2007/2008 School Year

Pre-registration is required!

The new school year starts on 08/19/2007 at the UGA Tate Student Center on Lumpkin Street. BL1 Class runs from 1:15 pm to 2:55 pm, with a 10-minute recess inserted between two 45-minute periods. L1-L6 Classes run from 3:00 pm to 4:55 pm, with a 15-minute recess inserted between two 50-minute periods. In order to open the school smoothly and allow students to engage in study on the same day the school opens, pre-registration is required for this year. Another advantage of pre-registration is that your child will have priority in class placement, as you may request special class placement based on your children's Chinese talent (e.g. jump a grade). Failure to pre-register will result in a $5 per child late fee, unless your family is new to town and does not receive the pre-registration notice in time. The deadline for pre-registration is Thursday, August 16, 2007.

Pre-registration is easy! You can use any one of the following methods:

1. If you have Adobe Acrobat Professional, you can fill out and save the registration form (see links below)and email it to the Treasurer, Xiaobai "Angela" Yao, at xiaobai.yao@gmail.com. Payment is due on first day of class.
2. If you only have Acrobat Reader (requires installing Simple Chinese fonts), fill out the registration form (see links below), print and mail it with your payment (check only) to UGACS c/o Xiaobai Yao, 325 Lexington Circle, Athens, GA 30605.
3. If above options are not feasible, you may call a School Board members in evening or on weekend to pre-register your child(ren). Contact information for the current Board members are listed below and also on the school website at UGA Chinese School Board. Payment is due on first day of class

Tuition:

To encourage a wide-spectrum of presentation at the school and ease the financial burden of some families, the Board has decided that for the 2007 Fall Semester tuition will remain the same as previous years. In addition, a structured discount will be applied to families of various income levels. Tuition and fees cover instruction, books, and school-related activities.

• Regular tuition: $100 for the first child, $90 the second and $80 the third.
• Discount rate I: $90 for the first child, $80 the second and $70 the third, if the total family gross pre-tax income is $40,000/year or less.
• Discount rate II: $80 for the first child, $70 the second and $60 the third, if the total family gross pre-tax income is $25,000/year or less.

Withdrawal:

Withdrawal from the school may be made during the first two weeks of school. Tuition is refundable after a $15 per student administrative fee. Beyond the two weeks, no refund is granted unless classes are cancelled by the school.

Fund Raising:

The UGACS is a community project. It’s success depends on the active involvement of each one of us. Your financial support is particularly important for this school year for several reasons. (1) The decision to keep the tuition low to encourage enrollment from all income levels, (2) The formerly free textbooks are no longer free, (3) Due to construction the availability of free classrooms from Tate Student Center is diminishing, which may force us to look for other options (including rental classrooms) to stay operational, (4) A sufficient fund is needed for cultural, educational and fun activities outside the classroom. Thus, in order to provide all our students the best possible learning environment, your generous donation in ANY amount is greatly appreciated! All financial donors, regardless the amount, will be acknowledged on the school website unless you prefer anonymity.

Classroom Assignment: (Subject to change; more classes may be added)

Teacher Responsibilites:

Teachers are the key to the success of our school. We are fortunate to have a pool of experienced, responsible and loving teachers at our school.

1. Each teacher shall submit to the Board a “teaching plan” in Chinese or "教学计划" by the second weeks of class. The teaching plan will be given to each parents after approval by the Board. Creative teaching is strongly encouraged; an engaging and fun classroom may be most suitable for the largely bilingual kids.
2. Teachers are expected to open dialog with parents about the progress and the need of their children.
3. Each teacher is responsible for the safety and well-being of each student in the classroom and during recess. NO UGACS student is allowed to play games in the gameroom upstairs or at any other Tate Center Facilities such as computers prior to, during and after classes. The school promotes positive education; any form of verbal/physical punishment is prohibited. Teachers are expected in the classroom 10 minutes before class starts. After classes, teachers shall coordinate with the parents and Board member on duty to ensure the safe return of each students to their parents/guardians.

Student Safety:

The safety of our students is extremely important. At any time during school hours, UGACS students are NOT allowed to visit the gamesroom upstairs, play with any Tate Center facilities such as computers, and wear Heelys/roller shoes to school. No excessive running/chasing or any other out-of-line behavior is permitted at the School. UGA Chinese School will in all cases exercise its best efforts for the care and safety of your children. For example, a Bod member plus two parent helpers will be present at all time during the school hours to supervise the students and to ensure their safety. However, the School cannot be held liable in any event of illness or accident. Parents will be asked to sign a disclaimer form releasing the liability of the School, its staff and its faculty.
Parents are required to sign in and sign out children in their classrooms. For regular L1-L6, the earliest drop-off time is 10 min prior to class and the latest pick-up time is 10 min after class. For the BL1 class, it’s 5 min prior to and after class. After the allowed pickup time, a $10 late pickup fee will be charged, plus $2 per minute thereafter. Exceptions will be granted for late pickup fines on a case-by-case basis. When running late, parents should call the school official on duty to request such a waiver. School official on duty schedule is posted on school calendar page
We understand that none of these newly introduced measures is convenient to the parents, but the measures are in place solely for the very well-being and safety of our children. Parents' understanding and cooperation to follow the rules are highly appreciated. Failure to observe the rules may result in dismissal of your children from the School.

Parent Involvement:

Parents are expected to be engaged in their children’s Chinese education, making sure that your children do the homework as 2-hour per week of instruction is absolutely not enough for most children to master the basics of Chinese language. However, the school promotes positive education so over-homeworking is not encouraged.
Two parents are assigned on each class day to supervise the students prior to, during recess and after classes, to tidy up the classrooms, and to make sure that each child is safely returned to their parents/guardians after school. At no time during school hours UGACS student is allowed to play games in the gameroom upstairs or at any other Tate Center facilities such as computers. Each class day, a Board member will also be on duty. A duty schedule will be prepared and given to each family during the first week of class. The parents and the Board member on duty are expected to arrive at the school no later than 2:50 pm.
A school-wide Parents Meeting is called upon on Sunday, August 26, 2007, at 3:00 pm to discuss school affairs. The meeting should last not longer than 45 min. All parents, Board members and advisors are expected to attend this once-a-semester meeting.

Email Address Changes:

School-related announcements are made only via e-mail and the UGASC website at www.athenschineseschool.org. Therefore, an active email address is very important for school operation. To add your e-mail address to the school’s list server or make changes, please contact Ying Tang at yingtang03@gmail.com

Snacks:

The School does not provide snacks. Parents may prepare snacks for their child(ren), but please instruct/help your child(ren) to clean up after snacking.