Corona Update

REOPENING

Grade 6 - 10
Teaching on campus for grades 6-10 will be reintroduced on March 15. The Secondary School will operate in a blended model. More details will be shared with our families via email. 

Preschool and Primary School 
Kitas and Primary Schools in Saxony were reopened on Monday, February 15. We welcomed our preschool and primary students (Grade K5-Grade 5) back to DIS to learn together face to face. In our Primary School we were reverting back to the ‘cluster model’ that we had in place in December, with some modifications to the schedule. 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)

Grade 11 and 12
Our students and staff will continue learning on campus in the week starting Monday, February 8.

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

Emergency 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

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. 

From Monday, February 15 on, the health certification is no longer required for Preschool and K5 parents. 

Recommendations for parents are also published in 15 other languages

Please click HERE to read the recommendation by the Saxon Ministry for Education about dealing with symptoms of colds/flu and illness in several languages. 

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 February 15

School Care Adjustments (Primary School)

  • There will be no before school care provided. 

  • 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 your 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 complete this short Google Form by 15:00 on Friday, February 12.

Frequently Asked Questions

The continuous learning supports children in learning through play. Preschool parents find daily activities on the Google class websites. K5 is using Seesaw. Continuous Learning in the Primary School (Grade 1-5) supports children’s development through experiential learning and inquiry. They use Seesaw and Google Classroom. Students Grade 6-12 are using Google classroom and Managebac.

Grade 11 and 12 students will come back on January 18, 2021. Preschool and Primary School students will come back to school campus on Monday, February 15, 2021. The decision on the return for Grades 6 - 10 will be made at the beginning of March. They will have continuous learning at home until further notice. 

We offer emergency care for Preschool students (PK1-PK3/4) and Students from K5 up to Grade 5 during the school closure. December 14-18, 2020, January 4-29, 2021 and February 8-12, 2021.

No. All students were told to pick up their material by December 11. After this date no students are allowed on campus except they are registered for emergency care. Please contact your child’s teacher if there is something needed.

Only online events take place during the campus closure. 

No, all activities at school and outside of school (e.g. Swimming Club) are cancelled.

Yes, our admissions coordinator is looking forward to answering all your questions and to supporting you. Please contact Ms Katrin Schreiber via email admissions[at]dresden-is.de.

Admissions

Our both school counsellors are looking forward to helping you. Find the details in the section “counsellors”.

Our DIS Community Network is also happy to support our families. Send an email to discommunitynetwork[at]gmail.com. 

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