The House System

At The British International School of New York, the House System forms an integral and very popular part of our school and provides a sense of belonging and community for all from the very outset.

When students join BIS-NY they are placed into one of three houses: Glennie (named after percussionist Evelyn Glennie) King (named after activist Martin Luther King Jr) and Shakespeare (named after writer William Shakespeare). Our House system offers the opportunity for our students to meet and socialize with students in other age groups and classes and encourages students to share experiences in a supportive environment. It also provides one of the leadership opportunities through the Head of House and House Captain roles.

House meetings are held regularly with the student Heads of House and House Captains as well as the faculty House Directors. In these meetings key issues are discussed and feedback is then shared in House assemblies with the rest of the student body. Initiatives including competitive games between the houses are designed to encourage maximum participation and comradeship within each house.
 

House is partnered closely with the Community Outreach Committee, and they work together to help House charities: Glennie for Bideawee, Shakespeare for The Bowery Mission, and King for Riverkeeper. Within their Houses students work with House charities throughout the year to raise money through various events.  The biggest initiatives take place during FUNdraising February where classes use their ingenuity to come up with exciting ways to challenge themselves and raise money and awareness for the charities.

In the House system, students participate in cooperative competitions to earn points for their house. Annual highlights of these inter-house competitions include a Middle School Pantomime in the Winter and a whole-school Sports Day in the Spring. These inter-house competitions highlight students' aptitude for teamwork, their sportsmanship and camaraderie.

We are extremely proud of the positive contribution that the House System brings to the school experience and identity for each of our students and we know it effectively prepares them to work productively as part of a group, increases their sense of belonging, and encourages parameters of positive competition.

House Mission Statement

BIS-NY’s House system is an inclusive and collaborative community designed to strengthen our identity through coopertition* during community service, academic, creative, and athletic pursuits.  

*Coopertition: a combination of competition and cooperation.  It is the idea that teams help each other in the face of competition and although you’re competing you assist and help others along the way.