Written by: Roseline Yang, Parent Relations Officer
The main purpose of our Parent Organization Pudong (POP), with the support of our Parent Relations Officer, will be finding creative ways to be connected in this “new normal“ and continuing to develop long-term bonds in our school community.
At YCIS, we are all connected to one another for the same reason: our wish and commitment to create a safe, caring and inspiring environment for our students, so that they can fully develop their full potential and become globally competent and compassionate leaders with a servant’s heart, who aspire to, and act for, a better world.’
The first point of connection for parents comes from their choice to send their children to YCIS, a school with an established history, committed to offering a global education through a unique blend of East and West, and an International Curriculum that focuses on developing human qualities. As our students learn to explore, discover and interact with people of the YCIS community, parents also have the same opportunity, because YCIS is a school that encourages all members of the community to come together in a warm and collaborative way.
However, as we return to school, we must also comply with new rules and regulations due to the pandemic, and so it is essential that we continue to follow the directions given by school leaders. Their top priority is the safety and well-being of the students in order to continue to enable the whole school community to creatively explore different fields of knowledge and develop learning skills critical for the 21st century.
This is the context in which I begin my fifth year at YCIS Pudong and second year as Parent Relations Officer. I hope that everyone can keep a positive mindset towards the school’s efforts and offer innovative solutions to stay connected as the Parent Organization Pudong: “To engage everyone and to build a community where everyone finds its place of comfort, regardless of our origins, gender, age, experience, life-style and language”.
During these first few months, our focus will be to make sure that everyone has settled in and understands how to communicate and be supported, especially for the new families and the ones who are still abroad. In the meantime, as we clarify with the faculty and school leaders how parent involvement will look while they are not physically allowed on campus, we will focus on building a network of parent helpers for:
- parent class liaison for supporting class teachers in ECE and Primary/year level coordinators in Secondary
- parent country liaison for helping new families coming from abroad or from other regions of China navigate inShanghai (we already have for Korea, India, Brazil, Latin America, Spain, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, UK and USA)
- parent volunteers for supporting student-life & leadership initiatives (e.g. lost & found, second-hand uniforms/books, house team spirit, etc.)
- parent volunteers for supporting parent & family life (e.g. parenting skills tips, health & fitness, discover Shanghai and other cultures, book club and other activities, etc.)
- parent volunteers for supporting traditional POP events & projects – Giving Tree, Christmas Tree Lighting, Chinese New Year Family Celebration, Global Child/Community Day, Staff Appreciation)
- parent editors/writers/translators for sharing tips and stories on the POP Blog, which was originally created by parents for the parent community.
No matter how you want to be connected or how you want to support our community, any help is always welcome and appreciated. In this “new normal” and ever-changing environment, the Parent Organization Pudong is the place where every member has the opportunity to make a difference while learning to be flexible, proactive and reactive.
If you need help, want to connect with other parents from the community and/or if you want to be part of our community builders and helpers, feel free to contact our Parent Relations Officer Roseline Yang at: rpcp.parentrelations@sh.ycef.com
“I hope you will get to know the fantastic people I have had the chance to meet and work with: The power of connectedness at YCIS definitely goes beyond the walls of our school and the people registered for 2020-2021.“ Roseline Yang, Parent Relations Officer