Letter from the Head of School

Dear Parent and Students of CRICS:FLC

Welcome to the Chiang Rai International Christian School: Family Learning Community! We are excited to walk together with you through the learning and the events of this school year!

Clearly this school stands as a testimony to God’s faithfulness. Each challenge that comes our way meets a measure of kind grace from the God we trust to care for our needs, especially the needs of our children. We have seen God overcome trials and adversity time and time again. lack of teacher volunteers, loss of property, lack of funds, a pandemic, and so much more, yet our community by the merciful hand of God continues to improve our school and our services to our families. God’s kindness and your generosity will allow CRICS teachers to provide the quality education in the coming school year that we all hope for as parents, teachers, and administrators. Thanks to God and to all involved in this Family Learning Community. Let’s all continue in diligence and belief for a great school year.

For this season in our learning community, the make-up of CRICS/FLC leadership includes the head of school , the Educational Leadership Team, as well as the Thai director who sits on the CRICS board and the CEFT board. Here listed are the members of the CRICS/FLC Educational Leadership Team (ELT):

 

Interim Head of School Mrs. Lori Vernon
Thai Director Mr. Kanit Klaijumlang
Elementary Principal Ms. Amber Dueck (adueck@crics.asia)
Secondary Principal Mr. Troy Roberts (troberts@crics.asia)
Curriculum Director Ms. Jenn Lindemuth
Chief Business Officer Mrs. Tabitha Pagan

 If you have questions or suggestions for CRICS/FLC, please contact a member of our leadership team. You can begin by a personal visit or by emailing your principal.

The leadership team and teachers continue to strive to meet the goals of CRICS/FLC’s mission statement and philosophy statements as well as CRICS/FLC’s core values. This School Handbook contains valuable information for students and parents. On subsequent pages, you will find notes and policies, along with other information that will give you a better working understanding of how CRICS/FLC operates day-to-day. This handbook as well as the CRICS Technology Handbook and the CRICS Child Protection Handbook must be understood by all parents, students, and teachers. You can find all the required handbook information and online agreement forms in the sections to follow.

We look forward to serving you as part of CRICS/FLC family this year!

On behalf of CRICS/FLC leadership team members,

Lori Vernon

Interim Head of School

 

Foundational Documents

Vision

The vision of CRICS is to help others know God and understand Him more fully by serving the body of Christ through providing quality Christian education in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

 

Mission

The mission of CRICS is to serve the servant by providing quality, innovative, affordable, family-oriented English Christian education.

 

Philosophy

We are a Christian school committed to serving the children of pastors, missionaries, educators, and social welfare workers of non-profit businesses or agencies in the Chiang Rai area. Our school also invites, embraces, and serves other students whose presence provides culture, diversity, and resources that support and enrich our primary mission. The Chiang Rai International Christian School is a resource to parents and is designed to encourage and assist the parents in fulfilling their responsibility of educating their children. Our school sees each person and family as individually created and endowed with gifts by our Creator. We seek to encourage individual talents and meet individual needs as expressed by our students and families. Our school desires to be a catalyst for unity and cooperation between families and organizations that serve the Chiang Rai province and surrounding areas. The Chiang Rai International Christian School students set an example by working together in community service and outreach. We seek to bless the Chiang Rai community, Thailand, and the world.

 

Statement of Faith

  1. Bible
  2. Trinity
  3. Jesus
  4. Salvation
  5. Resurrection
  6. Unity
  7. Holy Spirit

 

Lifestyle of Teachers

Our mission at CRICS is to “serve the servant by providing quality, innovative, family-oriented English Christian Education.” All volunteers are expected to continually maintain a Christian lifestyle which enables CRICS to fulfill its mission. Therefore all expatriates accepted for service with CRICS must be Christians and are expected to demonstrate Christian values in their lifestyle.

We believe humans are created to be male or female, each created in God’s image (Gen. 5:2, Mt. 19:1-12). For those who choose it, marriage reflects God’s design when it is a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman (Mark 10:1-12). We believe singleness, for those who embrace it, is a gift to be celebrated and supported within the CRICS community.

While there may be different behavior patterns on some moral issues within the Christian church worldwide, we feel that a conscious effort to maintain a Christian lifestyle is very important, and behavior that hinders CRICS from fulfilling its mission is grounds for dismissal. The school will not attempt to define such behavior in detail ahead of time, but our definitions of Christian lifestyle include the facts that we expect single people to remain celibate and husbands and wives to be faithful to one another within their marriage.

 

Non-discrimination Statement

CRICS maintains a policy of nondiscrimination with staff, student, and family members No aspect of study, community involvement, or employment with us will be influenced in any manner by sex, race, age, or disability. CRICS carefully preserves its right to select teaching faculty who will affirm the school's Statement of Faith and Lifestyle Statement and who will effectively advance the school's mission.

 

Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs)

 

Caring Community (Effective Communicators, Loving Neighbors)

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:12-13

A CRICS student honors family, community, and diversity. They act with the knowledge that we are better together than we are apart.

A CRICS student demonstrates Christ’s love through: 

A CRICS student is a globally competent individual who:

 

Enduring Excellence (Lifelong Learners, Determined Goal-setters)

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Colossians 3:23

A CRICS student strives for excellence and establishes a lifelong love of learning.

A CRICS student is a lifelong learner who:

 

Critical Thinking (Information Analyzers, Creative Problem Solvers)

“but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

“The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.” Proverbs 14:15

A CRICS student challenges themselves to think critically and to express their thoughts coherently. They demonstrate the understanding that logic, creativity, and independent thinking are indispensable.

A CRICS student is a critical thinker who:

 

Biblical Worldview (Truth Seekers, Christ Followers)

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

A CRICS student knows the full story of Christ and uses it as the lens through which they view everything else.

A CRICS student is a learner of the worldview of Christ who:

 

Thankful Stewardship (Grateful Participants, Responsible Caretakers)

¨and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.¨ 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

A CRICS student exercises responsibility by fostering care for God's many gifts.

A CRICS student is a responsible caretaker who:

 

Holistic Health (Joyful Player, Honest Self-Evaluator)

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

A CRICS student develops the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health that plants a seed for growth and opportunity in every part of life.

A CRICS student is a healthy individual who:

 

Core Values

Excellence in Education

Excellent teachers, excellent curriculum, excellent classroom instruction, excellent resources. Gathering from both classical and innovative methods to inspire excellence and encourage the love of learning throughout the student’s life.

Biblical Worldview

Instilling the full story of Christ as the lens through which students view everything else.

Affordability

Determined simplicity and stewardship to allow for the broadest possible participation.

Community

Honoring our family, honoring our host community, honoring our diversity. We are better together than we are apart.

Critical Thinking

Unashamedly requiring students to think and to express their thoughts. For teams and for individuals, creativity and independent thinking are indispensable.

Wholeness of Character

Helping students develop physical, spiritual and emotional health that opens the door of opportunity and allows the student the joy of finishing well.

 

CRICS School Board

CRICS is governed by a Legal Board and the CRICS Governing Board that the Legal Board has empowered with responsibility for maintaining the school’s mission, vision, values, and Christian identity. The CRICS Governing Board is responsible for governance, not management. The head of school and the Educational Leadership Team (ELT) are responsible for running the school. The CRICS Governing Board operates according to the school’s bylaws and other policies set forth in the Governance Handbook. Individual members of the Legal Board and the CRICS Governing Board have no authority to act on behalf of CRICS except in meetings of the assembled board or committee or after being duly authorized by the assembled board or committee for a specific activity.

 

Basic Information

CRICS:FLC Glossary

Our school terminology is based on many traditional American school terms. We realize that this is foreign to many of our parents. Below some of the words are defined within our school context.

 

Kindergarten A primary level of school focused on the building blocks of education, including numbers, colors, English and Thai letters
Elementary School Grades K - 6
Middle School Grades 7 - 8
High School Grades 9 - 12
Freshman 9th Grade
Sophomore 10th Grade
Junior 11th Grade
Senior 12th Grade
Quarter A 9 week grading period - approximately ¼ of a school year
Semester 2 grading periods or ½ a school year
Field Trip A classroom experience that is conducted off-campus
In-service A teachers’ workday with workshops on specialized topics.
Community Service Activities designed to involve our students in the community in a helping capacity
ELL English Language Learner - we provide support services and testing to help students for whom English is not their first Language
ASP Academic Success Program - The group of teachers who chiefly oversee the unique instruction efforts of advanced and struggling students

 

Office Schedule

CRICS Office Hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday while school is in session.

 

Daily Schedule

A full calendar can be seen in the CRICS Portal at portal.crics.asia.

 

School Supplies

Kindergarten-5th Grades: To ensure quality and adequate amounts of supplies, teachers will purchase some supplies for each student. Parents may need to supply some items. A supply fee will be added to the student’s bill for all Kindergarten through 5th-grade students. Parents please provide the following recommended supplies for students.

 

Kindergarten A bag with handles or a backpack, pencils, erasers,  headphones, antibacterial hand wipes
1st Grade 2B pencils (box of 12), scissors, tissue, headphones, large backpack, antibacterial hand wipes
2nd Grade Scissors, pencils, eraser, ruler, glue sticks, colored pencils, headphones, Box of Kleenex, antibacterial hand wipes
3rd Grade Pencils, scissors, erasers, ruler, pencil case, glue stick, Colored pencils, antibacterial hand wipes, Kleenex, headphones
4th Grade Pencils, sharpener, erasers, ruler, scissor, Box of Kleenex, crayons or coloured pencils, glue sticks, headphones, protractor, 1-2 folders, antibacterial hand wipes
5th Grade #2 Pencils, scissors, erasers, pencil sharpener, colour pencils, glue sticks, deodorant, ruler, 3 pens (blue, red, black), water bottle, highlighter, 8 notebooks, accordion file, 1 inch binder with page protectors, white board markers, headphones, tape, sticky notes, stapler (optional), antibacterial hand wipes

 

6th - 12th Grades - suggested supplies to be acquired as needed

 

Student Testing

MAP Tests taken at our school two times a year to track student achievement in grades 3-9.

PSAT Preliminary SAT - A standardized test developed to prepare students for the SAT. Exceptional scores on this test may qualify in the USA for the National Merit Scholarship. Usually, this test is taken in the 10th grade.

SAT Scholastic Achievement Test - a standardized test that is given in many countries. This test is considered by many western universities in their admissions process. This is usually taken during the Junior (11th) or Senior (12th) year.

GED Graduation Equivalency Diploma - a test that can be taken to receive a certified US equivalent high school diploma.

Thai Classes

When families apply to CRICS, they must choose at that time if they are applying as a Thai student or a foreign student (identified based on the passport used) for the duration of the student’s enrollment at CRICS. Those students enrolled as Thai students must comply with Thai law to have Thai classes five times per week throughout their enrollment at CRICS. Those students enrolled as foreign students will be required to comply with the CRICS foreign student expectation for Thai classes (which is in compliance with Thai law).

 

Parent & Teacher Communication

Student Planners

Students in grades 6-10 will use a planner in every class during the school day. Please check this planner for assignments, calendar events, due dates for large projects, notes from teachers, and more. This is our most consistent communication tool. Let’s make it count for our kids!

 

Teacher Email List

All teacher emails are available here

 

CRICS Weekly Bulletin

The weekly bulletin is our most comprehensive source for school news and CRICS community information and will be sent out each week by email. Parents or guardians should read the entire bulletin each week.

 

Checking Grades

Students and parents are encouraged to check their grades weekly using the username and password provided during the Orientation, Open House, and Registration events in August. If you need a reminder about your information, then please ask for help in the main office or speak to your teacher directly.

 

Open House

Parent Open House for secondary will be held on an evening early in the school year. This meeting is for parents only and is a time when teachers are in their classrooms to outline goals, expectations, curriculum, and classroom procedures. This is designed to be a very informative session for the parents. All parents and teaching staff members are required to be present at the parent orientation.

 

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences may be scheduled with teachers at any time during the school year. The purpose of the conference is to provide parents with an explanation of the educational process and academic environment that their child is involved in, as well as providing an opportunity to dialog about their child’s progress. At any time, parents may schedule an appointment directly with the teacher using the teacher email list available here. If however, parents desire to meet with more than one of their child’s teachers, a joint conference should be arranged through the main office or the principal.

There is an Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences day in October. On that day, there is no school for elementary students to allow teachers the freedom to meet with parents. Details will be announced.

 

Emailing & Calling

Emailing is CRICS’s official means of communication for school business; however, phone calls are also highly encouraged when possible.

 

Main Office & Questions office@crics.asia
Absence Reporting Link to Absence Report Form
IT Problems it@crics.asia

 

Parent & Student Grievances

Most parent complaints pertain to a child’s school-related situations with other people such as staff members, students, etc. Many of these complaints come from misunderstandings and partial information. To students and parents, these are real concerns, and they have the right to have their concerns heard. It is the responsibility of the school personnel to be sensitive to these concerns and to respond in an appropriate and timely manner.

Parents should first contact the staff member most directly involved in the incident. If a resolution of the grievance is not reached with both parties, the parent or staff member may request an appointment with the relevant principal or the head of school. All parties involved are to be invited to attend this meeting. The principal will keep notes of all the proceedings in this meeting and all subsequent communications.

If a resolution is not reached with the head of school or principal, the parent has a right to appeal that grievance to the school board. The principal will provide the school board with a written copy of the notes and communications pertaining to the grievance. The School Board will then decide whether to formally hear the grievance.

 

CRICS Handbooks

Child Protection Handbook

Chiang Rai International Christian School seeks to maintain a school environment free from the effects of self-harm, harassment, bullying, child abuse, and child neglect. No staff member, volunteer, employee or student may engage in any activity at any time constituting harassment, bullying, self-harm, child abuse, and child neglect. All CRICS paid staff and volunteers must report to the head of school any suspected child abuse or neglect that they believe occurred or may have occurred, either inside or outside of the school setting.

All teachers, staff, and parents are required to understand the CRICS Child Protection Handbook available here and to agree to the policies of the handbook.

Students will receive yearly training in identifying and reporting any form of self-harm, harassment, bullying, child abuse, and child neglect during the first-day assembly for grades 7-12 and in class for grades K-6.

If you see self-harm, harassment, bullying, abuse, or neglect, report it immediately.

 

Technology Handbook

Chiang Rai International Christian School seeks to provide all students with powerful learning devices and programs, Internet access for curricular use, instruction in age-appropriate computer use and safety, a safe digital environment.

All teachers, staff, parents, and students of appropriate age are required to understand the CRICS Technology Handbook available here prior to receiving a device or resources from the IT Department.

For any assistance, visit it.crics.asia, email it@crics.asia, or stop in at the IT Shop (C203).

 

CRICS Services

Lunch Program

A lunch program is available for all students in grades K-12. Student lunch fees can be found in the Fees, Tuition, & Finances section of this handbook. There is no charge for staff and faculty to participate in the lunch program. Menus are available in the office.

 

Assistance for Struggling Students

The best time to deal with academic problems is before they begin. There are some strategies that teachers can use to help students who are struggling academically. We desire to have a process that helps students who are experiencing academic difficulties develop skills so that they may succeed at school. This may include correction of faulty study habits and the raising of a pupil’s general competence in areas not attributed to specific learning disabilities.
 

Parents and students are encouraged to inform teachers early if they anticipate problems, or have information that might help the teachers understand why the student may experience difficulty. The key is cooperative effort.

 

Accommodations and Modifications

Teachers can make some adjustments to cope with physical problems such as eyesight, hearing, or fine motor coordination. The trained staff members can assist teachers in suggesting ways to help the student in the classroom setting.

 

Staff Conference

If a student is not succeeding, a conference in which the student, the teachers, and the parents analyze the problem and commit to specific actions can be very helpful. Parents can request a conference by contacting the teacher or the principal.

 

Tutoring

There is the possibility of tutoring if necessary.

 

English Language Learning

The English Language Learning program exists to support students in the acquisition of English who do not come from an English-speaking background. All Applicants must be evaluated for English proficiency if one or both parents are not native English speakers.

 

Individual Education Plans

Students who have special needs services will have a special educational plan developed. These are called IEPs (Individual Education Plan) and may have input from teachers, the principal, the head of school, parents, and special needs staff. They will include goals and specific modifications and/or accommodations to assist the student in being a successful learner. When appropriate, grades may be adjusted or transcripts can show that modifications/accommodations were made. These educational plans are reviewed and updated at least annually.

 

Academic Counselor

The CRICS academic counselor is able to helps students and parents

The academic counselor also assists in assigning academic classes based on course requirements for graduation and long-term goals

 

Textbook Distribution

The Chiang Rai International Christian School issues textbooks for the use of the students. It is the responsibility of the students to take proper care of the textbooks they receive. Fees will be charged for abuse, damage, or excessive wear and tear. Students are urged to apply paper covers to their textbooks if the books are not already covered with plastic covers. Except for writing their name in the name roster found inside the cover of the book, students should not write in the textbooks. Corners of the pages should not be turned down, nor should anything be taped to the textbooks.
 

The library staff members are to keep a record of the number and condition of the textbooks that are issued to each student. 7th through 12th-grade students will check out required textbooks from the library during the MS/HS Student Registration Day. Students will return textbooks to the library at year-end before receiving year-end report cards or transcripts.

 

Student Council

Student Council is an important part of the life of CRICS. Student Council activities are designed to provide fun, foster team building, promote the general welfare of the student body, seek to build school spirit, and encourage high standards of Christian character.

Student Council officers are elected at the end of each year for the subsequent year. All Student Council representatives and officers are subject to administrative approval. The Student Council president must be in grade 10 – 12. Representatives to the Student Council are elected through a general election of peers by grade level. The elections for the school year occur at the end of each school year. There shall be one or two members elected from each grade from grades 4 – 11 for the subsequent year.

The Student Council will have at least one staff advisor who will serve as a liaison between the Student Council and the staff and administration. Student Council plans are subject to administrative approval.

 

CRICS Events

Chapel

Each Tuesday morning, the students, teachers, and staff gather for worship from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. This CRICS community chapel is a joyful time and is a requirement for all students and teachers to attend. We also warmly invite all CRICS parents and CRICS community members to come and join us for this important and celebratory time!

 

Family Weekend

As a Family Learning Community, we want to make ample opportunities for families to rest together and connect with each other. So each semester, school administration will assign one weekend that is reserved for family only. School events are not to be planned during these break times and assignments cannot be given on the school day immediately before break that are due on the school day immediately after break. The intent is to create opportunities for students to plan their studies such that their family can be free over the entire family weekend to be together without effect on class performance.

 

Student Groups

Student groups can be an athletics team, a club, a social circle, a seasonal learning opportunity, but is never a class or an elective class. Official student groups are responsible for the following.

Officlal student groups have the right to the following with permission per change of use.

For questions or more information, please contact your principal.

 

Dances

Dances are allowed at CRICS, provided that each dance has received prior approval from the administration well in advance of any announcements. In addition, the following requirements must be met

 

Class Parties

Bible classes will lead each grade in organizing 1 or 2 class parties during the year. Those parties are to allow the students to build relationships with their peers and to acknowledge their hard work throughout the school year.

 

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular Activities are any CRICS-sponsored student events, and they must follow the guidelines below.
 

 

Extracurricular Ineligibility

CRICS works diligently to provide a variety of quality and challenging extracurricular activities in the areas of academics, athletics, and fine arts. We believe that these opportunities support students in developing physical health, moral character, work ethic, and leadership abilities that are critical to their success at CRICS and in life. 

Academic or Behavioral Ineligibility
However, extracurricular activities are a support to the primary activities of the school day, and so come second to success in the core curriculum. A student can become ineligible in the following ways:

  1. The student has entered academic probation (as described in the CRICS handbook [INSERT LINK HERE]: two or more D grades or one or more F grades in core classes: Bible, LA, Math, Science, Social Studies, Thai, and ELL.
  2. The student is not working towards sufficient academic advancement at the conclusion of the school year.
  3. The student has exhibited significantly inappropriate behavior or has shown behavior that makes extracurricular events a concern for themselves or others as determined by the principal.

Under any of these situations, the student will not be allowed to participate in extracurricular performances, competitions, games, or other events; however, participation in practices/rehearsals is still allowed and encouraged unless it hinders a group’s progress or conflicts with opportunities to improve academic or behavioral performance. 

An ineligible student will be immediately reactivated for full participation in extracurricular events when their principal has reviewed an Extracurricular Eligibility Waiver that demonstrates that the student has completed work or improved their performance above the minimum requirements of academic probation or to be working at a level that is acceptable for the ability and situation of the student with consideration to learning plans and unique situations as determined by the principal.

 

Athletics

The CRICS Flames Athletic program is designed to train and equip our student-athletes to be leaders in the classroom, on the court, and in every area of life. The Flames program focuses second on athletic skills and teamwork and first on each Flame’s personal growth and character development. We want to see athletes live out their values and their faith with intensity and honor not only in the school context but in the greater community as well.

Our Values:

All coaches are to teach all athletes to play with intensity and honor. The Flame is a symbol of those values.

 

Field Trips

At CRICS, we know that learning is not only accomplished in the classroom, so field trips are planned each year to give the students a wide range of experiences and a broader education. Each field trip will require a signed permission slip from the parents.

 

Birthdays

Monthly, CRICS celebrates the birthdays of those in our school that were born during that month. Those students, teachers, and staff are honored by name at chapel. Parents and teachers can organize a birthday party during Bible class or during a break from class such as morning break or lunch if desired. Please contact your teachers to ask for the best time.

 

Library

The library is available for use by students, teachers and CRICS community for study, research, and connection with reading material and computer services. The library has over 10,000 books from various genres for educational and entertainment purposes. We strive to provide a quiet and inspirational atmosphere that is convenient for all.

Books are available to be checked out for two week periods or longer with renewal. When books are returned late, a two baht late fee per day will be due. If books are returned damaged (ripped, torn, bent, water damage, etc.) a fine of 20 baht minimum will be due for repairs. If a book is unusable due to damage, the replacement value will be billed to the student.

All library fees must be paid in full at the end of each quarter as well as all overdue library books returned in order to receive report cards.

The library is a peaceful place for study and reading as well as a location for some classes and small study groups. We ask that those using the library work and speak quietly so that others' work is not disrupted. No food or drink is permitted in the library.

 

Community Use of CRICS Spaces & Resources

School facilities and items, such as the sports court, a classroom, the teacher’s lounge, electronics, instruments, or furniture may be borrowed occasionally, with the permission of the CRICS leadership Team. There are times when these items may bless your organization or family during a function or event. Please receive permission to borrow these items prior to removing them from the CRICS campus. Please submit a specific list of items needed, as well as dates needed to a member of the leadership team (admin@crics.asia). A member of the leadership team should sign the items in and out. Some electronic devices may require a deposit or usage fee. If an item is damaged while in your care, we ask that the item be fixed or replaced prior to return.

 

Fundraisers at CRICS

 

Snack Shop

 

Friday community market

 

Approval

 

Safety, Health, and Wellness

Safety

CRICS endeavors to provide a safe environment for its students. We would ask that students use wisdom and common sense before engaging in activities that may be dangerous to themselves or others. We also ask students to use property, equipment and school supplies the way they were intended to be used.

 

Prohibited Items

CRICS expects all staff and students to abide by Thai laws at all times while on campus or involved in school activities.

The following items are prohibited on campus:

According to Thai law, CRICS must report any instance of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or weapons on our campus to the police, the Ministry of Education, and the student's parents. Additionally, any infractions of this nature are subject to a fine of up to 2000 baht.    

 

Lunch Locations on Campus

Secondary students may enjoy lunch in any easily viewable location on the first floor or ground levels of campus or in designated seated areas on the second floor of Buildings A & L. Students should never be in the parking lot during lunch or in places that are “hidden” or outside of public areas. Students may only eat in a classroom if accompanied by a teacher. Students may never eat in a classroom without a teacher present. Elementary students eat in the cafeteria.

 

Driving

Driver’s License

When driving a motor vehicle in Thailand, a valid license is required. CRICS requests that all staff and students who drive obtain and carry a valid driver’s license.

 

International Staff Drivers

For international CRICS staff, the Thai government accepts your home country license when it is accompanied by an “International Driver’s License.” To drive a motorcycle, international staff members need a motorcycle endorsement on both their home country license and his or her “International Driver’s License” or need a Thai driver’s license.

 

Students Drivers

Students who are properly licensed under Thai law may also drive a vehicle to and from school. Students may not carry other students, other than immediate family, on or in their vehicle without written permission from both families by email in the school office prior to transport.

 

Motorcycles

For motorcycles, in support of Thai law and to encourage the safety of our staff and students, CRICS’ policy is that while riding a motorcycle, both the driver and any passenger must wear a fastened helmet and carry, including the driver, no more than two people.

 

Thai Traffic Laws

As a Christian organization, we have a duty to uphold the laws of the land in which we are living. Please do your part by obeying Thailand’s motor vehicle and traffic laws at all times.

 

Transporting Students

Community members and staff may transport students to or from school events, provided they have a valid license, insurance on their vehicle, and the main office has a copy of the driver’s car information booklet (usually blue or green) and the driver’s valid driver’s license.

 

Family and Emergency Contact Information

Should your emergency contact information change for any reason, it is your important responsibility to update our records immediately in the main office or by email.

 

Emergency Procedures

Emergency exit procedures are posted in the classrooms. All students should be aware of the emergency and evacuation routes and procedures. The signal for an emergency evacuation of the building will be a long, sustained siren or bell. At the sound of the emergency evacuation bell, teachers are to take their class to the football/soccer field where attendance teachers will take attendance and report any missing students to their principals. Everyone will remain in the designated area until the “all clear” signal is given. Students are orderly and attentive while in the emergency evacuation area to ensure that safety directions are heard and followed.

 

Parents’ Responsibilities When a Child is Sick

 

Health Inspection

Health inspection should be a continuous, general observation by the classroom teacher. Refer all cases of serious illness or communicable disease to the school nurse. The teacher should be alert for deviations from normal good health of the students. In the event it becomes necessary for a student to go home, the school nurse and/or Principal will make the decision, and a parent will be contacted to come for the student. Under no circumstances is the student to go home unless the parent, guardian, or emergency contact person, and the school office are notified.

 

Response to Accidents and Illness

In case of accidents or illnesses at school, call or go to the school nurse. Only the school nurse is allowed to administer medications, however it is recommended that anyone who is trained and/or comfortable providing first aid in the absence of the nurse should do so.

In case of accident or illness, the student should be brought to the nurse. When the sick or injured student cannot or should not be moved, stay with him/her, and send another reliable student or adult to get the nurse. If it is a life threatening situation and you are trained, you should provide care until the nurse arrives, otherwise the nurse will provide first aid and any recommendations for further action.

Students may not leave campus due to illness without approval from the school nurse and/or principal. Students must also be signed out of the office by a parent or administrator.

 

Accident Form

In case of an accident or serious injury, the adult who was supervising at the time of the accident, should email the nurse with a detailed account of the accident. The nurse on staff will store a copy of the report.

 

Insurance Claim

Any claims for reimbursement for medical care related to accidents on or off-campus, must be made through the insurance company and supported by a doctor’s report. Insurance claims should also be filed with the office assistant.

 

Medication

Students carrying any medication from home must immediately take the medication to the school nurse upon arrival at school. Students may not keep any medications or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs on their person, or in their school bag or locker during school hours. This includes pain relievers, headache medicines, and vitamin tablets. All medications must be stored in the school office. Parents must also complete/sign the Authorization to take Medication at School form prior to nurse dispensing student’s medication. No sharing of medication or OTC drugs among students is allowed. Exceptions can be made for students with potentially life-threatening conditions such as asthma, diabetes or extreme allergies may carry prescribed medication with them, after the CRICS nurse has granted permission. Permission requires the parent to complete/sign the Permission to Carry Medication form, and submit it to CRICS office to be approved by the school nurse and the Principal. This form must be kept with the medication at all times and on file in the nurse’s office.

 

Mental Health Issues

CRICS is not equipped with personnel who can properly treat mental health issues nor do our teachers have training sufficient to assist in issues of mental health. We recommend families who have concerns about the mental health of their student seek professional counseling from a regional counseling service such as The Well or Cornerstone in Chiang Mai,.

If a student is emotionally disturbed so as to be unable to function as a student in the classroom, then they should report to the nurse's office for a time of rest in hope that they can regain composure and return to the classroom as soon as possible.

 

Air Pollution

When there is elevated air pollution levels, an email will alert principals and teachers about the AQI and the school will follow procedures according to this CRICS AQI Response Chart (shown below) which is based on the recommendations from EPA AQI guidelines. The CRICS Portal has a page that allows you to check the AQI on campus as well.

The school has a network of high powered air purifiers that work to clean the air in every high-use classroom and office. Since we can ensure safe air in our buildings, we do not close school for hazardous AQI levels.

 

Preferential Student Seating

Students who have vision or hearing difficulties may require preferential seating to compensate for such difficulties. All students should be seated where they will be challenged as little as possible by classroom conditions.

 

Swimming and Water Activities

 

Elementary Child Pick Up

Thank you for being on time to pick up your elementary student at 3:40 pm. If you are unable to arrive by 3:55 pm, your student’s teacher will bring your student to the front office and P’Boo will call to notify a parent. You may then pick up your child who will be seated at the front foyer area or front concrete tables under the oversight of our CRICS guard. You will need to show your ID to the guard and sign that you have picked up your child.

 

Appropriate Conduct

Prayer

Prayer is indispensable in the life of the Christian school. While most prayer takes place individually, or spontaneously in classes or groups, scheduled times of corporate prayer are also essential. Faculty, staff, parents, students, trustees, and foundation members are encouraged to participate in scheduled prayer times.

 

Contacting Students during School

Parents are asked to limit class time messages to emergencies only. It is difficult to guarantee delivery of messages (except emergency messages) to students during the school day. Students should not receive unnecessary phone calls at school because such messages disrupt class. Parents can email students directly on campus, although students have limited opportunities to check their email messages. Students may be contacted directly during breaks or lunchtime.

 

Thai Culture

The Chiang Rai International Christian School is a school comprised of many nationalities and cultures. As a school in Thailand, we encourage our teachers and students to respect the local culture within a Christian context. We strive to honor our Thai students and staff by treating Thai beliefs and values with consideration and thoughtfulness.

 

Visitors to Campus

Parents are encouraged to meet with their children’s teachers. Parents wishing to speak with teachers, even briefly, should make an appointment to avoid disrupting instruction, and to ensure that the teacher has adequate time to prepare for the conference. Parents should avoid distracting teachers when they have responsibilities for supervising students.

 

Public Display of Affection

Wholesome and God pleasing relationships among our students are encouraged. However, the school is not the place for public displays of romantic affection. We ask that students refrain from any romantic physical contact during school hours, on school grounds, and at school sponsored events. A public display of affection (PDA) is defined as any action that implies an exclusive or romantic relationship between two individuals. While we recognize that special relationships may exist, we also believe that these special friendships deepen the need for restraint and discipline. If teachers or administrators observe a public display of affection, the students initially receive a warning and explanation regarding the concerns. Persistent warnings will result in disciplinary actions, and/or a conference with the administration and parents, and/or possible suspension from school.

 

Uniform & Dress Code

All clothing worn at school should be:

 

Shirts

Uniform shirts must be worn during the entire school day and to school functions when requested. The uniform shirt must be worn at all times and the CRICS logo should be visible at all times on either the uniform shirt or uniform sweatshirt. Families may purchase uniform shirts and sweatshirts from the school accounting office.

 

Pants

No special uniform pants are required. Long pants and shorts are allowed as well as skirts for girls that are modest (sufficient length, covering most of the thigh, minimal holes or tears, no shorts or leggings that are tight enough to be considered “revealing” or showing visible underwear lines or color), simple (no excessive patterns, no excessively bright colors or lights, no costumes without approved CRICS purpose, no distracting features), and neat (no excessively loose leggings, no “pajamas”).

 

Sweatshirts

Uniform sweatshirts may be worn at anytime, but the uniform shirt must be worn immediately underneath (nothing in between the uniform shirt and the uniform sweatshirt).

 

Cold Weather

If your child needs to be warmer, then (1) additional layers may be worn under the uniform shirt. (2) During the cold season, additional layers are allowed outside of the classrooms. (3) If the temperature drops below 16 degrees Celsius, then coats, jackets, or other additional layers may be worn with the uniform shirt AND the uniform sweatshirt even in the classrooms. Students should make every effort to comply with the uniform code, but also be warm enough to be safe and engaged in their activities at school.

 

Patches

Patches may be added to the uniform sweatshirt only. Any patches or decorations must fit within a 6 cm by 6 cm square for high school and within a 4 cm by 4 cm square for lower grades and be approved by the activities advisor and CRICS leadership before they are produced by any student group.

 

P.E. Uniform

Each Chiang Rai International Christian School student is required to wear a CRICS P.E. shirt during P.E. class. P.E. shirts may be worn in place of school uniforms by students who have P.E. class on that day. The P.E. uniform consists of shoes; a P.E. uniform shirt; and athletics shorts, leggings, tights, or sweatpants. P.E. uniform shirts may be purchased from the accounting office and picked up from the school office. Students are responsible to buy their own shorts. Failure to wear an appropriate P.E. uniform will result in a grade reduction for the class and possibly other consequences.

 

Uniform Exceptions

  1. In rare circumstances, CRICS staff may give permission for uniform violations to improve staff and student safety or improve classroom activities.
  2. Traditional Thai clothing may be worn on Fridays.
  3. Non-uniform, school-related, event, and activity clothing may be worn on Thursday.
  4. Participants in special, school sponsored events may wear non-uniform clothing on or near to the day of the event (sports, MUN, drama, debate StuCo, etc.) by permission of the group advisor(s) and CRICS leadership (ELT).
  5. Seniors may wear casual clothes (no uniforms) that otherwise comply with the dress code on Fridays.

 

Dress Code and Uniform Violations

Alerting students of their dress code violations is the responsibility of all members of the staff throughout the school day and during school activities. If a teacher or school staff member sees a dress code violation, he/she should discuss this with the student and ask them to take action to correct the violation. A Principal Report will be administered at that time by email. Teachers need to use their discretion to determine if the violation is serious enough to warrant an immediate change of clothes or contacting parents immediately to arrange to have a change of clothes brought to the school.

 

Illegal Substances, Tobacco, Alcohol, and Weapons

Chiang Rai International Christian School will comply with Thai Law in all matters, including legislation regarding illegal substances, alcohol, tobacco, and weapons. All such items are prohibited from CRICS campus and CRICS related events.

 

Sexual Purity

Students are expected to refrain from:

Appropriate discipline for infractions will be determined by the administration.

 

Discipline

General Expectations

It is the responsibility of each teacher to maintain a classroom that is safe and conducive to learning for all children. However, students are also responsible for following the guidelines that the teacher establishes for the classroom.

The following are general expectations for all classrooms:

  1. Students should be in their homerooms before the second bell rings.
  2. Each student is responsible to bring his or her own supplies.
  3. English will be spoken in the classrooms, except during foreign language classes or in rare instances when a foreign language is needed to support a student's learning.
  4. Students are expected to respect school property and school equipment.
  5. When a teacher temporarily leaves the classroom, the rules of the classroom will be maintained by the students in the teacher’s absence.
  6. Students are expected to show respect to teachers as well as to other students.

 

Response to Classroom Misbehavior

All disciplinary actions should comply with guiding principles from the Bible including evidence and incremental escalation of intervention (Matthew 18:15-20), questioning towards engaging the student’s conscience (Genesis 3), sacrificial commitment and love from the teacher (Ephesians 5:2), punishment that shows hope (Genesis 3, John 21:15-19), and a renewed call to purpose for the student and teacher (John 21:15-19).

We recognize that each teacher has their own style for classroom management, such as a classroom economy, a time-out space, a behavioral chart, managing seating assignments, etc. If the inappropriate behavioral issue is persistent, is severe, or affects progress towards educational goals in the classroom, a principal should be notified by email to begin or update a record of behaviors and to seek advice on new support options for the student. The principal, recognizing that this student has persistent needs for disciplinary attention beyond the classroom level, may address the issue as seen below. The actions in italics below require family and educational team communication in a timely manner.

  1. Prayer for the student(s) and the situation.
  2. Conference with the student.
  3. Communication with the student’s educational team to develop a strategy
  4. Communication with the family for insight and support in developing a strategy.
  5. In-school detention/suspension for a brief time period
  6. Removal of privileges such as break time, special classes, involvement in sports, lunch location, access to Chromebooks, study hall choices, etc. 
  7. Longer-term removal from class. 

 

Parents may be asked to be a part of disciplinary actions such as:

  1. Monitoring their student’s separate work space during the school day if they must be removed from class for a defined time.
  2. Using school discipline techniques at home to support the students in behavior change throughout the day and to show consistency of expectation between home and school.
  3. Monitoring schoolwork or organizing a school bag at home for a time period.
  4. Researching and pursuing additional resources and outside help not available in CRICS community and communicating this information with the principal and/or the student’s educational team.

 

Principal Reports

For Middle and High School Students, principal reports will be given for the following reasons: tardiness, being unprepared (no materials or books), uniform infractions, failure to sign in/out of school, disrespectful language or behavior, and other less offensive violations that have not yet become a pattern of defiance. Any teacher or staff member may make a principal report at any time. Three Principal reports, a pattern of principal reports, or a more severe offense will result in a a conversation between the principal and the student(s) involved. Consequences may be warnings, apologies, family-teacher meeting, loss of privileges, ineligibility for extracurricular activities, in school suspension, out of school suspension, or other appropriate consequences as determined by the principal and other relevant school staff and faculty.

 

Community Service

CRICS intention is that all disciplinary actions will give students the opportunity to reconcile broken relationships, restitute any damaged property, rehabilitate habits that are dangerous, disrespectful, or otherwise against school policies. Community service time allow a student to complete one of these three tasks most efficiently. Community service can be done in any way that benefits the community but not directly the student or the family of the student. Community services tasks and hour counts are assigned by the principal or a teacher approved by the principal.

 

Violence

Each student is expected to behave in a manner that shows respect to God, others, and school property. When a student chooses to be an aggressor in verbal or physical fighting (moves the conflict towards forms of violence and not away from violence), then the following consequences are common responses.

1st Offense
The student will be sent to the principal’s office for counseling. The principal, in consultation with the teacher, will determine an appropriate consequence to address the behavior.

2nd Offense
The student will be sent to the principal’s office and parents will be informed of the student’s ongoing behavior. The principal, parents and behavioral interventionist, if available, will work together to come up with a solution for helping the student to learn to interact well with peers and for the restoration of a sense of safety for other students.

3rd Offense
The student will be sent to the principal’s office and the parents will be informed. Principal, teacher, behavioral interventionist, if available, and parents will meet together to establish a behavior intervention plan for the student.

Further Offenses
If the student is not responding well with an intervention plan in place, suspension may be considered.

Severity and Time
The severity (danger or intensity) of the actions taken, the effect of those involved, and the time between instances of violence are all factors that may affect the common process above.

 

Academic Dishonesty

Students are expected to complete all coursework by their own efforts with honesty, fairness, and adequate effort and to do so within the teacher’s intended process and purpose.

 

Cheating

Students cheating in coursework or assessments are subject to discipline. Cheating includes:

 

Disciplinary actions for cheating may include but are not limited to:

These decisions will be made with input from the student, the teacher, the department head, and the principal depending on student intention, the severity of the situation, the importance of the assignment, the behavioral history of the students involved, and other relevant factors.

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of cheating and will be handled according to the cheating policy. Plagiarism includes:

Plagiarism can apply to many types of work (some of these areas use a word other than plagiarism such as copyright violation or infringement) including but not limited to photos, video, writing, speech, computer code, music, art, and many other forms of intellectual property.

 

Respectful Media Use

Video and other media should be chosen to complement educational objectives, not simply to entertain. Teachers should keep in mind that we serve families who have varying opinions concerning what is appropriate for student viewing. All videos/films used as part of the classroom curriculum should be previewed by the teacher. Approval from either the principal, or the department head in the absence of the principal, is required before a feature length film can be shown. Once the title is placed on the approved list and continues to be used for the same purposes, it is no longer necessary to get approval.

A teacher should notify families one week in advance of any class viewing of a feature-length film above a G rating to ensure that parents have the option of exempting their student from that class.

Possible options to deal with objectionable portions of videos include skipping over objectionable portions, deleting objectionable portions using editing software, or showing only appropriate portions that are not objectionable. Objectionable materials include nudity, sexual behavior, offensive language, morally corrupt, violence, etc.

 

Fees, Tuition, & Finances

Discounts

Significant fee reductions are available for children of full-time and part-time teacher volunteers. Inquire with the head of school for details.

 

New Students Fees

 

Application Fee 1,000 Baht per child
Registration Fee 25,000 Baht per child
Capital Fee 25,500 Baht per child
Tuition K-12th 142,000 Baht per year

 

Returning Student Fees

 

Development Fee   20,000 Baht per student
Graduation Fee   3,000 Baht
ELL Support (Intensive) and Testing Fee   1,200 Baht Monthly
Lunch Semester Elementary 2,820 Baht
MS / HS 3290 Baht
Milk 1128 Baht
Lunch without Mid-day Snack Elementary 30 Baht
MS / HS 35 Baht
Lunch with Mid-day Snack Elementary 42 Baht
MS / HS 47 Baht
School Uniform Shirts   260 Baht
PE Uniform Shirt   180 Baht

 

Athletic Program Fees

Extra curricular athletics will announce any fees connected with participation in the sport prior to the beginning of that sport season. Payment of fees will be required prior to participation in that sport. Athletic program fees may vary from sport to sport, and additional expenses may be necessary to provide team uniforms, travel, and food.

 

Electives Fees

Due to the unique nature and necessary resources required in certain elective classes, some of these classes may have fees associated with the elective class. (Example - oil painting, sewing, etc.).

 

Financial Considerations

 

Financial Assistance Possibilities

Volunteer Service Hours

The Family Learning Center (FLC) was originally formed to “serve the servant” by providing quality education at a reasonable cost. Parents were allowed to teach and volunteer at the school, and school fees were reduced according to the amount of hours volunteered by each family. This system served two purposes:

  1. Parents received financial assistance, and
  2. CRICS receives the personnel necessary to adequately operate the institution.

CRICS continues to develop opportunities for “meaningful voluntary service”, which helps to lighten families’ financial burden and provide the personnel that CRICS needs to deliver high-quality education.

Continuing with this mission and tradition, the Chiang Rai International Christian School (CRICS) is also attempting to make school fees as affordable as possible by offering scholarships and financial aid whenever possible.

The Service Hours program is for families who meet the following requirements.

Active service hours volunteers receive tuition discounts which acknowledges their time contributed to the school in an area of need. We appreciate the gift of time and love that our service hours volunteers contribute to the Chiang Rai International Christian School. Without these servants and their contribution, our school could not exist. We thank our CRICS service hours volunteers for their continued contributions to this school!

Contact the main office or admin@crics.asia for the latest service hours discount schedule.

 

Financial Aid & Scholarship

A “Financial Aid and Scholarship Committee” examines the needs of families that might need financial assistance. Parents are asked to contact the head of school if they need assistance with school fees. In particular, those parents who are serving the community in a voluntary manner, such as pastors, missionaries, educators, social welfare workers, or those working in not-for-profit foundations or businesses are encouraged to inquire about financial assistance. Parents will be asked to complete a Financial Aid Application with details about their job and their income, and the assistance they request. The Financial Aid and Scholarship Committee, based on the applications, will make financial aid decisions.

 

Attendance

Absence and Make-Up Work

Any student who is absent for any reason (excused or unexcused) for 15 or more days in a semester (two quarters) will be considered for loss of credit. The principal will make the determination with consideration to the student’s attitude, quality of work when the student is present, quantity and quality of makeup work completed, and the nature of the absences. In extreme circumstances such as surgery, visa travel, and other uncontrollable family emergencies, students and their families may request an absence extension. Ask your principal for more details.

 

Absence Due to Early Departure Or Late Arrival

Parents should contact the principal preferably at least one month in advance if their child will be arriving to school late in the year or leaving early due to unchangeable events. Provided that the absence meets standards set by the administrative team, and is within a one-quarter time frame, the Leadership Team will coordinate with teachers to maintain the student’s education during that time. If the student will be absent more than 15 days, then the family will be given resources to continue education in a homeschool manner. If the absence will be less than 15 days, then the student may continue to study using the same resources and the same lesson access, as it is possible to make these resources available, as the remainder of the class who are present in the classroom. Some courses may not be able to be completed by extension; In this case, the student would need to complete all expectations prior to leaving for the trip, make up all expectations upon arriving late to school, or the student would lose credit for the course.

 

Absence Due to Illness

In any absence due to illness, it is the responsibility of the parents to fill out the absence report and email the student’s teachers directly as soon as possible for the student to be considered excused from school. Should the parent/student determine that their illness was mild and not contagious (i.e. headache) and they want to return later in the school day, the parent must still contact the office as soon as possible for the student to be excused. Our classes are negatively affected by absences and we must give teachers immediate notice to enable them to change lesson plans. Upon arriving at school late, the student must report to the nurse to be cleared to attend class. In any case, if the office is not notified, the student will be considered unexcused wherein the student will not be allowed to make up missed work. If the parents fill out the absence report or email the teacher directly and the student is excused, it is then the student’s responsibility to meet with his/her teachers to get make-up work assignments. The student will be given a make-up period equal to the number of school days missed plus one, in which to complete the work.

 

Planned Absences

Planned absences should be announced to all teachers of the student by email and by in person Forms must be completed and signed by all teachers. Missed work will be due upon return, unless advance arrangements are made. Failure to make advance arrangements may result in an unexcused absence, and applicable grade reductions.

 

Excused and Unexcused Absences

Many other situations may cause student absences. The following examples are types of absences that are generally considered excused when notice is given in advance by parents: Visa appointments, doctor/dental appointments, college fairs, CRICS events, family events, etc. The following examples are types of absences that are generally considered unexcused: working on other classwork, returning late after leaving campus without prior parental notice, failure to deliver proper excuse from a parent or guardian, etc. Unexcused absences do not allow the student to complete makeup work or to participate in extracurricular activities that day. The principal will make the final determination whether an absence will be excused and what effect that will have on classes and eligibility for extracurricular activities. Generally, a student who misses a class due to an unexcused absence will not be allowed to complete the assignments from that class period for credit. They will receive a zero score for any missed activities and/or assignments.

 

Daily Attendance

Attendance is recorded during each class and parents should report absence through our absence report form.

It is the responsibility of all teachers to notify the principal of all possible unexcused absences. Principals will make the final determination of excused or unexcused. Should the absence be declared unexcused, then the student may be subject to disciplinary action including not being allowed to complete makeup work. It is the responsibility of the office assistant to notify the attendance teacher of all absence explanations, and to notify the principal when a student reaches their 10th, and 15th absence in any one semester. Principals will notify parents on each of these occasions, stressing the importance of good attendance and the potential loss of credit upon being absent 15 days in one semester for grades 9-12. Official attendance records are kept in FACTS.

 

Tardy (Late Arrival at Class)

Students are expected to be in their classroom by the second bell. If a staff member detains a student, that staff member should provide the student with a paper or email pass. The pass should specify that the student was detained, by whom he/she was detained, and whether or not the staff member feels the tardy should be excused. Teachers may make a Principal Report or other appropriate disciplinary action if a student is tardy without permission.

 

Truancy (Does Not Arrive at Class in Time to Participate)

Students who do not arrive to class in time to fully participate will be reported to the main office and/or the principal immediately as truant so that a search can begin. If a student misses half of a class period, then the teacher will investigate to determine whether the students can be excused due to an emergency or a previously agreed upon absence. Students may not miss a class period without the permission of the classroom teacher while on campus. If the extremely late arrival is not excused, then the teacher will report the truancy to the principal for investigation and/or disciplinary action.

 

Arriving Late

All students must sign in at the office and receive a pass before proceeding immediately to class.

 

Leaving Early

All students are to be at school for the entire school day, and may only be released during the day to a parent or guardian or to a person previously arranged in writing with our office staff. These situations should be infrequent and very important.

 

Leaving at the End of the School Day

Unless students are engaged in a school-sponsored activity or supervised by parents, they are to leave the campus before 4 pm. After 4 pm, there is no school supervision for students remaining on campus.

 

Closed Campus

CRICS is a “Closed Campus” meaning that students do not leave campus unless they are part of a school-approved travel event or they have parent permission prior to leaving.

Parents may come to campus to retrieve their student(s) from school, but please remember to sign out at the office so that school officials know that your student left during the school day. 

Parents may give one-time permission for a student to leave campus by completing an Absence Form on the CRICS Portal. Giving early notice will help teachers to prepare for their student's absence.

Parents may give recurring permission for students to leave campus by completing the Off-campus Permission Form. Students may only leave campus if the following are all true:

Students must always sign out at the office when they leave school during the school day, and sign in at the office upon returning to school. 

 

Elementary Grading

Students’ grades are reported formally four times per year with progress reports being prepared as necessary at the mid-quarter mark.

 

Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, CRICS will assess the individual student’s progress toward their readiness for 1st grade. Areas of assessment will include:

  1. Personal organizational and social skills
  2. Language skills
  3. Math skills
  4. Listening and processing skills

 

Grades K, 1 and 2

In grades K, 1 and 2, the individual student’s progress is evaluated by the following marks.

E Excellent Performing consistently with above-average effort
S Satisfactory Performing at grade level
I Improving Consistently improving, but below grade level
N Needs Improvement No significant progress
X Not evaluated at this time

 

Grades 3-6

In grades 3-6, students are given letter grades to assess their academic progress using the same scale as grades 7-12 (see below). Some flexibility in the grading scale is permitted at this transitional level to account for the teacher’s evaluation. The students are assessed in Bible, math, language arts, social studies, and science. Character and conduct grades are assessed as mastery, proficient, competent, developing, or not yet.. Additional grades are given in Thai language and culture, music, physical education (PE), art, and creative arts.

 

Secondary Grading (Grades 7-12)

Please see the secondary academic handbook for additional information.

In grades 7-12, the following letter grade values will be used.

    Unweighted Weighted
A+ 97% or above 4.00 grade points 5.00 grade points
A 93% or above 4.00 grade points 5.00 grade points
A- 90% or above 3.75 grade points 4.75 grade points
B+ 87% or above 3.25 grade points 4.25 grade points
B 83% or above 3.00 grade points 4.00 grade points
B- 80% or above 2.75 grade points 3.75 grade points
C+ 77% or above 2.25 grade points 3.25 grade points
C 73% or above 2.00 grade points 3.00 grade points
C- 70% or above 1.75 grade points 2.75 grade points
D+ 67% or above 1.25 grade points 2.25 grade points
D 63% or above 1.00 grade points 2.00 grade points
D- 60% or above 0.75 grade points 1.75 grade points
F+ 57% or above 0.25 grade points 1.25 grade points
F less than 57% 0.00 grade points 0.00 grade points

 

Pass or Fail courses

Pass 70+% or a leadership-approved, teacher-assigned criteria
Fail Less than 70%

 

Report Cards

Report cards will be prepared for all grades four times a year at the quarters. Report cards are confidential written records of student progress. They are provided to students and parents at the end of each quarter. Whenever appropriate, comments should be made to assist in the communication process. All quarterly report cards are to be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to the school by the determined deadline.

 

Standardized Tests

The following standardized tests are available to CRICS students.

 

Transcripts and Records

Transcripts and permanent records may not be released to parents or to requesting schools until all of the student’s accounts have been settled. Transcripts and records can be requested from the registrar through an online form available on the crics.asia website at this link, Students > Request Documents.

Graduates from CRICS (starting with the Class of 2013) may request transcripts from the ACSI Transcript Depository. A 20 USD fee is associated with this request. Additional information and the request form can be found at the ACSI website linked above.

 

Cumulative Records

A cumulative file will be kept for each student and maintained by a designated officer. The file will contain his/her application form, a picture of the student, a master grade record for the student, copies of his/her performance testing (e.g. Stanford testing), medical history, and any other information the administration determines necessary.

This file will be accessible to appropriate staff members and parents of the student. If there is a question as to whether or not a specific individual should have access to a student’s file, permission will be granted or denied by the head of school or principal. A sign-out record will be maintained, and anyone removing a student’s cumulative record from the office must sign it out on the appropriate form. However, for any student records to be released, the student must be in good financial standing with his/her school account. The following people will have access to a student’s cumulative records:

Please remember that information in the student’s cumulative record is confidential. The information is only to be shared with those who have permission to access the data. At no time is personal information found in these records to be released publicly.

 

Homework

Homework is to be assigned to reinforce skills, assess previous learning, and prepare students for future lessons. It should not be used to introduce new material that requires teacher direction nor as a punishment. At times, teachers may enlist the help of parents to guide in the homework.

Homework assignments should, on average, total approximately 10 minutes times the student’s grade. At different times in the year, homework amounts may fluctuate because of tests, large assignment due dates, science fair, etc.

Grade Homework Time
1 10
2 20
3 30
4 40
5 50
6 60
7 70
8 80
9 90
10 100
11 110
12 120

The actual amount of time spent on homework will vary depending on the individual students and the classes they are taking (advanced courses will require significantly more homework than other courses). English Language Learners (ELL) students will typically spend more time on homework.

High School students should expect that most homework assignments will be completed outside of class time, although often there will be some class time available for them to start homework assignments.

Parents can assist their students by helping them set up a quiet, organized study area. Students benefit from their parents’ monitoring as they study and complete their homework. Parental involvement with doing the actual homework assignments should be kept to a minimum.
 

With the exception of reading assignments, short-term required homework is not to be given over calendared vacation times (e.g. Christmas Break, Spring Break, Family Weekend, etc.). During these breaks, students need free time and family time. It is a good time for the students to work on make-up and/or long-term projects. It is wise to remind students of incomplete work before these vacation times.

 

Retention In Grade

Primary Level

Retention in grade is a joint decision by the head of school and the principal, based on input from the teacher(s). After appropriate consultation, the principal will hold a parent conference, where the recommendation of the teacher will be discussed with the parent. If the parent is not in agreement with the principal’s decision, CRICS reserves the right to make retention a condition for continuing attendance at CRICS. The final decision for all grade level retentions is the joint responsibility of the head of school and the principal.

All meetings between the parents, the head of school, the principal, and the teacher will be documented and the documentation kept in the student’s file through the registrar.

 

Grades 7-8

Students in grades 7-8 may be retained in a grade upon receiving a final yearly grade average below 60% (F) in two or more classes, if the teachers and administration deem it necessary for the benefit of the student.

 

Grades 9-12

The following scale will determine grade classification in grades 9-12:

Grade Level Number of Credits Earned
9 Less than 5.5
10 5.5—11.0
11 11.5—16.5
12 17.0 or more

 

Visas & Work Permits

Volunteer Visa

Volunteers who come from other countries will be required to attain the proper documents following Thai government regulations for working at the school. Volunteer teachers will be issued a letter that will permit them to attain a non-immigrant type O or Type B visa at a Thai consulate in their country of origin or other Thai consulate locations found in various countries outside of Thailand. To be issued a non-immigrant visa from CRICS or CEFT (Christian Education Foundation of Thailand), a volunteer must commit to 20 hours of volunteer work each week.

CRICS is committed to helping volunteers attain proper paperwork for visas. Volunteers will provide their own funding for costs related to visas.

 

Volunteer Work Permit

Volunteers coming from other countries will also be required to attain a work permit that allows them permission from the Thai labor department for volunteering at the school. CRICS volunteer relations staff will assist volunteers with the paperwork necessary for acquisition of a work permit. To be issued a work permit for work related to CRICS or CEFT (Christian Education Foundation of Thailand), a volunteer must commit to 20 hours of volunteer work each week.

CRICS is committed to helping volunteers attain proper paperwork for work permits. Volunteers will provide their own funding for costs related to work permits.

 

Visas For Students

It is a requirement of Thai law for CRICS students to be on one of two types of visas. The two types of visas that permit a student to be enrolled at CRICS are non-immigrant visas Type “O” ("under" the parents visa) or type “ED" visa (a student visa under CRICS). There are no exceptions to this rule.

If you would like for your child to be on a Type ED visa as a student at CRICS please follow the instructions here.