Welcome to the Middle School at QSI Shenzhen!
Middle school is such an exciting time in the life of any student. We understand that middle school students stand on the bridge between childhood and young adulthood, and we know it takes a caring, structured approach to guide the middle school student toward successes that they will carry with them to secondary school.
Kaitlin Eckart
Director of Instruction
kaitlin-eckart@shenzhen.qsi.org
Mathematics and Science
Mathematics and science courses are critical in today’s world. Like all QSI Shenzhen courses, mathematics and science textbooks are published in the United States, and are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Children are scientists by nature, with inherent curiosity and enthusiasm. QSI Shenzhen courses build on this 
interest by combining hands-on experiences with reflective discussions, reading, writing and drawing. Students observe, measure, collect, categorize, predict, record, and interpret scientific concepts. At the Main Campus, we offer secondary mathematics courses for students who excel in mathematics. Students are placed according to their abilities and prior knowledge in mathematics to ensure a rigorous and challenging curriculum that prepares them for their future studies in mathematics.
Literacy and Intensive English
English is vital for student learning in all subjects. For this reason QSI Shenzhen adds extra instructors in both reading and writing courses to ensure students get the instruction they need at the level they need. QSI Shenzhen Main Campus has an extensive Intensive English program to support students still developing their fluency in English. Specially trained teachers are hired to support our Intensive English population; the curriculum targets mastery in English reading, writing, listening and speaking. Mainstream Literacy courses are aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Our reading curriculum trains students to be cognitive readers who continually apply strategies when reading such as making connections, predicting, determining importance, and synthesizing. Students are exposed to a variety of genres including: fiction, nonfiction, short story, poetry, drama, etc. We closely monitor students’
progress in writing, and evaluate students on ideas, organization, word choice, voice, convention, sentence fluency, and presentation in writing. Strong academic writing is a focus of our school, and thus we measure student progress bi-annually through school-wide writing assessments. Our campus has a beautiful and extensive library and we encourage all of our students to find a lifelong love for reading!
Technology
Modern technology is continually evolving, and we strive to support our students in utilizing technology effectively to facilitate learning. Students of all ages engage in courses that teach and facilitate growth in word processing, internet functionality and safety, creativity and design. Our technology teachers are trained in Project-Based Learning, and engage students in experiences that are complex, relevant, and authentic. Students engage in such projects as: a daily student broadcast called DragonTV, yearbook creation and film animation. You will find that QSI Shenzhen students have a passion to continually expand their technology toolkit, and that technology is integrated throughout our school.
Physical Education
QSI Shenzhen Main Campus has an indoor gym and full access to outside facilities. All QSI Shenzhen students at Main Campus attend Physical Education (PE) courses 2 to 3 times weekly. This course prepares students to live active and healthy lifestyles, now and in the future. Students will be assigned PE T-shirts annually to be worn to all PE classes.
Art and Music
Every student at QSI Shenzhen Main Campus attends Art and Music classes 2 to 3 times per week. We offer two music course options: general music and instrumental music. General music explores a variety of mediums such as singing, ukuleles, guitars, xylophones, drums, etc. Students do not need any prior musical knowledge for this course. Instrumental music gives students the opportunity to develop their skills playing wind instruments. For 9- to 10-year-old students, no musical experience is necessary. However, older students need to come with some prior knowledge or an exceptionally strong motivation to go above and beyond to learn. Our music instructors are highly qualified and prepare students for two performances each year. Our art program at QSI continues to expand and prepares students well for high school art courses. Professional instructors implement a wide-ranging art program that include drawing, painting, sculpture, and pottery. This course has a strong focus on critique and students learn how to view and analyze art, a valuable life skill.
Foreign Languages
QSI Shenzhen Main Campus currently has two language offerings: Chinese and Spanish. QSI Shenzhen provides the opportunity for students to learn Chinese from professional Chinese instructors at all levels, from beginners to native speakers. We also offer Introductory Spanish courses. Foreign language classes are held five days a week. In addition to learning a new language, each course also introduces students to the culture, history and customs of the languages countries of origin.
Extracurricular Activities
Our 11- to 13-year-old students are invited to take part in our wide selection of after-school athletics. QSI Shenzhen students are very active and we believe lessons learned outside the classroom are just as valuable as those learned during the academic school day. Great relationships are formed between students, and between students and faculty. We are a competitive school, but more important, our students regularly win Sportsmanship Awards for their teamwork, positive attitudes and politeness at tournaments. We also offer a variety of other extracurricular activities in the form of clubs, including: drama, Model United Nations (MUN), debate, DragonTV—a student daily televised broadcast for announcements, National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), Math Olympiads, and more.
Success Orientations
Main Campus has monthly assemblies to focus on each of QSI Shenzhen’s success orientations: Independent Endeavor, Kindness/Politeness, Aesthetic Appreciation, Trustworthiness, Concern for Others, Responsibility, Group Interaction. All QSI Shenzhen students are expected to successfully embrace these seven character traits that we believe lead to lifelong success for all of our alumni.
Matriculation to QSI Shenzhen’s Secondary Program (Sec. I-IV years)
Students must gain or maintain a certain level of English language fluency during their middle school years in order to qualify to continue on to QSI Shenzhen’s Secondary School (high school, Sec. I, II, III, and IV years). Students and parents will be informed by the Intensive English Coordinator and the Director of Instruction if the student is at risk of not demonstrating the required English fluency. Students who join QSI Shenzhen for the first time during middle school (11, 12, and 13 year-old years) and who need Intensive English support will sign a waiver that states that the understand the requirements necessary to gain entrance to the Secondary program. Students who do not meet the requirement by spring of the 13 year-old year will need to seek other education options outside QSI Shenzhen.