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School Day

ZIS Lower School girl writing on the Smart Board
At ZIS, we won’t choose your child’s path for you. But we will give them the confidence to take it
Two ZIS Lower School girls, arriving at school and holding hands

Before School

The Breakfast Club is from 07:00 to 08:00, with breakfast served by 07:45.

The school day starts at 08:20 but children can arrive from 08:00 and children in both pathways will be supervized together until classes begin.

Children are brought to school by their parents or can travel on the school or public bus. 

A ZIS Early Childhood girl

Morning

Children go to their homerooms at 08:20 to start lessons - core homeroom lessons are taught in German by the children's German speaking homeroom teacher. 

When children have a PE, music, creative arts or a library lesson, they leave their homeroom and the lesson will take place in a specialized learning space taught by a specialist teacher in English. 

Break is at 10:25 and after a snack in the classroom all children from both pathways play and have fun together in one of the many playgrounds.

ZIS student enjoying his lunch with his friends

Lunch

Children can either have a hot lunch in school or bring lunch from home. This is followed by play for all children from both pathways. 

ZIS Kindergarten children enjoy a german lesson

Afternoon

After lunch, children return to their homeroom and lessons start again at 13:25 until 15:15 (14:15 on Wednesdays).

When children have a PE, music, creative arts or library lesson, they leave their homeroom and the lesson will take place in a specialized learning space taught by a native English speaker in English. 

Two ZIS Lower School boys playing football on the all weather pitch

After School

There are a number of options to extend the school day:

  • Within the school fees, children can attend after school activities. This starts slowly at the end of Kindergarten 1 to allow enough time for transition into school life, and grows as the students move through the school. Activities are organized by ages and children from both the bilingual and international pathways participate in the same activities. Activities finish at 16:30 (15:30 on Wednesdays) and children then have the option to go to after school care until 18:00. 

  • Children can be picked up by their parents or take the school or public bus home as soon as classes end at 15:15 (14:15 on Wednesdays).

ZIS Early Childhood students sliding down the slide in the adventure playground

During the School Holidays

Give your children new opportunities and broaden their horizons! ZIS offers a wide range of vacation activities during the fall, winter, spring and summer breaks. 

STEM camps (science, technology, engineering, and math), gymnastics, soccer, fun activities and more. 

In addition to our vacation programs, we also offer weekend programs throughout the year including basketball leagues and STEM Saturdays (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Before and After School Care

If you need to extend the school day we offer a before and after school care program, for an additional fee, for students from Early ZIS to Grade 5.

  • The Breakfast Club is from 07:00 to 08:00 (pre-registration required, a minimum of 24 hours in advance), with breakfast served by 07:45.
  • After School Care is from 15:30 (14:30 on Wednesdays) until 18:00. Children can attend for the whole season or on a daily, casual basis, and parents register online.

The time is divided into free play (with various optional planned activities available); snack time (where a healthy snack is provided, and the children are encouraged to help prepare, serve and tidy up afterwards); and outdoor play.

Activities include arts and crafts, board games and puzzles, Lego and construction, Playdough, reading, and DVDs on rainy days