School type Private Campus Urban Mascot Bear Founded 2007 Gender Mixed-sex education | Enrollment 304 Website stpaulamerican.org Number of students 304 Color Maroon and gold | |
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Head of school Principal Patrick Carey Athletics conference Beijing Area Sports Exchange (BASE) | ||
Saint Paul American School Beijing (SPAS; 北京圣保罗美国学校) is a private English-language boarding school in Haidian District, Beijing, aimed at grades 7-12 students from the expatriate community of Beijing, and international exchange students.
Contents
St. Paul American School is part of the Nacel International School System, with sister schools in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, Korea, Philippines, and France. Students receive US curriculum instruction in English leading to a diploma from Saint Paul American School (Nacel International School System), and will be provided with courses in Chinese language, culture and history. The dual diploma offers students an opportunity to take advantage of learning in the American school system and explore Chinese language, culture, and history. Scholarships are available.
Academics
Saint Paul American School offers a variety of courses designed for each grade and English level. Independent studies are available with a pre-approved written plan, teacher, and principal approval. All students are placed in their classes according to their grade and English ability.
Staff and student body
The school has 22 foreign teachers, 12 Chinese teachers, an American principal, and English speaking office / dormitory staff members. Currently, it hosts about 300 students from nearly 20 different countries, including the Australia, Brazil, Central African Republic - CAR, China, Congo, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, and United States.
Facilities
SPAS is located in the Beijing Olympic Village Area of the Haidian High Technology District. This college-prep campus, located near the Olympic park, is a boarding school program with two dormitory buildings, library, laboratory, computer and technology center, full-sized gym, Olympic-sized (50 meter) swimming pool, cafeteria and other facilities on campus. An outdoor multi-purpose court with a running track, basketball courts, and soccer field is accessible to students.
Academic year and day
The SPAS academic year consists of two semesters with a vacations schedule that is a hybrid of the American and Chinese calendar. The first semester starts in late August and ends in January with a Christmas break in December. The second semester starts after Chinese New Year in February and runs until June.
Student publications
Students at Saint Paul American School self-publish an annual Yearbook and a student-run Newsletter. Additionally, the school website features some of the best student work on its student work page[1], including student art work[2], student speeches[3], student created websites[4] and student performances[5].