K3C have had a busy few months. Settling in, making new friends and rekindling old friendships. The children have continued to grow and learn. A favourite area that all the children explore and enjoy is the role-play area. A wealth of language and imagination erupts, the children are chefs constructing enormous sandwiches and creating dishes that look delicious.

We are now dressing up like Santa. After a class discussion we decided to change the role-play area into Santa’s workshop, with work benches, tools and beautifully crafted stockings hanging all around. We constructed and crafted our recyclable colourful Christmas tree project. We are looking forward to our Christmas activity morning it will be very busy and the children are very excited to participate in all the wonderful activities that will be happening.

With Chinese New Year coming soon, we will be enjoying more special activities. This will include singing songs, playing instruments and making lots of crafts.

K3C Co-Teachers – Kirstin EASTON & Tracy CHEN

 

Year 1 and Year 2 EAL classes have been loving working in their new areas in the Ronghua Learning Communities.  We have been taking advantage of the bright open spaces, bringing students out into these areas to engage in and exhibit their learning.  EAL and classroom teachers work together to make sure the EAL learning is integrated as much as possible with the mainstream literacy programme.  For example, Y1 students have been learning about Lists, Labels and Recounts, while Y2 have been exploring Explanations and Traditional Tales.  Having EAL lessons in the open spaces gives EAL and mainstream children opportunities to view each other’s learning.  EAL teachers and children are also very happy that Interactive White Boards and/or TVs have been put into the Learning Communities’ open spaces, to make the learning more interactive.

 

Primary EAL Team Leader/Y1, 2 and 4 EAL Teacher – Beth KAVANAGH

Taoism, also called Taoist School, which is a local religion in China. It is the origin of eastern science and wisdom. The main idea of Taoism is to pursue the natural harmony and social stability. The Year 6 Chinese teachers racked their brains to present the best Chinese Studies Classes to let students gain the basic concepts of Taoism.

The teachers divided the classes into several parts such as Taoism representatives, Taoism health, Tai Chi, etc. In class, the teachers tried to explain the profound theory with simple languages. From that, students learned the main representatives of Taoism-Lao-zi and Chuang-tzu. Tao Te Ching by Lao-zi still has a far-reaching impact on the nowadays society. The students were also deeply impressed by the story of Butterfly Dream of Chuang-tzu. Although the children couldn’t fully understand the story, it will still provide them with something to rethink in the future. Perhaps that was the basic of philosophy enlightenment.

Moreover, students gain great interest in Taoism health. From seeing the pictures and listening to teacher’s explanation, they learned the Five Cereals and Five Fruits in China. By participating in the character-and-picture matching, students had deepened their understanding of these concepts.

The highlight of the class was the Tai Chi part. The teachers invited the Tai Chi tutor into class to provide the students with an alternative way to approach Taoism by practicing Tai Chi. With the tutor’s instruction, students began to practice. Although they were not quite skillful at this art, they were able to display the moves such as opening and closing, rising and falling. Little by little, the students became more nature and calm both on their facial expressions and movements. They were able to enter the Taoism status which was relaxing in body and peaceful in mind.

We hope the topic study of Taoism in class today will become a lifelong treasure for the children tomorrow. Besides, we give best wishes for each child to gain the body health and mental peace in the future with the influence of Taoism.

Y6B Co-Teacher – Hazel HUA

The Year 1/2 Junior Choir has begun! The Choir focuses upon building confidence, teamwork and developing an appreciation of music. Students are introduced to a variety of games and exercises to help them learn the necessary breathing and vocal projection skills. Students are also involved in learning and creating simple actions for a range of songs, this helps aids their understanding of a song, as well as developing their coordination, rhythmical and memory skills. Students are frequently encouraged to watch and discuss a range of short recordings/videos of different choirs, bands and musical groups, helping them to appreciate a wide range of musical styles. Learning to work as a team is important and essential to the building of a happy and confident choir. We use the YCIS helping hands to ensure that the children develop their confidence and maintain a healthy mindset. The helping hands are important within our discussions and reflections, as well as in our preparation for a final performance. We look forward to sharing some of our songs with you through performance and video in the not too distant future!

Lower Primary Music Teacher – Jane DOUGLAS

The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) Singapore Confererence, an invitation only event was held on November 19-23, 2018 at Hwa Chung International school. There were approximately 950 participants including MUN directors, from 53 schools across the world. YCIS delegates represented the countries Cameroon, Jamaica and Yemen.

Leadership positions at THIMUN Singapore
Our delegates played an important part of the leadership team at THIMUN this year. These positions are highly contested, and students have to complete application forms and wait to see if they were successful. Along with the Director’s recommendation, students are awarded positions based on merit and experience.

Preparations for this takes place months in advance of the conference. The results are published on the THIMUN website.
https://singapore.thimun.org/conference-2/appointments/student-officers/ 

MUNITY Press Team
This year we joined MUNITY Press team. Martin Lee (layout & designer) and Nathalie Phongsavanh (photographer) were part of the team. They were responsible for ensuring that the daily MUN magazine got to the Conference delegates on time. Martin taught himself this skill over the summer holiday, using a software that required demanding expertise. Copies of the magazines are available to read at the library. Both should be commended for their discipline and dedication. We will apply for the positions again next year.

International Court Judges and Advocates
Sophia Roehr and Anna Metz represented YCIS at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and were awarded the positions of Judge and Advocate. They were the youngest delegates in the court. Mr. Robert Stern, the ICJ MUN teacher (for Singapore & The Hague) and retired lawyer commended them both on their level of competence and the excellent preparation they brought to the court. Both students had to write opening and closing speeches, cross examine witnesses and argue cases in legalese terms. These are the most challenging roles in the conference and good practice for those intending to pursue law as a career.

Deputy Chair of General Assembly (GA) 6 – Legal arm of the Council
Romir Williams represented YCIS in this managerial role. Favourable comments were made on the professionalism and management of GA6. This is Romir’s second time as a chair at MUN conferences. At the upcoming conference CISSMUN 2019, he will be a representative at the ICJ. He has really grown as a “MUNer”.

 New Delegates to THIMUN
5 new delegates to MUN, joined THIMUN from YCIS, all of whom participated well. Special mention however, must be made of Cheng En Tsai, the delegate of Yemen, who had a flair of delivering well thought out and comprehensive dispatches at the podium.

The Ambassador of Yemen, Yi Jing Tai was summoned to the Security Council to give an account of the situation in Yemen. Not only did she have to have a wide knowledge about the country, but she had to defend her position from one of the most challenging and experienced committees at the conference. She was well prepared to meet the challenge.

Our more experienced delegates are becoming more established and made numerous Points of Information (POI’S) and amendments to resolutions throughout the conference. Jiwoo Seo, delegate of Cameroon, was the main submitter for her resolution in Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC). Her committee had over 100 delegates. Quite an achievement then, to lobby and merge most of her clauses for debate -a testament to her level of preparedness before the conference.

Thank you YCIS delegation for all your hard work in preparing and participating a such a prestigious conference.

  

THIMUN Singapore gives opportunities to students to have enjoy themselves as young adults. MUN is indeed FUN.

THIMUN Singapore delegation 2018 20 students:

Name	Positions
Martin Lee	Press Team – Print layout
Nathalie Phongsavanh	Press Team Photographer
Romir Williams	Chair
Anna Metz	ICJ Judge
Sophia Roehr	ICJ Judge
Cheng-en Tsai	Delegate: Yemen
Wing Yuki Yuki Fung	Delegate: Yemen
Yi Jing Tai	Ambassador: Yemen
Mu-Yun Lin	Delegate: Yemen
Alexander Lin Hao Chen	Ambassador: Jamaica
Shaun Agustine	Delegate: Jamaica
Alistair Ko	Delegate: Jamaica
Bryan Xu	Delegate: Jamaica
Mei Hei Tsui	Ambassador: Cameroon
Liz Lim	Delegate: Cameroon
Jung A Heo	Delegate: Cameroon
Ian Krpac	Delegate: Cameroon
Angelo Bavaresco	Delegate: Cameroon
Ji Woo Seo	Delegate: Cameroon
Chayeon Joun	Delegate: Cameroon

A special thank you to Ms. S. Phongsavanh, University Guidance Counsellor who joined the delegation to assist and used the opportunity to take students to visit the National University of Singapore (NUS) and made connections with other tertiary educational establishments.

Much gratitude to Mr. R. Augustine for designing the note taking pads for our delegates to use at the conference.

Director Hall
YCIS Model United Nations

The Global Discussion Club is a place where students and teachers alike are able to come together to learn, question, and discuss pressing scientific issues of the day. It is a club that brings together individuals who have an interest in science and gives them a place to discuss and debate certain topics. The topics are proposed and talked about by an expert on the subject, who then leads  discussion and debate on the topic.

The Global Discussion Club covers a diversity of topics, ranging from AI technology to antibiotics and ecology. It is not  limited to just discussion but also how to apply possible solutions to world issues in our school campus. This can include collaborating with the Environment Club and ultimately presenting at the YCIS TedX talk. Our club also has many special guests who come by to participate in our debates and discussions.

On November 12^th Ms. van Heerden, as a visiting expert, provided great insight into nuclear energy and its uses. Subsequently, we discussed the topic of nuclear energy.The first 15-20 minutes of the club was spent watching videos on the topic and having small group discussions while researching further. The discussions then were opened up to encompass the entire group, where many ideas and arguments (for or against) nuclear energy were put forth. As a result attendees were beginning to open up many more closed views of the topic.

The group was split into “for” or “against” opposing teams, who spent another 10-15 minutes researching arguments for the guiding question given to us: “Should we be placing more money towards the nuclear energy?”. In the end, both sides of the debate put forth very strong arguments. The for team, for example, brought to light the new research on nuclear energy, stressing that in order for these new and safer technologies to become available, more funding should be placed into research. The against team also put forth strong arguments, including the past (and possibly future) dangers nuclear reactors could pose, and argued that funding should go to the research of more permanent renewable energy sources.

A Year 12 student, Seonaid said “What I love about the club, is that anybody is able to attend, even if they have no knowledge of the topics covered, since we all learn about the topics together as a group. This enables us not only to grow together in learning and bounce off one another, but also to engage in friendly discussions or debates. These debates also allow us to gain a much more holistic view of each topic, as often these global issues are widely regarded in one specific view, and little coverage is made on any opposing arguments. The debate about the renewable energy definitely made me view this topic in a different light than what I had coming in. I think global discussion club is something everybody should try, to not only develop research and discussion skills, but also because we especially as future or current global citizens should be learning about this significant issues that simply are not covered in our classrooms.”

Another student, Elgin from Year 12 said “There are many clubs in our school that each have their own unique traits. However, one that stands out to me is the Global Discussion Club. It goes without saying that our club provides a very interactive and fun experience for every member attending”.

Recently we had an interesting debate on renewable energies and whether nuclear energy is counted as a renewable energy source. Our members went back and forth on the safety and reliability of nuclear energy, while learning many new things along the way, such as how to effectively get rid of nuclear waste and a new method of creating nuclear energy called nuclear fission.

Our club is very welcoming and engaging, especially for those interested in science. Do swing by every other Monday after school in technology room to participate in this exciting experience with us.

Add Jiwoo & Christina’s Wechat for further information.
@happyseo10
@christina_linmy

Written by
Year 12 Students
SEO Ji woo
MCDONALD Seonaid Alyssa Faith
LIN Elgin Jun

We have concluded another exciting year of CISSA Soccer and the level of sportsmanship and skill has been fantastic.

The Senior C1 Girls Soccer team coached by Ms. Vincent steadily improved throughout the season and maintained their enthusiasm during every game. Special certificates were awarded to Princess CALAQUIAN, Chanel SPAGNA and Kaye WONG.

There were a record number of Senior Boys participating this year, which is especially promising for our upper secondary sports program. A special congratulations goes out to Henry LI, Joshua TAN, William XI, Xavier SEAH, Youngje KANG, Hokyung PARK and JinHo KIM who all received special certificates. Thank you to the coaches Mr. Stokes and Mr. Cockram, an extra special thanks to the Year 12 assistant coaches Sean XU and Patrick FENGER-KROG who did an amazing job helping to coach the teams.

The Junior (Year 7) Girls’ and Boys’ Soccer teams also enjoyed a hugely positive season, which saw both teams improve their communication and skill level. The coaches, Mr. Chakaba and Mr. Potter awarded the following students with special certificates; Andrea ZENG, Sang-Woo SON, Marco CHAN, Mathew EFFENDY, Brandon TAN, Elanur OZKURT and David MARSDEN.

Ryan Hotham
Puxi Lower Secondary Sports Coordinator

 

This is my second year being a part of the school Touch Rugby team, starting from zero understanding to a well-rounded player.

A year ago, there were only a few players that joined because touch rugby wasn’t a popular sport but moreover, it was because previous players were mostly graduates. However,  as the season started, more and more young athletes joined under the influence of our coaches and demonstrated supreme tenacity to the sport. Whether there was a heavy downpour, or in extreme heat when sweat saturates our clothes, team members have shown their dedication and commitment in every training session after school and Saturday mornings.

Our recent ACAMIS tournament was in Hong Kong hosted by Discovery College.

Throughout the ACAMIS tournament, I am truthfully convinced on how this experience can benefit you for a lifetime. One of the most essential focus points where coaches mentioned over and over is sportsmanship. Showing respect to players from other teams and the referees has genuinely enhanced our character subconsciously.  During times when a player got injured, everyone showed concern as if they were injured themselves. Developing flexibility and patience amongst every mistake we make along the remarkable journey. I will always remember how we high five energetically, cheering for each try, last but not least, giving our very best to all our games.

Without doubt, the opportunity of contributing to a sports team at YCIS has impacted everyone in our team. This is because students come from multifarious countries, and countless friendships are built. This creates a global connection of friendships, and this complexity of nationality among friendships leads to a much stronger relationship: family. Despite the fact that touch rugby is the only sport that consists of both male and female players, we support and take care of each other showing generosity as we get more attached to one and another.

I am sincerely thankful to our coaches, Mr Slade and Mr Hotham, for inspiring and challenging each and every one of us to become better touch players. Without the encouragement from our coaches, we wouldn’t have been able to come this far.

LEE Ho Yiu Anson – Y11A

We live in a society that thrives on images. Images that promote trends and fashions, deliver information and reveal uncertainties of the world. Change is the characteristic of our modern society. All parents are challenged with decisions whether to embrace changes or to oppose them. What are some of the fundamental values and skills that children need to possess in order to maintain and develop in the fast changing society?The Rock and Water program was developed with the intention of enhancing social safety and the wellbeing of children to prevent and/or reduce social problems such as bullying, conflict, exclusion, physical violence, sexual misconduct and violence. The program has a focus to develop a sense of meaningfulness and mutual solidarity, in a society where speed and haste threaten the quality of life. Themes are introduced through physical exercises and consequently related to the development of communication skills, building awareness and insight of personal qualities and responsibilities. Few lessons on basic ideas of Rock and Water principles, grounding and centering, body awareness, communication and self-realization will be introduced to upper secondary starting in late December and to the lower secondary in semester two during wellness classes.

Carolyn Lee
Puxi Secondary Learning Resources Coordinator

 

Last month our Year 9 Global Issues class focused on tolerance.  All of us chose a man or woman whom we believed demonstrated tolerance.  We researched about that person, then we made two/three videos acting like the person we chose.  We spoke about what is tolerance to us, our best moment, and worst moment, and put those videos on an app called HP Reveal. Most of us managed to finish the project well. After we finished our posters, we put them in The Hall. Some of the posters and videos were very detailed, and some of them are really easy to understand. There were also some really famous such as Malcom X, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King. Overall, most of the videos are very good, and everyone participated well.  Go check them out.

WHERE ARE THE VIDEOS LOCATED? ASKS DON

 

Henry Li – Y9B