Designed for Deeper Learning - Our Refreshed ES Spaces

If you've seen the sneak peek photos of our refreshed Elementary School spaces, you’ve already seen how bright, colorful and welcoming they are.  

Every one of these spaces was designed with one key idea in mind – to create an environment that inspires deeper learning in our students: children asking questions, thinking critically, working through problems together, and applying what they learn in new and real-world situations. 

The redesign makes better use of vertical space and the spaces now include more breakout and individual work areas, alongside zones that can shift easily between whole-class teaching, small-group instruction, and focused independent work. The new spaces have places for reflection; alongside open areas built for collaboration. Classrooms connect more naturally to shared community spaces, creating a continuum of learning opportunities within homerooms and across the hallways. 

"When families walk through these spaces for the first time, I want them to picture their child(ren) deep in conversation with a teacher and classmates over a shared idea, or tucked into a quiet nook working through a problem on their own. These spaces were built for our students to grow as thinkers and curious explorers in their classes and our host country." Catherine Pierre-Louis, ES Principal 

As students move between classes, they'll travel through China itself. Each wing draws on a distinct region, its landscape, culture, and stories and ties directly into what students are learning. These themes will be brought to life through color, texture, pattern, and artifacts. From the Silk Road landscapes of Gansu, to the bamboo and biodiversity of Sichuan, the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, the water towns of Jiangnan, the karst hills of Guilin, and the natural diversity of Yunnan. 

Join us in person tomorrow at the Community Picnic when tours of the Elementary School will run throughout the event. Come and experience yourselves how each new space can spark a desire for learning.