Written by: By Janelle Garrett (Lower Secondary Coordinator) and Kevin ’21

Teachers and peers often describe Kevin ’21 as a young “jedi master” because he wields incredible self-discipline, seems wise beyond his years, and is able to powerfully connect his ideas about the world and harness his creative energies incorporating knowledge to produce incredible music and inspire himself and others to explore, do, and create more. Last month, Kevin accepted an offer to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts with a 50% scholarship! Looking at Kevin today, confident and eloquent, ready to face the world, excited about university offers and new opportunities opening for him, it is hard to believe that when Kevin ’21 joined YCIS Pudong in Year 6, as a young “Padawan (jedi-in-training)” he was “shy and self-conscious” because he could barely speak English. Ultimately, Kevin credits his transformation to his insatiable intellectual curiosity and how YCIS fostered his inquiring mind, giving him space to ask questions and opportunities to try new things, while supportive teachers nurtured his talents and pushed him to explore different ideas, connect, and create.

When you find something you love, really go for it!

I always loved music and everything about it. Music defines me. YCIS gave me so many different chances to develop my interests as well—in Music classes and through a wide range of performance opportunities. I played as a soloist in so many recitals, I played in orchestras like Sinfonia, Stage and Show Band, jazz quartets, musical theatre production bands, rock bands. I explored and learned to play different instruments. I composed music and wrote arrangements of different compositions. I recorded and learned about sound engineering in our music studio and worked on post-production. I also was able to study music as a serious academic discipline through our IGCSE and IB Music classes.

Doggedly pursue your passion.

Like many of my peers, I started looking at universities from several years ago, but because I knew music was my passion, I was very focused in my search. Berklee College of Music was my top choice. Although offers received from other schools, like Royal College of Music in the UK, were tempting, ultimately the collective creative energy of the music scene in Boston and the incredible talent of its professors and students made me quite excited to accept the generous Berklee offer.

Extend your learning network: Summer Programmes

For me, the extended break in summer provided the time to travel, meet new people, and extend my learning beyond YCIS and Shanghai, nurturing my creativity in various summer programmes hosted by world-class universities. I studied classical piano performance at Julliard’s summer programme in Geneva, Switzerland, developing my techniques and expressiveness of performance. The professors did Master classes and individual lessons and there were so many chances to connect, play, get feedback and improve our performance. My summer at Stanford University’s Jazz Workshop studying jazz guitar was transformative and was a big influence on my interests and future study goals at university. At Stanford, great teachers pushed me to think in news ways about music theory and provided valuable feedback on my playing. These programmes also provided amazing opportunities to just meet other musicians (professors and peers alike) I’m able to keep in touch with on social media.

Extend your learning network: YCIS Job Shadow

YCIS is rather unique in Shanghai with its Year 11 Job Shadow Programme—allowing all students to pursue short internships and gain insights into the world of work in different industries. I had the amazing opportunity to work at Shanghai Disneyland doing recording and sound engineering, helping with show production. Although I was committed to pursuing music professionally, I hadn’t really thought that much about different career paths. This experience gave me a glimpse into areas of what is possible.

It’s cool to specialize, but don’t underestimate the power of a holistic education.

With my strong focus on Music, I’m attuned to the benefits to specializing. However, I’m also a major proponent of the power of a holistic education and that is why I’ve really loved my time at YCIS—especially the IB Diploma Programme. Having a well-rounded study at this stage is so beneficial, proving essential skills in English, Math, Science, and Theory of Knowledge connecting it all—writing, speaking, critical thinking, research skills, these aren’t just necessary for university, they are needed for life no matter what you end up doing. This is what makes you a lifelong learner. I also like that the IB is a combination of exam and course work–both matter because life is not a one-time test! Course work is great because it shows that what you do every day matters and it shows that IB cares about your progression and your own learning journey throughout and not just the end goal. The CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) requirements of IB, with its focus on reflection also fosters important and valuable life habits. We learn so much beyond the classroom, through our involvement in different hobbies, CCAs and service learning. These also make life so much more meaningful.

Community matters and relationships matter.  I am so grateful for the friends I’ve made and teachers that have taught me over the past 7 years at YCIS, the welcoming environment and strong community here. I have learned so much from each relationship—they’ve made me who I am today and made my school life so much richer and more fun.

Make time for what you love. It makes the journey worthwhile and much more enjoyable.

Whether it is an idea or interest, an experience that brings you joy, or a relationship that matters—these don’t just happen. Be deliberate and spend time at what matters.

Written by:  Melissa Shaw – Primary Coordinator

              

I know that our ECE teachers are a special lot, but our newest member of staff, Ms. Joanne, is an extra special one. I just had to find out about these bagpipes!

Joanne, tell us about how you came to learn the bagpipes. Everyone has been absolutely fascinated and has loved listening to you play!

I was inspired to learn when I heard a local pipe band playing at a carnival. I had heard bagpipes before but only from a distance. On this occasion, I was standing really close and the sound just coursed through my veins and ignited something inside me. From that moment on I had a burning desire to learn them, and I’ve been hooked ever since. You might say bagpipes are now in my blood; they are an integral part of my identity and I can’t imagine my life without piping…it’s my happy place. It’s also fantastic stress relief too, because when I play pipes, everything else fades away as I get ‘in the zone’.

It has been wonderful to have you finally join our ECE team. What has been your favourite moment so far with your students?

Oh my gosh…so many wonderful and amazing moments every day. Let me think, well, I have only been in my class for a month; my first day was pretty special, finally getting to meet the children after what seems like forever. It’s been rewarding to observe how they’ve shifted from being ‘quiet and cautious’ to ‘comfortable and relaxed’ around me. Our youngest student now smiles at me on arrival each morning and this week, she said, “Good morning” in English to me, a first! So, for me, it’s been the little things, their first smile, reaching for my hand and hearing them use English.

What were you doing before coming to YCIS?

I was on a short-term contract at the University of Canterbury marking Bachelor of Teaching Degree – third year students’ papers, while I was waiting to come over to YCIS. Before that I was a ‘fulltime doctoral student’. In the early stages of my PhD, I was a Head teacher in Kindergarten; however, I was lucky enough to receive a full PhD scholarship not long after starting my thesis journey. This allowed me the flexibility to step back from leadership and focus on my research.

I am doing some groundbreaking research, or at least it will be when its published, on hearing student voices.  Until now, children’s voices have been marginalized in this space and e-portfolio research has tended to focus on parents’ and teachers’ perspectives, rather than children’s perspectives. Do I sound excited and passionate? You bet I am!

What is your philosophy in regard to early childhood education?

My full teaching philosophy is about two pages long, however, thefollowing whakataukī sums it up nicely:

Whaia te iti Kahurangi, Ki te tuohu koe, Me he maunga teite: ‘seek the treasure that you value most dearly, if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain’.

This whakataukī (Māori proverb) reflectsthe aspirations I have for my students, as well as myself; insofar as, always striving to be the best we can be, to persevere and never give up trying.

If we went into your class, what would we see?

Happy and contented faces; engaged children and warm responsive teachers, but then I am totally biased.

What do you like to do in your spare time when not at school?

I play bagpipes of course…but when I’m not playing, I’m busy writing up my research. I also love hanging out with my son and exploring Shanghai…I’d like to imagine sometime soon we might get beyond Shanghai, but in the meantime we are content. I also like a good movie with popcorn, a glass of red wine and a good steak!

Other than playing bagpipes, do you have any other hidden talents?

Does riding a hover board while playing bagpipes count? Seriously though, I am a fairly good landscape artist and have sold numerous paintings in art galleries in New Zealand. Does that sound conceited, you did ask? Ironically, we moved to Nelson, New Zealand, 13 years ago to be nearer to the art scene and didn’t pick up a paint brush the entire time I lived there!  Life happens, as it does, but I sure am enjoying the journey so far.

Written by: Roseline Yang, Parent Relations Officer

We are impressed and inspired by the positive attitude of our community in spite of the challenges and difficulties posed by the current worldwide pandemic. We’re working together to keep our daily life as normal as we can. We are so grateful to our school leaders for their continual efforts to help us deal with all the uncertainties imposed by the external regulations.

In the same way, our teachers and staff have worked collaboratively to keep adapting to new ways of managing the school day whilst maintaining the high-quality learning experience and opportunities that we expect for all our students.

Our parent volunteer community together with the support of Parent Relations Officer have come together, whenever possible, to explore various ways to offer their service to the members of the school community, while following rules of restrictions imposed.

     

Having to take into consideration the rules of “avoiding big group gatherings”, “keeping low-key event promotions”, and “no parents on-campus”,  the school leadership team reached out to the different groups of parent volunteers to discuss and brainstorm creative solutions to connect with the parent community. Through feedback and exchange of thoughts, new ideas came up such as meeting in near-by coffee shops to connect parents with academic leaders for ECE parents and Primary class representatives, and even with subject teachers for Secondary parents.

Some of these positive interactions highlighted parents’ interest to connect with one another and led to a spirit of care andsupport for the community. One of these meetings led to the organization withintwoweeks of a Picnic for ECE families at Century Park on Saturday, November 27. Another one allowed to recruit new parent volunteers to join the Christmas Choir Surprise on Friday, December 18, which then led to the eagerness of newly joined parents to organize second-hand uniforms sales and help the parent community to be prepare for the school photos.

While some parents started to discover more about POP, the Parent Organization Pudong, which aims to create a positive community atmosphere at the school by supporting teachers, parents interaction, and enhancing students learning exposure, the POP core members and new POP members experienced great teamwork when organizing the POP Giving Tree Project in collaboration in December.

After the Christmas holidays, parents were keen on getting together to prepare for the Chinese New Year Parent Performance on Friday, February 5 as well as to welcome the group of newly joined Parents on Wednesday, January 20.

  

Although there are still uncertainties about the near-future and we need to learn tomakedo with what we have, there’s no doubt that with such like-minded people, the power of kindred spirits will allow us to face any challenges and we will be able to also think creatively about how to organize Staff Appreciation and Global Community Day.

 

The theme of this year for Global Community will be: Love and Charity around the World – How people come together to support others in-need. We are always looking for parents who want to contribute and support, but we are also here to connect you with kindred spirits. Please email rpcp.parentrelations@sh.ycef.comif you want to connect or need help!

 

Inspirational lines from the YCIS Hymn

“Yew Chung, we arise now shining forth so bright,
In the darkness because of you.

Real greatness will be judged to the extent
We give ourselves in serving others.

Charity and Love must be our guiding force
In our thought and word and deed.”

Written by: Sophia Mille Year 12

 

How I Developed a Passion for Music at YCIS Shanghai

Throughout my childhood, I dipped my toes in many, many hobbies. My interest in these hobbies would never last, for I was a frivolous fledgeling with a frighteningly short attention span. I would continue to engage in plenty more short-lived pursuits until my later years in Secondary.

My first encounter with music was completely coincidental – teachers were encouraging us to partake in extracurricular activities, and my friends just so happened to play different instruments, so we formed a band. I initially found this venture daunting and somewhat unrealistic, but with the aid of the school’s highly supportive music department, my apprehensions melted away. In the ensuing weeks, we started frequenting the music classrooms at lunch and after school, honing our craft and learning about audio equipment under the guidance of our teachers. Soon enough, we began playing at countless school events.

Performing at school events provided me with the opportunity to identify my weaknesses and improve them for the next performance. As the band’s singer, mine were squeaky falsetto notes and stage fright. Although these flaws filled me with insecurity at first, feedback from my peers and teachers soon led me on the path of self-improvement rather than self-loathing. Performing in a school band also provided an environment that strengthened social bonds between me and my bandmates. If we wanted to create a pleasing sound, we had to coordinate our efforts by trusting one another. Building trust with my bandmates not only improved our sound but also shaped many lasting community experiences.

Playing music at YCIS has helped enhance my technique as a musician and build character. With every school event we played at, I felt my passion for music swell and stretch. Music has become an integral part of my school life: I have continued my learning journey by selecting music as one of my IG courses, actively participating in Voices, the school choir, and attending the In-School Individual Instrumental Program. Every one of my musical endeavours has enriched my life as a student at YCIS and will accompany me into the future.

Written by: Zaid Saleh, Humanities Teacher & Amy Yang, Secondary Head of Chinese Department

How and why do local cuisines develop? In this Project Based Learning (PBL) Unit, throughresearch and investigation, student teams determinedpossible causes, including those related to physical and human geography, history and culture, and reviewedfindings of studies that have already focused on this issue to date.Vandy Wang of 8B noted, “Watching documentaries on Chinese cuisine was very entertaining and inspiring. The small groups worked really well, making communication and collaboration easier.”

The unit was launched with a food tasting event for the students, where they were given an opportunity to try foods which were prepared skillfully by our Century Park Campus Chefs. There were no less than 16 dishes on offer, two from each of the eight famous regions of China. Lily Kent of 8B said of this event “discovering through tasting was a great experience whilst learning about the country I live in”. After this event, the students generated a set of ‘Need to Know’ (NTK) questions as guidance for their research. Many questions were generated from this process including questions around regional produce, diet in a historical/religious context, climate, agricultural methods, culture and technology, trade and eco issues, as well as demographic and socioeconomic reasons, including the advent of migration and globalisation.

The next phase was to explore educational tools. The student teams worked collaboratively on deciding on a relevant format or media to include in the presentation, and ones that would engage and educate the audience. They worked together and drafted their products,continually reflecting on their original NTKs. Nicholas Shaw of 8B noted,“teamwork, organising time and reflection was a valuable skill we all developed through this unit”. The unit culminated with the students connecting to an authentic real-life audience of food tasters, whilst delivering their findings with an open product and a set of eight unique presentations.

Written by: Lucia Hu, School Counsellor (Regency Park Campus)

How precious it is to have opportunity for spending time with our loved ones in person. However, some parents struggle to enjoy or know how to “be with” our most precious treasures – our kids. As someone whose own Chinese parents didn’t “play” with me and rarely showed physical affection, I had to learn and practice how to play with my own boys in a way that had not been modeled.

We may already know that “play” helps children develop gross motor skills, creativity, problem solving and much more.  Many other sources can provide this information.

More specifically, you might wonder why it’s not enough for kids or siblings to just play with each other? Our children naturally crave our attention and develop a sense of their own value as parents communicate that they are valuable by focusing attention on them. Research has shown that parent-child play helps with cognitive development, building competence and peer group leadership.  Parents’ interaction also helps build kids’ self-esteem and learn to regulate their emotions and manage social interactions.  The hormone oxytocin will increase in our system as parents engage in affectionate or stimulatory play with their little ones. Oxytocin is linked to stress reduction and promotes relaxation, mental stability, and trust. Parent-child play helps us build strong relationships with our kids by supporting healing from disagreements and resentments. This transformation of hurts into healing also supports developing resilience.

                                     

I understand it’s good to play and interact with my kids, but…it is really hard to have time or energy, to know what to play and sometimes I don’t like it. Many of us struggle with these same thoughts and feelings. Parents who work late and barely make it home before the kids go to bed, those who travel or work in another city may be the most hard hit with these thoughts and feelings. Those who are physically present but stressed with work at home experience the same kind of challenge. While I am a firm proponent of parents prioritizing time for themselves to de-stress and do what you love, we can still find one small step to further invest positive time with our children.

How much time is enough? Professionals have suggested at least 20 to 30 minutes of focused interaction per day.  For parents who may not be home to see the kids every night, every minute counts. If you make it home 10 minutes before your child sleeps, that 10 minutes of undivided attention of chatting, reading a part of a story, or just to give a hug and say “I love you” makes a difference. No matter the amount of time, it is the quality of the interaction that matters. If we have negative feelings that can make our child feel we’re irritated or mad at them, or we don’t enjoy playing with them, it may be better to postpone play time.

                                             

What to do with the 20 to 30 minutes?

Do:

• Silence the phone and put electronics elsewhere
• Fully observe and listen to your child
• Let them tell you what they want to play and what they want you to do
• Narrate what they’re doing or feeling (ie. “You stacked that so well. Looks like you’re feeling very pleased with yourself.”)
• Focus your words on praise or positive comments
• Ask what made them happy, sad, or mad

Do not:

• Be distracted by your phone
• Talk about their bad behavior/attitude
• Talk about homework or poor marks
• Discuss scheduling tutors, sports, music practice, etc.
• Withhold parent-child interaction as a consequence for bad behavior

 

Ideas for different ages:

• Sorting toys
• Pretend play and dress up
• Storytelling (can also use dolls or puppets)
• Making a craft, drawing or coloring
• Playing ball
• Board games
• Taking a walk

Written by:  Melissa Shaw, Michele Rowland & Year 5 & 6 House Captains

Welcoming our Year 5/6 House captains at Century Park Campus! As part of the YCIS House initiative, our leaders will encourage and support their teams to win the House Cup but when asked about their roles, these students have lots of plans they would like to introduce in the hopes of securing more points for their team!

We are pleased to introduce to you our fantastic House Captains:

Blue: Chau Ue (Cherry)
Green: Jessica Hehir
Red: Cayden Nip
Yellow: Samuel Watson

When asked why they wanted to be a House Captain, Jessica Hehir stated that she has been a part of Green House since she was 4 Years old. “I want to make Green House proud of themselves by working together as a team.”

  

Cayden Nip, Captain of the Red House realised he was good at helping others and communicating. He believes this is a really important part of being a house captain.

The House Captains have some very supportive and competitive teachers behind their team. Mr Cooke, a member of Red House has been heard to regularly say, “Red house is the best, it runs in my veins.”

So far, the students have earnt points through earning Helping Hands Awards, taking part in competitions such as designing posters for Book Week, football tournaments, special events such as Founder’s Day and more recently, the Paper Plate challenge for Chinese New Year.

The House Captains recognise that if everyone in their house takes part in these events they each earn a point that will soon add up and really help their team. But more importantly, they have fun being part of a team.

“Something I enjoyed about the football tournament was that everyone participated, and no one really cared about winning. It was just to have fun!” Said Samuel Watson.

Let’s see how we are doing so far…

Points:

So what next? After a really enjoyable football tournament, the students are excited to have more sport events. But this is not the only thing they want to do. Our creative leaders recognise that House competitions can also be about arts, Math quizzes, and general teamwork. Cherry, Blue House leader informed the students that the House Captains are currently planning a team building event to take place one afternoon, with different tasks that they believe the Year 5 and 6’s will enjoy and help get those precious points.

Written by:  Charles He, Y12 student

As the new semester starts, a new team of Prefects has formed to assume the leadership of five portfolios: Climate Action, YCIS Learners, House Spirit, Student Council, and Service Learning. The purpose of these portfolios is to focus on specific areas within which we can take action that contributes to the betterment of our community by understanding the impact we all have on the world around us.

Many initiatives are already being planned and launched. Service Learning Prefects have started with a mural project in the IB Learning Community, decorating the areas with inspiration from visual elements that combine art with cognitive science.The YCIS Learners have opened the opportunity for students to join as Subject Ambassadors that work with different departments, providing students with role models and proposing ideas with the perspective of individual subject areas in mind. House Spirit Prefects are certainly raising spirits by proposing dedicated house spaces for their house members, as well as sports tournaments such as the upcoming Benchball Competition. The Climate Action portfolio seeks to develop and encourage projects that raise awareness of our impact on the planet and call on us to respond to the global climate crisis. And Student Council continues to foster a sense of wellbeing in our community, to care for and value each other, for instance by running activities in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Of course, these portfolios don’t exist in isolation. Our Student Leadership Team presented their first assembly last Friday, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, considering the importance of this target through each of their respective lenses. And many of the initiatives the Prefects develop will interconnect. So, don’t be surprised if you see a House Recycling Bin Decoration Competition, collaboration on appreciation of our support staff, or even an all-encompassing TEDx event!

Written by:Cathy Yang, Primary Chinese Coordinator

In YCIS primary, while we are committed to cultivating language ability, we are also helping students develop from the primary cognitive thinking of “memory, understanding and application” to the high-level thinking of “analysis, evaluation and creation.”  Through debate competitions, language activities and project-based learning, students improve their critical thinking skills. We have made significant progresses in terms of how we teach and the emphaisis we place on the individual needs of our students. We keep trying our best to create more and more chances for collaboration.

What would life be like without animals? Why do animals need our help and protection nowadays? And also, what should I do to protect animals? Recently, CFL-5 students have been doing a project, “People and Animals”, in which students raise their voices for endangered animals in our community.

After launching the project, students worked in small groups, each group chose an animal which they wanted to help with. In group discussions, they talked about things like: why the animals were endangered, the problems these animals are facing and how we can help them. The students wrote the description of the animals and studied facts about them. They then included pictures and videos. Finally, the students presented their projects in different forms, such as poster, presentation, and interviews.

Through such a project, students not only had the opportunity to do anin-depth exploration of the relationship between people and animals, but also developed a range of learning skills such as researching, writing and editing, planning and reflecting. Concepts such as thinking, enquiry and research happen in both CAL and CFL as well as in Chinese Studies. We also provide students with opportunities to enhance their teamwork skills and collaboration which are core requirements for their future.

Happy New Year of the Ox! The biggest event on Chinese calendars is upon us once more: Chinese New Year. As always, staff and students at YCIS Shanghai celebrated the breadth of our host country’s culture. Here is a roundup of how the proceedings went in the 2021 celebrations.

Chinese Culture Week in ECE & Primary 

From February 1–5, YCIS Pudong ECE and Primary hosted the ‘Chinese Culture Week’, a week of cultural activities, allowing students and teachers to explore different aspects of Chinese culture, which helped them gain greater insight and connection to China. During the week, ECE and Primary students experienced traditional arts and crafts making, learned traditional dances, tasted Chinese food, and participated in art projects with the school’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR).

Chinese Cultural Interactions in Secondary 

In Secondary, Year 7 and Year 9 participated in Chinese Studies lessons, exploring the origins of their last names and then sharing their findings and thoughts with the whole school community. Year 8 students explored China’s eight regional cuisines and prepared final dishes, which they presented to a food-tasting panel of teachers. Finally, during lunch recesses, students played many different Chinese traditional sports and had a grand final ‘CNY House Competition’ on Friday.

Chinese New Year Celebration Day on Friday, February 5 

Without any doubt, the highlight of the week was the Chinese New Year Celebration Day that took place on Friday, February 5. Even though parents, unfortunately, were still not able to enter the campuses, students had the chance to enjoy a variety of exciting activities throughout the day.

Some Highlights of the Celebration Day included:

• Dress Up Day: Students and staff alike came to school dressed up in amazing Chinese traditional or red clothes!
• Game Rooms: In the morning, Primary students explored various activities to fully engage with different Chinese cultural themes, including art, handicrafts, and games. ECE students had the opportunity to play numerous traditional Chinese games, such as stilt-walking, kicking shuttlecocks, rolling a hoop, diabolo, pitch-pot, and book reading, to name but a few. The games were run by Year 5 and Year 6 students as part of their Service Learning programme.
• House Activity: Secondary students participated in various Chinese traditional sporting games on the playground with opportunities to win House points. Each House also completed a group artwork and made House videos.
• Performance:

  After lunchtime, the Regency Park campus courtyard transformed into a festive theatre, when ECE and Primary students performed together to celebrate the spirit of Chinese New Year. The event was live-streamed for parents and the YCIS Shanghai community to enjoy. If you missed it, watch the recording here.

Overall, it was another wonderful celebration had by all involved! We wish everyone a healthy and prosperous Chinese New Year, and we look forward to a memorable year ahead!