In our high school, our teachers challenge students to become critical thinkers and expert communicators, while effectively differentiating instruction to various levels of behavioral and academic support. Students who wish to explore college-level academic subjects can choose from 14 different Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Furthermore, we welcome students that are interested in visual and performing arts to our many classrooms, music suite and auditorium to develop their talents and express their passions.
We welcome you to the high school division, where over 130 students are pursuing a four-year college-preparatory program of study.
Mr. Ryan Witt
High School Principal
SUPPORT
At TIS we understand all too well that living abroad and going to school away from home and old friends can be challenging for children of all ages. If not addressed, this can affect their behavior as well as their academic performance. For many students, living in China makes it more difficult to choose the subjects and select the colleges that would fit their passions and skills.
College and Career Planning
College is an important stage in life, and we recognize that it is a stepping stone towards a bigger world. In order to best guide and prepare our students, TIS provides college counseling in a one-on-one setting in addition to a summative class. Our goal is to help each student determine a field of study that best prepares them for their future career. To achieve this goal, students are provided information from Universities all over the world. As so many University options exist, we personally assist students as they navigate their choices. In addition to University guidance, student progress is systematically monitored to encourage improvement in their academics and standardized assessments. As we individually assist each student, we are confident they will be well-prepared as strong university candidates.
UNIVERSITY LIST
- Boston University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Columbia University
- Cooper Union
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne
- Emory University
- Fu Dan University
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
- Korea University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- New York University
- Parsons School of Design
- Seoul National University
- Stanford University
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
- University of the Arts London
- University of British Columbia
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Canberra
- University of Hong Kong
- Waseda University
- Yale
- Yonsei University
UNIVERSITY PLANNING OVERVIEW
10th Grade
Fall
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test)
- Register online for MyRoad
Spring
- Review Stanford Achievement Test and PSAT scores
- Plan world or community summer service projects
- Plan junior year courses
- Search for scholarships and financial aid
11th Grade
Fall
- Schedule a pre-college planning session with the school counselor
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT
- Attend a college fair at local schools and visit college websites
- Take the SAT I (Reasoning Test), SAT II (Subject Tests) and ACT as necessary
Spring
- Take a TOEFL prep class
- Take the SAT I (Reasoning Test) and ACT as necessary
- Use My College Quickstart.com
- Search potential college websites
- Target weak academic areas to focus on during summer
- Obtain recommended reading for college preparation
- Plan campus visits
12th Grade
Fall
- Review your college transcript
- Attend a college fair
- Complete scholarship and financial aid applications
- Complete college applications by Dec. 1
- Take the SAT I (Reasoning Test), SAT II (Subject Tests), ACT and TOEFL as necessary
Spring
- U.S. citizens file the FAFSA for financial aid (Available in January)
- Confirm that colleges have received your 1st semester grades
- Decide which college to attend
SUPPORT 2
COUNSELING
Our school counselor, Bethany Vaughan, meets with students who may be having emotional or social difficulties and help determine the best courses of action, which may include a recommendation of counseling. Conversations are confidential. Counselors are available on campus to individuals or groups of students for discussion of problems relating to emotional growth, social adjustment, academic achievement or any other issue.
Appointments may be made by emailing or visiting Bethany Vaughan.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES
The TIS community embraces individual ways of learning and is committed to supporting children in an inclusive classroom with additional supports. The professionals in Academic Services collaborate with parents and faculty members to create student-centered learning plans, which guide teachers' instruction and increases students' application of learning skills. These plans are designed to increase student opportunity to show mastery of content through multiple means.
When it has been determined that a student can benefit from academic accommodations such as extended time, visual aids, enrichment, or a modified workload, Academic Services works with teachers to implement these plans. Additionally, this department provides remedial and enrichment opportunities for students Elementary-High School. This can take the form of meeting individually or in small groups with students, or mentoring students after school.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE SUPPORT
Mastery of the English language is crucial for each student to be successful at an international school. To determine the level of English language support needed, all non-native English-speaking students are tested for English during the admissions process. The English Language Learners (ELL) Program develops individual learning plans for non-native English speakers from Grade 1 – Grade 9 according to the English language needs of each individual student. The ELL Program is a continuum extending from intensive English instruction to structured English Language support as the student transitions into the regular classroom. Through close interaction with parents and TIS Staff, ELL teachers provide students with help in all areas of language acquisition (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in order to reach a high level of English language proficiency and achieve full participation in TIS curricula.
We offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for our English Language Learners. These students receive intensive English language lessons from language specialists. Students are placed according to their own level of need based on individualized testing.
Mrs. Tami Fagerland
Guidance Counselor
counselor@tiseagles.com
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM FEATURES
For decades, TIS students have been invigorated by language education, with past students using their language skills in many areas from diplomacy, law and education to international trade, marketing and banking and finance.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The English language is central to the way in which students understand, critique and appreciate their world, and to the ways in which they participate socially, economically and culturally in society. The study of English encourages the development of literate individuals capable of critical and imaginative thinking, aesthetic appreciation and creativity, as well as productive participation in a democratic society in the 21st Century. Through the English curriculum and our literacy program, which begins in the ECC, students initially focus on spelling and word study, phonemic awareness and handwriting, which leads into the key discipline concepts of texts and language, and the many dimensions of reading, writing, speaking and listening that develop as students progress through their schooling.
CHINESE LANGUAGE & CULTURE
Although the study of English and the ongoing development of important literacy skills are fundamental elements of the curriculum, our students are also part of the global dialogue where multiple languages are advantageous. As an American school with an international perspective, we believe that a strong language program enhances the educational journey and encourages our students to develop alternative perspectives, cultural understanding and empathy.
Beginning in kindergarten, High School students have the opportunity to study Mandarin. There are three main goals for High School students interested in learning Mandarin: 1) Building up a strong foundation of high-frequency vocabulary. Frequent and consistent exposure to high frequency vocabulary greatly increases the comfort level of students as they begin to communicate in a new language. 2) Working on the basic grammar rules, sentence structure, and discourse patterns. Chinese can seem very intimidating to students when they first begin learning the language; however, the introduction of common sentence patterns coupled with frequent practice in relevant contexts can greatly increase the rate at which students develop language proficiency. 3) Developing cultural knowledge and global awareness. Lastly, a critical goal for lower school students in the Mandarin classroom is to provide opportunities to understand the similarities and differences between their own culture and that of various Chinese populations around the world. Students have the opportunity to go on field trips, eat new foods, learn about daily life for students their own age in China and learn about and celebrate the various important Chinese holidays.
At TIS, we see technology as a tool that supports a school community and facilitates learning. We recognize the enormous potential of modern technology to enhance and enrich learning, and are committed to preparing our children to be successful in a society permeated with technology.
As an important tool, both inside and outside of the classroom, students use technology to inquire, communicate and safely take risks. Through our technology program, we ensure that every student in our community has access to campus and worldwide electronic resources, enhanced classrooms and a learning management system employed by higher education institutions. These tools encourage students to adopt and employ technology during their tenure at TIS, preparing them for college and professional environments as true digital citizens.
CAMPUS NETWORK
Our campus is connected to our data networks allowing students to wirelessly access electronic material in all academic and community spaces. School bandwidth has significantly increased over the past few years to better support classroom initiatives, cloud computing, multimedia and improve the overall student experience. In accordance with our standards, students must abide by acceptable use policies and guidelines found in the school handbook. To help encourage these standards our network is regularly monitored and acceptable barriers have been put in place for the safety of our students.
INTEGRATION SPOTLIGHT
Every student in the high school is required to have their own MacBook. This one-to-one policy allows us to integrate advanced technology into the classroom and broaden the learning environment. Students develop a deeper understanding of content through technology as they explore content through digital tools.
The TIS library a vibrant, welcoming environment for students, staff and parents to enjoy for recreational and educational purposes and is specifically organized to service our diverse school community. We strive to ensure that not only are learning needs met but also that every child feels valued and happy. Our Library resources support the teaching of the curriculum and develop our student's interests and hobbies. Incorporating the use of iPads for searching the library databases, library lessons are also linked to the curriculum and teach essential information skills for 21st Century learning.
Our Library Strives:
- To ensure learners grow as competent, ethical users and producers of ideas and information.
- To prepare life-long learners who are effective communicators, critical researchers and problem solvers.
- To collaborate and share with audiences beyond our school walls.
- To model our school’s mission and support learners in the pursuit of aesthetic growth and personal learning pathways.
To this end, a collection of books has been developed to support teaching and learning activities. Chinese books have also been acquired to support language learning. In addition, we have a collection of e-resources including online newspapers and magazines, which children can access on their iPads. We use a color code system to help our English language learners to find books with more ease and encourage families to donate fiction and nonfiction books in Japanese, Chinese and Korean to help round out our diverse collection.
We are constantly seeking to strengthen our partnership with parents and one of the ways we do this is through reporting to parents and actively involving parents in their children’s learning.
At the start of the year, we have orientation sessions for both new and returning families. This is an opportunity for parents to meet the new class teacher and to find out about the year group routines, special events and expectations. Each term, we welcome parents to an open morning, which provides an opportunity for children to share and celebrate their learning. We also have more formal Parent Teacher Conferences in October and again in March. This is an opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s class teacher on an individual basis and review their child’s learning and next steps. Progress Reports are written at the end of the first semester and all children receive a summative report in June.
Although there are many structured opportunities for parents to meet with teachers, parents can also make appointments with teachers throughout the year to discuss any concerns they may have.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
At TIS, we plan specific days within the school calendar for conferences to be held as we believe it is important to communicate with families. The fall and spring conferences are all day events and allow for families to schedule 20-minute conferences with their teacher in High School. Special area teacher conferences are 15 minutes and can be scheduled separately. Phone conferences are a possibility on these days, as some families may have difficulty scheduling time to leave work/commitments to travel to school.
PRE-CONFERENCE PREPARATION
- In the weeks ahead of a conference, check in with kids about how they're doing on homework and in each subject. Review homework and any recent projects, tests, quizzes, report cards, or progress reports.
- Ask if there are questions or issues your child wants you to discuss with the teacher.
- Plan to bring something to take notes with (paper and pen or a laptop or other device).
- Share a few things about your child with the teacher — interests, strengths, favorite subjects — to help the teacher know your child better.
- Write down questions or topics you'd like the conference to cover. Depending on your situation, you may want to ask about:
- whether your child is meeting grade-level expectations (not how he or she compares with peers)
- educational testing if your child is struggling
- what the teacher sees as your child's strengths and challenges and how these are being addressed
- other services to help your child grow as a learner
- making a plan to check in regularly if there are any learning or behavior problems
- your child's work habits, independently and in large- and small-group instruction
- how your child gets along with other students in class and during lunch, recess, phys-ed, and other classes
POWERSCHOOL
PowerSchool is the most widely used web-based student information system, supporting 10 million students over 65 countries. Benefits for parents and students include: real-time grades, attendance, comments, assignments, scores and much more…right from the teacher’s gradebook directly to students and parents.
CO-CURRICULAR
At TIS we believe that co-curricular activities are an important part of education that extends beyond the classroom. Co-curricular activities provide motivation for learning, character building, physical growth and creativity while developing confidence and educating the whole child. Students are encouraged to participate and explore all opportunities that interest them. Students who are involved in Co-curricular opportunities become more invested in the school experience, therefore increasing the opportunity for higher academic performance and social well-being.
GO EAGLES!
TIS has a fantastic athletics program that grows our students in the knowledge of the sport, and then teaches them how to compete at their highest levels.
In high school, the emphasis is on students maximizing their potential as a team to achieve success. This means that playing time is not always equally distributed, but every student is given meaningful playing time. Students all receive the opportunity to play in key times of matches so they can grow in their abilities as an athlete. They learn how to play together, and how to best achieve victory in each match. We feature volleyball, basketball, and soccer for the high school.
The art program is well developed to ensure that students can excel in their specific areas of skill. The beautiful art that graces our halls is a tribute to the talents that have been developed by our well-rounded teaching staff. Whether you are interested in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and much more, you will be able to develop that talent in our art department.
Performance is something that takes time and practice, and our excellent facility and instructors will help bring out the best in you. Our band program is masterfully designed to ensure commitment and professionalism, where students can learn and grow. The choir program is toned to bring out the best in students that have the gift of voice. Those seeking experience in drama, will find joy in participating in our school plays. Each of these areas provide a great experience for students as they gain confidence in performance.
A highlight of the Arts department is the ISC Fine Arts Festival. Students will have an intensive two-day experience that will include a variety of instruction and technique building activities. Students will then have the opportunity to perform or present their diligent work in front of a large crowd at the end of the second night.
After-school activities are a great tool in our aim to develop well-rounded students. The school sponsors a number of after-school activities that give High School students an opportunity to explore and excel in a particular sport, hobby, or area of interest.
Student Council
Our student council body works diligently to serve the students here at TIS. One of their responsibilities is to provide oversight for the various clubs that can be found on campus. Each fall students propose new or reinstate old clubs to ensure that our changing student body is able to find friendship in areas that they enjoy.
Ready to check us out?
We would love to have you come for a visit to our school.