Corona Update

Self Testing
From April 12 on all students Grade 1-12 are required to mandatory self-testing twice a week (on Mondays and Thursdays). 

Current School Operations
SECONDARY SCHOOL - The Secondary school Grades 6-10 operate in a blended model. 
Our students and staff in Grade 11 have been continuing learning on campus since 8 February. Grade 12 students had their last school day. IB exams start on April 29.

PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY SCHOOL - The German Bundestag passed the draft of a Fourth Civil Protection Act. From Monday 26 April, with the current level of Covid infection rates in Dresden (between 100 and 165/100,000), DIS will move towards alternative teaching arrangements in Grades 1-5. The current schedule for staggered start and end times and late start on Wednesdays remains the same. Grades 3 and 4 which have the smallest class numbers will continue to operate with the same cluster groupings. In Grades 1, 2 and 5 classes will be grouped into three smaller ‘pods. After school care will continue to be provided from 14:30 onwards each day with the current arrangements.

At the Preschool the children are again in fixed groups. 

School Staggered Start in PYP
Mon, Tue, Wed (later start), Thu, Fri
K5-Grade 1: 8:15-14:25 (later start time on Wed: 8:40)
Grade 2-3: 8:25-14:35 (later start time on Wed: 8:50)
Grade 4-5: 8:35-14:45 (later start time on Wed: 9:00)

The State Minister for Saxony has indicated that schools will remain open depending on the level of infection rates. School attendance for students is optional but we expect a high level of student attendance. 

After School Care will be only offered at the Preschool and for Grades K5, 1-4 at the School Campus. 

We remain in contact with the responsible German and Saxon authorities. Information displayed on this page will be updated regularly as new data is received. DIS families are recommended to monitor their email accounts for further updates.

DIS Community Hub

Self-Testing

Grade 5-12
Our students (Grades 5-12), all staff and visitors on the School Campus are required to mandatory self-testing. Testing (twice a week) is mandatory to permit school attendance for Grade 5-12 students. Grade 5, 11 and 12 tests take place on Mondays and Thursdays. Grade 6-10 alternating Monday and Friday (week 1) and Tuesday (week 2). A permission form must be signed by parents to give the school your agreement for testing to take place. All important details and the "Student Consent Form" have been shared with parents via email. 

Grade 1-4
An important change in the Saxony health regulations for public and private schools is that all students from Grade 1 to 4 will also have to be tested twice per week. We will start the first testing for students in Grades 1-4 on Tuesday, April 13. It is now mandatory that you give your child the signed "Student Consent Form"  (or English translation) to take the self-test. The form includes information about the self-test. All details were shared via email. 

Coronavirus Infection

If your child or family is concerned with attending school due to possible Covid infection if they are sick, waiting for a Covid test result or has come into contact with a confirmed Covid case, then it is important to share this with the school to seek guidance. In some cases guidance should be provided by the health authority (Gesundheitsamt) with clear advice. However, it is recommended that your child's Principal (Ms. Beth Dressler (Preschool, K5 and Grades 1-5) and Ms. Jennifer Tickle (Grades 6-12) is contacted first.

Further information on the procedures for dealing with cases of Coronavirus infection in schools are are listed below for your guidance.

Process Covid Infection Prozess Covid Infektion

No Permission

Please note that it is not permitted for any staff, student, or visitor to enter the school who:

  • has a SARS-CoV-2 infection,

  • had contact category 1 with an infected person during the past 14 days. Proof of completing a period of quarantine as determined by the Gesundheitsamt  is required to enable students to return on campus (student) or a negative Covid test result (staff).

  • currently shows symptoms (e.g. cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhea). 

  • has returned from the countries or regions classified as a risk area according to the Robert Koch Institut (RKI) within the last 14 days. Proof of a negative SARS-CoV-2 test and proof of completing the relevant quarantine period as required by the prevailing health regulations would enable a person to enter the school. Details on the specific countries or areas defined as risk areas can be found on the RKI website (in German and English - scroll down to the archive section for the English version) using the following link: (https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete_neu.html).

DIS Hygiene Regulations

Please read the DIS Coronavirus Hygiene Plan which is consistent with the requirements of the Saxony state health regulations for schools (see Downloads). In doing so our aim is to provide the best possible care for your children and to ensure the health and well-being of our community. Being back at DIS campus is also guided by the principle to protect the health and safety of students and staff. 

Continuous Learning

Our off-campus continuous learning takes place during school closure. We are going to use the phrase ‘continuous learning’ because this places the emphasis on all aspects of learning during a school closure rather than just working online. 

Secondary School students will have a ‘normal’ school day with students expected to sign in for advisory and classes via Google classroom, following their regular timetable for now. A lesson will last for thirty minutes to allow students time to have screen breaks between lessons, and there will be no home learning set. Teachers will be available via Meet throughout each 30 minute period.

Primary School students will have a ‘normal’ school day with students and teachers learning online. Each day will start with a morning message posted online from teachers with instructions on the day's learning. We improved our delivery of virtual learning by adding opportunities for K5 to Grade 5 students to have synchronous (in real-time) lessons with their teachers.

Preschool will access engagements via Google Sites.  

The goal is to carry on learning, but not necessarily replicate a traditional school day as per the timetable. Students should be able to independently extend their learning with the direction of the teacher and with some parental support for younger learners. Staff contact parents and students via class website, Seesaw, Google Classroom, email and Managebac. 

 

The DIS Community Online Learning Hub

Before the lock down we have been preparing for campus closure and to shift our learning online. Our teachers have been working incredibly hard to create online platforms and ways of learning virtually. We have been collaborating with educators from around the world who have moved to online learning to learn from them and their experiences.

The Community Hub has links to most parts of the virtual school that are currently open and more links will be added over the next few days. It would be good to check it often. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Our team at DIS is well prepared to help and assist if needed.

Access Online Learning Hub

After School Care

Starting on April 12

School Care Adjustments (Primary School)

  • We only offer before school care for families that require it due to work or other commitments on Wednesdays. 

  • Afternoon school care will be provided for students in K5 to Grade 4. Students will be separated according to grade level clusters to maintain strict separation.

  • After school care will be provided from 14:30 to 17:00.

  • Children in after school care can be picked up via the side gate near the bike parking.

Action required: 
It is mandatory for parents to inform us of their needs for school care. This allows us to plan and to have a record of who was on campus. It is important for our tracking and tracing procedures. Please contact us. 

Email to After School Coordinator

Helpful Tips

We know that this time is causing uncertainty, worry, and some confusion about what will happen and you are thinking not only about your child’s education but also about the world health situation. In times of crisis, it is important to maintain routines and habits for your children. We hope that our online learning platforms will help to provide some structure to your family’s day.

This article from NPR offers some balanced views about parenting during this time of campus closure.

Again, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Our team at DIS is well prepared to help and assist if needed. We are here for you. If you need help, please speak to a teacher, connect through email or hang outs. Let us know how you are doing. Our teachers are here and counselors are around. Reach out to them. 

Secondary School Counsellor: Ms Bonnie Tanz, btanz@dresden-is.de 

Primary School Counsellor: Ms Elaine Dolan, edolan@dresden-is.de

Useful Resources