Most of the schools across our network have begun the 2022-23 school year, and the others will begin in the coming weeks. We welcome back many returning teachers and school leaders, and also numerous new faculty and administrators. Every campus has held a number of thorough training sessions designed to help new teachers adjust to curriculum and systems, while also aligning with current teachers on educational goals and school initiatives. All of this support helps to ensure a great experience for faculty, students, and families throughout the new school year. Keep on reading for more from our schools.
From Our Schools
BASIS International School Nanjing
At BASIS International School Nanjing, the administrative team strived to help new expat teachers integrate into their new environment as smoothly and quickly as possible, including training sessions, as well as fun outings (such as a Yangtze River cruise) and events to explore and familiarize themselves with the surrounding life and customs of Nanjing. The school also held a two week training on a wide range of topics including curriculum, systems, and more to help teachers integrate into their new school culture easily.
BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour also spent two weeks training new teachers, both online and in-person, to enable the entire teaching community to hit the ground running with the start of the new school year. Teaching goals were defined, ways to recognize and assist students with difficulties learned, and each department met to align on ways to communicate and strengthen learning outcomes.
BASIS International School Guangzhou
BASIS International School Guangzhou teachers participated in training on curriculum, systems, and teaching goals for the new year. In addition to Orientation Days for new students, the ECE Department invited new students and parents to campus early to meet their new teachers and visit their new classrooms before the first day of school. Our teachers created activities that promoted high engagement, sustained interest, and inquiry in their play–putting their training into practice before school has even begun!
From Head of School Dr. Erica Smeltzer:
“I am increasingly grateful to all of our new and returning faculty. They have put amazing energy and care into their preparations for the year and have shown incredible perseverance and flexibility in their adventure to arrive in China, their Odyssey to return to it, or their willingness to help their peers and the school.”
BASIS International School Hangzhou
Teachers at BASIS International School Hangzhou have been busy with orientation sessions for students, in addition to their own training, planning and development in preparation for the new year. Sessions on our core values, differentiation, and school culture have been provided to new teachers to ensure every student is learning at their best level. A focus of the school community for this year is for all students, teachers and parents to learn and grow in the school’s core values: respect, responsibility, caring, integrity, inclusiveness, and courage.
From Dean of Primary School, Tom Owen:
“This is my third year at BASIS Hangzhou. I’ve been in China for 12 years and these have been three of the warmest, happiest times I’ve spent in China. We have a really strong team here, which is fantastic, because everyone is so caring and considerate, helpful and kind. It’s really nice to have everybody look after each other, and take care of not only our students, but also our colleagues.”
From AP History teacher, Ken Sharp:
“This is my first time in Hangzhou, I’ve lived in China for five years, but my first time to actually come to Hangzhou. It is a beautiful city, very very nice place. The campus–I think teachers come from different kinds of places with different perspectives. I thought it was a surprisingly big campus and I’m surprised at how many amenities we have here, whether from the gym to the track and field, to our beautiful library. There is so much here at the campus.”
From AP History and academic English teacher, Lauren Perry:
“I feel like I’ve had quite a positive first impression because we’ve been provided with a lot of training, and it seems very professional and very well prepared. I’m also very excited to hear things like congeniality, collegiality, very positive, kind, healthy working environment. I expect really good things.”
BASIS International & Bilingual School Chengdu
Our newest campus, and first to house both international and bilingual school programs, will open in mid-September, but teachers and school leaders have been hard at work for several weeks preparing to open a brand new school. There are many unique challenges and opportunities for founding faculty, but with good training and preparation, they are ready to rise to the moment.
We are ready to begin a great 2022-23 school year!
For more information about teaching with BASIS International Schools, visit our careers website.
