International School of Beijing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Head of School | Thomas Hawkins |
| School type | Private Day |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Location | Beijing, China |
| Enrollment | 1,775 |
| Campus Surroundings | Large Private Campus |
| Mascot | Dragon |
| School color(s) | Blue and White |
The International School of Beijing (ISB, 北京顺义国际学校) is a private, international school for expatriate students living in Beijing, China. Only children with non-Chinese passports are allowed to enroll. The school was founded in the 1980 by five embassies, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In the 2005-2006 school year, the school is celebrating its 25th anniversary. As part of the celebration of 25 years of ISB, the school created an alumni association to maintain the connection between ISB and its former students and teachers.
ISB's curriculum is taught in English to students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It offers the IB Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement Program.
In 1996, there were 1001 students enrolled at ISB. In 2002, the location of the school moved from the Lido complex to a newly built 33-acre facility in the Shunyi District. Currently there are 1,775 students from 52 countries enrolled. Of those, 594 make up the high school. Typically the school year begins in August and ends in June. The yearly tuition fees are $8,950 - $22,630 US dollars.
High School students take part in a travelling program through the school formerly called "China Studies," now renamed "China Link." Chaperoned, week-long trips to the walled city of Xi'an, Yantai fishing village, and other Chinese cities are designed to educate students and impart upon them a greater appreciation for China's history and culture.
High School graduates have gone on to attend prestigious schools such as Harvard University, Cornell University, Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Claremont McKenna College, Pomona College, New York University, Columbia University, MIT, Duke University, Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Carnegie Mellon University, Northeastern University, and Northwestern University. Graduates have gone on to universities of this calibre not only in the United States, but also across the globe. Numerous students have attended, or are currently attending universities such as Cambridge University, Oxford University, London School of Economics, Politecnico di Milano, University of Warwick, University of Toronto, Mcgill University, and University of Melbourne amongst the many universities.
The International School of Beijing is a regionally and internationally renowned educational institution. The school also offers many educational and recreational extracurricular activities for the participation of its students. With its four gyms, six tennis courts, two baseball diamonds, swimming pool, 400 meter track, and full size soccer fields, the school has an impressive sporting facilities and winning teams. Teams participate in the Asia Pacific Activities Conference APAC for various sports and other activities, as well as other competitions including China Cup and the Great Wall Shootout.
Not only is the school known for its sport teams, but its performing arts program is just as diverse. The school offers a chance for students to participate in activities such as band, orchestra, jazz band, choir and drama. The high school also has their own honour choir, named Improptune, theatre group Thespians, and there are two theatre productions per year and a One Act Festival.
The Model United Nations is also another program that is widely participated in. One in four high school students are involved with the program. Students have an opportunity to be selected to participate in one of three travelling trips, including THIMUN Singapore and THIMUN in the Hague. The THIMUN organisation is the only Model United Nations program recognized by the United Nations, and the International School of Beijing has been an active member of the organisation since its involvement. In addition, MUN is a mainly student run program with a teacher advisor, and the ISB MUN team organises and runs the Beijing International Model United Nations BEIMUN annually. The ISB MUN Student Officer Team is composed of some of the school's most promising students.
In 2006-2007, the school underwent a Strategic Planning process, led by a core team of students, teachers, parents, and members from the School Board. With a new vision for the school, the school seems geared for further improvement.
