NIS Parent Agreement and Consent
Implications/Responsibilities
Enrolling a child in any school represents the start of a relationship of trust and understanding between the family and the school. We appreciate the value of this relationship in supporting a safe, nurturing and academically challenging environment for your child. We accept the responsibility this places upon the school to deliver equitable access to our mission to all our students: to inspire and empower our students to think creatively and critically, pursue lifelong learning, and contribute positively to the global community. These words embody the skills and attributes we believe are important for our students to succeed in creating their futures.
Equally, we need to make explicit the expectations we have for parents, for only when parents fully embrace these expectations can we confidently support your child as he/she strives to realize his/her potential at NIS. By submitting this application, you are making a statement that you have read and understood the following implications of an NIS education, and that you have agreed to accept in full the responsibilities of being an NIS parent or guardian.
IMPLICATIONS
- As an international school, NIS exists in a ‘third culture’ environment. Consequently the experiences with which your child will be engaged will shape their knowledge, skills and identity in a manner that does not fully align to any single, national culture. While this development of a global mindset represents a richness of experience that is to be celebrated, it also means that children grow up in the absence of some of the social, cultural and linguistic norms of their parents’ culture(s). Families who choose to embrace this as an opportunity are much more likely to benefit from an international school experience.
- Being a parent in the NIS community will not equate to the experience of being a parent at a school in your home country. While there may be similarities, parents will undoubtedly find differences. These differences may include alternative approaches to teaching and learning, the way in which student learning is assessed, recorded and reported, and in the way in which the school community collaborates in delivering the mission. Parents who embrace being a part of an international school community are more likely to enjoy their time at NIS than those who wish to re-create the school ‘back home’.
- NIS enrolls students from systems and countries around the world. Our curriculum, taught through the framework of the IB, is designed to facilitate movement from and to schools and universities globally. However, parents are advised that transitions between various systems can be difficult, and the restrictions imposed by school systems worldwide upon re-entry can pose some problems. It is important that you have carefully considered the implications of enrolling your child in NIS on your child’s academic future and that you are comfortable with the opportunities – and risks – that this presents.
RESPONSIBILITIES
In accepting a place at NIS, all NIS parents (or legal guardians) agree to accept and abide by in full the following responsibilities:
- Disclose all information necessary to support the school in caring for the learning and well-being of your child.
This includes all medical information, emotional health information, information about specific learning needs and any other information that may be relevant to staff in caring for your child (e.g. death/illness of a family member, parent separation/divorce, etc.). Such information must be disclosed within this application prior to admission to NIS and as necessary during the period of the child’s continued enrollment. Any false statement made in this form or at any time hereafter may be grounds for denial of admission or a requirement that the student withdraw from NIS.
- Abide in full with the school’s financial (tuition and fees) policies
- Read, act upon and/or abide by any written or verbal school-to-home communication.
This includes handbooks, online documentation, email correspondence and/or any other form of school-to-home communication. The language of communication at NIS is English.
- Understand, embrace and act upon the NIS “Norms of Collaboration”:
NIS “Norms of Collaboration”: (A) Presume positive intentions and listen with an awareness of personal bias, judgment or expectation; (B) Respect, value and model transparency and inclusivity; (C) Take advantage of established opportunities to connect with other parents and staff; (D) Communicate appropriately and directly; and (E) Respect the precious commodity of time for all community members
- Abide by Japanese and international standards with regard to the welfare of your child.
NIS takes issues of safeguarding and child protection very seriously and has thorough policies and practices in place to work with parents in support of the safety of their child.
- Be aware of the expectation of Compulsory Education for students in Japan.
(for students who possess Japanese nationality)
- Consent to use of photos/videos.
Photographs and videos of your child may be taken by NIS staff. Such images will be used only for NIS publications, websites and official NIS social media sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to better inform the community and to share our learning with the greater community. Student names will not appear online or in these publications without your permission.
Agreement/Consent