Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome back to Discovery Bay International School – Year 10. I hope this letter finds you and your family in good health and high spirits. As the summer break comes to an end, we are excited to commence another academic year filled with opportunities, growth and learning.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to both our returning families and those who are new to our school community. We believe that parental involvement and support are vital to a child’s educational journey, and we look forward to partnering with you to ensure your child’s success.
At DBIS, we are committed to providing a safe, nurturing and inclusive learning environment that fosters academic excellence, character development, and personal growth. We believe that every child is unique and possesses untapped potential. Our dedicated team of educators is passionate about creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences that inspire curiosity, critical thinking and a love for learning.
In addition to academics, we are committed to promoting the social–emotional wellbeing of our students. Our 1:1 programme will continue this year, and students and tutor teachers will begin meeting for their 1:1 sessions from Monday 28th August. Tutors will create and share a timetable with students. These sessions are incredibly important and valuable for many reasons and attendance is, of course, compulsory. The dates will be written into the student’s planners.
Furthermore, we understand the importance of effective communication between the school and parents. Our school website, newsletters and regular parent–teacher conferences will keep you informed about upcoming events, academic progress and other important information. We encourage you to take an active role in your child’s education by attending school functions, volunteering and engaging in open and constructive communication with our staff.Â
As our students are entering into Year 10, they are expected to be growing in independence as they progress through the school. Each student will have a diary that must be used; they are required to write down the homework set and the date it must be handed in, alongside other key dates such as tests and coursework due dates. Parents are asked to sign these weekly, and tutors will be checking diaries too. This is another line of communication between students, parents and tutors that we will be actively using this year.Â
This is an important year for our students as they embark on their IGCSE and BTEC courses. We begin the year with the hope that the choices made last year will be the right ones for each of the students, but are open to students making some changes if, after careful thought, research and communication with parents and teachers, they decide that a different course would suit them better. This comes with the caveat that there may be some restrictions with the timetabling and with class numbers, and no change is guaranteed to be able to work. We request that any changes in options come as soon as possible, and definitely by Sunday 3rd September.
School attendance is always important. Students are encouraged to attend all lessons as the content for each subject is increasing. If your child is to be absent from any lessons, then please ensure that you fill in the JotForm here (this can also be found under the ‘Parent Information’ section on the Hub) so that no follow-up action is taken. Students are also expected to contact each teacher for catch-up work; it is the students’ responsibility to do this for every lesson missed.
As you know, students are expected to adhere to the uniform requirements of the school, including wearing black shoes and not having unnaturally coloured hair. The full uniform list can be found on the Hub under ‘Parent information’ / ‘Uniform and Stationery’.
Building on from last year, students will, in the first half term, be setting SMART targets for each of their subjects after a conversation with their teachers. These targets will be reflected upon throughout the year in one-to-ones with their tutor teachers and are there to help focus and inspire our students. Weekly targets will also be set in the students’ diaries, and parents may wish to have a conversation with their children about these too.
If you have any questions, your first point of contact is your child’s tutor. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is essential for your child’s success. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have. Together, we can make a positive difference in your child’s educational journey. Our tutor team this year is:
| 10B | Ms Suse Clark | [email protected] |
| 10D | Ms Fiona Mak | [email protected] |
| 10I | Mr Brad Dry | [email protected] |
Key dates for this term
- Year 10 Team to Meet the Parents – 23 August. This will be held at school from 6pm to 7pm. Parents will be given the opportunity to meet tutors as well as receive an overview of the important year ahead.
- Student Target Setting in Subject Lessons – 11th – 22nd September
- Report with Tutor Comment – 14th September    Â
- Report without Tutor Comment – 7th DecemberÂ
- Half-Term Break – 23rd October – 27th October                                               Â
We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions, concerns or suggestions you may have. Together, we can make a positive difference in your child’s educational journey.
Once again, welcome back to DBIS. We are honoured to have you as part of our school community, and we look forward to an exciting and productive academic year ahead!
Best Regards,
Tracey Smal
Head of Year 10