Starting as the dream of foreign parents wishing their children receive an international education in Nanjing, just a handful of students were initially taught in rented classrooms at what was to become Nanjing International School, now a leading school in China and beyond.
That school, NIS (Nanjing International School) celebrated 30 years of education this past Friday, 14 October, Founding Day. That’s when students and teachers gathered, with each homeroom and advisory representing one of the 40-plus nationalities hosted in the school community, to hear speeches about NIS’s past and future given by long-serving leadership.
While the festivities officially began at NIS on Friday, the anniversary spirit has been evident since the first day of the 2022/2023 school year.
NIS has been bestowed campus wide with vibrant and creative 30th-anniversary decorations, videos and merchandise. The School’s house system was also given a great design makeover to mark the anniversary, with new emblems and shirts for each of the Houses, delighting the local international community.
When Friday finally came around, all those gathered at NIS were treated to a special lion-dance ceremony and performance, as well as birthday messages from alumni now all across the globe.
The entire School then paraded through the campus, with flags of different nationalities, ending up on the football pitch to form a huge number 30 out of the crowd and culminating in a circle of peace.
From a school of five students in 1992 to the beautiful, purpose-built 80,000 square-metre campus with 620 students and 95 teachers it is today, NIS has from the beginning been driven by a foundation and tradition of innovation and educational excellence.
That early start and commitment meant that in 2000, NIS was authorised by the International Baccalaureate (IB) to teach all three of its programs (Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program and Diploma Program), becoming the first IB Continuum school in China.
Today, Nanjing International School remains the only nonprofit, fully-internationally-accredited IB World School in Nanjing, while also being the city’s longest-standing international school.
“Nothing happens overnight. Everything we have here today is built on the shoulders of those that came before us”, said Laurie McLellan, School Director at NIS. “I’m very optimistic about the future. I think 30 years is just another foundational part of our journey forward.”
With both a professional and personal connection to the School, Julia Güsten, Board Chair at NIS, said, “I’ve been involved with the School for 23 years, starting when my elder daughter joined Pre-K in 1999. I’ve been in love with the School ever since. Thank you to everyone who is part of NIS, past and present; you’re awesome!”.
