GETTING STARTED
How ECAs work
The ECA program runs all year in three sessions of about ten weeks. Most activities meet once a week.
Three kinds of activities
Student-led activities are started and run by students, often linked to CAS or Service as Action. Teacher-led activities are run by UISG staff and are usually free. External provider activities are led by outside coaches and carry a fee.
Register on SchoolsBuddy
All ECA sign-ups happen on SchoolsBuddy. Students can browse activities, but registration is only complete once a parent or guardian confirms it from their own account.
SchoolsBuddy portal →Fees and billing
Teacher-led and student-led ECAs are usually free. External provider activities carry a fee, shown in each activity description on SchoolsBuddy.
Days and times
Primary: Monday to Thursday, 3:30–5:00 pm (Mondays are mostly external providers).
Secondary: Monday to Thursday, 3:30–5:00 pm, plus lunchtime ECAs 1:05–2:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
KEY DATES · 2026–27
Sessions, sign-ups and no-ECA days
| Session | Dates | Weeks | Sign-up opens | ECA Fair | Sign-up closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | August 31 – November 20 | 10 | August 10 | August 13 (Secondary), August 14 (Primary), 2:30 pm | August 22, 12:30 pm |
| Session 2 | December 7 – March 11 (Primary to March 4) | 9–10 | November 9 | November 19 (Secondary), November 20 (Primary), 2:30 pm | November 24, 12:30 pm |
| Session 3 | March 29 – June 3 | 9 | March 9 | Secondary only | March 20, 12:30 pm |
Session 1
| Sept 25 – Oct 10 | National Holiday and school holiday |
|---|---|
| October 12 | ECAs resume |
| October 20 | Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences, no ECAs |
| November 20 | Session 1 ends |
Session 2
| November 28 | International Festival of Light |
|---|---|
| December 18 | End of Semester 1, early dismissal |
| Dec 22 – Jan 4 | Winter Break, no school |
| January 5 | ECAs resume |
| February 1–12 | Chinese New Year, school closed |
| February 22–26 | Secondary camps, no Secondary ECAs |
| March 4 | Primary Session 2 ends |
| March 8–11 | Primary camp, no Primary ECAs |
| March 11 | Secondary Session 2 ends |
Session 3
| April 5–9 | Spring Break, no school |
|---|---|
| April 12 | ECAs resume |
| May 3–4 | May holiday, no school |
| May 12 | Student-Led Conferences, no ECAs |
| May 20 | Sports Awards, no ECAs |
| June 3 | Session 3 ends |
No Saturday activities September 26 and October 3 (National Day), November 28 (International Festival of Light), December 21 – January 3 (Winter holiday) and February 1–12 (Chinese New Year, campus closed).
ACTIVITY CATALOGS
What’s on this session
Browse the full list of activities, days and providers for each division. Catalogs are updated before every sign-up window.
INSTRUMENT TUITION PROGRAM (ITP)
Private music lessons
Our Instrument Tuition Program offers personalized lessons with carefully vetted, contracted expert teachers, building students’ musical skills and confidence. Lessons take place at lunchtime or after school and continue through 2026–27.
- Piano
- Guitar
- Flute
- Violin
Fees
| Individual lessons | 200–300 RMB |
|---|---|
| Group lessons | 150–180 RMB |
All fees are paid directly to the instrument teacher.
Teachers and lesson days · August – November 2026
| Piano | Ms. Alena and Mr. Daniel, Monday to Thursday |
|---|---|
| Guitar | Mr. Dong, Monday to Thursday |
| Violin | Ms. Angie, Tuesday and Thursday |
| Flute | Mr. Sun, Tuesday to Thursday |
Lessons run weekly from August 31 to November 19, with no lessons during the National Holiday.
Registration
Complete one ITP registration form per child on SchoolsBuddy. Registration confirms your commitment to the lesson schedule and fees.
Absences
No charge if you tell the teacher at least one day before, or if your child is on a school trip or event. Lessons missed without notice are charged in full.
Commitment
Enrollment is for the full semester. Please give at least one month’s written notice to stop lessons.
Practice
We encourage students to practice for 30 minutes, five times a week, for steady progress.
EXTERNAL PROVIDERS
Specialist coaching after school
UISG partners with leading organizations in and around Guangzhou to offer paid after-school programs for our students. Enroll through SchoolsBuddy, and see each flyer for details and fees.
SK Sharks Football
Mondays, 3:30–5:00 pm
View flyer →
Bayer 04 Football School
Tuesdays and Thursdays
View flyer →
Tennis
Weekly group classes
View flyer →
Golf Club
Wednesdays, 3:30–5:00 pm
View flyer →
Lion Taekwondo
Wednesdays, 3:30–5:00 pm
View flyer →
Roller Skating
Thursdays, 3:30–5:00 pm
View flyer →
Ballet
Mondays
View flyer →TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Before you sign up
These terms apply to Primary and Secondary ECAs.
Minimum numbers and cancellations by the school
All courses need a minimum number of students to run. If an activity is cancelled because the instructor or teacher is ill, parents will be told and offered a refund or a make-up session.
Student absences
No make-up lessons, credits or refunds are given if a student misses an ECA.
Changing your mind: the one-week grace period
Each session has a one-week grace period when students can attend and cancel their registration. After that, families are billed for the whole session and no refunds are given, except for injury or medical conditions that stop a student from attending.
Unplanned school closures
If school is cancelled unexpectedly, after-school activities are cancelled too, and instructors will offer make-up sessions where they can. For closures of less than one week, providers may run ECAs online or schedule a make-up, and no refunds are given. For closures longer than one week, families are refunded for the missed lessons.
Behavior and conduct
Students are subject to UISG disciplinary procedures in ECAs, which can include suspension or removal from the activity. Students removed for behavior or conduct are not refunded.
TRANSPORTATION
Late bus
A late bus leaves campus at 5:15 pm on ECA days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and on all athletics days, for Grade 3–12 students who normally ride the school bus. ECA late bus places are first come, first served.
- Tancun Subway Station 潭村地铁站
- Cosmos 誉峰花园
- Danton Executive Apartment 丹顿行政公寓
- Zhonghai Jinghui 中海景晖
- Liede Subway Station, Exit C 猎德地铁C出口
- Opposite Emperor Mansion 君玥对面
- IFC Ascott 雅诗阁
- Favorview 汇景新城
- Regal Court (Longkouxi Lu bus stop) 帝景苑（龙口西公交车站）
- Linhe Zhong 林和中路
- Citic (Linhexi bus stop) 中信广场（林和西公交车站）
- Golden Lake 金湖花园
- Starry Sky City 星汇云城
- Summer Palace bus stop 1 颐和山庄公交车站1
ACTIVITIES OFFICE
Questions?
Contact the activities team, or call the Athletics & Activities Office on +86 20 8720 2019, ext. 120. For transportation, email schoolbus@uisgz.org.
English 
Chinese 
Korean 
Japanese