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Here, we provide valuable insights, tips, and resources for parents, teachers, and students on a variety of topics related to K-12 education. From effective teaching strategies and student engagement techniques to academic success and mental health, our blog covers it all. Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in K-12 education by following our blog.
At Canadian International School (CIS) Bangalore, we embrace this philosophy, knowing that play is not just an activity but a powerful learning tool, especially for young children in their early years.
When it comes to preparing students for the future, career counselling plays a pivotal role. In international schools like CIS Bangalore, career counselling goes beyond the basics of college admissions, delving into empowering students to explore their interests, develop essential skills and understand the myriad career pathways available to them. It’s about fostering a sense of ownership over their future and providing the guidance needed to navigate the complexities of career development.
At CIS, student well-being is a priority. The school employs three counselors across different educational levels to provide emotional and social support. These counselors are available to help students navigate their academic and personal challenges, offering a safe space to discuss their concerns.
Beyond academic achievements, the ability to navigate emotions, understand others, and foster positive relationships plays a pivotal role in shaping students' success and well-being. The significance of emotional intelligence in school education is enormous, as it helps students achieve academic excellence and develop interpersonal skills.
Discover why the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) at Canadian International School in Bangalore stands out as a transformative choice for holistic and globally-focused education.
The Canadian International School (CIS) in Bangalore has taken a proactive approach to this, fostering an environment where students can thrive academically and emotionally. We have successfully devised strategies that can be beneficial for both parents and educators to support the students.
As the first IB Diploma Program (IBDP) School in Bangalore, CIS consistently ranks among the top IB schools in Bangalore. CIS students are empowered through this world-class education to become globally-minded contributors and leaders.
At the Canadian International School in Bangalore, we offer immersive, real-world education that nurtures diverse interests, passions, and skills, empowering students with a wide array of knowledge and experiences.
Discover Maanya's captivating journey into the depths, her dedication to Dive Against Debris, and the stunning underwater world she's exploring. Join us in preserving our precious Earth.
CIS celebrates compassion, action, fitness, and unity through the Terry Fox Run, empowering students, staff, and alumni to make a positive global impact.
A Heartfelt Initiative: CIS Student Club teaches English to school housekeeping staff, fostering inclusivity and breaking communication barriers for comfortable stakeholder interactions.
A wide misconception about mental illness is that it is only caused by external factors. This is not always the truth, as many times depression and other mental illnesses are passed down from generation to generation.
Learning by doing is the best way to learn! Experiential learning is all about immersing yourself in real-life situations to gain practical experience and enhance student thinking abilities. Check out this article on how it can help you apply your knowledge in the real world!
Canadian International School (CIS) is a top school in Bangalore with students and faculty members from over 40 nationalities. With such a large and diverse population, we believe that inclusivity helps students to become part of our community, develop a sense of belonging, and become better prepared for life in the community as children and adults.
Canadian International School (CIS) is a top school in Bangalore with students and faculty members from over 40 nationalities. With such a large and diverse population, we believe that inclusivity helps students to become part of our community, develop a sense of belonging, and become better prepared for life in the community as children and adults.
Technology is everywhere, it is intertwined with our day to day lives and it affects how we work, live, and function today. The future is unequivocally more technologically oriented and it has become vital to equip our students to be smart, digital citizens by the time they graduate from school.
Boarding at Canadian International School, Bangalore provides the right kind of balance for students. This video was created by our boarding students to give you a glimpse of life from a student’s perspective.
Testing in schools is perceived as an important measure of student learning and achievements. Testing can provide an objective way to compare student understanding, find learning gaps, and mark growth over time. But testing results can also be misrepresented student learning, be skewed both by performance and by marking bias, and in how results are interpreted.
Time is not the only issue nor the volume of the content. However, the core issue is memory. Whether you need to prepare for an exam, learn a new language, or if you want to stay mentally active, improving your memory is easier than it sounds. Memory is the process by which information and data are encoded, stored, and retrieved.
As a parent, choosing the right education system for your child is one of the most important decisions you can make. With a multitude of options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which one is the best fit for your child's needs. One option that has gained popularity in recent years is the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme.
Our school library is an imperative part of our school structure. Libraries and librarians facilitate the work of teachers by ensuring that each student has equitable access to resources, irrespective of home opportunities.
As a parent, it is natural to try and provide your child with the best possible options to enable them to become intellectual, independent, and responsible adults. Considering that we live in an ever-changing global scenario, parents now prefer access to an international curriculum in their home country without having to send their children to boarding schools overseas at a young age.
Cancer is a disease that affects us all, making it important for us to band together and pledge our support to the Terry Fox Run – a non-competitive family event to help raise awareness and funds for cancer research awareness.
There is now substantial evidence proving that student-athletes perform better academically than non-student-athletes. It is no longer a question of “if”, but more a question of “why”. So, why do student-athletes perform better academically?
It is unfortunate that these two critical aspects of education, academics and athletics, tend to be pitted against each other than realized for what they are – pillars that work together to create the moral fibre of today’s youth.
The Elementary school at Canadian International School (CIS) provides students with a collaborative and purposeful learning environment that supports independent learning through active involvement and engagement in their own learning process.
Canadian International School (CIS), one of the top international boarding schools in India offers a unique experience for students who live on campus. Here’s a look at the facilities we offer and the structure we follow.
Celebrations keep us happy and help us bond with those we share the positive experience with. With us having to stay away from each other, and promises or hopes that next year we’ll have a bigger party.
Terry Fox Started in 1980 by Terry Fox, the Terry Fox Run also known as the Marathon of Hope has helped raise awareness and nearly $715 million for cancer research. Today, the run has become synonymous with finding a ray of hope and passing it on, and 37 years on, the tradition still runs strong.
At CIS, we offer IB and IGCSE scholarships for deserving students, and while some operate on the premise that scholarships are primarily for students who are in dire need of financial assistance, the CIS scholarship is beneficial to any student for years following their receipt of the award.
Learning predominantly happens in the stimulating environment they are in through their active involvement and engagement that includes observation, listening, responding, exploring, asking questions, experimenting and doing things that stimulate all the senses.
All our IB students must complete and document their CAS program efforts from the start of IB1 throughout the IB2. The program includes documented evidence of participation in various experiences and at least one CAS project with a reasonable balance between creativity, activity, and service.
Kindergarten or Pre-School at Canadian International School (CIS) is a program specifically designed to help children from the ages of 3 to 6 to improve their existing skills and develop new ones. This includes Pre-Kindergarten (3 year olds), Junior Kindergarten (4 year olds), and Senior Kindergarten (5 year olds).
Kindergarten or Pre-school is a specialized educational program that utilizes play to help children between the ages of 3 to 6 develop mentally, physically, and socially. Kindergarten at Canadian International School (CIS), the best preschool in Bangalore, is a nurturing environment for young children, helping them transition from home to a school environment.
Students today face challenges and pressures that need additional support from when we were young and growing up. More and more, schools need to be equipped to assist students of all ages to cope better with the challenges of schools, transitioning from childhood to young adulthood, social media and so many other distractors in today’s world.
Technology has become part of the educational process, but is rarely integrated into a student’s learning experience. Integrating technology into a classroom means more than simply teaching basic computer skills and software programs.
CIS has excellent facilities that boarding students can use. Soccer is the most popular sport and the boarding students practice frequently in the mornings. Students also have access to a gym, pool, basketball, badminton court, and tennis court.
It is always important to participate in regular exercise. During pandemics like Covid-19, it may be even more important. It does not have to be vigorous and it doesn’t even have to be daily (though the latter does help), but regular exercise could be the difference in your immune system’s ability to fight off or effectively recover from Covid-19 or other illnesses.
Students learn to advocate for their ideas and themselves, take risks in attempting to do new things, and learning and growing from one’s mistakes. In fact, our students and teachers embrace the mistakes they make as pathways to learning and growth.
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India has one of the most acute shortages of blood supplies globally. To help address this grave healthcare challenge, four students from Canadian International School, Bengaluru, have kickstarted the Red Wave Initiative.
In an ever-changing world, it is imperative to equip students with continued experiences to be citizens of a global future. These experiences come from an education model that includes diverse narratives, qualities, and viewpoints, which facilitates an understanding of social pluralism.
Nevertheless, his spirit lives on through the Terry Fox Foundation and the Terry Fox runs hosted globally. Today, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised $850 million for cancer research and has 4 million supporters. Here, in Bangalore, India, nearly 11,600 km away from Terry’s starting point, his legacy is honored through Canadian International School’s Terry Fox Marathon.
Another year is here. The last year involved a lot of adjustments and adapting to new circumstances with an online school experience. The sudden changes may have led us to a place where we could not be certain about the near future. It is only natural to have concerns and mixed feelings about how this coming year will turn out for us and our families. To start this year, we thought of exploring ways in which we could model helpful attitudes to support our children in responding to sudden and difficult conditions.
We all have those things that we do that sparks joy in us (thank you Marie Kando for that phrase). It is more than “clearing out your closet joy” though, as gratifying as that can be. Turning languishing to thriving is more than accomplishing one thing, it is a steady march, sometimes uphill, sometimes coasting, towards a goal that you may never reach, but that brings you closer every day. In education we talk about this as process over product.
To discuss the topic of hope, would not mean we neglect our anxiety, but to make a choice to proactively think about how to make it through the future and to expand from mere optimism. When it comes to our children, let us look at hope as a learnable, measurable skill. This outlook can help us support them in finding success regardless of the situation.
It’s hard to believe that in 2021, we are still discussing how women today continue to struggle against inequality at a global scale. To think that as we are about to celebrate International Women’s Day, 2021, millions of girl children are still not allowed to attend school, thousands of young women are forced into marriage or labor at an early age, and the list goes on.
So far we have maintained an emphasis on self-care, especially during the time when there was an enmeshment of space. Our homes had become our workplace, a child’s school and a ‘wannabe’ restaurant all rolled into one.
Being impacted by grief during the pandemic has become commonplace. The grieving process is generally explained as the outward display of feelings over a significant loss, leading to a limited understanding when it comes to helping a grieving child/person. The grief experience is very unique for each person. Loss is not limited to death. It varies from the loss of time, space, a relationship, loss of celebrations, to even the loss of a misplaced object.
Almost every moment in our lives receives a label of either a positive or negative experience. Positive experiences or events like completing a large amount of work or enjoying a cup of hot tea in the rain are tucked away in a happy memory place either in the long-term or short-term and are brought out when we need a boost of confidence and calm. This also is the case when it comes to negative experiences, although it may not have such a positive impact on us because of the stress it causes.
An observation we have made as counselors during this remote learning period is that students find it difficult to stay motivated with ongoing tasks. This is not an issue faced only by students, most working professionals find this an issue with the virtual environment. Self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions and behavior in accordance with the demands of the situation.
Parents want their children to grow into confident and compassionate human beings. It is very important to find the right school that fits their child’s approach to learning; each child has a different personality, needs, and interests. Finding the right school with the “right fit” is essential.
Similar to happiness, purpose is not a destination, but a journey and practice. Purpose is an ongoing process that we create, and not something we seek. It is something we find within ourselves, recognize and cultivate rather than wait for it to come our way.
Being in a prolonged state of lockdown with safety protocols can lead to exhaustion and stress. How we respond to this state of compounded anxiety is key to looking after our own well being. According to an article by the American Psychological Association, “…exhaustion from worrying about the coronavirus pandemic since the start of the year is leading to COVID fatigue.”
Around 600 people made the Terry Fox Run a grand success. Canadian International School Bangalore held a virtual opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m. that morning to kickstart the event. Soon after the marathon finished, we received a lot of enthusiasm from various participants who shared tons of awesome pictures of their experiences! We were happy to see so many people take this challenge on with zeal.
How are children developing independence during remote learning? The home environment is starkly different from school. Children tend to be more comfortable depending on and receiving care from adults at home. When the home turns into school, where should the lines be drawn in order to foster student independence?
The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive marathon held across the world in tribute to Terry Fox, a late Canadian cancer research activist who desired to find a cure for cancer. ”I want to try the impossible and show it can be done”, he said as he started a Marathon of Hope to raise money for this cause. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his illness in June 1981, although having left an inspiring legacy that lives on until today.
Grit can be identified as a trait that embodies passion and perseverance to overcome obstacles and reach a difficult goal. It would be ideal if all children were motivated to work harder when challenges presented themselves. However, grit is present in different levels in different personalities.
Why mindfulness? You can’t focus on well-being if you can’t focus on the tools for mental wellness. Mindfulness is very pivotal to that. With virtual learning taking it’s pace, our homes have now turned into both a personal and a work space. This can be quite challenging and can turn into complex environments, where boundaries are difficult to maintain.
Sometimes we try to fill up the void with things so that we do not have to ‘take rest’. Rest sometimes activates voices that tell us that we are being lazy, we haven’t done enough or that it is not allowed. The disruption that the situation has brought upon us has at some level directed us into a place of discomfort.
When the world is struck with a difficult situation, the instinct to shield our children from the effects of it is completely understandable. All children are different. They need different information to feel safe, they look for a different level of detail and they are impacted by different parts of the story. Nobody will know your children better than you do, so it’s important to manage the conversation based on who they are, what they already know.
Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, at what point did this become a real problem? Threat perception includes a number of factors that elevate the available information. The purpose of finding a middle path is to ensure that we are moving forward irrespective of the situation getting better or worse.
The COVID-19 is on all our minds and we cannot deny how it has disrupted our routines. This disruption is not affecting just our students or families but it is also affecting the larger community that we live in. Anxiety is a normal, productive and valuable emotional response to the perception of threat. It is important to remember our children are looking towards us for reassurance and cues on how to react and respond.
Learning at CIS is a transformative process that leads to conceptual understanding, demonstration of competencies through application, and character development as seen through the CIS Core Values of Integrity, Joy, Respect, Caring, and Inspiration. It is defined by learning and focusing on the “3Cs” – Concept, Competencies, and Character. Students at CIS become active agents in their own learning, capable communicators and thinkers, and highly collaborative.
The Maker Space at CIS allows students to learn at a deeper level. It is a known fact that information and learning are retained more when students are engaged in creative thinking that connects to the subject. Experimenting and creating in the classroom leads to a maker mindset, which is an essential skill for living a full and successful life in the 21st century.
In places like the US and Canada, every Middle and High School student-athlete understands the concept of seasonal sports. You play, you train, and you compete for X weeks, then your season is over. If you have great passion and show substantial promise in the sport, there are a plethora of options to join clubs teams outside your respective season. You could play all year round if you want.
The Elementary School at CIS has a dedicated Technology integration specialist. The tech integration specialist works with classroom teachers and students to utilize technology to plan and implement learning supported by technology. Students learn to use technology under the supervision of adults while learning within the classroom; they also learn about being a good digital citizen, using technology ethically and responsibly. Colourful, creative, and engaging apps are integrated into our learning programs.
“Empowering Differently Abled Club”, an IB student-led club at Canadian International School (CIS), a top school in Bangalore, is aimed to raise awareness and help us understand the needs of those who have different disabilities. Ms. Sha Nigar, from the Association of People with Disabilities (APD) visited our club to aid our learning and understanding of people with disabilities.
“Empowering Differently Abled Club”, an IB student-led club at Canadian International School (CIS), a top school in Bangalore, is aimed to raise awareness and help us understand the needs of those who have different disabilities. Ms. Sha Nigar, from the Association of People with Disabilities (APD) visited our club to aid our learning and understanding of people with disabilities.
Many parents are concerned with the decline in the number of athletic programs offered by schools in India. Exposing children to physical activity at an early age greatly benefits their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. Studies also show that children participating in athletics from a young age are more likely to have a passion for physical activity throughout life.
Along with conceptual understanding, and developing competencies (skills) across a broad range of content, character development is of equal importance to teaching and learning at Canadian International School (CIS), a top school in Bangalore. Core Values are a fundamental part of the ethos of CIS. In an ever-changing world, we are constantly reminded of the importance of the core values that we practice and encourage within the school on a daily basis.
The Terry Fox Run in Bangalore is hosted at Canadian International School (CIS), one of the top schools in Bangalore. 100% of the funds raised through the run go towards research that can help find a cure for cancer. Here are 5 reasons why you should support cancer research and the Terry Fox Run at CIS.
With the creation of BAASC, CIS now has the opportunity to begin the process of joining a core division of FOBISIA. Being part of a core division means that the school can attend the annual games – an event in which four school teams travel to one location to participate in soccer, basketball, swimming, and track and field events over the span of 4-5 days against five other international schools.
One of the primary benefits of integrating iPad’s into the classroom is that it enables students to develop skills essential for the 21st century. Modern learning is about collaborating with others, solving complex problems, critical thinking, communication, and increasing productivity. iPads can also help develop many practical skills, including creating presentations, learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the Internet, and maintaining proper online etiquette.
The global scenario is changing and parents are looking for an education that emphasizes a hands-on learning experience both inside and outside of the classroom. Experiential learning accentuates learning in a way that students are able to construct meaning based on their own experiences and their own unique perspectives. This type of learning is called Contextual Learning (CL), an important part of the Elementary, Middle, and High School curriculum at Canadian International School (CIS), a top school in Bangalore.
CIS’ Alumni Association is a wonderful platform for graduates around the world to stay connected with each other and build a network to boost connections. We offer multiple opportunities for our alumni to rub shoulders with one another at school events and other functions. It is the perfect opportunity to expand professional connections and meet new people.
Learning music teaches students about delayed gratification. Playing an instrument or practising music teaches our students to persevere through hours, months, and sometimes years of practice before they reach specific goals. The CIS music program incorporates the following components: Creating and performing music, Learning forms and cultural contexts, Music in advertising (jingles), Reflecting on music education, Responding to and analyzing music
Students today face challenges and pressures that need additional support from when we were young and growing up. More and more, schools need to be equipped to assist students of all ages to cope better with the challenges of schools, transitioning from childhood to young adulthood, social media and so many other distractors in today’s world. Counselling is designed to give students a healthy outlet to safely discuss their problems, work together to resolve conflicts, improve behaviour, and help with social development.
Technology in the classroom is a major tool as a pedagogical resource and in connecting with and engaging younger generations. As tech usage is increasingly adopted by educational institutes, it plays an integral role in revolutionizing education as we know it. Today, technology and education are a great combination if used together with the right reason and vision.
Opting to be environmentally-friendly is not just a prerequisite in today’s world, it’s a mandate. Owing to rampant pollution and dwindling quality of life, it has become necessary to take actions towards a cleaner, greener future. As one of the top international schools in Bangalore, our vision at Canadian International School (CIS) is to set an example for our students, faculty, and families by incorporating practices that can cut down our carbon footprint.
We have become a technologically oriented world. Today, various forms of technology are routinely used in classrooms, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. To accompany this hardware, there are many educational software packages, online databases, and mobile applications available to educators that aid in the teaching and learning process.
High school at CIS consists of the four critical years before students enter college. It’s also a time when students start learning about life, developing their interests, and discovering who they are. At CIS, we have the IGCSE curriculum for grade 9 and 10, and the IBDP curriculum for grade 11 and 12. The choice of curricula was established because the Cambridge curriculum helps students build a solid base for the higher grades and the IBDP provides a holistic education.
The first few years of education and preparedness in kindergarten/preschool classrooms (ages 3-6) are the most crucial for young learners to establish a deep love of learning and to nurture their innate curiosity. Too often, schools focus on rote learning and drilling the alphabet at ages too early for young minds to retain, only to be retaught at older grades.
Learning is a broad concept that goes beyond the four walls of the classroom. Establishing well-rounded experiences for students only occurs with a steady balance of academic development, artistic, cognitive, and character development inside and outside the classroom. CIS, a top school in Bangalore, integrates co-curricular activities into the curriculum to help students develop a holistic mindset with a lot of interesting and important experiences outside the traditional classroom.
Students that are part of the MUN club at CIS engage in an authentic simulation of the United Nations by learning about the system, the skills of debate, compromise, conflict resolution, and negotiation. MUN team members also have fun learning about the workings of world diplomacy through the lens of current world events!
CIS is an active promoter for the use of technology in the classroom to aid learning. Teachers frequently lead and participate in workshops in and outside the school campus to learn and adapt to teaching with technology. TechConX, the annual technology conference held at CIS is one of the biggest PD days at school.
CIS is a school where students can select areas of study where there are teachers to guide them through activities and topics of interest and prepare them for the future. Learning here isn’t solely judged by test scores, but on more authentic forms of performance that indicate a student’s true learning and understanding.
Multicultural classrooms are classrooms that embrace diversity and incorporate ideas, beliefs, or people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Several cultural perspectives are put together to enable students to get a truly international education.
CIS’ TechConX, the annual conference dedicated to exploring and discussing ideas on integrating technology into the classroom, returns for another year. It is a professional development opportunity for teachers, educators, and specialists in the field of education, enabling them to discover, discuss, share, and showcase this integration.