Enjoy this short video snippet about KiS International School Reignwood Park from our 2024 Expo.
Transcript
KiS International School Reignwood Park
ISTimes Global: (00:00) Hello, we have we have Barry here, the founding headmaster of KS International School. Welcome.
KiS International School: (00:06) Oh, thank you.
ISTimes Global: (00:07) Well, I’ve I’ve heard so much about your uh school in this uh expo here in Osaka. By the way, welcome.
KiS International School: (00:15) Thank you.
ISTimes Global: (00:15) I uh I hope this has been a good experience for you.
KiS International School: (00:18) It’s been great. We’ve met some really wonderful people uh here in Osaka and uh very welcoming.
ISTimes Global: (00:24) Oh, great. And um I don’t often get to meet a founding headmaster. It’s uh a tremendous amount of work and I’ve noticed in the poster behind that uh you also have uh 60 acre campus. So I’ve got so many questions about the school, but maybe you can give me a bit of a synopsis and I would love to learn more.
KiS International School: (00:47) Sure. Okay, well we’re um we’re the second campus of KIS International School. It’s been going for 25 years and uh we are Bangkok’s only day and boarding full IB school. So, um we’ve got a uh complete boarding program uh at our school and we teach the IB all the way through. We’re an IB continuum school. So PYP, MYP and diploma program before they go on to university. So that’s in a nutshell, I suppose. Um uh what we do inside the school. As you mentioned that we’re on 60 acres. Uh we’re very very fortunate to be uh part of the um uh the Rainwood uh complex uh which has got the Robinswood uh golf course uh behind us, which is an 18 hole world class golf course. Uh we have a a golf Academy called the Claude Harman 3 Golf Academy that um uh is uh the third one that they have in the world. They’ve got one in Florida and one in Dubai. Uh usually they work with um uh families uh where they’re coming into an international school and the children really want to pursue a professional uh golf career, at least up to the college level. Uh so we’ve got a plan to have different uh academies related to um to our school where the students can come in and have our regular academic program. And if they want a high-end football program, performing arts, uh aquatics, uh or golf, we will have those for them as well. So, so we’re trying to have as many as much variety as we can uh for the students because of course they’ve all got different passions.
ISTimes Global: (02:36) Well, first, can I say it’s what’s quite distracting is can you take a is how incredibly big your campus is. And I think uh uh just uh hearing you talk about uh the schools and the programs and the aquatics, it uh it uh makes me think that uh your uh school is very well equipped to house many, many children. Uh you did uh mention that there are dorms here. Um that can be intimidating for families, maybe families in Japan who aren’t used to sending their um uh kids abroad. Maybe you can tell us a bit about how you build community through that and um what the experience is like for kids.
KiS International School: (03:22) Yeah, okay. Well, maybe before I go on to uh to boarding, I’ll talk about the the wellbeing ecosystem that we’re really trying to create in uh in our school. And um we what we learned from um from COVID is that uh mental health is a thing and it’s something we should talk about and especially with with young people. And um so we have got a um a wellbeing curriculum uh that’s um uh goes all the way through the school from we use something called zones of regulation with the elementary students and right up into uh into the secondary where we’ve got a uh particular program for them there as well. Um we have the boarding students uh in our community for the longest period of time because we’ve got them uh during the school day and we’ve got them after as well. So we’ve got um we have a a homework um uh study session set up in the evening where our teachers uh come in and work with the students. So the teachers also live on campus. So we’re able to make sure that there’s a real integration between boarding and uh and the what happens in the classroom. So sometimes parents will worry about the the students going to boarding and it’s just the boarding staff that are with them. At our school, we want it to be integrated. Uh so it’s more of a community and it’s what they’re used to in in school. Um and so um in in some schools, the teaching and uh the boarding are separate. Boarding is just it’s kind of a place to to sleep and uh and and eat. Uh whereas with us, it’s more integrated into uh into everything that we do. And the teachers also will go on weekend trips with the with the students and the boarding staff are welcome to come into the classroom as well to support the students so they can see what the students are doing when uh when they’re in a math class or a science class. So then when they come back, they are able to to assist them as well uh in in their program. So, I would say that um uh the boarding experience is a is a really great one. One of the things that I’m sure the Japanese parents would be worried about boarding, um will wonder is, oh, can I could I come and try it? And of course, like uh many schools who run uh camps. Um we run a a large one in the summertime. We’ll be running one in December as well. Eventually, we are going to build uh special boarding houses that will be able to run camps all year round. And that’s actually the best way for parents to learn because uh they can bring their students to uh to our campus. Uh Mom and Dad can go to the beach, lovely beaches in um uh in Bangkok and some great shopping and and a lot of a lot of uh great food and a welcoming um uh environment. I mean, we’re in you know, Osaka today. I get the same vibe when I’m out uh uh talking to people at restaurants here in the evening, just uh very safe, very secure. Bangkok’s like that too. So, um so the idea is that we would take the children, work on um uh on their English level. Um have a lot of English-based activities, but also STEM, design tech, robotics, some things that the students are really engaged in, uh as well as PE and um um uh dance and drama, um music, try to have uh what we call a multi-activity camp for them. So they’re really enjoying, but really infused with English. Because when we come to Japan or any of the other countries in the region, the big thing that the parents say is, oh, I’m worried about my child’s English. Is it going to be good enough to come to your school? Usually, it’s better than the parents think. And we do um we do a map screening test uh for the students and we can tell kind of exactly where they’re at and and where we need to place them and in what kind of a program. So, so we’re not so worried, especially if they’re younger, we don’t have to worry too much because we know their English is going to come. Uh it’s almost magic. Uh if they’re in middle school, we have to be careful because we want them to be able to access the curriculum and it’s all in English. And as I said, we’re an IB school, so it’s a rigorous program. That’s the reason that that a student that graduates from the DP can get into any university, is because the universities know it is a great, it’s a very um it’s a very rigorous program. So it’s it’s hard to get a good score in the IB. But if students come with us um on that journey from middle school right up into diploma, they have a very good chance of of of scoring well. So we need to make sure that their English is um um is as high as possible um when they come with us. So we think that the camp program that we’re developing is going to really help with that.
ISTimes Global: (08:26) I see. Well, and well, KS this is your first year of operation, but it’s not the first year of KIS. Right. Um so uh even though some schools might struggle saying if it’s a new school, we have to create new traditions and build culture. Um is there some of that being transferred over to this being supported?
KiS International School: (08:48) Yeah. Yeah. I think I would have had a much harder job setting up this school if I uh if we weren’t the second campus of an established school that’s already been doing the IB program for 25 years. So the vision of the school is inspiring individuals. It’s helpful that it’s only two words so I can remember it. Uh but the um the mission statement is the same as KIS’s, vision’s the same as KIS, the core values and they’re uh totally aligned with the IB. Uh so if you look at the IB mission, most IB schools are uh very similar. And the big idea there is change the world. We want to do that through education. We’re all too old to find a cure for cancer or um um or or uh work out some of the big conflicts that are happening right now. But young people, there is a much better chance of us doing that. And a lot of that’s why a lot of us are still in education is because we can have an impact through through younger people if we can work on how they think and how they see the world. And for us, we do that through a lot of character development through something we call the learner profile at our uh in IB schools. And um yeah, so I think that um uh we’re definitely able to So I lost the beginning of the question there. You’ll have to cut that out. I did pretty well for this time of day.
ISTimes Global: (10:10) No, no, that was great. Actually. Um so just about how uh instead of starting from scratch, uh you are from kiss.
KiS International School: (10:16) Gotcha. Okay. The other thing that’s really important to uh recognize for us is that because the because KIS in Bangkok has been doing the uh the IB for uh 25 years now, they’ve got uh systems in place that we’re able to import to our school. Um and that just makes it quicker for us to get if if you like, we’re climbing a mountain, but we’ve got a little escalator beside uh through their experience that we can ride up quicker to the top. And what the top is is their average last year was 35 out of 44 points on the IB. If and that’s the average. So there were some lower, some higher. If you get a score of 34 or better at an IB school uh in the diploma, you can go to any school in the world. UK, uh America, Canada, Australia, anywhere because the universities know that that is uh top level and it’s a hard program. Any school that’s getting a 34 average is very good, okay? The world average for the IB is hovers between 30 and 31. So schools like ours try to be quite a bit above that so that we we’re giving value for um it’s part of our value proposition if you will, right? That when student when parents send their children to us, they’re going to get a program that can take them places after after that. And that’s demonstrated already by what uh KIS has been able to do in in Bangkok. So we’re on the same trajectory there. So I think that’s that’s big for us for our confidence. So uh even though we’ve started only going up to grade nine this year, it’ll be 10, 11 and 12 uh following. And um yeah, we’re um we are sure that we’re going to get to the to the same level for our graduating class that will happen in three years time.
ISTimes Global: (12:13) And three years will be your first set of grads. That’ll be a very exciting something to really celebrate about.
KiS International School: (12:16) It’ll be pretty uh gratifying. It’s been uh last year during this planning year was the first year I haven’t given a graduation speech or uh or done a ceremony in about 25 years. So it was weird. Uh yeah, so I’m looking forward to it.
ISTimes Global: (12:33) Academically, it sounds like you have a very strong program and just hearing about the average in IB. Um I’ve been working with IB schools as well. Um it’s it’s uh significantly high and uh I think uh your grads would have a lot of great opportunities once uh uh they leave. But outside of academics, you always always distracted by how beautiful your your campus is. Sorry if my eyes keep on looking at your beautiful field. Um besides uh the academics, you obviously have tremendous amount of sports. Um what are some outside of the classroom activities that they can do in sports or arts?
KiS International School: (13:14) Hmm, okay. Uh well, we really want to make sure that the performing arts is balanced balances out the sports because the sports obviously basketball, volleyball, badminton, uh uh aquatics, we’ve got all of that. So we want to have musicals, we want to uh to bring symphonies out from uh from Bangkok to play at the school to model for the uh for the kids. We the Bolshoi um ballet is in uh Bangkok now. These things are possible at a school like this, like to to have them out for uh community events. Um we are north of Bangkok. So some of the activities for the borders, they went horseback riding um uh the last weekend. Uh we’re a short drive to Khao Yai National Park where they can go uh they can go inside cycling, that that type of thing. So there’s some outdoor uh activities that are that are possible. Um and then of course we’re right on the doorstep of of Bangkok. So there is um I don’t know, a huge variety from, you know, laser quest to um uh this uh bounce arena to um uh rope climbing, rock climbing, you name it. We can do that at school too. But there’s um yeah, there’s sort of no uh no the only thing that limits us is is time, right? And um we really enforce uh three things at at the school, eat, move, sleep. And um so we we really focus on nutrition as part of wellbeing, like all of those things are, eating well, making sure that uh all of the students exercise and in their preferred uh mode, I suppose, to to stimulate their brain and and eat properly allows them to uh to think better as well. And then sleep, like the um one of the things we do in boarding is um they’ve got to hand in their devices at night, right? Because it’s just too tempting. And um when everybody’s doing it, it’s not an issue. But I think parents might be interested because they they may think, oh God, if I try to take the iPad away from my my son or daughter, they’re, you know, they’re going to be very unhappy. They won’t be. Um they’ll read a book, right? They will do, they’ll have a conversation, they’ll have a game of checkers or chess or uh Uno, right? They will engage because
ISTimes Global: (15:38) They will engage with other people.
KiS International School: (15:40) Of course. Which is what you want, right?
ISTimes Global: (15:42) This tactile on the screen.
KiS International School: (15:44) Yeah. So social skills, relationship skills, self-regulation, right? You can’t learn that from a mobile uh phone or from a computer. And uh you know, let’s face it, the uh we don’t know what the jobs are going to be like in uh 20 years. We don’t know what they’re going to be like in 10 years. But we do know when they go to university, they’re going to be in groups. Uh they’re not going to be handed assignments to do on their own. And so they’ve got to have the communication skills. They got to have the confidence to get up in front of a group of people that they don’t know and present an idea. Um they’ve got to be able to be empathetic enough to have a conversation and be actually listening to the other person without just waiting for their chance to make their point. Um they need to be listening and able to respond. So, and that’s all a skill. All of that can be taught, but it’s not uh but sometimes we overlook that when we focus on, oh, you’ve got to get this uh this worksheet done for math or you’ve got to do this many problems and of course you have to do some um some of these things, but uh what we try to do is is connect all of the subjects and focus on um uh what we call approaches to learning and basically, um uh self-regulation, research skills, communication skills, social skills. Those are the keys we think to people being success, being a success in a world that we’re not really sure what’s going to happen uh later on, right?
ISTimes Global: (17:14) You mentioned that in uh three years, you’ll have your first uh graduates. Once once they leave your school, what is what is it um what is it something that you want them to be holding on to uh this experience that will carry them through the rest of their life that uh they were able to have here at uh KS?
KiS International School: (17:36) Yeah, okay, so if I’m honest, uh I will want them to be happy. I will want them to have said to be able to say, I had a good friend in that school. Hopefully that I had a few because when we look back on on high school, um those are the things that are important. We usually don’t remember what happened in class. We remember what happened on a field trip or in a football game or something that was high stakes at the moment for us. Uh so I’m hoping that what they’ll remember is that they got a chance to try a lot of different things and even if they weren’t a dancer, they got a chance to to learn about dance uh or or music or basketball if they’re not an athlete, that they what I hope that they would look back and say is that the school set them up to be a risk taker, to take chances and to kind of embrace whatever is coming uh at them um in the future with confidence, with confidence to know I can work my I can work this out if if I’m dealing with with other people. Um that’s what I want. I want them to be able to have the social skills to to do that. If they have those those skills, they can apply them in any way, in any um any field that they want and it’s very likely they’ll be success and probably have a happy life. And that’s that’s the goal.
ISTimes Global: (18:58) Well said. That’s uh KS International School. Barry, thank you so much.
KiS International School: (19:03) Thank you.
About KiS International School (Reignwood Park)
- Second campus of established KIS International School (25+ years of experience)
- Located in Bangkok, Thailand, on a 60-acre campus
- Bangkok’s only day and boarding full IB school (PYP, MYP, Diploma Program)
- Average IB score of 35/45 (world average 30-31)
- Claude Harman 3 Golf Academy (one of only 3 worldwide)
- Planned academies for football, performing arts, and aquatics
- Integrated boarding program with teachers living on campus
- Focus on wellbeing curriculum and “eat, move, sleep” philosophy
- Multi-activity camps with English immersion
- First graduating class expected in 3 years
