PSG : Corinne Hua, Edward Wu, Wendy Qi, GaoYuanyuan, Ling Yun, Martin Fang,
Pan Jinguo, Carla Bellemans, Anna Song, GaoXin, Zhang Zhengrong, Qian Yi,
XuHongxao, Fu Hailang, Wang Limin
SMT: Selena Dumble
Translator: Summer
PSG June minutes accepted by PSG members.
Agenda:
1.
Introduction PSG
2.
General introduction of the changes at school
3.
Queues at the canteen
4.
Expensive bus fares
5.
Topics brought forward from last year
6.
Events and PSG volunteers to assist
7.
Can PSG propose a set of safety rules?
8.
PSG promotion
9.
10.
Other matters
Next meeting
1.
Introduction PSG
Four new parents joined with children in year 7,9 and 11.
Corinne explains the structure of the PSG. All parents are welcome to join the support group.
PSGX is a smaller group of parents who are committed to attending every month the PSG meetings. PSGX consists of the reps of each grade and the reps of the different committees: the school, uniform, lunch and events committee, charity and community services. Members of the PSGX will be elected next month to offer all new and old parents the chance to participate.
The agenda is sent out every month and PSG members may add any issues.
Parents are asked to stay with the agenda and refrain from adding issues until the end of the meeting if there is time.
PSGX representatives are also present at afternoon teas, which are more informal meetings where parents can meet and discuss.
PSG needs translators to make sure all documents are translated from English to
Chinese. Community service and events reps are also needed.
2.
General introduction on the changes at school
Selena introduces the changes at SUIS Gubei.
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Due to the increase in students, there are 12 new members in the Western staff and 4 new Chinese teachers and 6 or 7 different sets in some grades. There are 2 new big classrooms in the south building. The time tables for this year were well organized and did not need adjustment.
There are now 4 fully operational science labs. The new outdoor area for badminton, basket or volleyball, is still under construction. The area is covered and lit so it can be used at night.
Kitchens have been upgraded with a capacity to supply food to almost 1000 students. The new coffee shop has been a great success. The idea is to sell sandwiches and bread. Grades 6 to 8 can only have decaffeinated coffee.
Smoothies and juices are in high demand.
IGCSE and IB exam results have been outstanding with 95% grades C or above.
Our students have on average 7 IGCSEs with many 8 or 9 IGCSEs. IB results were 5 points higher than the world average. Targets are to maintain or improve this figure, though it’s hard to improve on 95% at C and above, as the school wants to give marginal students a chance to take additional IGCSE exams even if this involves the risk of a D-grade.
The target of the IB is to have more students sitting the diploma instead of the course program. Students will now all go on the diploma program for 10 weeks after which it will be decided if they stay in the diploma program or move to the course program.
3.
Queues in the canteen
The student population has increased from 350 students to 500 and lunch times were rather chaotic the first few days due to:
 The summer renovations: the space is smaller and differently organised.
 The queuing system has changed and students queue now according to their Houses.
 Quantities were not correct
However, by the third day students, teachers and staff had adjusted to the changes. Currently, all students are served within 25 minutes from 12.35 to 1.00
PM according to Selena. As students grew accustomed to the system, they moved faster through the lunch lines.
Parents wonder what students do if they arrive earlier than their House and the canteen is empty. Can they then be served or do they need to wait? Selena replies that students should not be allowed to leave class early and that the staff is not yet on duty if students arrive too early. However, if they are early and staff is at their window, they will be served.
Selena emphasizes that the system is fast because there are now 4 windows: 2 windows providing the daily menu, 1 window for pizza and sandwiches and an additional window for noodles. These last 2 lines are very fast.
A parent complained that a child had to stand aside for 30 min for running into the canteen. Selena replied that children are expected to behave in a way that is safe for everybody, and if they don’t, they may be made to wait for a short time, but the child was certainly not made to wait for as long as 30 minutes, as the canteen would long be empty by that time.
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4.
Bus payment
Parents queried the way bus fares are calculated, and the fact that they now need to be paid once per semester instead of once a month.
Wendy explains that previously, bus fees were paid on a monthly basis after complaints of unacceptable service. The monthly payments were a concession rather than a new general practice. Now, the school has returned to payments per semester because the cash payments on the bus caused misunderstandings.
The accompanying staff on the bus is now no longer allowed to accept cash.
Also, calculation rate of the bus fees makes fares seem unreasonably high, especially in August, December and January when children go to school only for a few days. The rule is that when the buses are used for 10 days or more, parents pay for an entire month. When the buses are used less than 10 days, parents pay half a month. Altogether bus fares are paid for 9.5 month annually.
The bus company has explained to the PSG in the past that regardless of how often the student uses the bus, the company needs to pay the staff and other routine costs every month, and is not allowed to use the buses for other business to cover those costs. The fares are thus based on the provision of the service over the whole year, and cannot be based on the actual use of each student.
In August, although the school was not open, buses had to organize their bus itineraries and were occupied full time even before school started. This was factored into the August fares.
5.
Topics brought forward from last year
 Improvement to the web site
The web site has always been a weak point: its capacity is limited and there is no LMS. There are important gaps in the content, such as information about staff, and other information is very out of date (e.g. the list of new hires in 2012). Last year, SUIS allocated funds for a new web site and it will soon be operational.
 LMS
As the school does not allow direct contact with teachers, parents have insufficient information about their children’s studies. An online learning management system would solve many parents’ problems. The Gubei
 campus has included the cost of a new LMS in its budget for calendar year
2014.
End of school year parent meeting
Parents have insufficient opportunity to obtain advice from teachers, and asked for a third parent-teacher meeting at the end of the school year.
Reports and exam results were mailed to parents on the last day of school, and there was no time for feedback relating to the reports before the summer holidays.
Selena replies that until now, proofreading the reports and cross-checking the exam results had to be done manually, which was very time consuming. The new management system or data base, which will shorten the time needed to prepare the reports, is expected to be operational in
Jan 2014. This database should also solve many other admin problems: results, absence rates, detentions, etc.
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Selena reasons that parent - teacher meetings are not helpful at the end of year: teachers have already written their comments in the report. If a student is under-performing, the school will invite the parent to come and discuss. Moreover, the fortnightly reports keep parents informed throughout the year. However, Selena understands parents wish and will reflect this question to the Principal.
PSG proposes a compromise: not to have a full-blown parent-teacher conference, but just to give parents an opportunity to make appointments with individual teachers to discuss specific concerns only after the reports are issued.
 Duke of Edinburgh: missing awards
A list of the 14 missing awards for 2010 has been sent to the UK. Students who signed up last year and who haven’t had any activities or any information on coming events, will most likely go to Taihu Lake after approval of the board on Monday 9 September.
In the future, students will go to a lake in Wuxi for their DOE activities.
They can then stay at the sister school in Wuxi.
 Year plan per subject 2014
Selena informs that this information will be uploaded on the new web site together with pictures of staff. A review of the teaching topics will hopefully be published in a booklet rather than published on the web. It will include the headings or topics teachers hope to cover for that semester.
Parents ask if pending the new web site, this information can be uploaded on the old web site. Selena replies that since Gubei does not have sole access to its web site, it will depend on other campuses.
 Revision list of exam topics
Heads of departments will be involved to make sure the list is available before the exams so that students can prepare for their exams.
6.
Events and PSG volunteers to assist
 Monday 9 Sept: SMT organizes an info session for all new parents. PSG will have a desk. Members prepared the new web site, business cards and
 questionnaires.
Open Day is on 17 Sept
 Dec 17 or 18: either the full musical or the soiree version of Grease is scheduled. Children can go for a weekend to Wuxi for rehearsals in the frame of their ECAs. PSG volunteers will probably not be needed.
Nov 27: Arts Festival. PSG volunteers will provide food and drinks. 
 Dec 6: school bazaar. PSG will organize a food stall.
The PSG will discuss how to organize.
7.
Can PSG formulate a set of safety rules?
The school is growing, the coffee shop is open to parents and the school wants to assure that premises are safe at all times.
While parents are welcome to enter the school to pay bills or visit the coffee shop, they should not enter the teaching areas, which is disruptive to teachers and classes.
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SMT asks the PSG to propose a set of safety rules to be considered together with their own proposal.
After some discussion, PSG members propose ID cards to be issued to parents, a sign in the school to indicate the areas which are off-limits to visitors, and better supervision of contractors and other visitors.
8.
PSG promotion
Edward introduces the new PSG web site. The web site is a blog on a Weebly platform. The web site will help us to collect concerns parents have and keep parents informed.
The QQ account still exists and Gao Yuanyuan has been in charge. Discussions are heated at times.
SMT has offered to print PSG business cards with the SUIS logo.
9.
 The survey
The online questionnaire is ready and only needs translation. The PSG does not have access to the emails of all parents so the school will send the link on behalf of the PSG with an invitation to all parents to provide their contact details to the
PSG.
The survey will be available from next week onwards and for a period of two weeks.
 Second hand books and uniforms on sale during the afternoon teas
Unsold books and uniforms are now in boxes at school. Ling Yun proposes to offer these items for sale during the afternoon teas. Corinne will ask the SMT for permission.
There are no hooks in the toilets. 
Selena agrees and will mention this. She will also ask to add towels.
 Registering as a new parent at SUIS Gubei
New parents were surprised that after registration they received no more news or information until the start of term, including about the program or books used.
 Uniforms
The new parents paid 2400 rmb for their compulsory uniform set. This is an improvement compared to last year when the compulsory set was 3100 rmb to
3500 rmb.
 Cold classrooms and air conditioners
Some parents believe that classrooms are too cold and children have caught colds in school. Selena replies that children should tell their teacher if they are cold, and they can move further away from the aircon. She will also remind teachers to pay attention to this.
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 Which activities count for the CAS program?
Parents would like clear information about what activities count in the CAS program. This would make it easier to choose activities more purposefully. Selena says any activity that students are doing over a longer period of time with the aim to progress, can be included. An unsupervised or unmonitored activity does not count: the student has to provide a certificate.
Also, some students have been told to take up a new community service, sport or artistic activity, to satisfy the IB requirements. Parents want to know if it has to be a new activity, and if so, why changing is encouraged? Selena explains that people are encouraged to broaden their interests instead of staying in their comfort zone. But if one is engaged in a community service, sports or artistic activity one likes or is good at, that student can continue.
10.
Next meeting
Next meeting is on October 10 at 1:00, Conference room, Gubei Campus.
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