History
When Seoul International School first opened in 1973, it was the first foreign school since Korea's liberation from the Japanese annex to be fully recognized by the South Korean Ministry of Education.HistoryCampus and facilities
The school has a WiFi network integrated into all classrooms, campus areas and facilities. There are two libraries and several science laboratories. All students in grades 4–12 are part of a one-to-one learning network, accompanied by an Apple company technician who is full-time on campus and a professional technology learning staff who takes care of student and teacher needs in a 100% Macintosh computer program. Athletic facilities include three gymnasiums, a five-lane indoor 25-meter heated swimming pool, a soccer field with artificial turf, and weights and gymnastics rooms. Playgrounds, soccer fields, and libraries are available for student use during classes, for recess, and after school. One of the gymnasiums was demolished for the construction of a new elementary building, which was completed as of 2013. It contains seven floors with elementary school classrooms, a full-sized gymnasium in the basement level, six stories of classrooms, learning spaces, two multi-purpose rooms, specialist Art, teacher preparation, ESL/SN rooms and a sixth-floor gymnasium for elementary students. It also has two basement floors, with the B2 consisting of the gymnasium and swimming pool. The 350-seat school auditorium is used for school assemblies, teacher and parent functions, fine arts productions and concerts and is equipped with lighting and sound systems. The auditorium was completely renovated in 2016. Music students have access to facilities including band, strings and choir rooms and soundproofed practice, instrument, choral and strings rooms. In elementary and middle school, there are about 20 (ES) to 20 (MS) students per homeroom. There are four to five homerooms in each grade. In high school, there are about 12 to 20 students per class. In the school year of 2017–2018, the average class size is 15.0 for all classes and 15.2 for Advanced Placement classes. Every year, 100% of the graduating class matriculate into colleges and universities, with the majority going to the United States upon graduation along with a few students moving on to Korean universities. Less than 5% of students graduate to different countries, mostly to Korea, Japan, or China.Academics
Students of the school average 3.8 out of a 4-point GPA scale. These criterion-referenced grades are fully supported by external metrics of educational outcomes on AP exams, the SAT and ACT, college acceptances to the most competitive schools in the world (including Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Penn, Chicago, and Caltech). Twenty-two Advanced Placement (AP) courses are also offered at SIS. SIS also offers non-academic courses, including classes in art, drama, and music. There are many non-AP classes including arts, music and design classes, government, statistics, anatomy, mathematical functions and models, history, communications, and life sports. The school also offers the AP Capstone program classes in Seminar and Research as of the 2016–2017 school year.Languages courses
For foreign language courses, students are given two options: Chinese and Spanish. There are five levels for language courses, from 1 to 4 and an AP course. For English, students are required to take two English courses until their senior year. Freshmen take English 9 and Communications, sophomores take English 10 and Writing 10, juniors take English 11 and Writing 11 or AP Language, and seniors are given an option of AP Language or AP Literature. Outside of the academic curriculum, students can learn other foreign languages from student-run clubs. Many students are involved in teaching Korean for foreigners after school.Sports
Seoul International School is a Division 1, but primarily Division 2 member of the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference. SIS fields teams in tennis, cross country, and swimming for Division 1 and volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, and soccer for Division 2.Student life and activities
Middle school
Sports
In middle school, there are six sports that students can choose to be part of. Some occur in the same season.Advisory and electives
Advisory is a period that allows students to meet with their homeroom teacher and interact through activities and games. It was established with the aim that students will bond with their teachers and engage in a non-academic environment. Middle school students have multiple electives that they can choose from. The list includes MS Global Issues Network (GIN), Drama, Music (Band, Choir, or Strings), Art, Yoga, and more.Student council (MSSC)
Officers that make up the student council are elected through a democratic process. Speeches are made in front of the entire middle school student body and each individual votes for the candidates of their choosing. MSSC is in charge of organizing multiple events, including an annual carnival that is hosted towards the end of the school year.High school
The high school has a faculty of over 50 teachers. The high school offers over 22 AP classes in 55 different sections, including the AP Capstone Diploma, which the school has adopted for the 2016–2017 school year and onward. The current administration and faculty is led by Dr. Jim Gerhard, a long-time international school educator who has taught and led schools in many different countries.Clubs
There are numerous student organizations in high school. The existing clubs include UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity (HFH), Global Issues Network (GIN),Notable alumni
* Daniel Armand LeeReferences
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