NIS Voices

What’s Ahead for NIS in 2024

In this episode of the NIS Voices podcast, we interviewed our School Director, Mr. Laurie McLellan, to discuss upcoming events and developments for 2024. First was the excitement surrounding the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year and how our inclusive celebrations foster a deep engagement with Chinese culture and traditions among all our students. We’re also looking forward to a broad range of vibrant school activities, such as our awards assemblies, Sports programmes for different age groups, and student-led productions. Mr. McLellan emphasised the importance of recognising and supporting academic improvements, creativity, and overall student well-being through these activities.

We’re on track with our HUB construction project, with external work nearing completion and interior work beginning soon. Mr. McLellan expressed excitement about the new space and anticipates a positive reaction from the community once it's revealed. The HUB, located in the heart of NIS, is expected to significantly enhance our school’s learning environment.

Mr. McLellan also discussed NIS initiatives and programmes in 2024. A notable update is the Global Citizen Diploma, which will include a wilderness team-building experience in Hawaii focusing on the relationship between humans and nature. NIS plans to amplify our sustainability efforts for deeper engagement beyond basic practices like reducing single-use plastics. There's a focus on enhancing parental education, particularly in global citizenship and diversity, to align with our school's mission. Finally, our JEDI Taskforce is undergoing a transition with new members, underscoring NIS’s commitment to continuous improvement in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

“So onwards and upwards for NIS and 2024. Another year of inclusion, another year of feeling like we belong, and stretching our hands out to others to make them feel they belong too.”

In this special episode of the NIS Voices podcast, hosted by an AI chatbot named “Nissa”, guests Kasson Bratton, Director of Learning, and Dr. Shannon Doak, Director of Technology, discussed the current state and future of AI in education. The conversation highlighted the varied applications of AI across educational systems, the need for adapting educational practices to the rapid evolution of AI, and the impact of AI on assessment and teaching methodologies. Guests emphasised the ongoing efforts to integrate AI responsibly in educational settings and addressed the challenges and opportunities this integration presents.

The discussion went into the specific implementation of AI at Nanjing International School. Our school is cautiously incorporating AI into our educational framework, aiming to use it ethically as a tool for enhancing personalised learning. AI integration at NIS is a process that involves ongoing teacher training, the creation of our philosophy and practices document, and initiating pilot programmes like using AI tools in Grade 9 classes. Mr. Bratton and Dr. Doak acknowledged the challenges of adapting to the fast pace of AI development, all while underlining the importance of developing teaching and assessment methods to prevent a digital divide among students.

The episode also covered the role of parents and the broader school community in understanding and supporting AI in education. Guests encouraged parents to educate themselves about AI, experience it firsthand, and learn from their children's engagement with the technology. This approach facilitates open dialogue at home about the ethical use and purpose of AI in education. At NIS, the shift in parental concerns from preventing cheating to ensuring their children have the skills to effectively use AI demonstrates the evolving perception and acceptance of AI in our school – a product of our ongoing engagement and communication in navigating the intersection of AI and education.

In the ever-evolving landscape of international education,

In this episode of NIS Voices, Primary Principal Ms. Jacqui Patrick sheds light on the concept of joyful learning. NIS creates an environment where happiness is integral to academic achievement, not a trade-off. Ms. Patrick explains that joyful learning starts with a school culture that provides a sense of safety and belonging, essential for students to feel comfortable and ready to learn. Engagement, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation drive this educational approach, enabling children to delve deeply into their passions and interests.

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB

Join us for our first student takeover of the NIS Voices podcast! Cindy from Grade 11 hosts Kyle Bueschlen, Head of Communications & Marketing at NIS to get an inside look at the launch of our new school website.

With our re-accreditation visit just around the corner, join us with Kasson Bratton, NIS Director of Learning as we discuss the importance of accreditation at international schools.

 “So when we're thinking about ‘are we living up to our mission?’ ‘Are we making decisions that are aligned with our guiding statements?’ accreditation gives us a very concrete and internationally recognised way to do that.”

Join us with Niels Loos, our new NIS Aquatics Director! Learn

“Students, my athletes become co-pilots in their own

Join Laurie McLellan, our School Director, for a very special end-of-year podcast where we recap milestones and memories of 2022-23 and our 30th anniversary. Looking ahead to next year, we discuss leadership, the HUB project construction, sustainability, and much more!

“It's hard to believe that we're coming towards the end of what has just been a momentous 30th year for the school. The achievements are around those moments in time when you reinforce the values within your organisation. For us as a school, the number one value that always comes to the top is community.”

The Primary Student Council truly has voice in what happens in our Primary School over the course of the year. Join representatives Jihwan and Rina as they discuss this year’s accomplishments as well as student voice and leadership at NIS.

“And it feels like we have a voice and we can tell the school what we want. And we can also, like, bring the voice of others students into the student council and make the school a better place.”

NIS is anything but a teach-to-the-test school. We’re an inclusive school. But learning evaluations and diagnostics are still important tools for our educators. Learn how we approach testing differently from Kasson Bratton, Director of Learning at NIS.

“It’s more of a guide to help us ask the right questions about learning than it is some sort of definitive answer about how a student is growing or doing in the school."

Learn more about the preparation and process behind this year’s NIS PYP Exhibition, a capstone event in Primary School where our 5th Grade students explore, research, and share their understanding of a real-life issue or topic related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“It's just a fabulous opportunity for people to really see the PYP is a beautiful programme, and this is the end result of it. The learning that has gone on is a huge celebration on this day."