Sponsored by Beijing City International School (BCIS). Located in Beijing’s CBD, BCIS lives by its motto: “Empowering and Inspiring Through Challenge and Compassion.” This not-for-profit, co-educational day school provides a personalized, inclusive international curriculum under the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School system, offering the PYP, MYP and DP to both expatriate and Chinese national students from Toddler to Grade 12. For more information, please email admissions@bcis.cn
Beijing City International School began with a simple but noble mission: to create a school incorporating international mindedness and offering a cosmopolitan, international education where students will be proud to study, and where teachers will be delighted to teach. Its founder, Ni Haohua, wanted to create a place of longevity, as symbolized by its centuries-old Gingko tree especially planted in the center of the playground. His idea was a school that would contribute to the globalization of Chinese education, becoming a bridge between East and West.
Over its 10 years, BCIS has seen a great amount of progress. When choosing a new slogan to mark the celebration of the school’s 10th anniversary, the community decided that they wanted it to reflect both the achievements of the past decade, but also its continuing work to generate whole lifetimes filled with success.
“A Decade of Achievement, A Lifetime of Success”
In the Beginning…
The journey of BCIS as we know it began back in late 2004 and early 2005, when a small group of no more than seven teachers and a number of other staff began gathering in offices near the current site of the school’s downtown campus to discuss and plan the curriculum, policy and procedures for their brand-new school that was due to open in August of 2005.General Administration Manager, Miranda Mu, recounts. “Two experiences I remember clearly. One was the GA team working until 12:40 at night to receive all the classical Chinese furniture from Hangzhou…Another thing was at midnight of the day of school opening. Scaffolds were still up, and workers continued putting the final touches to the ES Lobby. It still looked like a construction site!”
Despite their concerns, the school opened as planned to happy faces and the vibrant birth of a whole new community.
Growing up…
The first year saw an initial enrollment of just 84 Elementary School students, growing to 126 by the end of the year. It was a great way for the school to lay the foundation of its program, with a small and manageable student body that teachers could devote their care and attention to while the program was matured. In the school’s second year, 2006-2007, the Secondary School building was opened, and a new school section was born. Every year the school welcomed more and more students, growing to 562 by the 2008-2009 year when the community came together to congratulate the first BCIS Graduate, Jiang Ruoyi (Ray), who went on to university in New York. University success continued, with one particular highlight being in the 2012-2013 year where Grade 12 student, Christine Bai, was accepted into Harvard University.
As school numbers grew, graduating class sizes increased, and college placements rolled in, other achievements came the school’s way. In the 2006-2007 year, the first IB certification came about, with the school being accredited to offer the IB Diploma Programme. In 2008, BCIS received its full Primary Years Programme accreditation, and in 2013 the set was completed with the MYP certification. From that point, BCIS could proudly speak of its status as a real IB World School, with the inquiry-based, globally minded, and creative IB curriculum framework at the heart of learning at every level.
“My School, My Happiness, My Success” – 2005
“Empowering and Inspiring through Challenge and Compassion” – 2010
“A Decade of Achievement, A Lifetime of Success” – 2015
The words in the motto may change, but the vision, philosophy and heart of BCIS’ community remains a constant and steady compass guiding us through changing times.
Looking to the future…
This year, BCIS looks forward to finishing the year with an enrollment very close to, or even just over 1,000 students. The graduating classes are set to increase in size, and the YueCheng Education Board of Trustees and BCIS Educational Leadership Team will continue working with the community to strategically plan for the future. In the coming 10 years, as former Head of School, Nick Bowley, once put it – “we will see BCIS no longer as a young school, but as a school coming of age, and coming into its own right.”
Photos: BCIS
