Student Experiences

Classroom Experiences:

In the classroom, we aim to create a safe and pleasant learning environment for both student and teacher. Our students experience a range of different teaching styles, from the more traditional lecture style presentations and rote learning to the more progressive models of project-based learning, online interactive platforms and the flipped classroom. At UISZ, we feel that a balance of traditional and progressive approaches, support us to reach our aim of educating the whole person. 

Student Experiences

Activities Outside the classroom:

At UISZ, engaging our students in tasks and activities outside of the classroom, is a key part of our aim to educate the whole person. These activities are focussed on helping each student to reach their potential intellectually, academically, socially, physically, and emotionally. 

 

Through the subjects, students attend field trips throughout the year, our annual Week Without Walls programmes give students the opportunity to attend a weeklong camp, we plan several internal events throughout the academic year, such as Peace Day, Arts Festival, International Day, Earth Day and our very well-known Model United Nations programme (U2NESCO). There are numerous sports teams students can join such as Basketball, Football, Golf, Jiu Jitsu and Volleyball. 

Student Experiences

House System:

At UISZ, the provision of a strong Vertical House System is seen as integral in helping each student to reach their potential intellectually, academically, socially and emotionally. The Vertical House System delivers a programme that is designed to assist the individual enrich his/her personal life, to prepare him/her for educational choices, and to offer guidance and counselling in an effort to come to terms with his/her own responsibilities in meeting the basic intellectual and social demands of adult life. 

 

There are four houses at UISZ, Fire, Wind, Water and Earth. 

Student Leadership:

The student leadership runs the Houses in the form of a Boys House Captain and a Girls House Captain. These Captains organise their House for sports competitions, community and service projects and oversee the welfare of their peers daily. Together with the School Captains, the House Captains form the Student Council, which advises the school’s Senior Lead Team and advocates on behalf of student concerns. The weekly whole school assemblies are run and managed by the Student Council leadership. This approach empowers students to have a stake in their school, not as passive subjects of adult administration but as active leaders involved in the processes that directly affect them School rules are not dictated from above but result from a collaborative process involving the students and then implemented and enforced by the students. The result is a school wherein community is not a buzzword for a mission statement but an actual way of life that envelops the entire campus and its constituents. 

Student Council:

The Student Council is comprised of two School Captains and four House Captains. In addition to this, a group of five students from Year 7 to 11 are elected to form the Executive group, and take on positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Publicity Officer. Although only one President will be elected, depending on the Executive group for that particular year, any of the other positions may be filled by two people, e.g., 2 Vice Presidents. The functions of the Student Council are:

 

  • to serve as a vehicle by which students can discuss and present issues to the School Administration 
  • to organise events which serve as social activities and raise money 
  • to decide which charities (local and overseas) will receive the raised funds  
  • to organise special events (e.g. Winter Ball), which will be subsidised by raised funds 
  • to host school assemblies 
  • to disseminate Student Council information via school advertisement and the School website 

Student involvement in leadership is encouraged and the school provides many avenues for this, including whole-school leadership positions, such as School Captain, Sports Captain, Arts Captain, Service Captain and House Captains; through the after-school and ACAMIS, cultural, Model United Nations (MUN) and sporting programmes. 

Student Experiences

Co-Curricular Activities:

After school activities are designed to enhance the development of the whole child and provide an extension to the main school curriculum. The activities are designed using the specific whole school foci, multiple intelligences, interests of the students and the expertise of the teaching staff. Therefore, what is offered enables the students to pursue personal interests, develop new skills and knowledge or explore different aspects of learning. 

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