Our Community and School Life

What facilities do you have?

SIS has three unique campuses, each catering to the age group it hosts.

Nursery through Kindergarten

Our youngest learners attend the Jingshan campus. Set in a beautiful and secure green environment, the campus features multiple outdoor green spaces, two indoor gyms, a water play area and basketball courts. Our youngest learners have plenty of space to explore and learn. The Jingshan library carries books in English, Korean, French, German and Mandarin. Classrooms are richly appointed with support materials to facilitate play-based learning.

Grades 1 through 5

This year we opened our newest campus, The Bay. This purpose-built campus features two science labs, a cooking suite, an auditorium and a multi-story library which offers books in English, Chinese, French and German. Our arts department features a music and visual arts suite. The campus offers a gym, sports field, basketball court and multiple play areas scattered throughout the campus. Built in a u-shape, the design of the building promotes teaming across grade levels and programmes in our functional classrooms.

Grades 6 through 12

Just one year ago, we opened our Net Valley campus. Located in an urban setting, this campus has a college feel with a design centre, multiple recording studios and practice rooms, and a visual arts suite. We have both an auditorium and a black box theatre. Classrooms feature flexible learning spaces intentionally designed to allow for a range of diverse learning experiences. Our urban campus even features a golf simulator.

All our campuses are located in Shekou, and it is a short 15 minute walk from the The Bay campus to Jingshan. From Jingshan to Net Valley is approximately a 15 to 20 minute walk.

What are your school hours, and do you offer a bus service?

In nursery through grade 5, the school day is from 8am to 3pm. Secondary students, grades 6 through 12, attend school from 8:30am to 3:30pm.

We offer bus service throughout Shenzhen. In addition to a morning bus service, buses depart immediately after school, and a second bus service is provided for those students taking an after school activity.

All buses can be tracked using an app. This allows parents to see where the bus is en route in real-time and plan accordingly.

How does the school lunch program work?

Students may bring a lunch from home, or they may purchase from our outsourced hot lunch provider. Students at The Bay may also purchase breakfast from our outsourced provider. Cafeteria information can be found here. Microwaves are available for students who bring lunch from home.

**How does the After School Activity (ASA) program work?**

Starting in Kindergarten, SIS offers ASAs. ASAs are an essential part of school life and allow children to explore new activities and perhaps even discover their passion. We offer three cycles of ASAs and sign-ups are through an online platform, Schools Buddy. While most ASAs are offered by our teachers and are free or charged at a nominal fee, we bring in experts from the community to round out our ASA offerings. Those ASAs offered by the community are chargeable, and parents pay for their child to attend.

ASAs usually vary from trimester to trimester. The offerings are as varied as yoga to chess, robotics to gardening. Primary ASAs are from 3:10 to 4:15, while secondary ASAs are from 3:35 to 4:30.

SIS offers two after school bus services, one for those leaving directly after school and the other for ASA participants.

What sports teams do you have?

SIS is a founder and member of several sports leagues. It’s important that students have the opportunity to learn to compete in team and or individual sports. Beginning in grade 4, students may join the basketball, soccer, touch rugby, badminton, swimming or track and field teams and compete in matches with other area schools.

In secondary, students can compete in different leagues throughout China and other countries in Asia. As a founding member of the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS), students can join additional teams such as tennis and golf in addition to the team sports listed above.

Do you have a parent association?

Our community of parents, students and staff is truly unique. Our active Parent Support Association (PSA) is an integral part of our caring community. The PSA plans activities for our students throughout the school year, including popcorn Friday, school dances, movie night, and the harvest festival. All parents are members of the PSA and are invited to volunteer to support these exciting events.

Do you offer boarding?

SIS does not offer boarding. Students must live with their parents, or an SIS-approved guardian.

Do you offer courses for parents?

We believe in working in partnership with parents; this is why we offer parent education sessions (ParentEdU) throughout the school year. Topics vary from English language support to children’s social and emotional growth, among many others. The more knowledge we share, the more we can work together to support your child’s education.

Do students wear a uniform?

Students from nursery to grade 10 are required to wear a uniform. Students in grades 11 and 12 are expected to dress in business casual attire or the school uniform. The uniform is provided by an outsourced supplier and is not covered in the tuition fees. Two times a year, our school hosts a pop-up store where students may purchase the uniform on campus. At other times, the uniform may be purchased online through the uniform store.

How do you communicate with parents?

Communication with parents is through a variety of sources. In the Early Years and Primary, we use Seesaw. Seesaw is a platform for student engagement and allows you to see a portfolio of student work and view classroom notices. In Primary and Secondary, we also utilise ManageBac. ManageBac allows you to see homework assignments, teacher comments and school notifications.

Every week you will receive a newsletter from our Head of School and another from each division principal. WeChat is widely used in parent groups.

Parent conferences are held throughout the school year, but parents are always welcome to meet with our staff if they have questions.

What is the admissions process?

The first step in the admissions process is to attend an online Open Day. Open Days are offered approximately every three weeks. They will familiarize you with our teaching philosophy, provide a look at our campuses and facilities and give you an idea of our environment. Following attendance at an online Open Day, you will be invited for an in-person tour.

At any time, you may begin your child’s application. The application is located on our website. Scan this QR code to join our Open Day.