On the 11th December, YCIS Qingdao celebrated its annual Christmas Concert, this year held at the Qingdao Grand Theatre. Students from Years 1-13 performed in a variety of groups and a wide range of performance styles, including dances, violin groups, solos, Bomwhackers, and “the Silent Monks of Year 9”! This concert was a true highlight of the year for the music department, and we are exceptionally proud of the work that our students put in this year.
A collection for the Seeds of Hope charity project was also set forth, with 3,500 RMB being generously donated. On December 9, IGCSE and AS/A Level economic students enthusiastically displayed their entrepreneurial skills in the annual Fun Biz - Business Fetê event hosted at our Huangdao campus. Students set up stalls selling various foods, toys, games and activities, with the proceeds going towards the YCIS Seeds of Hope charity project.
Utilizing knowledge learned in economics lessons, students were able to gain hands-on, practical business experience. In total, 5220 RMB was raised for the Seeds of Hope charity project, which together with the students’ gained appreciation for business principles, made the event a great success. Yew Chung is committed to the holistic development of students with a focus on bilingual education as a pillar of our school philosophy. In light of this focus, we are very happy to share that secondary student Liew Zhern Iang gained the highest mark in the world for Cambridge IGCSE Foreign Language Mandarin Chinese in the June 2014 Cambridge Examinations.
Since Choi Min Kyung gained this certificate in 2010, this is the second time for a student from YCIS Qingdao to obtain the Best in World IGCSE certificate for Mandarin Chinese. We are sincerely proud of this achievement and wish Liew Zhern Iang a bright future. On November 6, the YCIS Qingdao Model United Nations team traveled to Seoul, South Korea to participate in the annual Seoul Model United Nations (SEOMUN) conference. YCIS Qingdao secondary students enjoyed the trip on many levels, as described by Year 12 student Chae Seo Young: “SEOMUN 2014 has left me with the most brilliant memories in my three years of experience with the Model United Nations club at YCIS. “This year involved many ‘first-time’ attempts: it was my first time to represent an organisation and to be alone in a committee. Without any familiar faces, it demanded much courage to raise the placard and be involved in the debate. However, with the help of the friendly Chairs and Co-Chairs leading the Environmental Commission, I, the delegate of the International Labor Organisation, successfully made speeches, raised several POIs, and had my resolution passed with zero votes against. “From research, to drafting resolutions, to actual debates, SEOMUN 2014 was full of pleasure. Hope to see more MUNers next time!” Being a family, with success, in QingdaoWhether you plan to be in China for a short period of time or a few years, it is important to be prepared. For many of us it is an unexpected opportunity brought about through work relocation, one that was not foreseen earlier. Many of us arrive fresh from our homelands with no awareness of the language or cultural differences. If you are coming to China as a family then it is not just your welfare that matters, your spouse and children become an integral part of the success rating of the experience. So, what are the key points to bear in mind? What are the main areas for concern for the members of your family? How can you help to make it a colourful and worthwhile experience? Statistics prove that the majority of those holding the work permit are men; therefore statistics prove that the majority of ‘dependent’ spouses are wives. The family is very much part of the success story; in my experience and time in Qingdao, the family becomes the root of the success or failure. So, how can you turn your duration in Qingdao to benefit all the members of your family? How do you hand them a fruitful experience? Let’s assume that your company or place of work is assisting you on the necessary introduction of how to understand social dynamics, group dynamics, etiquette, how to greet a person, exchanging business cards, social status and hierarchy together with the important general concepts of working in China. Let’s assume that you have a bilingual PA or team of English-speaking staff. Let’s assume you have found a place to call home for the duration of your time in Qingdao – you wave goodbye to your spouse and children one morning and set off for the new challenges of your posting. Things appear to be settling down. Avoid Spouse Isolation I would encourage immediate contact with others to build confidence in what you are doing and where you are now living.
Benefits for Your Children Whilst in Qingdao
You are able to give a wonderful gift to your child; a gift that perhaps your generation never dreamt about. The gift is being able to experience the whole world whilst in Qingdao. Your child now has the fortune to carry his own background and be immersed in the eastern world; an opportunity to absorb and comprehend the people, the culture and language of the future. This blend results in a global young person, with widened horizons and a flexible aptitude. Treat the learning of the language as a game at first; play ‘I spy with my little eye…’ using a chosen Chinese character when out and about, looking at the written signs. Make the initial stages of speaking the new language as a fun part of going out, until they naturally become more confident; the bilingual development of a child’s brain is a gift. To witness a child drift effortlessly between languages will fill any parent with pride. Make the most of this opportunity to widen your child’s visions; cultural and racial acceptance are crucial parts of good development. Choose a school that is going to encourage full embracement of all global citizens and show cultural respect. Cathy Ben-David is Head of Marketing and Admissions at Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong YCIS is dedicated to cultivating relationships within the expat community for its students and students' families. This includes events that reach out to the expat community, as a whole, fostering international community cooperation and friendship building.
On Saturday, April 19th, YCIS Qingdao and REDSTAR magazine hosted its first, annual Young Artists of the Year art exhibition. REDSTAR magazine, the largest and most acitve expat organization in Qingdao, is always working to inform and connect the international community. YCIS has long-standing relationship with REDSTAR, and frequently works hand-in-hand with them to meet the needs of the community and its students. The art exhibition, which took place at REDSTAR headquarters, created a wonderful outlet for the nurturing of the students' creative ability and socialization of students from Qingdao's international community. Many children and young people participated, featuring art from students, ranging from ages 3 to 17. In addition to the art exhibition, YCIS provided fun for students of all ages, ranging from craft table to a polaroid photo booth. Divided into four age groups, the art was critiqued and observed, by qualified judges from within the community, and prizes were awarded to the winner of each group. While students socialized and enjoyed the activities, parents got a chance to mingle and admire their childrens' creativity. YCIS Shanghai’s 20th anniversary and charity gala concertOn the 20th anniversary of Yew Chung International School of Shanghai, we did an interview with Dr. Betty Chan Po-king, Director of Yew Chung international schools, including Kindergarten, Primary, and Secondary. Tell us about “Seeds of Hope” It’s a Charity initiative YCIS created after the Sichuan Earthquake?
Yes, Seeds of Hope was created as a result of the devastating earthquake that shook Sichuan Province in May 2008, and has since developed into a full-fledged charity movement. Sponsored by Yew Chung International Schools (YCIS) around the world, the Seeds of Hope charity helps build, remodel, and supply schools for local children in need in China’s mainland. The annual YCIS Seeds of Hope Concert puts a spotlight on the charity. This year’s concert was held last Saturday night in Shanghai, and featured more than 370 student, parent and faculty performers from all YCIS schools around the world. A group of students from YCIS Qingdao accompanied by music teachers also joined the rehearsal and performance on the concert night. YCIS also announced the next school to benefit: Xiuning County Weiqiao Elementary and Primary School in Anhui Province. Can you tell us more about the aim of Seeds of Hope? This charity was created not only to advance education to disadvantaged children in rural or remote areas of China, but also to remind our students, teachers, parents, and colleagues of the importance of gratitude and giving. Seeds of Hope schools serve to meet China’s targets to raise the quality of education, and to help fulfill the United Nations’ goals for education for all. The true meaning of education is to nurture children to become global citizens in a diversified 21st century world community, children who will care for the environment, society, and all species on earth. This is fundamental to the YCIS philosophy and reflects our motto that we will align with science and technology, with culture and arts, with love and charity. With hundreds of student and faculty performers involved in the Seeds of Hope Concert, music is obviously an important part of your educational philosophy? Our schools aim is to help children develop holistically, and by that, I mean that they experience learning in such a way that they develop academically, athletically, artistically, and spiritually — with a focus on the positive values that permeate our school. Our music program, which starts with our youngest students, helps students develop appreciation for the arts, and also helps them achieve a balanced perspective and skill set, preparing them for success in the increasingly globalized future. What are you most proud of? I’m always most proud of the unique qualities of our students and alumni — their broad knowledge of the world around us, their multicultural understanding and environmental awareness, their bilingual language skills and academic excellence, and their diverse talents and achievements in various fields. I am also very proud of the fact that we are widely recognized and respected around the world. 100% of our students gain acceptance into top, prestigious universities around the world, often with scholarships, year after year. Apart from university admissions, our alumni also lead fascinating and successful careers in a wide range of professions, not just in the typical fields of law, medicine, and finance, but also in environmental conservation, and the visual and performing arts. It is always heart-warming to hear from our graduates, who readily attribute their success to the education they had received at YCIS, which gave them a great competitive edge. As an organization, we are also proud to be the first international school in China to be awarded by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) with the “Cambridge Award for Excellence in Education” in 2012. I must attribute our success to the tremendously dedicated and passionate team of colleagues I have the pleasure of working with — none of this would have been possible without their hard work, creativity, and commitment. And needless to say, I am also equally grateful for the trust and support from our parents too. We’re pleased that this year’s Seeds of Hope benefit concert proceeds will be used to build a three-story school for the new “Hope” School in Anhui, complete with modern classrooms and educational tools. Teachers and students from YCIS will have opportunities to teach and learn together through school visits, with YCIS bringing ongoing “hope” and support to the school. Leading to the fully balanced young person.
A day in the life of a Yew Chung (YCIS) student holds an array of subjects and opportunities. One unique subject that is part of the curriculum is Character First; this is a comprehensive programme delivered by age appropriate methods, which enlightens the young person and promotes good character. We live in a society where actions count, the style and manner in which behave is important. Lessons in character formation are fully integrated with the weekly schedule of the students’ timetable. “The Thought of the Day” is a short daily focus pulling on the meaning of one chosen quality, such as patience, forgiveness, attentiveness, tolerance etc. Activities to portray and explain the value of the word can take the form of role-play, discussion or artwork. The focus word maybe reflected upon throughout that day and of course at any time when needed later on. Students are encouraged to practice the quality when interacting at school, at home and with the community. “We believe that the classroom activities are fundamental to allow the children to learn about these qualities,” says a YCIS Primary teacher. “Positive praise and encouragement is vital and a child who perhaps does not excel academically can feel rewarded in other ways, boosting their confidence as a person.” The Character Formation Programme allows a weekly reflection of the typical behaviour of well known animals, helping the children to understand the true meaning of the gesture and character. For example, “diligence” the meaning is gathered through a story of a beaver that keeps working hard, finishing his task, concentrating and not being lazy. A song, a story, lesson activities and discussions of how to display this personality all contribute to the embracement by the children. Another example is “hospitality” illustrated by cheerfully sharing food, shelter and friendship with others. The bighorn sheep is the most mature female, leading the flock to find all that they need. Her vigilance and unselfish qualities allow others to eat first whilst she stands guard. The children learn more of her behaviour and can be reminded to: Welcome visitors Make others feel special Prepare for guests Gladly share Expect nothing in return. ‘Expect nothing in return’ is at the heart of charitable efforts. “Love and Charity” features in one line of the YCIS School Motto; staff are always keen to explore channels to reach those worse off than ourselves. We are always so impressed with the response shown by our students (with the tremendous support of parents) when we initiate a new drive to give to others. Previous charitable efforts have included: Pancake Breakfast – prepared at 6:00am on campus by Secondary students, served and sold to all our families between 7:30-8:30am. The funds raised here were taken on an Experiencing China Trip to Xian; whereby the students visited an orphanage and made the donation. 24 hour Famine – the Secondary students managed to keep going on lots of water only; they camped at school to support each other. By asking family and friends to sponsor them they raised an impressive amount for an orphanage in Inner Mongolia during a student trip. Charity Bazaar – children donated unwanted books and toys and sold them to raise funds to contribute to the Yew Chung Sichuan Earthquake Fund. The Giving Tree – each student took home a large travel bag with details of a student in rural Pingdu City. YCIS liaised with Pingdu City Government to identify families who would be in great need of winter fuel, rice, flour and warm clothing. The Student Council members represented the whole school and carefully delivered each bag to the correct family. Non-Uniform Day – YCIS students wear a uniform but occasionally one day will be declared “non-uniform day” with the invitation to make a small cash contribution to a cause. Taken from Yew Chung International School Qingdao Children are naturally curious and are constantly investigating and trying to make sense of the world around them. Last Semester the Kindergarten K3 and K4 children at the YCIS Huangdao campus engaged in an inquiry based project on the topic of plant growth. The inquiry began when the teachers provoked the students by placing a large sprouted onion at the “What’s Happening “ table for them to investigate and explore with a variety of tools. As our students engaged in the process of inquiry, they noticed, wondered, and explored. They tested their theories of why and how things grow, analysed what they found out and developed explanations. This new understanding was documented in pictures and text posted for the children could refer to and return to it when needed. Research tells us that young children learn best through hands-on explorations with concrete materials. This concrete experience with a vegetable they had prior experience which helped them build on background and conceptual knowledge.
Our inquiry grew holistically and simultaneously encompassed a number of curriculum areas including: Art and Design, Communication and Language, Mathematics, Literacy and Understanding the World. The students represented their new learning in a variety of ways that typically included drawings as well as new language they had acquired throughout the project. For our second language learners (Chinese or English) this concrete experience provided tangible and visual information to link with new language. All the students learned descriptive language and topic content in the context of hands on inquiry. In an inquiry based learning model all students can be successful as they are building on their prior knowledge to acquire new knowledge. Although there are a variety of ways to nurture children’s disposition toward inquiry, participation in science activities fit naturally as active mental and physical learning. Laura Colton ECE teacher, Huangdao Campus |