Diploma Program
(G11-12)
Equipping rigorous academic competencies through an individualized offering of six core subjects, enabling students for transformative action.
See our 2024-25 high school school profile here.
Class of 2024 academic results
35 full IB diploma students,
7 non-IB diploma students.
Courses Offered
For the Class of 2026
Group 1: Studies in language & literature (Language A)
English A: Language & literature, HL/SL
Chinese A: Language & literature, HL/SL
Group 2: Language acquisition
Chinese B, HL/SL
English B, HL/SL
Group 3: Individual & societies
Business management, HL/SL
Digital society, HL/SL
History, HL/SL
Psychology, HL/SL
Economics, HL*
Group 4: Experimental sciences
Biology, HL/SL
Chemistry, HL/SL
Computer Science, HL/SL
Environmental systems & societies, SL
Physics, HL/SL
Group 5: Mathematics
Mathematics: Analysis & approaches, HL/SL
Mathematics: Applications & interpretations, HL/SL
Group 6: Arts and electives
Visual arts, HL/SL
Another subject from groups 1-4, HL/SL
Another subject from the IB-approved online provider Pamoja, HL/SL*
IB Core
Creativity, activity, service (CAS)
Extended essay (EE)
Theory of knowledge (TOK)
*School-supported, self-taught course
IB Core
Liwia Komorowska (Class of 2022)
Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS)
CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience. It provides opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from their work. At different stages of their CAS journey, typically at the beginning, middle and end, students construct their own personal inquiry and reflective questions that allow them to build a CAS program based on the IB Learner Profile attributes. Read Liwia Komorowska's (Class of 2022), Joy Chang's (Class of 2025), and Alina Lee (Class of 2025) individual CAS reflections.
"Although it may seem exaggerated, saying I could not lose myself was difficult when I did not even know who I was. CAS was the opportunity I had to unearth all the interests I had pushed to the side my whole life. I realize now that CAS was a way to develop hobbies for myself and get to know myself and my interests better. This proved to be very therapeutic as each experience was a chance to... try something new for myself, knowing that I do not have to compete in CAS and that it is not about who is the best. I can say with confidence that the nature of CAS definitely shows the beauty in individuality and guides us into adulthood. It motivates us to maintain character, enthusiasm and passion while being in such a competitive and stressful environment that leads to adulthood."
Joy Chang (Class of 2025)
"以前我常常羨慕書中主角的高中生活——社團、任務、歷險和挑戰，他們不斷成長，從菜鳥到優秀，從優秀到傳奇——我常常想：那我咧？我也想要像一本漫畫一樣的高中生活！ 而CAS正好給我們這個機會，來幾趟跌跌撞撞的精彩冒險。我做了童軍、體育與訓練、練球與教球、小說寫作、素描和日文學習，現在反思起來，完全超乎我所求所想——這何止是一本漫畫，根本是五本漫畫了吧。 「成敗在所不計，只需要毅然為之」，是CAS的主要模式，所以能讓人從「思考者」成長到「執行者」。我常常聯想到教練對我說的話——「你再怎麼會思考、再怎麼會觀察，身體停在原地就一樣接不到球。先動起來，才有可能碰到球，然後才有接得好、接得不好的討論」——如果想要做，那就別只顧著想了，去做就對了！
CAS不是要要求學生變得很厲害，或是在某個領域裡變得很有成就，而是要讓人認識並開始一件事。我在CAS中開始研究體能訓練，但我沒有就此變成全班體能第一名，更沒有專業到能在網路上錄教學影片；可是做這件事，讓我發現自己對人體肌動學的好奇和潛力，引導我踏上特定的專業。 而另外一些CAS則只是幾份認真經營的興趣。但我學會個觀念：無論任何事情，只要打算做，就要把那件事情當作事情，好好的做下去。在準備成年的路口，繁忙的IB學業、未來出路抉擇的夾擊下，這種「把一件事情做好」的純粹是非常可貴的，它讓我能夠呼吸、能夠冷靜、能夠歸零，它提醒我我是誰、我能做什麼、我現在在學什麼⋯⋯再退一千萬步，它還可以告訴我：「現在很迷茫也沒關係，至少我們今天有乖乖去練重量。」 我記得學校的教育理念之一是不培養明星。而CAS正正好符合這點，因為大家都能開啟自己的奇幻旅程。 而我的奇幻旅程嘛⋯⋯如果我的高中生活真的是一本書，我不敢保證能是一本含金量高的學術傑作，但肯定能是一本高潮迭起、精彩有趣、好笑又催淚的漫畫。而且是全彩本。 其實人都多多少少希望自己是那位「天選之人」，能被看上、被栽培，然後去做很厲害的事。但其實，如果一直在等待雀屏中選的那天，那這輩子大概光等就夠了。所以要自己選自己。 那要怎麼「選自己」? 答案是——別只顧著想，去做就對了 !"
Alina Lee (Class of 2025)
"In the summer of 2023, just as I was beginning my CAS journey, I was awarded a fully funded opportunity to attend a global scholars program in South Africa as a RISE (For the World) finalist, an initiative founded by Schmidt future and Rhodes Trust. This first-ever CAS experience was truly multifaceted, encompassing all aspects of CAS. I developed a trajectory map that outlined my future aspirations, engaged in thought-provoking discussions on leadership, history and global issues that broadened my perspectives.
The most impactful event was visiting the Villa of Hope, an orphanage where I connected with children, gaining a profound awareness of social challenges and the privilege of opportunity. Beyond structured activities, interacting with a diverse group of participants exposed me to new cultures and meaningful discussions, each of which shaped my thinking in ways I hadn’t expected. This immersive experience not only fulfilled CAS requirements but also shaped my worldview, reinforcing my passions and inspiring me to approach CAS as a journey of self-discovery. In honor of this experience, I created a short recap video to showcase how CAS empowers students to explore, grow, and embrace new possibilities.
Extended Essay (EE)
The extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from one of the student’s six chosen subjects. It is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor. EE leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner. See Howard Ma's (Class of 2019) exploration of the complexity of his topic in the opening paragraph of his EE.
"...However, these methods are typically complicated and expensive, making it difficult for large-scale production in mainstream industries. Secondly, another challenge is how to attach graphene on the glass substrate. Being as advantages of graphene, hardness and its unique molecular structure are also obstacles that have to be overcame. Graphene is a sp2 hybridized crystalline allotrope of carbon and its carbon atoms are bonded densely in a hexagonal molecular structure. Hence, it makes graphene's extraordinary hardness and difficult to cut precisely and flawlessly into a required size or shape to attach on the glass substrate."
Read Cherry Wei's (Class of 2024) reflections during the process of writing her EE.
First reflection: "Antisocial personality disorder [ASPD]... is a leading cause of criminal behaviours, and I aim to develop a more empathetic view toward criminals through understanding the aetiology of ASPD and prevent further harms..."
Interim reflection: "I tried looking into more profound explanations that elucidate the correlation between [adverse childhood experiences (ACE)] and ASPD, and found that there are cognitive theories and developmental explanations that justify why certain types of ACEs contribute to ASPD more significantly. This inspired me to restructure my EE... delving into the underlying reasons behind these variations to develop a more comprehensive and original argument."
Howard Ma (Class of 2019)
Cherry Wei (Class of 2024)
Victoria Kao (Class of 2024)
Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
TOK plays a special role in the DP by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge and consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world. In addition, TOK prompts students to: be aware of themselves as thinkers, encouraging them to become more acquainted with the complexity of knowledge, and recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world. See how Victoria Kao (Class of 2024) expertly frames her exploration in the opening paragraph of her TOK essay:
"Subjectivity represents judgements determined from personal preferences or feelings and, when inputted into different contexts and mediums, induces different responses... Contrary to conventional thought, however, subjectivity in the arts is not overly celebrated, since entrenched artistic traditions and political contexts are often limitations in the acceptance of an artist’s subjectivity. Conversely, when approaching subjectivity in history, subjectivity receives greater scrutiny, considered less acceptable since the subject deals with interpreting past events. In this sense, subjectivity in history is unfairly condemned, with condemnation of subjectivity arguably antithetical to the inherency of subjectivity in historical study and debate... This essay will evaluate these themes, explore how subjectivity is received within these subject areas, and argue for a nuanced view on the role of subjectivity, one that can account for both the necessary requirement and inexorable debate that arises within both fields."
Read Devin Chang's (Class of 2020) riveting conclusion in his TOK essay:
「綜上所述,描述與解釋之間的界線受到不同知識領域的真實性而有所不同。歷史領域受到誤植記憶以及情感導致描述中語言使用變得主觀,並和解釋相互矛盾;藝術領域中的非感官式藝術作品,追求其藝術作品所帶出的抽象概念而非視覺上的美感,使描述與解釋之間的界線變得清晰。然而回歸到描述解釋以及主客觀之間的關係,語言仍然扮演重要的角色,當人們對於事物或事件的了解越深,懂的如何包裝語言,情感也相對被語言所包裝,那麼界線是否又再次變的真實?」
Devin Chang (Class of 2020)