Saigon South International School
Encyclopedia
Saigon South International School (SSIS) is a non-profit pre-school to grade 12 international school
located in Ho Chi Minh City
, Vietnam
.
SSIS offers an Accredited American curriculum accredited by the United States
-based Western Association of Schools and Colleges
.
to accommodate an increasing need for American education for both local residents and expatriate
families. Located in the quickly growing Phu My Hung Urban Area
, SSIS is just two and a half miles south of the current city center - District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
,Vietnam.
Today, SSIS enrolls over 750 students from over thirty-three countries. The professionally certified and experienced teachers are career educators. Most come from North America
, Australia
and the United Kingdom
and as specialists in their subject area, over 70% hold advanced educational degrees. More than 65% have more than 12 years teaching experience.
SSIS offers an American standards-based curriculum, augmented by the rigorous Advanced Placement Program (AP) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
(IBD), in the high school.
In recent years students graduated from SSIS have continued their university education in leading schools in the US such as Brown University, U Penn, and UC Berkeley.
Unlike a uniform which can be taken off at the end of the day, the core values are attributes
which will remain with our students for the rest of their lives. They are the cornerstone of
their educational experience at SSIS.
SSIS believes in and promotes:
The other two school buildings contain two libraries for elementary and middle, an auditorium, a double-sized gymnasium for 2 basketball
courts, a swimming pool
and a shared cafeteria
. The outside playing fields have 3 football (soccer)
fields, and separate play areas for the early childhood program and elementary students.
A 1:1 laptop program in the high school combined with a 1:1 netbook program in the middle school ensure that SSIS students obtain 21st century skills.
Right adjacent to SSIS, Phu My Hung Corporation has built the Lawrence S. Ting Memorial School, a leading junior/senior high school for the Vietnamese.
The major clubs and activities are:
International school
An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national...
located in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
SSIS offers an Accredited American curriculum accredited by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
.
Profile
Saigon South International School was founded in 1997 by the Phu My Hung CorporationPhu My Hung Corporation
Phu My Hung Corporation is a joint venture between the CT&D Group of Taiwan and City Government of Ho Chi Minh City Phu My Hung is one of the largest urban infrastructure developer in Vietnam. Founded in 1993 by its founding chairman, Lawrence S...
to accommodate an increasing need for American education for both local residents and expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
families. Located in the quickly growing Phu My Hung Urban Area
Phu My Hung Urban Area
Phu My Hung New City Center is a new urban area in District 7, Saigon, Vietnam. The new urban area covers an area of 750 hectares.Phu My Hung has set a high standard for urban planning and development in Vietnam. Unlike most disordered urban areas in the country, Phu My Hung features improved urban...
, SSIS is just two and a half miles south of the current city center - District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
District 1 is the central urban district of Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam. With a total area of the District has a population of 204,899 people . The district is divided into 10 small subsets which are called wards. District 1 is where most of the city's administrative offices,...
,Vietnam.
Today, SSIS enrolls over 750 students from over thirty-three countries. The professionally certified and experienced teachers are career educators. Most come from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and as specialists in their subject area, over 70% hold advanced educational degrees. More than 65% have more than 12 years teaching experience.
SSIS offers an American standards-based curriculum, augmented by the rigorous Advanced Placement Program (AP) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
(IBD), in the high school.
In recent years students graduated from SSIS have continued their university education in leading schools in the US such as Brown University, U Penn, and UC Berkeley.
Mission statement
SSIS is a college preparatory school committed to the intellectual and personal development of each student in preparation for a purposeful life as a global citizen.Core values
Saigon South International School’s core values play a vital role in each student’s daily life.Unlike a uniform which can be taken off at the end of the day, the core values are attributes
which will remain with our students for the rest of their lives. They are the cornerstone of
their educational experience at SSIS.
SSIS believes in and promotes:
- Academic Excellence
- Sense of Self
- Dedicated Service
- Balance in Life
- Respect for All
Facilities
Saigon South International School has a large, 6-hectare campus with three main buildings that will accommodate approximately 850 students in Early Childhood 3 (EC3) – Grade 12. The new purpose built high school building was completed in January 2011 and includes general classrooms, purpose built science labs, a library, a gymnasium, and changing/locker rooms .The other two school buildings contain two libraries for elementary and middle, an auditorium, a double-sized gymnasium for 2 basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts, a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and a shared cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
. The outside playing fields have 3 football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
fields, and separate play areas for the early childhood program and elementary students.
A 1:1 laptop program in the high school combined with a 1:1 netbook program in the middle school ensure that SSIS students obtain 21st century skills.
Right adjacent to SSIS, Phu My Hung Corporation has built the Lawrence S. Ting Memorial School, a leading junior/senior high school for the Vietnamese.
Extra curricular activities
SSIS offers a range of programs and activities beyond the classroom.The major clubs and activities are:
- Student Council
- Athletics: basketball, volleyball, soccer, badminton, tennis, and swimming, where the students compete against other schools in the Mekong River International Schools Association (MRISA Sports Exchange)
- Visual Arts, with projects for fundraising events, and an exhibition at the end of the school year
- Music, with two performances per school year for Elementary, and taking part in the MRISA Cultural Exchange for Middle School and High School students
- Dance, with two dance teams, and regular performances throughout the school year
- Fundraising initiatives
- Operation Smile Club
- Global Issues Group
- Many other such as ballet, badminton, soccer, basketball, art club, swim club, computer club, cooking, crafts, math games, board games, digital animation, newspaper, origami, sewing, chess, piano, martial arts and writing, offered by the staff and community members.