Academic Excellence | CIS Teaching & Research Week: Uniting for the New School Year
The first step of the new school year begins with our teachers coming together to connect and learn.
To help new colleagues integrate quickly and to align the direction and goals of the entire faculty, CIS hosted a two-week, all-staff orientation before the start of the semester.
Focused on Academic Excellence × Caring Community, the program combined a series of training sessions and exchanges to lay a solid foundation for effective collaboration and high-quality teaching in the year ahead.
Group Photo of All Teachers
Head of School Nathan once again guided all teachers to gain a deeper understanding of the development journey of the Canadian International Education Organization (CIEO) and CIS. He reaffirmed the school’s vision — “Innovate Today, Lead Tomorrow” — and its unique characteristic of “Academic Excellence, Caring Community.”
He also emphasized the school’s core values — Collaborate, Innovate, Succeed — encouraging every teacher to integrate these values into their classrooms and daily work.
Nathan stated that exceptional teaching stems from a clear service vision and a high standard of service culture.
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Service Vision – Defining what “legendary teaching” means at CIS Foshan, and how teachers want students and parents to describe their class.
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Service Culture – Seeing every student as a valued customer, empowering teachers to act creatively, and celebrating service wins to build a positive, collaborative environment.
Service Recovery – Handling mistakes with sincere apologies, deep listening, quick problem-solving, and going the extra mile to turn challenges into opportunities for trust and growth.
Through group discussions and case sharing, teachers connected the concept of a “legendary culture” with their daily practice, creating learning experiences that are both warm and deeply impactful for students.
Following the all-staff meeting, each division moved into more focused training and discussions.
ECE
The ECE Coordinator, Kole, led the team to build consensus in areas such as team building, curriculum planning, and timetable refinement.
They also established a solid foundation of standards for the new school year, focusing on phonics assessments, classroom expectations, communication protocols, display board arrangements, and professional conduct guidelines.
Elementary School
Under the guidance of Academic Vice Principal Kevin, the Elementary Division teachers engaged in an in-depth review of the Alberta curriculum’s year-long plan, refining the activity calendar and communication mechanisms. Sessions were held on the implementation and application of reading,writing, and IXL assessments, enabling teachers to leverage data for more targeted and effective instruction.
Meanwhile, IB PYP Coordinator Michelle led a dedicated workshop on IB teaching philosophy and unit design, guiding teachers in effectively integrating inquiry-based learning and cross-disciplinary connections into the curriculum.
Secondary school
Under the leadership of Secondary School Principal Pradeep, the team first clarified the annual teaching goals and personal development objectives, aligning workflows and communication standards.
In addition, Pradeep delivered an in-depth session on MYP teaching, supporting teachers in refining inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary unit design. He also addressed Student Support Services and the Pastoral Program, further enhancing the academic, emotional, and behavioral support systems to ensure a safe, caring, and effective learning environment for all students.
This series of division-specific training sessions has laid a solid foundation for classroom quality and team collaboration in the new CIS academic year.
Over the course of two weeks, the Teacher Orientation enabled all CIS faculty to grow in vision, skills, and teamwork.
On August 25, as the new school year begins, the CIS teaching team will carry a shared mission and passion to deliver an educational experience that embodies both Academic Excellence and Caring Community.
We believe that with a team committed to continuous learning and mutual support, the 2025–2026 academic year at CIS will be filled with even more achievements and memorable moments.