Welcome team: building bridges for new families

It’s been a little over two years since the launch of our Welcome Team initiative here at OIS. Since then, the number of volunteer parents has tripled, to an astounding 35 dedicated individuals. That is 35 parents who have kindly offered to go that extra mile in support of new families at the enquiry stage, after acceptance of a place or on arrival. This support can last for as long as necessary until they “settle in”. It is a true bonus “parent-to-parent“ service that the school offers and many take advantage of it.  

As coordinator of the Welcome Team (WT), I offer new and prospective families the opportunity to be connected to current parents with whom they may share a connection, be it language, place of residence, or professional background. Each family receives a Welcome Note and an anonymous list of WT volunteers from which they may choose a family with whom they would like to be put in touch with. Thanks to this initiative, parents and children often arrive at our school already feeling part of our school community. 

At present we are on a mission to make the “list of WT volunteers” more eye-catching by gradually taking photos of all our wonderful members. Whilse some may still be camera shy, we believe this a marvelous opportunity to introduce some of them officially to you.  

Cynthia, Rinat, Iva, Nursen, Silvia, Manasa,  Anna, Meera, Parvathy, Katia, Minu, Ashwin and our newest volunteer, Ashlesha, all say WELCOME! 

If YOU are inspired to join this incredible team and extend a helping hand to new families, reach out to Jules via email at julie.joly@floreer.nl or pop by to see me at Reception.