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PARENT HANDBOOK REOPENING

Message from our Leadership Team

Kevin Loft School Director

Dear Parents,

This handbook outlines the procedures in place to support the safe return to in-person learning for all students and our community at Universal American School. The safety and wellbeing of our students remain our highest priority, and we hope this document provides a clear and reassuring overview of the measures we have implemented.

All procedures are fully aligned with guidance from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and other relevant authorities in the UAE. They have also been carefully reviewed in partnership with the AlFuttaim Health and Safety Department.

Our staff have undertaken dedicated safety training and have been provided with comprehensive guidance to ensure they are confident, well prepared, and fully informed of all procedures. This enables a consistent and effective approach across the school, in line with all current requirements.

We hope this handbook provides clarity and reassurance as we continue to prioritise a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. We look forward to welcoming our students back to school.

Kind regards,

UAS Leadership Team

On-site Learning

Teaching and Learning

The school will continue to deliver the full curriculum and operate a normal timetable. The only amendment is that swimming will not take place at this time; PE will be taught instead.

Start and End of the School Day

Drop-off and pick-up times will follow the usual school schedule. This supports a staggered approach and ensures a high level of safety and security for all students.

In line with KHDA guidance, students will not be marked as late; however, the school will follow up with individual families where necessary.

Drop-off Procedures

Parents and carers may drop off their child(ren) between 7:20 and 7:45 AM for all grade levels.

To support the smooth flow of traffic, we encourage students in Grade 1 and above to be dropped off using the designated drop-off bays and to enter the school independently. Students in Kindergarten can be accompanied by a parent/carer to their usual drop-off point.

Please note that students will not be permitted to access the school buildings before 7:20am. Secondary students should make their way to their homeroom for morning attendance.

Pick-up Procedures

Students will be collected from their usual designated areas at the end of the school day.

PreK and KG1 12:45pm 11:10am

KG2-G5 3:15pm 11:20am

G6-G12 3:15pm 11:30am

We respectfully request that parents / carers adhere to the published times and are on time for pick up.

We also ask that parents and students leave the school site immediately once pick up has been completed.

School buses

Bus services will resume when we return to school site. Maverick will be providing bespoke training for their staff, in accordance with RTA guidelines.

Please contact Maverick if you have any specific questions linked to bus services.

Early Collection During the School Day

We recognise that this is an extremely challenging situation. If you decide during the day that you wish to come and collect your child early, you must show your parent / carer pass and collect your child(ren) from the main reception.

Please note that if you wish to transfer to distance learning, you will need to notify the school via the Elementary and Secondary School offices.

Extra Curricular Activities

ECAs will be postponed until further notice.

Break and Lunch Times

All students will have designated indoor areas for recess and lunch. Elementary students are still able to purchase food through the Spare app. Students are still able to purchase food in the cafeteria.

Security

All parents and carers must wear their school lanyards at all times when on school premises. Entry to the school buildings will not be permitted without a lanyard, in line with safeguarding procedures.

Emergency Procedures

T he school has designated safe zones approved by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

A ll procedures are implemented with care and structure, with a strong emphasis on reassurance. Staff will support students calmly throughout, ensuring they feel safe and secure.

If an alert occurs during the school day

• The school will enact Shelter in Place procedures

• Students will move calmly to designated safe zones, away from windows

• Registers will be taken to ensure all students are accounted for

• Normal activity will resume only once an official ‘All Clear’ is received

If an alert occurs during drop-off or pick-up

• Students and parents/carers on site will be directed to the nearest safe zone

• All entrances and exits will be closed

• Movement in and out of the car park will not be permitted until the ‘All Clear’ message is received

Parents and carers are not permitted to enter the school building during the school day or the school site at any time during an alert.

Communication from school during an emergency

During an emergency situation, parents will be informed promptly through official school communication channels, including SMS and approved messaging platforms.

In the event of an alert:

• Parents will receive an initial message confirming that safety procedures have been implemented

• A follow-up communication will be sent once the ‘All Clear’ is received from the relevant authorities and all students and staff have been accounted for

If the status remains unchanged, parents will receive updates every 30-60 minutes.

P arents are asked not to contact the school during an alert, as staff will be fully focused on student safety and will not be able to respond.

Parent Communication Protocols

To ensure the effectiveness of emergency procedures, parents are required to follow clear communication guidelines during incidents. Parents must rely exclusively on official school communications and must not attempt to contact staff directly or come to the school unless instructed to do so.

This approach is essential to maintaining operational control and ensuring that emergency procedures can be carried out without disruption.

P arents are also expected to keep communication lines free for urgent use and to follow all instructions provided by the school promptly. We kindly request all parents to ensure the school has the correct contact details in case of emergencies.

Distance Learning

Our commitment is that no student’s learning should be negatively affected by whether they are in school or temporarily learning from home. While the delivery may look different, the quality of curriculum access, academic expectations, and support will remain consistent.

All students will continue to access the same curriculum, learning objectives, and essential learning. While the method of delivery may differ, the expectation, level of challenge, and support will remain consistent.

Registering your child for online distance learning

All parents who wish for their child to access online learning over the coming weeks must complete the online declaration that has been sent out in the email containing this parent booklet.

• The declaration must be completed for each child.

• If the declaration is not completed, your child is expected to attend school in person.

• Any student who does not complete the declaration and does not attend school in person will be marked as absent.

• The online declaration will be sent regularly to ensure we are aware of who is returning onto school campus so that we can ensure all students are supported upon their return.

• Students registered for online learning, must not return to school without contacting the elementary and secondary offices. This is to ensure that all students receive the relevant safety information and are fully supported.

• Switching between on-site learning and distance learning is managed by the school and is not a day-to-day choice.

UAS Distance Learning Model

In line with guidance from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), schools are required to ensure continuity of learning for all students. As part of this directive, teachers are not permitted to deliver in-person and remote instruction simultaneously, as this may compromise the quality of education. As a result, we are intentionally not operating a hybrid teaching model.

Students attending school benefit from focused, high-quality face-to-face teaching, while students learning from home access asynchronous (non-live) learning, with carefully prepared materials and structured tasks provided through Seesaw for elementary school and Schoology for secondary school

This approach enables teachers to plan effectively for both groups, ensuring that neither experience is weakened, and supports a consistent, high-quality learning experience for all students.

Elementary School Students Distance

learning

• Teachers will upload lesson resources to SeeSaw in advance of the lesson.

• Resources will include all materials needed for students to access the lesson content independently.

• Students will be able to contact teachers through SeeSaw for clarification and support, however the teachers will only be able to respond when they are available as they will be teaching on-site.

• Learning will be asynchronous, allowing students to access and complete work within the expected timeframe.

• For our Level 3 inclusion students who remain online, more bespoke support will be provided by the Inclusion team to ensure they are able to fully access the curriculum.

Secondary School Students Distance learning

• Teachers will upload lesson resources to Schoology in advance of the lesson.