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Announcement of 2021 IB Results: HCIS SETS NEW GROUNDBREAKING RECORD

04 January 2022

Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) is extremely excited to announce groundbreaking success in this year’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) results for the 2021 IB examinations, marking a year of outstanding academic achievements for the IB graduating cohort of 120 students. Read more about the achievements of our Class of 2021 here.

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN TO OUR CLASS OF 2021!

Online ART Submission Requirement for All Students on 03 Jan 2022 before School Reopens

Updated: 31 December 2021 (Original Post: 10 December 2021)

To inculcate social responsibilities and keep the school safe for learning, the government requires all students to submit an Antigen Rapid Test (ART) before school reopens on 04 Jan 2022. The self-administered ART must be carried out within 24 hours before the school reopening to be valid (i.e. from 03 Jan 2022, 8am onwards). For more information on the use of an ART self-test kit, students may refer to MOH’s website here.

All students are to submit their valid self-swab ART result via a google form link provided in an email that the school has sent out regarding this latest requirement. Please make sure to check your mailbox for the email. Online submission of the self-swab ART can only be done on 03 Jan 2022 (Mon), from 8am to 6pm. Kindly note that a valid negative ART result is required for students to return to school. We regret to inform you that students who do not submit a valid ART before coming to school will be directed to return home to complete this exercise before they are allowed to come to school again the next day.

Those who are unwell or have a positive ART result should not report to school. They should follow MOH’s Protocols 1 and 2 respectively. Students placed on Health Risk Warning (HRW) should follow MOH’s Protocol 3 and ensure they have a valid negative ART result before going to school. To learn more about MOH’s protocols, please visit www.covid.gov.sg.

As part of our efforts to educate social responsibility, all students are required to bring a spare ART kit to school everyday in the first week.

For more information, you may contact the school at 6464 7077 during office hours or email us at admissions@hcis.edu.sg.

Reporting to School on Day 1 (04 Jan 2022) in the New Semester of 2022

28 December 2021

Welcome to a new school year in 2022!

Please note that all students are to report to the following venues on Day 1 of school on 04 Jan 2022 for the Flag Raising Ceremony:

Year 1 and PFC students: Indoor Sports Hall

IB1 students: Hwa Chong Cultural Centre Theatre

All other students: Respective classrooms (via Zoom)

Should you have any questions, please contact the school at 6464 7077 during office hours or email us at admissions@hcis.edu.sg.

Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore's Notice to International Students

30 November 2021

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Student’s Pass (STP) holders and Dependent Pass (DP) holders who enter Singapore from 1 November 2021 via the Student’s Pass Holder Lane (STPHL) and Work Pass Holder General Lane (WPHL) must meet the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for entry. This includes post-entry requirements for pass holders who are aged 12 and above at the point of arrival:

(a) Those who entered Singapore before they were fully vaccinated*^ must complete the full vaccination regimen within two months after they arrive in Singapore. Please visit https://www.vaccine.gov.sg for information on getting vaccinated in Singapore.

(b) Those who were fully vaccinated overseas^ must update their vaccination records in the National Immunisation Registry (NIR) within 14 days of completing their self-isolation or Stay-Home Notice in Singapore. To do so, they will need to show documentary proof of their overseas vaccination, and a positive serology test result taken at a Public Health Preparedness Clinic (https://www.phpc.gov.sg) at their own expense. If the serology test result is negative, they must complete the full vaccination regimen within two months of the negative test result.

(c) Those who are medically ineligible for vaccination must, at their own expense, seek medical consultation in Singapore and be certified to be medically ineligible for all COVID-19 vaccines under Singapore’s National Vaccination Programme, within 14 days of completing their self-isolation or Stay-Home Notice in Singapore. Otherwise, they must complete the full vaccination regimen within two months of their arrival.

*Those aged below 18 may enter without proof of vaccination. Nonetheless, all travellers are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated prior to entering Singapore, where possible.

^An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after he/she has received the full regimen of World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines.

2. As part of Singapore’s Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS), individuals must be fully vaccinated to participate in certain activities, such as dining, entering shopping malls or attending performances. Individuals should download the TraceTogether (TT) app (https://tracetogether.gov.sg), which will be updated with their vaccination status after they have completed the steps described in Paragraph 1^@, as proof of vaccination while going around Singapore.

^@Travellers who are vaccinated overseas and present valid vaccination certificates to immigration officers upon arrival may have their TT apps updated with a temporary vaccinated status. This may expire 30 days after arrival. Updating their vaccination records in the NIR as described in Paragraph 1b will allow the vaccinated status to be extended beyond 30 days.

3. Students aged 12 and above who have entered Singapore are reminded to complete the above requirements as soon as possible, if they have not already done so. This will help to keep your child/ward and those around them safe. Please note that enforcement actions, including revocation of passes, may be taken for non-compliance or false declarations. No further action is required for those who have already completed their vaccination in Singapore before travelling overseas, or those below the age of 12.

4. For more information on the vaccination requirements, please refer to the links in the table below. For those who have yet to enter Singapore, you may also refer to the resources below for entry requirements and processes for the various Safe Travel lanes. Those who require further assistance may call the SafeTravel Enquiries Helpline at 6812 5555 or submit a query via the webform at https://go.gov.sg/sto-enquiry. For more information on VDS, please visit https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19-phase-advisory.

Safe Management Measures in School during Stabilisation Phase

29 September 2021

Following the announcement of the national shift to Stabilisation Phase from 27 September – 24 October (both dates inclusive), this letter provides an update to the tightened SMMs in HCIS that will take effect from 29 September.

Examinations (both school-based and national) and curricular lessons will continue with tightened SMMs in schools. Students are to return home immediately after lessons; supplementary lessons like the STAR Programme for Year 1 – 4 will be suspended.

Updates on Contact Tracing (wef 21 Sep 2021)
1. As part of the transition to endemic COVID-19, MOH will be moving to automatic contact tracing to issue Health Risk Warnings (HRW) and Health Risk Alerts (HRA) based on TraceTogether (TT) token/app data. As such, we advise students to carry their TT token or app with them at all times, and to follow MOH’s instructions provided if they were issued HRAs/HRWs and perform self-isolation and tests where necessary.

2. The school must be informed promptly of the receipt of such notification.
3. Recovered Confirmed Cases. Students who were confirmed COVID-19 cases and have fully recovered from COVID-19 are non-infectious upon completion of their isolation order. Students are only return to school after the end of their isolation period. There is no need for recovered students to get a PCR swab test before they can return to school.

Updates on SMMs
1. Fixed examination-style seating for students in all settings.
2. Group work will be allowed for up to two persons.
3. Recess will follow fixed single seating with 1m spacing, with no interaction. Meals can
be consumed in classrooms while still ensuring SMMs are adhered to.
4. PE lessons: All indoor mask-off activities are suspended. Mask-off activities in groups of 2 may be conducted outdoors.
5. Mask-off music and drama classes will be suspended.
6. CCAs and Enrichment: All in-person CCAs, after-school activities and postexamination enrichment programmes that involve intermingling of students across classes/cohorts will be suspended until further notice. However, Online CCAs will continue. Other external activities such as learning journeys are also suspended.
7. Support for high-needs students will continue in class-based groupings.

8. Usage of enclosed common areas: To prevent any intermingling across cohorts the School Library and Student Hub, will be closed during this period.
9. School-based examinations will proceed under existing SMMs but higher-risk groups (i.e. confirmed COVID-19 cases, or students on QO, SHN, LOA, AA) in MOE schools will not be allowed to sit for any school-based End-of-Year examinations.

For the IGCSE and IB examinations, different arrangements are made as outlined in the letter dated 14 September 2021.

We urge all students to adhere to all SMMs in place, practise good personal hygiene and be socially responsible. We look forward to your support as we take the school through these tightened measures for the continued safety and well-being of our students and staff.

We wish you and your family good health and stay safe!

For updates on the COVID-19 situation, you can visit moh.gov.sg or sign up at go.gov.sg/whatsapp to receive the latest information via WhatsApp. For school updates on the key events, you may refer to the 2021 Highlights page. For more information on COVID-19 vaccination exercise for students in schools, you may refer to this page.

Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) Safe Management Measures in School

22 July 2021

Following the announcement of the national shift to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) from 22 July – 18 August (both dates inclusive), this provides an update to the tightened SMMs in HCIS that will take effect from 22 July.

Updates on tightening of SMMs, in line with shift to P2HA

Fixed examination-style seating for students in all settings.
Group work will be allowed for up to two persons.
Recess will follow fixed single seating with 1m spacing, with no interaction. Meals could be consumed in classrooms while still ensuring SMMs are adhered to.
PE lessons will be class-based and consist of only individual mask-off activities in outdoor/well-ventilated venues. There will be no group activities.
Mask-off music and drama classes will be suspended.
All in-person CCAs and non-essential enrichment will be suspended until further notice. External activities such as external CCAs and learning journeys are also suspended. Online CCAs may be conducted.
Support for high-needs students will continue in class-based groupings.
Usage of enclosed common areas, such as the library and student lounges, will be strictly regulated with strict cohortisation and supervision. School gyms will only permit low intensity activities (i.e. masks on at all times) with wipe down and safe distancing regimes enforced.
For students, including their household members, who may have received an SMS from MOH with either a “Health Risk Warning” or “Health Risk Alert”, the following actions will be taken. Please ensure that the school is kept informed of such instances.

10. In alignment to a more extensive testing regime, MOH may place casual contacts of a confirmed case on phone surveillance, and conduct a mandatory swab at the end of their phone surveillance period.

(a) Based on existing guidelines, if students or their household members are on phone surveillance, they are not placed on AA. The students can continue to come to school while on phone surveillance.

(b) If required to take a mandatory swab test at the end of their phone surveillance period, he/she may be required to self-isolate until the test result is negative.

We look forward to your support as we take the school through these tightened measures for the continued safety and well-being of our students and staff.

Updates to Leave of Absence and Approved Absence

06 July 2021

1. In line with the national posture, students had gradually returned to school for the new term since 28 June 2021.

2. To keep our students and schools safe, HCIS will take reference from MOE on its Leave of Absence (LOA) and Approved Absence (AA) policies to ensure that students or staff with possible risk of infection stay away from school.

3. As part of the screening measures, these students should not go to school:
a. If students or individuals (6 years old and above) in their household are unwell with flu-like symptoms.
b. If students or their household members are required to undergo mandatory testing due to a COVID-19 cluster.
c. If students are placed on AA, LOA, Stay Home Notice, or under a Quarantine Order.

Details of the enhancements are shown in Annex A.

4. If your child/ward belongs to any of the above categories, please alert the school via your child/ward’s Form Teacher so that the school can provide the appropriate guidance.

5. Students should practise good personal hygiene both in school and at home. Students and their household members should seek medical attention immediately if they are unwell with flu-like symptoms (even mild symptoms) and should undergo a COVID-19 swab test. We strongly urge all parents to comply with our screening policy to keep their children at home and inform the school immediately if there are household members who have flulike symptoms, or are awaiting results of a mandatory swab test.

6. With your strong partnership, we are confident that HCIS will remain a safe place for all students to learn and develop holistically.

School Arrangements During Phase 3 (Heightened Alert)

15 June 2021

1. As Singapore moves into Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) with gradual easing of community safe management measures (SMMs), our school will progressively bring students back to school after the June school holidays. We will continue to adhere to SMMs to keep students and staff safe.

2. To ease into full resumption of school when Term 3 begins on Monday, 28 June 2021, the following arrangements are made:

From Monday, 28 June 2021, Year 3 to IB2 students will return to school.
Year 1 and 2 students, including PFC class, will be on Home-Based Learning (HBL) till Wednesday, 30 June 2021, and will return to school from Thursday, 1 July 2021.

3. All levels of students will return to school from Tuesday, 6 July 2021 onwards, as Monday, 5 July 2021 is a school holiday (Youth Day).

4. In-person Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) will gradually resume from the second week of Term 3, starting with low-risk activities. More details will be shared at a later date.

5. IB2 Mid-Year Examinations will proceed as scheduled from 28 June to 2 July 2021.

6. All in-person classes and other activities on campus are subject to strict SMMs.

Safe Management Measures in School

7. We will ensure that SMMs are in place to keep students safe, such as:

Wearing of masks in school and on campus at all times;
Daily temperature-taking in schools, and continued temperature and symptom screening at school entrances.
Students/staff with Acute Respiratory Infection symptoms will be required to stay away from school and are advised to see a doctor;
Regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces and disinfection of premises daily;
Frequent hand-washing throughout the school day and the wipe-down of tables after use;
Fixed exam style seating in class;
Safe distancing of at least 1m spacing in canteens, classrooms or at appropriate venues during recess and lunch break;

8. Students should have their TraceTogether token or app with them throughout the school day to facilitate accurate contact tracing, should the need arise. Visitors and staff must check in using their TT token or app to be allowed entry into the school, and they must have the token or app with them throughout.

9. We strongly urge all parents and students to play their part by continuing to be socially responsible, to minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection in school. It is crucial that all students and staff continue to adhere to screening measures and practise good personal hygiene. If feeling unwell, students and staff should seek medical attention immediately, and not come to school. Parents are to keep their children at home if there are children or adult household members who are unwell with flu-like symptoms. They can return to school if their household members are tested negative for COVID-19.

10. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make adjustments in accordance with the national posture.

All Students to Bring Along Student Identification Cards for Vaccination Appointments

10 June 2021

1. All students are reminded to bring along their student identification cards for their vaccination appointments, with immediate effect.

2. All students under MOE’s vaccination exercise should bring their student identification cards when registering at the vaccination centre (VC). This will enable the VC staff to verify that these students are part of MOE’s vaccination exercise. (Note: Should the student not have their identification card with them, they should verbally inform the VC staff of the school they are studying in.)

Updates on COVID-19 Vaccination Exercise for Students in Schools

03 June 2021

1. Students will be asked to answer a detailed set of medical screening questions when they arrive for their vaccination appointments, to ensure that they can be safely vaccinated. We have attached a copy of the Medical Declaration Form, which contains questions that students will need to answer on-site, for your reference. Parents are encouraged to explain to their child regarding the information required at the vaccination centre. An information sheet on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine prepared by MOH is also attached. Also, please try to be contactable on your mobile number during the expected appointment time of your child, should there be a need for the vaccination centre staff to call you to verify any information.

2. For parents who are unable to access the SMS invite (e.g. both parents are overseas, and/or do not have a local mobile number), you may authorise a Singaporean Citizen / Permanent Resident (e.g. adult family member) to book a vaccination appointment and complete the Medical Declaration Form on your behalf. Please inform us of the full name and contact details of this authorised individual. We will issue two hard copy forms: (i) Letter of Consent and Authorisation; and (ii) Medical Declaration Form, both of which need to be signed and completed. On the day of the vaccination, the student should bring both of these forms to the vaccination centre.

COVID-19 Vaccination Exercise for Students in Schools

01 June 2021

MOE is commencing COVID-19 vaccination for students in schools and Institutes of Higher Learning as part of the national vaccination exercise.

From 1 June, parents/legal guardians of students taking their IGCSE or IBDP examinations this year will receive the SMS invites to schedule students’ vaccination appointments. Parents/legal guardians of all other eligible students aged 12 and above will receive the SMS invites over the next two weeks. In the event that you do not receive any SMS invites by that time, please inform the school and we will follow up and advise you accordingly.

Parental/legal guardian consent is required for students below the age of 18 when booking vaccination appointments via the National Appointment System. Parents/legal guardians of students aged 13 and above are not required to accompany their child/ward for the vaccination.

While the COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory, we would like to encourage all medically eligible students to be vaccinated when the vaccine is made available to them and to register for a vaccination slot early. Do consult your child’s/ward’s doctor if your child/ward has underlying medical conditions that might affect their medical eligibility.

MOE will be organising webinars on 1 June (5pm– 6pm) and 3 June (12pm – 1 pm) to address questions you may have regarding the vaccination exercise for students. The webinars will feature a MOH medical expert and MOE representatives. The webinar link is https://go.gov.sg/moevacwebinar (Password: MOEVac).

ou may share your questions with MOE before the webinars via the link to the survey form, available here: https://go.gov.sg/moevacqn. Due to the limited capacity of the webinars (3000pax), attendees will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis. Video snippets from the webinar will be uploaded online after the sessions.

Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) Safe Management Measures in School

17 May 2021

1. In view of the current COVID-19 situation, the school will further strengthen Safe Management Measures from Monday, 17 May 2021. The following measures will be implemented before the school shifts to full Home-Based Learning from 19 May onwards.

Classroom Setup

2. No group work will be permitted and we will continue to enforce strict fixed exam-style seating at all times.

Mask-Wearing Policy

3. All students and staff will wear surgical or reusable masks of equivalent effectiveness. Face shields will not be allowed unless a medical condition requires it to be worn.

4. Masks must be worn at all times except when eating or drinking. One must refrain from speaking when masks are off for eating or drinking.

5. All mask-off performing arts activities (e.g. singing/instrument playing) will be suspended.

Visitor Policy

6. The school will not be able to facilitate visits from external parties and/or parents unless for exceptional circumstances.

7. Prior Appointment must be made if a physical visit to the school is necessary.

Recess

8. The school canteen will remain open to serve only students and school staff. However, only takeaways are allowed.

9. Students are highly encouraged to packet their own food for recess, or packet food from the school canteen. They can consume their food in their form classrooms.

10. In our bid to minimise the use of plastic/styrofoam, students are encouraged to bring their own food containers and utensils as far as possible.

Physical Exercise, CCAs and Remedial Classes

11. For PE, lessons will be conducted in class, focusing on theory learning.

12. CCAs and remedial classes will be suspended.

13. Students are not allowed to stay behind after school.

Home-Based Learning

14. School will shift to Home-Based Learning (HBL) with effect from 19 May till end of the term. In preparation for HBL, Form Teachers will be informing our students to bring home all their essential learning materials starting from Monday, 17 May 2021.

15. The school has had three HBL Days this year: 28 January, 10 March and 23 April 2021. Hence, our students are familiar with the format of e-Learning and also on how to access the various learning platforms.

16. During HBL, instructions and lesson materials will be clearly communicated to students by the subject teachers. Lessons may be synchronous or asynchronous.

17. Subject teachers will also be meeting the students for live lessons to ensure that students are on task and allow the students to clarify any doubts that they might have.

Examinations

18. IGCSE and IB examinations scheduled in May and June 2021 will continue as planned with strict safe management measures in place.

Year 1 – 5 Parent-Teacher Interaction (PTI)

19. PTI scheduled on 28 May will be conducted virtually.

20. Form and Subject Teachers will also be following up with parents via emails.

Stay Home If Unwell

21. Should your child be unwell, please take him/her to see a doctor. He/she must not report to school till he/she recovers. Students with adult household members who are unwell should also remain at home.

22. For both situations, we appreciate you notifying the Form Teacher about this.

Travel Declaration

23. We would like to also remind parents/guardians of the need to put up a travel declaration for your child/ward if he/she intends to travel during the June holidays. More details can be found in our circular dated 10 May 2021.

TraceTogether-only Safe-Entry Tokens/App

24. Finally, all students should have the TraceTogether-only Safe-Entry tokens and/or App (wef 17 May 2021).

25. Please help us to also remind your child to continue to maintain these safe management measures and to observe safe distancing in and after school.

26. We look forward to your support as we take the school through these heightened measures to safeguard the wellbeing of our students and staff.

Travel Declaration for June Holidays

10 May 2021

MOH has advised Singapore residents to defer all travel overseas, unless it is permissible under the prevailing MOH travel advisory. (Please refer to this Travel Declaration Document’s Appendix for details)

To ensure schools continue to be a healthy and safe environment for all, we require parents/guardians to make a travel declaration for your child/ward only if he/she intends to travel for the June holidays. NIL return is not required.

Please declare your child/ward’s travel plan(s) for the June holidays by 21 May 2021 (Friday), using the reply form on the next second page of the Travel Declaration Document. If your child/ward is travelling, please indicate clearly both the country and city of travel. Only one parent is required to declare.

When planning your travel, please refer to the attached advisory on travelling. If there is a change of travel plan(s) after the declaration, please inform the school directly rather than through Parents’ Gateway (PG).

Thank you for your partnership and support to keep our school safe.

Strengthening of COVID-19 Safe Management Measures in Schools

06 May 2021

In line with the Phase 3 – Heightened Alert national stance from 8 May 2021 to 30 May 2021, HCIS will enhance current safe management measures (SMMs) for the continued safety and well-being of students and staff. These measures will apply on top of the existing SMMs on safe distancing, screening and hygiene.

The enhanced SMMs will include exam-style fixed classroom seating and activities groups reduced from eight persons to five persons, reduction of overall capacity for all activities, including lectures, to a maximum of 50 persons and suspension of activities conducted in public spaces such as learning journeys and other external activities such as external CCAs. Restricted student group gatherings will be enforced in school premises including the canteens, with a limit of five per group.

School-based activities such as Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) will continue, subject to the tightened SMMs. School-based mid-year assessments will proceed.

In tandem with the national roll-out, TraceTogether-only SafeEntry will be implemented in school from 17 May 2021. Students should have their TT token or app with them throughout the school day to facilitate accurate contact tracing, should the need arise. Students will show their TT Token/App to their teachers in class during daily attendance and temperature taking. Students without the TT Token/App would be reminded to bring their Tokens/smartphones with the TT App to schools. Visitors and staff must check in using their TT token or app to be allowed entry into the school and must have their TT token or app with them throughout.

It remains crucial that all students and staff continue to adhere to screening measures and practise good personal hygiene. We strongly urge parents and students to play their part by continuing to be socially responsible. If feeling unwell, students and staff should seek medical attention immediately, and are required to stay away from school.

All teachers will continue to monitor the progress and well-being of the students and provide support where necessary. The school sincerely seeks your kind understanding on the school arrangements, in the interest of safeguarding the well-being of the students, staff and the community.

Arrangements for First Day of School and Use of TraceTogether (TT) App and Token

29 December 2020

To ensure that schools remain a safe place for teaching and learning, Safe Management Measures (SMMs) will continue to be observed when the school reopens, including visual screening and temperature-taking of individuals, observance of high standards of hygiene, and safe distancing between students and staff. Students who are unwell with flu-like symptoms such as fever or cough are reminded to seek medical attention and stay away from school.

With the pervasive usage of TT, whether in the form of TT tokens or with the use of smartphones with the TT App, it will support existing contact tracing efforts to ensure that contact tracing is carried out swiftly and effectively when necessary, to achieve quick isolation of close contacts. To reinforce the need to use TT, TT-only SafeEntry will be implemented in school, as part of a nation-wide effort to ensure high levels of usage of TT at public places. This will give us greater assurance as we progressively resume more activities and to ease certain restrictions, both in and out of school.

TT-only SafeEntry will only be implemented in the school when all students have had a chance to collect a Token, either as part of the national distribution exercise at a Community Club/Centre (CC) in their respective constituency, or as part of a follow-on school distribution effort for those who had missed out on the earlier distribution of Tokens by the CCs. As the Token distribution exercise is still on-going and will be so till at least February 2021, the school will not make it mandatory for students to have their Tokens when school reopens on 11 January 2021. The tokens will only be required in school after the nationwide distribution is completed.

School Arrangements in Phase Two of Post-Circuit Breaker

19 June 2020

As Singapore transits into Phase Two of post-Circuit Breaker, the current system of students attending school by weekly rotation will end on 26 June 2020. Starting from 29 June 2020, all students from various levels will return to school daily and adhere to the new reporting time of 0815 hours so as to reduce the morning congestion as far as possible. The school will allow more student learning and development activities to resume while continuing to observe existing safe management measures and prevailing national requirements for the learning environment to remain safe. During this safe transition period, the school will continue to suspend mass assembly programmes, external school activities and large scale events. Physical Education lessons which allow group activities and small-sided games will be conducted involving minimal physical contact with a limit of five per group.

After the conduct of IB2 Mid-Year Examinations from 29 June 2020 to 3 July 2020 and Year 1 to IB1 Standardised Assessments from 29 June 2020 to 9 July 2020, the school will continue with the current timetable (following the new reporting time) which will be refreshed after the mid-term break instituted from 20 July 2020 to 26 July 2020. From 27 July 2020 onwards, the school will bring back co-curricular activities which are essential elements of the school experience, with minimal inter-mingling across classes and levels in a safe, progressive manner pending the situation surrounding community infections.

Safe management measures in the school will continue to include the key aspects of safe screening and personal hygiene. Daily temperature-taking and visual screening for all students and staff will be done. Students and staff who are unwell, or who have household members on Home Quarantine Order/Stay Home Notice or have adult household members with flu-like symptoms are required to stay away from school. Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces and disinfection of the premises will be done daily. Students will continue to practise frequent hand-washing throughout the school day.

Pertaining to social distancing and safety protection, efforts will be made to ensure that the students maintain safe distancing of at least one metre in line with the national posture. There will be regulated seating in classrooms with group work of up to five students allowed during lessons. Restricted student group gatherings will be enforced in school premises including the canteens, with a limit of five per group. All students attending school are encouraged to bring packed food which could be consumed in the classrooms. It is a requirement for all students and staff to wear masks at all times where applicable. In situations where the wearing of masks may not be practical, for example in the case of those with health conditions, they may wear face shields instead.

All teachers will continue to monitor the progress and well-being of the students and provide support during this safe transition period. The school sincerely seeks your kind understanding on the school arrangements, in the interest of safeguarding the well-being of the students, staff and the community.

Expanded Surveillance Testing for COVID-19

09 June 2020

Since 2 June 2020, the Singapore Government has expanded surveillance testing for COVID-19. The school would like to share the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, Singapore and what it means for the students.

Parents/guardians should accompany their children who are unwell, with respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat and runny nose, to see a doctor and be assessed for Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI). If diagnosed with ARI, the student will be prioritised for COVID-19 testing and referred by the doctor for testing at a polyclinic, designated general practitioner clinic participating in the Swab-and-Send-Home initiative or Regional Screening Centre set up by the Health Promotion Board, Singapore.

Kindly be informed that an identity card with NRIC number (for local students) or a student pass with FIN number (for international students) would be required for the testing. Results will be available within two to three working days and the doctor will contact the student or parent/guardian about the results, who must follow up to inform the school. The payment for the test will be covered by the Singapore Government.

The testing will also apply to school staff, complementing the other safe management measures which have been put in place in the school to safeguard the well-being of all students and staff.

All teachers will continue to monitor the progress and well-being of the students and provide support during this period. From Term 3 Week 5, the school will work towards bringing all students back to school daily if permitted by the situation, which is closely monitored by the Ministry of Education, Singapore.

School Reopening After Circuit Breaker Period

27 May 2020

With the end of the Circuit Breaker period on 1 June 2020, the school earlier communicated on the plan to progressively bring the students back to school from 2 June 2020 for Term 3, in a careful and safe manner.

While the school need not follow the exact rotational arrangements required of mainstream schools in Singapore, further deliberation has been exercised with the key principle of reducing the number of students in school at any point in time to only half of the school’s total student enrolment. As part of safe management measures, intermingling across classes and levels at the Main Building where the IB Programme is conducted should be minimised as far as possible to keep students and staff safe.

In light of the above, students from the various levels will rotate weekly between home-based learning and returning to school for lessons during Term 3 Week 1-4 based on the following updated rotation schedule:

Rotation Schedule	Term 3 School Reopening
Levels	Week 1: 2-7 June 2020	Week 2: 8-14 June 2020	Week 3: 15-21 June 2020	Week 4: 22-28 June 2020
Year 1, Year 3 & IB2	School Learning	Home-Based Learning	School Learning	Home-Based Learning
Year 2, Year 4 & IB1	Home-Based Learning	School Learning	Home-Based Learning	School Learning
Year 4 IGCSE	School Learning	School Learning	School Learning	School Learning

All students attending school for the designated weeks are expected to report by 8.00am for attendance-taking before lessons commence from 8.15am onwards. To reduce congestion as far as possible, the truncated timetable for Term 3, which is to be disseminated in due course before school reopening, will be implemented.

As students are returning to school after a long break, the school’s focus is on re-integrating the students into school life and its routines, and gradually returning to the normal intensity of teaching and learning. The priority will be on ensuring their well-being, by providing them time to re-connect with their peers and teachers, and to re-establish learning routines.

The school will ensure that safe management measures are in place to keep students and staff safe when they return to school for lessons. Daily temperature-taking with additional visual and question screening will continue to be carried out for students and staff. In addition, those who are unwell, or who have adult household members on Home Quarantine Order /Stay-Home Notice or have flu-like symptoms such as fever and cough, will be required to stay away from school. All students and staff are required to wear their masks or face shields, except during PE lessons when students and PE teachers need not wear masks due to engagement in strenuous physical activities. The school will procure face shields for teachers to facilitate their teaching in class. Any student attending school is advised to bring a spare mask and a clean, resealable bag to keep their mask during PE lessons.

All students are strongly encouraged to practise frequent hand-washing throughout the school day. The school will clean high-touch surfaces more frequently and disinfect the premises daily. Intermingling across classes and levels will be minimised. There will be regulated seatings in classrooms and restricted gatherings in school premises including the canteens. Any student attending school is advised to bring packed food which could be consumed in the classrooms. To reduce congestion as far as possible, the truncated timetable for Term 3 will be implemented which is to be disseminated in due course before school reopening.

All teachers will continue to monitor the progress and well-being of the students and provide support during this transition. From Term 3 Week 5, the school will work towards bringing all students back to school daily if permitted by the situation, which is closely monitored by the Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Extension of Circuit Breaker Period

22 April 2020

Since the implementation of full Home-Based Learning (HBL) on 8 April 2020, the school has been making efforts to ensure that students are able to continue with meaningful learning from home. Many students have adapted to learning from home and demonstrated themselves to be self-directed learners during this challenging time. It has been a period of adaptation for everyone, especially for teachers, boarding staff and students who have risen to the challenge.

With the decision of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce, Singapore to extend the Circuit Breaker period till 1 June 2020, the school will commence the Semester 1 break earlier on 5 May 2020. While HBL has been going well, it has been an intense period for teachers and students. An early Semester 1 break will give everyone a respite, while allowing time for a less restrictive school opening in June 2020. The school would like to highlight that staff and students should defer all overseas travel during the Circuit Breaker period, in line with the Ministry of Health, Singapore travel advisory issued earlier.

School lessons will resume on 2 June 2020 (more details on the format of these lessons – physical classes, partial HBL or full HBL – will be released in due course depending on the national posture at that time). This means that Term 3 ending on 4 September 2020 will be stretched longer, but a one-week mid-term break will be instituted from 20 July 2020 to 26 July 2020.

Please be informed that on 4 May 2020, there will be no HBL lessons as the day will be dedicated for IB1 and IB2 online consultations with teachers on IB coursework. On 1 June 2020, only specific groups of Year 4 IGCSE, IB1 and IB2 students will be informed by their respective teachers to be in school provided the situation allows it. We would like to stress on the importance of students attending school in June 2020 with lessons based on the normal timetable in facilitating the smooth transition from Term 2 to Term 3. The lessons will help prepare students essentially for the Term 3 Standardised Assessments scheduled which will be held from 29 June 2020 to 10 July 2020. For school updates on the key events (especially the postponement of Year 1 to IB2 Parent-Teacher Interaction in Term 3 to 6 August 2020), you may refer to the school website via 2020-HCIS-Key-Events.pdf.

The school will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and provide the necessary support to both boarding and non-boarding students. Appropriate measures will be adopted in the school to help students cope with the change in curriculum time and the demand of the year-end school-based examinations. Please continue to support the school and exercise good care to stay healthy as the situation evolves with uncertainty.

For updates on the COVID-19 situation, you can visit moh.gov.sg or sign up at go.gov.sg/whatsapp to receive the latest information via WhatsApp.

Full Home-Based Learning (HBL) Implementation

04 April 2020

The Ministry of Education, Singapore has been taking the necessary precautionary measures to safeguard the well-being of students and staff in schools. Going forward, in alignment with the latest efforts of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce, Singapore to further enhance safe distancing measures, schools are now required to step up their safe distancing measures.

Starting from 8 April 2020, the school will shift to full HBL implementation till 4 May 2020. Classes will resume on 5 May 2020 given that the situation allows. The COVID-19 situation will continue to be closely monitored to assess if the full HBL implementation needs to be prolonged.

The earlier HBL Day experience has prepared the students, parents and teachers for more extensive use of HBL. During the full HBL phase, the teachers will continue to engage their students through instructions or activities via video conferencing platforms and give them support to access a range of both online and hardcopy HBL materials. In this way, learning following the truncated timetable can continue uninterrupted. Online assessments will be conducted meaningfully when necessary to promote ownership and accountability of the students in learning from home. During this period, the students may rely on the ongoing support of their teachers and other school personnel who will continue to work from school or home. School staff will also keep in regular contact with the students.

The Year 1 to IB1 Mid-Year Examinations originally scheduled to be held from late April 2020 to early May 2020 will be cancelled to reduce anxiety for the students. Please be informed that there will be no Year 1 to IB1 student progress reports issued in Term 2, coupled with the cancellation of Year 1 to IB1 Parent-Teacher Interaction initially planned for the end of this semester. However, these students will be informed of the Term 3 Standardised Assessments which will be conducted from 29 June 2020 to 10 July 2020 in terms of the assessment weighting, arrangement and coverage in due course. The communicated schedules for IB2 Parent-Teacher Interaction (without physical meeting) and IB2 Mid-Year Examinations will remain unchanged in support of IB2 preparation for the IB Examinations currently still projected to be held in Term 4 provided that the condition allows.

While recognising that education is a social process, the school will endeavour to make the best of it in the implementation of full HBL given the current COVID-19 situation. Please continue to support the school and exercise good care to stay healthy as the situation evolves with uncertainty.

Home-Based Learning (HBL) Days

28 March 2020

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, schools have been implementing a strict regime of precautionary measures to safeguard the well-being of staff and students. With further enhanced measures, the Ministry of Education, Singapore has been able to open schools as planned following the March school holidays. However, the recent spike in imported cases signals a new phase in the nation’s fight against COVID-19. To support further safe distancing, the school will progressively transit to a blended learning model with HBL Days.

For the month of April 2020, the school will conduct scheduled HBL Days according to the following arrangement involving different weekdays so that no particular subject would be adversely affected in terms of reduced curriculum time (till further notice):

Instructions will be provided by teachers to students on accessing HBL materials to continue with their learning. While digital technology will play a key part in HBL, students can rely upon the ongoing support of their teachers and other school personnel. We are conscious that HBL will not be able to fully replace the depth and variety of learning experiences that students derive from being physically present in school, and the shift to HBL will have impact on student learning. Hence, the school would progressively introduce HBL so as to allow students and parents to be better prepared should the COVID-19 situation call for more extensive HBL arrangement.

On days where students are not on HBL, the school is staggering dismissal times to reduce the transient congestion of students, in tandem with the implementation of the truncated timetable starting in Term 2 Week 2. Co-curricular activities, external activities and those that involve mingling of students across schools will remain suspended for the rest of Term 2. All students and staff are reminded to continue practising good personal hygiene and social responsibility throughout the day and even at home. This includes washing hands frequently with soap, wearing a surgical mask if they have a cough or runny nose to prevent infecting others, seeing a doctor if they are sick and returning to school only when fully recovered. All students and staff returning from Approved Leave are strongly advised to wear a surgical mask throughout the day for one week upon return to school. Please exercise good care to stay healthy as the COVID-19 situation evolves with uncertainty.

Additional Ring-Fencing Measures

19 March 2020

The Ministry of Education, Singapore has been working closely with schools to continue the implementation of enhanced precautionary measures for managing COVID-19 spread to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff.

In light of the evolving worldwide COVID-19 situation and the rise in imported cases into Singapore recently, we will be implementing additional ring-fencing measures to ensure the school remains to be a safe environment for learning. In addition to the national Stay-Home Notice (SHN) regime (please refer to the Ministry of Health, Singapore website for latest updates), we will be instituting a 14-day Leave of Absence (LOA) for students and staff who have returned from overseas, regardless of country or mode of entry, on or after Saturday 14 March 2020. The day of arrival will count as Day 0 and last for 14 days. This additional measure is put in place to further mitigate the chances of imported cases entering the school compound. For all vendors/service providers and visitors who have returned from overseas, regardless of country or mode of entry, on or after 14 March 2020, the school will advise them to stay away from school for 14 days from the day of arrival to minimise the risk of transmission. Those on LOA are strongly encouraged to remain at home as a social responsibility.

During the first two weeks of Term 2, the school will ensure that the students on SHN/LOA should not be in school. Signs will be displayed at the entrance of the school gate to remind staff, students and visitors to return home immediately if they have been issued with SHN/LOA as they have returned from overseas, regardless of country or mode of entry, on or after 14 March 2020. The teachers will continue to be vigilant and monitor their students in classrooms throughout the school day. If any student starts showing signs of being unwell at any point in the day, he/she will be asked to leave school and get the necessary medical attention as soon as possible.

To further mitigate the chance of disease transmission, the school will implement additional social distancing measures minimally during the first two weeks of Term 2. The mass movement of students to different venues will be minimised. All co-curricular activities, after-school programmes, activities involving inter-mingling of students from different schools, as well as external activities with risk of exposure to the public will be suspended. There will be appropriate visitor management and safe distancing measures for activities involving parents and external parties.