Update from the Principal - Nov 26 2021 | November 2021 | British International School of Ljubljana

Dear Parents,

It has been a very busy week with the self-testing for students. They have been incredible and I wanted to start off by recognising how well our students from the youngest through to the Sixth Form have all approached this self-testing window.

Our testing is scheduled to continue next week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and I also want to highlight the staff at school who have been amazing under the guidance of our full time school nurse Teja Rismondo. I feel we are very lucky to have such expertise on site and this reassures all of us that we are as safe as possible. The welfare of our students is very important to everyone at school, especially to the teachers who see their students each morning, and I thank both the staff and parents for swift and productive communication this week to fine tune the self-testing process. Overall, I am satisfied with how it has all proceeded, but like with everything, we can always improve.

I am very proud of our growing number of high-school aged students who have already chosen to receive their double vaccinations, those students taking responsibility for bringing in self-tests, organising quick tests and following guidance from the ministry. We have fantastic students who are fully committed to being caring and empathetic global citizens, always putting the needs of others first!

As we head into the holiday season, thank you to all parents who have given up their time to decorate the school corridors with colourful Christmas items including snowmen, tinsel, Santas and beautiful Christmas trees. The school looks very festive, fun and inviting. Thank you for creating this wonderful atmosphere for our students to enjoy as we gather momentum towards Christmas at BISL!

Also, a huge thank you to families for your involvement in the BISL Make a Wish Holiday Project, this is a wonderful initiative to get involved in and I have already brought my present in after reading such a heartfelt and touching letter. We really appreciate all gifts and this is a very worthwhile cause, making such a difference to children in need.

Mr Batson hosted a Sixth Form Information Evening this week, giving families more information about the opportunities at BISL, the successes of our students and the structure of the A Level courses. Thank you to everyone who attended online. All upcoming events can be found on the events page here.

Hopefully, we will enjoy the first snowfall at BISL soon and encourage all students to continue to play and learn outside in our woodland area and playground as much as possible. Thank you for making sure they have a warm coat and suitable outerwear accessories as the temperature drops, their enthusiasm certainly does not and it will be even better when it snows!

Don't forget - next Wednesday, December 1st, is a Festive Dress Down Day as part of the Christmas Market - students are encouraged to come to school wearing something festive, or the colours red and green to join in the celebration.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kind regards,

Paul Walton

Christmas lights will be lit in Ljubljana city centre this evening, but here at BISL, our corridors have already been transformed into a winter wonderland, ready for the holiday season!

A huge thank you once again to our fantastic parent volunteers for making it happen.

This week's Teacher Feature brings us a delightful interview with Ms Tatil, French Teacher - please do take a moment to read it here.

Masks - No Fabric masks please. Only Surgical or FFP2 masks are allowed as mentioned by the new government decree.
Canvas - will be used as the online learning environment for all students Year 2 and above. For EY and Year 1, the classroom teachers will email out if students transition to online learning.
Self-testing - the plan will continue for those that are not vaccinated or do not have consent from parents. The self-testing will continue to be supervised by our full time School Nurse, Teja Rismondo. We are very lucky to have an in-house, qualified medical professional who can work with our students and staff every day.
Vaccination Certificates and Evidence - this will continue to be checked for those that state they have had a double vaccination or have had Covid as we aim to be as safe as possible. Thank you to all students/parents who bring in a copy of evidence. Those that do not have double vaccination or have Covid immunity will take self-tests or transition to online learning as outlined by the ministry.

Please be as safe as possible as we navigate through the current high cases of COVID and I thank all parents, teachers and students in advance for following guidance both in the school and in our wider communities.

We are following the general rules and guidance by the Ministry, WHO and NIJZ regarding distancing and hygiene, as well as the use surgical or FFP2 (ages 6+) masks. Please ensure that your child arrives to school wearing such an appropriate mask.
As a school, we have a direct contact with the ministry and receive specific instructions, following any changes in our situation, solely for our school community. These obviously, may differ from the general worldwide or regional guidance (shared by social media or aired by the news) depending on the cases in our immediate community.
A part of this guidance is to stay away from school if you show any symptoms and consult your doctor accordingly. As we enter the 'flu season', many of our staff, students and parents will have flu symptoms, and we ask everyone to stay away until you are tested if you show any signs.
If you are tested positive, stay home, and isolate accordingly, following further guidance from your doctor, as recommended by the NIJZ.
Over 95% of our staff are now fully vaccinated, or have recovered / still immune.
We also ask the community to stay away from friends and family who have tested positive or those that have symptoms and are awaiting a test.
If any staff or students are tested positive after contact at school, the whole class will transition to online learning.
We also want to be as safe as possible and ensure that the privacy of families is respected during this tough time.

We have updated our COVID-19 Declaration Forms for both Primary and Secondary for Block 3, thank you to all parents for completing these on time.
Ongoing daily clean of premises
Classrooms are well ventilated and classroom doors remain open
Key areas are cleaned multiple times a day (reception, classrooms, bathrooms, bannisters, door handles, etc.)
Drop off team continue to wear masks at all times
Declaration Form to be signed by all key visitors
Extra resources for hygiene available (sprays, wipes, gels, hand sanitisers, masks etc.)
Temperature checks when required
School Nurse available (full time)
All teachers are required to wear masks in key areas
Coronavirus Prevention guidance posters displayed around school
Smaller classes where necessary
Lunches and snacks are served in the new canteen following the guidance from NIJZ
Staff and parent meetings and events to be held online
Daily Review of all procedures by the Leadership Team

1. Have the pick-up and drop-off procedures changed?

No, pick-up and drop-off procedures continue as usual.

2. Can parents come into the building?

All parent meetings must be conducted online until further notice. For the few key organised events, parents will enter and exit from the building via the Assembly Hall and sign the COVID Declaration Form upon entry. Further details will be shared by the event coordinating teacher.

3. Will students go outside for break?

Students will continue to be encouraged and taken outside as usual every break time.

4. Should students bring in water bottles?

Yes, water bottles filled with water should be brought from home.

5. Will classrooms be ventilated?

Yes, classrooms continue to be ventilated regularly, and classroom doors remain open at all times.

6. Will there be hand sanitisers in every classroom?

Yes. Hand sanitisers are also available at the entrance and in common areas across the school.

7. Will online lessons be conducted during the day for students who choose not to attend school currently?

When the provision for students is at school, our teachers follow the usual timetables and teach the students in school. They will continue to upload work onto Canvas for students who are absent from school at the end of the day. If a Year group has transitioned to online learning, their lessons will continue online until that Year group returns. Once the Year group has returned to the school, the teacher will teach during the day and assist those absent by continuing to upload some resources from the school day.

8. Will school lunches continue to be available?

Yes, lunches will be served as usual in the canteen. Please order online as per usual.

9. Do all students and teachers have to wear masks in the classroom?

Students and teachers are required to wear masks as per the guidance below. We are in direct communication with the Ministry of Education and Health regarding updates on safety guidance.

10. Can students wear fabric masks?

No. Surgical or FFP2 masks are required as recommended by the NIJZ.

11. Will the school provide surgical masks to students?

Limited replacements are available should theirs break during the day, however, all students are required to supply their own masks. Parents are asked to ensure their child has a mask prior to being dropped off.

12. Are teachers vaccinated or getting regularly tested?

Over 95% of our staff are now fully vaccinated or have recovered / still immune. Ongoing regular testing will continue for the remaining staff.

13. Will students have to complete self-testing?

Yes, as sent out on Friday 12th November, we will follow the guidelines shared by the Ministry, with parent consent, students from age 6+ will be self-tested on site under the supervision of our school nurse.

14. Where can I get self-testing kits?

These are available free of charge from any pharmacy. If your child does not have a Slovene health card, you may be asked for proof of enrolment, which can be obtained swiftly from school by emailing admissions@britishschool.si if required.

15. What kind of self-tests are accepted?

HAG self-testing kits (nasal swabs) for students in schools are available free of charge from any pharmacy, as per NIJZ directive.

16. How can I give consent to the self-testing of my child?

You will receive an email from the school on Monday 15th November with a link to complete to ensure that your child can self-test at school.

17. Will distance learning be provided if I do not give consent?

Yes, access to class work will be given to students who are on distance learning/do not give consent to self-testing. This will not be a 'real-time' link to the lesson, it will include activities shared with the student online via Canvas or through email.

18. How often will students be tested?

3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

19. Does the school provide the self-testing kits?

No. Families must obtain the self-testing kits from the pharmacy, free of charge, and bring it with them to school.

20. What happens if a student doesn't bring a test with them to school on the day of testing?

If a student does not bring a test with them, they will need to transition to online learning (according to the Minister of Education) immediately and are sent home, the student will be isolated and the parents will be called to take the student home or bring in a test for them to use immediately.

21. Can students leave spare tests in school?

Secondary students may leave spare test kits in their own locker, but are responsible for having a test ready on the days of testing (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).

Primary students should have a test kit ready in their school bag on each day of testing (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).

The school is not responsible for the safe-keeping of test kits.

22. Do vaccinated children need to self-test?

No.

23. Do those children who have had COVID in the past 6 months need to self-test?

No.

24. What happens if there is a positive case?

The student will be sent home to then see a doctor for further advice and guidance.

The rest of the class will transition to distance learning.

We continue to ensure that the privacy of those affected is respected during this tough time.

All urgent updates continue to be sent via email.

Please monitor your emails for future updates as this continues to be the best way to send out clear and consistent communication to all parents. Check that you are receiving emails, have enough space in your email folder, that they do not go to your 'junk' folder and if you are unsure, please contact reception@britishschool.si to check your contact email and phone number on record.

If you change any contact details, please inform the school immediately.