AIS Safety and Well-being Information
AIS strives to ensure a safe and secure environment for all students and staff. The following details are provided to inform current and prospective parents and guardians of our procedures. Safety and well-being information will be updated when necessary.
+Coronavirus Precautions at AIS
+Health & Well-being Action Team
+Evacuation Procedure and Drills
+Earthquake Preparation Information for Foreigners in Japan
Coronavirus Precautions at AIS
In line with the downgrading of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) status in Japan, AIS’s precautions and procedures from May 8, 2023 will follow in line with our contagious illnesses policy. School policy continues to treat COVID-19 as a highly contagious illness; therefore, the cooperation of all staff, students, families, and visitors to prevent transmission and protect our community is appreciated.
As a matter of daily practice, everyone in the school community should still check their health condition and temperature before coming to school, and continue to take appropriate measures if feeling unwell. Effort should also be made to keep to a routine of good hygiene actions, including washing hands, coughing etiquette, and providing personal space.
Also, anyone with a temperature over 37.5 degrees or feeling unwell with cold or flu-like symptoms is asked to refrain from coming to school.
As per school policy, should any staff member or student become infected with Covid-19, they must inform the school immediately and stay home for five days from the start of symptoms. Such persons are expected to wear a mask for a subsequent minimum of five days upon returning to school.
If any person a staff member or student lives with, such as a parent, sibling or grandparent, gets infected, they are recommended to wear a mask during the period of infection and keep an eye on their condition.
Anyone who has taken a PCR test, should not come to school before the results are known.
If unsure about your situation, please call the office before coming to school.
back to top
Child Protection at AIS
Aichi International School (AIS), operated by NIP Ltd., acknowledges the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in accordance with the Child Welfare Act/Act on Child Abuse Prevention of Japan, together with our WASC accreditation requirements. AIS is committed to ensuring the best practices for child protection that allow all students to feel free from any form of actual or perceived physical or emotional harm in their daily lives, whether while at school or at home, in real world or digital settings. As such, all AIS staff have a contractual obligation and duty to defend the rights of all children in our care in accordance with the ‘Employee’s Ethical Regulations’ and the ‘Behaviors Based on the Employee’s Ethical Regulations.’
In the case that there is a possibility of risk to any child, AIS staff commit to adhere to this policy. AIS will maintain an open mind and value the relationships we have with our students and parents in striving for a solution. Specifically, the school will work with the parents and family of the child alongside any other necessary parties (e.g. child welfare services, police, doctors and other health professionals) to bring resolution to the situation, with our shared obligation being first and foremost the emotional and physical safety of the child.
All persons entering AIS are expected to adhere to this AIS Child Protection Policy as a condition of entry to the school. To support healthy relationships and the development of student independence, adults should always be aware of their roles and behavior, set appropriate boundaries, ensure there is no abuse of power towards children, and be accountable for their actions. As a school, AIS is accountable for the welfare of its students. Staff at AIS will ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to avoid actual or mistaken violations of this policy, and should report any suspicion of abuse or neglect immediately.
Prevention and Early Intervention
Through student education, staff training, and staff recruitment screening, AIS shall ensure adequate preventative measures are taken to prevent any form of abuse at school, and the failure to identify and report on abuse and neglect off-site. Moreover, all effort shall be made to minimize any actual abuse through early observation and reporting.
Discovery of Child Abuse or Neglect
All adults at AIS are asked to remain alert for the signs of abuse and neglect. Although there can be many indicators of child abuse and neglect, the presence of a single indicator, or even several indicators, does not prove that abuse or neglect has occurred. However, the repeated occurrence of an indicator, or the occurrence of several indicators together, should alert teachers to the possibility of a legitimate concern in which case the adult (including those in positions of enhanced confidentiality such as Office Manager, Principal or Headmaster) is mandated to report her/his observations to the Student Guidance Leader.
Reporting and Action
At AIS internal reporting of suspected abuse is mandatory. All staff at AIS are required to report to the Student Guidance Leader in the case of reasonable grounds for concern that a student may be in danger from abuse from any adult including parents, caregivers, other staff or community members. Subsequent action will be taken in accordance with the AIS child protection policy.
Outcomes for Perpetrators
In the case that an AIS employee is found to have engaged in abuse, he/she shall have his/her contract terminated. In the case that an AIS student or parent/ caregiver engages in abuse, he/she shall no longer be permitted on site at AIS.
Care for Victims
It is the duty of AIS to remain involved in any process, for as long as is feasible and reasonable, in support of the rights of the child, as stated in paragraph 1 of this document.
back to top
Stay Safe Program
As part of our commitment to provide a safe school for all children we have been implementing the Stay Safe program across all age groups. After revising our child protection policy, we are using this primary school-based approach to help our children feel safe at all times and let them know where they can get help if they need it.
The aim of the program is to reduce their vulnerability to child abuse and bullying, not only during the day at school, but in all areas of their young lives. The program seeks to enhance children’s self-protective skills by participation in lessons on safe and unsafe situations, bullying, inappropriate touch, secrets, telling and stranger danger. The program aims to give children the skills necessary to enable them to recognize and resist abuse/victimization and teaches them that they should always tell (someone that can help) about any situation which they find unsafe, upsetting, threatening, dangerous or abusive.
We encourage children to talk at home about the topics covered in the program, so your cooperation to reinforce the messages is most appreciated.
Reference
Stay Safe Program website link: Stay Safe
A guide for parents/guardians can be downloaded from this link: Stay-Safe Parent’s Guide
Health & Well-being Action Team
A culture where children and young people feel included, respected, safe and secure and where their achievements and contributions are valued and celebrated is essential to the development of good relationships, building confidence, and encouraging learning. In order to create this environment for effective learning and teaching there should be a shared understanding of well-being underpinned by children’s rights and a focus on positive relationships across the whole school community. Our health and well-being action team aims to proactively implement various activities (actions) which foster greater awareness and response of issues relating to health and well-being, safeguarding, and Covid-19 precautions for both students and staff. Ultimately, these actions are anticipated to reduce the need to implement more serious measures stated in various protocols.
back to top
Kizuna Net
AIS utilizes the ‘Kizuna-net’ e-mailing system for communicating urgent messages to parents and guardians in the event of an emergency situation.
With the system, AIS can contact parents and guardians swiftly on their mobile devices by e-mail or app the following timely information:
◆ School closure due to approaching typhoon or other extreme weather alert.
◆ Drop-off or pick-up information in the event of a severe earthquake.
◆ Other situations when all parents and guardians need to be contacted urgently.
New parents will be provided registration details upon admission.
back to top
Evacuation Procedure and Drills
Please read the Aichi International School Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedure
AIS holds drills twice a year to practice evacuation procedure in the event of fire or earthquake. Staff are all given instruction in fire extinguisher use.
In the event of any emergency, AIS will contact parents and guardians as soon as safe and practical for students to be released. Students who are unable to be picked up by a parent or guardian immediately shall be looked after by AIS staff. *Parents and guardians are advised to provide AIS with up-to-date emergency contact details.
For detailed information of AIS’s fire and earthquake protocol, please refer to the AIS Fire Plan 2023
back to top
Earthquake Preparation Information for Foreigners in Japan
The following information supplements are provided in English by the Nagoya International Center.
Information in other languages also available here: http://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/archives/3096
The following information supplements are provided in English by the Meito Police Station.
Preparing for a major earthquake Meito Police info back to top
Meito Police
As well as our own school security measures, such as gate closures during the day, AIS has close ties with the Meito Police Station and is only 100m from the nearest koban police box. Being an international school, AIS is conspicuous with students from various nationalities. AIS and the Meito Police cooperate on a regular basis to further ensure the safety of our students. Moreover, as community representatives, AIS leaders have been invited to contribute at regular conferences held by the Meito Police to garner feedback, opinions and ideas to enhance local policing.
Meito Police provides information to the public via the “Pato-net Aichi” and “Sugumail” services, as well as by Twitter. Information (in Japanese) available here: Meito Police Information
back to top
First-aid
The school office has supplies and an AED machine should any student require basic first-aid. If further treatment is deemed necessary, parents shall be called for confirmation. However, in the event of a serious accident or illness, it may be necessary to call an ambulance or transport the student directly to the nearest medical facility without delay.
All classrooms also have a basic first-aid kit which is used when needed and taken during school outings or evacuations/drills. Most staff have had instruction in CPR and AED prior to or while at AIS.
back to top