Announcement
Canadian International School Vietnam Joins Novana as a NovaSchool
We’re pleased to welcome Canadian International School (https://cis.edu.vn/en) to Novana as a NovaSchool.
The Canadian International School (CIS) Vietnam has built a strong reputation for academic excellence and a vibrant student experience, with rich programs in arts, athletics, and global learning. Yet what stood out most in our conversations with the CIS team was not simply the school’s achievements — it was their mindset about improvement.
The focus was not on passing reviews, but on asking a deeper question: what can we improve next?
That perspective reflects something fundamental about school quality. Accreditation and external reviews are important milestones, but real quality is shaped through everyday decisions, ongoing reflection, and the way leadership teams continuously refine their practice.
That is exactly the spirit behind the NovaSchools network.
At Novana, we believe quality should not be something schools switch on during accreditation cycles. Instead, it should be visible, continuous, and embedded in how schools operate every day.
We’re grateful to the CIS leadership team for their trust and partnership as we begin this collaboration, and we look forward to working together to explore how technology can support schools in making quality a living, ongoing process rather than a periodic project.
As the NovaSchools network continues to grow across Asia, we’re excited to connect with school leaders who believe that school quality should be continuous, visible, and meaningful in daily practice.
CIS Faculty Handbook — Table of Contents
59 clean pages from the CIS Faculty Website & Handbook.
Announcements
| File | Summary |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 2024-2025-announcements-faculty.pdf | Archive of weekly whole-school faculty updates for the 2024-25 year |
| 2025-2026-faculty-announcements.pdf | Current weekly whole-school faculty updates, daily schedule, and block rotation |
| announcements-students.pdf | Instructions for submitting student announcements via Google Drive before 7 AM |
School Culture
| File | Summary |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| cis-culture.pdf | Landing page linking to Who We Are, Leadership, School Hours, and Key Contacts |
| cis-culture-who-we-are.pdf | CIS mission, guiding statements (Care, Integrity, Success), and IB-Canadian values framework |
| cis-culture-our-leadership-team.pdf | Bios of Head of School Dr. Chandra McGowan and other senior leaders |
| cis-culture-key-school-contacts.pdf | Directory of operations support staff — admin assistants, ASO, IT, facilities, HR contacts |
| goals.pdf | Welcome letter from EQuest board and Head of School outlining school-year goals |
| ib-cis.pdf | Links to the IB Diploma Hub and CAS website for CIS |
Communication
| File | Summary |
| --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| communication-resources-guidelines.pdf | Landing page linking to image/name guidelines, social media policy, branding, and templates |
| communication-email-guidance.pdf | Professional email rules — BCC for 10+ recipients, no personal use, response-time norms |
| communication-guidelines-student-images-names.pdf | Policy on using student photos/names in media, consent process, and platform-specific rules |
| communication-student-social-media.pdf | Rules for faculty/department YouTube, Instagram, and social media accounts under CIS branding |
Curriculum
| File | Summary |
| ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| curriculum-admissions.pdf | English fluency requirements, grade placement criteria, and age-based admission guidelines |
| curriculum-assessment.pdf | Assessment philosophy — formative and summative methods, how assessments inform teaching |
| curriculum-cis-way.pdf | Overview of CIS as an inclusive IB school with Vietnamese and French language programs |
| curriculum-co-curricular.pdf | Co-curricular program including field trips, clubs, sports, and experiential learning |
| curriculum-educational-pathways.pdf | Graduation pathways — OSSD (final cohort 2026), IB Diploma, and new CIS Diploma with IB/AP courses |
| curriculum-homework.pdf | Homework philosophy — reinforcement, self-study habits, and home-school connection |
| curriculum-parent-teacher-conference.pdf | PTC scheduling, registration process, and how conferences complement report cards |
| curriculum-report-card.pdf | Progress report and report card cycles, formative feedback, and formal reporting intervals |
| curriculum-technology-learning-platforms.pdf | BYOD policy (Grades 3-12), device requirements, and digital learning platform expectations |
Facilities
| File | Summary |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| facilities-and-services.pdf | Landing page linking to Library, Campus Regs, Printing, Health Services, and Bus |
| facilities-library.pdf | Library Learning Commons — location, hours, resources, and recent renovation details |
| facilities-campus-regulations.pdf | Rules for staff use of classrooms, A/C, door locking, and common room supervision |
| facilities-stationary-printing.pdf | Quarterly stationery ordering process and extra-order procedures via Operations Office |
| facilities-health-services.pdf | School clinic with two full-time nurses — first aid, medication management, illness protocols |
| facilities-bus.pdf | Bus service registration, safety rules, and designated pick-up/drop-off guidelines |
Safeguarding
| File | Summary |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| child-protection.pdf | Child protection policy — duty to report, zero tolerance, procedures for all staff interacting with students |
| student-support-child-protection.pdf | Safeguarding highlights — zero-tolerance policies, reporting mechanisms, and staff training requirements |
School-Family Partnership
| File | Summary |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| school-family-partnership.pdf | Landing page linking to Family Engagement Role |
| school-family-engagement-role.pdf | Community Engagement department — family support activities, parent-educator collaboration programs |
Staff
| File | Summary |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| elementary-teacher-performance.pdf | Teacher evaluation plan — self-assessment, SMART learning goals, and appraisal timeline |
| on-call-information-schedule.pdf | On-call coverage system — how teachers are assigned to cover absent colleagues' classes |
Student Regulations
| File | Summary |
| --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| student-regulations.pdf | Landing page linking to all student regulation sub-topics |
| student-regulations-id-card.pdf | Student ID card policy — daily wear requirement, school access, and optional lunch program use |
| student-regulations-drop-off-pick-up.pdf | Drop-off (7:40-8:20 AM) and pick-up procedures, pull-in zone rules, and parking restrictions |
| student-regulations-attendance.pdf | Attendance policy — tardiness procedures, absence reporting, and early dismissal rules by division |
| student-regulations-uniform.pdf | Uniform policy — issued items (polos, shorts, PE kit), dress code components, and expectations K-12 |
| student-regulations-personal-belongings.pdf | Personal belongings policy — items not to bring, lost & found process, and student responsibility |
| student-regulations-behavior-management.pdf | Behavior expectations, student conduct responsibilities, and discipline framework on/off campus |
| student-regulations-technology.pdf | Technology use policy — phone/smartwatch rules by grade, internet use, and device expectations |
| student-regulations-withdrawal.pdf | Withdrawal process — notification to ASO, withdrawal form, tuition schedule, and transcript requests |
Student Support
| File | Summary |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| student-support-services.pdf | Overview of school-wide support — regular assessments, personalized learning plans, and resources |
| student-support-school-counselling.pdf | Counseling services — individual sessions, group counseling, stress management, and emotional wellbeing |
| student-support-social-emotional.pdf | Social/emotional, behavioral, and academic support — interventions and wellbeing programs |
| student-support-university-career.pdf | University & career counseling — identity exploration, goal-setting, and post-secondary preparation |
| student-support-alumni.pdf | Alumni association — networking, success stories, and inspiration for current students |
| student-support-sen.pdf | Special Educational Needs support — IEPs, specialist access (speech, OT, psych), and inclusive education |
| student-support-inclusion.pdf | Inclusion & in-class support — co-teaching, classroom aides, and differentiated instruction |
| student-support-learning.pdf | Learning support — remedial instruction, study skills workshops, and learning resources |
| student-support-credit-recovery.pdf | Credit recovery — support classes, tutoring, and after-school programs for students behind on credits |
| student-support-wellbeing.pdf | CIS as a School of Wellbeing — holistic, inclusive in-house support system philosophy |
Teacher Regulations
| File | Summary |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| teacher-regulations-absence-guidance.pdf | Sick leave policy — 10 days/year for expat teachers, no carry-forward, attendance expectations |
| teacher-regulations-dress-code.pdf | Professional attire expectations for staff as role models, with host-country context guidance |
| teacher-regulations-field-trip.pdf | Field trip procedures — marking absences, ASO coordination, dress code, and major incident protocols |
| teacher-regulations-privacy-policy.pdf | CIS Cover App privacy policy — internal staff absence reporting and cover assignment tool |
| teacher-regulations-safeguarding-schedule.pdf | Safeguarding duty assignments — before/after school, lunch, recess supervision, and buddy system |
| teacher-regulations-security-locations.pdf | Student security rules — must stay on campus, signed permission to leave, and after-school pick-up procedures |