| Chinese International School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 1 Hau Yuen Path Braemar Hill, North Point, Hong Kong |
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| Information | |
| Type | Reception-Year 13 (ages 4–18), private, international, co-educational |
| Established | 1984 |
| School district | Eastern |
| Head teacher | Dr. Theodore S. Faunce Ph.D. |
| Enrollment | Approximately 1560 to 2000 |
| Colour(s) | Red and Blue |
| Mascot | Phoenix |
| Website | http://www.cis.edu.hk |
Chinese International School (漢基國際學校, pinyin: Hànjī Gúojì Xúexìao) is a private school offering the years Reception-Year 13 (K-12) in Hong Kong. It is famous for its bilingual programme taught in English and Chinese (Mandarin), outstanding academic programme and excellent matriculation. Students come from diverse backgrounds, with over 30 nationalities represented. At the Secondary level, students pursue the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years and Diploma programmes. The campus is located in the residential neighborhood of Braemar Hill in North Point, adjacent to country park green areas. It is a member of the prestigious G20 Schools.
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The school was founded in the early 1980s, and had its first intake of 75 students in Years 1 to 3 in September 1983. Its first location was at 7 Eastern Hospital Road in Causeway Bay.
In 1986 and 1989, the school expanded to additional sites at 10 Borrett Road and 26 Kennedy Road. In 1991, the school moved to the current campus on Braemar Hill.
The school is overseen by a Board of Governors of approximately fifteen members, chaired by Geoffrey Mansfield. Dr. Theodore S. Faunce joined the school as Headmaster at the start of the 2006-07 school year.
The school's campus consists of 7 "blocks" connected by open-air walkways. Facilities include:
Students are organized into separate Primary and Secondary "schools" but share a campus, similar school day and linked curriculum. The Primary division has about 600 students aged 4 to 12 in Reception to Year 6, while the Secondary division has about 800 students aged 11 to 18 in Years 7 to 13.
A defining characteristic of the school is the fact that all students pursue a single program taught in both Chinese (Mandarin) and English - that is, there are no separate language streams. The Chinese-language component continues up until graduation in Year 13, although the main language of instruction remains English.
At the Secondary level, students also have the option to study French (up to IB level) or Spanish.
The Primary curriculum is designed to encourage early development of personal responsibility, mutual respect, and freedom of expression.
CIS has adopted an innovative approach to the teaching of the Primary curriculum in English and Chinese. This approach involves collaborative teacher-partnerships, ensuring that students receive close teacher attention while also learning both two languages in a balanced and integrated way.
Every homeroom is led by a pair of teachers with combined native language abilities in both English and Mandarin, and at every year level, teachers of the two languages collaborate to plan and teach outcomes from the school's inquiry-based integrated program.
Subjects are taught through age-appropriate units of study that fit into broader categories, such as "Understanding Our World" and "Understanding Ourselves".
The school has recently placed a large investment in the primary school. Starting in school year 2010-2011, the school has put substantial backing into the technology infrastructure and has adopted Apple Macbook / Macbook Pro's as its Digital Toolkit.
In the Secondary school, the International Baccalaureate's "Middle Years" (IBMYP) and "Diploma" (IBDP) programs have been adopted as the framework for the CIS curriculum because of their convergence with the mission which places a strong emphasis on critical thinking and inter-cultural understanding, as well as the internationally recognized qualifications those programs confer.
All students in Years 7-11 pursue the Middle Years Program (IBMYP) and all students in Years 12-13 pursue the Diploma Program (IBDP). At the end of Year 13, students sit internationally administered exams. To complete the MYP, students are assessed internally based on their work throughout Years 10 and 11, including the hallmark "Personal Project" - a year-long undertaking involving research, reflection and writing about an area of interest selected by the student.
CIS was one of the first schools in Hong Kong to offer the IBDP, having done so since 1992, and in 2005, was the first school in Hong Kong to offer the MYP. Chinese International School has consistently produced spectacular MYP graduating grades, with an average grade of 6.03 most recently. In addition, 2 students received full achievement levels. In IB, it achieves exceptional results annually, with both top marks obtained by individual students as well as consistently strong average point scores, well exceeding the world average, achieved by large cohorts of students. More than 36% of the graduating class of 2010 achieved grades 40 or above, securing a placement in the leading universities in the world.
Those who do not satisfy the IB requirements, or jump too much, are given a certificate for exams completed. An IB diploma guarantees, but is not necessary for, graduation.
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Competitive and non-competitive options exist both within the regular physical education curriculum and as after-school activities. Students typically have two classes of PE per week and all students take part in annual sports days and swimming galas, which emphasize participation and generally focus on friendly, inter-"house" competition.
At the intermural level, CIS fields over sixty teams in fifteen sports and continues to build a reputation as a force to be reckoned with. In 2006-07, CIS moved up to 5th place in the Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation (HKSSF) league tables of 150 co-educational schools – its highest ranking ever. This was due to the three Boys’ Athletics teams and three Girls’ Table Tennis teams which won the school the title of Overall Division Champion in both sports, as well as to division wins by the Girls' A-Grade Netball Team and Boys’ B-Grade Cross Country Team.
Sports in which CIS competes:
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Sports offered recreationally, apart from many of the above, also include:
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Serving as chief representatives of the student body are the Head Boy and Head Girl, who are selected annually from among applicants from the rising Year 13 class. The Head Boy and Head Girl are supported in their roles by an elected Secondary Student Council. In the primary school, students in Years 5 and 6 elect a Primary Student Council, one representative and one deputy from each class.
The school celebrated its 25th anniversary in the school year 2008 - 09 with a series of events including a school musical, open day, and parent and alumni gatherings.[1]