Vienna International School Newsletter - 20 August
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Dear VIS Community Members,
Welcome to the 2021-22 school year! We are looking forward to welcoming all students next week on Wednesday, the 25th.
Throughout this newsletter you will find a wealth of information regarding the first day or school.
Please read through it carefully. I look forward to seeing you next week.
Sincerely,
Lisa Biasillo
Director
Dear VIS Parents/Guardians,
Welcome back after a hopefully relaxing summer. You might have heard that Mr. Faßmann, the Minister of Education, announced new regulations for the beginning of the school year. Unfortunately, we haven’t received any official documents from the Ministry of Education yet, as we open before public schools. However, we interpreted the press release and will operate under the following regulations:
During the first two calendar weeks (August 25 - September 3), VIS will operate under a so-called “safety phase”. This means that additional safety regulations as well as testing regulations apply for all students.
All VIS students in Grade 1 and above, regardless of their vaccination or recovery status, will have to be tested every other day during the safety phase. Our first testing day will be the first day of school, Wednesday August 25, with painless lower nasal antigen tests. Additionally, VIS students in Grade 1 and above will have to wear a mask when indoors and not eating or drinking. Mask breaks will be established as in the previous school year. Masks can be removed outdoors. FFP2 masks are not required, as long as masks fit comfortably and cover the mouth and nose.
During the safety phase, we will only allow visitors by appointment and they must be able to demonstrate their 3G status.
We will establish a regular PCR testing procedure, as announced by the Minister of Education. While we have not been provided detailed instructions, we can tell you that it will be conducted by the same company that does the Alles Gurgelt test, Lead Horizon. Additionally, the Alles Gurgelt testing will be linked to our VIS testing. Therefore, it is advisable for you to officially register your child, practice using the gurgle tests at home, and to get a backstock for your family. There will be a way to link your child’s information with the school by selecting this option when you register your child. Please select this option. As soon as more information is available regarding this procedure we will update you. For more information regarding the Alles Gurgelt testing, please click here.
As part of our collective responsibility, we ask all families to be PCR tested prior to the first day of school. While we will not be collecting this information, we are relying on the community to take the health and safety of all members seriously. We are part of a mobile and international community, and many of us have been traveling. For the collective good, we ask that you and your family are tested and thank you for doing this.
As always, we will also be reinforcing good hygiene (ventilation, additional handwashing, disinfecting surfaces, proper mask wearing and social distancing). Please reinforce these messages at home. While we have heard that the Ninja Pass booklet will be returning, we have not received any official confirmation from the government, and have not received a supply of them yet.
Please note that we are still waiting for the official legal information from the government, and changes may occur with little notice. We will keep you informed and updated. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
The COVID Management Committee (CMC)
Dear Parents and Students, we are excited to welcome you back on campus next week! As you may have noticed, we currently are still experiencing active construction around our building. Please read through the information below outlining precautions and safe routes to and from school.
Coming to school by public transport?
At the moment, both pedestrian routes - outer and inner line - starting at the Metro station will be usable. Pedestrian route 3 at the Prandaugasse is still closed as previously announced. There is still minor construction work happening at the bus terminal (part of route 2 - Dr. Adolf Schaerf Platz/ Siebeckstrasse Nr. 5). This will be ongoing until Thursday, 30 September, as outlined by the authorities. Yet, there will be a way to safely use the route to and from school. A zoned-in walkway of about 2 meters width has been requested to guide all pedestrians and bicycle users.
Driving to school?
The official entry way and truck access route for the Forum Donaustadt construction site will officially move into the Prandaugasse, as confirmed by authorities.
In order to ensure a smooth morning and afternoon drop off and pick up time, we are working with the construction site to ensure limited deliveries during these times. Although minor truck activity will be expected during those time windows, we ask to please be patient and plan in a few extra minutes if you are coming by car and not by public transport, which is ideal during this construction period.
The School will try its best, as always, to assist the morning traffic, however the local authorities have not granted permission to the school representatives to control or guide the traffic in any way, so we advise you to mind the existing traffic and parking regulations.
We are pleased to announce that the majority of the roof project is complete. Minor work is still underway. To ensure the safety of our students and staff, a construction site fence will be set up to separate the construction site from our community. In addition, some exits will remain closed or with exceptions of emergencies only. Warning signs and shields at the doors to avoid entering construction zones. We are sorry about any inconveniences that these constructions might cause and are looking forward to a timely completion of these projects. It is estimated to be completed by Friday, 10 September.
Newcomers Guide
As you are transitioning into a new school year, we recommend you to check out the VIS Newcomers Guide presented below, a material which centralizes relevant information a parent needs when starting the new school year at VIS.
Step 1 - Access ManageBac, the school learing platform
On Monday, 24 August at 17:00, the ManageBac, our learning platform, will open.
New parents will receive an automatic email from ManageBac and will be asked to confim their logins in 24 hours* from receiving the email. As soon as the new parents will confirm their logins (username and password), they will be able to access the platform and check out to see their children' schedule and other learning related details.
Step 2 - Access the Intranet, the school information platform
The VIS Intranet is an extended platform that hosts information regarding the school mission and beliefs, the governance structure, information about the curricular & extra-curricular offer and additional services.
How to access the VIS Intranet? Simply go to the VIS website www.vis.ac.at and you can find the Intranet icon in the upper right side of the screen. Here you can find a direct link to it. To register in the Intranet, please use the same credentials (username and password) which you are using to access Managebac. However, please be adviced that the two platforms are independent from each other, so once you reset your pasword in one, the change will not automatically reflect in the second.
Step 3 - Check out the school calendars and school contacts
Yearly Calendar: To see the structure of the school year, please use the yearly calendar which can find on the school website as follows: https://www.vis.ac.at/calendar/ or in the Intranet, in the Calendars shortcut on the homepage.
Google Calendar: For detailed information regarding the school upcoming events or activities, please feel welcome to check the Google Calendar which you can find in the VIS Intranet/ Calendars shortcut on the homepage: https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/contacts-calendars-and-school-map/
If you have concerns about matters that are not related to teaching and learning, please email the department which is relevant to the matter, see HERE the school contacts. For any other questions, please email communications(at)vis.ac.at.
Step 4 - Read the weekly newsletter every Friday, to get informed about recent achievements and events coming up in the near future.
Access to school
Please note that under the current Covid-19 context, only students and staff members are allowed to access the site. During the first two weeks safety phase, we will only allow visitors by appointment and they must be able to demonstrate their 3G status (vaccinated, tested or immune).
Mask wearing policy
A nose and mouth covering mask should be worn when arriving and departing school, moving around the campus and in class when distance apart from another person cannot be maintained. Please remember that wearing a mask protects others and this is the responsibility for all of us to do our best to take care of others in our community.
No symptom policy
Given the non-specific symptoms of a COVID-19 infection (sore throat, cough, fatigue, diarrhea, chills, headache, fever…), our school is following a no symptoms policy.
Attendance and Absence
It is our belief that regular and punctual attendance play an important role in student achievement and well-being. It is the responsibility of parents/ guardians to support students in attending school regularly and punctually and to communicate reasons for absence on ManageBac. We monitor attendance and punctuality in support of students and their families and ask all parents to provide any information related to absence through this system in a timely way.
Grievance Procedures
If you have any concerns or questions about teaching and learning at VIS, we use a three stage process:
Stage 1: Contact your child’s class or subject teacher first for all classroom matters.
Stage 2: Then the Grade or Subject Level Leader. (if your concern is not resolved following stage 1)
Stage 3: Then the Primary Deputy Principal or the Primary Principal. (If your concern is not resolved following step 2)
School Contacts
If you have concerns about matters that are not related to teaching and learning, please email the department which is relevant to the matter, see here the school contacts: https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/contacts-calendars-and-school-map/contacts For any other question, please email communications(at)vis.ac.at.
Dear Primary School Families,
As the Primary School Principals, we welcome you to the 2021-22 school year! We are very much looking forward to seeing all of our students on campus on Wednesday morning, 25 August.
Many thanks for your patience as we work toward interpreting the Health Authority’s guidelines for our context at VIS. Please review the Director’s communication in detail to follow the appropriate Covid guidelines for the first week of school.
Please read the following information below carefully and don’t forget to check ManageBac on Tuesday 24 August at 17:00 to find out your child’s class teacher. You will receive an email notification confirming that the system is open to parents. If you experience difficulty logging in, please try using the Forgot My Password feature to reset it. Each Friday, you can count on us to provide the answers that you require to work in partnership with us for a great year of learning in the Primary School. Wishing you all a pleasant weekend in preparation for the new school year.
Chad Wood, MEd, PhD - Primary School Principal (Interim) cwood(at)vis.ac.at
Ben Hacking - Primary School Deputy Principal & Primary School Child Protection and Safeguarding Officer bhacking(at)vis.ac.at
Chad Wood - Primary Pincipal
Dear VIS Families,
It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of introduction as the new Interim Primary Principal for this school year. It is an honor and privilege to continue working with the VIS learning community and supporting our students in a new capacity. I originally come from a small town in Indiana, USA, and then I made my way teaching and learning around the world. I have been dedicated to the field of education and educational research for many years and I have worked with students of all ages and abilities in Europe, USA, and China.
Our goal as a learning community is to support and empower our students to find their individual success in their learning. To achieve this, students, parents, teachers, and our school leaders must work together, as a team, to identify ways to help our students reach their full potential.
As we embark on this new school year with potential uncertainties and worries due to Covid 19, we acknowledge the challenges and potential hardships our learning community has faced. COVID 19 will not deter our mission to make this school year the best one yet. We have a dedicated staff with a wide range of experience and expertise who believe in our curriculum and support the individuality that our students bring to our classrooms. Together, we will continue to provide a high quality and inquiry driven education that supports the academic, social, emotional, and physical development of our students.
As your new principal, I am excited to unite my experience, my openness to learn, and my student-centered approach to support our students. I value feedback from all stakeholders, and please feel free to contact me if you have any points of pride or concerns that you would like to share. I look forward to meeting you soon.
Benjamin Hacking - Primary School Deputy Principal and Child Protection Officer
I’m honored to be entering my 13th year at VIS overall and my fifth year as the current Primary School Deputy Principal and Child Protection Officer. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I joined the VIS community in 2009 after completing university studies in education, politics and public policy. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of being a Grade 5 class teacher, a K-12 leader in digital learning, and now the Primary School Deputy Principal and Child Protection Officer responsible for the pastoral care and well-being of our Primary students. I’m also a proud parent with a son in the Primary School and a daughter soon to join. I am proud to be a part of such a diverse, caring and committed learning community that works together tirelessly in the service of student learning, well-being and inclusion. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns around student well-being and operations in the Primary School.
Lea Pedlow PYP Curriculum Leader
I am entering into my third year at VIS as the PYP Curriculum Leader. It is a privilege to work within such a multi-cultural and unique IB World School along with such experienced colleagues. I have found it a wonderful environment to develop professionally. The past 18 months have demonstrated how resilient and committed we are to ensuring that learning is innovative to meet different learning environments. As a South African with a third culture child, I know that at VIS we are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, inclusion and anti-racism which is something I am passionate about. We have a wonderful opportunity over the next year to focus on the well-being of our community.
Overview of teams for the year:
Please find the overview of the grade level teams and departments here. This page includes information on Grade Level teaching teams, what to bring for the first day, and further general information that you may need about the grade level as well as curricular programme information in single-subject areas.
School opens to new students on Tuesday, 24 August for New Student Orientation Day (see separate schedule here). The first official day of school for all students is on Wednesday, 25 August with gates opening at 08:10. Students in the Primary School are expected to be in class ready for learning by 08:30. Please note that this now includes all ELC families who previously had a staggered start on either 25 or 26 August.
Students arriving between 08:10 and 08:25 will proceed to their designated grade level assembly points in the Lower and Upper Primary School Playgrounds. See the table and maps below:
All students will be dismissed at 14:55. Students in ELC to Grade 2 will be led by their teachers to a designated pick-up zone so that they may be released to a parent or authorized caregiver. Please be sure to complete and return the ELC-G2 Pick-Up form next week if you authorize someone other than yourself to pick up your child. Please see the maps below for the dismissal/pick-up locations and look for signage posted in the areas.
Students in Grades 3-5 may be picked up by the main gate or go home on their own.
Those students who are being picked up by a sibling in Secondary School, taking the school bus, attending the Extended Day Programme, or waiting for a late parent/caregiver pick-up, will be brought to the Dining Room where they can be temporarily supervised.
Please see the table and maps below for dismissal routines and maps:
Message for ELC families
Dear families in the Early Learning Centre,
The ELC team is looking forward to the start of a new school year next week. Further to the staggered entry information letter that was sent to you on June 21, 2021, we are pleased to inform you that all ELC students now have the option to start school on Wednesday, 25 August. After reviewing the enrolment and the timetable, it was proposed to forego the staggered entry and invite all students to start on the same day. If you have made other plans, and wish to bring your child on Thursday, this of course is fine with us. This means that all ELC students will have the opportunity to attend school on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week.
We wish you a lovely weekend.
Your ELC team
Attendance Policy
Regular attendance and punctuality are known to be factors for success in learning and play an important role in student achievement and well-being. As such, we ask all families to start the year off right by building routines at home that allow their child(ren) to get to school regularly and on time - no later than 08:30.
Providing a reason for absence: It is the responsibility of parents and caregivers to support students in attending school regularly and punctually and to communicate reasons for absence on ManageBac. The School monitors attendance and punctuality and asks all parents to provide information related to absence according to the following guidelines:
- Attendance excusals should be submitted using ManageBac before 08:30.
- When submitting an excusal, please select the number of days of absence. For absences less than one day, select the ‘1 day’ option and use the comment section to explain.
- It is not necessary to provide full details of the reason; a brief summary is sufficient (e.g. “Jane will be absent for health reasons”)
- The School cannot accept emails to teachers or emails or phone calls to the Primary Office as not all staff can access needed information to ensure student safety (ex. the teacher is away and the substitute does not receive the information).
You will be contacted by the Primary Office if your child is not at school during registration time and there is no reason for absence indicated on ManageBac. Please find below a tutorial on how to submit an Attendance Excusal on ManageBac.
Arriving late to school: If a student arrives late to school (after 8:30), he/she needs to sign his/her name and class on the list outside the Primary Office. Information from this list is then transferred to ManageBac.
Requesting time away from school: Although we recognise an occasional need to be away from school as a family, we ask that family events are scheduled in school holidays where possible. Where this is not possible, we ask that you note the following procedures for early leave and requests for absence.
Early leave throughout the day should be noted in the ManageBac message for that day no later than 08:30. Please come to the Primary Office to pick up your child and sign out. You will receive a dismissal slip to give to security upon exiting the building.
In cases of planned absence during school time, we ask that you speak to us via email or in person. To request an absence for:
- One school day, please contact the classroom teacher.
- Up to and including 5 school days, please contact the Primary School Deputy Principal.
- More than 5 school days, please contact the Primary School Principal.
Please find a short tutorial on how to mark an Attendance Excusal on ManageBac located on the Intranet here.
Communications and Sharing Learning With Parents
We strive to provide you with relevant and timely information and ask that you check these three main sources of updated information regularly:
- Primary School Google Calendar: While you will receive an overview of some of the important dates for key events in the newsletter and during the Class Community Evening (07 September), the Primary School Google Calendar on the intranet lists events, trips, and deadlines throughout the year. It is updated regularly so please be sure to check in on it throughout the year. Click here to subscribe to the calendar on Google or check the Primary School home page on the Intranet.
- ManageBac: We continue to use ManageBac to share learning information, general grade level and single-subject updates, and announcements with parents. Information about current units of study and other grade level information will be shared through the Parent Communications tab once a week. Please make sure your notification settings in ManageBac have been enabled so that you receive these updates. You may also wish to download the ManageBac app for iOS and Android devices. Individual student learning will be shared through the new portfolio feature in ManageBac. More information about this will be shared in the coming weeks.
- Weekly Primary Parent Newsletter: You will receive Primary School-wide information every Friday afternoon delivered to your email. The archives of newsletter throughout the year can be found here.
- Student Portfolios: The Primary School continues to use Seesaw digital portfolios to provide a window into your child’s learning in class. We will be sending the annual consent form for Seesaw during the first week of school and we ask you to return it as soon as possible so that we can set up your child’s portfolio right away.
- Student Reports and Conferences: The Primary School shares formal reports on your child’s progress and attainment twice a year (January Progress Report and the June End of Year report). We also offer opportunities for one-on-one conferences with your child’s teachers in September and April) to discuss how your child has settled into school, areas of strength and areas of focus for the year. Further details to come about this year’s conferences in the next newsletter. Of course, we are also available to answer any questions you may have, so please see your Class Teachers, Grade Leaders and all of us in the Primary Offices (open from 7:45-16:30) if you need help.
- PYP Curriculum Information Sessions: To raise awareness about learning and well-being programmes in the Primary School, we invite parents to attend our many PYP Curriculum Information Sessions throughout the year. Currently these are being hosted online but we do hope to be able to bring parents back onsite to engage in presentations and activities that connect parents to our programme and experience what their child(ren) experience in the classroom. A list of all sessions and dates can be found here.
Important Forms
On the first day of school, we will be sending home a couple of important forms which we request are returned as soon as possible - preferably by Friday 27 August.
- Seesaw Consent Form: allows us to create your child’s portfolio for the year and get you connected to view and comment on your child’s portfolio contributions.
- Pick-Up form ELC- G2: authorizes other caregivers to pick up your child(ren) from dismissal.
- New Student ID card: Please email the Primary Office (primaryoffice(at)vis.ac.at).
Upcoming Events
- Class Community Evening: On Tuesday, 7 September we would like to invite parents to a Class Community Evening. The purpose of this event is for parents to meet their child/ren’s teacher so that an overview of the year can be shared. This event also provides an opportunity for parents to meet other parents within the same class and establish relationships moving forward. While we do anticipate that the event will be virtual like last year, we will announce further details of the structure of this event closer to the date.
- MAP External Assessments & PYP Curriculum Information Session on External Assessments: Following a successful trial last year, we will be using MAP External Assessments this year as our external assessment tool in the Primary school for Grades 1 to 5. This assessment tool is used by the majority of International Schools around the world (1500 +) and allows us to assess our curriculum standards. Last year we were able to offer parents a number of parent workshops detailing how and why we will be using this assessment. This year we will continue to offer these sessions so that we can clearly communicate our beliefs regarding assessment and develop a shared understanding as a school community. We encourage all parents to attend one of the sessions on Monday,7 September, either from 9:30-10:30 or 16:00-17:00 so that you are informed about MAP and can make decisions regarding GDPR.
- Parent Teacher Conferences: Following feedback from parents and teachers, the Primary School Leadership Team has decided to move forward the Parent Teacher Conferences earlier in the year to Tuesday, 28 and Thursday, 30 September from 13:00 to 17:30. This change provides an opportunity for the meeting to focus on how students have settled into class, met behaviour expectations, and to raise initial concerns and goals moving forward. We are hoping to offer a hybrid model of either onsite and option for virtual conferencing options, however, further details with will be shared closer to the date.
Primary Library - Summer Loans and Start of Classes
The Primary Library looks forward to opening its doors again when we return from the summer break. Students can bring their summer loans back on the first few days of school. Bins will be located outside the Primary Library. The Library will need time to process these and return them to the shelves. The Library will reopen for circulation and classes the week of 30 August.
Show your Panther Pride!
We return this year with a renewed emphasis on restoring a sense of safety, a strong focus on well-being, and a commitment to building a caring and positive school community. While the past two years have seen its share of challenges, the start of this year presents a real opportunity to build a sense of inclusion and belonging - the essential preconditions to learning and reaching our potential.
In doing so, we will be having a strong focus on expectations for behaviour and conduct across school settings, as represented by demonstrating our “Panther Pride”. As you and your child prepare to come back to school, you’re encouraged to have a reflective conversation together about what it means to demonstrate their pride in the VIS community when they respect themselves, others and the environment in different contexts. We will also be taking time over these first few weeks to discuss and model what it looks like, sounds like and feels like when we demonstrate our “Panther Pride” and will continually share this with you as we work together to further strengthen our vibrant, diverse and caring learning community.
Dear Secondary Community,
We are very excited to be opening our doors to the entire Secondary School on Wednesday, 25 August. We are very happy that we can all be together at the start of the year in a face to face learning environment. This means that there will not be an option for online classes at this time. Staff have already returned to campus and are preparing for the arrival of our students. If you are returning to VIS, welcome back, and if you are new to the school, a very warm welcome to our new VIS families! We have had numerous parents contact the school with regards to ManangeBac being offline. We would like to remind you that ManageBac will go online on the evening of the 24 August at 17:00 and then students will be able to see homeroom and class information.
We hope you enjoy your last week of the holidays. We look forward to seeing all the students on Wednesday, 25 August.
Warm Regards,
Marc Starr - Secondary Principal mstarr(at)vis.ac.at
Derrick Devenport - Secondary Deputy Principal ddevenport(at)vis.ac.at
and introducing…. Eileen Rueth - Secondary Deputy Principal jrueth(at)vis.ac.at
New families, please don't forget the new student orientation on Tuesday, 24 August. New Students in grades 6-8 should arrive at 08:30 and new students in Grades 9-12 should arrive at 10:30. Please don't forget to provide a valid Covid test or proof of vaccination at the gate. The New Student orientation in the Secondary School will be for students only, however a member of the secondary leadership team will be available at the gate should you have any questions. We will be holding our back to school information sessions for all students during the week 30 August - 3 September. Students should bring their laptops charged and ready so we can help them access our systems.
All Secondary students (6-12) should be on campus on Wednesday and report to their home room or Advisory Group at 08:30. We will be running an orientation schedule and dismissal will be at our normal time. Students should bring their pencil case and laptops charged and ready for the day.
As mentioned in the COVID update in this bulletin, we strongly recommend that all students take advantage of the free PCR testing. This will ensure that our community can start the school year as safely as possible.
The traditional back to school parent information sessions will occur during the first full week of school. All events will be held online and detailed instructions, and links will be sent in the newsletter next week. These sessions should answer any questions and concerns you may have and will also provide information with regards to our Activity Week and associated trips.
- Grade 6 - Monday, 30 August 18:00
- Grade 7 - Monday, 30 August 18:30
- Grade 8 - Monday, 30 August 19:00
- Grade 9 - Tuesday, 31 August 18:00
- Grade 10 - Tuesday, 31 August 18:30
- Grade 11 - Wednesday, 1 September 18:00
- Grade 12 - Wednesday, 1 September 18:30
Here at Vienna International School we strive to offer our students a unique learning experience that goes across and beyond the curriculum. We believe that the learning takes place in the classroom but also outside it. Considering our mission, to support our students to succeed by reaching their individual potential, we have developed the VIS Extra-Curricular Programmes* that combine a great range of activities, designed to help our students become all rounded individuals, with defined passions and highly developed skills. Please see below the programmes offered to the VIS students according to their grade and the registration details for each.
*Please note that the Extra-Curricular Programmes might suffer changes this school year due to the existing regulations in place, aimed to limit the spread of the COVID-19. Follow the weekly newsletter for updates and registration links.
| Programme | Registration starts | Registration ends | Programme starts | More Information |
| Mother Tongue Programme | Wednesday, 1 September - Please contact Mother Tongue teacher directly | - | Lessons may start at anytime after Monday, 13 September | https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/extra-curricular-programmes/mother-tongue-programme |
| VISMA/ Instrumental Music Programme | Monday, 30 August | Friday, 3 September | Monday, 13 September | https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/extra-curricular-programmes/visma-music-association |
| Competitive Sports | Friday, 3 September | Sunday, 12 September | Monday, 13 September | https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/extra-curricular-programmes/competitive-sports |
| After School Activities | Wednesday, 1 September | Sunday, 12 September | Monday, 13 September | https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/extra-curricular-programmes/after-school-activities |
| Performing Arts | Wednesday, 1 September | Monday, 20 September | Primary School - Monday, 6 September Secondary School - Monday, 13 September | https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/extra-curricular-programmes/performing-arts |
| Extended Day Programme | Wednesday, 25 August | - | Thursday, 26 August | https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/extra-curricular-programmes/extended-day-programme |
Most VIS students speak a language other than English at home. With well over 100 languages spoken by our diverse community, Mother Tongue plays an important role in the lives of our students - socially, culturally and academically. From play based learning for our younger students, to the academic demands of the IB programme, Mother Tongue lessons are available in a wide range of languages, as part of the extra-curricular programme.
If you are interested in arranging lessons for your child, the easiest way is to contact the Mother Tongue teacher directly. An up-to-date list of languages, teachers and contact details is available on the VIS Intranet. Lessons for PYP and MYP students take place after school while DP lessons often happen during the core school day. Payment is made directly to the Mother Tongue teacher. For many languages it is possible to start lessons at any point during the school year.
If your child is planning to take Mother Tongue lessons as part of the Diploma program (G11-12) please make sure to always contact the DP Mother Tongue Coordinator, Ms Schauer.
You might also wish to remind your child that there is a wide range of books in Mother Tongue languages, available in the school libraries.
For details please contact:
- Tamsin Roberts Grade Primary - Grade 5: pypmothertongue(at)vis.ac.at
- Bettina Schwarz Grade 6 - Grade 10: mypmothertongue(at)vis.ac.at
- Henrike Schauer Grade 11 - Grade 12: dpmothertongue@vis.ac.at
Latin in the Secondary School
Dear Parents / Guardians,
Next year's beginner Latin classes 2021/22 will take place Tuesdays from 15:30 to 17:10. Latin classes are taught in English, based on the international course programme of the Cambridge Latin Course. The curriculum of the 4-year Latin programme at VIS starts in Grade 7. The Diploma at the end of Grade 10 is officially recognized as Austrian Matura Equivalence in the subject Latin. Latin is also a prerequisite for the study of certain subjects at university, especially in Austria (law, medicine, languages, history etc.). The Latin programme leads up to the Austrian "Kleines Latinum".
Grades for Latin are given as in other subjects and are included in school reports as an external grade. The costs per semester are approx. € 300, depending on the number of participants.
If you wish to take Latin classes, please register ASAP directly to kerstinstevens(at)hotmail.com.
Please find further information in the attachment.
Best regards, Kerstin Stevens
Welcome to the VISMA Instrumental Music Programme! We are proud to be able to offer you top class instrumental and vocal tuition by well-qualified instructors on the VIS campus. Last year, despite all challenges, we taught over 300 VIS students, who presented their musicianship on numerous occasions, i.e. in (online!) concerts, as well as in the IBMYP and IBDP programme.
This is a full academic year program, where payment directly to the teachers is separated into simple semester payments. The second semester payment is due in January after the Winter break. The last school year presented many challenges for our program due to the forced closure, however, online-teaching proved to be very effective and flexible to student’s needs and timetables.
Information for School Year 2021-2022
If a student registers for more than one instrument, you pay one registration fee for the student and one room rent fee per instrument. In case of non-placement, the fees will be refunded in full. Should a student withdraw from the program after the first semester, the room rent fee for the second semester (€25) will be refunded, if the cancellation follows the contractual agreement. The registration fee for lessons is €75 for the academic year. Please note, all returning students will only pay €50 registration fee for this school to compensate for last year's school closure.
We have included a space for you to indicate a preferred teacher and day/time, however, be advised, we cannot guarantee these requests. Placement for new students is based upon the number of returning students and the teacher’s schedule. Returning students have priority.
In order to avoid misunderstandings later in the year, please read the rules carefully and tick the box at the bottom of the page to indicate that you have understood and are in agreement with the conditions, and then sign the form. Any questions you have regarding our programme can easily be answered when you register.
The following list is a suggestion for suitable grade level for your child for starting to play the instrument: (exceptions can vary):
- Piano: Grade Primary/ELC
- El. Bass: Grade 4-5
- Recorder: Grade 1
- Voice: Grade 5-6
- Drum Set: Grade 3-4
- Violin: Grade Primary
- Woodwinds: Grade 3
- Trumpet: Grade 3-4
- Saxophone: Grade 4-5
- Guitar: Grade 1
- Violoncello Grade 3
Enrolment Details
Please note, for the online registration system, you must fill in multiple sign-ups for each additional instrument or voice.
Official Registration will happen from Monday, 30 August until Friday, 3 September. Please find the registration form HERE. Lessons start on Monday, 13 September. Late registration is of course possible, provided that we have space for new students.
Please note that the actual lesson fees per semester have been raised by one Euro per half hour session. This is the first fee raise in over 5 years.
Contact
Should you have any further questions before or after the VISMA registration, please feel free to contact me at visma.music(at)gmail.com
Welcome back VIS Panthers! So it looks like we can start the After School Activities (ASA) and Competitive Sports programme September 13th. Full programmes details will be published September 1st on the Intranet and sign ups will open on 3 September at 18:00. For our fall competitive sports season we’ve already scheduled games and jamborees with the Vienna schools (ICSV, AISV and DIS). Of course we need to adhere to VIS and Government Covid guidelines but we are all certainly more optimistic than we were last year!
More info to follow in the next week’s newsletter so stay tuned. Please, please everyone pay close attention to your hydration, exercise habits, nutrition and sleep hygiene. Of course, continue washing your hands and social distancing. This is a team effort to keep our community healthy and it starts with you. Have a good start to your year and looking forward to seeing our Panther teams back in action getting ready for some Battles of Vienna this year!
Jason Bowie,
Sports & Afterschool Coordinator
The Primary and Secondary Performing Arts Departments are thrilled to announce that we can start our extra curricular music groups. As in the past, we are offering the following activities:
- Primary School Choir - students in Grade 3-5 are invited to come and sing on Tuesday 15:15-16:15. No prior choir experience required.
- Middle School Choir - All students in Grade 6-8 are invited to come and sing on Tuesday 15:30-17:00. No prior choir experience necessary.
- High School Choir - All students in Grade 9-12 are invited to join on Monday 15:30-17:00. We will form different sub groups according to level of experience. No prior experience required, just bring a good attitude.
- Beginner Band - All students in Grade 5 are eligible to participate on Thursday lunchtime and 15:00-16:00. No prior knowledge is required.
- Intermediate Band - Students who play a wind- or percussion instrument in Grades 6-12 are welcome Thursday lunchtime and 16:00-17:00
- Advanced Band - by invitation: students with advanced playing skills
- Primary School String Ensemble: Students in Grade 3-5 who play violin, viola or cello are invited to join on Monday 15:00-16:00
- Secondary School String Ensemble: Students in Grade 6-12 who play violin, viola or cello are invited to join on Monday 16:00-17:00
- Guitar Ensemble: Students in Grade 4-12 who have had at least 2 years of guitar lessons. Rehearsals take place on Wednesday 15:30-16:30
It is our great pleasure to introduce Mr. Jonathan Schechner who will be leading both Secondary School choirs and also teaching some of the Grade 6-9 general music classes next year! He is very excited to meet you in class and hopefully in the choir as well!
For any questions regarding the Primary School Choir, please contact Mr. Burrows at mburrows(at)vis.ac.at
For any questions regarding the other groups, please contact Ms. Bottoms at ebottoms(at)vis.ac.at
As of Wednesday, 25 August 2021 18:00, you can register all Performing Arts Events at this link: https://www.maxfunregister.com/course/2021/vis-extra-curricular-activities-performing-art-2021-22
Parents of students in ELC to G3 who require supervision for their child after the core school day finishes at 14:55 can place them in the Extended Day Programme. The fee is 18 euros per day and the programme runs from 15:00 to 17:30 with snacks included. Details of the programme along with a registration form for regular attendance can be found on the intranet here: https://www.vis.ac.at/intranet/home/extra-curricular-programmes/extended-day-programme. Should you wish to register your child for the programme, please contact Ralph De Ocampo (rdeocampo(at)vis.ac.at). Should you require the supervision on the first day of school, please copy your child’s class teacher into the email notifying Ralph.
| Lunch Service | Transportation Service |
Please find HERE the lunch service details for your information and action. If any questions, please contact: andrew.warren(at)eurest.at. | Please find HERE the transportation service details for your information and action. Please contact vis(at)blaguss.com for further questions. |
Dear VIS families,
The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is thrilled to welcome you to an activity-filled new school year. The activities are FOR the community and are organized WITH the support of the community.
Indeed, the PTA is a non-profit organization run by parents and teachers. Monthly PTA meetings are open to EVERYONE and are held to plan and organize fundraising, social events, and activities. All members of the community are encouraged to attend and participate in the various clubs and volunteer opportunities. Please visit our page on the VIS Website to discover our many activities and clubs.
This year, the PTA hopes that, with less restrictive Covid-19 regulations, it will be able to hold more in-person events to benefit the students and their families as well as staff.
Please keep an eye out for the PTA announcements at the end of every weekly newsletter and look for us on Facebook where we post regular updates and announcements.
Below you will find information on our New Family Programme as well as the PTA shop.
Let's make this a smashing year!
Your PTA Team
The New Family Welcome Programme, coordinated by the VIS Parents-Teachers Association, offers support to new families by connecting them with established volunteer family(ies) who already have some experience of the school and living in Vienna. The volunteer family(ies) might share the same language(s), nationality(ies) or have children in the same grades.
The support offered by this program may vary according to the situation, but with an informal and friendly approach, might include email or telephone contact before or soon after the new family move to VIS; being available to answer questions and share information about the school, living in Vienna etc, to help the new family settle in more quickly; helping the new family find further information by suggesting useful contacts or links; introducing the new family to other families with the same nationality, culture, language or children the same age.
Are you new to VIS and would like to have a current Family as a point of contact? Please, register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-jvgZXDxMfli6FEEsIQBz-jcZzvh8_-dLtQgfLrjF8r4XRw/viewform
Are you an established family and would like to support newcomers into new school life?
You can also email us at newfamily(at)ptavis.com and we will be happy to involve you in the program!
Serena Bonato & Krista White
New Family Welcome Programme
PTA VIS
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