|
Frequently asked questions
Where is ZIS located? What does the school campus look like?
Zhuhai International School (ZIS) is located on Qi Ao Island, an island located approximately 20 minutes from Zhuhai city center. ZIS is conveniently located close to several international housing developments including Horizon Cove (Hai Yi Wan Pan) and Hua Fa New Town (Hua Fa Xin Cheng). Qi Ao Island is a resort town, surrounded on all sides by water and designated as an environmental preservationist zone by the Chinese government. ZIS¡¯ campus is surrounded by natural scenery ranging from the unique Red Wood Trees and rare foliage, to the exotic animals found on the school grounds. The school¡¯s natural surrounding provides opportunities for students to learn and live together in nature¡¯s most peaceful environment.
If you are interested in visiting the campus and learning more about our school, please contact the Admissions Office
(Email: zis@zischina.com;
PH: +86 756 3315580/3320016;
FAX£º +86 756 332 0016;
School Mobile: +86 137 2703 0105).
What are the different grades that ZIS offers?
We are currently accepting applications for Nursery (half-day and full-day 3-year old program), Reception (4-5 year olds), Year 1 (5-6 year olds), Year 2 through Year 6 (6-11 year olds). In the new academic year of 2008 we will be expanding the secondary programme to Year 7, 8 and 9 including Boarding School.
We have an extensive EAL (English as an Additional Language)/ESL (English as a Second Language) program for English-Language Learners. All students who are not native-English speakers are asked to take an EAL/ESL assessment as part of the admissions process.
What type of curriculum does ZIS use?
ZIS uses an international curriculum for our academic program. We are currently exploring the programs of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), beginning with the Primary Years Program (PYP) <ages 3-12>, in preparation for becoming a full IB-accredited school.
The IB Primary Years Program is taught through the Inquiry method which is based on the idea that children should learn for understanding. The inquiry method is student-lead but teacher-directed, which means that teachers guide students through their own learning.
(Information extracted from the IBO¡¯s website www.ibo.org)
IBO Programmes
The IBO offers three programmes to a wide variety of schools located throughout the world:
*the Diploma Programme (DP), for students in the final two years of school before
university
*the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11 to 16
*the Primary Years Programme (PYP) is for students aged 3 to 12.
Please feel free to visit the IBO website (www.ibo.org) for further information.
How will I know how my child is doing? What kind of assessment does ZIS use?
At ZIS, we value parent-teacher communication and we want parents to be actively involved in their children¡¯s education. Every day teachers write in communication books explaining what the children learned during the day. This way, parents are well-informed of what goes on in the classroom and are able to communicate any concerns or questions directly to the teacher.
We pride ourselves on upholding a strong academic standard and we are only able to do this by providing consistent assessment.
Assessment: Continuous assessment will take place inthree main forms:
Formative assessment
Formative assessment is interwoven with the daily learning and helps teachers and children find out what the children already know in order to plan the next stage of learning. For example observations, discussions, projects, tests and quizzes and portfolios.
Summative assessment
Summative assessment takes place at the end of the teaching and learning processes and gives the children opportunities to demonstrate what has been learned. Summative assessments may evaluate students¡¯ abilities in any combination of the following: acquisition of data, synthesis of information, application of knowledge and processes.
Standardized Assessment
For students in year 3 to year 10, ZIS will annually administer the International Schools Assessment created by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) (www.acer.edu.au), the organization that also creates the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the international comparison test. High School students will take Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.
Further questions about assessment and curriculum can be directed to our Admissions Office (Email: zis@zischina.com; PH: +86 756 3315580/3320016; PH: +86 756 332 0016; School Mobile: +86 137 2703 0105)
and we will put you in touch with our curriculum coordinator and primary school principal.
How many students are in one class?
ZIS¡¯ admission policies allow for a maximum of 16 students in each classroom. The Nursery classes are capped at 18 students per class. There are two qualified teachers in each classroom, one Western and one Chinese, from grades N-5. The Nursery classes will also have 1 full-time teaching assistant,and class helpers in addition to the 2 full-time teachers.
When does the ZIS school year begin and end?
The ZIS school year starts in September and ends in June. We celebrate both Chinese and Western holidays such as the Lunar New Year, Winter break, May Holiday and the National Holiday. For further questions about the calendar, please contact the Admissions Office.
What are the school hours?
Monday-Friday: 9:00AM-3:30PM
Does the school provide accommodation for students?
Yes. ZIS students have a choice of living in the dormitories as a boarding student or commuting to school daily as a day-student. Given the limited dormitory spaces, students with homes furthest away from the school are given highest priority. Boarding students are supervised by full-time staff and are provided with accommodations of the highest quality. Other than the dormitories, the school also offers apartments for both students and staff up to a capacity of 154 students, with a maximum of 3 people in a room.
Does the school provide school buses for students?
Yes, currently all ZIS students commute to school daily. We have children
commuting from Huafa New Town, Gongbei, Ji Da District, Tangjia District of Zhuhai and ZhongShan City. Children from Macau are picked up at the border of Hengqin, WanZai and GongBei. In addition to the bus driver, there is an experienced adult bus monitor to take care of children.
Does ZIS require students to wear uniforms?
Yes. Our uniforms are as follows:
Warm Weather
Basic Uniform
*light blue polo-shirts/golf-shirts with ZIS tiger emblem
*khaki shorts (girls and boys)
*blue-checkered skirts with shorts attached underneath (girls)
PE Uniform
*short-sleeved t-shirts with ZIS tiger emblem
*navy blue PE shorts
Cold Weather
Basic Uniform
*light blue collar shirts (different for girls and boys)
*tie (for boys)
*long khaki trousers/pants
*blue-checkered shirts with shorts attached underneath (girls)
*v-neck sweater
*long sleeve polo
*vest
*coat
*another hat
Does ZIS accept students in the middle of the year?
Yes. ZIS recognizes that families may move to Zhuhai at any time during the school year and is readily accommodating of new students. We do ask that applications are completed and returned in their entirety as soon as possible so that we can begin the application process and prepare materials for new students. We will make every effort to help late-entry students get adjusted to our school and the new surrounding.
Where are ZIS students from?
As an international school in China, we accept expatriate students and SAR of all nationalities and ethnicities. Under current PRC regulations we are unable to accept Mainland Chinese students over the age of 6 years old. ZIS students are from all over the world including the USA, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Canada, Germany Hong Kong, Belgium,Macau and Taiwan.
What is the language of instruction?
The language of instruction at ZIS is English. Additionally, all students receive a daily lesson of Chinese language and all students are strongly encouraged to maintain their mother tongue.
If my child¡¯s first language is not English, will he/she have difficulties adjusting in the classroom?
We recognize that not all students are native-English speakers and we have an extensive EAL (English as an Additional Language)/ESL (English as a Second Language) program for English-Language Learners. All students who are not native-English speakers are asked to take an EAL/ESL assessment as part of the admissions process. This assessment allows us to better understand the individual language needs of each student and, if necessary, offer them additional specialized instruction in English.
Do students learn about Zhuhai and China?
We recognize that learning Chinese and learning about China is a very important part of the learning experience for expatriate children living in Zhuhai. Our Chinese language program is taught by our experienced and trained Chinese teachers. We offer multiple levels of Chinese for both Native and Non-Native Speakers of Chinese. Chinese class is held every day for 45mins ¨C 1 hour for all grades. As an international school operating in China, we respect the culture of the Chinese Mainland and are teaching Mandarin Chinese (putonghua) with pinyin and simplified and traditional characters. We provide other opportunities through school field trips and outings for students to learn about China.
In addition to Chinese language lessons the school teaches Chinese culture.
Do you recognize students¡¯home languages?
We emphasize students¡¯ maintenance of their mother-tongue languages and we will actively promote development of mother tongue languages.
Where are ZIS teachers from?
ZIS teachers are from all over the world . ZIS teachers all possess university bachelor degrees or above and have had at least two years of teaching experience as well as specified training and teaching certification. To learn more about our faculty, visit our staff/faculty page. If you are interested in seeking employment with ZIS, please go to our employment section.
Does ZIS require students to wear uniforms?
ZIS requires all students to wear uniforms. There are different seasonal versions of the uniform, one for colder weather and one for warmer weather. One set of uniforms is included in the tuition. For more information about uniforms please contact the Admissions Office.
How is ZIS unique?
ZIS does not focus on one national curriculum. Instead it follows an internationally developed curriculum. In creating and operating the school we look at the best performing programs in the world, in places like Japan, Finland, Hong Kong, Australia, and US and UK independent schools to understand how their curriculum and teaching methods lead to success. The very essence of an international school should be that it doesn¡¯t limit itself to the local and the national but looks outward to learn all that it can from around the world.
With the University affiliations of our advisory board, our aim in the coming years is to become a global center for exchange of best practices in teaching. We are a professional learning community that must constantly learn in order to best serve students.
We are small by design. We don¡¯t conduct ourselves like a large public school. Instead, we work and live together as a small independent school community where students feel known, cared for, and recognized, and where they have ample opportunity to be challenged each day.
|
