PROJECT DESCRIPTION TEACHING CHILDREN IN BORNEO MALAYSIA

Transcription

1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION TEACHING CHILDREN IN BORNEO MALAYSIA Welcome To Your Travellers Project! This important document tells you more about your project; what will happen on arrival; what work you ll be doing during the programme; transport, accommodation, meals, what to bring and much, much more Please read through the document carefully and don t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions! Change History Issue Date Initials Pages Pages Changed and Reasons for Change LT 11 Changes to term times LT 10 Updated term times LT 10 New Layout KT 11 Updated term times Updated term dates Contents Summary of What s Included on Your Project... 2 Arrival & Pick Up A Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) info@travellersworldwide.com TravelQuest Ltd t/a Travellers registered in England & Wales, Registered Office: 7 Mulberry Close, Ferring, West Sussex, BN12 5HY, Reg No VAT registration:

2 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 2 of 10 Induction & Orientation... 2 The Project... 2 Your Qualifications... 3 Police Checks / Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)... 4 Work Content... 4 Schedule... 5 Travelling To & From Your Project... 5 Dress Code On Your Project... 5 Summary of What s Included on Your Project Accommodation & Food... 6 Equipment Checklist... 7 Getting The Most Out Of Your Programme... 7 Programme Requirements... 8 Help & Guidance... 9 Rules & Regulations... 9 Feedback & Keeping In Touch Location: Kota Kinabalu Airport Weekend: Sunday (arrival) Time: to What s Included: Airport Transfer Accommodation Food Orientation & induction. Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, local incountry team and 24hr emergency support. What's Not Included Flights Travel Insurance Visas Weekend transport and activities Arrival & Pick Up The meeting point. You will need to fly into (and depart from) Kota Kinabalu Airport, where you will be met in the Arrivals Hall by our In-Country Organiser. They will carry a sign with your name on, or hold a Travellers sign. If our Organiser is not there, please call them using the number on the ID card we will be provide you. Free airport collection is only available 08:00 to 18:00 on Sundays. If you arrive outside these times you will be responsible for arranging your own transfer, by taxi, from the airport to your accommodation. Please let your Project Co-ordinator know if you require more information about this. Please do not leave the meeting point as the will make it harder to find you. On the last day of your project (the Sunday), your departure flight from Kota Kinabalu Airport can be at any time between 08:00 and 18:00. Free airport transfer will be provided between these times, but if you want to depart at any time outside these hours, you will need to provide your own airport transfer, by taxi. IMPORTANT We would highly recommend you book a departure flight before yo u arrive into Sabah (which shows you will be departing from Sabah within 90 days of your arrival). If you cannot show a departure flight upon arrival, you may only be given a 30 day Visa. Therefore if you intend to stay longer than this, it is possible to extend it in Kota Kinabalu, however the process may be difficult. Please note that Travellers will not be liable for any costs relating to visa extensions. Induction & Orientation You will be provided with an induction and orientation shortly after your arrival. On the Monday after arrival, you will be taken to the school to start your first day. The Project About the Project The school you will be volunteering at is called SASS (Sabah Adventist Secondary School) in Tamparuli, which is located about 1 hour away from Kota Kinabalu.

3 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 3 of 10 The school has primary school students aged from 6 12 and secondary school students aged from (pre- University) age. The project is based at Sabah Adventist Secondary School situated on the west coast of Sabah, roughly 1 hour drive from Kota Kinabalu. Your accommodation will be with a host family, based approximately 5 mins from the school site. Project Location Google Maps Project Overview This project is for a minimum of 4 weeks and you are welcome to extend your stay should you wish to when there. Other important notes: 1. You are not required to have any experience or qualifications in order to take part, just lost of enthusiasm! 2. You will be required to complete a Criminal Records Check (CRC) as part of the application process. Please see Police Checks / Disclosure and barring Service (DBS) for more information. 3. This project is only available during the school terms times. Please see school term times section for more details. Your Qualifications Don't worry about not having special qualifications. The whole idea of Travellers is to provide any help possible, whether merely enabling children to hear English pronunciation by native English speakers, or any additional help with academic subjects or how to use a computer - anything you can offer is appreciated and everyone knows you are not a qualified teacher. The emphasis is on much-needed language development, additional learning and cultural contact. It gives your pupils valuable experience while saving you large sums of money on TEFL diplomas. If you do have a TEFL qualification or any other degree or diploma, then please take your certificate or a good photocopy thereof with you, or a statement from your university saying that you are a graduate.

4 Police Checks / Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 4 of 10 Anyone working with children and/or vulnerable adults is required to complete a Criminal Records Check (CRC) as part of their application process. The project gets school children visiting for educational talks which you could be involved in; pasing your knowledge of what you ve learnt to them. Due to this all volunteers are require to do a Criminal Record Check or Police Check. UK Residents We have facilitated a system whereby you can apply for your DBS. There is a fee for the application of which needs to be paid before making the online application for the DBS. You can make the payment via the Volunteer Extranet (or we can take your payment by card over the telephone, if that's your preference). Once we have received your payment, we will send you by the Instructions on what to do, the website address, login details and password. The process is quite simple you need to complete the application form and then send some documents by mail to the Criminal Records Check Company. Please remember to take the original copy of your approved DBS check with you on your placement, as some projects will ask to see proof. Please speak to your Project Coordinator for more details. Non-UK Residents DBS Checks are only available for UK Residents as the checks made are all based on records held within UK systems. Instead, you should complete a police check in your country of residence. You should speak to your local police department for details on how to complete the check as the process varies between countries. Once you ve received your completed police check, you must a copy to your Project Coordinator. Please remember to take the original copy of your approved DBS check with you on your placement, as some projects will ask to see proof. Please speak to your Project Coordinator for more details. Work Content The Principal and/or relevant teachers at the school will liaise with you about your teaching assignments. Please don t hesitate to ask them as many questions as you like the better informed you are, the more able you will be to carry out your teaching assignments. The majority of volunteers are keen to get involved with as many activities as possible, and will find themselves taking their own classes after just a short time. If you are not as confident then you can be an assistant to the main teacher for a few lessons until you feel more comfortable. You will usually be asked to help with a variety of age groups. In fact, you are very likely to be in popular demand everywhere both in and out of the classroom. The Principals and teachers in the school will give you all the assistance you need until such time as you have gained confidence in your own abilities. Please don t hesitate to ask them as many questions as you like the better informed you are, the more able you will be to carry out your teaching assignments. The school will be keen for you to become involved in school life and many volunteers with additional interests are encouraged to make use of these. In the past, volunteers have produced the end of term play, led drama or music groups, and arranged sports tournaments. You will be given a lot of freedom to arrange such activities. The Teaching Suggestions Booklet which we have provided (available on the Vounteer Extranet) has ideas for teaching English, but will also help structuring lessons in other subjects. However, you may or may not have very much input into structuring lessons this will depend on each individual Schools preferences and how they like to work with volunteers.

5 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 5 of 10 Schedule Working Hours The duration of your teaching placement is outlined in your project itinerary. The school day usually runs from to 1.30 pm, Monday to Friday, during which time you will be expected to teach or assist with lessons. As formal lessons take place in the mornings, the afternoons are a time for you to become involved with additional activities that interest you, such as Sports. You will be given a timetable of classes shortly after your arrival. You will have weekends free and this will also allow some time for travelling and sight seeing. If you would like more time to travel during, or after your teaching, either let us know before you leave, or speak to Albert, our Manager in Malaysia, and he will try to arrange it with the school. Any time off should be booked as far in advance as possible, to ensure you do not jeopardise any lessons that may already be planned (please see rules and regulations, below). School Term Times The academic year runs from January through to November. The term dates are as follows: School Term Dates for 2017: Term 4: 4 September to 24 November School Term Dates for 2018: Term 1: 2 January to 16 March School break from March Term 2: 26 March to 25 May School break from 26 May-10 June. (27th April, 10 th, 11th & 21st May are Public Holidays.) Term 3: 11 June to 24 August School break from 25 Aug 2 Sept. Term 4: 3 September to 23 November School break from 25 Nov to 31 Dec. Teaching is NOT available during school holidays. Therefore, please compare the above term dates to the dates of your teaching placement. If a holiday falls during your placement, you should use this time to do any independent travelling and sightseeing. Travelling To & From Your Project Day to day, you will be walking to the project site (school) which is about a 3-5 minute walk away. Dress Code On Your Project There is a very strict dress code for this project because of the strong religious affiliations of the schools. Whilst at school, volunteers are requested not to wear jewellery for adornment, i.e. necklaces, bracelets or earrings etc. Exceptions to this are wedding and engagement rings (symbolic) and medical bracelets e.g. allergies, diabetes etc. As with all Travellers placements, volunteers should dress smartly no shorts or flip-flops please covered shoes are appropriate but sandals are also permissible. Males do not need to wear ties, but should wear shirts and trousers (no shorts or T-shirts with inappropriate slogans). Females should dress modestly and not wear clothes that are tight fitting, or have bare shoulders. Skirts if worn should be below the knee. You are required to dress circumspectly, that is, no low cut tops or blouses and no short tops, shorts or trousers that expose your midriff. There are two reasons for this rule: (1) It can be highly provocative to others and bring on unwanted and potentially dangerous attention, and (2) Dressing provocatively only brings you disrespect and will negatively influence your placement and the way the children view you. Malaysia is generally very warm and dress fabrics tend to be lightweight, such as cotton. Please Remember Malaysians will often be too embarrassed to tell you if you are making a mistake in the way that you are dressing or conducting yourself. Therefore please memorise these guidelines to ensure that your behaviour and dress is appropriate, and that you don t cause offence to locals.

6 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 6 of 10 Volunteers should not smoke or drink alcohol whilst on the school site (a standard Travellers rule anyway). Volunteers are also requested to refrain from drinking coke, tea or coffee whilst on site. Pork, scale-less fish and seafood should not be brought onto the campus. These rules have been set to respect the religious beliefs of the school. The SDA regard Saturday as the Sabbath, and this lasts from 6.00pm Friday until 6.00pm Saturday. During this time no work that would normally be done during the week is performed. It is a day of rest. For example, washing clothes, watching TV or listening to non-religious music is not done. It should be noted that whilst to many British people these may seem restrictive and austere rules, the atmosphere within the school is like any other Malaysian school, and the students and staff are friendly and happy, with a sense of fun. If you follow the guidelines given you will be able to fit in easily. It is accepted that volunteers may not be SDA themselves and may therefore not be conforming to the above guidelines when off site. Respect both ways! Body Ornamentation: Piercing & Tatoo s It is important that you dress correctly for the type of work you are undertaking on your Project. Whilst on any placement, you are setting an example to others - and nowhere is this more important than when teaching young and impressionable children! For women, piercings are restricted to the ears only. No other facial piercing (such as the tongue, eyebrow, nose or lips, etc.) is permitted. Men should not have any visible piercings. If you do have piercings that are not covered in this paragraph and you are unsure about whether they will be acceptable, please contact us for more information. Tattoos should remain covered at all times whilst on your placement. Accommodation & Food Accomodation You will be accommodated with a host family, who are located 3 minutes walk from the school. Mr Nasco (the head of the family) is Chairman of the school. The address and contact numbers for the host family are as follows: Mr Nasco Gabu (and family) Kg. Pangasaan, P.O. Box 7, 89257, Tamparuli, Sabah. Malaysia. Home number : Mobile number : The family are Seventh Day Adventist Christians. They do not eat pork, drink or smoke. If you re unfortunate enough to fall ill at any time, your host family or school will be able to help you. Don't be shy with them because they will want you to feel at home. Albert is always on hand to help you, sho uld you require it don t hesitate to contact him. Regardless of where you re living, you will be expected to keep your own patch tidy, much as you would do at home. It is in the interest of your safety, and of the family and work placements who look after you, to abide to the culture (such as dress code, drinking and smoking regulations) and the various rules which are stated in our Terms and conditions and safety book. Malaysian people are very friendly, but are very sensitive to embarrassment or humiliation and our dealings with them have to be conducted with tact and diplomacy. Please bear this in mind during your stay. Please keep to their basic codes - only married couples can sleep together in family homes - and please don't drink too much! Your behaviour must, at all times, be within acceptable norms of appropriate behaviour. If you have any doubts as to what is and isn t allowed within the culture, please speak to Albert and he will set you straight. Food Your meals will be provided by your host family and will consist of local cuisine. Communication Wi-Fi: Your accommodation does have an internet connection and Wi-Fi is also available. Currently there is no additional charge for the use, although there may be a time limit. Post: Please parents sheet for postal address.

7 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 7 of 10 Equipment Checklist The list of items given below is a general list of items and is provided as a guide only. If you are in anyway unsure what you should or shouldn t be taking with you please speak to your Project Coordinator. Remember - be sure to speak to them before going off and spending lots of money on potentially needless equipment. If you are short on luggage space, please do not worry as you will be able to buy most items locally and quite cheaply too! Such as washing detergent, insect repellent, sun cream and other toiletries that can be quite bulky and heavy to pack. However, if you are particular with the types of products and brands that you use, you may like to bring your own with you. Please remember to also read the Packing List as detailed within your Travellers Country Fact File. Required Mobile / Cell Phone that works abroad Clothing - Suitable for your programme Footwear - Suitable for your programme Sun Hat Sun Cream (at least factor 30+) A basic medical kit. Suitable for you and the country you are travelling to. Highly Recommended Clothing & Footwear - For the evening Jacket / Raincoat Daypack (Small Rucksack) Powerful Torch Camera Alarm Clock A Sterile Medical Pack (useful for emergencies) Adapter Plugs Batteries Toiletries Towel (bath/beach/hand an absorbent travel towel that dries quickly. Optional Binoculars (optional) Ipod / MP3 player Games, books, a pack of cards etc. Items Better Left At Home Any unnecessary high value items such as expensive Jewellery & watches. If you have a new & expensive smart phone then you should consider taking an older phone out with you instead. Remember to check that it works before you set off! Getting The Most Out Of Your Programme The way of life is very different to that of the UK. It is important to be patient whilst on your programme. Having a positive can do attitude will go a long way. Positivity, perseverance and being pro-active are also key if you want your programme to be a success. Don t be afraid to ask if there is something specific that you d like to get involved in. If

8 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 8 of 10 you have any doubts at all, please speak to your Project Coordinator, they will be more than happy to assist you in making sure that your project is right for you and that its one that you ll get the most out of! Language If you re not going to a country where English is the home language, this will apply to you: Whilst most projects have already had experience with receiving foreign English speaking volunteers, you may find that many people have a limited knowledge of English. If you are lucky enough to have some knowledge of the local language you will find it very beneficial on your project - but don't be put off if languages aren't your thing! Try to learn at least a few basic phrases before starting your programme it s amazing how much a difference it can make even when it s only please, thank you etc. If you haven t had much success in learning phrases before you go you still shouldn t worry it s often much easier when you are there. You ll soon find that you ve picked up the odd word and phrase and once you know one or two the rest tends to follow. Try to supplement any knowledge you do have with using other forms of communicating - sometimes you may need to think on your feet from and utilise all your initiative to get your point across. You will soon start to find that you re able to muddle through very successfully. Donations Where possible please avoid giving donations direct to individuals. This might seem a strange thing for us to say that but we have found that giving donations can sometimes have unintended consequences, such as creating dependency and/or even causing frictions and disputes etc. If you would like to give a donation it is generally better to give the donation to the project, a group or organisation, the community etc. rather than direct to an individual. This will also help to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from your gift. Please speak to your Project Coordinator for more information. Some volunteers have contacted their airline, and after explaining the purpose of their trip, they ve been given additional baggage allowance by the airline to allow them to take over equipment. If you are thinking of taking over some items with you why not give your airline a call and see what they can do for you. Please don t give cash donations where ever possible. If you would like to give a donation to a good cause then it is much better if you can purchase something that they will find useful. If you are considering giving money to a good cause, please speak to us first, and if you would like us to, we will be happy to oversee the donation for you to ensure that the money is used as it was intended. Please speak to your Project Coordinator for more information. Programme Requirements On application for this programme we will ask you to provide us with a copy of your CV/Resume. Within your CV/Resume you should list and give details of any qualifications and/or experience relevant to your programme. In addition to your CV/Resume, we may also ask you to provide a Letter of Motivation giving explanation as to your reasons for wanting to take part in the programme and what you hope to get out of the experience. The information you will provide to us will go to form the basis on which the project will make their decision as whether or not to accept you. You will therefore need to provide these items to us in good time. You will only receive confirmation of being accepted on to your programme once we have received confirmation from the project that they are willing to take you. Additional Project Specific Requirements Certain projects may have additional requirements that you will be asked to fulfil. Should you be required to fulfil any additional requirements this will be confirmed to you. An example is for journalism placements, where applicants are often required to provide three or four pieces of writing that best demonstrate their writing ability, style and/or areas of interest. For the pieces to be considered suitable they generally need to include a mix of published articles, reviews, essays, arguments, short stories etc. If you are asked to fulfil additional requirements, please don t worry, we are here to offer you help and assistance. Should you have any questions about this please ask your Project Coordinator Qualifications If you are one of the lucky ones and you already have a qualification, or if you have some prior experience, then it will help and you will certainly be able to put it to good use on your placement. If you have a qualification relevant to your programme please take a copy of your certification with you as proof. If you don t have any qualifications or previous experience then don t worry! If you don t have any qualifications or previous experience then don t worry! The whole idea of Travellers is to provide help and assistance wherever possible.

9 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 9 of 10 Help & Guidance If you have any problems or, if you need any help or guidance, please don t hesitate to speak to your Supervisor and/or a member of staff at your project. We have had many many volunteers over the years and the vast majority have a wonderful experience on their programme we have no doubt that you will also thoroughly enjoy your time on your project and in the country. You can also contact your Travellers In-Country Representative. Contact details are provided in your Country Fact File. Emergency contact details are also provided on the back of your Volunteer ID card. Alternatively please don t hesitate to contact your Project Coordinator in the UK. Rules & Regulations This is a serious placement so please don t think that because you re a volunteer, you can treat it casually. If you want to take a day off work, please ask Albert to request permission from your school. When applying for permission, you should give plenty of advance notice this is so that the school can reschedule their work time table or arrange someone to stand in for you. You can only take days off work once you have received permission to do so. If this rule is broken, you will be liable to having your placement terminated without recompense. It is imperative to the continuation of your individual placement and for those of volunteers in the future that you do the work that has been assigned to you. You will have plenty of free time off over the other days in which you can enjoy all of the opportunities that Sabah has to offer. The same procedure applies to ending your placement early. If you feel you would prefer to cut your placement short in order to do some travelling or for any other reason, please ask permission from Albert well in advance. There will be no financial refund on cutting your placement short. If you have any problems or if you need any help or guidance, please don t hesitate to speak to Albert he is very nice and will do his very best to help you. We have had lots of volunteers in Malaysia and they have completed there projects successfully and with a lot of enjoyment we have no doubt that you will also thoroughly enjoy your time in the country. General - Rules & Regulations The following rules and regulations should be read in conjunction with the terms and conditions of your programme. Code of Conduct It is very important that your behaviour and conduct is in keeping with that which is considered to be acceptable. The following list is not exhaustive but is given as a guideline to how you are expected to behave and conduct yourself whilst on your programme. You Should: Behave appropriately, with co-operation and with consideration for one another. Treat everyone equally and with respect regardless of differing culture, ability, race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability or social class. Remain mindful of cultural differences. Act in a manner which does not bring the project and / or Travellers into disrepute. Abide by the rules and regulations of the project. Take responsibility for your own safety and to look after yourself and your belongings, and to never put yourself at risk. Act in accordance with the law of the land. You Must Not: Damage or deliberately misuse any equipment / resources provided to you. This includes using equipment / resources responsibly i.e. avoiding wastage (e.g. turning off lights and water). Be under the influence of drugs or banned substances whilst on your programme. You must not be under the influence of alcohol whilst participating at your project this includes being hung-over from the night before! Attendance & Punctuality These are serious programmes, it takes a lot of different people giving their time and energy to arrange each programme, so please don t think that you can treat them casually You will be expected to stick to the schedule that s been arranged for you. You should make every effort to turn up in good time and to attend as scheduled. Naturally this does not apply if you re ill. See the section below on Sickness for more details. Taking Time Off If you would like to take a day off from your project You must first speak to your project and make a request for time off.

10 Malaysia Project Description Teaching Page 10 of 10 When requesting time off make your request as early as possible, giving the project plenty of advance notice. This is very important as the project will need to time to reorganize the work, rearrange your schedule, and they may also need to arrange for someone to stand in for you whilst you are off. If your request is turned down you should accept the decision gracefully. The project won t turn down your request without good reason. If your request is turned down you should not continue to pursue the matter. If your request for leave is accepted you should inform your Travellers In-Country Representative. Please Note: You can only take time off from your project when you have received confirmation that your request has been accepted. Taking unauthorized time off and / or failing to turn up when scheduled, may lead to your programme being terminated without appeal and without recompense. Sickness If you are sick and unable to attend your programme Please inform your project as soon as possible. This is very important as the project will need to time to reorganize the work / activity, and they may also need to arrange for someone to stand in for you whilst you are off. And if they can t make alternative arrangements they may be forced to cancel the work / activity in which case they may need to let people know in advance. Please also inform your Travellers In-Country Representative as soon as possible. This is important as they may need to liaise with your project. And of course, they will unable to help in anyway if they don t know that you are ill. As soon as you can, let your project know when you think you will be well-enough to come back this is important as it may take some time for all the necessary arrangements to be made ready for you to return to your project. Please note that if you persistently don t turn up due to illness, you may be asked to see and doctor and / or be required to produce a doctor s certificate confirming. Feedback & Keeping In Touch Please remember to keep in touch throughout your programme to let us know how you re getting on. Where we ve asked you for your feedback, please do take some time out to let us know your thoughts whether it s simply an asking how you are getting on or if it involves filling out one of our feedback forms. When providing your feedback please your feedback to your Project Coordinator. You can also your feedback to us at: info@travellersworldwide.com When you ve been on your programme for approximately 2-3 weeks, we would really like to hear from you describing for us what a typical day in the life is like for you whilst on your programme. These reports are invaluable to us in that they enable us to continually expand and improve our projects, as well as being a source of additional information which can be very helpful to future volunteers. Why Your Feedback Is Important To Us Feedback is extremely important to us as it is fundamental in helping us to develop our projects for both the short-term and long-term. Whether you have just arrived at your placement or are on your way to the airport to catch your flight home, if you have any piece of information no matter how small and insignificant it is please get in contact with us whether it s by phone, or post. It really does help! We really do appreciate hearing from you so thank you very much! ENJOY YOUR TRIP! Copyright TRAVELQUEST LIMITED. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be used, translated into another language, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of TRAVELQUEST LIMITED. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this document, TRAVELQUEST LIMITED assumes no responsibility for omissions and errors. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. TRAVELQUEST LIMITED reserves the right to revise any information contained in this document without prior notice. Questions or comment regarding this document or the project to which it relates should be directed to: Travellers Worldwide 2A Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4AP, England Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) info@travellersworldwide.com Web: