Newsletter

Dear Middle School Parents,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! The Brent faculty and staff have been working industriously to ensure that our school is ready for our first week of classes. To be sure, we’re prepared and eager to see all the students and to start what promises to be another amazing year at Brent.

I’ve included a few important logistical matters and a bit of new information. Sorry for the length, but such is the start of a new school year!

Middle School New Student & Family Orientation: Wednesday, 7 August 2024, in the Atrium from 8:00 to 10:00 am.

During Orientation, students and parents can learn student homerooms, meet teachers, and attend an orientation for new students and parents. Students do not need to wear their uniforms. Here’s a brief list of activities during Orientation:

• New students can tour with a returning Middle School student starting at approximately 9:10 AM, after the orientation presentation in the Media Centre.
• New Parents will attend the orientation presentation in the Media Centre that starts at 8:15 AM and finishes at 9 AM.
• After the orientation presentation in the Media Centre, students and parents can meet with grade-level teachers in designated rooms.
• If possible, we will have class schedules available on this day. If not, students will receive their schedules in the first homeroom meeting of the school year.

This general orientation session is open to ALL students and parents, though the target audience is families new to Middle School—it may be redundant for returning families. I hope to see you there.

Out of Town Notice
Brent International School Manila believes the best learning environment for a student is achieved when both home and school work together. Students may not enroll or continue to be enrolled at Brent unless at least one parent is in full-time residence with the student. We understand, however, that the need for parents to travel may arise while your child is in school. We do request at those times this form is completed and submitted to the office so we have a temporary emergency contact of someone living with your student for when parents are away.

Dress Code
The purpose of a dress code at Brent is to create a fad-neutral environment. Therefore, students are required to be neat and well groomed at all times. Excessively long, unnaturally colored, or disheveled hair is not allowed. Boys’ hair is to be kept neat and trimmed (ears visible and no longer than the shirt collar). Facial hair is not allowed nor are earrings on boys. Students are also required to wear the complete and proper School uniform every school day and during field trips,and at official School events, unless otherwise indicated.

The uniform regulations are as follows:

Uniform for girls

1. There will be one style of blouse for girls (white). If an undershirt is worn, it must be white with no designs, colors or words permitted. There will also be one style skirt (checkered blue, white, and maroon). The skirt length should be no shorter than the middle of the knee.
2. Each girl must try the skirt on and be fitted by Brent staff to be certain of a comfortable fit and that the hem lines reach the middle of the knee.
3. Girls’ shoes must be flats or leather-type dress shoes worn with white socks. Black, brown, or maroon colors are acceptable. Shoes should not have white soles which are visible. Sports shoes are for Physical Education classes only and should not be worn outside of PE class. Slippers (or flip-flops) are not allowed at any time.
4. Excessive make-up, colored hair, and facial piercings are not allowed. Bright colored finger nail polish is not permitted.

Uniform for boys

1. There will be one style of shirt (maroon collared shirt). Boys’ shirts must be tucked in at all times. Middle School students are required to wear khaki pants with a belt.
2. Any undershirt worn must be white. No designs, colors, or words on undershirts are permitted. Shoes are to be loafer style or dress shoes, with or without shoelaces. Black, brown, or maroon colors are acceptable. Shoes should not have white soles which are visible. Dark socks are to be worn. Sports shoes are to be used for Physical Education classes only and should not be worn outside of PE class. Slippers (or flip-flops) are not allowed at any time.

Please check out this Acceptable Shoe example if you have any questions about footwear.

Student Absences
When students are absent, we ask that a parent please call or email our Middle School Office (Not homeroom teachers, as students have 8+ different teachers). We will communicate absences centrally from the MS Office. middleschool@brent.edu.ph or by phone at 02 779-5140 up to 45 (Trunklines) extension 340. We will follow up via phone and email any students who are absent and have not been reported “out” by the end of the school day. Please let us know everyday a student is absent—even if they are sick for multiple days in a row—we are not in a position to make an assumption that a child is still sick. If students are out sick for more than three days, our clinic will need a doctor’s note for them to be cleared to return.

After School Hours
Parents are requested not to have their children remain at school more than fifteen minutes after the school’s dismissal. There are occasions when students must stay for remedials, clubs, or sports programs, and they should be collected within fifteen minutes of dismissal from that activity. For homework or group projects, students are allowed to use the Media Centre from 2:35-3:30pm, but they must be productively engaged during this time—it is not a location to socialize or just hang out.
For students who must wait for a parent/sibling on campus, they must remain in the cafeteria or atrium. Students are not free to wander the campus or attend clubs/rehearsals/practices for programs they are not enrolled in.

Device Expectations
Middle School students are allowed to bring their own devices to school. We recommend a laptop style of device as this is the most user-friendly for the type of tasks students will be using a device for. Tablets, and especially smartphones, are less ideal for school work. Students who do not have their own device will be provided a school chromebook or computer lab unit when a device is needed for a class.
We will be making a more concerted effort this school year to reduce the amount of screen time students spend on smartphones. We will be establishing some new norms to reduce online and increase face-to-face interactions during school hours. One measure is that for smartphones inside classrooms, they will need to be “parked” in our hanging folders upon entering class, and only used during class when the teacher issues a phone pass. Phones will not be allowed to be used in the CR at any time on campus. Also, we will be shifting to a Tech-Free lunchtime—phones and computers must remain out of sight. Students who need to use a device for school work during lunch break will have the option to go to the media centre after they eat to work on assignments.

NOTE FROM ACTIVITIES OFFICE:
There will be boys and girls volleyball clinics happening on July 29, 30, 31, & Aug 1, 5, 6, & 7 from 1:30PM-3:30PM. Students interested in trying out the team are encouraged to attend, but the clinic is open to any student.

Tryouts for Middle School first season athletics teams take place the first week of school. Middle School Boys and Girls Tryouts for Cross Country, Volleyball, and Baseball: Thursday the 8th, Friday the 9th, Monday the 12th, and Tuesday the 13th These tryout sessions begin at 2:45 pm. Please bring the necessary athletic wear for all those days to take part in tryouts.

Middle School Musical Auditions for The Little Mermaid Jr.: Ms. Venus Basas and her drama staff will conduct auditions on ***Wednesday August 14th and Thursday August 15th. A full cast readthrough will take place on Friday Aug 16th. Acting auditions will be in S109, and singing auditions will be in S118. These auditions begin at 3:00 pm.

We’re off to a great start. Please let me know if there is anything we can do to help you.