During our Exploratory Play Time, the children are given the opportunity to discover and explore a variety of resources.  Over the past few weeks the children have been interested in light and shadow play.  Flashlights, iPads, light boxes and an overhead projector, were some of the resources the children explored.

Using flashlights in the sensory area, sparked a lot of discussion amongst the children.  We decided to explore other light sources to see what types of shadows we could make.  Different materials were put onto the light boxes and the overhead projector in the Learning Common area for the children to explore.  The textures and changes in light colour as different objects were added, kept the children exploring and investigating.

Using a projector light or other light source to create shadows of children’s hands on the wall is a great way to practice fine motor skills.  Using fingers and hand positions to create shadows is a great way to keep their attention and focus.  Some children used the light from the iPad and their hands to create different animals on the walls.  From this discovery, the children are starting to make stories out of shadow play.

 

K4C Co-Teachers – Donné LIDDIARD & Mango WANG

 

As an exciting end to transition, Year 1 and Year 2 had a fantastic assembly! We welcomed ‘Roadworks’, a bike stunt team, all the way from England! They have shown their expertise all over the world including Romania, France, Hungary and Russia. It was an honour to host them here at YCIS RongHua. The children were enthralled by the skills of the performers. As well as demonstrations and dancing, several lucky children also got the chance to take part. Some of the tricks included spinning, jumping, twirling and dancing. While the tricks and stunts were very exciting, the performers were careful to remind children not to try them at home!

 

Year 2 Leader & Y2E Co-Teacher – Michelle COOPER

In Chinese Studies Classes, Year 4 students were learning the topic of Peking Opera. It has become an important media to introduce and spread traditional Chinese art and culture.  Through study, students learned the origin of Peking Opera. Besides knowing the different roles of Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou, students also studied the four performing techniques of Singing, Monologue Dialogue, Dancing and Martial Arts.

Students acquired knowledge of two important musical instruments in Peking Opera: Drums & Gongs and the Huqin.  Possesing a magically loud sound th Huqin perfectly combines with the performers’ voices and singing styles. While Drums & Gongs can control the whole opera and reflect the plot by creating magnificent stage effect with the variety in rhythms and volumes.

Peking Opera cannot live without opera faces. It is a special makeup technique in Chinese culture and has become one of the culture icons in China. Students took an active part in painting the opera faces. Red faces which have positive meanings represent loyalty and courage. Black faces which are neutral stand for boldness and wisdom. Purple faces which are between black and red represent majesty and integrity; Blue and green faces are also neutral ones that stand for rebellious heroes; Yellow and white faces which are negative stand for cunning and viciousness.

With the full concentration on the painting, students had a deep appreciation on the beauty of Peking Opera Art.

Y4B Co-Teacher – WEI Jin

 

Years 3-6 have been attending Multisport swimming training lessons once a week for a total of 5 weeks. In this time, we have been learning the basic swimming strokes. Ranging in ability from beginner to advanced, students were placed in groups and have been working towards improving their swimming abilities. For some people, this has been a challenge to get in the water and get their face wet. For others, it is a chance to polish up some already advanced skills and practice for the Upper Primary Swim Team that represents YCIS at various swim meets through the year.

No matter the skill level, we have all been challenged to improve. During this time, we also worked on our positive mind set and setting goals for measuring improvement.

Primary PE Teacher – Jeffrey TORRANCE

The Year 12 English Standard Level Language and Literature students are currently studying the topic Language and Identity: My Linguistic Identity during this first semester. They have created wonderful works of art that represent their linguistic identity and produced written tasks that explore creative writing. They have written a variety of texts such as emails, diary entries, magazine articles and speeches, exploring in detail what it means to be young people struggling with their own identity, discrimination and being third culture kids. Bravo to our students for really searching within themselves to create these personal pieces that really reflect on who they are.

Head of English Department – Waheeda Khan

You may have questions about Secondary Library hours, services, textbooks, or what books are recommended reading. You can find the answers to these questions on our Parents Page – https://ycis-sh.libguides.com/parents.

The home page has basic information about our services, textbooks, timings, and contact information. Click on the Library Spaces tab for more information about the library itself. Click on the English Fiction tab for lists of new books and age level recommendations. Place your cursor over a title to see more detailed information about that particular book. The fourth tab is Books for Parents where you will find titles of interest to parents which are available in our Parent Collection in the library or through the Learning Support Office.

Recommendations for student reading can be found at:

• https://ycis-sh.libguides.com/parents/recommendations – New books, Y7-9 &Y10-13 recommendations
• https://ycis-sh.libguides.com/historical – historical fiction by time periods
• https://ycis-sh.libguides.com/read4fun – Panda Award books, Shanghai Battle of the Books, and recommended titles by content or setting

Parents can borrow books from both the Primary and Secondary Libraries. Parents can borrow 5 books at a time for 2 weeks.

Please feel free to come by the libraries and take advantage of our services. We look forward to helping you.

Puxi Secondary Head Librarian – Karla Castle

 

We have had a good season running Cross Country these past three months, meeting every Monday and Wednesday afterschool in New Hongqiao Green Park. Our runs and stretches help us stay fit, socialise and enjoy nature.

The Senior Cross Country Team had their first meet in Binjiang Forest Park this past week. They had wonderful spirit and supported one another whole-heartedly. We had cool autumn weather and the atmosphere was enthusiastic, convivial and supportive from all participating schools and attending parents. Our top three runners in the boys’ race for YCIS were Tetta, Anthony and Niall. In the girls’ race, Nali, Jessica and Yulia placed first, second and third for our school. Jessica said, “After I finished the race I was exhausted, but felt good because I had accomplished something.” We look forward to our upcoming practices and our next meet at SSIS.

  

Senior Cross Country Team Coach – Waheeda Khan