Frequently Asked Questions
These frequently asked questions are designed to assist you as the parent or guardian of an applicant. We understand that sending your student to EMIS can be challenging and may raise many questions. Our aim is to be entirely honest with applicants and their families about what to expect, while also reassuring you that your student will have a wonderful and positively transformative experience.
General Information
How is your school different from other IB schools in Israel?
Our school has a main difference from every IB school in Israel, which is our mission for Peace and Sustainability in the Middle East. With our student body composed of 40% students from the region, and 60% internationals, the mission starts with students from different backgrounds, nationalities, and views living together, sharing rooms and facilities. Alongside that, we have many extracurricular programs with a focus on making a change in the world and region, which every student can join, contribute to, or create their own world-changing initiative.
Our students have projects such as Project Oasis, which transforms air into drinking water for low-access communities; STEPS Of Change, which joins Palestinian, Israeli, and International students to teach English to children in situations of vulnerability in the region and help them with educational opportunities, and many more initiatives which are student-led and a great highlight on a student’s background for university applications and to form critical thinking. There are so many other things that can be highlighted in this answer, so I recommend you visit our special features page here.
Does the school have a code of conduct?
EMIS adheres to a common code of practice, which forbids drugs, tobacco (on-campus smoking is always forbidden), alcohol on school property, sexual activity in any public area including student rooms, ‘hazing’, bullying or harassment, assault, and stealing. Furthermore, our school has clear expectations with regard to attendance, academic integrity, respect for curfew, and alcohol off campus. More details regarding the rules and the Code of Conduct will be sent to the student and guardians before arrival. The Code of Conduct must be signed before the student comes to our institution.
What are the policies regarding parents visiting during the year?
Parents can visit but they won’t be able to sleep on campus. However, there are many hotels nearby.
Are students allowed to leave for family emergencies?
Yes.
For international students who will only go home at the end of the school year and would like to stay on campus during holidays, will the cafeteria, residence, and other services be available?
Yes.
Is there a school uniform?
No, but students must dress in presentable and appropriate clothing according to our dress code.
What are the sports facilities and terms of use?
In our outside gym, anyone can come at any time and exercise. Our inside gym is usually locked, you can ask for the key whenever you need to exercise, just make sure to arrange the timings with your social guide/staff. Our pool has working hours that vary during the seasons, you must check with the staff. We also have a lot of open courts and inside courts, open courts can be used whenever and some inside courts need to be scheduled for usage and others can be used whenever, all specificity of each court must be checked with the staff, but you must know that you have access to around 5 big courts close to campus, one of them being right next to EMIS. We also have a Dance studio that can be used during Dance CAS or other scheduled times.
What can students do during the weekend?
Weekends are a great time to relax, interact with fellow students, do sports, activities, rest, homework, and assignments, explore, and read. What they would do at home, they can do here. The school arranges some activities from time to time such as organized trips, guest speakers, group activities, etc. Locals can go home every weekend and invite other students to their homes (as long as the invitee presents a signed parent’s permission to the school). On Big Shabbats (monthly event), all students must stay on campus.
How will students travel if they want to shop? Will they need to ride public transportation?
15 minutes by foot, students can walk to the town of Ramat Hasharon, where all necessities can be found: school supplies, cosmetics, food, clothing, etc. There is a bus stop at the campus entrance with many buses to Tel Aviv and other nearby suburban areas. Additionally, there is always the option of ordering a taxi.
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How much luggage should a student bring?
First, check your airline’s dimension restrictions. Second, in terms of space availability in the dorm rooms, there is enough space to store up to one suitcase and one duffle bag per student. We recommend bringing one suitcase, one duffle bag (good for weekend trips), and a backpack.
Will students who are traveling alone to Israel be met at the airport by an EMIS representative?
Yes. An EMIS representative will wait for you at the airport at the beginning of the school year. If students decide to return home during breaks throughout the school year, they will be responsible for getting themselves to get back to campus, and will not be met by EMIS staff at the airport.
How do you support new students in the transition period in their first few weeks of school when they may be feeling homesick and overwhelmed?
- We have a school counselor and social worker who is available for talks every school day, all students who are struggling with any personal issue are welcome to schedule a time with them.
- During the application process, we offer an “EMIS Buddy”, which is someone from the same country/region as the applicant who can guide them through the application and also be a person of reference once they arrive.
- We have a project called “Peer Support” in which students from other grades volunteer to have talks with students who are struggling to adapt. During the first weeks, they also offer tours around the nearest city, which is a great way to bond and adapt to their new surroundings.
- Adapting is also an experience that the entire class is going through, so the students also find comfort in each other and relate their experiences with each other. Every week, the students have a group activity with their Social Guides, and during the first weeks, those activities are focused on sharing their experience in this new environment, how they have been feeling, and coping with homesickness.
