accurate, and timely information from admissions through graduation to enable the school to effectively determine whether the school can support their child and to inform that support.
- Advocate for their child’s needs and participate in the development and review of support plans.
- Stay informed and engaged in school activities and initiatives supporting their child’s academic and personal development.
Identification and Assessment Procedures
Admissions Screening:
- Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) screener and writing prompts assess reading and writing skills.
- Interviews evaluate speaking and listening proficiency.
Teacher-Led Assessments and Observations:
- Teachers administer standardised academic tests to assess reading and maths skills.
- Teachers conduct running records for reading fluency and comprehension.
- Teachers administer internal formative and summative assessments for progress monitoring in all subject areas.
- Collaborative monitoring by teachers identifies academic, social-emotional, and behavioural strengths and areas for growth.
Ongoing Monitoring and Review:
- Continuously monitor student progress using observations, assessments and student reflections.
Delivery Models for Support Services
Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP):
Various approaches and strategies are employed to provide in-class support for students with diverse learning needs. This includes universally designed lessons that ensure all students can access the curriculum, targeted support for small groups or individuals who need extra help beyond regular instruction, and intensive individual support for those whose needs require curriculum modifications. Together, these strategies create an inclusive learning environment that promotes academic success for every student.
- Inclusive Classrooms: Collaborative efforts ensure all students engage in learning through strategies aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL), such as interactive activities that promote participation, visual aids that enhance understanding, and personalised feedback that addresses individual needs. UDL proactively accounts for variability from the outset, ensuring all students have access to learning. Differentiated Instruction (DI) responds to individual student needs as they arise, adapting the instruction accordingly.
- Targeted Support: Focuses on specific skill areas such as syntax and grammar, reading comprehension, and mathematical problem-solving, providing additional help to students who require specific interventions beyond the regular instruction. Teachers collaborate to deliver targeted interventions for students identified as needing extra assistance, aiming to foster independence and ensure they receive the necessary support for success.
- Intensive Individual Support: Tailored modifications, including significant changes to the curriculum content and assessment process, along with one-on-one support, meet the unique needs of students in rare cases, where capacity allows.
Collaborative Referral Process:
- Identification: Teachers, parents or students raise a concern.
- Discussion and Data Collection: Stakeholders discuss concerns and collect data over 2-4 weeks.
- Adjust UDL principles to address identified needs effectively.
- Ongoing Communication: Maintain regular communication with families.
- Celebrate improvements or adjust support to targeted or individualised support as needed.
- If required, consider external referral for specialist input and recommendations to provide additional support and expertise.
Support Documentation:
- Based on assessment results and data collected, individualised support profiles are collaboratively developed with input from students, teachers, and parents/guardians.
- Plans include specific goals, strategies, accommodations, and interventions tailored to meet the student’s unique needs and support academic and personal growth.
Ongoing Monitoring and Review:
- Continuously monitor student progress using observations, assessments and student reflections.
- Review and revise support plans periodically to meet evolving needs.
- Consider whether students have demonstrated readiness for independent learning and no longer require individualised support.
Senior School: Grade 10, Global Leadership Diploma (GLD), and Diploma Programme (DP)
We create inclusive classrooms in senior school that minimise barriers and promote access to the curriculum for all senior school students. How we achieve this:
- Explicit documentation and implementation of UDL strategies ensures accessibility of every lesson for all students, regardless of individual learning needs or styles.
- Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills are explicitly taught and integrated into the curriculum.
- During advisory periods, students actively participate in identifying barriers to their learning and sharing effective strategies for their removal.
- Ongoing conversations with students allow for the gathering of valuable feedback, facilitating continual assessment and enhancement of the effectiveness of strategies.
- Digital and physical spaces are developed in the library to enhance research, referencing, and citation skills.
Other Supports in Senior School:
- A part-time counsellor provides individual and group counselling sessions to support students’ emotional and social well-being.
- There is a well-being team lead for each grade level at Bunkyo to promote student well-being initiatives.
- Close collaboration with the Hikarigaoka support team members to brainstorm creative ways to meet students’ varied needs, fostering vertical alignment of support strategies.
IBDP Testing Accommodations:
- Requests for assessment access arrangements for IB DP exams are handled by the DP Coordinator in accordance with IB policies and guidelines. For more information, please review the IB policy on candidates with assessment access requirements.
Professional Development and Training
- Ongoing professional development is provided to support our staff in delivering high-quality, meaningful learning experiences to all students, fostering a sense of belonging and success for everyone. This includes IB workshops, external seminars, and in-house training.
- We aim for our educators to stay updated with best practices and diverse student needs, reflecting our dedication to continuous improvement and creating an inclusive learning environment for all.4
Monitoring & Review:
The Aoba Japan International School Support Policy will undergo periodic reviews to ensure its continued relevance, effectiveness, and alignment with the school’s mission and evolving educational needs. These reviews will be conducted collaboratively by school leadership, faculty, and support teams. Feedback from stakeholders, including students and parents, may also be considered to enhance the policy. The review process will identify strengths, areas for improvement, and opportunities for refinement to maintain a high standard of inclusive support for all learners.
LIBRARY POLICY
The purpose of this document is to define the communication and steps with students and parents regarding overdue library books, and the preparation of fines and invoices for the replacement of library books deemed lost, and is designed with professional care and consideration for Aoba families, and the library’s responsibility to the Aoba community as a whole.
Aoba Library Consortium Webpage
Overdue Books
Library books are currently issued for 2 weeks with a 1 week grace period; they are therefore considered overdue on the 22nd day from checkout. eBooks are issued for 2 weeks and are automatically returned. Weekly emails (“Notice: Overdue Materials”) regarding overdue books are also sent from the library to homeroom teachers so that homeroom teachers can support students to return their overdue library books.
- Kinder to G3: weekly Overdue Notices (“Notice: Overdue Materials”) regarding overdue books are printed from the library system (Follett Destiny) by the librarian and given to students by the homeroom teacher to take home and show their parents.
- G4-G6: weekly Overdue Notices (“Notice: Overdue Materials”) are automatically sent from the library system (Follett Destiny) to each individual student @aobajapan.jp email account.
- G7-G12: weekly Overdue Notices (“Notice: Overdue Materials”) regarding overdue books, are emailed from the library system (Follett Destiny) by the librarian to each student @aobajapan.jp email account. Additionally, Kinder to 12th grade weekly emails (“Notice: Overdue Materials”) regarding overdue books are also sent from the library to homeroom teachers so that homeroom teachers can support students to return their overdue library books.
- Students may not continue to check out other books if they have overdue books.
Note: Special consideration may be given to Kinder students at the librarian’s discretion.
Fines
Fines are calculated as the replacement cost of the book via the library book suppliers, rounded up to the nearest ¥100, including shipping and any import duties. In addition, there is a ¥1000 fee to cover office and librarian handling.
- At the end of the month the librarian will prepare Fines for the previous month and email parents via the school’s student information system (SIS). The SIS email will request the return of the library book at a date specified as no later than the end of the following working week. Attached will be the Outstanding Fines Notice in PDF form. For example: On the last day of February fines will be prepared for all overdue books from the month of January. Following this schedule will allow students up to one month to return the overdue library books.
- The Outstanding Fines Notice is not an invoice. It is a notice to inform that an invoice will be printed and given to the student at the end of the following working week. The Outstanding Fines Notice requests immediate action for the return of the library book.
- The overdue books are now considered Lost.
- The Fine remains in the library system (Follett Destiny) until the family is invoiced for a replacement book and payment is made to the Business Office.
Invoices (Fees Collection Form)
- Invoices (Fee Collection Form) are created and printed after the date specified on the SIS email, by the librarian, and given to the student or their homeroom teacher.
- The Business Office is informed by the librarian.
- After payment is made, the Fine is removed from the library system (Follett Destiny).
- Outstanding, unpaid fines will be settled by adding the fine cost as an additional Aoba fee, such as a tuition or ASP fee.
The Lost library book may be returned at any stage of the process, up and until the Invoice is paid. There is no refund for payments made.
INTERNSHIP POLICY
Rationale
Our school’s core values embody what we want all school community members to be: Global Leaders, Wise Risk-Takers, Entrepreneurs and Innovators, Effective Communicators and Effective Problem Solvers. In order to develop these core values, together with our strong K-12 inquiry programme, we aim to partner with external organisations to allow students to apply their knowledge they gathered from the classroom to the real world. We also hope that the experience will act as a catalyst to help students realise their areas of interest and be able to choose the best pathway in their high school and tertiary education.
Policy
Our school is dedicated to collaborating with our external community to continuously develop globally-minded, compassionate, collaborative students who are inspired to learn, take risks and make a change in the world. Internships help students to gain real world experience, and opportunities to apply their knowledge. The school, therefore, seeks to develop a range of corporate and other internships for senior school students as part of their course of studies at Aoba.
Policy Aims
The objective of this policy is to shape all internships offered to the students so that they:
- provide real life work experience for students related to their areas of passion;
- help students to evaluate their career opportunities, working with an external organisation;
- ensure meaningful tasks or projects aligned with learning objectives and the school’s vision;
- ensure there are mutual benefits for the both intern(s) and the organisation.
Monitoring & Review
All policies are monitored and reviewed annually as follows:
The PLT undertake an initial review each November, with the full faculty reviewing all policies in December. Any suggestions are considered, and if appropriate, actioned, by the PLT in January. A new revision acceptance date is then appended to the policy before it is sent out to families.
This policy was last reviewed and accepted in January 2025.
Related Policies
Implementation
Roles and responsibility of the people involved in the internship
The intern student/student team:
- acquire(s) listening and communication skills, people relation skills, managing clients, superiors and colleagues, skills that are crucial to navigate in a work environment and contribute to job performance;
- acquire(s) technical skills, management related skills, research and data analysis skills that can lead to the completion of a task or solve a problem;
- carries out established activities which are mutually discussed between the intern(s), site supervisor, and school supervisor;
- report any irregularities to the school supervisor.
The site-based supervisor/host organisation:
- assigns meaningful tasks and duties that are aligned with the learning objectives of the intern and school’s vision;
- schedules regular meetings between intern/team to discuss expectations, upcoming tasks, ask questions, and review the progress of current tasks;
- evaluates the intern/team and provide regular feedback on strengths, areas of improvement and opportunities for continued development;
- includes the student intern in relevant meetings when possible so he/she can gain experience attending and participating in business meetings.
The school-based supervisor:
- ensures the internship is a meaningful learning experience for the student(s);
- provides pre-internship training and all necessary resources for the position;
- develops and documents learning objectives and outcomes with the student(s);
- monitors the intern(s) to ensure they are responsible, completing the tasks and are safe;
- evaluates student(s) progress and provide feedback frequently;
- maintains positive communication with site-based supervisors and relay any changes and issues in a timely appropriate manner.
Internship programme
Skills
- Students will acquire skills that are crucial to navigate in a work environment and contribute to job performance, such as listening and communication skills, interpersonal skills, managing clients, superiors and colleagues before embarking on an internship.
- Students will be given training to acquire technical skills, management related skills, research and data analysis skills that can lead to the completion of a task or solve a problem.
- Students will apply the Aoba Inquiry cycle and the core assessment skills in their internship to communicate and collaborate with working adults and use critical and creative thinking skills to complete a task or solve problems.
Process
- Student(s) will identify and discuss their learning objectives and goals before starting the internship with their advisors and site supervisor.
- Internships will be supervised experiences, pre-planned, and approved in advance.
- For G11/12 internships: Student(s) can begin their internship at any time of the year and can be conducted face to face or online with the site supervisor. Meetings will be scheduled in advance and at a mutually convenient time. Duration and frequency of the internship can vary depending on the agreement between the site-based supervisor/organization and the school-based supervisor and also the grade level of the intern student(s).
- Student(s) will not be financially compensated during the internship.
- Frequent communication will occur between the site-based supervisor/organization and the school-based supervisor to monitor the student(s) progress.
- End of internship evaluation will take place between student(s), site-based supervisor/organization and the school-based supervisor.
- Student(s) will take action and apply skills and knowledge learned throughout the internship with a demonstration of learning. They will have a presentation using a learning artifact and also go through self, peer and team evaluation.
Agreement
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Rationale – Hikarigaoka Campus
(Meguro and Bunkyo Campus information follows Hikarigaoka Campus)
Emergency Procedures and Disaster Preparedness (Hikarigaoka Campus)
Updated August 2023
This guideline has been developed to guide teachers, and unite parents with their children in an orderly fashion during a crisis or emergency situation. It is important that parents, students and staff work together to ensure that students are safe and protected from harm. In order for the process to be effective, all staff, parents and students must familiarize themselves with their responsibilities and adhere to the specifications. Staff members have been informed and are aware of their duties. Discussing emergency plans as a family is important to helping every family member feel prepared. Parents are kindly asked to convey to your children the seriousness of a major disaster and the necessity of following the instructions given by the school or some other authority.
Policy
1. Emergency Procedures and Student Release Plan
- Please remain CALM and remember that we will take care of your children. Your children’s safety is our first priority.
- The school will not contact parents immediately after a major disaster. CHECK your email, website, social media for updates and communication. Announcements will also be sent through VERACROSS.
- DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL. Phones will be needed for emergency information.
- A-JIS staff will follow the A-JIS Site Emergency Evacuation Procedures. All staff have designated roles in any emergency and a command structure exists.
- Each classroom is equipped with an Emergency Backpack and Emergency Clipboard containing first aid/emergency supplies and materials.
- The school has emergency food and water for the immediate crisis and up to 72 hours for all students. (we are one of the fully equipped evacuation centers for Hikarigaoka).
- Collect information by listening to warnings and other information reported by TV and radio, Internet etc.
2. During School Hours & Retention Policy
- If the Head of School declares a school wide emergency during the school day, all students will be required to remain at school or an alternate safe site under the care and supervision of A-JIS personnel.
- EARLY RELEASE – Until notification is received to send students home, PRIMARY STUDENTS WILL BE RELEASED by a staff member ONLY TO THEIR PARENTS OR A DESIGNATED ADULT. Parents/guardians are asked to assist in our efforts to maintain an orderly process and follow the directions of all staff members.
- Adults arriving to pick up children must show FAMILY VISITOR CARD on emergency release. Adults picking up children must sign out with a signature. For this reason, it is important all information on the school record is up to date. It is recommended that parents give careful consideration to the arrangements made for their child to be picked up by designated persons in case parents are away.
- Staff members will serve as runners to bring students to the designated pick-up area when the designated adults have arrived. Students are to remain with their teacher, or adult in charge of the class, until their parent or designated adult arrives.
- Students who must remain at school because a parent cannot be located or is unable to reach school immediately will be grouped together at the direction of the principal.
- Please talk with your child about emergency plans within your family. Tell your child not to be worried if it takes a long time for someone to pick him/her up.
3. Before/After School Hours
- Bus drivers/attendants will contact the school office at any point on their routes and confirm their next action. In case of an emergency, the bus driver will stop the bus and, if necessary, will take the students to the nearest designated public evacuation spot. Parents will be informed of the status by the school.
- Follow directions given by the civil authorities who have trained personnel for emergencies.
- Students who walk or use public transport should study a map of their route with their parents and note designated “places of refuge.”
- If a student does not speak Japanese well, it is best to follow the majority to a place of refuge.
4. Emergency Evacuation Point
5. Emergency Backpacks
Emergency backpack is placed in the classrooms listed below. In the event of fire or earthquake, the teacher currently in charge of the classroom takes the backpack out to the evacuation point with his/her students. Student List will be provided by the front office.
<1st floor> K3, K4, K5, G1, Cafeteria, Library 1 (West), Library 2 (East), School Office
<2nd floor> Art Room, G2, G3, G4, G5
<3rd floor> Science Rm 301, Rm 305, Rm 306, Rm 307, Rm 309, Rm 311, Rm 312, Rm 313, Music Rm 314, Music Rm 316, Gymnasium
Following items are prepared in the Emergency Backpack:
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit comes in either a box or a sack. In each box or sack, there are basic medical equipment such as Band-Aids, a bandage, sanitizing wipes and a black permanent marker. An ice pack is put either in the first aid box or directly in the emergency backpack.
* The Gym’s backpack does not contain First Aid kits. The PE teacher, who is responsible for the Gym, carries out a full first aid bag
Green and Red Card
Please refer to relevant Evacuation Procedures.
6. Evacuation Route Map
COMMAND CENTER
Head of Campus
-
-
- Lead and instruct
- Check building with Emergency Protection Manager
-
Emergency Protection Manager
-
-
- Check corridors, shut off main valves (kitchen)
- Direct transportation
-
Coordinators
-
-
- Confirm safety of students
- Supervision at the Evacuation Point
-
Business Manager & Front Office
-
-
- Report emergency to authorities
- Initial contact with parents via Veracross
- Update all media: website, broadcaster, twitter, Facebook
- Gather information through emergency broadcast and other available sources
-
7. Staff Members & Responsibilities
Floor leaders
Floor leaders check each classroom and restroom from west side (Library, Art, Science) to the east side (Cafeteria, LS, Music), and report to Paul Fradale (back up: Kokoro Ozawa) who will be waiting on the field. Make sure all doors are open.
3 Floor | Chris Radnich* | Isabela Queiroz | Sheila O’Shea |
2 Floor | Karen Chen* | Joy Radnich | Jenny Yan |
1 Floor | Hideo Takamizawa* | Chieko Watanabe | Hiromi Shinotsuka |
*Also part of the fire extinguishing team for the floor
Support Staff
Announcement | Paul Fradale, Kokoro Ozawa |
Report Emergency to Authorities | Hiromi Shinotsuka, Shoko Endo |
Open all Doors in West Lobby (main entrance) & Prepare to Greet the Fire/Police | Mika Otsubo, Chieko Watanabe |
Open all Doors in East Lobby
(entrance near cafeteria) |
Belinda Hashimoto, Maki Kobayashi |
Fire Extinguishing Team (if necessary) | Shota Takayama & Kitchen Staff |
Greet Fire/Police at Main Gate
( Bus parking area) |
Shoko Endo |
Medical Services | Maki Kobayashi |
Kindergarten evacuation help (First floor only) | Paul Gilmore, Carolin Chen, Yukari Takhashi |
8. Emergency Evacuation for Persons with Disabilities
Persons with disabilities will be escorted and supported by the relevant floor leaders to evacuate from the building.
In case of a fire alarm when the elevators are not available in use, mobility impairments are supported by the floor leaders or any available staff to follow the evacuation protocol.
Earthquake Evacuation Procedures
Armed Attacks and Terrorism Procedures
9. Stage 2: Evacuation to Other Evacuation Areas
When the Group Head of School or Head of Campus decides that there is a perceived threat to the safety and security of the students on campus, the students will be navigated to evacuate to the local authority’s evacuation location at Hikarigaoka Park. Students will be escorted by teachers and staff in a manner which is determined most appropriate. The school will then follow the instructions by the local government for further actions.
Parents will be informed by the homeroom teachers via relevant platforms (school SIS, Seesaw or others) regarding the status and further instructions for student safety.
Tokyo Metropolitan government Disaster Prevention Guidebook
Rationale – Meguro Campus
Emergency Procedures and Disaster Preparedness (Meguro Campus)
Updated July 2023
This guideline has been developed to guide teachers, and unite parents with their children in an orderly fashion during a crisis or emergency situation. It is important that parents, students and staff work together to ensure that students are safe and protected from harm. In order for the process to be effective, all staff, parents and students must familiarize themselves with their responsibilities and adhere to the specifications. Staff members have been informed and are aware of their duties. Discussing emergency plans as a family is important to helping every family member feel prepared. Parents are kindly asked to convey to their children the seriousness of a major disaster and the necessity of following the instructions given by the school or some other authority.
Policy
1.Emergency Procedures and Student Release Plan
- Please remain CALM and remember that we will take care of your children. Your children’s safety is our first priority.
- The school will not contact parents immediately after a major disaster. CHECK your email, website, social media for updates and communication. Announcements will also be sent through VERACROSS.
- DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL. Phones will be needed for emergency information.
- A-JIS staff will follow the A-JIS Site Emergency Evacuation Procedures. All staff have designated roles in any emergency and a command structure exists.
- Each classroom is equipped with an Emergency Backpack containing first aid/emergency supplies and materials.
- The school has emergency food and water for the immediate crisis and up to 72 hours for all students.
- Collect information by listening to warnings and other information reported by TV and radio, Internet etc.
2. During School Hours & Retention Policy
- If the Principal declares a school-wide emergency during the school day, all students will be required to remain at school or an alternate safe site under the care and supervision of A-JIS personnel.
- EARLY RELEASE – Until notification is received to send students home, STUDENTS WILL BE RELEASED by a staff member ONLY TO THEIR PARENTS OR A DESIGNATED ADULT. Parents/guardians are asked to assist in our efforts to maintain an orderly process and follow the directions of all staff members.
- Adults picking up children must sign out with a signature. For this reason, it is important all information on the school record is up to date. It is recommended that parents give careful consideration to the arrangements made for their child to be picked up by designated persons in case parents are away.
- Staff members will serve as runners to bring students to the designated pick-up area when the designated adults have arrived. Students are to remain with their teacher, or adult in charge of the class, until their parent or designated adult arrives.
- Students who must remain at school because a parent cannot be located or is unable to reach school immediately will be grouped together at the direction of the principal.
- Please talk with your child about emergency plans within your family. Tell your child not to be worried if it takes a long time for someone to pick him/her up.
3. Before/After School Hours/Outside Activities
- Bus drivers/attendants will contact the school office at any point on their routes and confirm their next action. In case of an emergency, the bus driver will stop the bus and, if necessary, will take the students to the nearest designated public evacuation spot. Parents will be informed of the status by the school.
- Follow directions given by the civil authorities who have trained personnel for emergencies.
4. Emergency Evacuation Point
5. Emergency Backpacks
Emergency backpacks are located in both buildings. In the event of fire or earthquake, the teacher currently in charge of the classroom takes the backpack out to the evacuation point with his/her students. Student List will be provided by the office.
Following items are prepared in the Emergency Backpack:
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit comes in either a box or a sack. In each box or sack, there are basic medical equipment such as Band-Aids, a bandage, sanitizing wipes and a black permanent marker. An ice pack is put either in the first aid box or directly in the emergency backpack.
6. Evacuation Route map
7. Staff Members & Responsibilities
|
Allison Tong, Fumiyo Mori |
|
Fumiyo Mori |
Ensure the safety of students | Homeroom teachers |
Ensure no one on the second floor in the main building and then support children | Ms. Makiko |
Ensure no one on the first floor in the main building and then support children | Mr. Maria |
8. Stage 2: Evacuation to Other Evacuation Areas
When the Principal decides that there is a perceived threat to the safety and security of the students on campus, the students will be navigated to evacuate to Saigoyama park. The final evacuation place will be the temporary accommodation; Sugekari Elementary School which is about 7 minutes walk from the school. Students will be escorted by teachers and staff in a manner which is determined most appropriate. The school will then follow the instructions by the local government for further actions.
Parents will be informed by the homeroom teachers via relevant platforms (school SIS or Seesaw) regarding the status and further instructions for student safety.
Tokyo Metropolitan government Disaster Prevention Guidebook
Meguro Disaster Prevention Map
Rationale – Bunkyo Campus
Emergency Procedures and Disaster Preparedness (Bunkyo Campus)
Updated January 2023
This guideline has been developed to guide teachers, and unite parents with their children in an orderly fashion during a crisis or emergency situation. It is important that parents, students and staff work together to ensure that students are safe and protected from harm. In order for the process to be effective, all staff, parents and students must familiarize themselves with their responsibilities and adhere to the specifications. Staff members have been informed and are aware of their duties. Discussing emergency plans as a family is important to helping every family member feel prepared. Parents are kindly asked to convey to their children the seriousness of a major disaster and the necessity of following the instructions given by the school or some other authority.
Policy
1. Emergency Procedures and Student Release Plan
- Please remain CALM and remember that we will take care of your children. Your children’s safety is our first priority.
- The school will not contact parents immediately after a major disaster. CHECK your email, website, social media for updates and communication. Announcements will also be sent through VERACROSS.
- DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL. Phones will be needed for emergency information.
- A-JIS staff will follow the A-JIS Site Emergency Evacuation Procedures. (URL:https://www.japaninternationalschool.com/our-school/terms-conditions/)All staff have designated roles in any emergency and a command structure exists.
- Each classroom is equipped with an Emergency Backpack and Emergency Clipboard containing first aid/emergency supplies and materials.
- The school has emergency food and water for the immediate crisis and up to 3 days for 100 people.
- Collect information from reliable news sources (TV, Radio, Government official website, etc) .
2. During School Hours & Retention Policy
- If the Head of Campus declares a campus wide emergency during the school day, all students will be required to remain at school or an alternate safe site under the care and supervision of A-JIS personnel.
- EARLY RELEASE – Until notification is received to send students home, STUDENTS WILL BE RELEASED by a staff member ONLY TO THEIR PARENTS OR A DESIGNATED ADULT. Parents/guardians are asked to assist in our efforts to maintain an orderly process and follow the directions of all staff members.
- Adults arriving to pick up children must show FAMILY VISITOR CARD on emergency release. Adults picking up children must sign out. For this reason, it is important all information on the school record is up to date. It is recommended that parents give careful consideration to the arrangements made for their child to be picked up by designated persons in case parents are away.
- Staff members will serve as runners to bring students to the designated pick-up area when the designated adults have arrived. Students are to remain with their teacher, or adult in charge of the class, until their parent or designated adult arrives.
- Students who must remain at school because a parent cannot be located or is unable to reach school immediately will be grouped together at the direction of the Head of Campus
- Please talk with your child about emergency plans within your family. Tell your child not to be worried if it takes a long time for someone to pick him/her up.
3. Before/After School Hours
- Follow directions given by the civil authorities who have trained personnel for emergencies.
- Students who walk or use public transport should study a map of their route with their parents and note designated “places of refuge.”
- If a student does not speak Japanese well, it is best to follow the majority to a place of refuge.
4. Emergency Backpacks
Emergency backpack is placed in the classrooms listed below. In the event of fire or earthquake, the teacher currently in charge of the classroom takes the backpack out to the evacuation point with his/her students. Student List will be provided by the school office.
<1st Basement floor> Small Gym and music room (in process)
<1st floor> Entrance, Theater, Cafeteria, (in process)
<2nd floor> Each Classroom, School office (in process)
<3rd floor> Science Room, Each Classroom (in process)
Following items are prepared in the Emergency Backpack:
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit comes in either a box or a sack. In each box or sack, there are basic medical equipment such as Band-Aids, triangular bandages, sanitizing wipes and a black permanent marker. An ice pack is put either in the first aid box or directly in the emergency backpack.
* The Gym’s backpack does not contain First Aid kits. The Health and Wellness teacher, who is responsible for the Gym, carries out a full first aid bag
Green and Red Card
Please refer to relevant Evacuation Procedures. The place of the emergency backpacks and the helmets is in this doc.
5. Evacuation Route map
6. Emergency Evacuation Point
(Gather at Rikugien side of the turf)
If the Head of Campus decides that there is a perceived threat to the safety and security of the students on campus, the students will be navigated to evacuate to Rikugien park or Showa Elementary School which are both about 5 minutes walk from the school. Students will be escorted by teachers and staff in a manner which is determined most appropriate. The school will then follow the instructions of the local government for further actions.
Parents will be informed by the school via Veracross regarding the status and further instructions for student safety.
7. Staff Members & Responsibilities
Command center
Head of Campus
- Lead and instruct
- Check building with Emergency Protection manager and security guards
Emergency Protection manager
- Check the fire started point
- Direct transportation
- Communication with Bunkyo GH
PLTs
- Confirm safety of students and staffs
- Supervision at the Evacuation point (including the Bunkyo GH students if necessary)
Business Manager & Front Office
- Report emergency to authorities
- Initial contact with parents via Veracross
- Update all media: Website, Broadcaster, Twitter and Facebook
- Gather information through emergency broadcast and other available sources
8. Duties
Announcement | Tetsuji Muto, Kate Loke, Damian Rentoule |
Report Emergency Sweep to Authorities (Ken) | Floor leaders and Aki Niwa (with the attendance info), |
Open all Doors in the Lobby (main entrance), Attendance check collection, Greet the Fire/Police | Nami Taguchi |
Fire Extinguishing Team (if necessary) | Tetsuji Muto & Teachers closest to the point fire started |
Medical Services | Aki Niwa, Nami Taguchi and all the Teachers |
Communications with Bunkyo GH | Tetsuji Muto, Nami Taguchi |
Floor leaders check each classroom and restroom from the south-west side (Rikugien side) to east side (Entrance side), and report to the Head of Campus. (Back up: Tetsuji Muto, Kate Loke or Hiromi Docherty) who will be waiting on the field. Make sure all doors are open.
1st responsibility | 2nd responsibility | 3rd responsibility | |
3 Floor | Kate Loke | Benjamin Lancaster | Teachers currently at the floor |
2 Floor | Sumie Yatabe / Shino Katayama / Eri Maruyama | Teachers in Room 205 | Teachers currently at the floor |
1 Floor | Hiromi Docherty | Teachers currently at the floor | |
B1 Floor | Aki | Patrick Morrissey | Teachers currently at the floor |
9. Emergency Evacuation for Persons with Disabilities
Persons with disabilities will be escorted and supported by the relevant floor leaders to evacuate from the building.
In case of a fire alarm when the elevators are not available in use, mobility impairments are supported by the floor leaders or any available staff to follow the evacuation protocol.
10. Fire Evacuation Procedures
11. Earthquake Evacuation Procedures
13. Armed Attacks and Terrorism Procedures
14. Stage 2: Evacuation to Other Evacuation Areas
When the Group Head of School or Head of Campus decides that there is a perceived threat to the safety and security of the students on campus, the students will be navigated to evacuate to the local authority’s evacuation location at Rikugien. Students will be escorted by teachers and staff in a manner which is determined most appropriate. The school will then follow the instructions by the local government for further actions.
Parents will be informed by the homeroom teachers via relevant platforms (school SIS or others) regarding the status and further instructions for student safety.
CRITICAL INCIDENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT
POLICY
Introduction
Like all international schools, Aoba operates in a complex cultural context that requires a balance between internal and external accountability responsibilities and mechanisms that regulate risk control strategies related to student safety and well-being. Aoba works closely with local and national government authorities to ensure the safety of all students. Aoba develops and applies risk management protocols based on international standards in the areas not adequately covered by government regulations.
Aoba adopts proactive and reactive control strategies and approaches to dealing with child safety and well-being. The proactive control strategies identified in the planning stages of anticipated risks prepare Aoba staff. Our proactive control strategies are routinely reviewed and practised school-wide. The reactive strategies rely on the adult’s acumen and common sense to take action when a dangerous situation arises. The reactive control strategies require all adult members in our school community to take immediate action in situations representing an immediate risk to the student’s safety and well-being.
This policy provides guidelines for assessing the risk associated with four categories as outlined below. The policy outlines the risk management protocols and procedures and the expectations that all staff assume Duty of Care responsibilities to ensure student safety and well-being is protected no matter what the situation. Specific guidance for faculty and staff actions to be taken for each of the four categories below may be found in the Guidebook for Aoba Faculty and Staff for each campus.
The school has identified four risk management categories that can impact the health and safety of students and school community members. These categories are C1: School events, C2: Natural Disasters, C3: Intruders, and C4: State of Emergency.
Guiding Principles
The control strategies strategies within the four risk management categories are assessed following the guiding principles as outlined below:
- The planning protocols are undertaken collaboratively so that different perspectives are considered.
- A team of Aoba staff apply the risk assessment management protocols to mitigate risk.
- All staff attending to any of the four categories have a Duty of Care role and must actively manage risk before, during and after the field.
- The risk assessment management protocols are aligned with the International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO31000: 2018 Risk management – Principles and Guidelines.
Duty of Care
At Aoba, Duty of Care refers to the staff members’ responsibility to act with wisdom and common sense as a parent would in circumstances that potentially threaten the child’s safety and well being. Meeting Duty of Care responsibilities begins with anticipating possible risks and planning positive steps and actions to mitigate any foreseeable risk.
The flow chart below outlines the pathway of proactive actions to risk management related to the four risk management categories.
Aoba’s Risk Management Flow Chart
Figure adapted from https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:31000:ed-2:v1:en and Krzemień, A. et.al,. (2016). Doi: 139. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.149.
School leadership responsibilities
The Head of Campus or Campus Principal:
- is the accountable officer for the risk management plan and control strategies.
- debriefs all Aoba staff members of their Duty of Care responsibilities.
- designates a staff team to apply the risk management protocols.
- ensures yearly reviews of risk management planning and control strategies occur.
- approves the risk management plan when it meets regulations and control protocols.
- changes risk management control strategies in the documentation based on the review.
- monitors staff compliance with the risk management control strategies.
- communicates with Aoba’s Board breaches of non-compliance.
- works with local health and safety authorities where necessary.
- administers disciplinary action if required.
Staff member responsibilities
All staff are to:
- become familiar with Duty of Care responsibilities and accountabilities when working with students.
- understand the risk management planning protocols and approval requirements.
- participate in the writing of planning documentation when appropriate.
- participate in the risk assessment protocols with colleagues and school leaders.
- applies control strategies as outlined in the risk management protocols
Risk Management Protocols
Establish the context
- Establish a team to conduct a risk assessment for new events.
- Examine the scope of the activity and consider the following questions:
- Why is this risk management plan essential?
- What are the risk management objectives?
- Who does this risk management plan impact?
- What are the roles and responsibilities of staff and school community members?
- Work collaboratively to read, review or complete all relevant documents.
Risk identification
- In your team, brainstorm and document potential health and safety risks associated with the activity.
- Check the risk assessment register for activity or event control strategies.
- If the activity or event is registered, then review it for relevance and effectiveness.
- If a new set of control strategies are required, then:
- shortlist all potential risks.
- identify existing school policy procedures and practices that minimise that risk. i.e. list existing control strategies for each risk and consider their effectiveness.
Risk Analysis
Using Aoba’s consequences criteria, the team assesses the consequences, frequency, and risk rating of the event or activities identified in the Risk Register documents.
Aoba’s Risk Register
Risk Evaluation
- If risks are ‘extreme’ or ‘high’ NOT proceeding should be immediately considered.
- Medium’ risks should be treated to ensure they are as low as possible and should be frequently reviewed. Permanent actions to reduce the risk should be considered.
- ‘Low’ risks are acceptable but should be periodically reviewed.
Aoba Risk Consequence Criteria
Frequency and Description Criteria
Aoba Risk Rating Matrix
Aoba Accountability Matrix
Reassess Risk Control Strategies
- The team reassesses the existing control strategies in place for improvement. Risk control strategies can involve:
- avoiding the risk.
- removing the risk source.
- changing the risk likelihood.
- sharing the risk with another party (e.g. outsourcing or insurance)
- retaining the risk by informed decision
- For risks requiring further control strategies, include:
- What will be done?
- Who is accountable?
- When will it happen?
Monitor & Review
Campus Heads and Principals:
- ensure the risks and control strategies are continuously monitored and reviewed
- monitors the development of new control strategies through the application of Aoba’s risk management protocols.
- reviews the development new and existing risk management control strategies
- monitors and reviews the risk Register documentation for compliance to the rick management protocols for approval.
Communication & Consultation
Campus Heads and Principals:
- designate school leaders to communicate the risk management protocols to all staff and ensure all staff are aware of significant changes.
- have the final approval for the event or activity based on compliance with the Risk management protocols
- communicate with Aoba’s Board non-compliance of the Risk management protocols
- consult with external regulatory authorities where appropriate
GOVERNANCE STAKEHOLDER INFORMATION POLICY
Rationale
The Governance Stakeholder Information Policy is essential in guiding how A-JIS shares information with various stakeholder groups. It ensures that the school’s practices are aligned with its goals, supports a culture of transparency and accountability, and reinforces stakeholder trust in its governance.
Policy
This policy guides the provision and publication of information about A-JIS’s governance available to the public and school community following Japanese regulations and laws. The policy is published on our school’s website.
Policy Aims
The purpose of this policy is to provide a clear understanding of the governance of A-JIS.
- The first section outlines the school’s definition of good governance, its ownership and describes the governance structure that includes the roles and responsibilities of Board members and executive school leadership. It presents the functions and relationships between the Board and the school’s leaders that have established an effective collaborative and sustained model of school governance at Aoba-Japan International School. Additional information about the school’s strategic plan, audit compliance and finance are presented for inclusion in the school’s Digital Annual Report that is published at the end of June each year.
- This section identifies the appendices associated with the policy. Each appendix provides information related to specific sections of the policy. Access to this information is available upon request.
Monitoring & Review
All policies are monitored and reviewed annually as follows:
The PLT undertake an initial review each November, with the full faculty reviewing all policies in December. Any suggestions are considered, and if appropriate, actioned, by the PLT in January. A new revision acceptance date is then appended to the policy before it is sent out to families.
This policy was last reviewed and accepted in January 2025.
Related Policies
Implementation
Section 1: Aoba Board Governance and Ownership Structure
Governance Definition
According to Aoba-Japan International School, the central function of effective governance is to ensure that the school is aligned with its Vision, Mission and Core Values by supporting an appropriate and clear sense of direction, continuity and organisational sustainability. Thus, governance at Aoba provides the philosophical stability and financial sustainability required to ensure the school community functions within the parameters of Mission and Vision statements.
School Ownership
The school is a member of a group of schools belonging to the Aoba International Educational Systems (AIES Co,. Ltd.) owned by AOBA-BBT, Inc. AOBA-BBT is registered with Tokyo stock exchange (registration no: Tosho 2464 ). BBT’s governance is regulated by the Japanese corporate law and the Tokyo stock exchange regulations that ensure public scrutiny through quarterly reports.
Board Membership
The Aoba Board comprises senior company employees. The Board Chair is a member of the BBT Board and the COO of BBT. School campus leaders are non-voting members of the Aoba Board leaders. Each campus leader can contribute to Board discussions except for confidential matters as guided by Japanese law.
Board Meetings
Aoba Board’s monthly meetings report on the:
- financial status of the group of schools and each campus within the group.
- operational status of each campus concerning meeting budget requirements and alignment with the group’s mission and the individual school’s guiding statement.
- future strategies for long term sustainability and development.
Board Responsibilities
The Board’s responsibilities are to:
- adhere to the Board of Directors regulations.
- collaborate in the development of the strategic direction.
- approve the strategic direction.
- approve the yearly budget.
- monitor school progress against its mission and financial responsibilities.
- ensure all Japanese laws are followed.
- manage serious human resource issues, including staff grievances and inappropriate professional behaviours.
- provide resources to ensure the school functions effectively. These include financial and legal resources.
- monitor the school’s procedures to ensure the school collaboratively creates a community and a safe and secure environment focussed on student wellbeing.
- approve all official school policies.
Aoba School Leadership: Roles and Responsibilities
The Aoba school leadership follows a typical school governance structure. It consists of an executive leadership team (known as the Senior Leadership Team) and programme coordinators.
Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
The Senior Leadership Team comprises the senior leaders of the school across all domains.
Group Head of School
The Group Head of School is responsible for the school’s overall functioning, including, but not limited to, facilities, child safety, financial status, curriculum delivery, human resourcing, adherence to Japanese Laws, school community, and the school’s climate. The Group Head of School reports monthly to the Board. These reports update the school’s progress and any critical issues that may impact its capacity to deliver its mission. The Group Head of School has overall responsibility for the senior leadership performance and welfare.
Head of Campus
The Head of Campus is responsible for management of operations, budget and finances, teaching and learning, human resources, the work environment and has overall responsibility and supervision for staff and student welfare at their campus. The Head of Campus works in partnership with the Senior Leadership Team, Programme Coordinators, teachers, office staff and school community members of their campus to achieve this. Each Head of Campus is responsible for leading a group portfolio.
- Admissions and Marketing
- Curriculum and Group Operations
- Early Years
Business Manager
The Business Manager is responsible for the overall management of the business office, including, but not limited to to supporting the group’s and campus finances, student management, HR, billing and purchasing, facilities and transportation. The Business Manager reports directly to the Group Head of School monthly and supervises all office staff apart from ICT and Admissions.
Admissions and Marketing Director
The Admissions and Marketing Director, together with the senior leadership, is responsible for developing, executing, measuring, and reviewing marketing and communications strategies to enhance student recruitment and retention and communications activity to support new families joining the school community. The Admissions and Marketing Director reports directly to the Group Head of School monthly and supervises all Admissions and Marketing staff.
Director of ICT
The Director of Information Communications Technology leads and oversees the ICT team to ensure operational effectiveness. In addition, the ICT director manages the school’s data archiving and offsite disaster recovery management. The Director of ICT works collaboratively with the school’s educational leaders to develop Blended Learning innovations, supervises all ICT staff and reports directly to the Group Head of School monthly.
A-JIS Organisational Chart
Performance Appraisal
Group Head of School
The Board Chair conducts an annual performance appraisal of the Group Head of School. This appraisal references the contractual agreement and the Key Performance Indicators identified during the cycle of contractual negotiations. The Board Chair and Group Head of School discuss the performance rating to find agreement before presenting to the Board for approval. The Group Head of School can appeal to Japan’s Labour Office concerning any grievance related to the appraisal process or the Board decision.
Heads, Principals, Directors and Managers
The Group Head of School conducts a yearly appraisal of the senior school leaders (Heads, Principals, Directors and Managers). The Group Head of School and senior school leaders discuss the performance rating to find agreement. A senior leader can appeal to the school’s Board or Japan’s Labour Office concerning any grievance related to the appraisal process or the Group Head of School’s decision.
Faculty and Staff
The Senior Leadership members conduct a yearly appraisal of the school staff. The senior school leaders discuss the performance rating to find agreement. School staff can appeal to the Group Head of school, the school’s Board, or Japan’s Labour Office concerning any grievance related to the appraisal process or decisions made by the senior leader and approved by the Group Head of School.
Aoba Board Roles and Responsibilities
The Regulations of the Board of Directors (see below) outlines the Board members responsibilities, roles and decisions which require the Board approvals. These are translated into English and are administered appropriately with the external & professional auditor reporting on the board’s status at the annual shareholders meeting.
Current Board Members: State of Corporate Officers
(i) State of Directors and Company Auditors (March 31, 2019)
Role of the Auditor
The auditing office develops an auditing plan every year to confirm if the regulations, rules, and policies at all business units, including the AJIS group, have been appropriately implemented. In addition, the auditor conducts on-site visits quarterly to audit the school’s compliance with Japanese law and internal regulations.
Decision Making Standards
In accordance with Japanese corporation regulations, AJIS follows the Decision Making Authority Standards. Outlined in Appendix 2 these standards guide decision making authority of the Board of Directors, President, Board members, Vice President and the Head of School. The decisions related to AJIS’s:
- General operations
- Marketing and sales
- Expenses
- Business trips
- Purchasing
- Administration
- Human Resources
- Assets
- Documents
- Accounting
- Fund management
- Budget
Report Summaries
2022-2025 Aoba Strategic Plan Review
Introduction
Aoba’s reviewed strategic plan was conducted by the Senior Leadership Team and was presented to the Board September 2022. An external consultant was enlisted to support the Senior Leadership Team review and develop the strategic plan.
Aoba Vision
We are an internationally recognised multi-campus kindergarten through university group, transforming education for learners in Japan and beyond.
Aoba Values
Aoba values these dispositions and characteristics in our students and staff:
- Global Leadership
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Problem Solving
- Communication
- Risk Taking
Aoba Mission
Strategic Transformative Imperatives
- Group Culture & Leadership: Progressive mindset and actions
- Teaching & Learning: Flexible delivery of internationally relevant curricula connecting local and global contexts
- Learning Environment & Capability: Physical & virtual campus design supporting innovative teaching and learning
- Economic Sustainability & Engagement: Sustainable growth and optimal resource alignment with identity
Group Culture & Leadership
- Enhance & strengthen school climate & culture.
- Develop & demonstrate leadership across all stakeholder communities
- Strengthen Aoba’s identity as an innovative flagship
Teaching & Learning
- Improve consistency of teaching and learning between programmes
- Consolidated senior school curriculum to meet graduate destination expectations
- Develop community understanding of what an internationally relevant curriculum is and what it means for a learner
Learning Environment & Capability
- Enhance current staff capability and teaching quality.
- Strengthen group leadership capability.
- Consolidate facility development
Economic Sustainability & Engagement
- Maintain sustainable growth and resource alignment
- Consolidate and communicate school identity
- Strengthen external relations and word of mouth reputation
Reports
Strategic Plan: A report on Aoba’s strategic plan is presented to the Board and published on Aoba’s website in June of each year.
Audit Reports
Audit Type 1
The audit of Internal Control is based on the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (J-SOX) ⇒ Cooperation with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC . Basis: Article 24-4-4 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act from:
- October to December: Content of Internal Control over business processes including, Account Management, General Affairs, Human Resources and Financial Reporting
- January to March: Internal Control over A-JIS business processes including order flow and labour cost
- April to May: Content of Internal Control related to IT, Order Management, Account Management
- May: Content (Full year) of Internal Control over financial reporting
Audit Type 2
The Internal Control audit is based on the Companies Act: Conducted by the Internal Audit Office (in the presence of Audit & Supervisory Board Members). Based on Article 362, Paragraph 4, Item 6 of the Companies Act / Article 100 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Companies Act
- October to December: Content Labor management (personnel), Impact of the new coronavirus infection and countermeasures, Workflow application status, Business risk management system, Impacts of ITization of business and countermeasures, Privacy Mark compliance, Status of AJIS’s business, business problems and countermeasures and Subsidiary management
Summary of Audit Report
Board of Directors: December, May and June.
Reports on the Results of Internal Audits by the Internal Audit Office for the Fiscal Year are provided by the Internal Audit Office in May of each year.
Financial Report
A financial report for the fiscal year is presented to the Board and published in June of each year. This report consists of:
- Revenue summary
- Enrollment summary
- Staffing status
- Salary costs
- Facilities
- Contractual agreements
- Regulatory compliance
- Other item
Section 2: Information Available to the School Community and Public
This section lists the documentation available by request from the school community. It consists of several appendices:
- Appendix 1 Regulations of the Board
- Appendix 2 Decision Making Authority Standards
- Appendix 3 Internal Audit Regulations
- Appendix 4 Internal Audit Annual Plan September
- Appendix 5 Audit Report
- Appendix 6: Internal Audit Results May
- Appendix 7: Settlement of Account
DEBT MANAGEMENT POLICY
Introduction
The governing body of Aoba Japan International School is responsible for ensuring that procedures are in place for the recovery of any outstanding debt. This policy sets out the procedures for debt recovery and for the write-off of any debt which is deemed to be irrecoverable.
General Debt
Payment should be obtained as and when goods, services, facilities are provided. Where payment is not received at the time when the goods/services/facilities are provided, a letter will be sent to the debtor within 7 days via the Veracross school management system. The letter will state that the fee is overdue and needs to be paid by 14 days from the date of the letter. If payment is still not received then a final reminder will be sent to the debtor via Veracross informing them that if payment is not received within 14 days their debt will be sent to the School Board for pursuance of the debt.
Instalments
If a debtor requests to pay their debt in instalments then they must put in writing to the Billing Officer the reasons for their inability to pay their debt. If the Billing Officer is in agreement with the instalments then a payment plan will be agreed with the Business Manager. All instalments must be paid before the first day of each semester.
If the debt is still not settled within the terms of the agreement, then a final reminder will be issued requesting payment within 14 days and if no payment is received the debt will be sent to the School Board for pursuance.
Debt Write off
Debts referred to the School Board will be pursued, and if not successful, the Business Manager will seek permission of the School Board to write off the debt or pursue further. The write off must not be communicated to the debtor. It is not an acknowledgement that the debt does not exist but is an internal transaction and remains on record.
Removal of Services within School
Whilst the debtor remains in debt they will be unable to access any services within school which require payments. If a debtor regularly fails to make payment within agreed timescales then the Business Manager will need to consider removal of the service until the account is cleared of the debt.
Individuals or organisations that have previously defaulted on payments to the school are not allowed credit facilities.
Where a debtor’s payments are regularly or consistently paid outside the terms of supply the Head of School must consider withdrawal of credit facilities and request the individual/organisation to pay for goods/services/facilities at the time they are consumed.
Appeals Process
Debtors may appeal for financial hardship in accordance with the school protocols.
BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY
Overview
Our school is dedicated to collaborating with our external community to continuously develop globally-minded, compassionate, collaborative students who are inspired to learn, take risks and make a change in the world. Internships help students to gain real world experience, and opportunities to apply their knowledge.
Our school’s core values embody what we want all school community members to be: Global Leaders, Wise Risk-Takers, Entrepreneurs and Innovators, Effective Communicators and Effective Problem Solvers. In order to develop these core values, together with our strong K-12 inquiry programme, we aim to partner with external organizations and individuals to allow students to integrate the knowledge they gathered from the classroom with external resources. We also seek to support the local and international community through strengthening teacher education by accepting teacher interns into our school in order for them to complete their practicums, and run educational workshops for educators.
This requires the school to ensure that our students are as safe as possible during these interactions, and as a result, the school requires all adults who have a significant amount of contact time with the students to undergo a background check.
Objective
The objective of this policy is to delineate the background check requirements for all adults who will spend significant time on campus, or with whom students will spend significant time off campus.
Applicability
- This policy applies to adults only, defined as 18 or older by Japanese law, who will spend significant contact time with students.
- ‘Significant time’ is defined as those who will likely have four weeks or more of contact with students on campus. This need not be consecutive.
- For external vendors, such as week-long camp employees, significant time is defined as three days or more, given the 24-hour nature of camps.
Background Check Procedures
- Applicable adults are informed by the HR Department of the background check requirement, and are asked to provide a current email address.
- An external company, currently Avvanz, is notified of a new case order.
- The external company contacts the adult directly and initiates the check.
- Upon completion of the check, the company provides the resulting report to the school.
- The school stores this report in a secure online SIS platform, currently Veracross.
- For external vendors and/or subcontractors, the external party is responsible for conducting background checks; the school requires only formal written verification that the company has conducted proper background checks on all employees who will come into contact with our students.
STUDENT ACCELERATION POLICY
Rationale
To establish a consistent set of procedures for students and their families who request grade acceleration in Aoba in lieu of a multi-age curriculum in the PYP.
Policy
- Consideration for acceleration is open to all students from K-G6. The process will be applied equitably and systematically.
- A fair, objective, comprehensive evaluation of the student will be conducted using appropriate instruments.
- The evaluation process will be data-informed, using multiple valid and reliable evaluation instruments for the purpose of assessing a student’s cognitive, social, emotional, and developmental domains. The evaluation process should include feedback from parents/guardians as well as observations from teachers and/or counselors regarding knowledge, skills, abilities, social, and emotional needs.
- The current assessments are the PAT-R, PAT-M, ISA in Grade 3 and 6, on-going reading and mathematics assessment, and on-going writing assessment, Aoba Core Assessments, and teacher observations.
- Parents/guardians and the community are allowed access and open communication regarding the policy and evaluation process.
Policy Aims
- To ensure equitable consideration of acceleration requests for all students from K-G6.
- To implement a fair, objective, and comprehensive evaluation process.
- To engage parents, guardians, and school staff in an open and transparent decision-making process.
- To base acceleration decisions on reliable data and multiple perspectives.
Implementation
- Parents, teachers, administrators or students can initiate the process of the consideration for acceleration by sending an email to the Head of Campus at least 60 days before the following semester.
- Discussions between family and teachers to share detailed information may take place in person, online, or via email.
- A student evaluation team will be set up to conduct an evaluation process. The team consists of:
- Relevant teachers (current grade and next grade)
- School counselor
- Programme coordinator
- Head
- Parental agreement is required in order to evaluate the student for acceleration. At the end of the evaluation, the team will inform parents and students on the evaluation results and provide a written plan.
Criteria descriptors
Extending: The student’s literacy, numeracy, and SEL development are equal to the end-of-year expectations for their current level.
Demonstrating: The student’s literacy, numeracy, and SEL development are equal to the current grade expectations for their current level.
Consolidating: The student’s literacy, numeracy, and SEL development are not yet equal to the current grade expectations for their current level.
Criteria | Consolidating | Demonstrating | Extending |
Core Assessments | |||
Literacy | |||
Numeracy | |||
Social-Emotional |
Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ880578.pdf
Spring Independent School District Grade Acceleration Testing General Guidelines – 2021-2022 Elementary and Middle School
https://www.readkong.com/page/spring-independent-school-district-grade-acceleration-9674228
Developing Academic Acceleration Policies: Whole Grade, Early Entrance & Single Subject
Guidelines for Whole Grade Advancement
EXCLUSION OF ANTI SOCIAL FORCES POLICY
Rationale
In order to prevent damage caused by anti-social forces (groups or individuals that pursue economic benefit by making extensive use of violence, force, and fraudulent means) for the school community, the school will comply with the following basic policy against such forces.
Policy
- Definition of “Anti Social Forces”
- an organized crime group, a member of an organized crime group, a related company or association of an organized crime group, and any other equivalent person of above
- a person who themselves or through the use of third parties conducts a demand with violence, an unreasonable demand beyond its legal entitlement, use of intimidating words or actions, damages the credit or obstructs the business of the other party by spreading false rumors or by the use of fraudulent, or any other equivalent actions of above.
- Each member of our community affirms that they do not engage in any of the following associations:
- membership in Anti Social Forces
- having a relationship with the Anti Social Forces that shows the Anti Social Forces’ substantial involvement in the person’s personal or business affairs
- having a relationship with the Anti Social Forces that shows reliance on the Anti Social Forces
- cooperation or involvement with the maintenance or operation of any Anti Social Forces by providing funding to any Anti Social Forces or any similar act
- engagement in a socially condemnable relationship with the Anti Social Forces
- If any community member is found in breach of the representations and warranties in the preceding clause, the school shall be entitled to terminate any agreements and request for the damages without any notice and any and all obligations of the party owed to the school shall become due and payable. In case the above applies to the caretaker of the student, the school shall be entitled to terminate the enrollment of the student; school fees shall not be refunded.
Policy Aims
- To protect the school community from the influence and damage caused by anti-social forces.
- To clearly define expectations for community members regarding associations with anti-social forces.
- To outline the consequences for breaches of these expectations.
Implementation
- The school community will actively affirm their compliance with the policy by not engaging with anti-social forces.
- Any breaches will result in immediate actions, including termination of agreements and, where applicable, termination of student enrollment.
- Consequences will be enforced as outlined in the policy.