Xiamen International School

The Xiamen International School (XIS) is a private, international school for foreigners living in Xiamen, China. Only children holding foreign passports may enroll. The school was established in August 1997 and is located in the southern coast of China in Fujian Province. XIS was the first international school to be established in Fujian Province by the Ministry of Education.

While walking down the halls of XIS, you would hear a multitude of languages, including Chinese, Korean, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, German, and the list goes on. XIS has a yearly International Day, where everyone has a chance to express their own culture by bringing in their culture's food.

This school offers PreK–12th grade, with an American-based curriculum and has over 250 students from over 25 countries. XIS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

XIS also takes part in sports tournaments, Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS). Students are able to travel to other international schools to compete for champions and meet other international students. So far, XIS holds a record of winning three championships.

Tuition fees range from $9,000-$13,500 USD per year. Additional fees include buses- $400 USD per year, activity fee- $250 USD per year, and registration fee (for new students only)- $200 USD.

Elementary students

XIS elementary students learn English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. They also visit specialist classrooms where they learn Art, Music, Physical Education and Information Technology. Students also learn a second language – either Mandarin or English.

All of this is done under the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, or IB-PYP. (XIS became an IBPYP authorized school in October, 2004.) PYP is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 12.

Middle school students

XIS Middle School offers the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program. (IBMYP) The MYP is a course of study designed to meet the educational needs of students aged 11 - 16 years. XIS was authorized to offer the MYP in 2004.

In addition to the core subjects - English, Mathematics, Science and Humanities - all students also attend classes in Art, IT, Physical Education, and a second language – either French, Mandarin or ESOL (English as a Second or Other Language). Music is also available through Grade 7.

High school students

Students in Grades 9-10 complete the IB Middle Years Program (IBMYP) or MYP. The MYP is a course of study designed to meet the educational needs of students aged 11 - 16 years. XIS was authorized to offer the MYP in 2004.

In grades 11 and 12, students work toward an American high school diploma.

The current program follows the American model where students earn their diplomas by completing credit requirements in the various subject areas. Students graduating at the end of Grade 12 can apply to universities worldwide. High school credits earned at other schools may be transferred into the XIS diploma.

High School students must take courses in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language (French, Mandarin or English) and Physical Education. In addition, they take electives in art, psychology or additional classes in the core subject areas. Each course counts as one credit toward graduation.

XIS hosts many social events. Sometimes sports tournaments and other times music concerts. XIS last hosted International School of Beijing (ISB) orchestra students in 2003. Every year, XIS hosts at "least" one sports tournament. Students are able to meet new people from Beijing International Singapore School (BISS), Shanghai Community International School (SCIS), Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), Utahloy International School of Guangzhou (UISG).

Lunch

Lunch service at XIS is provided by Masako Curry House. Students or staff interested in purchasing lunch from Masako need to buy a lunch IC card. Recharging money to lunch cards can be done every day in the cafeteria with the Masako staff directly. The Assistant Teacher of each grade can help the very young students (PreK-Grade 3) to reload the lunch cards.

Masako offers a small buffet. The choices include such items as spaghetti, sandwich, sushi, hamburger and curry rice, as well as vegetables, fruits and deserts. The cost of one lunch is 15RMB ($1.80 USD) for elementary students and 20RMB ($2.50 USD) for the middle and high school students.

Students can also choose to bring their own lunch (refrigerators and microwave ovens are available).

In addition, XIS PTA sells Pizza Hut pizza once a week as a fundraising event. Students can order pizza lunches from PTA on specific days.

Facilities

Xiamen International School's new facilities opened in 2002. The new facility is 30,000 square meters in size. The school has a library of almost 11,000 titles, gymnasium, a soccer field, a running track, three basketball courts, an indoor swimming pool, library, science labs, and a large cafeteria which can fit all students and teachers. In addition to a full-sized gymnasium and swimming pool, the school offers a running track, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts and a fully equipped weight room.

In addition to a large number of regular classrooms, XIS also has two computer labs, a ceramics room, spaces for art and music and well-equipped science labs.

Transportation

XIS offers optional transportation service to all students who live in most areas of Xiamen. The buses pick up students in the morning and drop off students after school at the designated point each day. The routes on most bus services take a travel time of 20-50 minutes, arriving at school between 8:15 and 8:20am and departing in the afternoon at 3:25 and 4:45pm. The late bus at 4:45pm bus is provided for the students who participate in after school programs.

Each bus is equipped with a mobile phone and is supervised by a Bus Monitor. Bus monitors check students as they board/leave the bus and ensure they remain seated during their journey.

However, sometimes, due to uncontrollable weather problems, such as a monsoon, the buses may be delayed. In this case, the passengers may not arrive at their destination until much later. For some of the more distant stops, the bus may not be able to drop the passengers off until as late as 8:00 PM.

Faculty

XIS teachers come from the United States, Canada, China, Great Britain, New Zealand, Germany, Philippines and Russia. All teachers are certified. XIS has a combination of new and highly experienced teachers, with an average experience base of eleven years. In addition, they provide on-going staff development, so that most of the teachers have been trained in the International Baccalaureate Program, ESOL in the Mainstream and other recognized and well-known programs.

External links

* [http://www.xischina.com/ Xiamen International School]