The A to Z

Secondary Handbook

Last Updated: 11th Jan 2018

As this is a ‘live’ document it may undergo changes at various times throughout an academic
year. If those changes are major then you will be notified by an email from someone on the
Secondary Leadership Team if it affects you directly.

OIS VISION & MISSION

Our Vision

Freedom to think. Empower to be…

Our Mission

We are dedicated to fulfilling every child’s educational and developmental needs in a safe and
caring environment conducive to learning and teaching. We aim to create responsible, global
citizens who show understanding, compassion and acceptance of the differences in the world.
We strive to ensure that every child in our care is empowered to make choices and encouraged
to contribute to our community.
 Our Core Values
Knowledge
We value fostering a passion for lifelong learning by acquiring skills and content required for
successful and critical thinkers.

Respect
We value treating others the way we ourselves like to be treated.

Social Responsibility
We value the individual who has the ability to change the world and the group who has the
power to make this a reality.

Creativity
We value igniting the spark of creativity and curiosity in our students.

Celebration
We value celebrating an accomplishment, be it big or small.

THE HISTORY OF OIS

Oberoi International School is a Nursery - 12 school, which began in August 2008. Oberoi International
School is an initiative of the Oberoi Foundation and aims to provide world-class education focusing on
the holistic development of young learners. The School is a contemporary urban school, and a part of
Oberoi Realty's integrated township - Oberoi Garden City, which is spread across 80 acres of land
located in the Goregaon (East) suburb of Mumbai.

The School started with a vision of providing excellent infrastructure and services that complimented the
curriculum offered. The School started off with facilities like art zones, music & dance studios, social
zones, play areas and sports amenities in the first year and has expanded to now house a second
library, a half Olympic size pool, an audio visual theatre and recording studio.

The School began its first year with 38 students, and opened its 9th Academic Year on August 3, 2016
with approximately 1,630 students. The first batch of Grade 12 students graduated from the IBDP in the
AY 2010-11.

We received the accreditation from the CIE for the Cambridge Secondary 1 (Grades 6-8) and IGCSE
(Grades 9 and 10) Programmes on October 1, 2008, from the IBO for the IBDP (Grade 11 and 12) on
June 2, 2009, and the PYP on December 21, 2011. We were granted the CIS and NEASC membership
on April 4, 2012, and received full 10-year accreditation from both organizations in January of 2014.
 Secondary Contact List
Name Position Email
Sandy van Nooten Head of Secondary sandy.vannooten@oberoi-is.org

Tony Wright Deputy Head of Secondary (HS) anthony.wright@oberoi-is.org

Priya Ramteke Deputy Head of Secondary (MS) & priyadarshini.ramteke@oberoi-is.org

IB MYP Coordinator

Barbara Batchelor IB MYP Asst. Coordinator barbara.batchelor@oberoi-is.org

Rucha Bhayani IB DP Coordinator rucha.bhayani@oberoi-is.org

Chris Alexander IB DP CAS Coordinator (Grade 12) christian.alexander@oberoi-is.org

Moitreyee Mitra IB DP CAS Coordinator (Grade 11) moitreyee.mitra@oberoi-is.org

Richa Gupta IGCSE Coordinator richa.gupta@oberoi-is.org

Tiffany Greer Grade Level Coordinator (Grade 6) tiffany.greer@oberoi-is.org

Takayo Kajino Grade Level Coordinator (Grade 7) takayo.kajino@oberoi-is.org

Neha Makhija Grade Level Coordinator (Grade 8) neha.makhija@oberoi-is.org

Nikita Shah Grade Level Coordinator (Grade 9) nikita.shah@oberoi-is.org

Kavita Antony Grade Level Coordinator (Grade 10) kavita.antony@oberoi-is.org

Neeta Pandey Grade Level Coordinator (Grade 11) neeta.pandey@oberoi-is.org

Megha Bansal Grade Level Coordinator (Grade 12) megha.bansal@oberoi-is.org

Tiffany Goulet University Counselor/EE Coordinator tiffany.goulet@oberoi-is.org

Catherine University Counselor catherine.geisen-kisch@oberoi-is.org

Geisen-Kisch

Minal Dhand University Counselor minal.dhand@oberoi-is.org

Dhanya Bhat Counselor (Social & Emotional) dhanya.bhat@oberoi-is.org

Pradnya Shetty Counselor (Social & Emotional) pradnya.shetty@oberoi-is.org

Nandini Shah HOD - English nandini.shah@oberoi-ir.org

Nadia Fuzier HOD - World Languages nadia.fuzier@oberoi-is.org

Sudha Rakesh HOD - Individuals & Societies sudha.rakesh@oberoi-is.org

John Geisen-Kisch HOD - Science john.geisen-kisch@oberoi-is.org

Shraddha Nayak HOD - Mathematics shraddha.nayak@oberoi-is

 Name Position Email
Stephen Curran HOD - Performing Arts stephen.curran@oberoi-is.org

Aparna Mugwe HOD - Fine Arts aparna.mugwe@oberoi-is.org

Michael Lipford HOD - Student Success Program michael.lipford@oberoi-is.org

Vilma Fernandes HOD - English as Additional vilma.fernandes@oberoi-is.org

Language

Shane Russell HOD - Physical & Health Education shane.russell@oberoi-is.org

Tasnim Shaikh Head Librarian (Secondary) tasnim.shaikh@oberoi-is.org

Florina d’Souza Secondary School Office florina.dsouza@oberoi-is.org

Supriya Palav Secondary School Office supriya.palav@oberoi-is.org

A to Z of Secondary Life
A
Absence
Absences for Unexpected Illness
● If a student is unwell when they wake up, parents should log onto ManageBac and enter
their attendance excusal. Otherwise, they should email either
florina.dsouza@oberoi-is.org​ or ​supriya.palav@oberoi-is.org​ and copy the homeroom
teacher
● When a medical note is provided (within five school days of returning to school) the
secretaries will note this on Managebac. Please Note: All absences count. There is no
such thing as an ‘excused absence’
● It is up to the student to look on ManageBac and to contact the teacher and classmates
to find out what work they have missed due to absence.
● If a summative assessment is missed due to illness then a doctor’s medical note must be
provided confirming it was not possible for the student to attend school that day. The
teacher will then work with the student to find an alternative date. If a pattern of missed
summatives, coinciding with illness is observed in a subject or across subjects, then
teachers may refuse a student the possibility of taking the missed assessment(s) and a
grade of 1 will be entered for a missed assessment.
Planned Absences, Requested in Advance.
● If a student is aware that they need to miss school then parents should email the
respective deputy for High School or Middle School to request permission for the student
to miss school. The further in advance this permission is sought, the better we can
support the student if permission is granted. The reason for and dates of the absence
must be clearly indicated in the email.
 ● If permission is granted then the student must contact all relevant teachers in order to
find out what work they need to complete before, or during the absence.
● Any summatives must be completed before the student leaves, or submitted on time (if
electronic submission).
● Pease note: All absences, including planned absences do contribute to the overall count
of absences.

Questions regarding absence should be addressed to the respective deputy for Middle or High
School.
Obligatory Field Trips or representing school teams for school organised events are not
considered as ‘absences’. When a school trip is not obligatory, this will be clearly indicated to
students and their parents and it will be included as an absence.

Academic Honesty and Integrity

Academic Honesty (integrity) is the honest production of a student’s own original work - giving
credit to the ideas and work of others when used - in order to allow the teacher to give full and
constructive feedback on how to improve. This is expected in all areas of academic and
non-academic life at OIS.

The ​Academic Honesty Procedures (updated August 2017) ​has the details of what is expected
of students and teachers by both OIS and the IB.

Because OIS values academic integrity and the originality of student work so highly, breaches
of the Academic honesty Policy are dealt with in accordance with the ​Behaviour Matrix​.
Depending on the severity and the frequency of breaches, severe sanctions may need to be
enforced.

Accreditation
The school is accredited by the ​Council of International Schools (CIS)​ and the ​New England
Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)​. This means that these two organisations
visit the school to assess whether we do what we say we do and meet certain standards of
education. Universities around the world recognise this accreditation and it gives our OIS High
School Diploma recognition and validity allowing our students entrance to the top universities.
In order to get (and keep) this accreditation, a team visits the school periodically and checks on
our standards and practices.
The school year 2018 - 19 is a self study year for the school’s next accreditation visit.

Acronyms
The world of education is famous for using hundreds of acronyms. Here is a list of some of the
ones we think you might find useful
OIS - OGC Oberoi International School - Oberoi Garden Campus

OIS - JVLR Oberoi International School - Jogeshwari - Vikhroli Link Road

IBO International Baccalaureate Organisation

DP Diploma Programme

MYP Middle Years Programme

CAS Creativity Activity Service

EE Extended Essay

TOK Theory of Knowledge

ATL Approaches To Learning

IOC Interactive Oral Components

ALT Academic Leadership Team

SLT Senior Leadership Team

SecLT Secondary Leadership Team

PLT Primary Leadership Team

TBC/D To Be Confirmed / To Be Decided

LMS/TDS Leave Management System / The Dennis System

MB ManageBac

I&S Individuals And Societies

StuCo Student Council

PHE Physical and Health Education

CompSci Computer Science

D&T Design and Technology

PMS Property Management Services

ACE Admissions, Communications and Events

GLC Grade Level Coordinator

HOD Head Of Department

PYP Primary Years Programme

BAA Beyond Academic Awards

EAL English as an Additional Language

Allergies
The school needs to be kept up to date with any serious allergies (not dislikes, but medically
diagnosed allergies that may result in anaphylaxis) that a child may have been diagnosed with.
Whilst we can do our best to avoid exposure to certain allergens, if we are not made aware of
such conditions, it is hard to manage the health of a child, without suitable prior knowledge.
There is an epi-pen in school and there are nurses available throughout the school day to
handle emergencies. However, prevention is better than cure. Parents, please ensure that we
are aware of any such conditions. NOTE: The OGC Campus is a nut free zone. Please keep
this in mind when bringing food to school.

Assembly
A Sectional Assembly (High School or Middle School) is held every second week in order to
celebrate learning, student achievement and for announcements to be made. Students are
involved in the planning and presentation of the assemblies and are coordinated by their GLC.
Assemblies are held on the 7th floor in the Auditorium between 12.10pm and 12.50pm.

Assessment
OIS Assessment Procedures document is designed to enable teachers to assess the learning
of students in a manner which enables them to give timely detailed feedback on their learning
as well as to produce grade evidence for parents and other external parties such as universities
who will request transcripts to show student progress.

The emphasis is on teachers to use authentic and original assessment tasks in order to allow
students to demonstrate their own skills and knowledge and to emphasise the importance for
academic integrity. There is an expectation that a student will be assessed using a wide range
of tasks and techniques and that the teacher will aim to be approachable and descriptive in
providing feedback.

Students with objections to any aspect of a given assessment are encouraged to discuss the
details of the assessment directly with the teacher concerned. If they feel that after this
discussion the teacher is not being fair to them, then can follow this up by discussing it with the
relevant coordinator or a member of the Secondary Leadership Team.

Athletics Programme
OIS offers an inclusive and diverse athletic programme fostering development of skills,
teamwork and core values through participation in a range of different individual and team
sports. The programme is reviewed and revised each year. The main sports regularly on offer
are: badminton, tennis and table tennis, cricket, football (soccer), swimming, volleyball,
basketball, and athletics (track and field).

Whilst we have a number of competitive teams in different sports, the underpinning philosophy
of the programme is to encourage all students to participate irrespective of current level of
ability or prior experience.

OIS is particular about which local and regional sporting competitions we participate in as a
school. We do not take part in out of season events that are not included in the activities
calendar. We do not prevent students from participating in other sporting events but parents
and students must be reminded that we have a 90% minimum expectation of attendance in all
lessons. Should a student be amongst the elite competitors for their age group nationally, then
the school can offer support on a case by case basis.
Link for Athletics Handbook: ​Athletic Handbook
Athletics Programme contact person: Rohit Johnson, ​rohit.johnson@oberoi-is.org

Attendance
Attendance is one of the most important factors for academic progress and success. OIS would
like students to have 100% attendance, but requires a minimum of 90% attendance each
semester for each subject. Students who do not meet the 90% attendance policy run the risk of
losing their academic credits for the year (Gr.9 to 12) and may not be offered a place at OIS for
the following year (Gr.6 to 11).
Teachers are obliged to take an attendance at the beginning of every lesson and if there is a
student absent for consecutive lessons and you are unaware of the reason, you should contact
the relevant deputy and the secretaries to raise your concern.

Late Arrivals & Early Departures

Students must arrive at school before the gates shut at 7:45am and cannot leave until 2:50pm.
Parents must provide the school with 24 hours of notice if a student needs to leave early or
arrive late. An email needs to be sent to Florina D'souza (​florina.dsouza@oberoi-is.org​) or
Supriya Palav (​supriya.palav@oberoi-is.org​) and cc the homeroom teacher. Students who do
not provide 24 hours of notice will not be permitted to leave early or enter the building late.

Auditorium
Located on the 7th floor. Used for assemblies, musical productions, meetings, graduation and
other award ceremonies. Can be booked for student events, using a booking form which is
available through Florina or Supriya. Mr Ewodki coordinates events in the Auditorium and
provides technical support.

B
Behaviour
Every school values learning and we want to create an environment where everyone can learn
without being disturbed by others. In order to do that, we have our ​behaviour and sanction
matrix​. (Last updated 31st May 2017)
 Behaviour Matrix

Who Behaviour Consequence

Teacher LEVEL ONE: Minor (first offense) infractions ● Warning or held
● Uniform offenses back at break or
● Corridor/Class offenses - littering, eating, running, lunch by ​teacher
chewing gum
● Cafeteria offenses - not returning tray
● Tardiness to class or HR time
● Public displays of affection
● Inappropriate language with peers
● Being in classrooms without permission
● Disrupting learning of others
● Minor IT offenses - eg. gaming, non-relevant/directed
sites or apps
● Defaulting on deadline for assignment
● Poor formatting, accidental forgetting or incorrect use
of citations

Teacher LEVEL TWO: Repeat of level one or… ● Teacher informs

and/or​ GLC ● In school but not in class - cutting classes on site GLC
● Misuse of devices in or out of class ● Student given
● Inappropriate behaviour in or out of class detention
● Fighting (minor) (break/lunch/after
● Inappropriate language to any member of staff - not school)
just teachers ● Recorded on MB
● Little or no attempt to acknowledge sources

GLCs​ and/or LEVEL THREE: Repeat of level two or.... ● Multiple detentions
Deputy ● Deliberate damage to property or an in-school
Heads ● Bullying including cyber bullying suspension Lying
● Theft
● Threatening gestures or comments
● GLC and/or Deputy
Head to meet with
raises
● Direct defiance of any member of staff - not just Parents any
teachers ● Reflective activity
● Fighting or dangerous physical violence (major) ● Recorded on MB offense
● Major IT offenses - eg. entering somebody else’s
account, viewing inappropriate materials by one
● Copying another student’s work with consent
● Unauthorised materials taken into a test level
● Any other form of cheating under test conditions

Deputy LEVEL FOUR: Repeat of level three or…. ● Multiple in-school or

Heads​ and/or ● Possession of alcohol or drugs Ext Suspension
Head of ● Possession of weapons or dangerous objects ● Deputy/Head of
Secondary ● Smoking Secondary meets
● Sexual offenses including: assault, sexting, with Parents
harassment ● Reflective activity
● Paying or having somebody else complete work for ● Record on MB
you
● Falsifying CAS record

Head of LEVEL FIVE: Repeat of level 4 or…. ● Could be asked to

Secondary ● Tampering with school data leave the school
and/or ​Head ● Use of, selling of, or dealing of drugs or weapons
of School ● Theft of another student’s work and submitting as own
Bell Schedule

Beyond Academics Awards

Beyond Academics Awards (BAA) is a voluntary platform offered to G6 and G7 students who
wish to pursue a challenge and apply their skills in the field of ‘Creativity, Sports and Service’
outside the school timings and boundaries. An opportunity to cultivate and demonstrate our
CORE VALUES of Knowledge, Respect, Creativity, Social Responsibility and Celebration. BAA
acknowledges and defines ‘success’ as effort and perseverance, without focusing solely on the
completion of the project.
Students are encouraged to identify an area of interest, set a goal, research and plan a path to
reach this goal, and of course, reflect throughout the process on their learning using the
journals mentioned below:
● Grade 6 student journal - ​Mango Awards
● Grade 7 student journal - ​Lotus Awards

Block Schedule
We operate a rotating bells schedule to maximise learning and reduce the possibility of
students having the same subject at the same time each day. To see a rotating block schedule
for the whole year click on this link: ​Rotating Block Schedule for AY 2017-18

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

OIS’s BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programme ​requires that students from grades 6 to 12
bring in their own personal laptops (1:1) to school for educational use. It gives teachers the
flexibility to integrate technology in their lessons at any time as well as giving student’s personal
ownership of their own devices. (Refer to the ​secondary technology use​ guidelines)
Bulletin
The ‘Bulletin’ is sent out daily from the Secondary Office (via Managebac for students and
teachers - teacher only notices are sent via email) with news about any events that are coming
up. Any teacher or student can submit a message for the bulletin via a link supplied upon
request. Students with a message for the bulletin should ask their supervisor to help them fill
out the google form for the message, this way we should avoid unnecessary messages. All staff
and students are expected to read the bulletin every day.
The link for the bulletin announcements form is: ​Bulletin Announcements

Bullying
Bullying can come in many forms: verbal, physical or emotional. It is usually ongoing and
targeted. It can be carried out when somebody is in the same room, to their face, or it can be
done behind their back and/or using social media via the internet.
Bullying of any kind is not tolerated at OIS and is dealt with as an extremely serious breach of
student behaviour.
If a student is being bullied or knows of bullying that is ongoing, they should report it to any
teacher or counsellor. Their identity will be protected wherever possible.
Contact: any teacher, your GLC, Head of Secondary, Deputy Heads, or one of the counsellors:
anthony.wright@oberoi-is.org​ or ​priyadarshini.ramteke@oberoi-is.org
pradnya.shetty@oberoi-is.org​ or ​dhanya.bhat@oberoi-is.org

C
Cafeteria
A pre-paid lunch is served for all secondary students from 12.40pm until 1.30pm each day.
There are multiple serving and seating areas. Grades 6 to 10 use the serving hatches closest to
the kitchens and the library. Grades 11 and 12 use the serving hatch on the lower level, closest
to the Fourth Floor Staff lounge and they may sit on the raised area closest to the teacher area.
If there are excessive queues in any given area and there is less queuing elsewhere then
common sense and an accepting and respectful approach is expected in allowing other grade
levels to use the different serving areas.
Good behaviour is expected in the cafeteria at all times. Staff and students are expected not to
waste food unnecessarily and to return used trays neatly to the racks for cleaning.
The cafeteria also offers snacks for sale at lunch and during short break time. Tokens must be
purchased in order to obtain a snack from the counter.
Queuing should be orderly at all times in the cafeteria. Friends should not hold spaces in the
queue for latecomers.

Careers Guidance, Internships and Summer Courses

This is available to students of all grades throughout the year on a drop-in basis at the College
Counseling office on the 6th floor. Support may be sought in looking for suitable summer
courses, work experience and internships which should only take place during the holidays.
Contact: ​college_counseling@oberoi-is.org
Calendars
The Secondary School calendar is shared with all staff and students through the Google Mail
Calendar. (Just ticking the box on the left hand side that is marked “Secondary Section” should
make this appear on your calendar). This calendar clearly marks all major events, trips, day
numbers, holidays etc.
Assessment calendars for all grades are available to students on Managebac. Teachers are
obliged to include important assessment activities on there. Summatives will be marked on the
calendar at least a week before they are due to take place and no more than two will be
included on any single day. In case a student notices more than two on their individual calendar
they should speak to the teacher of the last inserted assessment. If their advocacy does not
result in a change, they can bring it to the attention of their MYP, IGCSE, or DP coordinator or
one of the Deputies who will then advocate on the student’s behalf. Events for the calendar
must be approved by a member of SecLT and added to the calendar by Florina or Supriya.
Student Attendance Calendars are made available for each school year (after being approved
by the board). The attendance calendar for 2017-18 is below.

CAS (Creativity Activity Service)

As a Core requirement of OIS and the IBDP, the grade 11 and 12 CAS programme at OIS is at
the very heart of the Diploma Programme and the OIS Core Values. Students start at the
beginning of grade 11, when they outline their own commitment to the CAS programme.
Students will select 3 activities, 1 for each of the components of CAS, and commit to
establishing personal goals that are meaningful to them. This process is strongly supported by
the OIS Mission and Vision, and a wide breadth of extracurricular activities offered at OIS that
provides ample opportunity for students to undertake and explore their interests. CAS is the
non-academic side of the DP and the OIS Secondary programme, which supports the
development of a well-rounded individual.
CAS is a memorable component of their time at OIS and a required part of the IB Diploma
Programme as students accept and tackle new roles involving intellectual, physical, creative
and emotional experiences. The service aspect puts students face-to-face with real social
issues and asks students to contribute in a meaningful way to their community. The continual
cycle of reflection that CAS encourages, helps students to consider what they have learnt, why
they have learnt it and how they have learnt it. Students themselves monitor their progress and
personal growth. At the conclusion of the CAS programme, students have developed a better
awareness of themselves and a true feeling of personal achievement.
CAS is recorded on a web-based log called “Managebac,” which is time-stamped. Students
must upload proof of involvement as well as personal reflection on the various activities on a
consistent basis (once a week).
CAS progress is supported by the CAS Coordinators (oversees the whole grade group) and
Advisors (smaller groups such as a homeroom group) whilst a supervisor is required to support
an individual event undertaken by a student. Deadlines for completing sufficient high quality
reflections are set throughout the Diploma Programme in order to help students manage their
time and prevent a backlog in Grade 12.
Everything you want to know about CAS will be here in the ​OIS CAS Handbook
Information from the IBO relating to CAS is available here: ​CAS
Failure to complete CAS satisfactorily can lead to the IB Diploma being withheld.
Contact: ​christian.alexander@oberoi-is.org​ (for Class of 2018)
​moitreyee.mitra@oberoi-is.org​ (for Class of 2019)

Celebration
Is one of the OIS Core Values which was added specifically at student request. We celebrate
achievement in homeroom groups, grade level assemblies, Middle and High School Assemblies
and as a whole school through things like student performance and exhibition as well as
through our events. Many celebrations are also published via daily announcements, the school
website and our OIS blog.
If there is something you feel we should celebrate then please contact the relevant school
contact to inform them of what, when and why you feel we should be celebrating something.
If we are not celebrating student achievement and success enough, it’s up to the community to
push it!

Clubs
Students may initiate and participate in a variety of clubs. Many of the clubs have curriculum,
creativity, action or service links. Many clubs are student proposed and led, so long as they
have a teacher supervisor. Clubs offered during 2016-17 have included MUN, Free Art,
Entrepreneur, TED-X, debating, STRIKE etc. The list of clubs for AY 2017-18 will be added in
August. Clubs usually run during the same slots as ECAs from 3.10pm to 4.10pm and may
include additional fees depending on the nature of the activity and the resources required.

Clubs contact person: ​anthony.wright@oberoi-is.org

College Counseling
(See Counselors (University) under ‘C’)

Communication and Internet Usage

Please refer to the ​secondary technology use​ guidelines for more information.
● Students will have access to the OIS Wifi network whilst in school.
● All students will use ManageBac as the main teacher student interface which they must
check daily.
● All students will be given an @oberoi-is.net email address which ​they must check
daily​. This email address remains theirs beyond their life at OIS.
● Students and Parents will have ‘live’ access to feedback from their teachers through
ManageBac.
● Students are expected to use the internet (and social media) responsibly at all times.
Use of the internet for gambling, bullying, sexually explicit materials, violence and other
unacceptable purposes will result in high level sanctions.
● Gaming, unless it is part of a teacher sanctioned learning activity is not allowed.
● Students in Gr.11 & 12 are permitted to use their mobile phones, though we request they
do not walk around school with their earphones in. (Gr.6 to 10 must turn their phones off
and put them away as they arrive to school, and can turn them on again at 2:50pm)
● School e-mail communication may be monitored at any time by designated staff.
● If a teacher is concerned that a device is being misused they have the right to access the
device, student files, emails and browser histories. Deletion of a browser history may be
considered as an admission of guilt.
Contact: ​puja.srivastava@oberoi-is.org

Coordinators
Coordinators are the overseers of programmes, or parts of programmes within the OIS
curriculum. They are the best people to answer questions about the programmes and how they
are implemented at OIS.
● IBDP Coordinator: Ms. Rucha Bhayani ​rucha.bhayani@oberoi-is.org
○ Extended Essay Coord. Ms. Tiffany Goulet ​tiffany.goulet@oberoi-is.org
○ CAS Coord. (G12) Mr Chris Alexander ​christian.alexander@oberoi-is.org
○ CAS Coord. (G11) Ms. Moitreyee Mitra ​moitreyee.mitra@oberoi-is.org
● IGCSE Coordinator: Dr Richa Gupta ​richa.gupta@oberoi-is.org
● MYP Coordinator: Ms. Priya Ramteke ​priyadarshini.ramteke@oberoi-is.org
● Assistant MYP Coord. Ms. Barbara Batchelor ​barbara.batchelor@oberoi-is.org
● Outreach/Service coord. Ms Priya Verma ​priyadarshini.verma@oberoi-is.org

Counselors (Social & Emotional)

Secondary School Counselors support students with emotional/social/behavioral concerns from
Grade 6 to Grade 12. Students may be referred for counseling by their parents or guardians,
school faculty, a friend, or themselves.

Counseling may include individual, small group or classroom sessions. During the sessions,
the student(s) and counselor will work together to help understand the problem, the present and
future consequences, develop goals for change and a plan of action for change.
Through counseling, students are taught strategies to help him or her make effective and
healthy decisions, increase the ability to set and reach goals, build better relationships with
others, and be more successful in school. Counselors also work with parents and teachers to
foster student’s growth and development. Counseling will be successful when students,
counselors, teachers, and family members collaborate and work as a team. Counselors also
collaborate with the OIS community through various interactive platforms such as peer
counseling, parent coffees and newsletters.

All counseling sessions are confidential until or unless

1) an individual is a risk to themselves or others
2) an individual’s safety/health is of concern
In such cases, the administration and parents would be notified for continuity of care.
Pradnya.shetty@oberoi-is.org​ or ​Dhanya.Bhatt@oberoi-is.org

Counselors (University)
The University Counseling Department offers personalised attention to guide students for life
after high school. Students have the opportunity to interact with representatives from
universities all over the world, including India, who visit OIS; this gives them an insight as to
what the college offers and what could be a perfect match for each individual. Our goal is for
the student and college to fit perfectly with each other to ensure growth and enhance the true
potential of each student.

Requests for transcripts and recommendation letters from teachers or any official document
regarding applications are done through the University Counseling department. ​A two week
notice period is required to generate any official document.

The university counselors caseload is determined by the letters of student’s first name (as
follows). An email to ​college_counseling@oberoi-is.org​ will go to all 3 university counselors.

Gr.11 & 12 Students

Counselor Email
(by first name)

Tiffany Goulet tiffany.goulet@oberoi-is.org A to G

Minal Dhand Minal.dhand@oberoi-is.org H to R
Catherine Geisen-Kisch Catherine.geisen-kisch@oberoi-is.org S to Z

Credits
A ‘Credit’ is awarded for the successful completion of a year of study of a particular subject.
Successful completion means not only passing the course in terms of a grade of a 3 or above
at the end of each of the two semesters, but also requires a student to have attended at least
90% of the lessons of this course. A student who does a year of English (for example) will get
0.5 credits each semester.
See ‘Graduation Requirements’ for further information.
Credit Recovery (University of Nebraska High School - Credits)
Grade 9-12 students can earn 0.5 credits per class per semester; these credits are required for
the OIS Diploma (see Graduation Requirements). A student can lose credit because they
missed more than 10% of the class in a given semester, or through achieving a grade lower
than a 3. To recover lost credits, students must enrol & successfully complete an online course
offered by the University of Nebraska High School. There is a significant fee for each of these
courses. The school will provide the student with a prescribed framework and a deadline for
successful completion of the course. Students then need to request UNHS to send the online
transcript to OIS.
Contact: ​college_counseling@oberoi-is.org

Crisis Management Plan

The Crisis Management Plan ​offers guidance on what to do in a range of medical, logistical or
dangerous situations. Specifics for students for evacuation and lockdown procedures are
outlined in the the ​crisis management plan​.
At the start of each semester teachers should go through this with their Homeroom Groups as a
reminder of our procedures in different emergency situations. The main emergency procedures
are outlined below.
● Evacuation to the field
Upon hearing the alarm all teachers must lead their classes out of the room, collecting
the red and green signal cards, plus their class register as they go. Students will walk in
silence with their teachers and descend to the ground floor by the nearest side stairwells.
Once on the field students will line up in the subject class that they were evacuated from,
within grade group areas to be registered by their subject teachers. Silence is to be
maintained throughout. Once a class is registered and all students accounted for the
teacher will hold up the green card. If a student is missing (who was previously in the
class before the evacuation) then the red card is to be held aloft so that a search can be
initiated. Students on a study block should report to the librarians to be registered. Staff
without a class may be asked to assist in keeping order.
If an evacuation takes place during lunch or break then students should line up in
homeroom groups.
● Lockdown
Upon hearing the following announcement ​“Attention! Attention! This is a lockdown. This
is a lockdown. Attention! Attention! This is a lock-down” teachers check the corridor
around their room then lock their classroom, turn off the light. Everyone in the room must
keep hidden and silent until a further announcement is made.

Community Project (Gr.8 MYP)

A culminating community project is completed at the end of Grade 8 as part of the MYP. Details
about the community project can be found in the ​MYP handbook​.
Contact: MYP Coordinator ​priyadarshini.ramteke@oberoi-is.org​ or MYP Assistant Coordinator
barbara.batchelor@oberoi-is.org
Curriculum
● IBMYP: This year, OIS follows the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme
(IBMYP) from Gr.6 to 8. Next year, we will have MYP from Gr.6 to 9, and by AY 2019-20
we will have MYP all the way through from Gr.6 to 10.
● IGCSE: For this year, Gr.9 and 10 will be studying towards their International General
Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). Next year (2018-19) will be our last cohort
to sit IGCSE exams. ​Please ​click on the link for IGCSE Options Booklet​.
● IBDP: All our Gr.11 and 12 students are part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme (IBDP). Students can either work towards the full IB Diploma (3 HL, 3 SL,
EE, TOK and CAS), or towards IB Courses (a selection of IB Courses, but students do
not need to adhere to the full diploma requirements)
Here is a link to a folder containing all the ​IBDP courses​ that we currently offer.

D
Deadlines
The submission of written work, or the uploading of electronically submitted work is expected to
be completed at the time a teacher tells you. The latest this can be on any given day is 3.10pm.
Any work submitted that cannot be read, is not regarded as being submitted. Further details
about deadlines and the consequences of missing them are to be found in the ​OIS Assessment
Procedures​ under the subheading ‘Late work and Re-submissions’.

Departments
Secondary is split into the following departments.
1. Language & Literature (Head: Nandini Shah)
2. Language Acquisition (Head: Nadia Fuzier)
3. Individuals & Societies (Head: Sudha Rakesh)
4. Sciences (Head: John Geisen-Kisch)
5. Mathematics (Head: Shraddha Nayak)
6. Performing Arts (Head: Stephen Curren)
7. Fine Arts (Head: Aparna Mugwe)
8. Student support
a. Student Success Program SSP (Head: Michael Lipford)
b. English as Additional Language EAL (Head: Vilma Fernandez)
c. Counseling (social and emotional)
d. Counseling (universities)
E
Early Exits
If a student needs to leave school before 2.50pm on a given day, then parents should email
Florina at ​florina.dsilva@oberoi-is.org​ or Supriya at ​supriya.palav@oberoi-is.org​ and copy in the
homeroom teacher, at least 24 hours in advance (if there is an emergency then please call the
secondary office and speak to one of the secretaries). Departures will be considered a full day
of absence if taken before 9:30am, half day absence before 11:20 and a full day present after
12:45. For medical Early Exits, the nurses will make the decision as to whether or not the
student needs to leave for home. The nurses will inform parents of the decision. Parents who
are aware of a child feeling unwell are asked to encourage the child to see the school nurse.
Students will not be allowed to leave school until they have seen the nurse, regardless of
parental requests in such circumstances.
Once parents have been contacted by the nurse the student can collect the Early Exit slip from
the Secondary Secretaries (Cabin 5B). Security will not allow students to leave the building
without this slip.

ECAs (Extra Curricular Activities)

Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) are activities run either by OIS’s teachers or outside
agencies. The ECA programme is designed to provide secondary students with an opportunity
to have enriching experiences beyond the normal school day. The primary goal of ECAs is for
students to have fun while learning important life skills and developing mastery of certain skills.
ECAs normally run between 3.10pm and 4.20pm on weekdays.

Students are permitted to sign up for a maximum of three ECAs or clubs during each season
(there are three seasons throughout the school year). Students committed to an OIS Athletic
Team can only sign up for one ECA.

There are fees associated with the ECAs. Internally run ECAs have a set fee but externally run
ECA fees are set by the provider. All fees for an ECA must be paid at school prior to being able
to attend an ECA.
ECA contact person: ​gayatri.padhe@oberoi-is.org​ or ​afroz.pannu@oberoi-is.org

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Students who are learning English, or need support for learning through English, will get
support from our EAL department. Most of the support is offered within regular classes, and in
some cases, students will get an EAL class instead of taking an additional language. Further
details about language support can be found in the language policy at this link.

Philosophy

The EAL programme encourages students’ own individuality and appreciation of their cultures,
while giving them the skills they need to fully benefit from the learning opportunities available in
the larger school community. The EAL programme at Oberoi International School prepares and
supports students to function successfully in the mainstream classroom by fostering Basic
Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
(CALP). BICS, or conversational language, includes English needed for oral communication
and context-embedded Language (i.e. non-verbal behavior, intonation, stress, and contextual
cues through pictures or diagrams). CALP refers to context-reduced academic language of the
classroom where non-verbal cues are absent, academic language is abstract, cultural and
linguistic knowledge is often necessary, and the required literacy proficiency is often beyond
most EAL students’ ability.

We recognize that although studies show that students immersed in an English-speaking

environment can acquire BICS (social English), in between six months and two years, it usually
takes five to seven years for them to acquire CALP (academic English), and can take up to ten
years if students lack prior schooling and/or native language support/development.

In fact, as research demonstrates that native language fluency is key to the acquisition of an
additional language, OIS strongly promotes and supports native language fluency as a critical
component of student learning. The EAL department works in partnership with students and
parents to foster each student’s native language fluency by providing education and resources
and guiding parent support at home.

At OIS, we espouse a model where EAL specialist teachers 'push-in' with the EAL students in
certain subject classes, depending on individual student needs, to ensure the students'
successful engagement in the class. Furthermore, EAL teachers facilitate level appropriate
'pull-out' classes where English specific instruction is taught and content from subject classes is
scaffolded, reviewed and reinforced.

Ethical Conduct
OIS places strong emphasis on honesty and integrity. It is an expectation that all members of
the OIS community demonstrate a high level of ethical conduct, being honest, hardworking and
respectful in everything that we do. As partners in educating their children parents in particular
are asked to model honesty and integrity.

Extended Essay (EE)

The Extended Essay (EE) is carried out by IBDP students during the latter part of Gr.11 and the
first half of Gr.12. The EE is an independent, self-directed piece of research, culminating in a
4000 word paper. The EE provides students with an opportunity to work on a number of
important higher order thinking skills:

● Practical preparation for undergraduate research required at tertiary level.

● An opportunity to engage in an in-depth study of a topic of interest within a chosen
subject.

Students develop the capacity to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge. Students are
supported throughout the process with advice and guidance from a supervisor (usually a
teacher at the school). The EE Deadlines are shared with the students through the relevant
Academic Deadline Calendar.
IBO Information regarding the Extended Essay can found here: ​Extended Essay
F
Florina D’souza
Ms. Florina D’souza is the Executive Secretary to the Head of Secondary. She is based on the
5th floor, office 5B, and needs to be copied into any communications regarding absence. She
usually receives any lost and found electronic items from Secondary areas of the school. She
issues Late Passes, Lift Passes, Uniform Slips and Early Exit slips. She can also be
approached regarding the booking of school venues including the Auditorium, Library, Fourth
Floor Staff Lounge or small meeting rooms. Without Florina, we’d all be lost!
Contact: ​florina.dsouza@oberoi-is.org​, 022-42363128

Fourth Floor Staff Lounge

Unsurprisingly this is located on the fourth floor, adjacent to the cafeteria and it used to be the
staff lounge. Now it is a large bookable space often used for meetings and presentations to
groups of up to 150. There are projection facilities and sound facilities can also be arranged.
When it is not in use, staff can still lounge in it, use it for work, or use it as a quiet dining area
during lunch and break times. Bookings must be made through Florina.

G
Grade Level (Pastoral)
Each year group is a Grade level (grade 6, 7, through to 12 etc) The students within a Grade
Level are encouraged to mix and get to know each other through a variety of grade specific
events and activities including workshops, assemblies and trips. Each grade level is divided into
smaller homerooms where a student can form closer relationships with a smaller number of
peers and a teacher whom they meet at least once every day. Whilst a Grade Level will be
identified by a number, they will often be referred to as ‘The Class of 20___” the year in which
they will graduate from high school and be unleashed onto the big wide world.

Grade Level Coordinators (GLCs)

The GLCs are responsible for the pastoral care of all the students within a given grade level.
They will try to get to know all the students within their grade level. They are a ‘go to’ person for
problem solving for students and Homeroom Tutors in that grade. They will also take the lead
with organising Grade Level residential trips. Please see the list of contacts at the beginning of
the handbook for contact information for the GLCs.

Grade MS GLCs Email

6 Tiffany Greer tiffany.greer@oberoi-is.org

7 Takayo Kajino takayo.kajino@oberoi-is.org

8 Neha Makhija neha.makhija@oberoi-is.org

 Grade HS GLCs Email

9 Nikita Shah nikita.shah@oberoi-is.org

10 Kavita Antony kavita.antony@oberoi-is.org

11 Neeta Pandey neeta.pandey@oberoi-is.org

12 Megha Bansal megha.bansal@oberoi-is.org

Grades (Academic)
Grades are given for summative assessments. They are used for reporting to parents in grades
6 through 12 and in grades 9 to 12 they are recorded in order to produce a transcript which can
be requested by universities as part of their application process.

The OIS grading system is from 1-7 in line with that of the IB DP classes and marking system. A
7 is the highest possible grade, awarded for outstanding work, whilst a 1 is awarded if an
assessment is not attempted or the work is unintelligible.

At OIS our focus is not on the grades being as high as possible, but rather on the
learning being the focus of what is happening in the classroom. Therefore discussions
between teachers and students and parents will focus on constructive feedback for
learning rather than on the grade achieved.

Graduation
This is the pinnacle event of the Grade 12 Senior Year. Taking place shortly after the IB DP
exams have concluded, it is when OIS High School Diplomas are awarded to those who have
fulfilled the Graduation Requirements (see directly below). Close family members and the IB DP
Teachers are invited to this formal event when the achievements of the previous years of hard
work are celebrated.
Graduation Requirements
All High School students at OIS must work towards gaining their OIS Diploma. Students may
also pursue IGCSE certificates (Grade 10), the IB Diploma (Grade 12).

OIS is a credit-based institution and credits are awarded when a student achieves at least 90%
attendance for the course as well as achieving a passing grade of 3 or more in that course for
the semester. A student can get 0.5 credits for each course studied during each semester.

OIS Diploma & Graduation Requirements

Grade 9-12 students must keep in good standing (and on track to graduate) in order to be
promoted to the next grade level. ​Students who do not pass a class will need to make-up the
credit. This can be done through an accredited distance-learning course which has an
equivalent high school programme. Currently OIS is using the University of Nebraska High
School courses. Please contact the University Counselors for further information.
All credits must be obtained during grades 9 to 12.

0.5 Credit = 1 semester of a course (To receive credit a student must obtain an OIS grade of 3
or higher and have a minimum of 90% attendance).
Summary of Credit requirements for graduation (until class of 2021)
Number of
Subject Credits
Required
English 4
Foreign Language 4
Social Studies (Humanities) 4
Mathematics 4
Science 4
Electives / other subjects 4
Total 24

Summary of Credit requirements for graduation (from class of 2022 onwards) 

Subject Group # of Credits
English 4
Language ≥ 2 in same language
Humanities ≥3
Sciences ≥3
Mathematics ≥3
PE/Health ≥2
Arts/Design ≥2
Electives/Overflow 7
Total 26
Group 4 Project
This is a collaborative assessment where students of Grade 11 work with students of other
science classes in order to explore a concept or idea through experimentation. It is a
compulsory element of the Group 4 Science courses and provides students with the opportunity
to learn not only about science but also about the skills and characteristics needed for
successful collaboration.
H
Heads of School
The Head of School is Mr. Neil McWilliam. His office is on the ground floor near reception. He
makes most of the big decisions for the whole school, not just secondary and he is always
happy to engage with students. Because he is quite busy, it is best to make an appointment if
you do want to see him. The best way to do this is to email his secretary Ms. Ankita
ankita.maheshwari@oberoi-is.org​ .
Should you need to contact him directly his email address is ​neil.mcwilliam@oberoi-is.org
The Deputy Head of School is Mr. Steve Augeri. His office is next to Mr. Neil’s. You can make
appointments with him through Ms. Ankita as well. His email address is
stephen.augeri@oberoi-is.org

Health and Safety Committee

This committee is made up of representatives from different areas of school life who look at all
aspects of anything related to health and safety of everyone on campus. If you see something
that you think could be dangerous or you have a question relating to your health and safety
whilst at school or on a school organised trip or activity, then please contact Mr. Tony who is the
representative on the committee for Secondary school. Alternatively contact Mr Steve Augeri
who has overall responsibility for Health and Safety on the OGC Campus.
Contact: ​anthony.wright@oberoi-is.org​ or ​stephen.augeri@oberoi-is.org

High School
High School is the term used to refer to Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 combined. They have their
own assemblies and Events Committee. The person responsible for them is the Deputy
Principal for High School Mr. Tony Wright. Students in grades 9 and 10 of High School currently
follow the IGCSE curriculum. Students in grades 11 and 12 of High School follow the IB
Diploma curriculum.
Contact for High School: ​anthony.wright@oberoi-is.org

High School Diploma

A High School Diploma is awarded to a student completing grade 12 in an American-style
education system. US universities and many international universities will recognise an
accredited school’s High School Diploma as recognition that they meet the basic requirements
for entry into University Level Education. The OIS High School Diploma is awarded to students
who meet the graduation requirements through following either the IB Diploma Programme or
through IB DP Courses. The awarding of the OIS High School Diploma is based on our Credit
System (based on 90% minimum attendance as well as passing grades of 3 or higher).
See ‘Credits’ in ‘C’ and ‘Graduation Requirements in ‘G’.
Homeroom
Students will meet as a small Homeroom group each morning (from 7.50 to 8:00am) except for
Wednesday. The purpose of Homeroom is to form a small supportive group of students with a
teacher who meet on a daily basis, with a focus on well-being and pastoral support.

Each Wednesday there is an extended Homeroom period which will be alternately be used for
Assemblies for High/Middle School, Grade Level Events and small group sessions.

Homework
Philosophy
● Homework is intended to help students reinforce concepts through practice, help them
explore concepts through research, help them demonstrate understanding via projects and
prepare students for assessments through revision
● Homework should be based on the students developing their understanding further through
research or application to the real world
● Most homework is considered formative in nature, and is not reported. However, teachers
may give written or oral feedback on the homework.
● Homework must be specific to the objectives of the current topic and should be valid and
relevant.
● Homework is not given before a holidays (short or long) – students may choose to use that
time for extra study but that is their choice.

Holidays
OIS observes some but not all national holidays. It is very important to check the calendar when
arranging travel plans so as not to avoid clashes with school and school related events. Please
see the school calendar for details of when the school holidays are.

I
IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)
Students of Grades 11 and 12 participate in the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme (IBDP). All OIS courses are Diploma-based courses, but students can elect to do
the full IBDP Diploma, or opt for IBDP Courses but will follow the TOK course even if they do
not complete EE and CAS.
In addition, all students are expected to work towards the OIS High School Diploma upon
successful completion of Grade 11 and 12.
The 2 year programme of instruction consists of six main subject groups:
Group 1:​ Studies in Language & Literature
● English HL/SL
Group 2:​ Language Acquisition
● French B HL/SL, French ab initio SL
● Spanish B HL/SL, Spanish ab initio SL
● Hindi B HL/SL
Group 3:​ Individuals & Societies
● Business and Management HL/SL
● Economics HL/SL
● Environmental Systems and Societies SL*
● Global Politics HL/SL
● History HL/SL
● Psychology HL/SL
Group 4:​ Sciences
● Biology HL/SL
● Chemistry HL/SL
● Physics HL/SL
● Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) SL*
● Design Technology HL/SL
● Computer Science HL/SL
Group 5:​ Mathematics
● Maths Studies SL
● Math SL
● Math HL
Group 6:​ The Arts
● Theatre HL/SL
● Visual Arts HL/SL
Here is a link to a folder containing all the ​IBDP courses​ that we currently offer.
Students must choose 1 subject from each of the groups 1-5. If they do not select a Group 6
subject, they may choose a second subject from either Group 2, 3 or 4.
Students must choose 3 subjects at a Standard Level (SL) and 3 subjects at a Higher Level
(HL). Distinctions between the SL and HL courses are the amount of time, intensity and breadth
of study. Higher level course acceptance depends on approval from teachers. This process is
completed at the beginning of Semester Two in Grade 10.
In addition, each student must complete three Core requirements, which include:
1) Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
2) Extended Essay (EE)
3) Creativity/Activity/Service (CAS)
The OIS Programme prepares students for university by ensuring a balanced academic
programme of study alongside holistic learning beyond the classroom.

Contact: IB DP Coordinator Ms. Rucha Bhayani ​rucha.bhayani@oberoi-is.org

IB Middle Years Programme (IB MYP)
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB) is a course of
study for students aged 11 - 16 years (Grades 6 - 10). The Middle Years Programme is
designed to prepare young people for the changing demands of life in the twenty-first century.
● For more information on the MYP, please visit this ​link to the MYP handbook.

Here are the subjects that our MYP students will take (Gr.6 to 10)
Gr.6 to 8 Gr.9 Gr.10

1. English Lang & 1. English Lang & Lit 1. English Lang & Lit
Lit 2. Language 2. Language Acquisition
2. Language Acquisition 3. Individuals and
Acquisition 3. Individuals and Societies
3. Individuals and Societies 4. Int Science
Societies 4. Int Science (Phys/Chem/Bio)
4. Science (Phys/Chem/Bio) 5. Math or Math Extended
5. Math 5. Math or Math 6. PHE
6. PHE Extended 7. Arts (Choose one)
7. Arts (Music) / 6. PHE 8. Design/Research or
Arts(Drama) 7. Arts (Choose two) Design (full year)*
8. Design / 8. Design
Arts (Visual Art) (Digital/Product) *Students who opt for doing
the Design e-portfolio will need
to do full year Design.
● Contact: ​priyadarshini.ramteke@oberoi-is.org​, ​barbara.batchelor@oberoi-is.org

IGCSE
Students in Gr. 9 and 10 follow the Cambridge (CIE) International General Certificate of
Secondary Education (IGCSE) curriculum and have the option to participate in the (IGCSE)
examination at the end of the two year courses.
Our students build understanding and knowledge, and also learn and develop thinking skills to
become independent learners who are equipped for life. At OIS, students are required to take 8
courses:
1. English Language & Literature
2. Math (either core, extended or international math)
3. Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Environmental Management)
4. Humanities (History, Business, Economics or Global Perspectives)
5. World Language (French, Spanish or Hindi)
6. arts (Visual Art, Drama, Music or Computer Science)
7. Physical Education
8. Additional subject (chosen from sciences, humanities or arts)

For students who opt to take the IGCSE exams, they are in May/June of the 10​th​ grade year
(except HIndi, which is administered in Feb/Mar). These exams are graded externally and
results are available in Aug/Sep. All students will receive an OIS report card that is separate
from the IGCSE results.
● Please ​click on the link for IGCSE Options Booklet​.
● Contact: IGCSE Coordinator Dr. Richa Gupta ​richa.gupta@oberoi-is.org
Imprest Account
This is a small account of money that a student and their parents maintain within the school. We
will use this account to pay small amounts for one day field trips, special equipment etc. At the
end of the academic year, any the cost of any missing library books, lost ID cards, locker keys,
etc will be deducted from this account. Our accounts team will inform parents when this imprest
account is running low or is empty.

Individuals and Societies

Departmental Philosophy
The teaching and learning of Individuals and Societies at OIS aims to develop:
● a knowledge and understanding of ways individuals and society interact, and have
interacted, with each other and their environment.
● an enquiring mind with investigative and analytical skills to explore any topic or issue and
come to an informed perspective and understanding.
● the ability to effectively communicate their ideas, knowledge and understanding in a
variety of ways
● a sense of intercultural awareness through respect and understanding of others’
perspectives, values and attitudes.
● an awareness of their own responsibilities at a local, national and international level and
a desire to be active as responsible global citizens.

Information Communication Technology

Departmental Philosophy
Inquiry and problem-solving are at the heart of the Design and ICT curriculum. These are
project-based ICT courses with an emphasis on learning multimedia and document creation
skills for use across all academic subjects and outside the classroom. There is also a strong
focus on developing 21​st century learning skills such as collaboration, communication, critical
thinking and creativity. The program requires the use of the design cycle as a tool, which
provides the methodology to structure inquiry and analyse problems, the development of
feasible solutions, the creation of solutions, and the testing and evaluation of the solution.
Besides being offered as a stand alone subject, Technology is also integrated across the
curriculum. We encourage and enable students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills
from different disciplines to design and create solutions to problems with Design Cycle.

Inquiry Learning
Inquiry is an approach to teaching and learning whereby students work together posing real
questions or problems; solving these making new discoveries; and then using these discoveries
to construct new learning in the future. All of this allows for deep understanding. As a way of
learning it is suitable for all years, including adults. Through inquiry a range of teaching
techniques can be used to move students from ‘knowing’ to ‘understanding’ and may lead to
meaningful action.
In this approach, prior knowledge and experience establish the basis for new learning, and
students’ own curiosity, together with careful curriculum design, provide the most effective
stimulus for learning that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant.
Instagram
@ois_ogc
You can follow the highlights of High School life on Instagram. If you have any pictures you
want to share on Instagram please email them to Mr. Tony: ​anthony.wright@oberoi-is.org

International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO)

The International Baccalaureate Organisation is the body that authorises our accreditation as
an IBO World School. They provide the curriculum and guidelines for the three IB programmes
that OIS operates (Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and the Diploma
Programme). Please see ​www.ibo.org​ for more information.

International Mindedness
OIS defines international-mindedness as a way of viewing the world whereby people of all
nationalities, cultures, religions and lifestyles are valued equally as individuals, and where our
connections with and responsibilities to this rich global community are celebrated, practiced and
considered important.
International-mindedness at OIS means demonstrating the flexibility and curiosity that enables
us to appreciate not only our many differences, but also our common humanity. It means that
we strive to overcome barriers and use our gained understanding to care for each other; to
cooperate for the common good, both at OIS and in our community.

J
JVLR Campus
The new JVLR Campus of OIS opened in August 2017 and is currently open for students in
Kindergarten to Grade 4.
See Oberoi International School under ‘O’ for OGC and JVLR contact details.

L
Language Policy
Here is a link to the OIS - wide ​Language Policy

Late Arrivals
Students arriving at school after 7.45am will not be allowed to enter the building unless security
has been advised in advance that they are arriving late with explicit permission from the
Secondary School Office.
Leopards
No, not the ones that prowl around the Aarey Colony at night!
These are the Leopards who represent OIS in sports. Leopards teams can be seen taking on
the likes of ASB, Ecole Mondiale and Singapore International School at a range of sports. If you
are not in one of the various girls’, or boys’ Middle School, or High School teams, you are
always welcome to come along and roar the Leopards’ teams on!

Library
The Library is situated on the fourth floor.
Circulation of Library Resources
Days Timing No. of resources Time Period

Monday -Friday 7:30 am-4:30 pm 5 books One Week

In addition to literary resources, the library has some resources (such as some extra Graphic
Display Calculators and loaner devices) that a student can check out for a single day if needed.

Students can renew a library resource twice, if there is no demand for the same from any other
user. Reservations may be placed for library resources. Reserved resources will be kept on
hold for 3 days. If not collected, they are either passed on to the next student or shelved.

Reference materials can be accessed in the reading area and used in the library only. These
publications are items that are used extensively by students and teachers for general reference.

Librarians are also able to support students with advice on referencing and citing sources.

Library Expectations

The expectations for the library are as follows:

● The library will not open for students until 15 minutes after the start of lunchtime (use this
time to eat, socialise, move around etc.)
● No food, or drinks are permitted in the library
● Respect others using the library and remember to use your “inside voice”
● Handle library materials carefully and put them back where they belong. This includes
library resources, furniture etc.
● Return borrowed items on time
● No bags, umbrellas, etc. except files and books may be brought into the Library. Storage
space is provided at the entrance of the library for personal belongings
The library rules are intended to create an environment that is conducive to learning that will
ensure all individuals using the facility can work efficiently and effectively without being
disturbed. Those who break the rules may be asked to leave the library and perpetual offenders
risk being banned for a longer period of time.

Care of Library Resources

Students will be held responsible for the resources checked out on their library account. If the
resource is lost/damaged, or vandalized, then it should be reported immediately to the librarian
so as to enable him/her to initiate appropriate action for recovery and settlement of the
student`s library account.
In event of loss/damage of library resources by a student, he/she will have to replace the same
copy within one month, failing which, the current cost of lost/damaged books will be recovered
from the student through the imprest account. No additional library resource will be checked out
till the user makes the settlement of payment of the lost or damaged library resource.

A student needs to give the latest edition while replacing for the lost or damaged library
resource. If the book is one from a set/series title, then a user needs to replace entire series or
pay the current cost of entire set/series.

Printing, Scanning and Photocopying: A black and white printer is available in the Secondary
library. Students are required to pay a fee of Rs. 1/- per copy for the use of the machine.

Copyright

We respect international copyright and intellectual property right law, and will only copy
materials as permitted by law. For Books and Monographs: One chapter or 10% of the
document. For Journals: One article from a journal issue or 3 articles if they are on the same
topic and together comprise less than 10% of the total journal issue.

Educational Fair Use of printed material and recordings: Teachers and educational staff are
permitted to make single copies for their own use in research or classroom preparation of the
following copyrighted works:

● a chapter from a book

● an article from a periodical
● a short story, an essay or a poem
● a chart, a diagram, a picture or a graph from a book or a periodical
● a short excerpt (up to 10%) from a performable unit of music for study purposes.

Lifts & Lift Passes

The school has over 2000 people in it including students and staff and only 4 lifts.
● In the morning, students accompanying their teacher-parents may use the lifts ​until
7:20am.
● Secondary students leaving school ​after 4:20pm​ may use the lifts.
● Students can use the lift if they are carrying a valid​ lift pass​.
● There is a small donation to charity levied on lost Lift Passes.
● Lift passes can be obtained from the Secretaries (or short term from the nurses).
● Lift passes must be renewed fortnightly with a new medical note from a doctor.

Lockdown
See ‘Crisis Management’ under ‘C’.

Lockers
Lockers are given to students in Grades 6, 7 and 8, for Grades 9 to 12 taking a locker is
optional. A key is issued by the homeroom teacher at the beginning of Semester One. The key
should be returned at the end of Semester Two (lost keys can be replaced by Ms. Florina or Ms.
Supriya at a cost of Rs200. Lockers should be used for storage of books, valuables and other
personal items. They should be kept locked at all times so that other students cannot interfere
with personal property of others.
M
ManageBac
ManageBac is our student teacher interface and it handles our attendance data. It will be the
medium of communication for all teaching and learning activities, will provide a platform for work
submission from the students as well as feedback from the teachers. Parents will have their
own access to this for informational contact pertaining to curriculum matters.
Contact: ​puja.srivastava@oberoi-is.org​, ​dipika.ingale@oberoi-is.org

Mathematics
Departmental Philosophy
The Mathematics department believes that all students can and will learn mathematics. The
Math curriculum is designed to promote mathematical competence for all students, meet their
individual needs and learning styles, provide opportunities and experiences that enable
students to enjoy learning and appreciate mathematics by challenging them to reach their
potential and beyond. There are five main objectives in promoting the development of students
to meet the above expectations:
● Gain knowledge and understanding allows students to interpret results, make
conjectures and use mathematical reasoning when solving problems in real-life
situations.
● Investigate patterns supports and enhances inquiry-based learning, experience
mathematical discovery by recognizing patterns and structures.
● Communicate effectively using mathematical language and appropriate representative
forms allows for clear and coherent expression of the understanding of mathematical
concepts.
● Promote risk taking with innovative and creative thinking that enables students to provide
multiple approaches and solutions.
● Provide an opportunity for students to reflect upon their processes and evaluate the
significance of their findings in connection to real-life contexts.

MPH (Multi-Purpose Hall)

Located on the 7th floor this hall is used mostly for PE lessons. It is also the venue for Parent
Teacher Meetings.

Musical
One of OIS’s big traditions is that of producing an annual student musical. This normally takes
place in December and involves over a hundred student performers, backstage helpers and
teachers in organising and producing the performance. It is open to parents and students to
come and watch. Auditions take place in August and new students are particularly welcome to
get involved as this is a great way to make new friends.
N
Nurses
The nurses are located on the Ground Floor. They are available throughout the school day and
a student can visit the nurse if they have permission from a class teacher. In the event that a
student cannot return to class after visiting the nurse, the nurses will contact home and arrange
for a student to go home. The nurses are also available to answer questions from parents about
medical issues.

O
Oberoi International School (OIS OGC & OIS JVLR)
OIS now has two campuses. The original campus at Goregaon-East is known as the Garden
City (OIS-OGC) and the new school is located on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road between
the Western Express Highway and Powai (OIS-JVLR).

Open House
This is an opportunity for parents to meet all their teachers by following their child’s schedule for
ten minute ‘classes’ for course descriptions and introductions.

Optional Trips
There a large number of optional trips for OIS students to take part in. These may be designed
to support (but not replace) curriculum learning. They may have objectives which include one or
more of the following: cultural awareness, service, creativity, leadership, team building, action
and adventure, competition, sport or just plain old fun! Whatever the trip objectives involve it will
meet OIS high standards of care for our students. The trips will often have a minimum viable
sign-up in order to enable us to operate the trip and sometimes trips will not go if the number of
student sign-ups (including deposit payment) is not high enough.
P
Parent Teacher Meetings (PTMs)
These take place twice a year - mid-October and mid-March. With attendance at both well over
90% by parents with their students they provide an excellent opportunity for teachers to share
verbal feedback and concerns with parents and students. They also form the basis of the
relationship between school and home in supporting the student in making decisions about
subject choices for Grade 10 students moving into Grade 11. Counsellors and Support Services
staff are also available for consultation throughout the day.

Performing Arts
Philosophy:
The Performing Arts department believes that by studying music and drama, students will:
● develop a practical and theoretical knowledge of the Performing Arts, and an
understanding and enjoyment of music and drama.
● develop ensemble and individual skills, learning ways to communicate ideas and feelings
to an audience.
● learn how to perform and interpret material and stimuli, and develop their own ideas.
● recognize various styles and techniques used in Performing Arts and how they relate to
cultural contexts.
● promote self-confidence and interpersonal skills, providing tools for success in other
disciplines, allowing a broader view of the world.

Physical and Health Education (PHE)

Department Philosophy:
The Physical and Health Education staff believes in the growth and development of healthy,
physically fit student with understanding of wellness.
Our programme promotes:
● attention to all learning domains: psychomotor, affective, and cognitive.
● child-centered physical activities that promotes physical activity and skill development.
● the student’s physical skills and attributes, a mentality of achievement, teamwork,
communication skills, leadership skills, knowledge, decision making skills, social skills,
health and fitness.

Property Management Services (PMS)

PMS are the incredible team of men women and metaphorical giants who help to keep the
building in amazing condition as well as supporting teaching staff in ensuring facilities are ready
for special events. ​Events forms are to be submitted for an event, at least ten days before the
event takes place.

Prego
Prego is a franchise of the Italian restaurant at the Westin Hotel. It is available throughout the
school day to staff and parents to use. As a privilege it is available to Grade 11 and 12 students
during break times only. All students may use the facility after 2.50pm.
R
Reception
Reception is on the ground floor. All meetings between parents and teachers are conducted in
the small meeting rooms around the reception area. You can also find the Admissions,
Communications, Accounts, Human Resources, PMS, and Travel Teams behind reception.
All visitors (during the school day and not for official events) to the school must report to
reception upon arrival.
Students dropping off cheques for trips or other events should do so only at break times or
before 7.40am so as not to be late for class.
Tel:​ + 91 22 4236 3131 / 199
Fax: ​+ 91 22 4236 3111

Referencing (citations in the MLA style)

Referencing and citing the intellectual property of others is an expectation at OIS - (see
Academic Honesty​). We use the MLA referencing system and students are trained in how to
use this in all of their subjects. Please follow the link below to find out more about the ​MLA
referencing style (from IB).
● MLA cheat sheet for works cited
● MLA cheat sheet for in-text citations

Refuge
There are a number of refuges on the Secondary Floors. These are used at break times for
eating snacks, drinking things and hanging out. They are safe areas and whilst ball games are
not banned, it is expected than nobody on the refuge should feel unsafe because of people
playing roughly or using balls - or other equipment - in a way which might harm or upset others.
Litter should be placed in the bins provided and the refuges should be left neatly at the end of
the breaks.
S
Schedules (Bell and Block)
(see Bell Schedule, and Block Schedule under ‘B’)

Science
Departmental Philosophy:
The Science department at OIS believes in:
● developing an understanding of Science in our surroundings and applying the scientific
concepts in the real life situations.
● delivering an effective student-centric approach to develop scientific inquiry, substantive
science literacy, practical skills, promoting critical thinking and problem solving skills
through hands-on experiences.
● training students to be creative, knowledgeable, critical thinkers and socially responsible
global citizens and empowering them to express points of view, solve problems, and
make informed decisions based on evidence.
● providing opportunities to expand, change, enhance, and modify the ways in which
students view the world and adopting the diverse learning strategies that caters to the
child’s educational needs in a safe and caring environment.
● developing the understanding of the nature of science and international mindedness
during the teaching learning process.

Secondary Leadership Team (SecLT)

The team is led by Sandy van Nooten who is Head of Secondary and has the overall
responsibility for what goes on in Grades 6 through to 12. ​sandy.vannooten@oberoi-is.org
Priya Ramteke is Deputy Head of Secondary with responsibility for the Middle School. She is
also the MYP Coordinator. ​priyadarshini.ramteke@oberoi-is.org
Tony Wright is Deputy Head of Secondary with responsibility for High School.
anthony.wright@oberoi-is.org

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

SLT is made up of the Head of school, Deputy Head of School, Head of Secondary, Head of
Primary, and the IT Director. They meet twice weekly (Day 1 and 5).

Snacks
Students are encouraged to bring in healthy snacks to eat in between lessons on the refuge
areas. There is also the possibility for all grade levels to buy snacks at the cafeteria on the
fourth floor at break times and lunch time. Grade 11 and 12 can buy snacks at Prego on the
ground floor, but only at break and lunch times.
Food cannot be eaten anywhere other than the cafeteria and refuges.
As we are a nut free school, please avoid bringing in snacks containing nuts or nut derived
products.
Stairs
There are 5 stairwells, one central and one in each ‘corner’ of the building
● All secondary students must use the outer stairwells at the beginning and end of the
school day (so that ES students can use the central stairwell)
● The central stairwell can be used at all other times.

Student Council
● The Student Council is elected annually at the start of each school year.
● The current structure is as follows:
o There are separate Middle School and High School Councils.
o Each Grade elects 4 representatives to their respective council
o There is an election of President and Vice-President for each council a week after
the Grade Rep Election. Only those elected as Grade reps can stand to be
President or Vice President.
o The Elections should be concluded by the end of the first month of the school
year.
● Student Council meets during lunch on a weekly basis. HS on Tuesdays, MS on
Wednesdays in the 4th floor staff lounge.
● The president and vice-president are responsible for setting the agenda in collaboration
with the other grade reps.

Student Success Programme (SSP)

Philosophy of the SSP Department

The SSP department has a determination to provide an environment and learning experiences
that promote growth and understanding within a supportive, stimulating and co-operative
community. Respecting each child’s educational and developmental needs we strive to support
the mission of Oberoi International School’s dedication in providing every child the opportunity
to fulfill their potential.

Overview

The Student Success Program (SSP) operates as the cornerstone in serving the educational
and developmental needs of students who demonstrate a need for various levels of learning
support. While we primarily work with students with a documented learning difference, every
day we work with all students in classrooms across many subjects. The school makes every
effort to ensure provisions for various ranges of learning support. We work not simply through
the lens of academia, but instead strive to develop students who are balanced and capable of
making good decisions not just at OIS but after high school and later in life.

Link for ​SSP Booklet

Study Hall Blocks

All Gr.11 and 12 students will have a study hall every second day. They are expected to use
these blocks productively.
Students should register in the library at the start of each Study Hall. They can then use the
library for quiet study, or they can work in other permitted areas (6th floor lobby, cafeteria, or
with a teacher)
Students are not allowed to go to the Ground Floor to visit Prego, but they can use the
cafeteria. Students are not permitted to eat lunch early.
Subject Choices and Subject Changes
Subject choices are made at the beginning of Semester Two. The decisions are made by
students in discussion with their teachers and Counselors.

It is possible that students may request a change of subject; however, there will need to be a
strong rationale and good support from the current and receiving teacher. In addition, there
needs to be space in the receiving class, the time table supports the change without causing
undue imbalance.
The ultimate decision falls to the SecLT along with program coordinators.

● It is important that students consider their subject selections carefully.

● OIS will not entertain ‘teacher shopping’
● Students will be expected to fill in a ‘course change’ form and be prepared to defend their
request on the form and in person.
● It will be extremely rare that we will consider any student initiated course changes after
September of any year.

Swimming
Swimming is one of the most important skills you will learn in life. We offer it as part of our PHE
programme throughout Secondary School. We also have scintillating swimming teams at Middle
and High School level so if you want to take it to a whole new level of competition, you can.
Sign up in August!

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Technology
(For Design and Technology see ​Design​) Technology is part of our lives. Here at OIS we
embrace it. It is part of what we do in our learning. Our BYOD approach means that all students
should have a charged laptop for all lessons. We have iPads that teachers utilise for interactive
learning activities. There are a number of interactive whiteboards also available.
We are always looking for ways to incorporating ways to use technology to enhance learning.

Transcript
This is a documented record of Grades and Attendance for a student in Grades 9, 10, 11 and
12. For most students the transcript is an important part of a university application because it
shows the student’s improvement and consistency in studies throughout the final four years of
schooling. ​Requests for transcripts need to be done through the University Counseling
department. ​A two week notice period is required to generate any official document.
Trips
Aims and Objectives

OIS has a strong commitment to the added value of learning beyond the school day and
premises and our school trips are aimed at fostering the concept of international mindedness.
These trips
● Support the aims of the school;
● Enrich the curriculum and help make learning meaningful and relevant to our pupils;
● Nurture important life skills including self-reliance, teamwork and leadership;
● Encourage students’ intercultural skills;
● Provide opportunities for service learning;
● Follow the highest standards of health and safety.

AY 2017-18 Whole Grade Trips - All trips to take place the week of 19th - 23rd February
● Grade 6 - Ranthambore, Rajasthan
● Grade 7 - Idukki, Kerala
● Grade 8 - Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
● Grade 9 - Yercaud, Tamil Nadu - Outdoor Education and Adventure - Resilience
● Grade 10 - 2 night post-mocks adrenaline rush and reflection trip.
● Grade 11 - Indonesia - adventure, service and cultural awareness.
● Grade 12 - 2 night post-mocks adrenaline rush and reflection trip.

Code of conduct on school trips

● All students on a trip are ambassadors for OIS and therefore the usually high standards
of behaviour, respect for others and the environment are expected.
● It is expected that the same high standards of behavior are maintained on school trips as
at any other times and issues and incidents of student misbehavior will be treated in the
same way as they would be in school. More serious incidents will be reported to the
Secondary Leadership Team back at school and they will be advised or offer advice with
regard to suitable sanctions.
● Students who put their own safety or the safety of others at risk, or who are repeatedly
breaking rules are liable to be sent home from a trip. They will be accompanied by a
teacher chaperone and the cost will be borne by the parents of the child.

Trip payment
● Trip fees are not included in the school fees.
● The school accounts department will set the prices for the trips and will necessarily
include insurance, chaperone compensation and administrative costs in addition to the
obvious expenses such as accommodation, transport, meals and itinerary activities.
● A valid passport with 6 months validity beyond the trip date is required for all secondary
trips within and outside of India.
● Visa fees are not included in the cost of the trips - parents will be billed separately.
● Deposits for trips are non-refundable.
U
Uniform
Students are expected to be in neat, clean full school uniform at all times except during a PE
lesson or a sports ECA/Club
● School shirt, school trousers, closed toe shoes
● School jacket to be worn if cold. Seniors can wear their special ‘senior hoodie’
● PE kit for PE lessons (students must change back into school uniform for subsequent
lessons)
If a student has a problem with their uniform they should get a note from their GLC or from the
Secondary School Office (one of the Principals or Florina or Supriya). Parents notes are not
validated until signed by a GLC or someone in the Secondary School Office.

W
Withdrawal
Relocating parents who are withdrawing the student must inform the ACE department
(​admissions@oberoi-is.org​) ​and the homeroom teacher in advance.
1. The process of refund begins with filling the Student Exit Form.
a. Link for Student Exit Form: ​http://goo.gl/peFS4c​
2. Ensure that all library books and RFID cards are returned.
3. The Transfer Certificate can be collected from the admissions department.
4. School reports of the current year can be downloaded from ManageBac.
5. Refund of Security Deposit and Imprest will be processed by the accounts department
within 60 days. A scanned cancelled cheque of the account nominated to receive the
refund must be emailed to ​admissions@oberoi-is.org

Please note that if the Student Exit Form has not been filled, we will not be able to generate the
Transfer Certificate or process the refund.

World Languages
Philosophy
The World Languages Department believes that in order to function effectively in a global
society, students should be able to communicate in a second/foreign language. The curriculum
is designed to fit the needs of each student from grade 6 through 12. The students may select
from French, Spanish or Hindi. All graduates of OIS must have successfully completed at least
two years of the same language.

We believe that through learning a Modern​ ​Second /​ ​Foreign Language the student will:
● achieve proficiency in the language,
● utilize critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in order to function beyond his or her
current level of linguistic competence,
● develop an understanding and appreciation of his/her culture through the learning of another
culture,

Z
Zebra ​I like Zebras.