Parent Essentials | Greengates School

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

Stay informed about your child’s lunch options, school uniform, and more.

SCHOOL HOURS

Greengates’ school hours vary by your child’s year group. All students should arrive to school on time. They are not allowed to remain in school after their school hours have finished. Please ensure that your child is picked up on time.

Early Years (Nursery, Reception, and Year 1): 8:00 am to 1:25 pm
Primary School (Years 2–6): 8:00 am to 2:55 pm
Secondary School (Years 7–13): 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Early Years Pick-ups*: 1:30 pm to 1:40 pm
Primary and Secondary (Years 2–13) Buses: 2:55 pm to 3:05 pm
Primary and Secondary (Years 2–13) Pick-ups: begin as soon as all buses have left

* Early Years (Nursery, Reception, and Year 1) parents must contact Belinda Avila, Primary School PA, to provide the details and photographs of the adults who will be authorised to collect their children. If your child will be using the bus service, then this information should be shared with our Bus Coordinator.

Our traffic arrangements will be emailed from the Headmaster’s Office before the start of the school year.

LUNCH

We encourage our students to bring a healthy and balanced packed lunch and a drink to school every day. They can also choose from healthy alternatives in the Tuck Shop.

The Greengates Cafeteria and Tuck Shop have a team of specialised chefs, who work at the highest quality and sanitary standards. Students have many delicious food options. We always publish the monthly Lunch Menu (Menú Estudiantil) so you can consult it in advance and then preorder and prepay for your child’s meals one week prior.

Contact email: tuckshop@greengates.edu.mx

Lunch and snack times
Nursery, Reception, Year 1 eat their lunch in their classroom at 10:15 am.
Year 2 to Year 6 must eat their lunch or a snack at the start of their First Break at 10:05 am. They have their Second Break at 1:05 pm.
Year 7 to Year 13 eat their lunch at Break Time at 11:45 am.

SCHOOL UNIFORMS

Greengates students in Nursery through Year 8 are expected to wear their school uniform. We have two uniforms, a formal one that students wear three times per week and a physical education (PE) one that students wear twice per week on PE days.

You must purchase all items in school at our Uniform Shop, except for your child’s footwear, socks, and swimming kit. Please label all clothing items with your child’s initials.

Apart from their House T-shirt, students in Years 9 to 13 do not wear a school uniform.

Footwear and socks
Our students wear black leather shoes with their formal uniform. Girls wear white socks and boys wear grey socks. For PE days, our students wear white trainers/sports shoes with white socks.

Swimming kits
Your child’s swimming costume, swimming cap, goggles, towel, and pool shoes should all be in a waterproof bag. Swimming kits should only be sent when your child’s class gets notified about their swimming dates.

House colours
Students in Years 6 to 13 each belong to a House. Students should wear their House colour T-shirt for PE lessons and competitions, and these are available at the Uniform Shop. Students must wear their polo shirt throughout the day and change into their house T-shirt for their PE lesson.

Our Uniform Shop
Greengates’ Uniform Shop is by appointment only and is open throughout the summer holiday. Payments can be made in cash, by cheque (with a Mexican bank account), or by bank transfers in advance of the purchase. We also accept credit and debit cards.

Contact: Marisol Kess at uniforms@greengates.edu.mx
or 55-5373-0088 ext. 111

Shop hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

Greengates’ bus service is optional and available for all students. The fees for this service are separate.

Most of our families do opt-into our bus service, and we have nearly 30 bus lines serving areas that include Polanco, Interlomas, Las Lomas, Santa Fe, and others. Each bus has a driver and nanny who are specifically assigned to the route.

Contact: Barbra Gómez at bus@greengates.edu.mx or 55-5373-0088 ext. 223

To enroll your child in our bus services, we’ll ask you to provide the following details:
1. Your child’s/children’s name(s) and school grade(s)
2. Do you wish to use the bus service? If so, please continue with 3 to 9.
3. Address (street and number)
4. Address (Neighbourhood/colonia)
5. Nearest street corner
6. Your name
7. Your email
8. Your telephone numbers (mobile, home, and office)
9. Alternative telephone numbers (mobile, home, and office)

UPDATED DETAILS AND DOCUMENTS

Before starting school, it’s very important that you submit your up-to-date contact details such as telephone numbers, emails, and your home address.

Kindly email our Registrar with your up-to-date telephone numbers, emails, and your home address, and please indicate which previous emails/telephone numbers will no longer be active.

Additionally, please submit the following to our Registrar’s Office:

Your child’s original application form with all sections signed (all 14 pages must be completed, signed, and submitted)
Last report cards received from your child’s previous school
A copy of your child’s temporary resident card and CURP (for international students only)
Any other documents/payment requested by the Registrar needed for the revalidation of your child’s studies
Please refer to Section C of the Application Form if your child is in the National Programme

Contact: Sylvia Macias, Registrar, at Sylvia.Macias@greengates.edu.mx

Image and video consent form
Please complete your child’s ‘Image and Video Consent Form’ so they can be included in all media (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, Yearbook, etc). This may be returned to admissions@greengates.edu.mx

SCHOOL DOCTOR

Our School Doctor is available every day to assist our students with any medical or physical health needs.

Parents should advise Greengates’ School Doctor if their child:

has an important medical condition or allergy.
needs to take medication during the school day. The medication must be delivered to the School Doctor with written instructions.

Contact: Dr. Maria Fernanda Pliego at doctor@greengates.edu.mx

GREENGATES SCHOOL FEES

Our Cashiers Office is open from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Payments can be made in cash, by cheque (with a Mexican bank account), or by bank transfers. We also accept credit and debit cards.

Parents who make bank deposits or transfers must email proof of payment to ensure their payment(s) are traced and applied.

If you require a tax receipt (factura), please provide the cashiers with all the information needed to prepare it. Your information should be submitted in a timely manner because facturas have a deadline for being created.

Contact: Lizeth Hernández (Liz) and Virginia García (Vicky) at caja@greengates.edu.mx

DISCOVERING TALENTS. IGNITING PASSIONS.

At Greengates School, our afternoon activities encourage students across all year groups to explore new areas and develop their interests.

They take part in a wide range of age-appropriate clubs that span sports and athletics, the arts, academic subjects, and other interests or hobbies.

SPORTS AND ATHLETICS

Sports and athletics build our students’ confidence, teamwork skills, and physical fitness. We have a combination of age-appropriate competitive teams, individual athletics, and recreational activities at Greengates, so our students can always keep active and strengthen their abilities.

At Greengates School, our four main sports are:

volleyball
football (soccer)
basketball
rugby

We have recreational activities for our youngest students that teach them the skills to participate in these sports, which then formally begin in Primary School. In Secondary School, the first three have competitive Junior Variety and Varsity teams for boys and girls during all three terms. On these teams, our students represent Greengates and compete against other local schools.

Meanwhile, some of our other sporting and athletics activities include:

swimming
cross-country
climbing
rhythmic gymnastics
Global Games Club
tennis
badminton
flag football catchball (a simple version of volleyball for Primary)

THE ARTS

Through the visual and performing arts, our students discover how to express themselves in creative and novel ways. Whether they develop their photography skills in our extensive studio or perform on our stage, they discover how to captivate audiences through storytelling.

Visual arts

photography
Art Club
arts and crafts

Music

woodwind and brass lessons and wind band
keyboarding (Primary)
IGCSE music support (Secondary)

Other performing arts

dance
theatre art/prop-making
Drama Club
Drama and Musical Theatre Club

ACADEMIC BOOSTERS

We offer a variety of academic activities beyond class time for Primary and Secondary students to boost their abilities or explore their interests in greater depth, in preparation for a successful future eventually in the IBDP and beyond. From English and maths boosters to biology and economics workshops, there’s something for everyone.

Primary

English Booster
Maths Booster
STEAM
Spanish Conversation for Beginners

Secondary

KS3 Maths Workshop
IGCSE/IB Workshops for Biology, Economics, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, and Humanities
Study Hall
UNAM Geography, History, and Derecho
Global Issues Network Club
Octavio Paz Workshop
Philosophy Club

INTERESTS AND HOBBIES

We encourage our students to gather around their common interests, so they can exchange knowledge with each other and develop their abilities within the stimulating environment of our community. With activities like hydroponics and gardening or Student Council, students learn how to connect with each other and their environment.

Primary

Chess Club
Coding Club
Hydroponics and Gardening
Student Council

Secondary

Girls’ Community Club
International Cooking Club
Board Game Club
Hydroponics and Gardening
Student Council

MODEL UNITED NATIONS

In Secondary School, our students can participate in Model United Nations (MUN), a student-led extracurricular activity that simulates the diplomatic workings of the United Nations. It’s an exemplary activity for students to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while also enhancing cross-cultural understanding on the world stage.

Participating in Model United Nations is an excellent opportunity for our students to build their global awareness and become empowered as world-changers. Through Nord Anglia Education, MUN students participate in both regional and global debates, where they can travel to represent Greengates and showcase their leadership.

Our students build significant skills in researching, debating, and role-playing while exploring international issues and modelling international diplomacy. They share their thoughts on pressing global issues and propose solutions to create positive impact in the world. Their participation also boosts their college applications, because MUN is highly regarded worldwide.

GET INVOLVED

Our parents make Greengates a better place to learn, grow, and thrive. Parents can volunteer at school to be directly involved in their children's learning, and they can get involved in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) that helps to strengthen the positive community interactions between fellow parents, staff, and students.

The PTA organises several initiatives to build our partnerships, shape policies, and provide their feedback for our school's continuous growth. By bringing our community together, our PTA also increases global awareness. You can get in touch to join by emailing pta@greengates.edu.mx.

The PTA's initiatives include:

Welcoming new families from all over the world and assisting their onboarding.
Activities among our parents’ support program and PTA coffee mornings, which create strong connections between our teachers, parents, and students.
Helping at class activities or extracurricular clubs, where parents can share their international experiences and cultural insights with our community
Organising a variety of cultural events at Greengates, like the International Fair, 'Dia de Muertos', and the Christmas Posada.