Curriculum
The Faculty
HIS Sapporo has 20 full time and 6 part time teachers, Pre K-12. The upper school has 17 teachers, 7 of whom share time in elementary. Teachers on staff come from the USA, Canada, Australia, Peru, Bulgaria, and Japan. Of the secondary staff, 70% have advanced degrees. Student/Teacher ratio in the upper school is approximately 10:1 and class size average is about 17 pupils per class.
The School Year
The HIS school year is 180 days long and is divided into semesters. HIS follows a rotational, A-day B-day block schedule with 4 blocks on each day. The school year begins in mid-August and ends in mid-June with a one-week fall break in October, a three-week winter break in December/ January, and a one-week spring break in March.
The Curriculum
HIS' curriculum begins in the Early Years (ages 3 & 4) with a Reggio Emilia inspired classroom where children, through teacher guided "provocations" inspire students to curiosity, creative play, expression and questioning. At the elementary level the core of the curriculum is defined by the International Primary Curriculum. The middle school follows the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC). At the high school level, HIS offers a Western-style, college-preparatory curriculum culminating in AP offerings in AP Capstone (Seminar and Research), Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, World History, European History, US History, Comparative Government, Studio Art, English Language and Literature, and Japanese. Outdoor education is an important part of the middle school and high school curriculum.
Starting in 2019-2020, AP Human Geography and AP Psychology will be offered at HIS.
HIS Secondary Grading Scale
| Letter Grade | Grade Point | |
|---|---|---|
Exemplary Achievement |
A |
4.0 |
A- |
3.7 |
|
Substantial Achievement |
B+ |
3.4 |
B |
3.0 |
|
B- |
2.7 |
|
Minimal Achievement |
C+ |
2.4 |
C |
2.0 |
|
C |
1.7 |
|
Does not Meet Target |
D |
1.0 |
Well Below Target |
F |
0 |