Dear SIS Community
You will have heard that this week we hosted a team of experts who represent the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The IB is one of the world's most respected curriculum frameworks. Students who work through the IB Diploma are very well prepared for university because the curriculum is broad and deep, and standards are high. The IB Middle Years Programme is designed specifically for the young adult and engages them in world issues and conceptual understandings. It is a great preparation for the final two years of school whether a student tackles the IBDP or a High School Diploma. And the IB Primary Years Programme is a framework that develops the understanding that all learning is interconnected, and prepares students with essential skills for learning (such as reading and writing and mathematics) as well as the learning how to learn. Our programmes have been assessed by the Visiting Team as well as our commitment to developing good people who have compassion, global awareness, commitment to service, and balance in their lives. Our school's report was as positive as we had expected. While the official report will follow later, the assessment reflects the high quality staff that we have at SIS.
While the IB has a focus on teaching and learning, WASC looks more broadly at the work of the school. Accreditation by WASC gives universities across the planet the confidence that they can trust quality of student, the accuracy of our reports, and the reliability of our recommendations. A school that is accredited has demonstrated a global standard and its graduates are welcomed everywhere. The WASC team praised our staff and the work of our many leaders, not just the senior positions but the formal and informal leaders and coordinators and managers who make sure that our students are safe, secure, engaged in great lessons, and supported to achieve. The visitors also noted that we SIS has been a leader in international education for many years and that our role in the development of Shenzhen and the Shekou community was significant. Our commitment to recruiting the strongest teachers from around the world, and continuously training and improving was highlighted. It is always rewarding to have outside experts judge that our high quality teachers are a feature of our school. Again, the formal report will follow in a few weeks, but we are very confident that our accreditation standard that we were first awarded in 1992 will be continued.
After discussing the campus that our youngest students enjoy, and our secondary campus last week, today I want to give some background on our primary campus. The Bay campus is a special space for several reasons. It was originally designed to be a middle school and we have been able to adapt the spaces to suit our younger students and take advantage of some large spaces to foster creativity. When you visit the campus you will be struck by the welcoming space of the library, which can house not just the great books that students love, but wonderful bright and light places to read. Behind the library you'll find green space and open areas that help to project a feeling of calm which is so important for young learners. Moving further through the wide open spaces you can find your way down to the field, surrounded by trees and plans which are blooming with beautiful blossoms at the moment. You may have even seen that our wall of pink bougainvillea has featured in some viral I Love Shenzhen social media sites.
The fields and play spaces are a vital part of what children need in the primary grades. Places to run, climb, stretch, create, race, roll and jump are what builds confidence and creativity. Our playgrounds as well as the specialist fields and swimming pool provide plenty of opportunities to grow in free play during recess and also for our PE team to build skills. And there is a bonus of the climbing wall and the terrific gymnasium for the physical programs at The Bay.
The auditorium and the soaring spaces of the atrium beside our music suite are the spaces that our budding performing artists love best. There are so many exciting projects that have been presented there. And just above these spaces are the art rooms where the talents of young artists have many ways to be inspired. Many of the beautiful and engaging art works around our campus were developed in these rooms.
Primary education is meant to explore big concepts and see how the world really works. So having a kitchen for students to use is a valued space. Speaking of food, our ISS World partners do a super job in feeding everyone in the two cafeterias. We have classrooms all over the five floors, plus we can devote a room to the famous Gecko News and to our Level Five innovation space that can be a museum one day and a workshop the next and could be a place for a parent seminar tomorrow.
Each campus is suited to the ages and stages of the children who attend that program. Each campus is created intentionally to support the type of learning that goes on there. If you attended a traditional school with rows of classrooms that all looked the same, I'm sure that you will see and feel the spark of learning that comes from well-designed spaces. Please feel welcome to visit our campuses and take a moment to feel the benefit of a great learning space, or what many experts call The Third Teacher (after the parent and the school teacher).
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