Canadian International School

• Canadian International School location
• Years offered
• Canadian International School curriculum
• ADEK rating
• How to apply?
• Fee structure
• Canadian International School transportation
• PTA and contact information

Founded in 2007, Canadian International School in Abu Dhabi follows the curriculum of Alberta. All schools in Alberta (a province in Western Canada) and those accredited with Alberta Education follow the Alberta curriculum. The Alberta Program of Study supports Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL).

The Canadian International School, Abu Dhabi is accredited by the Alberta Education of Canada. It has almost 1,000 students out of which 20% are Canadians, 13% are Emiratis and 11% are US nationals. Almost 10% of students have Special Education Needs. 75 teachers and around 20 teaching assistants are faculty members and the teacher to student ratio is 1:13.

CIS cultivates the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for students to compete in an increasingly global society.

The Canadian International School of Abu Dhabi is easily accessible from the following residential communities:

• Al Bandar
• Al Raha Garden
• Khalifa City
• Masdar City

Al Bandar is a part of the Al Raha Beach district and offers several residential apartments and commercial properties. Khalifa City is a huge residential suburb, especially popular among renters. It is close to the main highway, away from the centre of Abu Dhabi.

Al Raha Gardens is known for its housing options and family-friendly lifestyle. Al Raha Gardens is preferred by families who want to live in spacious villas.

Families looking to settle near Canadian School Abu Dhabi can consider:

• Apartments for rent near Canadian International School
• Villas for rent near Canadian International School
• Villas for sale near Canadian International School

The 3-storey modern Canadian International School campus has six wings. KG and Grade 1 classes take place on the first floor. Grade 2 to Grade 5 classes are arranged on the second floor while Grade 6 to Grade 12 classes are on the third floor.

The school has two libraries, a computer lab, science labs and art rooms for elementary students. Classrooms have interactive smart boards and each class is temperature-controlled.

There is a separate Annex building for gymnasium, a renovated 25-metre indoor pool, a dance studio, a music room and a huge art studio for students. Students can also use the grass soccer field and the central courtyard. The elementary school has an indoor, air-conditioned playground.

Canadian International School is based in Khalifa City A. It is close to a few residential areas as well as some renowned landmarks of Abu Dhabi, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Yas Island is a 17-minute drive away from the school.

Canadian International School celebrates and respects diversity. Canadian, Emirati, American and British students make up the student population and are taught to respect all cultures. The students are prepared to embrace challenges and become self-directed thinkers.

The school does its best to become a home away from home for students. Kids are encouraged to interact with each other and different school programmes are initiated to facilitate this purpose.

The Leader in Me, Model United Nations, Character Leadership Scholarship Service, National Junior Honor Society and the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award help students become independent, critical thinkers and possess skills to cope and adapt in different situations.

Parents seem largely satisfied with CIS facilities that ensure the intellectual, moral, social and physical development of students at the school. Canadian School Abu Dhabi provides educational excellence to meet each student’s interest, needs and abilities.

The school’s vision is to embrace challenges and help students achieve personal and academic excellence. Its mission is to provide a rich, nurturing learning environment to students. The school is praised for its encouragement of independent thinking. Canadian School is listed among the best schools in Khalifa City A.

ADEK has worked extensively with schools, parents councils, staff members and policymakers to design effective safety measures to implement once schools reopen for the 2021 – 2022 academic session. Here’s a summary of SOPs to give you a better understanding.

• Those entering the school premises must wear a face mask. KG students are exempted. Students and staff who cannot wear masks due to medical conditions must provide a supportive medical certificate.
• Daily temperature and symptoms screening is recommended before leaving the house. Individuals who exhibit symptoms or feel unwell must stay at home. They must see a doctor for assessment and possible COVID-19 testing if required.
• Individuals aged 16 and above who have completed 28 days following the second dose with a UAE-approved vaccine are authorised to enter the school premises upon presenting their vaccination status on the ALHOSN app.
• Children below 16 are authorised to enter the school premises without vaccination.
• The school shall implement physical distancing of 1 to 2 metres between all individuals.
• Schools may follow three operating models: A full school day, attending on a rotational basis or blended learning model.
• Schools are authorised to reopen all athletic facilities for use during physical education (PE), extracurricular activities, and for private use by staff outside of regular school hours.
• Schools shall reinstate PE (including swimming) classes and all sports activities, provided they are implemented with the relevant risk mitigation controls in place.
• Whether organised by the school or by an external provider, extracurricular activities shall be permitted for students enrolled in the school only.
• Events within the school consisting of large assemblies mixing different student groups are not permitted.
• School trips, holiday camps and inter-school events shall be resumed.
• Cooking on the school premises is authorised and schools are recommended to reopen canteens if they were previously closed. However, food must be served by a designated staff member to avoid sharing serving utensils.
• Prayer rooms may be reopened.
• Schools are recommended to reopen libraries if they were previously closed.
• Bus capacity has been increased from 50% to between 59% and 66%.

Canadian International School in Abu Dhabi follows the curriculum of Alberta like all other Alberta education accredited schools. This education system is continuously evaluated and has controlled parameters with clear learning outcomes for each subject area.

Students of Grade 3, Grade 6 and Grade 9 appear in a provincial achievement test that helps evaluate Grade-level standards and expectations.

Students in Grade 12 appear in provincial examinations for core subject areas to qualify for Alberta High School Diploma. Students with this diploma are accepted in university programs throughout North America and other parts of the world.

Purposeful Play is incorporated at Early Childhood Education. It is proven to develop children’s love for becoming lifelong learners. The elementary curriculum is delivered by class teachers through inquiry-based learning.

CIS Abu Dhabi class teachers handle core subjects including English, Science, Mathematics and Social Studies. This helps them spend more time with a specific group of students and understand their learning difficulties and needs.

For Grade 9, the core subjects are English, Science, Physical Education, Social Studies, Mathematics and Health and Life Skills. Information And Communications Technology (ICT). Optional subjects in Grade 9 include Fine and Performing Arts, Languages, Ethics, Career and Technology Studies, Environmental and Outdoor Education and Locally Developed Courses.

Grade 10 to Grade 12 students study English Language, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Social Studies and Career and Life Management (CALM). They have the option to take Aboriginal Studies, Career and Technology Studies, Fine Arts, Social Sciences, Languages and Physical Education.

As per the instructions of The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), all schools across the UAE will discontinue distance learning from January 2022.

ADEK inspected CIS Abu Dhabi from 19th February 2018 to 22nd February 2018 and rated it as Good.

As per the Canadian International School’s ADEK rating and report, students’ achievement is good while their personal, social development and their innovation skills are very good. Teaching and assessment are good and the curriculum is very good according to the ADEK report.

The care, protection, guidance and support for students is very good. The school has good leadership and management.

Kindergartners have very good attainment and progress while other students show good progress. Learning skills of students are good, students’ engagement is particularly strong. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and they can engage students very well in the class with the help of dialogues and effective questioning.

The curriculum is very good overall. The report says it is in-depth and gives students many options when it comes to defining their careers in the future. Similarly, students also get to choose from a range of additional activities.
Key areas of strength of Canadian International School are:

• The engaging curriculum that helps motivates students and provides them with a wide range of opportunities.
• Student’s very good achievement in Kindergarten and their good start to school life
• School’s outstanding partnership with parents.
• The renewed vision and direction of the leadership
• The capacity of leadership to improve the school
• School’s arrangement for the care, welfare and support of students

Key areas for improvement suggested by ADEK are:

• Raise the attainment of students in Arabic as first and as a second language
• Ensure that students in kindergarten and elementary school speak Arabic during lessons
• Students should get more opportunities to write in Arabic
• The school should ensure all teachers meet the needs of all students
• The teacher should plan more tasks to support students
• They should provide additional challenges for Mathematics and High school Science
• Students should be able to do more open-ended problem-solving and investigative activities
• The management should ensure that marking and feedback is constructive to help students improve
• The school should improve the leadership capacity by developing the roles of middle leaders

1st September is the first day of school. Students go on Mid-Term break from 10th to 13th October. School resumes from 14th October and winter break lasts from 15th December to 4th January. 22nd January is the last day of the first semester. Spring break lasts from 29th March to 11th April. The secondary exam is conducted from 22nd June to 30th June and 30th June is also the last day of school.

Canadian International School Abu Dhabi calendar is available on the official website.

The registration process for returning students starts before new students can apply for admissions. Students interested in joining Canadian International School can apply for their names to appear on the waiting list. The applicant needs to email his/her full name, recent reports, Emirates ID and copy of passport to the school for this purpose.

The admission department places the request on the waiting list and contacts the applicant as soon as a spot becomes available. There is a high volume of applications; therefore, the school cannot respond to phone calls regarding the status of the application. The school suggests emailing the admission department on the first day of every month.

In the email, the applicant has to provide the first and last name of the applicant and the grade he/she is applying for. The school replies with the status update regarding the Canadian International School admission process.

If the applicant is successful, parents will be contacted by the school. The letter of acceptance will outline the steps to further proceed with the admission process.

The school will place the child in grade level according to his/her ability, school’s age acceptance policy and the Ministry of Education guidelines.
After receiving the letter, applicants need to fill the application form available on the school’s official website. Similarly, a hard copy of the form with all the required documents must be submitted at the campus.

Document required with the admission form are:

• Recent report cards (last academic year and mid-term report for the current year)
• Copy of applicant’s Emirates ID card. (if the applicant does not have Emirates ID card yet, then bring a clear copy of applicant’s passport)
• Emirates ID card of both parents
• Passport copy of applicant and both parents
• Two recent passport-sized photographs (6 cm x 4 cm)
• Birth certificate of the applicant
• Immunisation card
• Applicant’s health insurance card
• Applicants who are applying for Grade 11 and Grade 12 must provide complete official transcripts
• Options sheet must be completed for applying in Grade 7 to Grade 12
• For outside Emirates or overseas, attested transfer certificate from the previous school is required

All the above-mentioned documents must be in English or Arabic, otherwise, an official UAE translation is required.

Canadian International School arranges a school tour every Thursday morning at 10:00 am. Please note that if your child is studying in a British school, he/she might be offered a place in a different year as grade/year levels do not align between the British system and Alberta Education.

The above-stated tuition fee includes the costs of books and registration fee (non-refundable). Canadian International School fee can be paid in three instalments.

• 1st instalment is due before August 16th
• 2nd instalment is due before December 10th
• 3rd instalment is due before March 10

Canadian International School Abu Dhabi fee does not include the cost of:

• Transportation
• Uniform
• Field trips
• Special student activities

The school has a well-maintained cafeteria that serves freshly-made, nutritious hot meals including salads, fruits, smoothies, juices and sandwiches. Parents can buy hot meal vouchers for their kids from the Cafeteria office.

Kindergarten students can get snacks and lunch delivered in their classrooms. A hot meal costs approximately AED 15. Sandwiches are for AED 10 to AED 15 while snacks cost AED 5 to AED 6.

To start using the school bus service, parents can fill the form available on the official website. The transport service is offered in partnership with Emirates Transport. Once the form is submitted, Emirates Transport will contact parents to confirm the registration and location. Please note that the service is subject to the availability of seats.

Emirates Transport is an ADEK approved company and their vehicles have a bus monitor to look after children during the ride.

No discount is offered for one-way service. For details regarding the school transportation service payment, email to accounts@cisabudhabit.com.

Total school transportation fee is AED 4,600.

• 1st instalment is AED 1,840, due on/before 18th August.
• 2nd instalment is AED 1,380, due on/before 9th December.
• 3rd instalment is AED 1,380, to be paid on/before 10th March.

Canadian International School offers different holiday/summer camps for students. CIS Sports camp is offered in partnership with Baroudy Sports School. Camps for Arabic and Quran learning are designed for children aged 5 to 12 years. During spring holidays, students can participate in the spring club that offers coding camp and sports camp.

Physical Education and sports are an important part of students’ life. Sports activities at the Canadian International School involve dance, games, gymnastics and individual activities.

KG1 to Grade 9 students participate in swimming classes scheduled during the regular school timings. Students learn proper stroke technique during swimming lessons. They can also participate in different competitions hosted by CIS and other schools in the capital city.

Some sports offered at CIS Abu Dhabi are:

• Football
• Volleyball
• Basketball

Some popular extracurricular activities and clubs offered to students at Canadian School Abu Dhabi are:

Fine Arts including art, music, drama and band are also incorporated in the activities programme. Art is offered to students from KG to Secondary level. Music is for elementary level students. Drama is offered to Grade 7 to Grade 12 students. Students from Grade 6 to Grade 12 can take part in the band activities.

Canadian School Khalifa City A campus takes students on field trips. Students go on picnics to enjoy and learn some new skills.

To handle medical emergencies and other health-related issues, the school has a nurse room on the ground floor right across the administration office. Two qualified and licensed nurses are present at the clinic that has first-aid kits and other necessary supplies to treat health issues.

CIS staff members also hold a first-aid and CPR qualification to respond in case of any emergency. It is the responsibility of the school nurses to maintain updated medical files of each student. If any student needs any medication during school hours, the nurse needs to have a written parent/guardian consent.

The Parental Consent for Prescribed Medication form should be filled by a HAAD licensed physician and submitted at the school in case a student requires medication during school hours. Please note that all medicines should be properly labelled with the student’s full name, classroom, date of birth and dosage instructions.

Canadian School strives to maintain effective communication between teachers and parents. The school encourages the proactive use of modern communication networks. Both faculty members and parents are recommended to share their email addresses.

Parents receive three reports regarding their child’s progress in each subject and an annual evaluation report at the end of the year. Parents can also meet teachers and subject specialists twice a year. However, if need be, parents can also book an appointment to meet the teachers and discuss any issues regarding their child.

The school uses the D6 communicator app and updates it with the latest information, announcements and events. Parents and students can also use the PowerSchool portal for information regarding attendance, grades and fee balance. Students can use the portal to check when class assignments are due. The PowerSchool Parent Portal enables parents to know more about their child’s progress real-time.

• Telephone: +971-2-556-4206
• For general enquiries: reception@cisabudhabi.com
• Admission enquiries: admissions@cisabudhabi.com
• Website Canadian International School
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