NYIS - The New York International School

General Information

Welcome Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you can make for your child’s future. The New York International School (NYIS) opens its doors offering world-class education in the very heart of New York City, for children aged 2 to 10. The campus is situated in a historic landmark site by Central Park and 5th Avenue’s Museum Mile, on New York’s Upper East Side.

As an independent, co-educational and non-denominational school, NYIS will initially be accepting applications from PreNursery (age 2) through to Grade 5 (age 10) of Lower School.

The curriculum is designed for American and international families in New York looking to provide a truly global education to their children. At NYIS, we combine a focus on the highest academic standards and an innovative, dual language immersion program in either Spanish or Mandarin Chinese. Our curriculum has been structured to be rigorous, stimulating and challenging, aiming high so that students may attain their full potential and become global citizens with dual language fluency. It integrates the American curriculum and an international vision, ensuring that students can progress to top schools and universities in the US and anywhere in the world.

NYIS is established by The British Schools Foundation, one of the leading international school organizations with over 4,000 students, a history of excellent academic results and an established global network of schools across the world spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas, in 10 different cities including Sao Paulo (Brazil), Nanjing (China), Moscow (Russia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Marbella and Pamplona (Spain) and now New York.

Teaching and Learning NYIS combines modern and innovative child-friendly pedagogy with traditional values and high standards.

The school balances a nurturing environment that fosters understanding, critical thinking and enthusiasm with a stimulating curriculum.

NYIS employs highly qualified teachers with a genuine passion for their profession. Small class sizes help ensure our mission of providing personalized learning and student success.

Teaching and learning at our school is based on three fundamental principles: • Stimulating curiosity and nurturing an interest in learning • Thinking critically and taking a structured approach to understanding and solving problems • Having an open mind and respect for other people and new ideas These principles are supported by lessons that are delivered in an interactive and thought-provoking manner using a wide variety of teaching styles. Lessons are planned to suit a range of abilities allowing every student to benefit and improve upon their skills and knowledge. Classroom tables are clustered to promote teamwork, and student participation in class is continuously encouraged.

Curriculum Overview The notion that learning a second language improves your first, or that playing the violin deepens your reasoning skills, or that a game of tennis might even boost your mathematical ability are not naturally intuitive. Yet it is these ideas that are at the very heart of our curriculum. As children, our learning capability is extremely heightened. It is during childhood that we can pick up a second language, learn to play an instrument, or develop our athletic ability with an ease that is difficult to match later in life. Our curriculum aims high and relies on exceptional teachers to motivate and inspire students to relish in their learning.

Child-Centered

Rigorous

Teaching and learning is aimed at making the

Students who complete their elementary

most of children’s natural curiosity to learn and

education at NYIS will attain a high level of

inquisitiveness. In Preschool, learning takes

competency across all subjects. In addition,

place principally through guided play. Children

and based on our belief in helping children

will typically find a range of activities from

develop a global perspective, they will acquire

which to choose during their lessons. As work

a command of a second language, Spanish

gradually becomes more structured in Lower

or Mandarin Chinese. Learning is largely

School, lessons are planned with a view to

question-based, with an emphasis on problem

making them interesting and engaging. Great

solving, aiming to build up a pupil’s ability to

emphasis is placed on creating a stimulating

reason and think independently. Although each

and caring environment in which students are

subject has its own key objectives, teachers

happy and at ease and in which learning is fun

will often deliver these as part of a more

and enjoyable.

thematic and cross-curricular approach.

Personalized

International

Teachers plan lessons with differentiated

An international vision is embedded

outcomes, allowing for a range of achievements. This enables teachers to match each lesson as closely as possible to individual needs whilst providing scope for students to be stretched academically. Each child’s progress is recorded and tracked individually and forms the basis for the planning of all lessons, ensuring students learn at a pace that adjusts to their needs.

throughout the entire curriculum and all subjects extend national borders and become global. Our established network of schools in America, Europe and Asia allows older NYIS students to develop cross-cultural experiences through exchanges between campuses in order to develop their own view of the world.

Language Immersion We live in a world that is increasingly connected at a global level and recognize that greater opportunities will be available to those with the ability to communicate effectively across cultures. Helping students to develop a command of more than one language is therefore a key aim of our curriculum.

Learning a second language during early childhood has been shown to facilitate learning later in life. Our Language Immersion program is the result of over a decade of experience in international education across the world. BSF students worldwide benefit from an approach to learning an additional language that leads to fluency and great cultural awareness.

The objective of the NYIS Language Immersion program is that all students become truly bilingual by the time they graduate. Parents will be able to choose between developing fluency in Spanish or Mandarin Chinese.

Students will begin learning their second chosen language during Preschool, led by two teachers, one for each language. In Lower School, children will receive up to two hours per day of instruction in either Spanish or Mandarin Chinese. This will include specific language lessons as well as covering different areas of the curriculum.

The NYIS Language Immersion program allows students to explore their second chosen language through songs, rhymes, literature and music so that they may ultimately engage in conversations, ask and answer questions and express their opinions. In order to attain fluency in the second chosen language, our students develop accurate pronunciation and intonation, guided by native and qualified teachers.

Preschool Pre-Nursery to Pre-Kindergarten (ages 2 to 4) At NYIS we aim to provide children in Preschool with educational experiences which will help them develop a positive approach to learning. By creating a learning environment where children feel at home, they will be more willing to explore new concepts and ideas.

Learning at this early stage is planned around seven areas of learning and development. Language, numeracy, social, physical, scientific and technological skills are provided for and developed through conversation, discussion, questioning, reasoning, stories, rhymes, books, social play, games and outdoor activities.

The Language Immersion program exposes children to either Spanish or Chinese throughout the course of their daily activities in these areas of learning. The program provides children with opportunities to discover an additional language in an easy, natural way to develop a basic understanding of its sounds and words, to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves, and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Lower School Kindergarten to Grade 5 (ages 5 to 10) At the NYIS Lower School, our aim is for children to enjoy their time at school whilst developing knowledge, understanding and good values. We aim to help them fulfill their potential in all academic and social areas of school life. Upon completing their elementary education at NYIS, our students are expected to excel in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as acquiring a strong command of a second language. Teachers provide activities to build up students’ confidence and harness their natural curiosity.

From Kindergarten through to Grade 3, a cross-curricular topic-based approach is adopted at NYIS to the teaching of Science and Humanities. This Integrated Curriculum enables students to understand the links between subjects and enjoy their learning in a context that makes sense to them. Topics are structured to ensure continuity and progression as students build on their knowledge of Science, History and Geography.

The topics recognize the cultural context of the school and incorporate elements of learning connected to the US and the rest of the world. They are organized to ensure that a balance between the subject areas is achieved within and across the different grades.

The British Schools Foundation Our school is a member of The British Schools Foundation (BSF), a registered, non-profit organization that aims to promote quality international education worldwide. BSF has an established history of delivering top quality education in an international setting. NYIS is fortunate to be able to draw from that expertise and to attract staff of the highest caliber.

Our established global network of schools is one of the largest in the world with schools in Spain, China, Russia, Brazil, Malaysia, The Philippines, Burma, Uzbekistan, and now the USA.

We also enjoy links with other schools in the region and beyond, with our affiliations to many councils and federations set up to support and monitor International Schools. We are also fully accredited by local educational authorities.

The Foundation has established a reputation for high academic, managerial and employment standards.

Admissions Admission to NYIS is selective. We are committed to achieving the highest levels of academic and personal attainment, seeking students who thrive in this rigorous and challenging learning environment. We look for students who are all-rounders with strong academic potential, a positive attitude and an interest in extracurricular activities. The school also aims to ensure predominance of US and native English-speaking students, while providing a balanced and rich cross-section of nationalities.

NYIS welcomes individual tours throughout the year and holds open days for parents to visit our campus and learn more about our curriculum.

NYIS is now accepting applications for admission to both Preschool and Lower School. The school follows a rolling admissions process and an expeditious response policy to alleviate families from the stress of NY school admissions. Applications can be sent throughout the year, up to two years in advance. Due to limited places, early applicants are given priority. We strongly recommend applying as early as possible. Most applications are received one year in advance, following the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY) admissions timelines.

Applications for enrollment at the school must be submitted through our online application form at www.nyis.org/onlineapplication. Parents unable to complete an application online can call the admissions office for assistance or complete the online application form at NYIS. Together with the application form, parents will have to submit: • Signed copy of our Declaration Form • Copies of your child’s most recent school report or the ISAAGNY school report * • Application Fee * Pre-Nursery (2’s) to Pre-Kindergarten (4’s): School report required only if available

Once the application is submitted, a parent meeting and child assessment will be scheduled. The school aims to communicate the outcome of applications for the following year within a few days of the assessment date.

For more information, see www.nyis.org/admissions or call our admissions office at +1 212 641 0920.

4 East 90th Street, New York NY 10128 USA Tel: +1 212 641 0260 info@nyis.org www.nyis.org