As the excitement of a new school year begins to fill the corridors of BCIS, new students eagerly await the beginning of their BCIS journey. Aware that for some starting a new school can present a challenge, here at BCIS we enthusiastically embrace this challenge by warmly welcoming and preparing new students for the wonderful experience that awaits them!

This year, BCIS is welcoming over 200 students who will be joining classes across the ECC, Elementary and Secondary School. As with previous years, in order to best familiarize new students with their new learning environment and prepare them for the year ahead, for two weeks preceding the beginning of the new semester a dedicated team of teachers led the Xperience summer camp program.

Elementary students attending the camp were immersed in a variety of creative projects, such as making inventions from recycled materials in the MakerSpace to cooking up tasty treats in the kitchen. These were not only fun ways to encourage students to enjoy their learning, but also developed their collaboration and communication skills as they went along. This learning process is illustrative of the unique BCIS Primary Years Program, especially its emphasis on inquiry, self-directed learning and open classroom environment.

For Secondary School students, they began the summer camp with a series of ice-breaker games that encouraged them not only to better get to know their peers but also gain a deeper understanding of themselves. Following this, students made a visit to the 798 Art Zone to seek out inspiration for their final projects, which required them to create a response to one of life's greatest questions: "Who Am I?" Back on campus, students took personality questionnaires which assigned them each a range of colors representative of their individual characteristics. Using this information, students had free range to use recycled materials and technological devices to create projects expressing their answers to the question, which were then presented to BCIS parents and community members.

Steven Selkirk, Xperience Program Coordinator and MYP & DP English Teacher commented on this year's program, saying "Throughout the two-week program, I saw students that were engaged in meaningful activities under the guidance of a great team of teachers and assistants. It's become such an essential part of welcoming new students to the BCIS community and helping them transition to a new learning environment." Over the two weeks, the Xperience summer camp program aims to ensure the smooth transition for new students entering the school, prepare them for the exciting year ahead and provide a memorable experience and friendships that last long into the future.