Hear from the Head

TIS Family,

As we start this semester, I want to take a moment to ask if you were able to rest during the recently completed holiday. Rest can look different for different people. My holiday involved spending a few days on a service trip, Christmas with family and friends, and relaxing by the ocean in Indonesia. Although those are three different things in three different countries, I can confidently say that they were all restful in their own unique way. If you see me, ask me about these trips, I would be very happy to share. Wherever you were or whatever you did, I do hope that you created time for rest for both you and your family. If not, I encourage you to make plans to do so during the coming Spring Festival holiday.

Welcome, New Families

The first week of Semester 2 has been filled with excitement already as we accepted many new students and had a wonderful new parent meeting on Wednesday. We are thrilled to have so many new families and students in our school. The student body is almost 6% greater than it was in December, and we have several more students in the application process over the coming weeks. A very warm welcome to everyone who has recently joined the TIS family or will be joining us in the near future. We hope that you find our school to be a place where high expectations meet an authentically welcoming environment.

Semester 2

The reason we have high expectations here at TIS is because we want to continually help people strive to achieve their potential. We are confident that everyone is able to grow and achieve standards with the right support that is tailored for their success. Our purpose for fostering an authentically welcoming environment is because we care deeply about each individual person. Although we are all individually made and have unique personal backgrounds, we believe that the right personal care permits all people to be able to grow.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Ryan Witt

School Wide Announcements

Divisional News

ECC & Elementary

Elementary Clubs:

Elementary clubs will begin after Chinese New Year break. Please look for the sign-up sheet going home next week in Class Dojo.

Guidance Counselor

SAT March 8 - Registration

https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines

AP Extra Practice (VPN Needed)

https://www.youtube.com/@advancedplacement

ADD/DROP:

The last day to ADD or DROP a class is January 21 at 3:20 p.m. After January 21 at 3:20 p.m., any changes in your schedule will result in a "Withdraw Pass/Fail" on your report card/transcript.

Athletics

• TIS HS Boys' Basketball team will be competing in the ISAC Beijing/Tianjin Basketball Tournament this Saturday, January 11 at IST
• TIS HS Girls' Basketball team will be competing in the ISAC Beijing/Tianjin Basketball Tournament this Saturday, January 11 at HBJ Beijing
• TIS MS Boys' Volleyball team will be competing in the ISCOT Tianjin Volleyball Tournament this Saturday, January 11 at TEDA
• TIS MS Girls' Volleyball team will be competing in the ISCOT Tianjin Volleyball Tournament this Saturday, January 11 at Wellington

Go Eagles!

PTO

Health Office

Globally, many countries, including America, China, and South Korea, are reporting increased pertussis (also known as whooping cough) infections in 2024. Pertussis is highly contagious and spreads when infected people cough or sneeze droplets into the air. Early cold-like symptoms are followed by episodes of rapid and violent coughing. The illness can progress to being severe and life-threatening. Treatment is with supportive measures and antibiotics, while prevention is through vaccination and general hygiene. Since the Fall and Winter seasons, over a thousand people have been infected each week, with many infections occurring in children under 12 years of age and not excluding teenagers. Authorities have urged people to stay up-to-date with pertussis vaccinations, and as immunity wanes, boosters are required.

TIS requirement of Tdap/DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis 3-in-one) is five doses for grades 1-8. Students must have a booster dose of Tdap after the age of 10 and before Grade 9. For the safety of students during extracurricular activities and travel, a tetanus booster shot is also required by the school. Please check your children’s immunization records and make plans to obtain this vaccine while traveling outside China because the booster shot of Tdap for teenagers is not available in mainland China. If your child missed this vaccination or others, the holidays are a good opportunity to get a catch-up shot.

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