Western Academy of Beijing

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Western Academy of Beijing 北京京西国际学校
Western Academy of Beijing logo
Location
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
10 Laiguangying East Rd. Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102[1] China
Coordinates	40°01′18″N 116°30′38″E / 40.021576°N 116.510444°E / 40.021576; 116.510444
Information
Type	International IB World School, Non-profit, Independent, Private School
Religious affiliation(s)	Nonsectarian
Founded	1994
Director	Dr. Marta Medved Krajnovic
Deputy Director	John D'Arcy
Division Principals	Angela Steinmann (ES), Marina Frias-Gavidia (MS), Melanie Vrba (HS)
Grades	Nursery–12
Enrollment	1,400
Student to teacher ratio	8:1
Campus type	Large Private Campus
Color(s)	Red,  black,  yellow
Athletics conference	ACAMIS, APAC, Tri-Cities, China Cup, ISAC
Mascot	Tigers
Annual tuition	$49,000 USD
Website	wab.edu
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Founded in 1994 Western Academy of Beijing (WAB, simplified Chinese: 北京京西国际学校; traditional Chinese: 北京京西國際學校; pinyin: Běijīng Jīngxī Guójì Xuéxiào^[2][3]) is an international school located in Beijing.^[4] The school provides education from Early Years 3 to Grade 12. WAB uses the IB PYP (IB Primary Years Program) until Grade 5, IB MYP (IB Middle Years Program) up to and including Grade 10, and the IB DP (IB Diploma Program) for Grades 11 and 12.

WAB was an Olympic Educational Model School for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Out of the 500 schools across China, who were awarded by Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games as an Olympic Educational Model School, WAB was among the top 120 schools.^[5]

In 2013 Mike Embley, the headmaster of the British School of Beijing (BSB), stated that along with BSB and the International School of Beijing (ISB), WAB was one of the top three English-language international schools in Beijing, all having long waiting lists.^[6] Citing Embley's definition of two lower tiers of Beijing Anglophone international schools which have vacant student spaces, Tristan Bunnell, the author of The Changing Landscape of International Schooling: Implications for Theory and Practice, stated that this was an instance of the idea of " 'superior' and 'inferior' schools" shared by teachers and parents.^[7]

Facilities[]

WAB has an Early Childhood Center, Elementary School, Middle School and High School. Each school section has a dedicated building, and the HUB Sports, Arts & Technology Center is a shared facility in the center of the campus. The school has three libraries: the Sabina Brady Library (ES), the Red Scroll Library (MS), and the Green Sky Studio (HS). Other facilities include:

• Three gymnasiums
• Eight sub-gymnasiums
• One swimming pool
• Fitness center (known as the Adrenaline)
• Certified outdoor field (one full-length football/soccer/rugby field, and three smaller fields)
• Athletics track
• Tiger L'Air, an air-supported, clean-air dome including indoor tennis courts
• Indoor and outdoor basketball courts
• Vertex climbing walls
• Five theaters (Founders', Blue, OOB, Space, HS Amphitheater)
• Three libraries
• Computer laboratories
• Forty science laboratories
• Two photography and editing studios
• Music, dance and drama studios
• Soundproof recording studios
• Live broadcast studio
• Three TV/Video production studios (WABTV News)
• Specialist classrooms, such as languages, technology, learning kitchens, arts and learning support
• Dining courts, cafes and lounges (Lotus Lounge, Atrium, Galleri, Wild Ginger, Link, Koi Garden)
• Two PTA supply stores
• Five elevators (all accessible to students)
• Large on-field scoreboard/monitor
• 3 Apple-authorized help desks
• Properties and securities building
• WAB Wild (camp) office
• Peace Park
• Prototype learning spaces created by the studio of Rosan Bosch to support the Theory of Knowledge curriculum^[8]

Technology[]

WAB offers a 1:1 laptop environment (for grade 3–12) with wireless access across the school. Students in grade 6 and up are required by the school to purchase and use their own Apple MacBook. The school uses software for things such as submitting homework, which is mainly done on Microsoft Teams for middle and high school. Drupal-powered public news sites and community portals are also integrated into regular school life.^{[citation needed]}

The high school's Tiger Sports Network (TSN) also provides a livestream to watch most sporting matches, performances, parent meetings and assemblies.

WABX[]

WABX is WAB's extra-curricular program, offer more than 400 athletic, art, service, academic and social options to students school-wide. WAB participates in multiple interscholastic sporting competitions, including the ACAMIS (Association of Chinese And Mongolian International Schools), ISAC (International Schools Association in China), Tri-Cities (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai), China Cup, EARCOS and APAC (Asian Pacific Athletic Conference). Sports include: rugby, football (soccer), tennis, badminton, cross country, track and field, volleyball, basketball, swimming, baseball, table tennis, and softball.^[9]

The arts[]

WAB has an arts program that engages students of all grade levels and levels of experience. WAB offers options for chorus, band and orchestra, drama options including original and classic musicals and plays; as well as visual arts. All are available as part of the IB curriculum, electives, or as after-school activities.^{[citation needed]}

Student life[]

The school has many global citizenship projects, which are actively involved in the local, national and the international community.^{[citation needed]} Each division (Elementary School, Middle School and High School) has its own student government, known as the "Student Council" or "StuCo" for short.^{[citation needed]}

WAB also has many extra-curricular clubs such as:

• Allen Wang Foundation
• Chinese Culture Club
• Fetch
• Etch+
• Friday Nite Lites (FNL)
• Geek Force
• Global Issues Network (GIN)
• Graphite Designs
• Hip-hop Club
• H. Wang Student's Board (H. Wang SB)
• LGBT+ Spectrum Club
• Model United Nations (MUN)
• soups & toots
• Tedx Club - hosts
• The International Thespian Society
• Ultimate Frisbee Club
• World Scholars Cup (WSC)
• Vita Brevis Literary Society
• Yearbook Club
• TEAM 10

Accreditation[]

WAB is accredited by many associations, such as:

• International Schools Athletic Conference (ISAC)
• The International Baccalaureate (IBO)^[10]
• National Center for Curriculum and Textbook Development (NCCT)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
• Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS)
• The Council of International Schools (CIS)
• East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS)
• Tri-Cities Association Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai (Tri-Cities 北京，广州，上海)
• Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC).^[11]

References[]

External links[]

• Western Academy of Beijing
• WABX - WAB's Extra Curricular Activities