Statement of Community
At Oslo International School (OIS), we celebrate our diverse, dynamic, supportive community and recognize the integral role that parents, families, and volunteers play in the education of OIS students.
Our community upholds and promotes the OIS mission, vision, values, and commitments as follows:
Our Connected, Inclusive, and Collaborative Community
The OIS community values inclusiveness, respect, and dignity. We nurture empathy, resilience, and a growth mindset. The community advocates for global awareness, intercultural understanding, and acceptance of the perspective(s) that others hold. We celebrate differences, reject intolerance, and seek shared understanding.
We believe the OIS community is much stronger when it has unified members contributing to the growth and prosperity of the school. Each member of the OIS community brings a unique perspective as an individual, and the community celebrates and embraces the diversity of all members.
Individual members are expected to place relationships at the heart of the school and are encouraged to constructively share their unique skill sets, advisory capabilities, or connections to enhance the school. The community welcomes opportunities to positively engage with, and pursue, strong relationships within local, national, and global communities that our internationally minded philosophy is focused on.
Our Internationally Minded Students
OIS fosters a culture that nurtures future-ready individuals to grow and develop their unique potential and become inspired global citizens. Our community is committed to providing a broad, stimulating, balanced international education that prepares students to be global citizens who are respectful, caring, collaborative, and innovative.
A hallmark of this culture is that the OIS community is internationally minded and constantly learning and adapting to ever-changing environments, embracing change and innovation. The community promotes the responsible use of technology to support learning.
Our community values intercultural learning, celebrates differences, rejects intolerance, seeks shared understanding, fosters curiosity about other cultures, and creates opportunities for students to develop empathetic and inclusive habits of mind. We are committed to preparing students for the future they choose, by empowering them to own and explore their learning.
Each student at OIS is educated to naturally think, create, and achieve in a global way and be prepared for the world that awaits them when they leave OIS.
Our Caring, Respectful Community
The OIS community is inclusive and demonstrates an appreciation of common humanity and a commitment to care for others. The OIS community values intercultural learning, celebrating differences, seeking shared understanding, fostering curiosity about other cultures, and creating opportunities for all members to develop inclusive habits of mind.
The OIS community is committed to global awareness and the understanding of diverse perspectives. Each member of the community plays a role supporting strong character growth, social and emotional wellness, and international mindedness. The community upholds the OIS mission, vision, values, and commitments by making decisions with a focus on the wellbeing of students.
The OIS community advocates for the positive participation from each of its members and encourages involvement through volunteering, providing feedback, attending meetings and events, and sharing unique expertise. As a condition of joining the OIS community, each member (administrators, staff, volunteers, service providers, parents, and students) agrees to uphold the school’s values.
Our Dynamic Staff and Administration
The administrators and staff (and any approved volunteer, student teacher, or service provider) of the OIS community are responsible for the welfare and growth of students. They enthusiastically participate in school life, both on and off campus, and positively enhance and safeguard OIS's reputation throughout Oslo, Norway, and the world.
OIS administrators and staff are solutions-oriented and positive contributing team members who cultivate a growth mindset and challenge students to reach their potential, ensuring that they are future-ready and globally focused. Whenever possible, they seek to include parents and students in schoolwide initiatives and decisions.
Our Engaged Parents
The parents of the OIS community are responsible for partnering with the administration and staff of the school to promote the welfare and growth of their children and others. They uphold and promote the OIS mission, vision, values, and commitments by serving in a variety of ways (e.g., Parents Works Council, OIS Parents Association, and other volunteer capacities).
OIS parents constructively propose ideas and solutions and do not seek to create conflict within the community. Instead, they serve as examples by working with OIS leaders and staff when opportunities for improvement present themselves.
Child Protection in a Caring, Respectful Community
The OIS community recognizes its duty to provide the utmost protection for its most valuable and vulnerable asset, its students. Therefore, the community takes immediate action if any student's welfare (both physical and emotional) is threatened or adversely impacted by the conduct of those responsible for their care and protection (including parents, relatives, guardians, volunteers, service providers, or other adults in the student's immediate environment).
Each administrator, member of staff, volunteer, and service provider at OIS is duty-bound to report any incident of suspected child abuse (physical, sexual, or emotional) or neglect, to a member of the school's leadership team. If/when it is deemed situationally appropriate for child protection purposes, the Head of School, Head of Division, counsellor, or another relevant member of staff also contacts local authorities.
Appropriate Conduct in a Caring, Respectful Community
The OIS community is committed to continuously cultivating and supporting strong character growth, social and emotional health, and tolerance. We are committed to ensuring each member's right to safety and personal happiness. We know we are role models to one another and strive to exhibit respect, care, honesty, and empathy in all interactions. Members of the community are encouraged to reduce negativity and rumour spreading.
Harassment, including but not limited to, religious beliefs, racial or ethnic background, sexual orientation, and gender, has no place in the OIS community and will not be tolerated. OIS will investigate any reported or witnessed events of harassment, violence, or bullying. Consequences for violations are developed and administered with consideration to context, which can include severity, the age of involved parties, motivation, repeat versus first offences, and more. These consequences can include communication with families, exclusion from events, temporary removal from the community, or permanent removal from the community.
OIS does not condone the illegal use of controlled substances at school or while participating in school activities or, in the case of staff, at any time when serving in a professional capacity. Any infractions will result in disciplinary action.
The OIS community is a safe and inclusive environment where all members can thrive and reach their full potential. Appropriate conduct is essential to create this caring community.