Dear Parents and Students

59 Pages·2017·2.8 MB·English

RAS

The purpose of this handbook is to outline the rules and policies of
Riada American School and to introduce students and parents to the
school. Furthermore, it is intended to answer any questions you might
have regarding the policies and procedures of the RAS.
To ensure work success in the school, parents as well as students are
requested to read, review and sign their consent of all contents.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to
contact the administration. We are looking forward to a flourishing,
successful and prosperous school year.

Parent’s Signature Student’s Signature

………………….. ……………………

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Student Hand Book

Table of Contents

Preface -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

School Philosophy ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

1. School Mission/Vision Statement ---------------------------------------- 5
2. Educational Beliefs --------------------------------------------------------- 6
3. Core values ------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

School Profile ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

1. School History ---------------------------------------------------------------- 8
2. Riada American School ---------------------------------------------------- 9
3. School Organizational Chart ---------------------------------------------- 11

General School Procedures and Policies --------------------------------------- 12

1. Admission Procedures ----------------------------------------------------- 12
2. Grading Philosophy & Policy ---------------------------------------------- 14
 Grading -------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
 Grading Scale ------------------------------------------------------------ 15
 Grade sheets ------------------------------------------------------------- 15
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 Report Cards -------------------------------------------------------------
15
 Make-Up Tests -----------------------------------------------------------
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 Course Make up----------------------------------------------------------
16
 Make up Policy-----------------------------------------------------------
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 Examination ---------------------------------------------------------------
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 Promotion and Retention Policy -------------------------------------

3. Students Attendance & Absenteeism -----------------------------------
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4. Student Illness and Injury---------------------------------------------------
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5. Bus Conduct Code -----------------------------------------------------------
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6. Conduct at School ------------------------------------------------------ -----
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 Discipline Philosophy & Policy ---------------------------------------
22
 Punishment definition---------------------------------------------------
24
 Offences and consequences------------------------------------------
26
 Offences definition-------------------------------------------------------
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 Referral Letter ------------------------------------------------------------ 29

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7. Dress Code -------------------------------------------------------------------- 30
8. Emergency Procedures ---------------------------------- ------------------ 31
9. Extra-Curricular Activities -------------------------------------------------- 31
 Extra-Curricular Activities Schedule -------------------------------- 32
10. Graduation Requirements ------------------------------------------------ 33
11. Homework- Policy ------------------------------------------------------------ 35
12. Lockers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 36
13. Misuse of Technology ------------------------------------------------------- 36
14. Home/School Communication -------------------------------------------- 37
 School Visits -------------------------------------------------------------- 37
 Parent-Teacher Conferences ----------------------------------------- 37
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 Student’s Follow up -----------------------------------------------------
38
 Progress Report ---------------------------------------------------------
38
 Birthdays and Parties --------------------------------------- ------------
38
 Field Trips ----------------------------------------------------- ------------
41
 Activity plan for the year 2011-2012 --------------------------------

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15. Parental Involvement --------------------------------------------------------
47
16. Tardiness Policy -------------------------------------------------------------
48
17. List of employees ------------------------------------------------------------
53
18. School Hours -----------------------------------------------------------------
57
19. School Calendar --------------------------------------------------------------
58
20. Tutoring of students ---------------------------------------------------------
59
21. Tuition Fees -------------------------------------------------------------------
59
22. Lost & Found ------------------------------------------------------------------

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INTRODUCTION

Dear Parents and Students,

We warmly welcome you to RAS. At RAS, we strive to prepare each student for the
rigorous demands of the real world. We emphasize the intellectual development of
our students because we expect our students to become the leaders of tomorrow's
world. Our goal is not only to help students get admitted to excellent universities, but
also to assist them in being successful in their studies and their lives.

At RAS, excellence in academics is a major thrust as well as challenging the minds of
students. Consequently, we support an integrated curriculum with emphasis on
reading, writing, science, mathematics and other various activities. In order to foster
good study habits, homework is assigned on a regular basis.

If the students of today are to grow into the leaders of tomorrow, it is imperative that
they gain experience in student government. Firm and fair discipline is maintained in
order to achieve an orderly learning atmosphere. No one is permitted to interfere with
another's right to study and learn. Respect for all people is encouraged in classrooms
and extracurricular activities. We also expect our students to demonstrate exemplary
conduct and sense of responsibility. RAS students must respect one another,
themselves, and the school's special purpose. Good citizenship is the goal for every
student.

We all agree that our young people need to be challenged, to be taught, to be
prepared, to be guided, and to be developed in every way possible. That is why we
look upon our teachers as one of our major resources in a successful program... In
their classrooms, the attitudes and habits of young adults are being shaped. The
professional staff are role models as well as teachers, and we strive to maintain a
close relationship with them.
None of the ambitious goals could be achieved without the support of our dedicated
staff and supportive parents. It is the tradition for parents to interest themselves in the
program and their children’s progress. Parents meetings will be held regularly to
review school policies and problems, student performance, student progress, and
special projects.

Through team effort and communication, we are striving to improve our program
constantly. We welcome your support, your questions, and your insights. We wish to
deliver our promise of providing our students with access to a high quality education
in a positive and safe learning environment that meets all their developmental needs
in order to reach their fullest potential.

The School Principal

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SCHOOL HISTORY

Mr. Mohamed Ragab bought and renovated the old Ford Building and transferred
it to an educational facility fit to accommodate students from KG to Grade 12 ,Riada
Language School came to life .

In a short period of time, Riada Language School which started operating in the year
1992 managed to be ranked as one of the top 3 schools in its community. A few years
later, in the year 1997, the school attained ISO 9002.The school’s broad documenting
system which was clearly outlined to every member of staff, in addition to the multi
processes and tasks assigned to every position in the organization made the school
stand on solid grounds which enabled it to master the education industry and deliver on
its promises. It was the first and only school in the city to approach the BSI for
accreditation. Since then the school started building a sound reputation earning the trust
,confidence ,and respect of parents, students, and the community.

A few years later, in 2003, the U.S. Aid Project Partners for Competitive Egypt was
introduced. The school was chosen amongst 14 schools from Egypt to start introducing
IT and integrate it in different areas of the curriculum. It was a real challenge since
teachers’ knowledge of IT technology was at its minimal in addition to the difficulty found
in adapting MOE curriculum to suit the purpose of the project. Computers were installed
in all classrooms besides a network system that prompted teachers to share ideas,
lesson plans, and facilitated communication. The project did not stop there; it went even
further where the broad challenge still lay ahead. Training teachers to integrate IT in all
lesson plans was the hardest part of the PFCE project. The training sessions lasted for 3
consecutive years during which teachers were tutored and trained on ICDL in alignment
with their work. Training the trainers was the second challenge, a group of administrators
and teachers were appointed for this job. An effective training unit was established to
train newly hired teachers and follow-up on proper implementation of the whole system.
Fourteen schools shared lesson plans, met in the chatting rooms, and communicated
daily through e. mails. Being the only school in Alexandria practicing new methods of
teaching helped the school boom up even more. Student learning became enjoyable and
teachers mastered their performance professionally. The year 2005 marked a new
success in an additional challenge when Mr. Ragab introduced an American Diploma
Program. The process started with careful examination of the curriculum, analysis of the
system, consultations with experienced schools, and finally recruiting an American
consultant who assisted in school setup, raised awareness on the proper implementation
of the American System, and established and set forth the adequate outlines. Curriculum
and programs were selected carefully, policies and procedures were generated, and a
new vision and mission statement which represents who we are and what we all aspire to
achieve was crafted .To date, four groups of graduates joined the most prominent
universities and were able to attain excellent GPAs.
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RIADA AMERICAN SCHOOL

School Philosophy

In an era of increasing global challenges and cultural diversity, we feel morally obliged to
offer our students every possible opportunity for personal and academic development.
Riada American School aims to motivate students, to enhance their skills and to develop
their confidence and self-reliance so that they can find their learning in a fast changing
world.

It is our serious and unshakable faith that we shall break down the barriers of traditional
education and offer a study program that helps student’s ideas and aspirations come
true. We shall empower students with knowledge and enthusiasm for leaders’ awareness
of the needs of our country.

Hence, we have taken the decision to establish a new learning community at Riada
American School designed so that all our students could thrive in a friendly environment,
ideal for furthering their academic pursuits and stimulating their lives.

Research- based studies have proved that student mastery and promotion are enhanced
when students’ voices are part of the vibrant class discussion every day. Consequently,
the American program was designed in accordance with the latest trends of student-
centered teaching methodologies where the system allows students at all levels to build
on major understandings and skills already acquired as well as to prepare for learning yet
to come.

In order to achieve its goal, the school has adopted an American open-education model
aided by technology integration where curricula have moved away from teacher-
dominated instruction to an inquiry-based model of learning, guided by teachers. The
objective of this interactive teaching model is to harness the different higher order critical
skills of students, to develop their problem solving skills, as well as to enhance the
competencies they will need as citizens in a diverse interdependent world.

American School New Building

The school is located in Smouha, a central vital area in Alexandria, which is easily
accessible for students and parents. The American school building is opposite to the
Mother School building which facilitates cooperation between schools.
The new American School building has been established in the year 2006 – 2007 and
has been designed in accordance with the latest trends of student-centered teaching
methodologies abroad. The school is designed to be a center for all educational stages:
Pre K- G12. The total area of the building in square feet is 7894 Sq. meters.
The building is composed of 5 floors that include the following:

27 classrooms
6 staffrooms
19 restrooms
1 big library
1 multipurpose room
4 science labs
3 computer labs
1 clinic
1 cafeteria
20 Administration Offices
3 Art rooms
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1 Teacher’s Resources room
1 Music room
1 Store room
2 Study rooms

Current Operational School Facilities for the academic year 11 - 12

3 fully equipped computer labs one on each floor with a capacity of 20
nd rd
activated outlets on the 2 floor, 20 activated outlets on the 3 floor and 24
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activated outlets on the 4 floor , all of which have DSL internet accessibility.
Generally, all school rooms, classrooms, staffrooms, computer labs, science
labs, administrative offices, and library, have 4 activated School LAN and DSL
internet outlets.
Each classroom is provided with 1 teacher preparation room.
1 staffroom on every floor, each of which is provided with 5 computers.
Each administrative office has a computer.
2 Science Labs on the second floor and 2 Science Labs on the third floor , both
of which are provided with preparation rooms that contain all the needed lab
equipments and materials. However, only the big lab, used mainly as the
Biology and Chemistry classroom for Grades 10 and 11 is equipped with 3
computers.
1 big school library on the first floor that serves all grades.
1 big resources room on the second floor that serves all teacher.
1 indoor area on the ground floor that serves the purposes of Cafeteria and
physical education for students.
2 outdoor areas on the roof top and on the ground floor that will ,also, serve
the purposes of Cafeteria and physical education for students.

Student Population

In year 2005/2006 the American School started with one class of grade 9 and two
classes of grade 10 with a total number of 41 students . In year 2006/2007 the school
faculty members and students moved to a new building in front of the National School .

The new school premises are designed to promote American Education for all stages .
( Pre K through 12 ) thus enabling new intake for all grade levels .

Grades 1,2,9 and 12 were not included in our opening plan due to the small number of
applicants and the high expenditure cost . Current enrollment reflected the demand on
the school with a total number of 535 students .

Year 2005 – 2006: 41 students = 24 boys / 17 girls.
Year 2006 – 2007: 94 students = 53 boys / 41 girls.
Year 2007 – 2008: 89 students = 53 boys / 36 girls.
Year 2008 – 2009: 207 students = 114 boys / 93girls.
Year 2009 – 2010: 287 students = 150 boys / 137 girls
Year 2010 – 2011: 410 students = 208 boys / 202 girls.
Year 2011 – 2012: 461 students = 248 boys / 213 girls.
Year 2012 – 2013: 491 students = 258 boys / 233 girls.
Year 2013 – 2014: 541 students = 292 boys / 249 girls.
Year 2014 – 2015: 551 students = 291 boys / 260 girls.
Year 2015 – 2016: 565 students = 298 boys / 267 girls.
Year 2016 – 2017: 535 students = 280 boys / 255 girls.
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