Pursuant to Article 34 of the Statute of the International School, at the meeting held on the 25 August 2020, the Executive Board of International School adopted the following:

Regulations on mentoring at International School

I Basic provisions

Article 1

These Regulations regulate the mentorship goals, the procedure for assigning mentors to students, the mentoring procedure, the procedure for assigning the number of mentors and their appointment, the procedure for evidence register, the evaluation of mentors, forming their rank, as well as the obligations of teachers and professional associates during the mentorship programme.

II Mentorship goals

Article 2

The goal of mentorship is to provide options for the constant enhancement of skills and knowledge, i.e. personal development and progress. The key features of mentorship include: confidential conversations, counseling, career guidance, motivation, problem solving, support and so on.

The task of the mentor is to monitor the work, learning process, extracurricular activities, progress and behaviour of the students that selected them.

Article 3

A mentor has a significant role in finding the adequate methods and means for overcoming diverse difficulties experienced by students (through consultations with the School psychologist and learning support assistant), helping students master the curricular materials, creating conditions for improving the relations between students, teachers and parents, identifying the interests, inclinations and affinities of students so they could select a specific university.

A mentor is expected to serve as a role model for students, evaluate and analyse their work, advise them and provide feedback regarding their work, provide constructive criticism, as well as support and encourage students. Mentors help students who experience problems mastering the curricular materials or adjusting to the environment. As mentors, teachers are obliged to recognise and inform students about their options and prepare them for university.

III The procedure for assigning mentors

Article 4

All teachers at International School are obliged to provide mentorship to students, provided they are selected by a particular student.

Article 5

One month following the commencement of the school year, the students select their teacher-mentor through consultations with the School’s counselors.

The list of potential mentors is delivered to the student via email provided by the School.

Article 6

The Principal defines the time period in which the students are obliged to provide the School with a decision regarding the selection of a mentor. The Principal informs the students of this in writing.

The time period in which the students are obliged to decide on a mentor and inform the School of their decision cannot be longer than 7 days following the day they have received the notification containing the list of mentors.

IV The mentoring procedure

Article 7

During mentorship, the mentor is obliged to abide by the following rules:

  1. during the first month, the students become familiar with the teachers in order to select one of them as their mentor;
  2. in early October, the students opt for a teacher who will be their mentor;
  3. a teacher can have no more than 20 (twenty) mentees in a single school year;
  4. in mid-October, the mentors come into contact with the mentees and their parents;
  5. in November and March, mentors organise open days for parents who wish to discuss their child;
  6. throughout the school year, mentors build a relationship with the mentees through direct and indirect communication and, in case they identify problems that are outside their area of expertise, contact the professional associates, the Principal and the parents so as to overcome the problems in a timely manner;
  7. in case of a misunderstanding between a mentor and their mentee, professional associates take over the role of the mediator so as to reconcile the misunderstanding;
  8. a mentor may terminate their cooperation with the mentee, provided they assess that the established relationship may threaten the academic, social and emotional development of the child;
  9. a student may terminate their cooperation with the mentor, provided they assess that the established relationship does not meet their expectations regarding their academic, social and emotional development;
  10. in case of cooperation termination, the student is obliged to select another mentor.

V The obligations of mentors

Article 8

A mentor is obliged to:

  1. establish a positive and personal relationship with the student that includes mutual trust and respect, confidentiality, constant support and regular interaction through meetings and/or emails and chats;
  2. help students develop their skills, by helping them to identify and achieve learning goals, encourage them to be tolerant and respect others;
  3. guide and advise the student, by helping them to identify problems and find solutions, and by providing timely and clear feedback and constructive criticism;
  4. encourage the student to be independent and responsible, by not solving problems for them. Instead, the mentor should encourage the student to independently approach problem solving;
  5. help the student find additional resources for solving personal problems, i.e. refer them to a professional;
  6. establish good communication with the parents, by personally contacting them via email, chat or telephone, so as to familiarise the parents with the academic, social and emotional development of their child at the School;
  7. familiarise the professional associates and the Principal with potential problems in the academic, social and emotional development of the student;
  8. report to the Principal on the fulfillment of his obligations prescribed in these Regulations not later than the last day of the month that report applies to;
  9. hold at least 3 (three) meetings with the mentee’s parents during the school year.

Article 9

A mentor is not responsible for student needs with regard to accommodation, food, clothing, etc. Should the mentor notice that the student does not receive adequate support from the parents or guardians, the mentor is obliged to inform the professional associates (psychologist and counselor) of this.

A mentor should not interfere in the student’s family problems. Should the mentor notice such problems, they are obliged to inform professional associates of this.

A mentor does not deal with psychological and pedagogical counseling or student therapy. Should such a need arise, they are obliged to seek help or advice from professional associates.

VI The procedure of assigning the number of mentors and their appointment

Article 10

The proposition for appointing a mentor is compiled and given to the School’s Executive board 5 (five) days since the beginning of the school year, at the latest.

The criteria for assigning the number of mentors found in the article 10, paragraph 1, represents the number of students in the school year for which mentors are appointed.

The criteria for appointing teachers as mentors is following:

  1. the position on the rank list, for the teachers who were mentors in the year previous to the one they are chosen for;
  2. the willingness for performing the role of the mentor, and based on the informative interview carried out by the Principal, for the teachers who have not been mentors in the previous year.

The School’s executive board discusses the proposition from paragraph 1 during the first following meeting, as a separate item on the agenda. The School’s executive board decides on accepting, partially accepting and refusing the proposition from paragraph 1. In case of a partial accepting and refusing the proposition from paragraph 1, the School’s executive board makes an independent decision on which teachers will be appointed as mentors instead of the teachers for whom the proposition was not accepted.

VII Evidence of mentor’s work

Article 11

The evidence of the work of mentors is written down by the Principal in a separate electronic document.

The evidence from paragraph 1 is written down according to the report on the realisation of the assigned obligations from this rulebook, which the mentors should deliver to the Principal on the last day of the current month.

The Principal is obliged to inform the School’s board if the submitted report from paragraph 2 is not credible and/or a mentor does not perform the duties assigned by this rulebook.

The Principal is obliged to deliver the document from paragraph 1 to the School’s board anytime the board demands so.

VIII Evaluation of mentor’s work

Article 12

The work of mentors is evaluated on a yearly basis, at the latest by the last day of June, in the form of a written report. The report is comprised of three sections:

  1. average number of mentees
  2. number of realised meetings with parents
  3. evaluation of the quality of the mentors’ work (criteria: success in realisation of the mentor duties from article 8, items 1-9)

The section of the report from paragraph 1 point 1 is calculated by adding the numbers of mentees for every month of being a mentor and then dividing that number with the number of months.

The report from paragraph 1 is compiled and signed by the Principal at the latest by the last day of June, and based on the report of the mentor from paragraph 8 item 8.

The report from paragraph 1 is delivered by the Principal, upon completion, to the School board. The report is to be discussed as a separate agenda item during the following meeting of the board.

The School board decides on accepting or rejecting the report from paragraph 1. If the School board rejects the report, it is returned to the Principal for rewriting with the explanation of the reasons for rejection. The Principal is obliged to rewrite the rejected report in accordance with the given explanation, at the latest 1 day after the received explanation.

If the mentor is relieved of duty before the end of the school year, and following the termination of the employment contract as requested by the employee within the duration of the mentorship, the employee is relieved of the right to receive recompense for the whole period of their work as a mentor.

The mentor whose role of a mentor is terminated before the end of the school year will not be included on the list from Article 13 of the rulebook.

Failure to perform or inconsistent performance of mentor duties given in this article at the hand of the Principal represents a violation of work discipline and poses as a base for employment contract termination.

IX Mentor ranking list

Article 13

The ranking list of mentors is compiled by the Principal two days upon adoption of the report from Article 12 by the School board.

The ranking list from paragraph 1 is compiled on the base of adopted reports from Article 12 and it contains the following elements:

  1. name and surname of the mentor
  2. average number of mentees
  3. the number meetings with parents
  4. the evaluation of the quality of mentor’s work (M) (criteria: successful performing of obligations from article 8 points 1-7)
  5. minimal number of meetings with mentee’s parents during the school year, that is 3 (three)
  6. the highest grade a mentor can receive, that is 5(five)
  7. the grade of the mentor given in percentages

The data given in the ranking list from paragraph 2 items 2-4 must be the same as the data given in the reports from article 12.

The data from paragraph 2 point 7 (Q) is calculated by the sum of the number of meetings, average mentee number and minimal number of meetings with mentee’s parents (3 ) is multiplied by the sum of the evaluation of the quality of mentor’s work (M) and number 5 (five), which is the highest grade a mentor can get. That number is multiplied by 100 (hundred) which is the maximum percentage a mentor can get.

Q = (s / m / 3) x (M / 5) x 100

The data from paragraph 2, item 7 is the element according to which mentor’s ranking is done.

The Principal will send the list from paragraph 1 to the mentors via email upon its completion.

X Associates’ obligations

Article 14

The obligations of all associates in the process of appointing mentors, as well as, throughout the duration of their mandate, are the following:

  1. assessment of the teachers in regards to their appointment as mentors
  2. supervising and advising mentors
  3. overseeing and evaluation of the relationship between a mentor and a student.

XI Final provisions

Article 15

These Regulations shall enter into force on the eighth day following their publication on the school notice board.

This marks the termination of validity of the previous Regulations ref. No. 143-4/2018 from 20.09.2018.

President of the School Board: ________________________________________

Nikola Subotić

Register
Enrolment for class 2025/26 is underway! Click here to register »