K4 Celebration

The K4 children joined together in song to begin their ‘K4 Celebration.’ The children took this opportunity to highlight aspects of their learning and development that they were most proud of to their families and their work made a fine display in the K4 Learning Community. It is a special time for children as they reach the end of the ECE Programme and eagerly anticipate the opportunities that lie ahead in their next phase of learning.

 

ECE Coordinator – Bernadette Silcock

Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Day: STEM Day

 

On Tuesday a couple weeks ago, Year 6 students spent the day at Gubei Campus, as part of the Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Programme. They buddied up in teams with Year 7 students, and participated in a day-long STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) project.  It was set up as a murder mystery.  The clues were embedded in STEM-related learning activities. For example, students collected and graphed data that indicated a relationship between shoe size and height. Then from the shoe prints at the crime scene, they determined possible suspects. They did colour chromatography experiments to analyse the ink used to write a note. And they put together a simple circuit board as part of a lie detector test.

During the day, the students were also able to make new friends. Year 7s helped the Year 6s to explore and discover the campus that will be their new home come August.  They ate lunch in the cafeteria, met many of their upcoming teachers and saw some of the classrooms and learning environments they will be in.

Upper Primary Coordinator – Jim WILCOX

Shanghai Tour in Chinese Studies Classes

Shanghai is a fast-developing international city which attracts the tourists from all over the world with its unique quality and historical affection. What is this city alike in children’s eyes? In Year 1 Chinese Studies classes, we were able to combine the cross-discipline knowledge and provide the children with a happy tour around Shanghai through listening, singing, playing and speaking.

By participating in the music game “Counting the buildings”, the children learned the variety of Shanghai architectures through interesting songs and games. By painting the traditional Shanghai Old House-Shikumen, the children expressed the unique features of this type of architecture. By listening to the story of Old Kite and Little Kite’s Tour Around Shanghai, the children witnessed the development of the city and had reflection and debating on the topic of “Which is better?The New House or the Old One?”. Besides, the children also took part in the “Pudong and Puxi Hand-in-hand” parent-child activity to tour around Pudong. By designing the poster, the children had a vivid idea of the development of Shanghai which is “Fast, New and Beautiful”.

The topic study ended with the one-day tour around Shanghai. The city has became pictures and photos that linger on children’s minds. Their appreciation towards the beauty and charm of Shanghai will still continue.

Y1A Co-teacher- ZHENG Ji

Primary Teachers Help Nuture Seeds Of Hope

During the last week of April, Primary teachers, Ms Melvin, Ms Compton and ECE teacher, Ms. Yu travelled to Qufu in Shangdong province. They were visiting the Yew Chung, Yew Wah Hope School as part of just one of the Seeds of Hope charity projects. During their time, they were very busy leading Year 10 students from Gubei Secondary campus in various educational and fun activities for under privileged children. However, they managed to fit in some time for dancing and visiting the birthplace of Confucius in Qufu!

The children were very pleased to see us and always enjoy the chance to learn more English, complete art and design activities and learn new playground games. All teachers commented how happy and grateful the children were to receive gifts and learn in new ways, it made us all feel how we should be more grateful for what we have.

Sadly, this school will soon be closed down due to the village being demolished for coal mining. Seeds of Hope continues to look for further ways to support schools within this community.

Through the “Seeds of Hope” projects, students become aware of the necessity of involvement and action in our globalized society, and demonstrate love and care for all life on the planet. Please continue to support our work though supporting out latest mission to build a new secondary school in Manila, Philippines.

Well-being Coordinators – Jana Van ZYL

Introducing Brandon Po Ghun TAN from 6D

Where are you from?

I am from Hong Kong.

How long have you been at YCIS HQ?

4 years

What do you enjoy most about learning here?

My favourite subject is PE.

Tell us an interesting fact about you?

I am very good at video games.

Can you share a favourite movie?

Avengers: Infinity War

 

Interviewed by:

School Captains –  Owen Tianmiao BANKS & Qing Levona SHU

Introducing Ms Kady Melvin – Upper Primary ICT Teacher

Where are you from?

I am from Florida in the USA.

How long have you been teaching at YCIS?

This is my second year.

What do you enjoy most about teaching at YCIS?

Teaching a wide range of students from all over the world.

Tell us an interesting fact about you?

I’m enjoy arts and crafts and I make my own home décor.

Can you share a favourite book?

My Grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry by Fredrik Backman

 

Interviewed by:

School Captains –  Owen Tianmiao BANKS & Qing Levona SHU

Prevent the Summer Slide

Children acquire skills throughout the school year, but they can lose ground if learning stops during the summer break. Fortunately, learning never has to stop. Children who read throughout the summer gain skills, can start the new school year with a better understanding of language and the world around them, and discover the joy of reading. The more they like to read, the more they will read.

It’s not hard to help your children keep their interest in reading and learning. Children learn through a variety of activities, and almost everything we do presents an opportunity to read. When you’re eating breakfast, read the cereal box; if you’re in a restaurant, read the menu. Read the newspaper with your children and discuss what’s happening in the world.

Reading every day, even if it’s for just a few minutes, improves children’s ability to read and learn all year long. Here are 6 weeks of activities that involve reading and related skills. There’s no special order, and you don’t have to do everything listed in a particular week. Just pick the ones that look interesting and fun!

Week 1: Celebrate summer

  • Write a list of things you want to do this summer. Don’t forget to include reading!
  • Make a chart to keep track of all the books you read this summer.
  • Write down on your calendar the time the sun sets today.
  • Start a summer scrapbook. Include souvenirs of any trips you take, photos, ticket stubs, and projects you work on during the summer.
  • List all the books by your favorite author. See how many you can read this summer.
  • Swap books with a friend. Keep sharing books throughout summer.
  • Take a walk. Write about or draw the things you see that show summer is here.

 Week 2: Discover recipes for fun

  • List all the ice cream flavors you can think of. Now put them in A-BC order.
  • Invent a recipe for a cool summer drink. Write it on a recipe card. Serve the drink to your friends.
  • Go to the library and find a cookbook. Make the most interesting dish in the book.
  • Read the directions on a box of gelatin. Ask a parent if you can help make dessert tonight.
  • Work up an appetite by reading a story about food. Make and eat the food you read about.
  • Word game! How many smaller words can you find in the word watermelon?

 Week 3: Travel the world

  • If you are going on a family vacation this summer, read about your trip. Mark your travel route on a map.
  • Pretend you are going to visit another city, state, or country with a friend or relative. Write to the tourist bureau for more information. If you plan to visit a foreign country, write to the embassy. Visit the library and find books about the place you want to visit. Or search online for information. Plan your itinerary – and don’t forget to check the weather!
  • Pick an important news event from another city, state, or country. Find as much information on the topic as possible – read newspapers, listen to the radio, and watch TV news. Talk about what you learned.
  • Word game! Look for out-of-state license plates. Make a list of all the state names and slogans. Decide which ones you like the best. Ask friends and relatives which are their favorites.

 Week 4: Enjoy the great outdoors

  • Pick wildflowers and press them between the pages of a heavy book until the end of summer.
  • Plan a backyard camping trip with a friend. List all the things you will need to survive.
  • Plan a family ‘booknic’ at your favorite outdoor spot, such as the beach, a park, or the woods. Pack lunch and plenty to read.
  • Collect shells at the beach or rocks along a trail. Use a nature guide to identify them.
  • Find something small enough to put in your pocket. Write or tell a story about it.
  • Look for shapes and designs in the clouds. Draw them.
  • Word game! Make a list of words to describe fireworks.

 Week 5: Visit fun places

  • An animal has escaped from the zoo! Make up a story about it. Tell it to a friend or family member – or write it down. Add pictures, if you’d like.
  • What museums are close to your house? Are there any old, historic buildings in the area? Find these places on a map. Find out what is on exhibit at the museums and why the old buildings are important.
  • Go back in time and pretend you lived in – or did business in – the oldest building in your area. Write a story about how you spent your time.
  • Make a list of zoo animals. Sort them by different categories, such as type of animal (mammals, fish, etc.) or coloring (green, brown, striped, etc.).
  • Visit the zoo with friends or relatives and find the animals on your list.
  • Visit a museum or historical building with friends or relatives. Write a list of things you see that you didn’t expect.
  • Word game! Think of the softest animal or the oldest thing you’ve ever touched. Write a poem about it, but don’t use the word soft or old.

 Week 6: Honor summer’s end

  • Remember the wildflowers you pressed between the pages of a heavy book? Remove them, and put them in your summer scrapbook or paste them on heavy paper to make a bookmark.
  • Review the chart you made to track the books you read this summer. Pick new books to read.
  • Notice what time the sun sets today. Compare it to the time the sun set during week one.
  • Make a list of the supplies you need for school. Start shopping.
  • Plan an end-of-summer celebration. Write a list of the 10 best things you did this summer. Design a menu of your favorite summer treats.
  • Word game! Summer days are the longest days of the year. List the longest words you know.

Most important, have fun while reading!

 

Teacher Librarian – Theresa KEMP

2018-2019 School Uniform Online Pre-Ordering 

The wearing of the school uniform is a compulsory part of being a student at YCIS. The uniform shows pride and commitment to the YCIS Mission, and what it means to be a student at the school. The uniform is a positive way to establish a school culture that enhances discipline and also increases school safety.

As was announced earlier this academic year, our students will be wearing a newly designed school uniform in the 2018-19 academic year. Each student will be issued with a complete uniform set including a new school blazer for Primary and Secondary students and a new sports uniform across the whole school. Please note, there will still be a few uniform pieces from the existing style as we utilise existing stock and transition to the new uniform over the next twelve months.

A new vendor will be producing the YCIS school uniform and they have provided an online platform for the initial pre-ordering of the full set, as well as purchasing additional pieces and exchanging items should that be necessary.

The following information is provided to assist you in ordering your child’s school uniform for August 2018-19.

Online Pre-Ordering Arrangements:

• Online Pre-ordering of Uniform Sets will take place between May 18 and June 15

• Use the following link for online ordering –

https://mall.cre8te.cn/ or use the QR Code on the right to order on WeChat

• You can choose either English or Chinese on both the website and WeChat

• You will need to set up an account the first time you use the system

• When ordering, you will need to provide your child’s School code (Current Year Level: ECE to Y1 – SH59YC / Y2 to Y5 – SH11YC / Y6 – SH18YC) & Student number which has been provided in his/her school diary (ECE / Primary).

Assistance for Selecting Appropriate Sizes

If you are still unsure of what size to order for your child, sample uniforms will be available for your child to try on in the Uniform shop in C Building Basement of Hongqiao Campus on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 8:00am-11:30am or 1:00pm- 4:00pm

Collection of Uniform items:

Uniforms ordered online during the period specified above can be collected on Monday, August 20 (the day before school starts) from 9.00 – 11.30am in the Early Childhood and Primary (Y1-6) classrooms.

Please note:

o Online ordering is the only way to get a full uniform set for your child

o Orders made after June 15 may not arrive in time for collection before school starts

Ordering of Additional Uniform Items:

• Additional uniform pieces can be ordered online at any time, including this time – you can choose between having the uniform delivered to the school or your home (address must be provided in Chinese if you choose this option)

• Please note these items may incur a delivery cost charged by the vendor.

Uniform Exchanges

• Exchanges for ordered items need to be booked online, even if you choose to exchange the piece through the school.

Please see below links for demonstrations videos of the online ordering procedures –

English Video:

https://sway.com/dsus9gIHQMS1950R?ref=Link

Chinese Video:

https://sway.com/Hpy5GcItu7iaeYZJ?ref=Link

If you have any difficulties regarding the online uniform platform or any other school uniform matter, please contact the school office(021-22267666) and we will do our best to assist you.

K4C Justice League

 

Several children in K4C have shown an interest in creating resources that they can use in their role-play based around superhero play. This instigated a larger class interest from other children in the class and soon we had Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Green Lantern, The Flash, Cyborg and Batman teaming up together to share ideas and support each other in creating various elements of their costumes. The children shared their developing ideas with their peers during Bilingual Language Time and this provide inspiration for others to follow suit and fight for the greater good. The children’s play over several days accumulated in a ‘Superhero Day.’ The children dressed as superheroes in a variety of guises and several children wore homemade costumes.  The children completed several superhero challenges and had to rescue Ms. Mango from Evil monkey’s dastardly plan. This ongoing interest provided the children with many opportunities to engage in purposeful play that helped support their communication and language skills and their social interactions with their peers.

 

K4C Co-teachers – Douglas ARNOLD & Mango WANG