students and teachers "aware that they have to be the best", said the chairman.

When the students graduate, they receive an IB diploma and a Canadian diploma at the same time.

"So when they are applying to universities, they certainly have advantages, coming from a system that has two of the world's most-recognized diplomas available," said Douglas Prescott, president of the school.

Beside languages, science, humanities and business courses, the school is proud of its many extra-curricular activities, including programs for Chinese painting, visual arts and martial arts, as well as sports lessons, such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, swimming, badminton and cross-country running.

CISB organizes a comprehensive summer camp that includes academics as well as arts, sports, traditional Chinese culture and field trips that could include visits to companies and factories.

"We emphasize not only academic lessons but also our students' comprehensive development," said Pang. "With our programs, we allow the students to be well prepared for wherever they are going in the future."

Located near the embassy area, the school has a highly qualified faculty, most of whom have more than two degrees, and advanced facilities.

It is the first school in Beijing to incorporate the Smartboard system in each classroom. Composed of an interactive whiteboard, a computer and a projector, the system allows teachers and students to interact with content projected on the whiteboard by touching or writing directly on it.

The teachers upload their lesson plans to a website every day, where parents monitor what their children are learning.

In addition, CISB has "more reasonable" tuition fees compared with many other international schools, Pang said.

The school was granted the C21 Canada Shifting Minds School Award in February by Canadians for 21st Century Learning and Innovation, a nationwide non-profit organization made up of Canadian education organizations and knowledge-sector companies.

CISB now has two campuses in Beijing and is planning to open new schools in many cities across China, including campuses in Chongqing, Changsha, Harbin and Dongguan.

Learning the skills to cope with life	City guide (April 6-21)