INTERMEDIATE AND SECONDARY

Curriculum Guide

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The Student Support Unit

The Student Support Services model at CPS is based on the philosophy that all students can learn and have unique abilities, learning styles, and interests. These differences are valued, as they add to the richness and diversity of our school. Learners respond best to instructional appropriate strategies designed to develop their strengths and provide for their individual needs through differentiated instruction. Accommodations, both in the ways educators instruct and assess, are required in order for students with additional needs to learn and succeed. The goal for all students is to meet or surpass grade-level standards in the CPS curriculum. In order to reach these goals, students must engage in positive learning experiences that emphasize academic, behavioral, and personal commitments.

The Student Support Unit is a multi-tiered support system designed to address the needs of all students for academic concerns, at multiple levels. We have the Student Study Team English and Math focusing on students who need extra support. We also support students either in a one-on-one setting or in small groups. A specific referral process is used to identify students who may be in need of extra support at various levels. Based on a student’s specific needs, a support plan or individual intervention plan is developed with evidence-based interventions guiding the instruction. This plan is regularly monitored for progress and the plan is adjusted accordingly.
 

Counseling Program

Areas of Counseling: There is a wide range of areas in which counseling support can be provided.

Academic Area: low achievement, lack of motivation, concerns, and anxiety about exams, and Attention Deficit Disorder. It also includes supporting gifted students.

Psychological Area: shyness, antisocial behavior, anxiety, stress, depression, negative self-esteem, and irrational ideas.

Social Area: communication skills, adaptation abilities, and social effectiveness skills.

Behavioral Area: self-discipline and support in solving different behavioral problems.
 

Counseling in Intermediate School

Counseling in the Intermediate grade level is a very critical stage. Intermediate is a challenging period for the students, the parents, and the school. The students experience a transformation period from childhood to adulthood. Through the variety of interests we provide the students in the Intermediate, we can shape their characters. Counseling at this stage aims at achieving integrated growth for all students in the fields of academic, personal, social, and career. We help students to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make them reach success and become responsible, respectful, and good citizens. Some examples of the counseling services and programs provided in the Intermediate grade level are:
 

Academic Achievement Support.

1.	Punctuality Improvement.
2.	Positive Behavior Support.
3.	Recommendation Letters for Summer Schools.
4.	Monitoring Students’ Behavior Inside and Outside School.
5.	Individual Counseling Sessions.
6.	Parents Interviews.
7.	Group Counseling Classes.
8.	Other Counseling Services.

 

Counseling in the Secondary School

Counseling at the Secondary level is a part of the schools’ educational program. It aims at achieving integrated growth to all students in the fields of academic, personal, social, and career. At this stage, we also help students to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make them reach success and become responsible, respectful, and good citizens. Some examples of the counseling services and programs provided in the Secondary grade level are:

1.	Academic Achievement Support.
2.	Punctuality Improvement.
3.	Major and Career Guidance Program.
4.	College counseling.
5.	Recommendations.
6.	Positive Behavior Support.
7.	Group Counseling Classes.
8.	Student Council.
9.	Other Counseling Services.

 

Career Guidance Program

Inspired by CPS's mission to empower each student to be a thinking and life-long learner, and in an effort to support the students to choose a suitable major for them, we will create the “Career Guidance Program”. It aims at helping students from grades 9-12 to get adequate information about different careers. It also helps them make the right decision in regards to matching their majors for the right career. The procedure for this program is:

1.	Every student shortlists the careers they are planning to pursue in the future.
2.	The counselor creates a list of the student- names and their choices.
3.	The counselor has list parents and alumni in different careers and distributes the students according to their career choice.

 

We expect parents to cooperate with us and explain this idea to their children to make use of this program.
 

Info for Parents

Important Forms
	1.  Tardiness Form
	2.  Permission to Leave During the Day
	3.  Absence Form
Punctuality

A – Z CPS Policies and Procedures

A. PARENT AND VISITOR ACCESS TO THE CAMPUS

✔	In order to ensure the safety of the students, staff, and visitors are secure while on the grounds of the school, we have limited access for all parents and visitors during instruction time.
✔	Upon entering the school, all parents and visitors must present their CPR (ID) to the security guard and then sign in the guest book kept at the security guard's desk.
✔	Parents or visitors will then proceed to the receptionist who will contact the staff member about the appointment.
✔	They must remain in the reception area until the staff member arrives to escort them onto the campus grounds.
✔	UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES is a parent or visitor to pass the receptionist desk without a staff member as an escort and if they are seen on campus without an escort, they will be asked to return to the reception area.

 

B. LEAVING SCHOOL GROUND

✔	CPS is a closed campus providing safety for students.
✔	Students are not allowed to leave the grounds during school hours.
✔	If a parent wishes to pick up a student early, the student must be checked out directly with the Principal’s secretary.
✔	Parents must give at least one day's notice before a student will be released from the school to anyone else during or after school hours.

 

C. PLAYGROUND AND TELEPHONE USE

✔	The playground is for use during the school day while being supervised by a teacher.
✔	Students are NOT allowed to play on equipment after school. They are expected to be picked up directly after school unless they are registered for an After School Activity program.
✔	School is dismissed at 2:00 pm. Please be prompt in picking up or arranging transportation for students.
✔	Parents, drivers, and maids are requested to stay at the designated pick-up areas for student dismissal. The school wants to ensure each student’s safety while in our care and following the dismissal procedures helps in this process.
✔	If you encounter any difficulties in collecting a student, please contact the secretary's office as soon as possible.
✔	Student use of the telephone must be approved by the office or at the request of a teacher.
✔	Students are NOT allowed to bring mobile telephones to school. If a student is found to have a mobile telephone at school, it will be confiscated and held by a Principal until a parent comes in for a conference.

 

D. RESPECT FOR OUR SUPPORT STAFF

✔	Our support staff (security, maids, maintenance, and office staff) is hired to maintain a clean, safe, and secure environment for students.
✔	If you have any concerns with the way they are doing their job you are requested to bring this concern to a principal or assistant principal.

 

E. PRAYER TIME

✔	Students who are Muslim will pray the Duhur prayer during school hours.

 

F. CURRICULUM

✔	The primary role is to give each student a firm foundation and the confidence to excel through new experiences.
✔	The core curriculum objectives are clearly defined for each subject area, building on skills mastered at each grade level.
✔	Teachers provide for individual, as well as small and large groups, instruction based upon the needs of the students.
✔	Teachers attempt to relate the experiences of the students in their own culture to those in the content areas being studied so that connections can be made in understanding new concepts.
✔	Text and workbooks are utilized to reinforce the content area skills being taught in the classroom.
✔	Additional resource materials, supplied by the school and teachers, enhance the curriculum as supplementary materials.
✔	The curriculum emphasizes English skills, Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Special areas of instruction include reteaching for students needing additional support, Physical Education, Art, and Computer.

 

G. HOMEWORK

Education is a partnership between the school, the student, and the family. The educators at Creativity Private School believe that support at home is an essential part of a student’s education. CPS feels that homework serves five purposes:

✔	to teach individual responsibility.
✔	to serve as an extension of what goes on in the classroom
✔	to give the student practice on a new skill learned in class
✔	to finish something begun in class
✔	to challenge the student by calling for creativity, higher-level thinking, or problem-solving strategies in an area where the student has already shown skill mastery.

In grade one, students are asked to practice reading with parents regularly and will occasionally be asked to show you what they are learning in Math.

At the second-grade level, the students are expected to read daily for a minimum of 15 minutes, building to 30 minutes by the end of the year. A nightly bedtime story lovingly read aloud to the student is also of great benefit and is one of the most important long-term investments a parent can make in his/her student’s education.

Students should do a daily review of the weekly spelling list and should be prepared for a weekly spelling test. Students may also be asked to practice their Math skills or may do occasional work in other subject areas.

Commencing in third grade we begin to take a more formal approach to homework. We believe that home and school should work together to instill the complimentary habits of homework study and free reading. With that in mind, we have established guidelines outlining grade-appropriate expectations for homework and reading. Third-grade students are expected to devote 50 minutes a night to homework/reading. Of those 50 minutes, we would expect on a typical night no more than thirty minutes to be allocated to homework. Some nights students may receive less homework and be able to allocate more time to reading (e.g. 20 minutes of homework and 30 minutes of reading – a total of 50 minutes). The goal is a consistent 50 minutes of homework/reading per night.

At the fourth and fifth grade level, we would expect 60 minutes of homework/reading per night with no more than 40 minutes being devoted to homework.

At the middle and high school level, we would expect 90 minutes of homework/reading per night with no more than 60 minutes being devoted to homework.

Please be aware that the time an individual student takes to complete a given homework is affected by their skill level in the subject and their individual work habits.

If your student is consistently experiencing difficulty with the amount assigned or is bringing homework infrequently, you should consult the homeroom teacher. In determining whether or not your student is receiving the right amount of homework be aware that your student’s teacher may begin the year giving less homework than the guidelines state and then gradually increase the homework as the year progresses. In addition, be aware that as the student progresses through the grades they may receive larger projects or assignments with longer due dates that would require them to budget their homework time over several days. Please note that homework assignments will not be issued over holidays (extended weekends or school breaks). We would however encourage students to continue to read during these times.
 

H. Helping Your Student With Homework

A question parents often ask is how to effectively assist students with homework. Here are some suggestions for working with a student.

✔	Wait for the student to ask for help;
✔	Be available and supportive when help is requested;
✔	Focus on the process of the work rather than the end product;
✔	Understand the importance of the student doing the work, even if the final product is sub-standard. After all, the student is earning the grade, not the parent, and teachers need to be aware of problem areas, not have them masked by too much parent help;
✔	Make sure that the student is able to organize time effectively, which may mean investigating with the teacher the amount of work that is getting done in school; if time management is not the source of an apparent overload of homework, then you should communicate your concern to your student’s teacher;
✔	Be sure that the student has a quiet organized place to do their homework. Their homework area should be well-lit and well-supplied with the necessary stationery supplies;
✔	Help the student to establish a homework routine. Homework will become more consistent if it is done at the same time each day.

 

I. GRADES AND REPORTING FREQUENCY

Progress Reports will be sent out to all students at the end of each term. Teachers may send a progress report home more frequently to report positive news or to keep you informed of trouble areas.

At the end of each semester, a Report Card will be issued. The report card, like the progress report, is to keep parents informed of the student’s performance and effort.
 

J. GRADE POLICY AND SCALE

The grading policy for subject areas is assigned as:

	90 – 100	80 – 89	70 – 79	60 – 69	59 and below
Middle and High School	A Excellent	B Good	C Satisfactory	D Needs Improvement	F Fail Insufficient

 

K. ACADEMIC PROBATION / RETENTION

It is the policy of CPS to monitor and measure the academic growth of all students. If there is evidence that a student is not progressing in a positive manner, the student may be placed on Academic Probation. Academic Probation will be considered as a means to assist a student over a short period of time.

At the end of each term, the administration and teachers will review the academic progress of all students. Students were found to have:
 

Grades 6-12 only:

A grade point average of less than 70 on a 100 reporting scale, will be placed on Academic Probation. Emphasis will be placed on the four core subject areas, English, Arabic, Science, and Math being weighted heavily.

Academic Probation alerts the student they are in danger of failing the grade level. A letter from the principal will notify parents if their student is placed on Academic Probation. A parent conference will be requested with a principal and members of the Student Study Team to determine an appropriate plan of action for the student.

If the student fails to show improvement in the four core subject areas, the student may be retained in that same grade level at the end of the year, and/or outside testing may be required before the family is allowed to re-enroll the student.
 

L. Student Recognition

Students will be recognized for academics and good behavior throughout the school year.
 

M. Retention in the Same Grade Level

Any student on school Probation for 2 or more terms and has failed to improve will be at risk of being retained at the current grade level. Parents will be asked to attend a conference with the teacher, counselor, specialists involved, and principal to discuss recommendations in this situation. The principal has the final decision, which will be made at the end of the second semester. He / She shall approve promotions or retention.

CPS Educational Evaluation System and Promotion Policy