International Student Experience

Pack Your Bags

Once students are admitted to KO and have received their F-1 visa, they can prepare and pack their bags! International Wyverns continue their experience from their home country where materials and documents arrive preparing them for the amazing step of studying abroad. It is a thrilling experience that KO faculty and staff support our international students through.

New and returning students must arrive on time for completion of health forms and requirements in order to start on the first day of school. Families — please plan accordingly by purchasing arrival tickets at least 14 days before school starts.

Summer Months

During the spring and summer months, families will receive many communications from KO, including the Wyvern Monthly. International students will be asked to take placement tests in math, English, science or a language upon arrival at KO. These placement tests will be used to place students in their courses for the Fall Semester. Students will also be required to complete summer reading and math packets to keep them prepared for the coming school year.

Once a student has their course placement from the Director Of Academic Planning, books can be ordered through the KO Bookstore. Students may have the option to deliver books to their homestay family address so please coordinate this with them.

Students should establish their KO email account as soon as they receive instructions. Natural and Host parents should log on to the Parent Portal as soon as they receive instructions. All of this information will be sent through the Wyvern Monthly so please make sure you receive this communication in July and August.

The First Few Days

After receiving clearance from the KO Nurse to be on campus, the first activity will be International Student Orientation. Here you will meet the entire International Team at KO and all of the other new International Students. Our returning students also host a question and answer session for our new Wyverns!

During these first few days, students may expect to take academic placement tests, learn their schedule and select their activities. Meetings with advisors and faculty can be arranged so that our new international students feel prepared and familiar in the Wyvern Nation!

Our Student Services Team creates an international orientation program annually based on the calendar and needs of our incoming and returning international students. All students must attend. Once the international orientation is complete, our new international Wyverns will also participate in our general orientation day before school begins. Dates and information will be shared with families early in the summer before departure.

Orientation

Orientation for international students begins a few days before school with sessions on classroom differences, social activities and meeting all of the folks who will be a part of their lives while studying at Kingswood Oxford! Students should look out for this information in the early summer so they can plan their flights accordingly.

More information on what the Fall of 2023 will look like will be coming in early summer 2023. Students who will participate in a Fall sport will likely want to allow plenty of time to arrive and complete health and wellness requirements before pre-season begins. This is usually a week before the orientation days. The physical and TB test can take from five to seven days to receive results, so please take this into account before planning your air travel.

Note a CT Health Assessment Record and TB test are both requited before school begins.

International Student Orientation

Our new Wyverns will receive so much information in the first few weeks of school. However, the few days before classes begin and while summer still lingers are very important days in the acclimatization process for students and parents. The International Student Orientation weaves seamlessly together with the New and Returning Student Orientation to provide the most necessary information in a short amount of time.

Our International Student Orientation includes:

Welcome to international parents and international students
Overview of Visa requirements
Short Sessions on IT – Google environment, important information and how to find it
Insight into KO community, academics, systems and process
Invitation to Host Families for a social activity
Short sessions on activities, sports and social opportunities at KO
Academic Placement tests
Health & Wellness
Opportunity to meet Advisors, Faculty and Staff who are here to support and care for your child during the four years they will be Wyverns
Short sessions on setting up email, google docs, IT and other systems
Ensuring that your student has completed any summer work

Your students orientation time will be capped off with the New and Returning Student Orientation Day which includes social and interactive time with ALL students together. This is their time to shine, their time to ask questions and their time to become part of the Wyvern Nation! We welcome them and we welcome your family to our community at Kingswood Oxford School! Go Wyverns!

Location

Host Families

You Have Arrived!

Ready to Go!

Dedicated to the student development and academic enrichment of all Wyverns

Daphne Wang

Daphne Wang serves as the Upper School Chinese Teacher, AP Chinese teacher, and International Program Advisor. Wang is an experienced educator who has worked as a Chinese teacher in both the public and private school systems. She has successfully built partnerships with many professional programs for her students and has designed an immersion curriculum by applying innovative teaching methods and project and theme-based approaches.

Michelle Kollen

Mrs. Michelle Kollen, PDSO
International Coordinator

Mrs. Kollen is responsible for international student enrollment and retention, supporting international students and our KO International Team for the entire time our International Wyverns are at KO.

International Student Experience