Gyeonggi Suwon International School

Infobox School
name = Gyeonggi Suwon International School


established = 2006
city = Suwon
province = Gyeonggi
country = Republic of Korea
colors = Purple and Gold
type = Non-profit International Day and Boarding
religion = Christian
principal = Mr. Rodney Wallace
headmaster = Dr. Thomas Penland
enrollment = 300 (2006)
campus type = campus, surrounded by parkland
mascot = Knights
homepage = http://www.gsis.sc.kr/

Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS) opened its doors to students for the first time on September 18, 2006. The school was founded as a partnership among Gyeonggi Provincial Government, Suwon City, and Dr. Thomas J. Penland, Headmaster of Taejon Christian International School (TCIS) which is one of the oldest and most respected international schools in Korea.

Academics

Gyeonggi Suwon International School provides foreign students a high quality internationally based education within a Christian environment utilizing positive educational experiences and biblical foundations for spiritual growth.

The goal of Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS) is to provide a quality educational environment in which each student’s unique gifts of intellect, personality, stature, and spirit are given the best opportunity for development towards maturity. GSIS bases its philosophy on basic Christian beliefs.

GSIS projects a capacity enrollment of over six hundred (600) students in grades K-12. The school is accreditated with Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The school has the unique distinction of obtaining accreditation with WASC within one year. Normally this is a two year process. GSIS will become a member of: EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools), KAIAC (Korea–American Interscholastic Activities Conference), ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International), The College Board (PSAT, SAT, AP programs) and The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). As an IB World School, the IB Primary Years Program (PYP), the IB Middle Years Program (MYP), and the IB Diploma Program (DP) will provide the curriculum framework for GSIS. Selected Advanced Placement (AP) courses will complement the IB Diploma Program in the high school division.

GSIS is also a laptop school which allows students to use the latest technology and become more technologically literate.

There are currently students from over 14 different countries attending the school: Canada, USA, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Croatia, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan.

Facilities

GSIS is located on ten and one-half acres of garden grounds surrounded by green belt property in the exciting and developing city of Suwon. The school facilities include an academic building inclusive of high school, middle school, and elementary divisions. The academic building includes an information technology center that is the core for all educational programs. The Info-tech center is the conduit to worldwide research for students and faculty members and the hub for a wireless computer network throughout the campus. The computerized library circulation resources enable convenient and efficient searches by students and faculty members.

“World class” middle school and high school science labs and classrooms support the inquiry-based curriculum and enable engaging, hands-on instruction. Also in the academic building, students have easy access to a modern and fully equipped cafeteria. A school clinic and health services office staffed by a registered nurse is available to provide limited health services to faculty and students. The academic facility includes spacious classrooms, teacher work areas, meeting and function rooms, counseling services suites, and administrative offices.

Adjacent to the academic building is a performing arts center with fine arts classrooms and laboratories. This facility includes a five-hundred seat performing arts auditorium, choral and instrumental classrooms, music practice rooms, drama rooms, and visual arts laboratories.

A recreational and fitness educational center includes a regulation-sized soccer pitch, two full sized gymnasiums, tennis courts, a six-lane 25m long swimming pool, and other supporting facilities for physical fitness development.

A safe and secure playground area, to provide stimulating children’s activities, is located adjacent to the academic building near the elementary division area.

Right across the playground, the GSIS Dormitory, which opened on the 16th of January, 2008, is located.

Laptop Program

The inception of this program made GSIS the first laptop-based international school in the country. The opportunities that this unique form of education extends to the students is as vast and exciting as the endless cyber world around them.

Powered by three Citrix servers and wireless routers in every classroom, GSIS school students literally have the world at their fingertips. From notes, to web quests, to interactive learning programs students continue to gain the foundation of a traditional reading, writing and arithmetic education, but now it is performed with the technological demands of the 21 century in mind. Future graduates of Gyeonggi Suwon International School will enter universities around the world with technological experience that will push them to the top of our technological society.

Extra Curricular Activities

These are programs offered to provide enrichment, develop friendships, enable students to learn new skills, and to give them the opportunity to explore areas of physical, academic, social and creative interests.

There are a variety of extracurricular sports activities for students to join. GSIS offers soccer, basketball and volleyball. By the fall of 2008 GSIS will also offer swimming, cross country, tennis, and cheerleading. Students compete against other international schools in Korea who are members of KAIAC (Korea–American Interscholastic Activities Conference).

There also are and will be a variety of teacher led activities such as Art Club, Ballet, Choir, Drama, Fan Dance, Free Swim, Fun Sports, Gallery of Games, Movie Mania, Orchestra, Praise Team, Puppet Team, Robotics and Spanish.

Currently in the 2008-09 school year, GSIS is now offering classes for Mandarin.

Boarding Program

The GSIS boarding program has a capacity for 64 students in a new on-campus building. The residential program is specially structured to meet the needs of middle and high school students who need boarding accommodations. This comprehensive seven-day boarding program is available for students living in Korea as well as for students whose parents live in countries outside of the Republic of Korea. The convenient on-campus location provides easy access to teachers, participation in school events and extracurricular activities as well as swimming, basketball, use of the gym and soccer field.

Location

The school is located in Suwon which is on the southern edge of Seoul. Suwon is best known for the Hwaseong Fortress which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The school is in a beautiful location surrounded by parkland and a short distance from the Samsung headquarters.

External links

* [http://www.gsis.sc.kr/ Official Site]
* [https://www.edline.net/pages/Gyeonggi_Suwon_Intl_School GSIS Edline]
* [http://www.ibo.org/ International Baccalaureate Organization]
* [http://www.tcis.or.kr/ Taejon Christian International School Homepage] The sister school of GSIS