Korean International School of Hong Kong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Korean International School of Hong Kong 홍콩한국국제학교 香港韓國國際學校
Location
55 Lei King Road, Sai Wan Ho 香港西灣河鯉景道55號 Hong Kong, SAR
Coordinates	22°17′7″N 114°13′22″E / 22.28528°N 114.22278°E / 22.28528; 114.22278
Information
Type	International, co-educational
Motto	Find PASSION; Foster VISION; Encourage ACTION
Established	1994
School district	Sai Wan Ho, HK
Principal	Daniel Hilton (International section) Shin, Won Shik (Korean section)
Staff	~100
Grades	Reception (K3) to 13
Number of students	~750
Color(s)	Blue,      Red
Mascot	Tiger

The Korean International School of Hong Kong (Korean: 홍콩한국국제학교; Chinese: 香港韓國國際學校), often called KIS, is an international school in Hong Kong. It is located in Lei King Wan, Sai Wan Ho, close to areas where many Korean families live. The international part of the school started in 1994.

How the School Works

The Korean International School has two main parts. One part, the Korean section, teaches lessons in the Korean language. The other part, the international section, teaches in English.

Each section has its own leader, called a principal. Mr. Daniel Hilton is the principal for the International section. Mr. Shin, Won Shik leads the Korean section.

KIS is special because it's one of the few Korean schools outside of Korea that welcomes students who are not Korean. In 2013, about 560 students attended the school. The South Korean government helps pay for about 5% of the school's running costs.

This school is a private school. It does not ask for a special fee or bond when students apply.

What Students Learn (Curriculum)

The school uses the British National Curriculum. This curriculum is approved by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). KIS is a certified member of CIE's Primary Programme. This means they get lots of helpful materials from CIE.

If students are learning English as a second language, they also follow CIE's programs. These students can take special exams offered by the British Council.

School Programs

The International section has three main programs for students:

• Primary Programme: This is for younger students, from Reception (like kindergarten) to Year 6. These students are usually aged 4 to 11. They use fun, themed units from the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) and the International Primary Curriculum (IPC).
• Secondary Programme: This is for older students, from Year 7 to Year 13. These students are usually aged 12 to 18. They follow a curriculum developed by Cambridge Assessment International Education, AQA, and Pearson BTEC.
• Springboard SEN Programme: This program helps children who have mild to moderate learning difficulties. SEN stands for Special Educational Needs.

School Houses and Points

KIS has a traditional 'house' system, like many British schools. This system helps students feel like they belong and encourages friendly competition.

Students are put into different houses. In the Primary section, the houses are named after animals: Leopard Cat, Red Fox, Black Kite, and Fin Whale. In the Secondary section, the houses are named after elements: Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. There's also a "Metal" house for the school's Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Throughout the school year, teachers give points to students. Points are given for things like working hard, being well-behaved, representing the school, and doing well in sports. Each month, the points are counted to find the "House of the Month." At the end of the year, there's a big competition to announce the "Winning House."

School History

How KIS Started and Grew

The school actually began as a Saturday school way back in 1960. It started with just six students!

People in Hong Kong's Korean community started talking about needing an international school in the 1980s. Finally, the Korean International School opened in 1994. It had both a Korean section and an English section from the start.

Building the school cost about HK$70 million. The South Korean government paid for about half of this. The rest came from donations from the local Korean community.

In its first year, the Korean section had 140 students, and the English section had 120. The English section of the middle school grew in August 1997 when the 9th grade was added.

In 1996, KIS became the first international school in Hong Kong to offer a special education program. This program was for children who needed extra support with their learning. While other schools might have separate places for such programs, KIS decided to have a small class for about 10 students right within the school. This was because many families in the community needed this kind of support.

The school grew very quickly at first. However, this growth slowed down after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. During that time, the number of students dropped from 250 to 190.

The 2000s and Beyond

In 2007, Peter Leesinky became the principal. He brought the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) into the school's curriculum.

Since 2008, KIS has worked with Operation Santa Claus (OSC). This is a charity event that spreads Christmas cheer and raises money for good causes. Joining OSC has become a long-standing tradition at KIS.

In 2010, many local students chose to study A-Levels (Advanced Level qualifications) at KIS. This was partly because of changes happening in the local school curriculum at the time.

While many international schools started using the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, KIS decided to stick with the A-Level system. The school believed that Cambridge A-Level qualifications gave students a wide range of subjects to choose from. It also allowed the school more freedom to include local topics in the curriculum, which the IB system didn't allow as much. Plus, A-Levels are widely recognized by universities around the world.

In 2011, Lynne Thomson became the principal. The next year, a ceremony was held to celebrate the start of building a new school extension. Also in 2012, KIS got new computer and science areas. Samsung kindly donated computers to create two modern computer rooms, called Samsung Digital Room I and II. Interactive whiteboards were put in all Primary classrooms, and wireless projectors were installed in Secondary classrooms. This meant that all classrooms could use internet resources. KIS was proud to be a leader in using technology for education.

Recent Years at KIS

In 2016, Christopher Chadwick became the principal of the International section. Mr. Chadwick had experience with schools that teach in two different languages, which was helpful for KIS.

Mr. Chadwick retired in July 2023. In August 2023, Daniel Hilton was appointed as the new principal.

See also

• Koreans in Hong Kong
• Consulate General of South Korea in Hong Kong