School News

How Oasis International School Nurtures Students For A Lifetime Of Success (Academics)

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Apr 22, 2022

It goes without saying that education is an essential part of a child’s life. For parents, choosing where to send their children to school is one of the biggest and most challenging decisions to make. In today’s fast-moving world, parents understand that good education does not simply include academics, but instead a holistic education that equips children with the necessary tools to succeed in the world. 

While good grades are important, high school graduates often experience numerous non-academic challenges after leaving school, further underlining the importance of life skills. Oasis International School understands that academics is just one part of the equation, with extracurricular activities and life skills making up the other important part.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn forever.”

The above is the mantra of Oasis International School, and it has served it well over the years, with students excelling not just academically but also socially and emotionally. 

“We want to ensure students leave with skills and experiences that will help them in the future,” says Ben Hale, Head of School. “Some may be here for only a year, while some of our students might be here for all of their schoolings. In the end, we want our students to be able to leave having gained more skills and knowledge to face the world, and to interact with the world well at different ages.”

Set on a lush 12-acre campus in Bandar Rimbayu, Selangor, Oasis International School (OIS) is a U.S. curriculum-based international school catered to students from Kindergarten through 12th grade, preparing them for success in university and beyond with their dynamic programs in academics and arts. 

American Education System 

One of the things that is different about the American education system is that every school has the opportunity to create its unique pathway of teaching within the prescribed standards. In OIS, the curriculum is built from standards that have been widely adopted by schools across the United States. This enables OIS to identify ideal learning targets for students and ensure they are getting a competitive and highly rigorous education. 

“Our curriculum has been designed by the teachers here in our school to help students achieve high learning targets. Once we have set the targets, we’re able to design classes that will offer the skills and knowledge that are important in the context of Malaysia and the international setting,” says Rebecca Unruh, Director of Curriculum.

Parents are usually undecided when it comes to American and British education systems, but there is one thing that makes the American system different from its counterpart. The British system often measures students’ capability at the end of term, where there’ll be exams that determine their grade for the entire year. In contrast, the American system places a strong emphasis on ongoing assessments. 

“We do checkpoints along the way, and that helps us catch struggling students before they get to the end and get really low marks,” explains Rebecca. “This helps us  intervene early. We also place a great emphasis on using projects, other performances and demonstrations of skills so that students can apply them in the context of what they are taught throughout the year.” 

	British Education System	American Education System
Measure of student’s growth	Measures students’ capability at the end of the term	Conducts ongoing assessments to identify struggling students
Grade	Based mostly on the final exam	Based on the overall performance on all assignments

This way, teachers get a more comprehensive, holistic view of what the students know, and it allows them to tailor instructions accordingly to ensure no student gets left behind in their learning.

“If we see a student struggling, our teachers can jump in and provide extra help, or sometimes when we see a student getting the information quite easily, we can even provide more challenging tasks,” says Rebecca.

Learning Made Superior With Technology

When it comes to learning, OIS utilizes technology to ensure each student on campus has deeper and more meaningful learning. Thus, in elementary and middle school, students are given iPads and have access to the computer lab, while high school students have an iPad and Macbook. Meanwhile, teachers are also equipped with Apple devices and each classroom has an Apple TV that enables teachers to display instructional material for a quality learning experience. 

With the aid of rich technology usage and certified teachers, students are in capable hands as they are guided by professionals who are highly capable in supporting them in their learning journey.

OIS understands each student learns differently, hence, it designs learning experiences based on the needs of each student.

“At the lower grades, students will often rotate to a variety of centers, where they’ll work with a teacher and in small groups of 3-5,” explains Rebecca. “Throughout high school, a lot of students will have the opportunity to learn something new and would have time to practise with the support of a teacher.”

This meticulous approach is effective in ensuring the students are challenged academically, while urging them to think critically and creatively upon encountering any discussion or situation.

To ensure your child gets the most out of their education, visit Oasis International School to check out its comprehensive curriculum. 

Apart from academics, OIS also places a strong emphasis on soft skills and life skills. To know how Oasis International School cultivates these skills in its students, check out Part 2.