Location – 1 On Muk Ln, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
Website – http://www.ics.edu.hk/
Contact – +852 3920 0000
Education is the practice of the mind’s ability to think, not the acquisition of knowledge. When life begins, education provides the young person with the resources and equipment needed to fight in the wars of the world. Despite being separated by borders, the world is getting smaller and smaller until it is a single global community.
Grooming the younger generation in that environment is crucial for preparing the next generation of this global village in this highly technological world where holistic development and the core goal of education are maintained.
The Inception
ICS was opened in 1993, providing affordable, Christian university preparatory education. The school found a niche with non-missionary families who fueled demand for the school’s program. This draws into our vision as a school; ICS aims to honor Christ by modeling excellence and innovation in holistic Christian education.
From renting our campus back in 1993 and only having elementary students, we have grown into a much larger community, where our Shek Mun campus has 1200 students from P1 – 12 and has two indoor gyms with a fitness center, theatre, indoor swimming pool, Chapel, Art Gallery, outdoor play space, and more to help equip our students with what they need; and our kindergarten which houses 144 students from Reception 1-2 is situated in Ma On Shan.
Visionary Mission
International Christian School is a community of Learners recognizing the importance of the interpersonal dimension of the learning process. We believe that community grows out of shared commitments and that learning results from an interaction between people, ideas, and experience. As students’ accountability and responsibility to others are increased, they can better understand themselves, respect others, and serve as compassionate disciples of Christ and constructive members of society.
Integrated and Rich Curriculum
ICS curriculum is well-rounded, rigorous, flexible, personalized, and diverse, taught from a Biblical worldview perspective by subject specialists. High School requirements ensure students grow holistically by exposing them to various courses. Courses are grouped into the following departments: Bible, English Language Arts, Math, Social Science, Science, Physical Education, World Languages (Mandarin and Spanish), Fine and Performing Arts, and Information Technology Literacy. Students follow personalized pathways based on readiness, interest, and need. Curriculum options provide them with sufficient flexibility to pursue their unique areas of interest. ICS offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses for our High School students. AP courses give students the opportunity to access university-level coursework and earn university credit and placement. AP courses follow the curriculum framework and standards designed by the College Board; ICS currently offers 24 AP courses taught by our qualified teachers that have received specialized training to teach these courses. AP allows flexibility based on the students’ key strengths and preferred subjects.
Beyond Traditional Curriculum
ICS seeks to be centered upon Christ. We are committed to building God’s Kingdom and integrating faith, learning, and action. We are an evangelical Christian school that uses academic and extra-curricular programs to develop the whole student – intellectually, physically, socially, and spiritually. We are committed to “Service to the Community.” This integral part of the ICS mission forms the foundation of our robust Service-Learning program. With an objective to equip students to serve and transform communities, Service Learning is incorporated into the school curriculum from Reception 1 to Grade 12 to prepare students’ hearts, minds, and actions to make a difference in the local and global communities. Students are encouraged to reach out and engage with the community, both through a range of service-learning programs and clubs and through personalized service projects at a high school level.
Adapting to Contemporary Learning Methods
Service-learning and the development of the Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) are essential aspects of the curricular and co-curricular program. Technology is integrated into the curriculum with 1 to 1 devices and requires the senior students to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) philosophy that allows for the choice of technology and the school provides Ipads for the elementary students.
With the curriculum, including a rich co-curricular program, ICS, in partnership with parents, seeks to equip students to serve and transform their communities, cultivate their character, nurture their God-given abilities, and prepare them in developmentally appropriate ways for life, including tertiary education.
Getting Students Ready for a Promising Future
Financial assistance is granted to families on a needs basis; families can approach our finance office directly to determine whether they are eligible for a discount on the debenture or tuition assistance.
Each year, over half our seniors receive offers to the World Top 50 universities and upon graduation they go on to pursue further education or achieve careers in a wide variety of industries and functions, from medicine, law, technology, consulting to music and stage performance, art and professional sports.
Tackling Covid-19
The school pivoted immediately to online learning when schools were closed in the Spring of 2020. Teachers and students have both grown proficient in managing to teach and learn online when this is needed. The school also even maintained some service-learning programs by shifting to online ways of serving others. There were a few students that struggle to adapt to online learning, but were supported by teachers and fellow students.
Notable Achievements and Awards ICS has always had success with our students achieving high AP scores and being accepted into some of the top universities globally. Of our Graduating Class of 2022, 55% will be attending the top 50 universities globally, and 64% will be attending the top 100 universities globally.