Hillcrest International School

Hillcrest International School (HIS) is a Christian K-12 educational institution that serves the international community in and around Papua, Indonesia. The student population of the school currently numbers around 160 students, approximately 60 of whom are in the high school alone. The school is a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and offers a standard US curriculum-based course of study. Each day has eight periods and goes for seven and a half hours, starting at 7:30am and ending at 3:00pm.

Outdoor Education

One of the school's trademark activities is a program known as Outdoor Education (OE). During the second semester (around January and February), the entire high school student body and a number of the faculty travel to a remote location somewhere in Papua. For two weeks the students and faculty serve the local people of the area by doing community service projects, hosting kid's clubs, and leading worship services in local churches. The students sometimes live with the people in their homes. In addition, the students are encouraged to interact with the local people and learn about their culture, history, and society. Upon their return to HIS, each student writes an anthropology paper and a journal based upon their notes and their experiences during the two weeks. Students at HIS have to complete a photo journalism project as a group as well.

Languages

Although it promotes an English-based curriculum, HIS encourages students to learn the local language of Indonesian and offers foreign language learning opportunities as well. All students must know English well enough to communicate with the teachers and complete assigned coursework, textbook reading, and class assignments. Enrollment acceptance is based on English ability, so fluency in English is very important, especially at the high school level. ESL classes are offered in grades 1 through 8 to provide additional English language support.

Technology at HIS

There are several computer labs for students, teachers, and campus residents to use. Broadband Internet is available through a VSAT satellite connection. The computers and network are maintained by a team of nationals and expats.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, June 09, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.