How WIS Principles and Policies Support our WIS People Principle

Dear All,

I’m utilising this Oryx article as a reminder that if you've never done so, please familiarise yourselves in general terms with the contents of our WIS Policy Manual.

I know that policies don’t make the most thrilling read. So you may want to just bookmark these links for future reference. Through various rounds of revisions, these policies increasingly hold a consonance with the school's values - as defined through a consultative process and published last year as our "WIS Principles".

At various points in this semester, we will be reminding all of our students, in an age-appropriate manner, of the following key documents. Whenever our community as a whole or in part, falls short of these policies and principles, we will use these procedures to address and remedy the situation. We also use these policies to inform and prioritise our positive and proactive actions. I share these with you here as a reminder for parents, students, teachers, and staff to visit these policies for guidance when questions or concerns arise.

1. The Student Behaviour Response Guidelines Chart is a visual representation of our Student Behaviour Policy. The school uses these guidelines when responding to incidents covered by such things as the Substance Abuse Policy and the Anti-Bullying Policy.

2. The Weapons Policy specifies that any real or facsimile knife, firearm, gun, explosive devices, etc. or any item which has been modified or used in a manner that could be considered a weapon, is expressly forbidden from WIS campus or WIS school trips/events. (The only exceptions are supervised use of tools, archery club, and police/armed forces on official business).

3. The Administrative Code of Conduct outlines the steps to take when communicating concerns and specifies what will happen if a member of the community feels that they are unwilling or unable to support school policies and procedures. The Concerns and Complaints Policy and Infographic is a guide to ensure that complaints are able to be handled in the most direct and expeditious manner.

4. The Identity, Belonging, and Equity Policy and appendices set forth the procedures that safeguard the identity, dignity, and growth of every member of the Windhoek International School community.

5. The Whistleblower Policy outlines the school's mechanism to ensure that individuals may raise concerns of improper conduct without fear of reprisal or detrimental action, for whistleblowing in good faith. It All whistleblowing complaints will be shared with the school’s Whistleblowing Case Officer (WCO) Ms. Sharon Gorelick at whistleblowing@wis.edu.na

These policies are linked internally via the policy manual review chart and in the public-facing parents information portal. They are essential to building the kind of community we want here at WIS: a community that is kind to one another, and that lives out our WIS Principles of Purpose, People, Excellence, Ownership, Creativity, and Sustainability.

Our school's mission remains the same: "To develop the full potential of each student in a stimulating environment of academic excellence, cultural diversity and active social responsibility to become internationally minded independent thinkers."

Thank you for your good work to make our community a safe and supportive place. I believe that we are a school that is increasingly putting our principles into practice.

Warm regards,

Ethan Van Drunen

Director

The PEOPLE Principle:

We view WIS as a community, rather than an institution because we believe that relationships are the most powerful influencer on learner success. At WIS, we learn from those around us and we know that our differences make us stronger. We are proud of our diversity of culture, language, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, belief, tradition, ancestry, and socio-economic status. We want our learners to cultivate a strong sense of self. We recognise that each person holds multiple identities and has a unique personal story to tell.

In Practice:

This principle means that every person at WIS is safe to be themselves. We recognise that it is our individual and collective responsibility to ensure that all members of the school community are welcomed, included, and treated fairly. When concerns or conflicts arise, we have respectful face-to-face conversations directly with the people who are involved. Any decision must balance the needs of the one with the needs of the many, so there are times where it is necessary to regulate our own behaviour and self-expression for the good of others. We value people’s right to express views and opinions in a respectful manner; however, discrimination on any basis is unacceptable. We utilise a curriculum that is anti-racist and anti-discriminatory. We listen attentively to different perspectives. With humility, we understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Questions:

Does this action value all people in our community with equal dignity?

Do I seek to understand before being understood?

Am I open to changing my mind?

Am I being a good teammate?

Do others feel cared for in my presence and through my actions?

Is WIS a better place because I am here?