Ningbo International School

No. 1188 Yangfan Road,

Ningbo National Hi-Tech Zone

Tel: 86 574 87611005

E-mail: nbis.admin@nbis.net.cn

Website: www.nbis.net.cn

NBIS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 30

2019-20

Ningbo International School

A Community of Learners

THE BIG NEWS IS …

NBIS IS OPENING ON TUESDAY APRIL 14 FOR

STUDENTS IN Y10-13!

How delighted we are to confirm this news, along

with the opening dates for other students:

Tuesday April 21 for Y4-9

Sunday April 26 (to be confirmed) for Y1-3

Wednesday May 6 (to be confirmed) for Early Years

_____________________________________________________________________

MOST OF THIS EDITION WILL BE DEVOTED TO SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT

OPENING ARRANGEMENTS.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE ON THE BASIS OF THE

INFORMATION AND THE DIRECTIVES WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE

MADE LATER, AND PARENTS INFORMED ACCORDINGLY.

EVEN IF THE INFORMATION IS NOT DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO YOUR CHILD OR SECTION

OF SCHOOL, PLEASE DO READ IT SO THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE PRACTICES WE

ARE PUTTING IN PLACE.

_____________________________________________________________________

General information:

For Week 1: April 14-17: Y10-13 returning to school

PARENTS SHOULD CHECK THE TEMPERATURE AND HEALTH OF THEIR CHILD/REN

BEFORE SENDING THEM TO SCHOOL. IF THE TEMPERATURE IS 37.3 OR ABOVE, OR IF

THERE IS ANY DOUBT ABOUT THE HELATH OF THE CHILD, PLEASE KEEP THEM AT HOME

AND INFORM THE SCHOOL. WE MUST ADHERE STRICTLY TO THIS IN ORDER TO

PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.

Students should arrive at the normal gate no earlier than 0830 and line up on the

pavement with at least 1m distance between each person. We have marked the

pavement to provide the guideline.

No Parents are allowed on the campus. And there will be no bus service.

It may be wise for students to carry an umbrella to use in case of rain or really hot

sunshine.

On Tuesday April 14, students are required to do 3 things in order to enter:

1. Present a signed hard copy of the Travel and Health Information Form

2. Show the Green Health Code on their cell phone

3. Have their temperature checked

The Travel and Information Form is needed only on the first day. After that, students

simply show their Green Code and have their temperature checked.

We have installed an infrared temperature gauge at the gate to facilitate a rapid

reading of temperature. Students simply walk through the green tent and their

temperature will register automatically.

There will be Security Guards and Staff at the gate to welcome and assist students.

Students will then proceed to their Homeroom.

At 0900: Homeroom Teachers will give a briefing to their classes about Staying Safe on

Campus. The basic content is:

WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY – on arrival, when you use the bathroom, before lunch,

before afternoon classes

WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY - Students will see a brief video on how to wash hands

properly

DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE – This is very difficult to do. Research indicates that we

touch our faces at least 90 times a day! It’s a human habit. But in these

circumstances, we must increase our awareness about transferring infection from our

hands, through our mouth, nose and eyes and into our body. We should try not to

do it!

MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE OF 1M MINIMUM. In our classrooms, students will sit

individually and apart. We will not be able to do typical group work. In the canteen,

we will queue for food keeping a distance of 1M. Students will sit apart and there

will be temporary dividers placed on tables to limit the possibility of infection. PE

lessons will be designed around activities than enable us to keep social distance. At

lunch and break times, students must also keep social distance … and duty teachers

will be encouraging and supporting this.

MASKS: For students, wearing a mask on campus is NOT compulsory. But if students

wish to wear a mask, they are free to do so. Teachers will wear masks. EVERYONE

MUST WEAR A MASK WHEN THEY COLLECT FOOD FROM THE SERVING AREA IN THE

CANTEEN.

COUGH OR SNEEZE INTO YOUR ELBOW … NOT INTO YOUR HANDS. This reduces the

risk of transmission of infection through the hands. If you use a tissue … place it over

your nose AND mouth, dispose of it into the waste bin, and wash your hands.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FEEL UNWELL?

Tell a teacher immediately

The Teacher will contact the School

Nurse who will examine you and take

your temperature

If your temperature is high (37.3 or

above), the Nurse will take you to the NBIS Safe Space and call your parents.

We will always look after you and make sure you are OK.

Once the briefing is over, classes will begin.

Carol Scott, Head of Secondary, will publish detailed information tomorrow (Friday)

about:

1. Timetable on campus

2. Arrangements for lessons where the teacher is not in Ningbo

3. Continuing E-Learning provision for remote students

If you feel unwell

You should always tell

We must not use the AC in classrooms for heating or for cooling. Students need to

dress appropriately and comply with NBIS Dress Code.

Teachers have been instructed to ventilate the classrooms regularly … Open windows

and doors frequently to ensure the free flow of air.

Students must have a second temperature check each day. We will do this at

lunchtimes. As students leave the canteen, duty teachers will take and record their

temperatures.

We have prepared two isolation rooms (Safe Space) in the gymnasium building. The

rooms can be accessed from the outside and up one set of stairs, without going

through the building. Please be aware that if any child gets sick with a fever during

the day, we will contact you and we must report this to the authorities, who will then

work with you to make the necessary arrangements.

We are all very excited about the return to school. Our natural instinct after so much

separation is to welcome each other with a hug and to celebrate. However… we are

not there yet! We need to be cautious. So, we’re back at school; but it’s not normal

school. It will feel strange; a little unnatural. Please help us to explain this to our

students and encourage them to comply with the safety precautions we are taking.

Once we are confident that everything is OK, I’m sure we’ll be able to gradually relax

the restrictions … but to make that happen, we must follow the constraints now.

_____________________________________________________________________

GETTING A SENSE OF THE COMMUNITY’S FEELINGS AND VIEWS

Right now, we have 318 students in Ningbo and a further 83 scattered across 21

countries and territories from Ecuador to Australia!

We have been providing E-Learning since February 5th and NBIS Teachers continued

working through the Qing Ming Holiday to keep things going.

The world is in a state of chaos, trauma and sadness – and we have all been touched

by that too. Teachers and NBIS families have endured adversity, suffered social and

emotional dislocation, anxiety, uncertainty, fear. Many of our families remain in

extremely difficult situations as the virus spreads from country to country and leaves

a wake of grief and pain. We have probably learned many things about ourselves and

our world during this unprecedented time.

At NBIS, we pride ourselves on being a caring community. As we start school next

week, our Secondary Team will be providing a full programme on campus for students

able to attend, taking on the extra burden of covering for absent colleagues, and – at

the same time – seeking to provide on-going E-Learning and a sense of inclusion and

belonging for students unable to get back to Ningbo.

As other Sections return to campus, those teaching teams will do the same for their

students as we work together toward a restoration of normality.

Parents and students have been working hard too, often in unenviable circumstances

with limited resources. Some parents have said that they are stressed out and

exhausted … and so are their kids!

We know that local schools – for their own reasons – will be doing 6-day weeks when

they return, Gao Kao has been delayed, and the Semester will be extended.

And I have let it be known that some of those measures MIGHT be considered at NBIS

if they are necessary, desirable and will be beneficial.

I am therefore inviting Parents who have strong feelings either way (positive or

negative) about two matters: 1 Saturday School and 2 Extension of the Semester;

please send me a brief email outlining your views and the supporting reasons.

philip.billing@nbis.net.cn Please understand that I will NOT be able to reply to your

email in detail; I will simply acknowledge receipt. I will be consulting the Teachers

in the same way. As we return to school, I will also be monitoring the coverage of

the curriculum to get a measure of how much we have to do before the end of the

semester.

This is a situation in which it is impossible to please everyone. But I would like you

to know that whatever the outcome and the final plan for the remainder of Semester

2, I am proud to be the Principal of the NBIS Learning Community. I need and value

your support as we meet the challenges of the days ahead. And we – as a community

– really need each other.

_______________________________________________________________________________

NEXT WEEK

We will be sending more detailed information about Phase 2 of our return to school …

Y4-9, who will join on Tuesday April 21.

Information and practice may change as we learn from our experience and as we

receive more information or directives from the authorities.

_____________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Students returning to school MUST present a Green Health Code. This can be on

their phone (preferable) or in hard copy.

If your child does not carry a phone, then you must obtain the Green Health Card

available in hard copy. Different districts and communities are handling this in

different ways.

My suggestion would be …

Check first with the management of your complex/community. Some community

managements are providing this service directly to their residents.

If they do not provide the service, then you must go to your local police station and

they will provide it. I believe it may take 3 working days to obtain the card.

A student who cannot provide evidence of their current health by phone or card

cannot come on campus. This is to ensure the safety of those on campus – all of

whom – will have provided daily evidence of their good health.

_____________________________________________________________________

Wherever you are, greetings and best wishes for your safety and health from all of us

here at NBIS

Philip R Billing

Executive Principal

Ningbo International School

Phone: 0574-87611005

Email: philip.billing@nbis.net.cn

Website: www.nbis.net.cn

NBIS Secondary Cyber-Creations

For this task, students were forced back into their “caves” and to look around for coffee

to use as a pigment. Students had to arrange an “accidental spill” and develop an

image from that!