wab annual report 2014-2015

W e s t e r n A c a d e m y o f B e i j i n g

2014-2015

2014-2015

table of contents

3 from the Director

4 from the Deputy Director

6 from the board of trustees

8 Wab’s Guiding Principles

10 elementary school

12 Middle school

14 High school

16 admissions

18 advancement

20 communications

21 faculty and staff

22 finance

thank you for reading this annual Report of the activities during what was the 20th anniversary year of Wab. We took the opportunity to celebrate throughout the year, looking back on the founding and growth of our school and looking ahead to ensure Wab’s continued excellence for the next 20 years and beyond. thank you for sharing the journey with us and trusting us with your most valuable assets—your children.

our birthday celebrations involved a party for staff and students on tiger field on september 1, the actual day in 1994 on which Wab first opened its doors. there were musical performances, a “history of Wab” quiz hosted by Ian Rysdale, the first Director of Wab, and the symbolic ringing of the original school bell by some of the last remaining students who attended school back in the re-purposed factory building that served as our first campus. the event culminated in a fly-over photo of the entire staff and student body on the field spelling out “Wab 20” when seen from the air. our celebration for parents and community members brought many familiar faces from the 20-year history of the school out to a festive evening of food, performances, and a walk throughout campus to finish with fireworks and dancing. It was a magical evening.

the beautiful autumn weather we enjoyed in beijing also brought to our campus the largest International baccalaureate teacher workshop event ever held anywhere in the world. for three days in november, some 1,600 educators from all over asia came to Wab to learn about teaching and learning in the Ib context. Wab teachers were the leaders of many of the workshops. based partly on the success of these workshops, Wab has now become a partner venue with the Ib asia Pacific office, ensuring high-quality training for our teachers and others from the region to be hosted on our campus each year. It is one way we ensure the highest quality teachers engaged in the classrooms with your children.

In addition to looking back over 20 years, we took the opportunity to look ahead in our goal to replace the aging Middle school building with a clean, green, and very Wab building to take us into the future. We listened to the many students, teachers, and parents who came out for the engagement sessions with our steering committee and team of architects, and it is clear that natural light, collaborative space, natural materials, and clean air are important to all of our stakeholders. We are therefore hard at work on designs to replace the existing Middle school while maintaining the unique, china-engaged atmosphere of our campus. Please feel free to follow our progress on a special page on MyWab designed specifically for this purpose (http://my.wab.edu/node/977). as we receive the approvals we need for a large building project like this, and as the designs evolve, we will keep you up to date.

as the year drew to a close, we were reminded that international schools are changing communities. We bid farewell to an outstanding graduating class, the accomplishments of which you can see detailed in the high school section of this report, but suffice it to say they posted our most exceptional Ib results to date and gained admission to a stellar range of universities globally. More importantly, it is our hope they have developed the skills and confidence they will need to thrive in university and beyond. this is what we strive to accomplish with all of our students, from the earliest ages until they leave us at graduation. We truly do our best to ensure we are educating the whole child. thank you for your partnership on every step of this journey.

J. Courtney Lowe, Ed.D. Director

Wab annual RePoRt 2014-2015 3

From thE DirECtor

4 Wab annual RePoRt 2014-2015

During the 2014-15 school year, due to the result of highly collaborative efforts of many people, the following school wide projects were accomplished.

Chinese Language EnhancementBeginning in September 2012, WAB initiated a program audit and evaluation of Chinese language learning across ES, MS and HS with Chinese Language Consultant, Dr. Shuhan Wang, PhD. From 2012 – 2014 Dr. Wang:• Identifiedstrengths,weaknessesandareasforimprovements within WAB’s Chinese programs•MaderecommendationstoWABabouthowtoimprove WAB’s Chinese language program•DevelopedaplanforprofessionaldevelopmentofChinese language faculty. Sample comments from Dr. Wang’s final audit results in May 2014 included:“Many teachers have designed and implemented a wider variety of and more real-life related language and culture activities,experiencesandhomeworkassignments.Teachershave paid more attention to how to spiral and incorporate oldcontentwiththenewoneandhavetriedtotakeaninterdisciplinary approach to bringing content from different areasintoChineselanguagelearning.TeachershavebroughtBeijingtotheclassroomandtakenstudentstoBeijing.Theyhave also expanded their instructional repertoire and begun to collect and use visual and authentic materials and resources. One student commented, ‘Our activities and methods used in this year are different from what we had previously’ (Student interview data). During interviews, students were eager to cite examples of how this year’s classes are more relevant andinterestingthanthoseinpreviousyears.Theymentionedhow the relationship between them and Chinese teachers hasbecomemoreopenandrelaxed.Theyalsoofferedfurther suggestions for ways to integrate real-life learning into instruction and assignments.” Further audit results from Dr. Wang can be found at: http://my.wab.edu/node/1946ContinuingonfromtheworkwithDr.Wang,ourChineseLanguage HODS/teachers, Curriculum Coordinators and

administratorshaveworkedtogethertoalignWAB’sChineselanguage courses with an internally standardized language proficiencyscale.TheAmericanCouncilofTeachingForeignLanguagesProficiencyGuidelines(ACTFL)wasusedtoallowforanestablishedreferenceforcomparison.Inaddition,ourChinese Language and Literature Committee completed our WS Chinese Language and Literature Articulation Chart. ThisongoingcollaborationacrossES,MSandHShashelpedtoprovide deeper common understandings among our Chinese teachers. Additionally, these articulation charts will help inform parentsoftheprogressivebuildingofChineselanguageskillsacross the grade levels and schools sections. As part of this articulationwork,numerousrefinementshavebeenmadetohelp support the transition of students in our Chinese language programs. Our Articulation Charts can be accessed at: http://filestore.wab.edu/WABvsACTFL_v20150507.pdf.

International Mindedness IndicatorsIn2013-14across-sectioncommitteehasworkedtocreateavisualdefinitionofinternational-mindednessforWAB.Thisdefinitionhasbeenverypowerful.Inthe2014-15schoolyear,theInternational-MindednessCommitteeworkedtodetermineclassroom indicators to be used as prompts for our classrooms. Theyalsoadaptedastudentsurveytobeusedannuallytohelpprovideasnapshotoftheinternational-mindedthinkingofourstudents.InOctoberof2014,BernadetteVanHouten,cross-culturalcoach,workedwithourparents,staffandteachers, to support our goal of common language and common understanding of international-mindedness at WAB. TheworkofourInternational-MindednessCommitteehasbeencompiledintoaneBookthatisavailableoniTunes.Youmayaccessafreecopyhere:https://itunes.apple.com/book/international-mindedness/id992088296?mt=11.ThiseBookisthedocumentation of our journey from the creation of our visual definition through to our commitment to internationalism/interculturalism throughout the school and community. We welcomeyourfeedbackaswecontinueonthisjourney.

Whole School Support Services GuideA cross-sectional committee, consisting of representatives

From thE DEputy DirECtor

From the Director From the Deputy From the BoarD oF trustees WaB’s GuiDinG Director principles


from each area of support services has completed Wab’s Ws support services Guide. this guide begins with a Ws Philosophy statement with umbrella statements for each section. Wab’s Ws support service Guide can be accessed here. http://my.wab.edu/node/210

WAB’s Child protection policythis policy has been created to ensure that all stakeholders in our community are fully aware and understand our commitment to ensuring that we provide a safe learning environment within our school community. this policy has been adopted by the Wab school board and has had input from a variety of staff, parents and community members. this policy may be accessed at: http://my.wab.edu/node/208

WS technology task Forcea Ws technology task force was formed in november 2013 to confirm our Ws vision for technology, help ensure that this vision is happening across the school, facilitate ongoing dialogue between key stakeholders, and create recommendations and an action plan. as a result of the work of this task force it was determined that Wab mission statements will be used to guide Wab’s vision for technology. also, as a result of the internal audit, the task force uncovered, and has made recommendations to address the following barriers.1. access to online resources from outside Wab2. Increase student/teacher training on technology tools/ practices to enhance learning3. time to develop technology-rich learning experiences. find time to learn about, explore and use technology4. Have clearer guidelines in using technology (student voice)the entire work of Wab’s technology task force, from 2013-2015 can be accessed here: http://my.wab.edu/node/2067

WS mathematics Articulationes, Ms and Hs teachers and administrators have worked together to review and strengthen the alignment of our mathematics curriculum and ensure that it fully adheres to international standards. this work has included consulting

with erma anderson, an outside expert, on international mathematics alignment. adherence to international standards ensures that we develop strong thinkers in mathematics. It also ensures that students transition to and from Wab confident that their mathematical background has prepared them for their next steps. http://curriculum.wab.edu/curriculum

WS Early interventiona small, cross-sectional group has worked together to define terms surrounding Ws early Intervention in order to further our common understanding school wide. these definitions have now been confirmed by our support services HoDs/coordinators and added to our support services Handbook. the definition of these terms, and the depth of discussion surrounding this will help set a foundation for further discussion/action in this area. http://my.wab.edu/node/210

updated Language policyour updated Wab language Policy is now complete and can be accessed from the following uRl: http://my.wab.edu/node/209. this update reflects recent changes in the Middle Years Programme, as well as the refinements we have made in our chinese language programs over the past two years. a limited number of hard copies of this policy document are available and can be obtained from the Deputy Director, school section Principals and school section curriculum coordinators.

Curriculum reviewour curriculum Review teams for science, Individuals in societies and Design have reviewed all existing Wab standards and benchmarks for their subject areas, and have made decisions for modification based on their thorough review. It has been a sincere pleasure to serve as Wab’s Deputy Director from 2013-15, and as Wab’s Ms Principal from 2001-2013. thank you all for your support and friendship. Wab is a very special place filled with incredibly special people.

Donna Connolly,Deputy Director


the board of trustees, in partnership with the school and the parent community, is focused on Wab and its students achieving great things today while also ensuring the school’s long-term, sustainable development. Wab is a leading non-profit international school in beijing and asia with a distinctive spirit, mission, faculty and student body. as set out in our lighthouse Document, we strive every day to be a destination school, educate the whole child, reflect global diversity, offer quality chinese language instruction, be actively china engaged, and assure our school’s future. this direction is clear; our students are flourishing; and we have every reason to look to the future with confidence.

ever since Wab’s founding in 1994, we have stood for a pioneering spirit and china engagement, and we have worked continuously, consistently and responsibly to foster long-term success – day by day, term by term, year by year in the classrooms, on the sports field, at arts performances and beyond.

our focus on essential priorities is also reflected in the Wab organization. this past year, after two long search processes, the school and the board brought in a new Director of operations and a new Deputy Director, providing valuable contributions to our school in each of their areas of expertise.

the 2014-2015 year was indeed a year full of excitement and achievement for our students and faculty alike - a very special year in which we celebrated Wab’s 20th anniversary on multiple occasions. these celebrations reminded us all that Wab never stands still, is the trend-setting institution in the beijing educational community, and is well-placed and secure to continue to be so long into the future.

We’re very proud of what we’ve done together so far. looking ahead to the current school year (2015-2016) new and promising activities and accomplishments await students, faculty, staff and parents. our student body represents more than 50 nationalities across our eearly Years Program, elementary, Middle and High schools. our student body in all grade levels has achieved distinctive academic standing, with many members of our Grade 12 graduating class being admitted to top universities all around the world for the 9 consecutive years Wab has had a High school.

the board looks to build our community’s hopes, dreams and aspirations on Wab’s own unique strengths. Despite the challenging recent local economic environment, we are proud that Wab continues to be a non-profit school where careful reinvestment in facilities and staff capabilities allows all fees to go to your child’s education. the board is also committed to maintaining high quality school governance, supporting the school’s Mission and activities, and in empowering the Director and his team to fulfill the needs and objectives of our student body and the greater Wab community.

last, but not least, the board would like to extend our thanks to all Wab employees and students for their continuing dedication and proud representation of our school. We’d also like to extend a special thanks to our parents, who have entrusted in us their confidence. We hope you enjoy reading the Western academy of beijing annual Report, and look forward to seeing you at our annual Wab community events.

Please let us in know if you are interested in helping with governance at the school. We have found this volunteer role to be extremely rewarding, interesting and compelling, as this institution, its people, academic prowess, and history are truly extraordinary, unique and second to none.

If you, as a parent or alumni, would like additional information about the board and board committees, please see the board’s group page on the MyWab community portal at http://my.wab.edu/groups/wab-board-trustees or contact the board secretary, Mrs. Jun Zheng, by e-mail: [email protected].

Yours sincerely,

WAB Board of trustees

tina Dige Kjaergaard (Chair) elaine au

Jeffrey Krebs (Vice Chair) elco schwartz

frank Marinaro (Treasurer) Don Zhang

Michael crook Wang Yan (School Founder & Legal Representative)

From thE BoArD oF truStEES


Mission

PhilosophyThe Western Academy of Beijing offers a challenging and caring community based educational environment in which students are active participants in the learning process.

WAB fosters critical thinking and enquiry-based skills to ensure its students achieve to their full potential as individuals and as members of the global community. In this setting, students, staff and parents co-operate in the educational process guided by the following principles.

WAB Educates the Whole ChildThe Western Academy of Beijing seeks to develop the intellectual, social and emotional, physical and aesthetic potential of each child along with moral sensitivity. WAB students will learn how to analyze, synthesize and evaluate new situations, knowledge and rapidly changing technology with ease, confidence and creativity. WAB’s educational program provides its students with a fundamental respect for the beliefs and values of other peoples, and will take full advantage of the culture of its host country, China.

WAB Champions its StaffThe staff teach with an international perspective. They are selected for their professionalism, high qualifications, skills and creativity. Individual professional development is both supported and expected, while WAB creates an atmosphere in which the staff’s expertise and talents enrich the school community as a whole.

WAB Involves the ParentsParents are encouraged to participate as partners in the education of their children and in the continuing development of the school. WAB supports, respects and desires such an active role for parents. WAB, a community of students, staff and parents, is committed to the creation and support of a dynamic model school with high academic, social and ethical standards.

WAB’S guiDing prinCipLES


Core ValuesLearner CenteredWhere all decisions are made and actions taken to enhance the lifelong learning process so that each member of the Wab family is an inquiring, critical and purposeful learner.

China global CoherenceWhere we strive to nurture socially responsive global citizens bound together by china – the common thread woven throughout our diverse family mosaic.

mosaic of DiversityWhere each makes unique and irreplaceable contributions that, when combined, create the Wab family.

WAB 工合 Spirit (gong he)Where with a spirit of commitment, enthusiasm and shared purpose, each member of the Wab family contributes to the whole.

CaringWhere by valuing and respecting each other and our environment, we sustain and nurture healthy relationships with and life-long responsibilities to self, family, and the world.

iB Learner profilethe aim of all Ib programmes is to develop internationally-minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

Ib learners strive to be:

inquirersthey develop their natural curiosity. they acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. they actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeablethey explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

thinkersthey exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicatorsthey understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. they work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

principledthey act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. they take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

open-mindedthey understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. they are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caringthey show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. they have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

risk-takersthey approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. they are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balancedthey understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

reflectivethey give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. they are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.


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the Wab elementary school (es) is a truly inspiring learning institution where bright, enthusiastic and curious students enter daily wondering about the explorations of the day. a key component at Wab is that our programs are designed to give our students the chance to learn and grow in an inquiry-based approach where students make discoveries through a vast amount of learning engagements and experiences. these engagements allow our students to think deeply and critically and to develop their interests as well as their academic abilities. With a strong partnership between home and school, we are able to provide amazing learning opportunities for students every day. some of the highlights and enhancements that occurred during the 2014-2015 school year in the es are as follows:

An enhanced Early years (Ey) program (3 and 4-year-olds)after much reflection and review of current research on early childhood education, our early Years team redesigned our early Years program to include multi-age classrooms, integrated performing arts and physical education experiences, provided opportunities for 3-year-olds to spend a full day, and added targeted chinese language and culture opportunities.

Kindergrten program moved to the Early Childhood Centerafter reflection, we strategically moved our Kindergarten program to our early childhood center in order to enhance the transition for our students from our early Years program to our Kindergarten program. this move enabled our kindergarten students to stay in a familiar, smaller, and more age-appropriate space.

Enhanced Classroom Learning Spaces (grades 1-5)the es classroom learning spaces in Grades 1-5 were upgraded to provide more modern, flexible and purposefully

designed furnishings that support an inquiry-based approach to learning, Wab’s core values, and the original aesthetic design of the Wab es.

implementation of a Specialized Literacy program Wab is a very diverse learning community that caters to students with a diverse range of needs. With already vast support services staff (english as an additional language, learning support, speech and language, enrichment, counselling, behavior support), we found that we were still in need of a specialized learning center to support students with specialized literacy needs. the implementation of this position and resources created additional successful opportunities for our students to access our rigorous curriculum.

increased ipad ratio for students in Kg, grade 1 and grade 2as the Wab es is already renowned for our focus on high-quality digital and online teaching and learning in Grades 3-5, Wab increased the number of iPads for our younger learners to allow for more documentation of the learning processes as well as a platform for students to reflect on their learning.

Enhanced inquiry-Based teaching and Learning Strategiesthe es team spent the year researching, reflecting and enhancing our practices on inquiry-based teaching and learning strategies. teachers spent time observing each other’s learning spaces, sharing practices, reading current research, attending workshops and completing post-collegiate coursework. our efforts resulted in a deeper understanding of inquiry-based learning strategies and more knowledge with regards to the positive outcomes for student learning. In addition, these practices provided for greater consistency among our staff as well as more engaging student learning opportunities.

ES


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Development of Chinese Language pathwaysfor the past two years, Wab has focused on a variety of ways to enhance our chinese language program. following the guidance of Dr. shuhan Wang, Wab developed specific pathways for emergent, capable and proficient language learners. these pathways provide for clear and consistent courses for students as they continue their journey of learning chinese language.

Collaboration for growthWab es engaged with four other international schools in the east asia Pacific Region to bring together like-minded teachers and administrators in order to continue to learn, grow and expand experiences for our students. Many of our staff currently lead a variety of workshops and courses for other international teachers. therefore, we needed to come together to provide additional learning opportunities to those who are innovators in the field so that they can continue to make Wab one of the best schools in the world.

grade 4 overnight StayIn alignment with our Grade 5 china studies and Wab Wild camp experiences, our Grade 4 team developed a transitional overnight stay at Wab for all of our Grade 4 students. the engagements for the evening included students inquiring into sleep structures and then building their own sleep structure, playing chinese traditional games, and having a picnic in the park. the event was a great success!

grade 3-5 track and Field Day the es Pe team developed the first annual es track and field Day. the aim was for students to participate in different events and earn points for their house team comprised of one class from Grades 3, 4 and 5. students competed in a series of events, including tug of war, javelin, long jump, 400m run and several relays. this type of event aligns to our Ms House competitions. the event was a great success!

the highlights above serve as just a small indication of the wonderful opportunities that are available for students in the es at Wab. We have been very fortunate to have a very active, involved and supportive parent community that dedicates numerous hours to the students, teachers and classrooms in the es. this home-school partnership makes all of the above initiatives possible.

I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve as the elementary Principal at Wab. It is an honor to work with an experienced and dedicated staff and administration that puts the best interests of our students at the forefront of decisions as well as a positive and supportive parent community. Wab is truly one of the best schools in the world!

Casey CosgrayES Principal


the 2014-2015 year presented growth opportunities embraced by the Middle school community. Middle school priorities included:

•Afocusonensuringaninquiry-basedapproachinthe presentation of learning activities:

o all departments were involved in dialogue to develop a shared understanding of the definition of inquiry and an exploration of how it can lead the engagement with the units.

o teachers embarked in transforming their units to better reflect the conceptual understanding and the inquiry- based approach, while maintaining the key content and skills that need to be covered. the key focus was to analyze where inquiry-based learning fit naturally and where it needed to be reshaped.

o In addition, departments aimed to select the key approaches to learning that would be taught explicitly and assessed specifically in each unit.

o Grade level teams also revisited their Personal and social education curriculum, in collaboration with the counselors, to better articulate a concept-driven and inquiry-based approach for their curriculum.

o finally, departments looked at ways of updating resources to support this approach in their planning for the following academic year so they could propose their budgets.

•AfocusonimplementingchangestotheIBMiddleYears Programme (MYP):

o Representatives from Wab attended job-alike sessions in beijing, when available, to discuss understandings and challenges faced by like schools.

o our Ms curriculum coordinator, trish Mcnair, attended the Ib Regional conference to clarify changes and network with MYP coordinators in the area.

o Wab hosted Ib workshops in november, which allowed a large percentage of our faculty to lead workshops or further develop their understanding of the requirements of their courses.

o teachers who were up-to-date with their subject-specific training attended in-school MYP workshops on inquiry, interdisciplinary teaching and learning, or global contexts.

o In order to support inter-school communication about MYP implementation, trish Mcnair hosted an MYP coordinators meeting for Ib representatives in the region.

o throughout the year, we dedicated meeting time to reflect on successes and challenges of implementation of MYP assessment changes with a special focus on reporting.

o In addition, we expanded the participation in MYP in-school workshops to two china studies colleagues, lab technicians and tier 1 teaching assistants.

•ParticipationintheWScurriculumreviewcycle:

o Representatives from the Ms joined Ws teams to evaluate the relevance and appropriateness of our written curriculum, to compare it to a wide variety of curricular documents from around the world, to conduct a gap analysis to ensure the learning opportunities we design are developmentally appropriate and prepare students transition into other school systems.

•Aclearefforttomaintainapositiveschoolclimate:

o We set up activities for team building, encouragement of collaboration and strengthening our identity as a community of learners.

o We set up systems to increase transparency of processes followed for decision-making and efforts made by the leadership team.

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mS


o Meeting agendas for grade level teams and departments were restructured to ensure discussions focused on student learning and growth, as well as teaching and assessment practices for learning.

o an outline for the meetings planned for the year was created for teachers to gain an understanding of the efforts being made to remain disciplined and focused on the identified priorities.

o as a way to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to get to know each other better and to promote a collegial atmosphere that celebrated individual and common interests and talents, departments hosted very successful morning teas following cultural themes.

o In an attempt to transform the roles of the teacher librarian and technology integrator in line with current trends, to create greater synergy between the two roles, and to explore maximizing efficiencies, a pilot program was proposed for the 2015-2016 academic year.

o to ensure sufficient, meaningful feedback was compiled for the architects designing the new Ms building, engagement sessions for parents, students and teachers were coordinated throughout the year.

o In order to further strengthen the home-school partnership, the Ms Parent link closely collaborated with Ms selt on increasing the effectiveness of feedback avenues by including the students in the process.

•Acontinuedefforttoenhancetheteachingandlearningof chinese:

o Ms Head of languages Maggie Ma and her es and Hs counterparts led a workshop at the 2015 national chinese language conference in atlanta, Georgia, usa. this is an example of our commitment to our host language and to ensuring Wab is a leading school in this field.

o We continued efforts to enhance our chinese language program and language pathways to ensure a smoother transition from PYP to MYP to DP, as well as published the

comparison of Wab chinese courses and actfl Proficiency Guidelines.

•Acontinuedefforttoalignourteachingandassessmentof Mathematics:

o In addition to the work of all teachers to incorporate recommendations made by the curriculum review team, the department decided to publish the criteria used to make placement decisions.

marina Frias-gavidiaMS Principal

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Wab High school is a dynamic, rigorous and nurturing secondary school, which values the whole-child model and provides unique opportunities for all students both inside and outside of the classroom. When students graduate from Wab, they are confident, knowledgeable individuals, prepared to put their learning into action by contributing to their own communities and to the world. at Wab we build a strong educational foundation, foster critical thinking and nurture compassionate hearts.

In the class of 2015, 91 students completed their exams toward the full Ib Diploma Program (89.2% of the graduating class), while 11 students pursued a combination of Diploma and High school courses. of particular note this year in our Ib results was the fact that 18% of Wab Ib Diploma students achieved a 40 or above, while 86% of our Ib students scored above 30 points and, therefore, above the world average of 29.8. our Ib Diploma average of 35 was well above the world average. Wab continues to widen the gap between the world average and the results of our students; each year our students do even better than the last. this year we also had 21 students who completed bilingual diplomas, as they studied two languages at the a or mother tongue level. university destinations for the class included approximately 8% to the uK, 9% europe, 6% Korea, 5% asia, 10% canada, 50% usa and 7% australia. the final 5% of graduates, as in past years, chose various activities for a gap year including studying chinese, taking an internship, engaging in global service projects, or completing national service. During the year, approximately 210 colleges and universities from around the world chose to actively recruit at Wab by scheduling visits and meeting with our students; it is clear that the best institutions abroad hope our students will choose to continue their studies with them.

Wab has now graduated nine classes. our students have gained places at many outstanding universities including university college london, new York film academy, McGill university, ecole Hoteliere de lausanne, barnard college, savannah college of art and Design, tufts university, uc berkeley, brown university, seoul national university, Washington university in st. louis, Wesleyan university, Johns Hopkins university and Yale university.

Despite these successes, Wab had many challenges this year, including the unexpected and tragic passing of Grade 12 student Hye lin Yoon. While we struggled with this loss and other difficulties over the year, we were also inspired by the way our community banded together to find beauty in challenges. Whether it was in the creation of the Hye lin Memorial Garden or by supporting friends and community members in times of need, Wab confirmed this past year that it is, in fact, a family.

early in the school year, our china studies trips engaged students in our host country. the 9th grade went to shanghai and the surrounding water towns, while the 10th grade visited Inner Mongolia, Zhangjiakou, Wu Yuan or Qufu. the 11th grade chose from various trips such as Monks & Mountains - Yuantaishan, cas Jiashan trip - Gansu, chinese literature - southern china (in chinese), Harbin Honeymoon, Humanities long March – Yan’an, arts - 798, beijing, Photography – Ping Yao, Wutaishan and Datong. the china studies Department continued their outstanding work to develop the educational details for each of these trips.

Wab continues to be a leading member of aPac (asia Pacific activities conference), acaMIs (association of china and Mongolia International schools) and Isac (International schools athletic conference), providing opportunities for every student to participate in athletics and the arts at different levels of challenge. students compete and perform at schools in beijing, throughout china, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and Korea.

major Awards Achievements •APACBoys’BadmintonChampions•APACBoys’SoccerChampions(fourthyearrunning)•ACAMISBoys’VolleyballSportsmanship•ACAMISSpeechandDebate,DebateChampions• ISACChampionsGirls’Basketball• ISACDivision3ChampionsBoys’Basketball• ISACU.19Boys’BadmintonChampions(Singles)• Tiger7sChampionsGirls’Soccer

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• Tri-CitiesChampionsBadminton• Tri-CitiesChampionsBoys’Soccer• Tri-CitiesChampionsBoy’sBasketball•WinterBlastBasketballBoys’andGirls’Champions

major homestay Events, hosted at WAB•WABXtotheMAXSpringEdition•APACTheatre•APACBaseball•APACGirls’Soccer

other Events hosted at WAB• ISACBasketball• ISACGirls’Badminton• ISACGirls’Volleyball•ACAMISBasketball•ACAMISTennis•ACAMISSpeechandDebate• TrackandField“PB”Meet• Tiger7sSoccer•WinterBlastBasketball

because we value the whole-child experience, arts and athletics receive equal consideration at Wab. often, we combine arts and sport in a pioneering way. In the fourth year ofWABXtotheMax,dancers,volleyballplayers,swimmers,baseball players, artists, musicians and rugby players shared their commitment and their talents on tiger field and in the PeacePark.WABXtotheMaxhasbecomeanotherhallmarkof our Wab spirit.

another initiative that took flight this year in the Hs was our Duck lake group, who worked to raise awareness of water pollution. Duck lake, part of the wider Green team group, banded together with Wab’s longstanding Roots and shoots team in order to work toward a solution to the water pollution problem. Duck lake was presented with first prize and a scholarship of 5,000 RMb from Peking university’s student conference of conservation science competition.

In March, the Hs mounted a very successful production of blood brothers. In april, Wab hosted our third student-led teDx talk in asia. a team of students continued to work collaboratively together as the teDxYouth@Wab club to organize what has become an annual event.

the cas (creativity-action-service) program, while a requirement of the Ib Diploma, is a program integral to the essential philosophy of Wab. through this program students are inspired to initiate projects that will benefit others. one such group, this year, was our V-Group: a group of students concerned about the rights and experiences of women in china. In addition to raising awareness among our community, this group produced and performed a version of The Vagina Monologues to very great acclaim; their performance benefitted local charities that help battered and abused women in beijing.

this year Wab hosted an amazing array of guests who shared their expertise with our students and teachers in order to strengthen and extend our curriculum. some of our wonderful visits included:• International-MindednessexpertBernadetteVanHouten•MusicianandComposerJohnAltman•CognitiveCoachesBillandOchaanPowell• EnvironmentalistDr.JaneGoodall

•OceanConservationistHanliPrinsloo•WaterConservationNGOThirst•ChineseFoldDancerMr.Aidi•ActorandDirectorJinDaZhong•ViewpointsDramatistandDancerMarkHill•ArtistandStoryboarderAndrewFriend•PsychologistCr.Cho•HistorianDavidWalker• TranslatorLiYao•PsychologistDr.Stephen-ClaudeHyatt• InvestmentJournalistAndrewHallam• SarahLawrencePresidentDr.KarenLawrence

teachers continued to work hard to align their curriculum to our standards and benchmarks using standbench, our online curriculum tool. this system was designed by Hs Math teacher and Head of Department brent abrahams. our Design Department began curriculum review work, while Humanities significantly rewrote their standards and benchmarks from eY to Grade 10. the sciences Department also adjusted their standards and benchmarks this year as part of our curriculum review cycle.

for the fourth year in a row, teachers conducted action research in their classrooms as a part of our iPad collaborative action Research program. their findings, as in past years, will be published through itunes university. Wab has been invited to present iPad collaborative action Research program to asia Pacific leaders as a part of the october eaRcos leadership conference in 2015. alongside this effort, our International-Mindedness committee members published their journey on itunes university and presented to leaders as a part of the eaRcos leadership conference in 2014. a group of teachers also joined together to study our use of Moodle in the classroom and put in place some recommendations for better use of this online classroom tool. a third group worked to explore alternative scheduling options, to help all students with balance and self-direction skills; their work will be implemented in the coming year. our counselors researched and worked to find a model that can best serve students and will overhaul their delivery system next year. clearly our teachers are passionate and engaged in their work with each other and their students.

every year students speak eloquently of the role Wab has played in their lives. this year, our graduating students said, “[t]here’s no word to describe it other than ‘amazing’”; “one of the greatest things about Wab is how approachable everyone is”; “Wab [showed] me the diversity of our world, which in turn makes me strive towards being a global citizen”; “Patience, courage, unconditional kindness, a sense of humour: these are just some of the things I have learnt from my wonderful friends and teachers”; “Wab is a magical place, not because it changes me, but because it helps me discover my true self”; and “Wab has given me the opportunity to explore my creativity and discover how I want to continue my studies.”

this was only my second year as Hs Principal at Wab. When I came to Wab it was because the spirit of family and community had shone through; this experience was only magnified over the course of the last year. thank you for the continued opportunity to learn and grow with you.

melanie VrbaHS Principal

SChooL SECtion SummAry eleMentaRY scHool MIDDle scHool high SChooL


ADmiSSionS

AdmissionsWab has an inclusive admissions policy. We seek to enroll a diverse student population representing a range of nationalities, languages, cultures, abilities and economic backgrounds.

the admissions Department at Wab is often the first point of contact with prospective families. the team provides information about the school, assists families through the admissions process and makes the process as easy and stress free as possible.

our admissions team also includes student and parent volunteers who are happy to get in touch with new and prospective families to further welcome them to life at Wab and beijing.

Wab enrolled a higher-than-expected number of students for the beginning of the 2014/2015 school year. However, due to the higher numbers of leavers from the school year before, Wab’s enrollment reached 96% capacity.

Student profileWab’s student body included an impressively diverse group of 53 nationalities and 32 languages.

retention over the Last 5 years


top 20 organizations at WABthe top 20 organizations whose families were represented in the student body at Wab were as follows:

nAmE oF orgAniZAtion numBEr oF StuDEntS

Microsoft 22

Hyundai Motor 20

shell 19

embassy of Israel 17

embassy of canada 17

embassy of usa 16

sony Mobile comm. 15

Proctor & Gamble 14

nestle Group 13

ericsson 13

World bank 12

nokia 11

embassy of Royal netherlands 11

embassy of australia 11

IbM 10

bayer Group 10

abb Group 10

sK Group 8

Volvo Group 8

schlumberger 8


ADVAnCEmEnt

Advancementadvancement at Wab includes fundraising events, stewardship of grants and major gifts received by the school, sponsorships and community partnerships, worldwide Wab alumni network and external relations. the major goal is to expand the academic and co-curricular opportunities for our students and the broader community by securing private support from individuals, alumni, corporations and organizations. In addition, the advancement team assists in coordinating Wab’s large-scale events, major school-wide functions and international conferences on campus.

giving at WABWe would like to recognize and honor all the members of our Wab community who generously donate their time, energy and resources to many Wab events, projects and activities throughout the 2014-15 school year. Your support is highly appreciated and is invaluable to our community.

‘one night in rio’ Fundraising gala – one year ontogether, our community raised more than RMb 420,000 at the Wab Gala 2014. the proceeds of the Gala were allocated to create a new Wab Innovation and creativity fund for student and community initiatives, Wab’s 20th anniversary celebrations and WheelsPlusWings, a charity organization for differently abled children in china.

•WABInnovationandCreativity(RMB260,000)Innovation and creativity is at the heart of the Wab philosophy, values and mission. this new fund will seek to promote the ingenuity and creativity of the academic community, providing resources for the students, faculty and staff at Wab to take projects that may begin in the

classroom to the next level. It supports staff and student initiatives that show creativity and promise for making a potential impact in school or the Wab community.

to spark the creation of a Makerspace in the es, RMb60,000 was used to purchase 10 Makerblock kits and a large number of small tools for student use. es Makerspace was utilized as an asa in season 3 in the 2014-2015 school year, with 18 Grade 4 and 5 students actively participating. the space was also featured in a beijing expat magazine. this year the Makerspace will be operated as six asas, with capacity for around 100 students.

a new lunchtime Makerspace for the Middle school received RMb 30,000 for funding. beginning in october 2015, the Ms Makerspace will promote playful inquiry and creative problem-solving skills.

to improve the digital landscapes in the early childhood center, we spent RMb 55,000 to purchase light tables, portable projectors and over-head projectors. one of the most important building blocks of literacy development is oral language. When offered these materials and spaces to play children are able to extend and develop more complex vocabulary and narratives. they engage for longer periods of time with story telling when they are actually “living” in the landscape and are developing their “writing skills.”

We spent RMb 65,000 on new 3D Printers, which have been used constantly in the Middle and High schools, allowing students to conduct experiments for different subjects and print mechanical models. the 3D printers have not just enhanced the design curriculum, but also improved many other subject areas, such as sciences and art, in Grades 7 through 12.

the High school science classrooms were equipped with 63 whiteboard desks, at a cost of RMb 30,000. teachers and

es Makerspace


students use them in class, for projects, revisions and games.

these projects reflect Wab’s dedication to nurturing the best ideas and providing them a structure in which to grow.

•WheelsPlusWings(RMB40,000)RMb 40,000 in Gala funds went toward WheelsPlusWings, and RMb 7,000 was donated to tri4change, totalling usD 7,650. We provided two children with custom-made wheelchairs with the help of WheelsPlusWings.

•WAB20th Anniversary Celebrations (rmB 120,000)During the 2014-2015 school year, we had a joyous celebration for Wab’s 20th year. Gala funds were provided to support a number of community celebrations, events and commemorative items marking this special milestone, including Wab 20 tiger t-shirts for all students, a Wab20 tile staff gift, “nian” cookies for all at the 20th birthday party and the Wab20 Memory Game family gift.

WAB’s 2014-2015 honor roll of Donors Advancing the Dream Fund - individual DonorsWe are thankful for additional private contributions to the advancing the Dream fund, in the amount of RMb400,000. this fund now totals RMb2.1 million.

We would like to express our special thanks to H. lin and c. li.

Community partnersallied Pickfordsamerican embassy summer campsaofan sailingbeijing Publications Import & export corporation Dragonfire swim clubfollett educationHong Kong International Medical clinicImagineInternational sosMarshall cavendish educationnestle (china) ltd.oasisoxford university PressParkway HealthPearson education chinaRenaud airRising stars tennissanta fescI Groupst. James’s Place temple Restautarnt ucca creative studiosunited family HosptialWest Hair salon

While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the 2014-15 Honor Roll of Donors, please contact Suzi Roberts at [email protected], if you have any questions.

WAB Alumni network the Wab alumni network (Wan) continues to reconnect alumni with Wab via social media platforms. We now have 212 members on the Wan linkedIn group, more than 2,000 likes on facebook, and nearly 200 followers on twitter. there is also a page on Wab’s website dedicated exclusively to our alumni and related activities.

During 2014-15, the alumni office hosted multiple international alumni reunions throughout the world, including london, bangkok, singapore, boston, Melbourne, Montreal and Denmark, attended by Wab alumni ambassadors, school leaders and representatives.

Wab’s alumni office hosted the alumni farewell ceremony in May 2015, which was attended by more than 200 departing students, families and staff members. over 40 enthusiastic alumni parents, students, graduates and staff attended the 7th annual alumni Reunion on campus for a casual game of ultimate frisbee on tiger field. the event was held in conjunction with the celebration to honor Ms. Donna connolly’s departure from Wab.

high-profile guests and Special Events During the 2014-15 academic year, Wab hosted high-profile guests for the Distinguished speaker series, including Hanli Prinsloo, bernadette Van Houten, the asteroids Dance company, Professors David Walker and li Yao, and Dr. Karen lawrence. Wab also hosted a Dss event, featuring an exclusive screening of a Hollywood film produced by and starring Wab alumni livi Zheng (livia notoharjono) (class of 2007) and her brother, Ken Zheng (Wiratheda) (class of 2013).

Ren Yuzhi was diagnosed with spinitis at beijing children’s Hospital. she lost the use of her lower limbs and is undergoing rehabilitation in beijing. she loves to sing.

Zhang shidi was diagnosed with scoliosis and received treatment at the local hospital. Her situation worsened in 2012. Zhang shidi is a passionate musician and has been playing the guqin for four and a half years.


Community Events In addition to the Distinguished speaker series, the communications and advancement department supported the following community events through organization and sponsorship:

•WAB20thBirthdayCelebration

•WABXtotheMAX2014

•NewStudentOrientation

•WABsolutelyAwesomeCommunityPicnic

•WABbledonTennisTournament

•ChinaCupTennisTournament

•Tri-CitiesBasketball@WAB

•Tiger7sSoccerTournament

•APACSoccer

•WABInvitationalTennisTournament

•CharityBazaarandFunFair

•RockinthePark

•TeatimeConcertSeries

•WABIdol

•HSCareerFairandWorldofWorkInternships

•WABWorldRunDay

•HighSchoolGraduation

Communicationsthe 2014-15 school year saw further advancements in the way Wab communicates with our community and tells the story of Wab locally, regionally and internationally.

some key highlights of achievements last year include:

•WAB20thAnniversarycampaignwithlogocreation,WAB20 branded merchandise including student designs, Wab20 events and advertising campaign based on Wab community testimonials.

•NewWABTigerlogolaunched(designedbyWABparent and student team, Kevin and aaliyah Wang).

•NewWABXwebsitedesignedandlaunched.

•NewParentSchoolClimateSurveylaunchedusingthenet promoter system.

•WABIntegratedMarketingandCommunicationsStrategy 2015-17 developed.

• LaunchofnewWABWeChatofficialserviceaccount; 500 followers.

•ChambermembershipsandactiveparticipationinChamber education Working Groups.

• Threeinternationalcommunitygroupsessionshostedat Wab.

•Annualadvertisingcontractsnegotiatedwithlocal magazines.

•MediapartnershipsformainWABeventswithCityWeekend.

• 70unique‘Lianxi’storiespublished.

•Over302eventscovered,over12,000photographstaken, with more than 200 published in magazines.

•Meltwatermediatrackingintroduced.

•NewAdmissionsdatabaseselected.

•MyWABCommunityPortalcommitteeselectednewsystem to be developed.

CommuniCAtionS


Faculty and StaffWab’s impressive reputation within the international school community, paired with our commitment to champion our staff helps us to recruit and retain highly qualified and dedicated faculty and staff. the majority of our teachers come from the usa, canada, the uK and australia. a large number of our teachers are educational leaders, Ib trainers, examiners, moderators or curriculum writers.

1:8 School-Wide teacher Student ratio at WAB

the faculty at Wab is a diverse one; each member brings with them perspectives and expertise that enrich the learning of our students each and every day. In 2014-15, Wab faculty was made up of 13 nationalities as shown below.

Faculty nationalities graph

Support Staff nationalities graph

FACuLty & StAFF


FinAnCEWab is in a healthy financial situation with cash reserves and long-term cash flow projections in line with board mandated goals.

Wab operates a strict financial management with goals for short, medium and long-term financial performance. this includes an annual budget cycle with focus on operational efficiencies and optimizations to keep costs well in control.

School FundingWab derives its funding from tuition fees, capital levy fees, application fees, turnover, interest income and donations. tuition fees, capital levy fees, turnover and application fees are a function of enrollment.

Remaining income is a function of bank balances (interest income) and community support (gifts and grants). again this year Wab received in-cash contributions and value-in-kind donations in support of Wab programs and capital improvements.

Cash Balance/DebtDuring the entire 2014-2015 school year, the cash balance remained above the board mandated minimum emergency cash requirement.

as of the end of June 2015, Wab does not have any outstanding bank or third-party loan commitments.

Capital SpendingWab continued its investment in capital improvements to keep the campus facilities refreshed and up-to-date as a leading international school offering state of the art facilities.

all the individual air conditioning systems in classrooms, offices and corridors of early childhood center & elementary school were upgraded with higher-graded filters to further enhance the interior air quality. this includes the installation of a standalone ceiling-mounted air purifier along the wing corridors.

In the continuum on the standardization and refurbishment of the elementary school classrooms, the language wing classrooms underwent similar renovation work as the homeroom classrooms.

several refurbishing projects were carried out: vthe aquatic center interior surface was renewed; restrooms were renovated; signage, memorial features and new posters were re-designed and installed throughout the campus.

the Hs kitchen space was renovated to include open-service counter to serve ready-made food.

In addition, the new Middle school project was started and is expected to continue over the next two years.

FinAnCE

P.O. Box 8547, 10 Lai Guang Ying Dong Lu, Chaoyang District 100102, Beijing, ChinaTel: (86-10) 5986 5588 | Fax: (86-10) 6432 2440

www.wab.edu

wab annual report 2014-2015

Documents