Brochure Draft 2.0

INSPIRING
GLOBAL
MINDS

SWIS MISSION
Shen Wai International School develops
confident, open-minded, life-long learners
and inspires students to take action
as responsible global citizens.
01
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

SWIS VALUES
INSPIRING
Cultivating critical, creative, reflective thinkers with the skills and intellect to shape
a better future.
ETHICAL
Encouraging students to be open-minded and tolerant and to act with integrity,
honesty and compassion.
GLOBAL
Providing challenging educational programs for an interconnected world.
SUSTAINABLE
Developing active learners with a lifelong love of learning.
CONTENTS
03
05
07
08
09
11
13
15
19
20
School Profile
School Director’s Message
Accreditation & Affiliation
Teaching Team
The IB at SWIS
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Middle Years Programme (MYP)
Diploma Programme (DP)
Beyond The Classroom
Learning Community
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS 02

School Profile
Shen Wai International School (SWIS) is located in the beautiful scenery of the Shenzhen Bay. Invested by
Shenzhen Municipal Government, SWIS covers a floor area of 24,000 m2 with a construction area of 42,000 m2
and is equipped with extensive first class facilities. It serves children of the expatriate community who work in
Shenzhen and children who are permanent residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The school altogether
has 54 classrooms with a capacity of hosting 1,080 students in total.
Shen Wai International School (SWIS) is located in the
beautiful scenery of the Shenzhen Bay. Invested by
Shenzhen Municipal Government, SWIS covers a floor
area of 24,000 m2 with a construction area of 42,000 m2
and is equipped with extensive first class facilities.
It serves children of the expatriate community who work
in Shenzhen and children who are permanent residents of
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The school altogether
has 54 classrooms with a capacity of hosting 1,080
students in total.
SWIS modestly opened its doors in 2011 with
one Nursery and one Pre-Kindergarten class
with a total of 36 students. Since then, SWIS
has grown into a dynamic learning community
of over 800 students from Pre-Kindergarten to
Grade 10 and expand to Grade 12 from August
2017.
In its short history, SWIS has achieved
authorization to provide the International
Baccalaureate Organization’s (IBO) Primary
Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years
Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme
(DP).
SWIS aims to provide distinctive high quality
education to students by employing talented
expat teachers and introducing the International
Baccalaureate curriculum, teaching models,
and management patterns.
SWIS is also a Counsel of International School (CIS) member
and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
affiliate and expects to achieve full accreditation from these
International organizations in 2017.
03
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

INSPIRING
Cultivating critical, creative, reflective thinkers with
the skills and intellect to shape a better future.
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS
04

Message from the
DIRECTOR
Welcome to SWIS,
It is my great honor to welcome you to Shen Wai
International School (SWIS).
SWIS is the first government invested international
school in Shenzhen. The school strives to provide a
world-class education for expatriate students based
in Shenzhen as well as children who hold permanent residency from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Our objective is to provide a 21st Century learning experience for our students. We accomplish this by
recruiting and retaining highly qualified, passionate teachers from diverse backgrounds. The school's
curriculum is grounded in the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme and Middle Years
Programme and strives to integrate a holistic world-view with traditional Chinese language and cultural
studies.
The school's state of the art facility compliments the school's educational objectives. SWIS also has an
extensive and inspirational co-curricular program.
SWIS truly is a center for international education. We invite you to participate in our efforts to realize the
potential of every one of our students and foster the development of outstanding global citizens of the
future.
Ally Wu
Ally Wu
Director, Shen Wai International School
05
03
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

Message from the
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Welcome to SWIS,
The Secondary Division at Shen Wai International
School is home to a growing population of inspired,
active students engaged in learning both inside and
outside the classroom.
Our students are led by passionate, highly qualified teachers and supported by a wide learning community.
SWIS offers the International Baccalaureate Organization Middle Years Programme, which serves as a
framework for students to develop learning skills necessary for the 21st century.
Students in the SWIS MYP are continually challenged to ‘learn by doing’ and connect the classroom to the
larger world. Through integrated units of inquiry and projects such as the Community Service Project,
students develop an appreciation of global challenges and begin to understand their role as global citizens.
Daniel Lwgault
Daniel Legault
Deputy Director, Shen Wai International School
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS 03 06

Accreditation & Affiliation
01
2011
SWIS is established
WASC Affiliate
The Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC),
a world-renowned accrediting
association and one of the six
regional accrediting agencies in
the United States, works closely
with the Office of Overseas
Schools under the U.S.
Department of State.
2015
March 2015
CIS Member
The Council of International Schools (CIS)
is a membership community committed
to high quality international education.
03
02
04
March 2015
PYP Authorized
The IB Primary Years Programme, for
students aged 3 to 11, focuses on the
development of the whole child as an
inquirer, both in the classroom and in
the world outside.
March 2017
DP Authorized
The IB Diploma Programme, for students aged
16 to 19, is an academically challenging and
balanced programme of education with final
examinations that prepare students for
success at university and beyond.
05
06
January 2016
MYP Authorized
The IB Middle Years Programme, for
students aged 11 to 16, provides a
framework of academic challenge
that encourages students to embrace
and understand the connections
between traditional subjects and the
real world, and become critical and
reflective thinkers.
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

Teaching Team
SWIS has a strong faculty and management team, with teachers from 14 different countries and regions who
have substantial experience. Some examples of these countries are Canada, America, New Zealand, Australia,
UK, and Ireland, Poland, Netherlands, Romania, Japan, Venezuela, India, South Africa, Philippines and China.
The teaching will be in small classes led by certified expat teachers with international teaching experience, and
qualified Chinese co-teachers.
Professional Development
SWIS provides opportunities for all teachers to participate in Professional Development (PD, by either taking part
in external PD or working with trainers during in-school workshops. Our teachers have access to a wide variety of
IB workshops to further enhance their teaching and learning skills and continue to provide authentic and
engaging learning opportunities for our students.
Some of the workshops SWIS has provided are:
Restitution
Mathematics
Science
Music
Concept based learning
Student Creativity
Inclusive Classrooms
Inquiry and International-Mindedness and more.
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS 08

IB learner pro
IB learner profile IB lea
IB learner profile
IB learner profile
IB learner profile IB lea
The IB at SWIS
IB learner prof
Through the IB Programmes and guided by the IB Learner Profiles, students at SWIS are engaged
learner
in an inquiry based,
p
student centered, and internationally minded curriculum. The IB Programmes at SWIS are coherent and consistent
across all grade levels by using recurring themes, concepts and ideas. The IB Programmes also ensure rigorous
standards and learning outcomes that develop the knowledge and skills required in an ever-changing interconnected
global community. As IB learners we strive to be:
INQUIRERS
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and
research. We know how to learn independently and with
others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of
learning throughout life.
KNOWLEDGEABLE
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring
knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with
issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
THINKERS
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take
responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative
in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
COMMUNICATORS
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than
one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively,
listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and
groups.
PRINCIPLED
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of
fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights
of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions
and their consequences.
OPEN-MINDED
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal
histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We
seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are
willing to grow from the experience.
CARING
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a
commitment to service, and we act to make a positive
difference
RISK-TAKERS
We approach uncertainty with forethought and
determination; we work independently and cooperatively
to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are
resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and
change.
BALANCED
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects
of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve
well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our
interdependence with other people and with the world in which
we live.
REFLECTIVE
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and
experience. We work to understand our strengths and
weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal
development.
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

ETHICAL
Encouraging students to be open-minded and tolerant
and to act with integrity, honesty and compassion.
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS
10

Primary Years
Programme (PYP)
SWIS is an authorized school that offers the
International Baccalaureate Primary Years
Programme, from Pre-Kindergarten to
Grade 5. The PYP at SWIS focuses on the
development of the whole child, both within
the classroom and wider world. The
program encourages international
mindedness and a positive attitude to
learning by engaging students in inquiries
and developing their awareness of the
process of learning, so that they become
lifelong learners.
Learning Celebrations
SWIS PYP encourages learning beyond
traditional subjects with meaningful, in
depth inquiries into real life issues. At its
core is the commitment to a
transdisciplinary model of themes, which
are globally significant, where the learning is
not confined within bound-areas of
traditional subject areas but is supported
and enriched by them.
PYP Students study in the
following areas
Language (English and Chinese)
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Arts (Music, Visual Art, and Drama)
Personal, Social, and Physical Education
G5 Exhibition
Classroom Without Walls
PYP Programme Highlights
Learning Celebrations
Learning celebrations offer SWIS students the opportunity to share
their current learning with their peers in the school theater. Students
also develop the confidence to perform and present items on stage,
as well as displaying their ever growing information unication and
technology skills.
G5 Exhibition
In the Primary Years Programme, the Grade 5 students participate in a
culminating project, the PYP Exhibition. This Exhibition represents a
significant event in the life of a PYP school and students. As the
culminating experience, the Exhibition reflects all major features of the
Programme, which includes carefully planned assessment and
feedback for the students.
Classroom Without Walls
The ‘Classroom Without Walls’ programme, provides PYP students
with opportunities to become active participants in the world around
them, learning through hands-on exploration and discovery.
This program also provides students with opportunities to demonstrate
their profiles as IB learners in an open environment, and to further
reflect and make connections in relation to their Units of Inquiry.
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

10 REASONS
why the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) is ideal
for students to become active, lifelong learners.
It encourages students to inquire.
PYP students are confident communicators.
Learning how to learn.
It encourages international-mindedness.
Understanding a complex and interdependent
world.
Seeing things from different perspectives.
Students take Action.
Thinking about Issues.
It involves the whole school learning community.
Caring and responsible citizens.
03
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS 12

Middle Years
Programme (MYP)
At SWIS the Middle Years Program
highlights intellectual challenge and we
encourage our students, Grade 6 to 10, to
make connections between what they learn
and the world they live in, preparing them
for success to question into a wide range of
topics and ideas of significance locally,
nationally and globally. The result is young
people who are creative, critical and
reflective thinkers.
Service As Action
SWIS subject teachers work collaboratively
to plan the curriculum both vertically and
horizontally from Grade 6 to 10. The content
and skills for each subject have been
carefully selected to ensure that they are
relevant and challenging and that there is
continuity and progression of learning. Each
subject organizes its course into units of
work. For each unit teachers identify the
specific Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills
and the attributes of the IB Learner Profile
that will be developed through each unit of
work.
MYP Students study in the
following areas
Language and Literature
Language Acquisition
Individuals and Societies
Mathematics
Arts
Physical and Health Education
Science
Design
Personal Project
MYP Festival of Learning
MYP Programme Highlights
Service As Action
Service learning in the Secondary is based on students learning to
take self-initiated sustainable action to help others in their immediate
or wider community, regionally or globally.
SWIS has a range of support devices to help students: The SWIS
Service Learning Cycle explains the steps of Service Learning, the
Service Learning Coordinator and the Student Affairs Coordinator
help and advice students, and after school activities (ASA) that serves
as a platform for students.
Personal Project
Starting in Grade 9, the Personal Project is the IB’s way of demonstrating
the culmination of learning in the MYP through a project that takes 9-12
months from start to finish. School register all MYP Year 5 students for
external moderation of the personal project, promoting a global standard
of quality.
The personal project concludes with a personal project celebration
where students talk about their product and process to others in their
community in addition to the submission of the learning process report.
MYP Festival of Learning (FOL)
Guided by the staff FOL committee and hosted by the Middle School
Student Council, the Festival of Learning is an opportunity for our
Secondary students to celebrate and share their learning with the
community by articulating the learning process.
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

10 REASONS
why the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) encourages
you to become a creative, critical and reflective learner.
Become a life-long learner.
Learn by doing and experiencing.
It prepares you for future education.
The MYP encourages critical thinking.
Train yourself to organize and plan your work,
meet deadlines, concentrate, bounce back,
persist and think positively.
Explore global challenges.
Learn for understanding.
Subjects are not taught in isolation.
It empowers you to develop your talents.
It encourages international-mindedness.
03
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS 14

Diploma
Programme (DP)
The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is a
two-year assessed programme for students
typically between the ages of 16-18
recognized as a premiere leaving
qualification for universities across the
world.
The DP is philosophically aligned with the
preceding PYP and MYP at SWIS based on
the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. All
three programmes draw upon the same
pedagogical approach.
Learning Celebrations
Internationally Minded
External Assessment
Examinations form the basis of the
assessment for most courses. This is
because of their high levels of objectivity
and reliability.
They include:
Essays
Structured problems
Short-response questions
Data-response questions
Text-response questions
Case-study questions
Multiple-choice questions – though
these are rarely used.
Internal Assessment
Teacher assessment is also used for most
tcourses.
This includes:
Oral work in languages
Interpersonal Skills
Independant Learner
DP Programme Features
Teaching and Learning
The DP utilizes the same 8 Day cycle of teaching and learning as
occurs in the MYP at SWIS. Students select from six subject groups
and the DP core. All students select their courses from the IB subject
Groups 1-6 and the requisite DP Core (Extended Essay; Creativity,
Activity, Service, and Theory of Knowledge).
Rather than taking an Arts subject from Group 6, students can choose
to study an additional subject from any of the Language Courses
(Groups 1 or 2), Individuals and Societies (Group 3), or the Sciences
(Group 4). The precise subject selection depends on the restrictions of
the school’s timetable.
Higher and Standard Level
Students select 3 subjects from the Higher Level (HL) and 3 subjects
from the Standard Level (SL). HL subjects are studied at greater depth
and take up considerably more time for students in the DP.
HL subjects involve a minimum of 240 teaching hours, while the
minimum for SL subjects is 150 teaching hours that will most prepare
them for their future path of study in university.
Laboratory work in the sciences
Investigations in mathematics
Artistic performances.
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

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10 REASONS
why the IB DP Programme (DP) is ideal
preparation for university.
It increases academic opportunity.
IB students care about more than just results.
The IB encourages critical thinking.
Graduates are globally minded.
It encourages you to become a confident
and independent learner.
It’s an international qualification.
DP students have proven time management skills.
It assesses more than examination techniques.
Subjects are not taught in isolation.
It encourages breadth and depth of learning.
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS
03 16

Subjects Offered at SWIS
Group 1 Group 2
Chinese A Language & Literature
Chinese B Language & Acquisition
English A Language & Literature
English B Language & Acquisition
Group 3 Group 4
Business and Management
Biology
Economics
Chemistry
Psychology
Physics
Group 5 Group 6
Math (HL)
Music
Math (SL)
Visual Arts
Math Studies (SL)
Prospective SWIS DP Students and Parents are urged to visit the website of the International Baccalaureate
Organization for more information about the programme: www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/ or may
visit our campus for a “DP Information Session” occuring multiple times per year. Please visit www.swis.cn for
the most up-to-date schedule for all “DP Information Sessions.”
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

GLOBAL
Providing challenging educational programs for an
interconnected world.
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS
18

16
Beyond the
Classroom
Shenzhen Bay Music Festval
In 2014 SWIS initiated and hosted the very
first Shenzhen Bay Music Festival , a
multi-school event that features young
musicians from different schools in Shenzhen
and provided them with a platform to
demonstrate their musical talents. In 2015
Basketball
SWIS received over 500 participants for this
glamorous event. In 2016, SWIS invited two
international conductors and SWIS’s very
own teacher, combined choirs of SWIS.
Swimming Galas
Chess
String Ensemble
It is the SWIS philosophy that every students
swims and all students are encouraged to
acquire and enhance their swimming skills.
After School Activities offered in 2017:
The Swimming Galas is held every year
internally so that students will have a chance
to demonstrate their swimming abilities by
competing against each other and interpret
the value of athletics.
After School Activities
At SWIS we believe that students can learn
and grow both inside and outside the
classroom.
This is why each semester SWIS provides a
wide range of After School Activities (ASA)
so that our students are able to thrive
physically, mentally and intellectually.
Hockey
Basketball
Mini Tennis
Football
Badminton
Chinese History
Western Etiquette
3D Painting
POP illustration
Peking Opera
String Ensemble
Violin
Music and Movement
Cooking
STEM Challenges
Internet Technology
Classic Chinese Literature
Chess
Fashion Design
Board Games
Creative Handicraft
SWIS Campus TV
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

Learning Community
SWIS is a home in the heart of each individual in our community. Parents are an integral part of the SWIS
community and the constant on students’ learning journeys. They share in the wonderful experiences we offer
and share our passion and our philosophy.
PTA
The SWIS PTA includes parents, teachers, and admin
staff. PTA works together on a regular basis to promote
effective communication and strengthen the partnership
between the school and the SWIS parents.
The PTA also utilizes the resources and expertise of the
community to enhance teaching and learning.
Parent Classes/Workshops
As an integral part of SWIS learning community, SWIS
parents now have the opportunity to improve their skills
within the learning environment of our school and receive
instruction from our quality educators, in a variety of
areas. Including Parents Glee Club, Health and Nutrition,
Yoga, Flower Arrangement, and several kinds of language
classes.
International Day
SWIS is proud of our ability to welcome over 29
different countries and regions to our School and make
them all feel at home. We firmly believe that the
international environment is by necessity open and
accepting precisely because of so many differences.
Celebrating such occasions at an international school is
significant as it reflects the cultural diversity represented
and embraced at the school.
There are many opportunities for students to explore
and enjoy the international experience at SWIS. The
highlight, is the International Day where students and
parents celebrate their different cultures by introducing
costume, food, customs, music, dance and many other
elements from different cultures or countries of origin.
Chinese New Year Celebration
SWIS honors and appreciates the Chinese Culture. In
January of each year, the SWIS community joins hands
and celebrates the most important holiday to the Chinese
culture. Themed events and activities are usually present
with joy and holiday spirit.
Literacy Month
To quote British author Alan Bennet, "A book is a device to ignite the imagination". Every March, the SWIS community
gathers in different forms and activities to celebrate reading, learning, and literacy. At SWIS we want to support our
school's mission in all we do, therefore the mission of the SWIS literacy month is to support the growth of confident
readers who have made reading a life-long habit.
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS 20

WORLD
CLASS
FACILITIES
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INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS

SUSTAINABLE
Developing active learners with a lifelong love of learning.
INSPIRING GLOBAL MINDS
18

SWIS WeChat
SWIS Website
Shen Wai International School,
No. 29, Baishi 3rd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen
深 圳 外 国 语 学 校 国 际 部
深 圳 市 南 山 区 白 石 三 道 29 号
Tel: +86 (755) 8654 1200
Email: office@swis.cn