STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK for the PRIMARY SCHOOL 2013‐2014 Bavarian International School e.V. Primary School Office 08133 / 917 ‐161 or ‐162 Schloss Haimhausen Fax 08133 / 917 ‐165 Hauptstrasse 1 Main Reception Desk 08133 / 917 ‐0 D‐85778 Haimhausen Website www.bis‐school.com
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STUDENT & PARENT
HANDBOOK
for the
PRIMARY SCHOOL
2013‐2014
Bavarian International School e.V. Primary School Office 08133 / 917 ‐161 or ‐162
Schloss Haimhausen Fax 08133 / 917 ‐165
Hauptstrasse 1 Main Reception Desk 08133 / 917 ‐0
D‐85778 Haimhausen Website www.bis‐school.com
TableofContentsVISION, MISSION and MANDATE ........................................................................................................................... 1
ORIGINS and BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................... 2
THE ASSOCIATION of the BAVARIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL e.V. ..................................................................... 2
CAMPUS and FACILITIES .......................................................................................................................................... 2
School Layout ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
For further information ....................................................................................................................................... 5
DAY to DAY ACTIVITIES and PROCEDURES .............................................................................................................. 5
After School Activities ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Arrival and Dismissal ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Cafeteria and Food .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Change of Address .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Class Placement Policy ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Code of Conduct ................................................................................................................................................. 9
Problem Solving Steps ................................................................................................................................... 10
Other Important Expectations ...................................................................................................................... 10
Primary School Discipline Procedures .............................................................................................................. 11
Communication: Home and School .................................................................................................................. 13
BIS Intranet ................................................................................................................................................... 13
News and Notes ............................................................................................................................................ 13
Class and Grade Level News ......................................................................................................................... 13
Grade Level Information Mornings ............................................................................................................... 13
Parent Information Sessions ......................................................................................................................... 13
Open Days ..................................................................................................................................................... 14
Homework Diary and Home/ School Folder ................................................................................................. 14
Sprechstunde ‐ Open Door Policy ................................................................................................................. 14
Field Trips .......................................................................................................................................................... 16
Health Department ........................................................................................................................................... 17
School Health Records .................................................................................................................................. 17
Medical Care ................................................................................................................................................. 18
Information on Insurance Coverage ............................................................................................................. 19
House Teams ..................................................................................................................................................... 21
Information Communication and Technology (ICT) .......................................................................................... 21
The Collection ............................................................................................................................................... 22
Lost and Found .................................................................................................................................................. 24
Personal Belongings .......................................................................................................................................... 25
P.E. Sport Kit ...................................................................................................................................................... 25
Professional Development (PD) ........................................................................................................................ 26
Religious Holidays ............................................................................................................................................. 26
School Hours ..................................................................................................................................................... 28
Student Council ................................................................................................................................................. 29
Student Support Services .................................................................................................................................. 29
Supplies and School Materials .......................................................................................................................... 29
Withdrawal from BIS ......................................................................................................................................... 30
Whole School Calendar 2013‐2014 ................................................................................................................... 32
Primary School Calendar 2013‐2014 ................................................................................................................. 33
Primary School Timetable ................................................................................................................................. 34
Primary School Staff List 2013‐2014 ................................................................................................................. 35
Class Supply Lists ............................................................................................................................................... 42
BIS Contact Guide ............................................................................................................................................. 49
Student Action Plan (Sample) ........................................................................................................................... 51
Parking and Entrance Map ................................................................................................................................ 52
BIS Accreditations ............................................................................................................................................. 53
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2
ORIGINSandBACKGROUNDThe Bavarian International School e.V. was established in February 1991 to serve students (Pre‐
Reception to Grade 12) from the multinational community of greater Munich and its
surrounding areas. The total enrolment is approximately 1,000, representing over 45
nationalities.
THEASSOCIATIONoftheBAVARIANINTERNATIONALSCHOOLe.V.The Bavarian International School e.V. is a non‐profit association (Verein) with an elected Board
of Governors. All parents are automatically members of the Association once they have
officially joined the school. Current Board members are Chairman Dietmar Bauer, Vice‐
Chairman Christiane Brock, Treasurer Wim Keja and General Members Kristin Jacobs‐
Markwort, Jonathan Trent, Ruth Davies and Louise Holland. For further information please
refer to the Articles of Association available at the Admissions Office.
CAMPUSandFACILITIESLocated as it is in a beautiful area on the outskirts of a peaceful country town, about 20
kilometres north of the city of Munich, the Bavarian International School e.V. is ideally placed
to provide our students with a calm, high quality learning environment.
SchoolLayoutSome of the Secondary School classrooms and administrative offices are housed in the Schloss
(mansion). Art and Music facilities have been developed in the loft of the Schloss, and a state‐
of‐the‐art computer laboratory has been established on the first floor, in addition to the
numerous computers to be found in the work areas around the Schloss.
Our middle building hosts our Pre‐Reception and Reception classes on the ground floor, the
Humanities classrooms and the Pre‐Reception to Grade 2 Learning Support room on the first
floor and the Science laboratories, two Grade 5 classrooms and the Grade 3 to 5 Learning
Support room on the top floor. The Nurse’s office is located close to our Pre‐Reception and
Reception classes on the ground floor.
A brand new, state‐of‐the‐art Sports Hall will open in November 2013 and outdoor sports
facilities including a tartan athletics track which cater to the Physical Education programme
across the school. Our school facilities also include a recently refurbished cafeteria, main
entrance and foyer area and the Performing Arts Auditorium.
Grades 1 to 5 from the Primary School are located in our purpose built facility, which also
accommodates a library, an ICT laboratory, two music rooms, a Technology room and some
Secondary School classrooms in addition to our Primary School classrooms.
STAFFBIS employs over 100 well‐qualified and experienced teaching staff representing around 19
different countries. They are organised into the Primary School (Pre‐Reception to Grade 5) and
the Secondary School (Grades 6 to 12). There are approximately 40 administrative and support
staff.
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CURRICULUMOVERVIEW
TheInternationalBaccalaureatePrimaryYearsProgramme‐IBPYPWe are authorised to teach the IBPYP. This programme is an international curriculum
framework, which combines the best research and practice from national school systems with
the collective knowledge and experience of international schools to provide an excellent
educational programme for children aged 4‐12. It provides an age‐appropriate programme for
children from diverse cultures and language backgrounds, and is transferable within national
and international systems. The IBPYP focuses on the development of the whole child: academic,
social, physical, emotional and cultural. This is expressed in the overall aims of the IBPYP,
outlined in the IB Learner Profile.
IBLearnerProfileThe aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognising
their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet help to create a better and more
peaceful world. IB learners strive to be:
Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to
conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They
actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout
their lives.
Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global
significance. In so doing, they acquire in‐depth knowledge and develop
understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.
Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to
recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical
decisions.
Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and
creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of
communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with
others.
Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice
and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They
take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that
accompany them.
Open‐minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories,
and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals
and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of
points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.
Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings
of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a
positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.
Risk‐takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and
forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas
and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.
Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional
balance to achieve personal well‐being for themselves and others.
Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience.
They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in
order to support their learning and personal development.
The IBPYP written curriculum framework incorporates five essential elements: Concepts,
Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Action. The elements related to Concepts, Skills, Attitudes
and Actions are relevant across all subject areas and provide a framework for structured inquiry
‐ an ideal vehicle for learning. The remaining element is Knowledge. The emphasis in the
IBPYP is not the acquisition of isolated facts and skills but a holistic understanding of ideas.
Therefore, knowledge is not only seen as separate curriculum documentation but as the
development of transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry in a whole school Programme of Inquiry.
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The programme strives for a balance in the acquisition of knowledge, the development of skills
and the search for understanding.
Concepts‐Whatdowewantstudentstounderstand?Eight fundamental concepts, expressed as key questions, propel the process of inquiry. They
are broad in scope and drive transdisciplinary units of inquiry and all classroom engagements.
The key concepts are:
Form ‐ What is it like?
Function ‐ How does it work?
Causation ‐ Why is it like it is?
Change ‐ How is it changing?
Connection ‐ How is it connected to other things?
Perspective ‐ What are the points of view?
Responsibility ‐ What is our responsibility?
Reflection ‐ How do we know?
KnowledgeThe IBPYP identifies a body of significant knowledge for all students in all cultures in the six
subject groups: Languages; Social Studies; Mathematics; Science and Technology; The Arts;
Personal, Social and Physical Education. Six transdisciplinary themes provide the framework
for the exploration of knowledge at each grade level.
Who we are
Where we are in place and time
How we express ourselves
How the world works
How we organise ourselves
Sharing the planet
Skills‐Whatdowewantstudentstobeabletodo?The five areas of skill development acquired in the process of structured inquiry are Thinking,
Communication, Social, Research and Self‐management.
Attitudes‐Whatdowewantstudentstovalueandfeel?The programme promotes and fosters a set of attitudes including Tolerance, Respect, Integrity,
In the event of severe illness the nurse will notify the School Office and the parents. Parents are
required to make arrangements to transport their child to a physician for treatment. If, however,
the illness is so severe that there is not sufficient time for the parents to come to the school, an
ambulance will be called and the student will normally be taken to the nearest hospital.
Sick students may expose all staff and students they come into contact with the illness.
Therefore it is the parents’ responsibility to be contactable during school hours to take their sick
child home. If the parents cannot be reached, there must be an alternative emergency contact
person who is able to take the sick student home.
No student is permitted to leave the school on account of sickness without contacting the
health department.
Students should not contact their parent’s due to sickness during school hours, they should be
assessed by the nurse and the parents will be contacted if necessary.
Excluding a sick student from School
Sick students should be kept home for a number of reasons. Attending school when sick can
lead to the illness worsening, an increase in recovery time and spreading the illness to others.
Regardless of the illness type, a sick student will always need rest.
The following are the school health guidelines for excluding a student from school:
Temperature of 37.5°C or above
Nausea, vomiting or severe abdominal pain
Diarrhoea
Acute cold, sore throat, persistent cough
Red inflamed, or discharging eyes
Acute skin rashes or eruptions
Suspected scabies or impetigo
Swollen glands around jaws ears or neck
Earache
Any weeping skin lesions unless protected and diagnosed as non‐infectious
Head lice
Other symptoms of severe illness
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Excluding a student from Activities (Physical Education)
If for some reason, (illness or physical disability) a student cannot participate in physical
education activities, he or she must bring a doctor’s or parent’s note to school stating the
condition and length of time the student is excused from this activity. The nurse will only issue
such excuses under very special circumstances.
Students Returning after Illness
Please report any infectious conditions such as chicken pox, infectious diarrhoea, scarlet fever,
tuberculosis, impetigo, meningitis, mononucleosis/glandular fever or hepatitis before the
student returns to school. Students with these conditions should return with a doctor’s note
stating they are no longer contagious, or stating which special precautions must be taken.
Students with head lice should not attend school until they are effectively treated. They should
return with a doctor’s note stating they are lice free. This procedure is necessary to ensure the
health of the others in school.
What to Do In case of a School Accident
Any student, who is accidentally injured while at school, coming to or from school or on an
official school field trip, will be covered by the German statutory accident insurance system. It
provides insurance against occupational and commuting accidents, and against occupational
diseases. Besides employees, trainees or other groups of persons are also insured, including
school children, students at vocational colleges and other institutes of higher education,
children in nursery schools and after‐school care centers.
School accidents are defined as accidents suffered by children or students in their educational
establishments. They include accidents suffered by children or young people whilst attending
schools, nursery schools, after‐school care centers or vocational colleges; or whilst under
supervision by such educational establishments or in association with them immediately prior
to or following lessons. This category of accidents also includes those suffered by students
during education and training at institutes of higher education.
Please feel free to contact the Health Department if there are any questions or you require any
assistance regarding your child’s health and safety at school.
Phone number: 08133/917‐163.
We are happy to announce that during the next school year we will be developing a Health
Department information page on our intranet. You will be able to access all medical forms and
other important medical information.
Information on Insurance Coverage for Students on Class Trips and Work Experience
Safety is always one of our major concerns at school. We would like to draw attention to the
issue of insurance coverage for students when they are on class trips outside of Germany, and
to review the various types of insurance needed when students participates on one of these
trips.
1. BIS carries statutory accident insurance, (in German: Unfallversicherung) which covers
students in the case of accident related injuries occurring in school, travelling to and from
school, as well as while at or travelling to and from school activities or school trips in and
outside Germany. Parents should consider an additional private accident insurance as
only strictly school activities are insured and insurance will be disclaimed should a student
deviate from the direct route to or from school (e.g. buying an ice cream).
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2. All students should have health insurance (in German: Krankenversicherung). This health
insurance coverage is the responsibility of the parents, and is usually provided under a
voluntary or statutory parent or family health insurance policy. This insurance covers
necessary medical treatment and hospital for students in the event of illness.
3. Medical treatment outside Germany for patients insured by statutory German health
insurance requires a health insurance certificate for abroad. Coverage may not be granted
at all or be limited to some countries under the private insurance policy. If a student’s
health insurance does not provide sufficient coverage parents will need to take out an
additional health insurance policy for foreign countries (in German:
Auslandskrankenversicherung) to cover them in the case of illness as well as for
transportation costs should the student be treated at home. This is an additional policy that
can be obtained from family health providers for trips abroad at a nominal yearly cost;
generally about 9 ‐ 11 Euros for children. It can be quickly and easily arranged by a phone
call to the family health insurance provider, and students must have this coverage for
school trips outside of Germany.
4. We recommend that parents also take out personal third party liability insurance for their
children (in German: Haftpflicht insurance) to cover the costs of any property damages
that might be caused.
To summarise:
All health related insurance is the responsibility of the parents.
Before any student goes abroad on a school trip, be sure that they will still be
covered by both health and liability insurance while outside of Germany
Parents should consider an additional private accident insurance to cover field
trip time spent strictly outside of school activities when their child goes on a field
trip.
HomeworkHomework is an important part of the educational programme at BIS. It provides the student
with opportunities for independent practice, skills reinforcement, research, independent
projects and also promotes the development of good time management and responsibility. All
Primary School students from Grade 1 through to Grade 5 are assigned a Homework Diary to
assist them with organising their time. This diary may also be used for communication between
home and school.
The following guidelines have been developed to ensure that homework assignments remain
manageable:
1. Grade 1 should spend 20‐30 minutes working together with their parents or carers on
reading or assigned activities.
2. Grades 2 and 3 should spend 30‐45 minutes.
3. Grades 4 and 5 should spend 30 minutes to an hour.
4. All students are expected to read each night as part of their assigned homework.
5. Students in the Advanced German classes will be assigned one night of homework per
week, with at least two nights to complete the task.
6. Teachers may schedule a homework‐free night occasionally, but if this seems to be
happening with undue frequency, parents are encouraged to check with the teacher.
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In Grade 1, the students are not expected to complete homework assignments independently.
The focus is on developing good work habits and learning to read and write with parent
support.
Occasionally homework may take longer or even less than the prescribed times to complete.
However, if this happens regularly, parents should discuss the situation with the class teacher.
If a child has difficulties with a particular homework assignment, parents should ensure only
the recommended time is spent on the task and then inform the teacher as soon as possible.
This way the teacher will be able to address the problem sooner rather than later. The aim is to
have students view homework as a part of school life. Developing good work habits at an early
age, gradually increasing the responsibility and workload over time is the position BIS holds.
HouseTeamsAll students are assigned to a House Team and this team becomes their team for the duration of
their time at BIS. A variety of fun activities, including the Primary School Sports Day, are
planned for students to participate in as a member of a House Team. The House Teams and
colours are:
The Red Bears
The Green Falcons
The Yellow Wolves
The Blue Wildcats
Parents will be notified of the house each student belongs to prior to any activity. To assist with
the success of the House Teams we request that students arrive to school wearing T‐shirts
which are their house colour on the day of House Team events.
InformationCommunicationandTechnology(ICT)ICT concerns itself with enabling students to get the ‘right information, the right form, to the
right audience at the right time.’ It focuses on the business of learning itself, and as such is as
much a tool and a resource as a set of skills. It is delivered at BIS in the course of general inquiry
and learning by the classroom teacher, rather than as a separate, discrete discipline. A Primary
School ICT Co‐ordinator is dedicated full time to ICT support for teachers and children in the
classrooms.
The Bavarian International School e.V.ʹs Curriculum Network provides students with both
Intranet and Internet access. The network allows students to acquire, use and present
information in a variety of ways and to communicate with people all over the world. Users
may use the school’s curriculum computer network for numerous activities including the
following:
Use general applications for presenting work such as word processing, and multimedia
development,
Use general applications for data manipulation such as spreadsheets and databases,
Access information for research purposes via the Internet,
Access information from the school’s Intranet,
Update their Grade 4 or 5 e‐portfolio,
Send and receive email using the allocated school email account.
All student users who have BIS Curriculum Network accounts must comply with the terms and
conditions expressed in the Computer User Guidelines document. This document, which is to
be signed by all students and their parents from Grades 3, 4 and 5 specifically states the rights
and responsibilities of all users and requires all users to use their account for appropriate
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communication, education and research and collaborative work. The use of the BIS Curriculum
Network is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use may result in the cancellation of the
privilege and other appropriate disciplinary consequences.
LearningAssistanceProgramme(LAP)The Learning Assistance Programme is a support programme for students across all age ranges.
It is a scheme that brings together students, volunteers and teaching staff as partners in
students’ learning. LAP volunteers work with students on a one‐to‐one basis for one or two
sessions a week, devising with the teacher, coordinator and student, a plan of activities tailored
to that student’s particular needs.
The success of the programme is based on five simple principles. These are that LAP:
Is always one‐to‐one,
Is about relationships,
Builds confidence and self‐esteem,
Takes a creative approach to learning,
Promotes parent and community participation in schools.
LAP is a programme that builds bridges between the school and the community, and between
the volunteer and student, in a way that links and supports all parties. Both school and
community and student and volunteer are mutually supported and strengthened by the links
that LAP provides. For further information about this programme or to become involved as a
volunteer, please contact the LAP coordinator.
LibraryThe library is situated on the ground floor of our Primary School facility. It currently houses the
Primary School library collection and offers classroom research facilities as well as a
presentation room. Library services are provided by a teacher‐librarian, a part‐time library
assistant and trained volunteers.
OpeningHoursThe library is open between 8:30 and 17:00, Monday to Thursday and on Friday it is open
between 8:30 and 15:00. It is not open on the weekends, school holidays or public holidays.
Please note that after school hours students must be supervised by a parent when they are
using the Library.
TheCollectionThe library has a collection of approximately 19,000 titles. The English book collection is
divided into the following sections: Fiction (Junior Fiction, Easy Readers and Picture Story
Books), and Non‐Fiction (Secondary Non‐Fiction, Junior Non‐Fiction, Secondary and Junior
Reference). There is also a large German Fiction and Non‐Fiction collection. A small collection
of picture books and fiction books in French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Japanese exist to
support mother tongue programmes. Any donations to these collections would be appreciated.
The library also has a small range of DVDs, videotapes and audiotapes, which can be borrowed
by parents and teachers. The library subscribes to about thirty magazines and newspapers.
Current issues are for use only within the library, but back issues may be borrowed for one
week by all users.
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BorrowingStudents may borrow the following amount of books:
Pre‐Reception and Reception ‐ one book
Grade 1 ‐ two books
Grade 2 ‐ three books
Grade 3 to Grade 5 ‐ four books
The borrowing period is two weeks and each item may be renewed for a second two‐week
period.
LibraryChargesThe library does not issue overdue fines, but reserves the right to charge the replacement and
processing fee for any long overdue items. An item is deemed long overdue if it has not been
returned within three months of issue. At the end of the school year students need to have
returned all library materials or made a payment for lost materials in order to receive their
progress report.
LibraryBehaviourPolicyThe library is shared by students, staff and other members of the BIS community, thus all users
are requested to behave responsibly and respectfully. The eating or chewing of any food or
drink is not allowed; neither are unruly behaviour and any actions which result in damage or
injury. In order to maintain a pleasant and enjoyable learning environment we also ask that
users clean up after themselves. The computers in the library are for educational use and
student research. If a student wishes to use any computer programme they must request
permission from the librarian.
ParentsParents may borrow items from the library but must return any item immediately if needed for
school learning purposes. Parents borrow under the name of their youngest child at school and
have the same loan period as students.
Some parents also help out in the library on a volunteer basis ‐ if you are interested in doing this
please contact the librarian about our next training session.
OnlineAssistanceThe Library has five databases that can help students with their inquiries at school or at home.
These are:
1. Grolier Encyclopaedia ‐ this not only has the New Book of Knowledge and Grolier Multi‐media Encyclopaedia, it also contains the New Book of Popular Science and Lands and People.
2. Heinemann Explore ‐ a wide‐ranging interactive teaching and learning resource for ages
4 to 11.
3. Net Trekker ‐ an educationally reviewed search engine which retrieves websites
appropriate for student use and reading level.
4. NewsBank ‐ articles explore events and facts about plants, animals, fossils, science,
math, the earth, health, sports, people, arts, geography and important problems. It also
has games, pictures and activities written at the level students can understand.
5. Ebsco Periodical Index
Each of these databases will get students the right results far faster than Google.
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LostandFoundThere is a large cupboard on the ground floor of the middle building for Lost and Found items.
Parents are welcome at any time to check this for lost items. The P.E. Department keeps a lost
property box in the Sports Hall for misplaced items left in this building. Often items are put out
on display at assemblies or during Student, Parent and Teacher conference times. Unclaimed
items are eventually donated to a charitable organisation after a reasonable amount of time. In
order to reduce the number of lost items stored, we would appreciate if student’s belongings
are clearly labelled.
MotherTongueProgramme(MTP)The Bavarian International School e.V. educates children from a wide range of national, cultural
and linguistic backgrounds.
The Mother Tongue Programme supports the mother tongue of students whose first language is
not provided by the BIS curriculum.
The aims of the Mother Tongue Programme are:
To help children to maintain their mother tongue fluency.
To develop the student’s basic literacy skills in their mother tongue.
To strive to support the student’s home culture.
In its efforts to work towards these aims the MTP tries to follow the BIS Primary School
philosophy of teaching and instructing languages as far as possible. Mother Tongue classes
occur each Monday afternoon from 15:10 to 15:55. Availability of classes in a particular
language depends on parental interest and the availability of a suitable (volunteer) teacher.
ParentTeacherOrganisation(PTO)At BIS we have a very active Parent and Teacher Organisation (PTO). The primary function of
the PTO is to help families ‐ newcomers and returning families alike ‐ feel part of the school
community. The PTO provides a forum for communication, an organisation for providing
volunteer services and some financial support by fundraising for items not covered by the
regular budget. The PTO coordinates a wide variety of social events, clubs and activities
throughout the year. The BIS PTO Welcome Committee helps support new and existing families
in their transition to life in the Munich community. This is mostly done through Support
parents, Regional Support parents and Language Support parents. For further information
about the PTO please contact the PTO Chair for the school year. All parents are encouraged to
participate in the PTO organisation.
The Members of the PTO Executive Board for the current school year are: