Social and Emotional Care

Vision 2030 highlights the importance of “Developing our Children’s Character: We intend to embed positive moral beliefs in our children’s characters from an early age by reshaping our academic and educational system. Schools, working with families, will reinforce the fabric of society by providing students with the compassion, knowledge, and behaviors necessary for resilient and independent characters to emerge. The focus will be on the fundamental values of initiative, persistence and leadership, as well as social skills, cultural knowledge and self-awareness.”

 
Wellbeing Windows

‘Wellbeing Windows’ is a phrase we use at Misk to describe a number of moments throughout the school day where our students are helped to develop their social and emotional skills. They include:

1. Morning Parade: Welcomed by their Principal to the start of each new day, Misk students sing the National Anthem, listen to a reading from the Qu’ran, and notices for the day. Students are reminded of the moral of the fortnight.
2. Homeroom Teacher, G7+ Form Tutor: Students’ significant adult at school, this important teacher is responsible for individual social & emotional wellbeing. This is the first and last person students see each day. After Morning Parade, children spend 15 minutes with their Teacher/ Tutor in the classroom, using a toolbox of activities, from film to debate, to explore morals and link them to real life.
3. Lunch Time: The benefits of eating together as a family are well known. Teachers join students for lunch daily, advising them on healthy choices, encouraging conversation and good manners.
4. Weekly Assemblies: 45-minute Assemblies are used to reinforce the moral in focus, introducing relevant new concepts. Assemblies are child-centered encouraging a strong student voice.
5. CCAP: An exciting range of after-school activities are offered each week for students to enjoy, which also help the students develop positive social and emotional skills.

 
Houses

Students belong to one of three Misk Houses – Safa, Marwa or Arafa. They earn House Points for role modeling good moral behavior, as well as through a range of House competitions.

School Houses have historically been associated with leading international boarding schools, where students build strong bonds and communities within the boarding house they live in during term time. Houses also work well in day schools, giving students a sense of identity, promoting opportunities for teamwork, leadership, relationship development and personal responsibility.

 
Promoting and Managing Positive Behavior

We encourage our students to adopt the highest possible standards of behavior, values and moral standards. Misk Schools’ positive behavior policy follows the broad guidelines of the KSA Ministry of Education’s “Code of School Discipline” (2018).

Education is a partnership between students, staff and parents. Our aim is to ensure that all parties in this three-way relationship have the highest values and standards of behavior in and outside of the classroom setting. We believe that good manners and a secure learning environment play a crucial part in the development of intellectually curious and successful students.

Our behavioral structure and lines of communication are organized so that students, staff and parents understand how behavior is dealt with, and that it is managed in a fair and consistent way. The Homeroom Teacher or Tutor is the first point of contact in the resolution of any issue. Should escalation be required, there are clear layers in place, helping to ensure that any incident is dealt with quickly, carefully and appropriately.

 
Healthy Lifestyle

Misk Schools applies a holistic approach to learning that is cognizant of many facets of our students’ development. Healthy patterns for positive living, balanced physical exercise, clear routines, regular sleep patterns, and regulated screen-time are all emphasized as part of our regular daily and weekly interactions with students.

The school’s onsite nutritionist works with our catering partner to create menus that provide delicious, well balanced snacks and lunches. Teaching staff join students for lunch each day, giving us the opportunity to encourage children to try different sorts of food, effectively educating their pallet and ensuring they understand what a healthy diet looks like.

Looking after students’ health and wellbeing is a critical part of how we support their overall academic performance. Alongside our faculty team, we also provide essential healthcare services within the school campus through a team of full time, medically trained professionals (Doctor, Nurse and Nurse Assistant).