Transport questions
What are the drop-off and pick-up arrangements?
By car: The ELV has dedicated car pick-up/drop-off areas which are located on level 1
By foot: Parents/guardians picking-up/dropping-off their children by foot can bring them directly to The Garden / mezzanine level and there is dedicated pram / bike parking on level 1.
There is direct access to the main school campus across The Bridge.
What are the arrangements for students travelling to the ELV via bus?
We have been planning for the opening of the new building for the past 12 months to ensure that we keep families together during their journey to the school. This means that all students will continue to be dropped off at the same place. Students, teachers and TAs are well-practiced in the routine and know what they’re doing.
Is there dedicated parking for families at the ELV?
Families of students at the ELV can continue to parking under the current Gate 3 building and there will be additional spaces under the ELV.
Is the walkway between the ELV and the main AIS campus secure so children do not have to cross any carpark lanes or roads?
Yes, there is direct access between the ELV and the main AIS campus via The Bridge.
How will the traffic at the traffic lights be managed with all the new families coming to the ELV?
We have been working in consultation with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority to ensure that the traffic won’t be a problem. There the Australian International School and Stamford American International School have staggered start and finish times to avoid creating a bottle-neck.
How is the entry point different for the Australian International School and Stamford American International School?
There are two separate entrances from Chuan Lane for the two schools and there are also different drop off points.
General questions
What is happening on the first day of Term 3?
We have arranged an exciting program of events for Welcome Day on Monday, 17 July which will help students and their parents to explore the building and understand its key features. Families need to choose timeslots so that they can visit the building in smaller groups and have dedicated time with their class teacher who will be able to answer any specific questions as they visit the different areas of the building. Principle Andre Casson, Head of Early Years, Adam Patterson and Head of Elementary School Neil Smith will all be there to help guide families through the day.
Are the students staying the same class with their fellow classmates and teachers / teaching assistants?
Yes, there is no change in the classes.
Where in the new building are the year levels located?
- Level 1: Drop off point
- Level 2: Library, Parent Café, Medical Centre, entrance to swimming pool
- Mezzanine: The Garden
- Level 3: Prep
- Level 4: 4-year-old pre school
- Level 5: 3-year-old pre school
- Level 6: Nursery and pre-nursery
How does the school intend to introduce the children to the new building?
We have been preparing the students for the move into the ELV since the first brick was laid and have ensured that they have been given lots of information about the facilities and the classrooms. All the classes have been given the chance to visit the display pod and the overwhelming feeling when you speak to the students is one of excitement – they can’t wait to move into the ELV!
The communication between home and school is essential in the support of our students’ move so if you feel like you need any further information please speak to your class teacher or to the Head of Early Years, Adam Patterson or Head of Elementary School, Neil Smith.
How will you avoid the ELV becoming separated from the rest of AIS?
There will be no difference to what happens at the moment, the creation of the ELV is just the next stage in the School’s development and there will continue to be a strong partnership between Early Years and the other sub-schools. Students from Early Years and Prep will still be involved in whole school events and will be able to access the facilities on the main campus, and vice versa.
Where do I drop my children off?
All students will be dropped-off at The Garden level of the Early Learning Village where they will be met by the teachers and teaching assistants. Each class will then go up to their classrooms together in the lift system that has been designed for this purpose.
Will there still be parent drop-in sessions?
Yes – this won’t change, parent drop-ins are an essential part of the partnership between AIS, the students and their parents.
Will there be a dedicated Nurse in the same building?
There will be two nurses in the Medical Centre of the ELV on Level 2. One of these nurses, Milla, is a dedicated paediatric nurse so well-experienced in looking after younger children.
What facilities does each year level have access to?
All the students in the Early Learning Village will have access to all the facilities in the building and will be using them regularly as part of the curriculum in both Prep and Early Years.
What CCAs are going to be offered at the new centre?
There is a whole new CCA program for students from 3 years to Year 2. This consists of three new areas:
Extended program from external providers:
- Ballet
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Drama
- Science / Technology / Robotics
- Tennis
- Martial Arts
Additional program from internal providers:
- Swimming
- Instrumental music
Prep – Year 2:
- New free CCA program at lunchtime and after school
What does the before and after-school care program look like?
There is a new program for students from 3-years-old to Prep where care before and after school will be provided by a dedicated team from Camp Asia. The team will utilise our rooms and outdoor play spaces on the Mezzanine level for a range of play-based activities.
Breakfast Club:
- 7.15 – 8.30am
- Healthy breakfast
- Termly booking
Afternoon Club:
- 3.15 – 6pm
- Afternoon snack
- Termly booking
- Can be coordinated with the CCA program if needed
How much interaction will there be between AIS and SAIS students?
AIS and SAIS will remain as two separate schools although we are sharing some facilities in the building such as the swimming pool and Multi-Purpose Hall. Students from both schools will be able to make use of Camp Asia’s before and after school care and this will be an opportunity for them to share knowledge and make friends outside of their classrooms.
How is the security of the ELV guaranteed?
The security at the ELV is at the same high-level as the current campus and we will have a strict visitor management system. Lift and door entry is via card-access with only parents/guardians who have children in the classes will have access to the corresponding building levels. Car entry to the car parks will be dependent on visitors’ IU numbers.
In what way is this “World First”? How is this new school really better for my child than where we are now?
The concept is to create an environment that is purpose built for early learners – where they are the “first thought” and not the “after thought”. As such, we have constructed a campus that is actually like a little village – it has its own swimming pool and dedicated play areas and all of these amenities have been purpose-built for 18 months to 6-year-old children. This really is a global first in education
This new campus looks amazing for the Early Years, but what about renovations for the rest of the School?
We continue to invest significantly in the AIS facilities – we are currently looking at renovation possibilities across the campus. Over the last few years we have upgraded numerous classroom levels, the Lower Elementary School sports pitch, Upper Elementary School Playground and cricket nets and this program will continue. In addition to this we will also be upgrading the Gate 3 reception area of the School with such a significant investment that we believe parents will be highly satisfied with the changes that they will see before we move to the new facility
What will happen with the existing Lower Elementary building when Early Years and Prep move out?
The new building provides a wonderful opportunity for us to re-conceptualise the entire campus. The School¹s leadership team are currently considering what we are doing and what will be in the best interests of our community This will be shared at a later date.
How will children be safely evacuated in the event of a fire, especially the very young children when they are on the top floors?
The safety of the children in our care is of the upmost importance to us. Which is why the Early Learning Village employs a range of fire safety features to ensure that our young learners can exit the building quickly and safety, from wherever they are located, in the unlikely event of a fire. The building has been designed comply with Singapore’s highly-stringent building and fire safety regulations. In addition to which, the building has a full sprinkler system and importantly, all lifts are designed to be used in the event of a fire.
How will students be safe when playing outdoors?
Each outdoor balcony play space has a fixed balustrade which is in total 2.5m height (glass 1.9m and fixed wire of 700mm). The glass wall is above the standing reach of height of any of the child who will be taught in the early learning campus.
Fixed furniture will all be placed away from the reach of balcony walls, so it cannot be climbed on. Any moveable furniture (activity table for example in the older years) will be far too heavy for the children to move.
While children will be able to flow inside and outside the classroom, our 1:5 nursery / 1:7 preschool staff ratio means that children would not be playing in the outside play space unattended. The glass walls between the indoor classroom and the outside play space means that all three teachers will have an unimpeded view of the children wherever they are.