Stamford American International School Students reflect on their first year

The opening of Stamford American International School in Hong Kong last September was a pretty big deal in the city’s education scene. The school, which offers an American standards-based curriculum, initially catered for students from pre-primary to Grade 7, and is expanding to include Grade 8 in the coming academic year. It will ultimately provide education up to Grade 12, with students having a choice of graduating with either the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program or an American high school diploma.

Stamford has been of much interest to families in Hong Kong, as it offers a tailored approach to education, with individualised learning plans for students. They also have a unique, problem-based STEMinn (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Innovation) Program, daily classes in Mandarin and Spanish and a huge range of co-curricular activities. As their first academic year draws to a close, who better to give some insights into Stamford and the year that was than from students themselves? Grade 7 students Tanya and Samuel, both aged 13, share what it was like to be part of the foundation classes of Stamford.

Stamford American International School students Samuel and Tanya — Samuel and Tanya were part of the foundation classes at Stamford

What are some favourite memories from school this year?

Sam: One of my favourite memories was the boat building. The boat building was a unique experience because we got to use different materials that I never knew existed and that I never used before and also we got to race our boats and see the result of all of our work.

Tanya: Mine was taking care of all the little kids. I have always had a passion for child care so being given the opportunity to carry out my dream was surreal.

How did you feel on your first day of school at Stamford? How do you feel now?

Sam: I felt welcomed by everyone in class and even outside of my class. It was a nice experience and really exciting.

Tanya: It feels the same. People in the class are witty and funny, being with them makes all of us laugh a lot.

What were some things that you didn’t expect this year at Stamford?

Sam: I didn’t expect some of the amazing projects that we had to do such as the boat and the boat racing. All of our projects were excellent and helped me learn much quicker than just by reading straight from a textbook.

Tanya: I did not expect so much freedom. Since I was young, I loved to take care of little children and Stamford gave me the opportunity to do what I want to do. During lunch, I used to go down to the canteen to help out.

What do you think you learned this year at school?

Sam: This year at school my knowledge increased in math, science, Chinese, and humanities. In English, we also learned how to write an argumentative essay which will also help us for the future.

Tanya: I learned a lot about the world around us and current affairs.

Are there any other memories you want to share?

Tanya: During camp, it became so normal for me to step out of the dorm and see my friends. The camp environment was not superb but the friendships that blossomed were.