MILESTONES, VISION AND MISSION & VALUES
Core Values: The Eight Virtues + One (八德一智)
Grounded in Chinese culture and with a global perspective, The Independent Schools Foundation Academy (The “ISF Academy” or the “Academy”) community lives and learns under core values that draw from the school’s Chinese heritage and which are updated to be relevant to today’s world. The Eight Virtues + One give members of the school community a strong foundation from which to think, decide, and act. It prepares ISF students to meet all future challenges as active and ethical members of society.
Compassion and Kindness
We show kindness and care to all through 仁 (ren). We are compassionate, forgiving and empathetic. We care for the natural world by being kind to all creatures and protecting the environment. The character for仁 depicts two people together, showing that 仁 is expressed outwardly, towards others.
Love and Passion
愛 (ai) is an expression of our passion in life. We show a love of learning and intellectual curiosity that goes beyond the classroom. 愛means that we find happiness in our friendships, with our families and our loved ones.
Etiquette and Ceremony
A person with 禮 (li) treats others with courtesy and respect. The spirit of 禮 is found in the exemplary, cultured behavior of the true gentleman or lady. In 禮, we control our impulses and act after careful consideration.
Principles and Justice
義 (yi) embodies the quality of being principled, committed to justice, and standing up for our beliefs. We believe in fairness and uphold personal integrity, and that we are trustworthy and all held accountable for our own actions.
Harmony and Tolerance
Through the virtue of 和 (he), we seek to include and embrace others, replacing confrontation with understanding. We are peacemakers, avoiding words and actions that might cause unnecessary misunderstanding or conflicts. We promote international and cross-cultural understanding.
Balance and Equality
平 (ping) means balance and equality. Equality in our community is both the right and the responsibility of each member. 平 is closely tied to the concept of和 (he): when we place these two characters together, they form the word ‘peace’ (和平).
Loyalty and Commitment
忠 (zhong) embodies the concept of loyalty and commitment to others and to ourselves. We show our devotion to people around us and devote ourselves in the pursuit of our ideals, dreams, and passions.
Respect and Obligation
孝 (xiao) recognizes that we have an obligation toward our parents in our role as children; we respect our teachers, and we respect and cherish our histories and traditions that define who we are.
Intelligence and Wisdom
智 (zhi) means making the right choices in life. Wisdom stems from knowledge, experience, judgment and a clear set of values to know what is right. The Eight Virtues culminate in the achievement of 智.
The IB Learner Profile Descriptors
The International Baccalaureate (IB)’s most succinct statement of educational values, the IB learner profile, is a collection of 10 attributes that are held to be expressions of the ideal learner within an IB context. The IB makes the following statement about the Learner Profile:
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. The IB learner profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities.
(Source here)
Updated in 2014, the IB Learner Profile is a set of aspirational principles, rather than measurable benchmarks for learning. The Learner Profile is to be practiced, but not assessed directly. Accordingly, all learners in IB schools, including faculty and administrators, are expected to manifest all elements of the Learner Profile by being Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced and Reflective.
Every attribute has a brief description.
1. Inquirers
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
2. Knowledgeable
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
3. Thinkers
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
4. Communicators
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
5. Principled
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
6. Open-Minded
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
7. Caring
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
8. Risk-Takers
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
9. Balanced
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives — intellectual, physical, and emotional — to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
10. Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
1. Inquirers
2. Knowledgeable
3. Thinkers
4. Communicators
5. Principled
6. Open-Minded
7. Caring
8. Risk-Takers
9. Balanced
10. Reflective
The IB Learner Profile and The Eight Virtues + One
The Academy, as an IB World School, is committed to nurturing the 10 attributes of the IB Learner Profile. The IB vision is that these attributes are to be used by IB students to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. These attributes are, however, largely individual attributes, describing what each student should aspire to achieve and embody.
The Academy’s own core values, the Eight Virtues + One, on the other hand, are strongly focused on building a community with a clear set of values and expectations. Loyalty, respect, compassion, love, harmony and balance are to be the hallmarks of a just society, in which courtesy and etiquette are universally practised, and wisdom is prized above all. These traditional values transcend the individual to reflect what we believe a better world might be like.
These two sets of values, one individual, the other collective, remind us that in educating students to make a contribution towards building a better world, we must consider them as individuals as well as members of a community.
