WELCOME TO SEMESTER TWO
Welcome to the SCIS community!

NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION

TRANSPORTATION

FIRST DAY ESSENTIALS

SCHOOL UNIFORMS

STUDENT PLACEMENT & SCHEDULE

IDENTIFICATION CARDS

PARENTS' ASSOCIATION

FOOD SERVICES

COMMUNICATION HANDBOOK

SCHOOL CALENDAR

CONTACT INFORMATION

NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION

At the start of each new semester, prior to the first day of school, all SCIS campuses will hold a New Family Orientation event for our newly enrolled families. This event provides families the opportunity to meet campus administration, teachers, and other SCIS families, while also providing the opportunity for families to complete orientation tasks that ensure students are prepared for the first day of school.

For more details, please review the campus-specific, general information below. Additional details, final schedules, and an RSVP will be shared with you soon by your child’s divisional administration.

*Please note that the scheduling of our New Family Orientation may be impacted by regulations set out by local education authorities. If we are unable to welcome families to campus for an in-person orientation, we will be offering alternate virtual or off-campus orientation sessions prior to the first day of school.

Hongqiao ECE Campus (Nursery - Kindergarten)

Date of Orientation: TBD - Individually Scheduled Meetings

Families will sign up for a 15-minute individual meeting with their child’s homeroom teaching team. Sign-ups will be shared later. We are seeking permission to hold these on campus which would allow students and families the opportunity to:

see the school and classroom environment
pick up uniforms
receive in-person technology support (Email, Microsoft Teams & Seesaw)
confirm bus transportation arrangements
meet other members of the ECE faculty, staff, and leadership team

An update on whether we will be able to host these meetings on campus will be shared in mid-January. If we are not permitted to hold meetings on campus, meetings will be held virtually with appropriate adjustments to the different components.

Hongqiao Main Campus (Grades 1 - 12)

Date of Orientation: Thursday, January 19th*

English Language Learners (non-native English speakers) in both the Lower School and Upper School may be asked to attend a formal assessment day prior to the first day of school. If required, the divisional administration will contact you with further details.

On Orientation Day, families can look forward to:

Lower School:
Principal’s welcome, meeting homeroom teacher, touring the facilities, and completing orientation tasks (i.e., pick up school uniform, confirm transportation info, setup parent email account, create parent ID cards, etc.)

Upper School:
Principal’s welcome, separate orientation sessions, and activities for students and parents, getting the course schedules, walking the schedule & meeting the teachers. Parents and students will also get a chance to tour the facilities, and complete other orientation tasks (i.e., pick up school uniform, confirm transportation info, set up parent email account, create parent ID cards, collect student technology, etc.)

For English Language Learners (non-native English speakers), who are not able to attend the formal assessment day prior to New Family Orientation, please know that course schedules may not be available on this day. In this case, the divisional administration will work with these students individually.

More details will be sent by the Head of School in January and posted below thereafter.

*Please note that the scheduling of our New Family Orientation may be impacted by regulations set out by local education authorities. If we are unable to welcome families to campus for an in-person orientation, we will be offering alternate virtual or off-campus orientation sessions prior to the first day of school.

Pudong Campus (Nursery - Grade 12)

Date of Orientation: TBD - Individually Scheduled Meetings*

On Orientation Day, families can look forward to:

Early Childhood & Lower School
Principal’s welcome, class placements, meet your teacher, tour the facilities, and complete orientation tasks (i.e. pick up school uniform, confirm transportation info, set up parent email account, create parent ID cards, etc.)

Parents of children entering Early Childhood grades (Nursery, Pre-school, Pre-kindergarten) will be contacted in January by the divisional secretary to schedule a specific time slot to meet your child’s teacher on January 30.

Upper School:
Principal’s welcome, course schedules*, walk your schedule & meet your teachers, tour the facilities, and complete orientation tasks (i.e. pick up school uniform, confirm transportation info, set up a parent email account, create parent ID cards, collect student technology, etc.)

Upper School Students may be asked to attend a formal assessment day prior to the first day of school, including formal academic assessment and/or English language proficiency assessment (for non-native English speakers). If required, the divisional administration will contact you in August with further details.

For Upper School Students who are not able to attend the formal assessment day prior to New Family Orientation, please know that course schedules may not be available on this day. In this case, the divisional administration will work with these students individually.

More details will be sent by the Divisional Principals this January and posted below thereafter.

*Please note that the scheduling of our New Family Orientation may be impacted by regulations set out by local education authorities. If we are unable to welcome families to campus for an in-person orientation, we will be offering alternate virtual or off-campus orientation sessions prior to the first day of school.

Map & Directions

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TRANSPORTATION

SCIS provides door-to-door transportation services as part of the school program and at no additional fee.

If you have not filled out an application for transportation service, please fill out the online application by clicking here to create your account. The deadline to apply for the transportation service is December 1. Applications submitted after this date may be subject to a delay in service.

The transportation office will send detailed bus route information (i.e. pick-up/drop-off time & location) for your child before the first day of school. Transportation service information can be reconfirmed during the New Family Orientation event.

NOTE: Due to strict regulations imposed by the Shanghai Transportation Commission, schools in Shanghai will need up to three months to apply for a new permit in order to add a new bus, bus route, and/or bus stop to their existing service plan. Families who submit the transportation application after the posted deadline of December 1 (semester two) may be subject to a significant delay in transportation service while awaiting the next permit application window.

Please be mindful that it is the parent’s responsibility to contact our transportation office for services and/or changes to bus routes. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding transportation services, please contact the transportation representative at each campus listed below:

Campus	Name	Email	Tel
Hongqiao Early Childhood Campus	Angela Hu	hq-ece-transportation@scis-china.org	86-21-6295-1222*7003
Hongqiao Main Campus	Elaine Huang	hq-transportation@scis-china.org	86-21-6261-4338*5151
Pudong Campus	Stu Ren	pd-transportation@scis-china.org	86-21-5812-9888*6002

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FIRST DAY ESSENTIALS

NOTE

The SCIS Academic Calendar for the 2022-23 School Year was adjusted in July 2022. To view these adjustments, please review the updated school calendar here.

FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND SEMESTER

The first day of school for the 2022-2023 second semester is currently scheduled for Monday, January 30.

SCIS has been fortunate enough to have offered on-campus learning throughout the first semester of the 2022-2023 school year, and in previous years throughout the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Given the recent changes/easing of China's Covid-19 policies, and considering the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, SCIS is currently awaiting notification from the local authority regarding the resumption of on-campus learning, in addition to related health and safety guidelines, for the start of the 2022-2023 second semester on January 30th. We hope to receive more information soon and will keep our community updated. More information will be sent by email and posted here thereafter.*

If we are unable to resume on-campus learning following the Chinese New Year holiday for the start of the 2022-2023 second semester, then SCIS is prepared to start on January 30th via our Virtual Learning program.

The Virtual Learning Program

For more information regarding the SCIS Virtual Learning Program, including community updates, FAQs, tutorials, and more, please visit our campus portal webpage (Hongqiao Campuses or Pudong Campus) to learn more.

Returning to On-Campus Learning

More information to come...

*UPDATE: SCIS has received approval to resume on-campus learning for all grade levels as of January 9th, 2023, after only one week of mandated virtual learning for Grades 1-9, while all other grade levels had already resumed on-campus learning immediately following the Winter Holiday. Although we will await more information regarding the resumption of on-campus learning for the start of the second semester, and following the Chinese New Year holiday, this recent approval provides continued optimism regarding the guidelines governing our ability to continue on-campus learning indefinitely.

Resuming Transportation Services

Once we are permitted to return to on-campus learning, we will immediately begin bus service. At that time, please ensure that your child is at their designated pick-up location prior to the pick-up time provided to you by our transportation representatives. Our bus drivers are unable to wait for students that arrive late to their pick-up location.

If you are choosing to drop your child off on campus yourself, please plan to arrive at campus 15 minutes prior to the start of classes. Upper School students traveling to campus alone should also arrive at the campus at least 15 minutes prior to the start of classes.

Hongqiao ECE Campus classes start at 8:30 am and finish at 3:00 pm for full-day students. Half-day students in Nursery or Preschool finish at 12:00 pm.
Hongqiao Main Campus classes start at 8:00 am and finish at 3:00 pm for full-day students.
Pudong Campus classes start at 8:00 am and finish at 3:00 pm for full-day students. Half-day students in Nursery or Preschool finish at 11:30 am.

Staggered Start for Nursery & Preschool Students

To ensure a smooth and comfortable transition to their new classrooms, students in Nursery & Preschool will follow a staggered start for the beginning of the second semester and once we return to on-campus learning. This means that your child will not attend every day of school at the beginning of the second semester and when we return to on-campus learning. Your principal will follow up with a detailed schedule for the beginning of the second semester in the communication sent in January.

NOTE: at the Pudong Campus, the staggered start will include Pre-Kindergarten students as well.

BOOKS & SUPPLIES

SCIS provides all textbooks and most school supplies as part of the school program and at no additional fee.

Below are items required from home and should be prepared for the first day of school:

Early Childhood Students:

A backpack
Shoes appropriate for Physical Education and outdoor activities (no flip flops or sandals)
Healthy snack and water bottle (more info coming from classroom teacher)
A change of clothes in case of accidents or spills
Nursery Students Only: If still in diapers, parents will need to supply changing materials on the first day of class.

Lower School Students:

A backpack that fits an A4 size paper
Shoes appropriate for Physical Education and outdoor activities (no flip flops or sandals)
Healthy snack and water bottle (more info coming from classroom teacher)

Upper School Students

A backpack that fits an A4 size paper
Shoes appropriate for Physical Education and outdoor activities (no flip flops or sandals)
Extra pencils, pens, and an eraser in the backpack

REMINDER: the school uniform is required for the first day of school and every day thereafter. Please remember to label all materials with your child’s name.

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SCHOOL UNIFORMS

SCIS provides one ‘start-up’ set of the school uniform as part of the school program and at no additional fee. Additional sets can be purchased at our School Uniform Shop.

Prior to the start of the first semester, the following options are available to pick up your ‘start up’ set of school uniform and/or to purchase additional sets.

Option 1: Pick-Up During 'New Family Orientation'

We remain hopeful to offer our traditional, in-person New Family Orientation, which is tentatively scheduled to be held at all campuses on Monday, January 30th. During this event, you can visit our School Uniform Shop to pick up your child's school uniform and/or purchase additional sets. Please refer to the SCIS School Uniform Style Guide to ensure you are picking up the correct uniform according to your child's size and grade level.

If we are unable to offer our 'New Family Orientation' event, alternative options will be announced.

*Please note that the scheduling of our New Family Orientation may be impacted by regulations set out by local education authorities. If we are unable to welcome families to campus for an in-person orientation, option 2 (below) will be available for families to schedule an individual visit to the School Uniform Shop, or option 3 (below) to order by email and have the uniform sent home with your child.

Option 2: Schedule an Appointment to Visit the Uniform Shop

Schedule an appointment to visit our Uniform Shop by emailing our uniform coordinator to arrange a time (see contact information below). Appointments are currently only available between 3:30-4:30 PM Monday - Friday. The school will be closed for the Chinese New Year holiday from January 23-27. Alternative scheduling options may be available in the near future, and if so, an update will be sent by email to all new families.

Option 3: Order by Email & Send Home with Your Child

Alternatively, you are able to order your child's uniform by emailing our Uniform Shop and requesting it to be sent home with your child during the first couple of weeks of the second semester. To order your child's uniform by email, please refer to the campus-specific contact information below.

First page of the PDF file: scis-school-uniform-guide

Campus	Name	Email	Tel
Hongqiao Early Childhood Campus	Walter Zhou	hq-ece-uniform@scis-china.org	86-21-6295-1222*7009
Hongqiao Main Campus	Jenny Zhou	hq-uniform@scis-china.org	86-21-6261-4338*3136
Pudong Campus	Stephanie Ge	pd-uniform@scis-china.org	86-21-5812-9888*6268

School Uniform Tip:

While the SCIS branded top is required, many students and families prefer to purchase their own bottoms in the size/cut and brand of their choice. Students are allowed to wear non-SCIS bottoms as long as they match the required school uniform color, style, and design.

During the summer, the School Uniform Shop is open (by appointment only) weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. For additional school uniform purchasing information, please contact the campus representatives above.

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STUDENT PLACEMENT & SCHEDULES

At SCIS, we believe that our collective intelligence increases through diversity. We are intentional about ensuring that each of our homeroom groups is a representation of SCIS’s international community. Therefore, we consider nationality, mother-tongue, English language proficiency, academic status, age and gender in the formation of homeroom groups. To ensure diverse groupings, SCIS is not able to honor parent requests for a particular teacher or homeroom placement.

Hongqiao Campuses
Pudong Campus

Hongqiao Campuses

Early Childhood & Lower School class placements will be sent to parents by divisional secretaries prior to New Family Orientation and your child’s first day of school. The classroom teacher will send a communication by early/mid January. During New Family Orientation, you will be able to visit the classroom and meet the teacher.

Upper School course schedules will be available during New Family Orientation*. Divisional secretaries will send out course sign-up information prior to your child’s first day of school. Please be flexible with regard to scheduling requests when working with the upper school secretaries, as this will obviously be a busy time.

English Language Learners (non-native English speakers) in both the Lower School and Upper School may be asked to attend a formal assessment day prior to New Family Orientation. If required, divisional administrators will contact you in January to invite you to the assessment date.

* For those Upper School Students who are not able to attend the formal assessment day prior to New Family Orientation, please know that course schedules may not be available during New Family Orientation. In this case, the divisional administration will work with these students individually.

Pudong Campus

Early Childhood & Lower School class placements will be posted during New Family Orientation. During New Family Orientation, you will be able to visit the classroom and meet the teacher. Parents of students in Nursery, Preschool & Prekindergarten will be contacted by the Divisional Secretary prior to New Family Orientation with an invitation to schedule an individual meeting with your child’s teacher either on campus or virtually.

Upper School course schedules will be available during New Family Orientation*. Divisional secretaries will send out course sign-up information prior to your child’s first day of school. Please be flexible with regard to scheduling requests when working with the upper school secretaries, as this will obviously be a busy time.

Upper School Students may be asked to attend a formal assessment day prior to New Family Orientation, including formal academic assessment and/or English language proficiency assessment (for non-native English speakers). If required, the divisional administration will contact you in January. Only those students who receive an email invitation from the SCIS Pudong administration should plan to attend. If required, your family will be notified in January.

* For those Upper School Students who are not able to attend the formal assessment day prior to New Family Orientation, please know that course schedules may not be available during New Family Orientation. In this case, the divisional administration will work with these students individually.

NOTE: Please refrain from contacting the Admissions Department with regard to student placement requests and class schedules as this information is handled by the divisional administration and will not be available until the dates posted above.

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IDENTIFICATION CARDS

STUDENT ID CARDS

The Admissions & Technology Office will provide student ID cards for all new Upper School Students (Grades 6-12). If you submitted a passport photo during the application process, the Admissions Office will scan that photo and make a student ID card. If you have not submitted a passport photo, you can send your child’s photograph via email to our school technology department prior to your child’s start date.

NOTE: When e-mailing the technology department, please include your child’s/children’s Full Name(s), Student ID number(s) (as found in within your acceptance letter), and (a) passport-sized photograph(s).

Campus	Name	Email	Tel
Hongqiao Campuses	Harry Huang	hq-technology@scis-china.org	86-21-6261-4338*3333
Pudong Campus	Rambo Qian	pd-technology@scis-china.org	86-21-5812-9888*6789

PARENT ID CARDS

Parents / Guardians, who wish to apply for an ID card, please kindly click the following link. This link will allow you to not only create an ID for yourself, but also for your Driver and Ayi. Once you have submitted the ID request form, you will be able to pick up your IDs from the IT Office (Hongqiao Campuses) or Reception Desk (Pudong Campus) on your child’s first day of school.

NOTE: Parent / Guardian ID Cards are required for all adults to gain entrance to the SCIS campus. Without your ID Card, you will need to sign-in with the school guards.

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FOOD SERVICES

SCIS provides nutritious, wholesome and professionally prepared, buffet- style lunch daily as part of the school program at no additional fee. Each campus has their own fully-equipped kitchen, head chef, support staff and a spacious cafeteria operated by Kaijun F&B Management, a company with a long-term track record of success in the food and beverage industry in Shanghai and at SCIS.

The SCIS cafeteria offers an international and nutritious lunch menu, with an array of daily options to fit all palates. Upon request, accommodations can be made to support a range of special dietary needs.

For food service inquiries, please contact:
Hongqiao Campuses: hq-cafeteria@scis-china.org
Pudong Campus: pd-cafeteria@scis-china.org

Learn more

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PARENTS AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION

SCIS is fortunate to have a parent organization called the Parents and Friends Association (PAFA). Founded in 1996, PAFA coordinates parent involvement with the school and is a source of strength and support, knowledge, experience and a place where many of our families find lifelong friends.

PAFA members will be on hand to greet new families during New Family Orientation.

If you would like to join the PAFA committee on your campus, help out with our many events or are simply curious to find out more information, please follow this link:

Learn more

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COMMUNICATION HANDBOOK

SCIS uses a variety of tools to facilitate communication between Parents, Teachers, and School Administrators, which can be accessed through your SCIS School ID. Before your child’s first day of school, you will receive your unique SCIS School ID from the Admissions Office. Your SCIS School ID will be your gateway to several important SCIS web-based information systems.

SCIS-Parent Email Account

The SCIS Parent Email Account is one of the primary communication tools between the school administration and your family. Before your child’s first day of school, the Admissions Office will create and register your SCIS-Parent Email Account, then send the account credentials and a temporary password to you, as well as instructions on how to setup your account. After you receive your account credentials, all school communications will be directed to your school email account. For this reason, you are encouraged to setup your SCIS-Parent Email Account as soon as possible after receiving your account credentials. If you need support with this process, please review the SCIS School ID & SCIS Parent Email Account Guide for Parents or contact one of our campus-based IT Help Centers.

SCIS Parent Portal Website

The Parent Portal is your personalized access to all school related information relevant to your child and family. Once authenticated, parents will have access to weekly bulletins from divisional principals, important handbooks, contact information, event calendars, weekly lunch menus, weekly photo galleries, etc. To access the SCIS Parent Portal Website, you will need to use your SCIS School ID and the password you have reset when setting up your SCIS-Parent Email Account. For an introduction to the Parent Portal, please watch this SCIS Parent Portal Tutorial. SCIS Hongqiao Parents can access their Parent Portal here. SCIS Pudong Parents can access their Parent Portal here.

Seesaw

Seesaw is a student-driven, digital portfolio application that empowers students and teachers to document what they are learning throughout your child’s educational journey with SCIS. It is also a platform used to communicate with your child, as well as your child’s teacher, and provide constructive feedback on your child’s learning. Seesaw is used for all students enrolled in Early Childhood (Nursery-Kindergarten) and Lower School (Grades 1-5).

Once you child’s homeroom placement has been confirmed, their teacher will provide you with a QR code that can be scanned within the Seesaw app to connect the parent with the child’s classroom profile. Please download the Seesaw Parent and Family app on your personal devices and create an account. Please note, we encourage you to use your SCIS-Parent Email Account to create this account; however, any personal information can be used. Please refer to the Seesaw Introduction document for more information

Download Seesaw using the following links:

iTunes App Store

Google Play Store

NOTE: Should you encounter difficulties downloading the Seesaw application on your mobile device, please contact our Technology Team.

ManageBac

ManageBac is a leading online learning platform for International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools, such as SCIS. This platform allows your child and you to review your child’s class schedule, download school reports, and facilitates communication of the school curriculum planning and assessment. ManageBac is primarily used by students enrolled in Upper School (Grades 6-12) but is also used to access school reports for students enrolled in Early Childhood (Nursery-Kindergarten) and Lower School (Grades 1-5).

Once your child has started school, ManageBac will be accessible through your SCIS School ID. Please download the ManageBac application on your personal device and sign-in using your SCIS School ID and password. Please note, your ManageBac access will only be granted after your child’s first day of school, and not before. To access ManageBac and learn more about navigating this learning platform, please visit www.managebac.com. To use ManageBac on your mobile device, please refer to this “Getting Started” with ManageBac Guide to learn how to download and navigate through the platform.

For Early Childhood and Lower School Students, ManageBac is used for:

· Accessing school reports.

· Managing student attendance and requesting leaves of absence.

For Upper School Students, ManageBac is used for:

· Facilitating communication of school curriculum planning, assessments, and school reports.

· Communicating with subject-specific faculty, coordinators, counselors, and administration.

· Reviewing all assessment reports.

· Managing student attendance and requesting leaves of absence.

School Forms Online (SFO)

The SFO platform is used by the school administration and office of admissions to gather important student and family specific information from the family. You will need access to SFO to share important updates such as local phone number update, emergency contact information update, re-enrollment of the student. For support using this platform, please review our SFO Tutorial. To access the SFO, you will need to use your SCIS School ID and the password you have reset when setting up your SCIS-Parent Email Account.

School Cloud

School Cloud is an application used to schedule parent meetings such as Parent-Teacher Conferences, as well to sign up for After School Activities (ASA). More information regarding this signup platform will be sent by divisional coordinators and your child’s teacher as needed. SCIS Hongqiao Parents can access School Cloud here. SCIS Pudong Parents can access School Cloud here. To access the School Cloud, you will need to use your SCIS School ID and the password you have reset when setting up your SCIS-Parent Email Account.

WeChat

Although WeChat is a useful tool for connecting with other parents in your child’s homeroom and cohort, as well as with our Parent and Friends Association (PAFA), and may be used for various school events, committees, etc., please note that WeChat is not a recognized communication tool between parents, students, and SCIS staff. Please only use your SCIS-Parent Email Account, as well as the platforms listed above, to communicate with your child’s teacher and school staff.

Parents and Friends Association (PAFA)

Founded in May of 1996, PAFA coordinates parent involvement with the school and is a source of strength and support, knowledge, experience, and a place where many of our families find lifelong friends. Throughout the school year, PAFA organizes events and activities that encourage parent and community involvement. It meets regularly to communicate ideas for the betterment of SCIS; working with the school administration to plan and implement a variety of events that support teaching and learning, and celebrate the diversity and unique culture of our school. You can join the PAFA committee on your campus if you wish to help out with our many events. New parents should expect an introductory email from PAFA prior to the start of school.

To learn more about PAFA and the committee, click here.