Upper School Newsletter - Aug 17 2026
Upper School | 18 August 2026
Upcoming Events
Aug 18 (Tue): New families' orientation and Open House Day
Aug 19 (Wed): First day of school
Sept 1 (Tue): Upper School Back-to-School Night
Sept 3 (Thu): Lower School Back-to-School Night
Sept 5 (Sat): HIS Welcome Back BBQ
Sept 7 (Mon): CCAs begin
Sept 11 (Fri): No School (in-service day for staff)
Sept 25 (Fri)-Oct 02: No School (holiday and in-service)
Oct 20 (Tue): Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
Visit the HIS School Calendar
Dear HIS Community,
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year!
I hope your family enjoyed a restful and refreshing summer. It is always wonderful to see our students return to campus, reconnect with friends and teachers, and begin another exciting year of learning together. We are very much looking forward to Wednesday!
The start of a new school year is a chance to begin a new chapter, but it is also a continuation of each student's unique story. Throughout the year, there will be new challenges to embrace, interests to discover, friendships to build, and opportunities to grow. We encourage our students to approach these experiences with the qualities of the IB Learner Profile—being curious and open-minded, taking thoughtful risks, showing care for others, reflecting on their growth, and striving to become the best versions of themselves.
Our mission is “We provide all international learners with opportunities to pursue academic and personal excellence within a caring community.” As we begin this new chapter together, we look forward to creating those opportunities, celebrating growth and achievement, and ensuring that every student feels known, supported, and valued.
Thank you for your continued partnership. We are excited for the stories that will unfold this year and all that our students will learn, experience, and become along the way.
Welcome back, and here’s to a wonderful year ahead!
Orientation: New Families Tuesday, August 18
Tomorrow’s Orientation and Open House is designed to help families and students feel ready for the first day of school. New families will begin with a welcome presentation starting at 9:30 AM. For Upper School new families, we will begin in the Black Box and Lower School families will begin in the Theater. During these sessions, we will introduce many of the key pieces of school life at HIS, including Toddle, PAFA, student support, buses, CCAs, SchoolsBuddy, uniforms, snacks, devices, school timings, and other important routines.
After the welcome presentation, new families will visit their children's classrooms, meet Advisory teachers, and collect schedules. Families will also visit the gym to
pick up uniforms and learn more about activities and athletics around the school. Dragon Ambassadors will be helping families find their way around campus.
Open House: For Returning Families Tuesday, August 18
Returning families are invited to visit classrooms in the afternoon to meet teachers, and reconnect with school before the first day. This is only between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Please remember that Open House is an informal welcome event. It is a chance to say hello, see the learning space, collect important information, and help children feel comfortable. It is not a parent conference or an in-depth curriculum presentation. More detailed curriculum information will be shared at Back-to-School Night, on September 1st.
First Day of School: Wednesday, August 19
Our first day of school is Wednesday, August 19. The school day begins promptly at 8:00 AM, and students may be dropped off between 7:30 and 7:55 AM. Please help your child begin the year with strong routines by arriving on time each morning. On Wednesday Day 1, students should go directly to their Advisory classes. Advisory lists will be posted in Foyer and students will have received a welcome email from their advisors. In advisory, students will be shown how to access their schedules on Toddle. Please refer to the 1st day of school schedule in the margin.
Technology Reminder
HIS is a digital safe environment where students are expected to keep their devices stored in their bags between 7:30-3:00. This includes mobile phones, watches, and laptops. Devices may be used for purchases at the uniform shop and cafe. They may also be used in the classrooms for educational purposes.
Receive class news and announcements
• Access your child’s report cards
• Take an active role in supporting your child’s learning journey
Step 1 - Get the App
The main website for Toddle is https://web.toddleapp.cn. To ensure you can get started smoothly, please go here for all the links to download the Toddle Family App (not Educators App - that is for teachers). Important: When installing the Toddle Family App in China, please select China as your region when prompted. This ensures you are connected to the correct HIS platform and receive updates without issues.
Step 2 – Sign In
• Use the invitation link or code that will be sent to you by Toddle on TUESDAY afternoon.
• Open the Toddle Family App or go to https://web.toddleapp.cn/ on your computer.
• Select Sign In.
• Create your account by entering your name, email address, and setting a password.
Once signed in, you will be connected to your child’s class and start receiving updates.
By following these steps, you’ll be ready to make the most of Toddle and stay engaged with your child’s learning experience at HIS. If you have any questions or encounter difficulties, please contact the Upper School.
Detailed steps for setting up Toddle on your phones
在手机上设置 Toddle 的详细步骤
Families do not need to request a completely new badge if they already have one. However, current parent ID badges will need to be updated in the new system.
During Orientation and Open House on Tuesday, August 18, there will be a booth available to support families with parent ID badges. Families may visit the booth to:
• update an existing parent ID badge for the new gate system;
• take a new photo if needed;
• request a new parent ID badge if the previous one has been lost.
To help the process move as quickly as possible, please have your Family ID number with you. This can be found on school invoices. If you do not have your Family ID available, please have your child’s Student ID numbers. This will help the team find your family record more easily in the school system.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we update parent access for the new gate system. Tuesday will be a busy day, and having your Family ID or Student ID ready will help us support families more efficiently.
Upper School
Another exciting year of Activities and Athletics is ahead. This year Middle School CCAs will have two 16-week seasons. We hope that this greater time commitment will help our students show great development in their passions and areas of interest. The dates for CCAs are as follows:
- CCA 1 – September 7 – February 4
- CCA 2 – February 22 – June 18
CCA 1 registration week begins at 08:00 on August 19 and will close at 13:00 on August 26. There is no need to rush your registration, students will be allocated randomly to their activities, with as much effort as possible made to enter students in their highest preferences. All registrations will be taken on SchoolsBuddy.
On Friday August 31 your child's CCAs will be confirmed and will appear on your SchoolsBuddy Calendar.
There will also be upcoming registrations for Clubs such as MUN, Robotics, Stem Club and more. In addition, students can look forward to our fantastic offerings in Productions, Service, Band and Dance.
Registrations for the following sports teams will open Aug 18 - Aug 26:
Team | Season Dates |
Varsity Volleyball | Aug 24 - Oct 31 |
Varsity Ultimate | Aug 31 - Nov 7 |
Varsity Cross Country | Sep 7 - Nov 21 |
Varsity Table Tennis | Oct 5 - Nov 28 |
Varsity Basketball | Nov 2 - Jan 23 |
U14 Table Tennis | Aug 31 - Oct 17 |
U14 Ultimate | Aug 31 - Nov 7 |
U14 Cross Country | Sep 7 - Nov 21 |
U14 & U15 Football | Oct 5 - Dec 12 |
U12 Basketball | Oct 19 - Dec 11 |
Registration for the remaining sports teams will take place Dec 7 - Dec 14.
If you do not have an active SchoolsBuddy account or if you have any questions or queries, please reach out to the Athletics & Activities Department (activities@hisdragons.org.cn).
The Aquatics Department will be available on the ‘Open Day’ to discuss any Aquatics-related activities, sign-ups, enrollment in our program for old and new student-athletes. On ‘Open Day’ the Aquatics Information table will be close to the main entrance next to the Athletic Directors table. We look forward to welcoming you back to school.
HIS students adhere to a dress code which promotes a sense of orderliness and school community and helps with campus and field trip security.
Middle School students (Grades 6-8) wear beige trousers, shorts, or skirts and the HIS dark blue polo shirts (short- or long-sleeved). High School students (Grades 9-12) wear beige trousers, shorts, or skirts, or a plaid navy skirt and a light blue collared button-down shirt. Tights and socks should be white, black, nude, or navy blue. During cooler weather, students may wear sweaters, jackets or hoodies of school colors and winter coats. It is highly recommended that uniform items be labeled on the tag to assist in retrieval of lost items.
Please note that the plaid pajama-type bottoms are NOT part of the standard HIS uniform and should only be worn for after-school sporting events.
All students wear laced shoes or sturdy sandals. Athletic shoes or sneakers are acceptable. Flip-flops, thong sandals, and other beach-type footwear are not appropriate for school. Caps or hats in buildings are also inappropriate.
All students are expected to be well groomed and appropriately dressed at school or during school-related functions off campus.
There are occasionally free dress days on which students are not required to wear the school uniform. These may occur approximately once a month, usually in connection with a special holiday or event. Students will normally wear the school uniform for field trips, unless otherwise indicated on the permission form.
