CDNIS celebrates its 30th anniversary

Since opening in 1991, Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) has earned a reputation as one of the top leading international schools in the territory. As the school prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, we take a look at what sets CDNIS apart.

Read more: Top international schools in Hong Kong

Why choose CDNIS?

CDNIS is an International Baccalaureate World School with more than 1,800 students and 300 staff. Along with academic achievement, the focus is to inspire excellence, cultivate character, and empower engagement, ultimately creating global citizens of the world. The school has drawn on the strength of its Canadian and Chinese foundations to create a unique learning environment in which students are equipped with the knowledge and tools to seek out, analyze facts and act accordingly. In a recent satisfaction survey, parents praised the school for its warm community, broad education spectrum, supportive and dedicated staff and ability to create well-rounded individuals who confidently inspire change.

Strategic direction

As Head of School for the past two years, Dr Jane Camblin has navigated CDNIS through a very unique period. Despite the challenges of the pandemic the school has continued to thrive. “There is no secret to our success,” says Camblin. “We’ve listened carefully, responded to our environment, continued to think strategically and above all, our focus has remained on pushing the school forwards. We have a nimble team, strong leadership and outstanding teachers that have excelled in terms of adapting their strategies and pedagogy,” she adds. The school’s upcoming strategic plan, which outlines future priorities including detailed curriculum and campus planning, focuses on continuing to deliver the level of excellence that students are accustomed to in an environment conducive to the teaching of 21st century skills. 

Indeed the school is constantly evolving. Following the additions of the new Early Years Environment and Photovoltaic Farm in 2019, CDNIS unveiled a brand new learning space for Grade 5 and 6 students and two environmentally-conscious cafeteria spaces at the start of the school year. Meanwhile, planning is currently underway for an innovative redesign of the rest of the campus into state-of-the-art learning spaces. It will provide an environment for those students who are passionate about science, mathematics, engineering and technology, allowing them to work individually or collaboratively on entrepreneurial, STEM, STEAM, coding, robotics and design thinking projects.

Enrollment at an all-time high

CDNIS popularity is evident. Despite the pandemic, enrollment is at an impressive high,  something Camblin credits to the school’s solid reputation over the past 30 years. “We currently have 1,830 students and we are at full capacity. I have my predecessors to thank for that, and the quality of education that’s been provided. We’ve also had extraordinary successes in terms of IB results and college acceptances. So with that, our reputation in Hong Kong has grown via word-of-mouth,” she adds. “We continually maintained our high standards and communicating this to the community has also been very important. It’s a very welcoming campus. Both physically and on an energy level – it’s the ‘Canadian vibe”, if you will. This is a very open-minded and generous place, and I think that’s tangible,” she adds.

Early Years Bilingual programme 

In August 2022, the school will introduce a bilingual programme for Early Years 1 & 2 which will run alongside the international programme. Whilst the current international programme is delivered in Mandarin (20%) and English (80%), the bilingual programme will be delivered in equal parts – 50% English and 50% Mandarin. Students will be immersed in the target language for the entire school day with English and Chinese teachers teaching on alternate days. All classes will also have a bilingual educational assistant, who will remain with the same class and switches language each day. There are also plans to introduce a full-day programme for Early Years 2 students (currently only a half day programme is offered) and in August 2023, the bilingual programme will expand to include the Preparatory programme.

Read more: Canadian International School of Hong Kong introduces a new transition years programme

Looking to the future

“Our environmental studies and sustainability initiatives are just one aspect that continues to set us apart. We are currently working on a series of experiential local activities with the aim of helping students better understand the ecosystem in Hong Kong,” says Camblin. CDNIS has formed partnerships with environmentally forward-thinking brands including Nespresso and Maxims. “We’re a recycling outpost for Nespresso pods. The pods are made into compost which we then use in our roof garden where we grow herbs and vegetables for use in our teaching kitchen,” she says. Another notable partnership is with Hong Kong chef and environmental activist, Peggy Chan, who attended CDNIS as a student. “Peggy founded sustainable food consultancy Grassroots Initiatives and works with our staff and students to ensure that food is sourced responsibly where possible. She helps the children conceptualise the importance of where food comes from on an environmental, political and health level. These types of partnerships feed right into our goals of being sustainable, environmentally-friendly and respectful of our position in the world,” she adds. 

Celebrating 30 years

Planning a large celebration during Covid is complicated and so the school will instead host 30 smaller celebrations, so that everyone can be involved. “We’ll of course be involving the parents too,” says Camblin. “We have many really talented parents that have a lot to offer. For example, one of our parents who’s a pediatrician has already stepped up to help support parents with the new government requirement for students over 12 to be vaccinated. The credibility of a CDNIS parent, sharing knowledge with other parents has been instrumental in helping us achieve the 70% target,” she adds.  

It takes a village to raise a child and it’s evident that CDNIS is more than a school, it’s a community of like-minded people working towards a common goal. CDNIS graduates are well-rounded, forward thinking individuals who not only excel academically, but are innovative global thinkers and future change makers. It’s remarkable to witness what the school has achieved over the past 30 years and exciting to think about what the community at CDNIS will achieve over the next three decades.