SCIS-HIS Communitas magazine Jan/Feb 2015 by SCIS

Shanghai Community International School & Hangzhou International School

January/February 2015

Happy Year of the Goat

P. 34-37 // Hongqiao

15th Annual Parkway Health Art Calendar Contest

Campus Highlights

Art & Writing Competition Winners Announced The Monkey King Springs to Life

P. 17-19 // ART GALLERY

P. 38-39 // Hongqiao ECE

Parents Are Learning Too P. 40 // Pudong

Learning Support Program

P. 30-31 // Hangzhou The Joy of Giving

P. 22-23 // Favorite Spot

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Shanghai significant involvement in the story of Modern China P.32-33// Student Spotlight

Extreme Photography by Lisa Chen

Features

P. 41 // Coach Corner P. 06-09 // Educational Insights P. 20-21 // Host Culture

Happy, Happy, Happy, the Year of Goat

P. 04 // Superintendent’s Letter

Math

Science Technology

P. 24-29 // Feature Theme:

Celebrating Chinese New Year with the Peking Opera

P. 45 // Admissions

It’s Time for Re-enrollment! P. 46-47 // Alumni Interview

Saki Nakahara From Keio Univeristy to future career success practicing the skill of keyboarding

We are writers at ECE! P. 10-11 // Celebrating History

P. 50-51 // Partner

De Oranje Draak Draken Club Outside ordinary Holland

P. 12-13 // Special Feature

One Sure-fire Recipe of “Scouting” Children’s Potential

Back In My Day

P. 42-43 // Community Feature

Community

Say “Yes” to the adventure

P. 48-49 // Technology

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CULINARY ATROCITIES

P. 05 // Publisher’s Letter P. 14-16 // Curriculum:

Who is Wouter Vlas?

P. 44 // Family Spotlight

Basketball Dragon Cup

P. 52-53 // PAFA P. 54 // The Librarians Corner 3

P. 34-37 // Hongqiao

15th Annual Parkway Health Art Calendar Contest

Campus Highlights

Art & Writing Competition Winners Announced The Monkey King Springs to Life

P. 17-19 // ART GALLERY

P. 38-39 // Hongqiao ECE

Parents Are Learning Too P. 40 // Pudong

Learning Support Program

P. 30-31 // Hangzhou The Joy of Giving

P. 22-23 // Favorite Spot

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Shanghai significant involvement in the story of Modern China P.32-33// Student Spotlight

Extreme Photography by Lisa Chen

Features

P. 41 // Coach Corner P. 06-09 // Educational Insights P. 20-21 // Host Culture

Happy, Happy, Happy, the Year of Goat

P. 04 // Superintendent’s Letter

Math

Science Technology

P. 24-29 // Feature Theme:

Celebrating Chinese New Year with the Peking Opera

P. 45 // Admissions

It’s Time for Re-enrollment! P. 46-47 // Alumni Interview

Saki Nakahara From Keio Univeristy to future career success practicing the skill of keyboarding

We are writers at ECE! P. 10-11 // Celebrating History

P. 50-51 // Partner

De Oranje Draak Draken Club Outside ordinary Holland

P. 12-13 // Special Feature

One Sure-fire Recipe of “Scouting” Children’s Potential

Back In My Day

P. 42-43 // Community Feature

Community

Say “Yes” to the adventure

P. 48-49 // Technology

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CULINARY ATROCITIES

P. 05 // Publisher’s Letter P. 14-16 // Curriculum:

Who is Wouter Vlas?

P. 44 // Family Spotlight

Basketball Dragon Cup

P. 52-53 // PAFA P. 54 // The Librarians Corner 3

SUPERINTENDENT ‘S LETTER

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Jan-Feb 2015 Publisher Anne Hunt Dear SCIS-HIS Community and Friends, Xīn nián kuàilè and welcome to the Year of the Sheep, which will be a special year in the history of our schools as we begin celebrations marking our 20th year in China! We have been making steady progress in the commitment to our entire learning community since our humble beginnings at the Changning Campus in 1996. And since its first year with only seventy-eight students, our schools have given great attention to our host-country culture and language. In this edition of Communitas, we are pleased to share with you the colors and spirit of our host-country as we are “Celebrating China”. To further the push for greater host country appreciation and awareness, over the years several senior administrators and Mandarin coordinators developed a “Mandarin Campaign” that targeted curriculum development, school-community relations, and host-country awareness initiatives that would strengthen the learning experience for our students and our contribution to the local communities. This campaign only improved on the foundations of previous efforts and initiatives, but I am pleased to see the extent to which our progress has led us. Today we are confident in the Mandarin curriculum established and communicated at each grade level; we know that our students are consistently given the opportunity to experience China within and beyond the walls of our schools; and we believe strongly that our students are developing interpersonal, intercultural and social responsibility skills that will help them as young leaders of the future. SCIS-HIS schools have committed to providing students with the opportunity to develop or maintain their Mandarin from beginner through to native level proficiencies at all grade levels. In addition, all new non-native Mandarin speaking students in grades PK-8 take a course in Chinese Studies (Language and Culture). Our goal is simple, if you come to SCIS-HIS schools, you will learn about the host country and its culture and, at the very least, leave with a basic proficiency in Mandarin. Learning Mandarin at our schools is fun, engaging, and challenging. Research will point out the difficulty for the majority of western-oriented language speakers to learn Mandarin as compared with other languages with a similar background or writing system to their own. As a parent of two trilingual students at our schools, I know how important it is that the students enjoy learning a new language and still find the next day as challenging and rewarding as the first. And teaching Mandarin within a program where English is the medium language of instruction is not an easy task. Over the years, I am pleased that we have found and retained so many talented Mandarin teachers who have stayed with us for so many years. They have worked hard and through commitment, collaboration, and professional development, have built a fine program that integrates well beyond the language curriculum. We look forward to working with our entire community in furthering our efforts to give students unique and memorable opportunities to explore and learn the host country language and culture. On behalf of the SCIS-HIS team, I would like to wish you all happiness, success, and prosperity in the Year of the Sheep. Gōng xǐ fā cái! And gooooo Dragons!

Jeffry R. Stubbs Superintendent of Schools

Art Director Mun Yee Choo

............................................... The Communitas magazine is publishd eight times per year for the SCIS-HIS community in particular as well as for the larger Shanghai-Hangzhou community in general. The Communitas welcomes letters from readers. Please send all correspondence to jpaulson@scischina.org. Letters may be edited for publication. The Communitas welcomes submissions and suggestions. If you have an idea for a great story, please share it. Remember, nobody like secrets, and nobody like spreading good stories more than us. If you have an idea, please query first to the Communitas editor via email (jpaulson@scischina.org).

Visit us on the web at www.scis-his.org www.scis-his.org/communitas

From the Publisher Dear SCIS- HIS Community:

Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Year of the Goat! We are proud to bring you the January/Feburary issue of the Communitas. We hope you enjoy reading through the articles showcasing the accomplishments and wonderful opportunities our students, teachers and families have experienced. We welcome you to look through the pages and get to know some of your community members better, as well as learn about the academic highlights occurring on each of our campuses. As our current community members, we ask that you take a moment and consider the stories behind these articles and the work and pride that went into providing our students the best. We also ask that you take a moment and pass along a story you may have found interesting, or two or three. The more people that know about the countless accomplishments and opportunities that each of our students and teachers has at SCIS, the more our community can grow and become more connected. We hope you enjoy this issue of the Communitas and we welcome community feedback as well as any aspiring writers who would like to contribute to the next issue. If you are interested please contact Jonathan Paulson, jpaulson@scischina.org. Whether you hit the ski slopes of Japan, or enjoyed the beach in Vietnam, or simply enjoyed the great city of Shanghai for a staycation. We hope you all had a joyous Chinese New Year.

新年快乐 Anne Hunt Publisher ahunt@scischina.org

SUPERINTENDENT ‘S LETTER

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Jeffry R. Stubbs Superintendent of Schools

Art Director Mun Yee Choo

Visit us on the web at www.scis-his.org www.scis-his.org/communitas

From the Publisher Dear SCIS- HIS Community:

新年快乐 Anne Hunt Publisher ahunt@scischina.org

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

science technology

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

team or group there are always different ideas about how to proceed as well. Watching the debates, discussions, compromise, and cooperation that eventually developed among groups was always satisfying from a teaching perspective.

omething new that started at HIS in the fall semester of this school year was the creation of an elective science technology course. Many times students have project ideas in regular science class that go beyond the scope or time allowances we have in our normal day. Along with that many times as a teacher I have moments where I think of an investigation that would be great to do but also doesn’t fit into the class period we have. In science technology we explore these ideas, design new projects, build things we’ve never tried to build before, and use the technology of the science lab to extend learning. An amazing thing happens when you ask students what they would like to do. They come up with a lot of ideas like let’s make; a Rube Goldberg machine, our own hot air balloon, a water powered rocket launcher, a computer game, a catapult, tutorial videos, and the list went on. These beginning ideas provided a starting point for each group and along the way through the semester there were projects suggested by the teacher as well. How does measuring with a thermometer compare to measuring with a Vernier temperature probe? Which gives less error, measuring volume by dimensions or measuring by water displacement? What is the rate of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the leaves from some of the trees outside? How does acid rain affect different types of water?

Another skill that I noticed and found to be impressive was the ability of students to work independently. For most of the projects I provided guidance and a few suggestions here and there. Once their projects were underway rarely did we ever have to have discussions about what they were going to do for class, what they should be working on, and how their time should be spent. At the conclusion of their projects some even chose to create movies about what they’d done and some of these were shared with the whole school in our Dragon Time advisory period. The semester went quite quickly as they seem to. In the end I asked each student to write a short reflection about his or her projects and thoughts of science technology. In reading the reflections there were reoccurring ideas about the class. The students enjoyed the freedom, creativity, and ability to learn new skills they had during the semester. Many wished they could continue on with the class into the second semester and to help I’m offering an after school activity that allows them to do that.

By JACOB HAAG Upper School Science Instructor Hangzhou International School

In completing these projects a lot was learned about taking something from the idea/design stage to the building and then finished project stage. Sometimes your first hot air balloon goes up in flames out on the grass and you have to build another one. Inevitably after you’ve stacked 100 dominoes for the Rube Goldberg machine one of them will not topple correctly in the sequence and you have to start over. Occasionally your water rocket explodes and drenches the person closest to it. One of the most important skills acquired or developed for science technology was the ability to redesign and modify the project when something didn’t work out. While working as part of a

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

science technology

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

By JACOB HAAG Upper School Science Instructor Hangzhou International School

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

We are writers at ECE!

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

riting workshop is an approach to teaching writing created by Lucy Calkins. The goal is fostering lifelong writers. The model is simple and involves daily teacher directed mini-lessons, guided independent practice, small strategy groups, one-to-one conferencing and sharing. This is the model used for teaching writing at ECE. ECE begins writing workshop in Kindergarten. Students begin the year drawing and writing narrative stories. They learn to use the writing center and its resources so they can work independently and rely less and less on teacher assistance. They also use their writing partner and charts as a resource for when they need help. Each year there are different units of study that teach children skills to enhance their writing. At the end of each unit, children choose one piece to publish. Publishing involves revising, editing and ‘fancying up’ stories with color. After the books are published, there is a writing celebration. A writing celebration involves sharing the books with someone from the community – it may be a classmate, a friend from another class, teachers and faculty or maybe even parents. The goal is to celebrate the students’ achievements. Students read their books at the celebration and glow in the complements they receive! After the celebration, we are intentional about where the books go. Sometimes they’re displayed on a bulletin board, sometimes they’re placed in our classroom libraries and we even have seen some in our own ECE library. This sends the message to the writers that they are writing for a purpose with an audience in mind. Why use writing workshop? It is a terrific model that allows students to work at their own level. Differentiation is built right in. Students who are not proficient in English can write at the developmental stage that is appropriate for him/her. They receive small group instruction to teach writing skills. Students who are writing at a more proficient stage can continue to build on the skills taught in strategy groups and modeled through mentor texts. This teaching model is perfect for using in an international school setting. Each child feels success and grows at his/her own pacing. The greatest aspect of writing workshop is how it fosters children’s images of themselves as writers. Writing workshop provides an opportunity for a child to have a strong image of himself as being just like a published author. “It is terribly important for kids to read and write for the reasons that people the world over read and write, which is to communicate, to be delighted, to laugh.” - Lucy Calkins By SANDRA DIBLER SCIS ECE Kindergarten Teacher

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

We are writers at ECE!

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

CELEBRATING HISTORY

A BRIEF HISTORY OF

CULINARY ATROCITIES by Michael Dougherty

1. TEHRAN, AUGUST 1976 . . . the hairy eyeball, and why sometimes it is better to just keep a low profile When I walked into the Persian banquet hall, the first things I should have noticed were the priceless silk carpets, the ornate settings, the samovars and chandeliers. But the first thing I did notice was a big, hairy eyeball--just the one--staring dolefully at me. It was a large eyeball, perched atop a huge mound of saffron rice, shaped into a perfect cone and reminiscent of the eyeball at the top of the pyramid you see on the back of a U.S. one dollar bill. I was one of Tehran Community School’s newly arrived teachers, and we were being feted by the Chairman of the school board, Dr. Gaffar Farman-Farmaian. Next to me was Darius, one of the several student council members on hand to help out, and I asked him about the eyeball. He explained that it was a delicacy served to an important guest to kick off the festivities. “I won’t have to eat an eyeball, will I, Darius?” “No, Mr. Dougherty. I said someone “important”. Some respected guest or dignitary. Don’t worry, definitely not you.” Ouch. Our host was a member of the Qajar Dynasty, the royal family that had preceded the Pahlavis. (I know we have a “history” theme in this edition, and this is history – you could look it up.) His walls were festooned with ancient swords and scimitars, one of which he drew from its brace and used to deftly slice off the top of the rice cone--the eyeball--which he served, on the sword, to our Headmaster, John Magagna. Magagna was and is an avid huntsman, never happier than when knee-deep in deer viscera in the woods of Pennsylvania, so not at all squeamish about a sheep’s eyeball. He gulped it down with great aplomb and elan, bowed slightly,

that last sentence -- you could look it up.) With great aplomb and elan, I quickly withdrew from the briefcase at my feet a ring binder emblazoned with my Jakarta school’s mascot -- the turtle! I calmly explained to my hosts that since the turtle was my school’s mascot, it would be bad karma for me to consume a turtle head. As I explained this, I was at the same time sliding the bowl with the turtle’s bobbing head towards my hapless British friend, whose chortles were morphing into dismayed gasps. Perspiration formed on his forehead and upper lip, like Nixon at the Kennedy debates. (More history and yes, you can look it up.) All eyes turned to him as he gagged while struggling to swallow the reptilian head. I did not chortle because we Doughertys do not humiliate those whom we have vanquished. I may have smirked. Dougherty 1. British life insurance salesman -- nil.

3. TEHRAN, NOVEMBER 1976 . . . the live, jive boogaloo and returned the sword to Gaffar. The party was underway. Magagna 1. Darius 1. Dougherty nil.

2. SHANGHAI, NOVEMBER 1995 . . . dread of the turtle head Maybe Darius would be surprised to learn that twenty years later, at a luncheon hosted by developers of the Qi Zhong Village on the outskirts of Shanghai, I was in fact the guest of honor. We were hoping to open an international school there, and since the other foreigners in attendance were vendors, like the British life insurance salesman to my left, I, as an educator, was the guest to whom the ceremonial first bowl of turtle soup was proffered, complete with the dearly departed tortoise’s head, staring at me with a dolefulness similar to that of the sheep’s eyeball. I was looking equally doleful at the prospect of gnawing at this item, much to the amusement of the British vendor to my left, who could barely stifle his chortles. But, like Washington at Valley Forge, facing a similarly devious British adversary, I did not despair. (That is history there in

Diana Kerry is a Mayflower Bostonian. Although her ancestors didn’t actually arrive from England on The Mayflower in 1620 (that’s history, and you could look it up), she was nonetheless that sort of aristocratic, old world American, not to be confused with the Mayflower Madame, who was an entirely different sort of Madame, and wrote a chapter in New York City history. (You can look it up, if you are 18 or older.) Diana was working with me at the Tehran Community School in that “bicentennial year” for America, and she decided to host a proper Thanksgiving Dinner for the Americans there and others who might enjoy it. To each guest was assigned a task, mine being to pick up the turkey that Diana had ordered from the local butcher, and deliver it on the day. “Will it require considerable thawing time?” I asked. The Kerry answered -- and the slyness of tone in her response should have tipped me off -- that no, the turkey would not require a great deal of thawing time. Now I interject here that “jive turkey” was a popular phrase at the time, and that the Persian word for “turkey” transliterates to “boogaloo”. So with Thanksgiving looming, “jive boogaloo” had become a catch phrase in our circles. I mention this because when I reported as instructed to the butcher, what he started to hand me over the counter was not a “jive boogaloo” but rather a “live boogaloo”, squawking and flapping its flightless but still impressive wings. Now unlike my mentor John Magagna, never happier, as reported earlier, than when knee-deep in deer viscera, I am more of a city boy. So I asked the butcher if he could slay the bird, which he forthwith did with great aplomb and elan, thanking me when I insisted that he hang on to the turkey’s head. He demurred when I asked the same of the turkey’s feet, saying I would need them to carry the bird away.

He wrapped the still-twitching fowl in yesterday’s newspaper, graciously extended the feet to me as a handle, and off I went, turkey blood dripping everywhere. When I staggered into the Kerry apartment, all of the guests had assembled in order to witness my ashen-faced, blood-spattered entrance, and all present laughed hysterically, except for me and, of course, the turkey. OK, fair enough, Kerry 1. Dougherty Nil. But thus began a decades-long prank warfare that went from Tehran to Boston and on to Jakarta, only to reach a still-uneasy truce when we were eventually separated by 7,000 miles. I would like to think that in that span I have more than evened the score.

Aftermath

In adherence to this edition’s historical theme, I offer this postlogue. Where are they now? Earmarked for execution by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in 1979, Dr. Ghaffar Farman-Farmaian escaped the country on horseback, crossing the Iraqi border and settling in Geneva, Switzerland. John Magagna, the sheep’s eye gobbler, is still very much involved in the international school scene as President of SEARCH Associates, a firm which places many teachers at SCIS and around the globe. Michael Williams, former SCIS Head (whose son Bo returned here last school year so that he could graduate from SCIS), is the agency’s Vice President, located in Tacoma, Washington, which is widely considered by leading experts to be the center of the universe. (Don’t look that one up -- just take my word for it.) Darius Rejali is a Professor of Political Science at Reed University and is considered the world’s leading expert on torture and genocide. He is a frequent expert panelist on the BBC and CNN, and has appeared as well on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. He is part of living history -- and you could look it up. And the Kerry, she is the head of Democrats Abroad in Boston. Her famous brother John probably has to consume his share of sheep eyes and turtle heads at the state dinners he attends in his current capacity as the U.S. Secretary of State. Me, I’d really rather keep a low profile. Michael Dougherty is one of the founders of SCIS and is on its Board of Directors

CELEBRATING HISTORY

A BRIEF HISTORY OF

CULINARY ATROCITIES by Michael Dougherty

3. TEHRAN, NOVEMBER 1976 . . . the live, jive boogaloo and returned the sword to Gaffar. The party was underway. Magagna 1. Darius 1. Dougherty nil.

Aftermath

SPECIAL FEATURE

Back in My Day

Chris Vassbotn Current Job? LS ESOL Teacher, SCIS- Hongqiao Where did you grow up? Northern Ontario Name of School? Old-School Public

How was school different back in your day? The teachers would smoke in the staff room. There were mailboxes, no email. Meetings were face to face. Teachers used eye contact instead of looking down at a glass screen. Students had to learn how to cursive write. We had industrial strength Smith Corona Iron Giants (typrewirters) to learn how to type with. There was no spell-check. Students were not overprogrammed or helicopter-parented. Students went out and played instead of looking down at glass screens. What was the best part of school back in your day? The same part as the modern day—recess, lunch, going home. What was your least favorite part of school back in your day? Back then, the Principal was given the mandate to dole out

Jeremy Maher Current Job? Grade Four Teacher, Hangzhou International School Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small country town called Carisbrook (Victoria, Australia). Name of School? My school was the Carisbrook Primary School (a public school). How was school different back in your day? We had blackboards and did most learning with worksheets. Our teacher taught us every subject. We didn’t have computers, mobile phones, Smartboards or even projectors.

annoying to my teachers. I was pretty good academically, had nice friends and was good at all sports, so I was definitely a confident student. What your school Neighborhood like? My family lived in a country town, farm country, and although we didn’t live on a farm, they surrounded us. Small communities are often quite tight and involved and ours certainly was. We would meet up with everyone for weekend sports or school fetes/

What was your least favorite part of school back in your day? My least favorite part of the day was riding the school bus. I distinctly remember sticking to the hot vinyl seats in the warm weather and seeing our breath in the winter. Most of the kids on my bus were rowdy and noisy. I am sure the driver never appreciated that. Although I was always happy to go to school, the journey there was unpleasant. I envied children who were able to walk or ride their bikes to school.

corporal punishment. Fortunately he used this mandate sparingly. Do you have a favorite school memory to share? I hit a kid in the head with a snowball. The Principal exercised mercy andt he victim’s parents did not sue my parents. I didn’t have to go to counseling. We all got over ourselves and moved on. What were you like in school? I was a clown. I still am. What was your school neighborhood like? Pleasantville was in a rural setting, close to a lake. We had all four seasons. Healthy. Happy. Safe. Priceless!

What was the best part of school back in your day? We would play games at lunch recess and this was my favorite part of the day, playing football or cricket with my friends from all classes (we had two classes in each year level). What was your least favorite part of school back in your day? My least favorite part of the day was religion. We had to go to a religion class and I didn’t enjoy it because didn’t believe in any of the content and we were made to be there. Do you have a favorite school memory to share? One favorite school memory was when a circus visited and taught us circus-style tricks (juggling, stick twirling, riding on a unicycle, etc) for one quarter. At the end we performed a circus in front of our parents.

events. We walked to school (I have two older brothers), a little over a kilometer, and crossed over the creek that ran through our town. The school had lots of land; big sports center (town building used by the school during the day), two back paddocks where we had track and field events, a small forest area where we had forts, a big school building with extra buildings brought in as the school grew (the government closed other rural schools and funneled their students into our school). It was a very safe and relaxed neighborhood.

Molly Meyers Current Job? First grade. SCIS-Pudong – Lower school Where did you grow up? Bloomington, Illinois, USA Name of School? Oakdale Elementary School How was school different back in your day? I think the biggest differences were the seating and lack of differentiation. Everyone had their own desk with their own school supplies inside. The desks were usually in neat rows, but I recall having cooperative groups in the upper elementary grades. I recall that everyone had to do all of the same work. We all had the same spelling lists, classwork and homework assignments, as differentiated instruction was rare. Nowadays, I think professional educators are more aware of the importance of meeting the needs of various levels of students within each class. What was the best part of school back in your day? I really loved getting new school supplies at the beginning of each year. I would label my fresh crayons, pencils and markers and organize my supplies in my pencil box, excited to start a new year.

Do you have a favorite school memory to share? I’ll never forget winning the 6th grade geography bee with the answer “the strait of Gibraltar”. I spent hours studying time zone lines and maps and was elated the hard work paid off. I won an inflatable globe and a $50 savings bond. I was so excited to hang the globe from my bedroom ceiling, where it remained until I went to university. What were you like in school? I really loved school and treated it like my job. I was a motivated, hard-working student who genuinely loved to learn and be around my friends. I always did my homework and enjoyed doing projects with pride. I was the type of student who is very focused on grades and achievement. This quality probably influenced my path of continued education. Now working on my Ph.D., I still have the chance to impress my teachers. What was your school neighborhood like? As I mentioned, I rode the bus to school but my neighborhood was full of kids around the same age. We all went to school together and played together. It was a suburban development with a small park, no busy streets and manicured lawns, so we could safely play outside until the streetlights came on. There was no need for arranged play-dates. We simply went to someone’s house, knocked on the door and asked. Nowadays, I consider this childhood rather idyllic. When I go home to visit, I rarely see kids playing outside and the park is sadly deserted.

What were you like in school? I was cheeky in school, not rude but probably a little bit 13

SPECIAL FEATURE

Back in My Day

Chris Vassbotn Current Job? LS ESOL Teacher, SCIS- Hongqiao Where did you grow up? Northern Ontario Name of School? Old-School Public

What were you like in school? I was cheeky in school, not rude but probably a little bit 13

CURRICULUM FEATURE

Math Have you ever been stumped by a difficult math problem?

ell, join the club! In fact, that is exactly what we have encouraged high school students at SCIS Pudong to do. As a new initiative of our Mathematics Department, we have been running a Math Club as an after-school activity every Tuesday, since the beginning of the school year. We have found this to be an excellent addition to our after-school program, where like-minded students have the opportunity to tackle challenging logic and math problems, and are able to share their solutions with their peers. In Math Club, the emphasis is on the process of arriving at a solution, rather than simply finding the correct answer.

As an example, students could be asked to find the number of prime numbers between one and one million. The answer, just a number, may not be very interesting, but the process of arriving at an answer could be quite instructive, and hopefully, along the way, some new discoveries will be made. One of the components of Math Club has been what we affectionately call the Problem of the Week (POTW), a math problem that is given to the students ahead of the meeting. They are asked to work on their own solution, and then at the beginning of each meeting, they share their solution in a small group. We then have one or more students share their worked out solutions with the entire group. It has been interesting to see the focus shift from the correct final answer

to the solution process, and students have been discovering how there can be a multitude of solutions even to a relatively simple problem. In fact, recently, a student showed a solution on the board, and didn’t even bother writing out the final answer. Surprisingly, the audience didn’t seem particularly disturbed. As educators, this and other developments have been quite exciting. We have certainly been challenged in terms of how we approach math education, and we look forward to how our teaching practices will continue to be informed by a less restrictive and perhaps more nurturing environment. Besides working on logic and math problems, students have been working on preparing for various math competitions. In November, thirty-six of our students

wrote the Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests (CSMC and CIMC), developed by the University of Waterloo. In the second part of the contests, students had to write out complete solutions in order to receive full marks, which of course, lined up well with our philosophy in Math Club. We may not focus as much on final results at SCIS, but with a deep-rooted Dragon Pride, it would be impossible not to mention a few of the results. Twelve of our students scored in the top 25% of all contestants, and our senior group ranked 18th out of 94 international schools, where many of those schools have a much greater student population than ours. Perhaps most impressive of all is that one of our seniors, Wesley You, scored in the top 30 out of almost 2000 international students.

By ETIENNE BILZ SCIS Pudong Upper School Physics and Mathematics Teacher

The New England Patriotssssssss…

(or the Atlanta Falconsssssss)

hese two teams stand out, far and away from the average number of fumbles per game and fumbles per play. Maiti, Noah, Carmen, CW, Jia-Hui, and Patrick discovered this in statistics class at Hangzhou International School. They started with analysis of the linear regression of the plays per game per team and their fumbles per game over the last 7 years. They showed that a linear model fit since there was no pattern in the residual plot. According to this model, NE fumbled .35 times less times per game than expected. Most to all teams were much closer to their predicted value based off these two variables. The more deflating news for Pats fans though, was the analysis of plays per fumble. These same students showed that since the normal probability plot was roughly linear (some may argue that it is not… ie. Pats fans), a normal model could be used to describe the distribution of plays per fumble. Next, the students found there was a 0.3% chance that a team would have the same or more plays per fumble as the Patriots. They stood out a whooping 2.76 standard deviations from the mean plays per fumble. Hopefully this doesn’t let the air out of their 4th Super Bowl victory in recent times.

Now, you would think that Wesley, content with his accomplishments, might sit on his laurels, and that would be that, but on the contrary, he seems even more eager to work out problems and share his solutions with his peers. Math Club has been quite a journey thus far, and we look forward to discovering more about mathematics and more about best practices. So, if you’ve been thinking about starting a Math Club, either within school or in your community, we highly recommend it – join the club! Certainly, even Mr. Spock would approve.

By JUSTIN DEERWATER HIS Middle School Math Teacher 15

CURRICULUM FEATURE

Math Have you ever been stumped by a difficult math problem?

By ETIENNE BILZ SCIS Pudong Upper School Physics and Mathematics Teacher

The New England Patriotssssssss…

(or the Atlanta Falconsssssss)

By JUSTIN DEERWATER HIS Middle School Math Teacher 15

CURRICULUM FEATURE

ART GALLERY

Calorie Cruncher really shocked me. This activity made me think a lot about my diet and stop to eat fast food because otherwise I will lose my athletic skills.”

hat does food have to do with Math? Well, if you’re an 8th grader at SCIS Hongqiao, you’ve just learned Mathematics does have a lot to do with what you eat. Food and exercise are the key to how our bodies feel and how well our bodies work for us. Our 8th graders got a little taste for the job of a personal trainer and how that job uses Math. Students used a variety of charts to help people make smart food decisions and appropriate movement activities. These charts included “Fast Food Nation”, a calorie count from popular fast food establishments such as McDonald’s and KFC, “The Food Chart” with calorie counts for basic items eaten on a regular basis, and a “Burn Chart” which lists approximated calorie counts for activities based on weight. Using the charts, we discussed how different types of calories affect our bodies in different ways. We looked at the calorie count of a Big Mac (560) and compared it to a homemade sandwich of whole grain bread, turkey meat, lettuce, light mayonnaise, and tomato (409). We discussed their calorie count, and how this homemade sandwich is a healthier choice to McDonald’s processed burger. We also discussed how we feel after eating a heavy fast food meal vs. our parents delicious home cooked meals. Many students realized that as athletes, fast food was not the smart decision. William Bjork, grade 8 said, “I also learned a lot of things, like the Big Mac had so much calories in it and that

Next we focused on activities and how many calories on average people burn doing those activities. With so many active students at our school, I could see students’ interests peak when we got to this section. One of our school’s swimmers, Berenice Schulte, grade 8, said, “Swimming has also benefitted me to push myself to look at what I eat, and the calorie cruncher made me see how many calories I loose during my average day and how many I should intake.” Other students, such as soccer players, were interested to learn that they burn so many calories playing soccer, and that those calories then translated into the amount of food they should eat to maintain their healthy body weight. The culmination of this project was to design a day worth of meals and a fitness plan for some famous celebrities. One such celebrity was Angelina Jolie, who was training to take on the role as the next Wonder Woman. Her goal was to gain three pounds of muscle, and she had some restrictions about her ability to work out for too long a period due to spending time with her family. There is a student example illustrated. Students enjoyed finding Angelina a balance of fitness worthy activities and muscle building food for her day. They realized that personal trainers have a lot to think about when designing plans for their clients. As a class we decided that weight lifting, kickboxing and swimming were good activities for Angelina, as she would build muscle and burn calories to get fit and trim. For her meals, we choose a lot of fruits, vegetables and lean meat to help keep her trim. Amy Lycklama commented, “I would say it baffled me how simple it can be to get a balance of good food and exercise because it always seems to be so hard.”

Ryo Yamazaki, Grade 12 Natalie Sam Han, Grade 9

This was a great activity for students to learn about food, fitness and how they are used with Math every day. It’s all about keeping a balance of calories in, calories out and staying active. By MEAGAN BERGMAN SCIS Hongqiao Campus Middle School Math Teacher ’ Item

Calorie Count

Item

Famous Bowl - Mashed Potato with Gravy

720

Chicken McNugget (5)

210

Popcorn Chicken - Large

560

Chicken Selects Strips

630 560

Hot Wings (6)

Here are a few of the most popular menu items in some of the world’s most frequented fast food chains. Calorie counts and other nutrition facts can be found at the company’s website.

Item

Calorie Count

Fiesta Taco Salad

860

Nachos Bell Grande

790

Grilled Stuft Burrito Beef

720

Calorie Count

450

Big Mac

720

Double Cheeseburger

460

280

Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese

730

Potato Wedges

240

Crispy Chicken Club

680

Cole Slaw

190

French Fry - Large

570

Apple Pie Slice

290

Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (32 fl oz)

1160

Item

Calorie Count

Item

Calorie Count

830

6” Italian B.L.T.

410

720

6” Pizza Sub

490

720

6” Chicken Parmesan

510 320

Original Recipe Chicken – Breast & Thigh Snacker, Ultimate Cheese

Meat Lover’s Personal Pan Pizza Pepperoni Lover’s Personal Pan Pizza Supreme Personal Pan Pizza

Chicken Quesadilla

540

P’Zone - Classic

940

6” Oven Roasted Chicken with Spinach

7-Layer Burrito

530

P’Zone - Meaty

1100

6” Veggie Delite

230

Double Decker Taco Supreme

380

Pasta Bakes Marinara

840

Chicken Tortilla Soup

110

Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes

290

Cheese Garlic Bread (2)

480

Creamy Potato and Bacon Soup

250

Nachos

320

Cinnamon Sticks (4)

400

Chocolate Chip Cookie

220

Medium Drink (20 oz) Calories

Pepsi

Mountain Dew

250

280

Tropicana Fruit Punch 280

Raspberry Iced Tea 200

Robin Moerau Grade 11

Water & All Diet Soda 0

Emelie Schwantzer, Grade 10

Anita Liang, Grade 11

SCIS-Pudong 17

CURRICULUM FEATURE

ART GALLERY

Calorie Cruncher really shocked me. This activity made me think a lot about my diet and stop to eat fast food because otherwise I will lose my athletic skills.”

Ryo Yamazaki, Grade 12 Natalie Sam Han, Grade 9

Calorie Count

Item

Famous Bowl - Mashed Potato with Gravy

720

Chicken McNugget (5)

210

Popcorn Chicken - Large

560

Chicken Selects Strips

630 560

Hot Wings (6)

Here are a few of the most popular menu items in some of the world’s most frequented fast food chains. Calorie counts and other nutrition facts can be found at the company’s website.

Item

Calorie Count

Fiesta Taco Salad

860

Nachos Bell Grande

790

Grilled Stuft Burrito Beef

720

Calorie Count

450

Big Mac

720

Double Cheeseburger

460

280

Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese

730

Potato Wedges

240

Crispy Chicken Club

680

Cole Slaw

190

French Fry - Large

570

Apple Pie Slice

290

Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (32 fl oz)

1160

Item

Calorie Count

Item

Calorie Count

830

6” Italian B.L.T.

410

720

6” Pizza Sub

490

720

6” Chicken Parmesan

510 320

Original Recipe Chicken – Breast & Thigh Snacker, Ultimate Cheese

Meat Lover’s Personal Pan Pizza Pepperoni Lover’s Personal Pan Pizza Supreme Personal Pan Pizza

Chicken Quesadilla

540

P’Zone - Classic

940

6” Oven Roasted Chicken with Spinach

7-Layer Burrito

530

P’Zone - Meaty

1100

6” Veggie Delite

230

Double Decker Taco Supreme

380

Pasta Bakes Marinara

840

Chicken Tortilla Soup

110

Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes

290

Cheese Garlic Bread (2)

480

Creamy Potato and Bacon Soup

250

Nachos

320

Cinnamon Sticks (4)

400

Chocolate Chip Cookie

220

Medium Drink (20 oz) Calories

Pepsi

Mountain Dew

250

280

Tropicana Fruit Punch 280

Raspberry Iced Tea 200

Robin Moerau Grade 11

Water & All Diet Soda 0

Emelie Schwantzer, Grade 10

Anita Liang, Grade 11

SCIS-Pudong 17

ART GALLERY

Sophie Grade 8, Angela Grade 6, Rachel Grade 6, and HoJeong Grade6

Dominic Ma, Grade 12

Shouei Grade 8, Alessandro Grade 7, and Andrew Grade 7

Apoorva Grade 8, Aanchal Grade 6, AnaÃ«lle Grade 6, and Joey Grade 8

Fee Brandt, Grade 9

Coco, Grade 5 Tifanny Wu Grade 10

Ye Lim Kim, Grade 10 Seo-Yeon, Aanchal, Vivie, and Tina, Middles School

Min Ji, Grade 11

Suki, Grade 11

Alexa Brynn Algstam Grade 9

SCIS-Hongqiao 18

Carey Wong, Grade12

HIS 19

ART GALLERY

Sophie Grade 8, Angela Grade 6, Rachel Grade 6, and HoJeong Grade6

Dominic Ma, Grade 12

Shouei Grade 8, Alessandro Grade 7, and Andrew Grade 7

Apoorva Grade 8, Aanchal Grade 6, AnaÃ«lle Grade 6, and Joey Grade 8

Fee Brandt, Grade 9

Coco, Grade 5 Tifanny Wu Grade 10

Ye Lim Kim, Grade 10 Seo-Yeon, Aanchal, Vivie, and Tina, Middles School

Min Ji, Grade 11

Suki, Grade 11

Alexa Brynn Algstam Grade 9

SCIS-Hongqiao 18

Carey Wong, Grade12

HIS 19

HOST CULTURE

he Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and it is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened: Chu Xi Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils. Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper. The content varies from house owners’ wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth will be posted on the front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance. Fu Zi/ Red Lantern/ Red Paper Cutting The Chinese character “fu” (meaning blessing or happiness) is a must. The character put on paper can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the “reversed fu” is homophonic with “fu comes”, both being pronounced as “fudaole.” What’s more, two big red lanterns can be raised on both sides of

the front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall. Wei Lu The communal feast called “surrounding the stove” or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations. The meal is more luxurious than usual. Dishes such as chicken, fish and bean curd cannot be excluded, for in Chinese, their pronunciations, respectively “ji”, “yu” and “doufu,” mean auspiciousness, abundance and richness. Hong Bao Waking up on New Year, everybody dresses up. First they extend greetings to their parents. Then each child will get money as a New Year gift, wrapped up in red paper. Bian Pao Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. The lively atmosphere not only fills every household, but permeates to streets and lanes. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished. By SOPHIE ZENG ECE Campus Mandarin Coordinator

Happy, Happy, Happy,

the Year of the Goat 20

HOST CULTURE

Happy, Happy, Happy,

the Year of the Goat 20

FAVORITE SPOT

Shanghai

significant involvement in the story of Modern China

FAVORITE SPOT

he truth is, when I am asked about what my favorite ‘anything’ is, I often do not know how to respond. I have many ‘favorites.‘ So when I am asked about my favorite place in Shanghai, I also could say that I have several favorite places. However, the Hongkou - Lu Xun Park area of Shanghai is a place I visit two or three times every year, so maybe the semi-frequent visits qualify this area as being among my favorite places. While I enjoy the modern side of Shanghai, my life as a historian has trained my focus more on the past, and as such, I must admit that I am drawn to the older areas of the places I live or visit. I am particularly interested in the history of Shanghai and, more broadly, the history of Shanghai as it relates to the larger history of China. As I discuss with my students, Shanghai has significant involvement in the story of modern China and the Hongkou area is a good place to reflect on the time of revolutionary changes in the years that would eventually lead to the founding of the PRC. Next to Hongkou Football Stadium ( metro lines 3 and 8) is Lu Xun Park. This nice, large park was opened at the beginning of

the 1900s, so because of its longevity and location, it is a place of both historical interest and a place to relax. As readers know, weekend mornings are active times in parks around China and in that way Lu Xun Park is not much different. Amusement park rides, bands, people dancing, practicing sports, exercising or singing all make for good people-watching. I like to arrive early to enjoy time with the many people from this area who get the weekend started in the park. A reason these moments are particularly enjoyable is that the activity in the park reminds of my times living in Sichuan and Anhui provinces, places and times where seeing a foreign face was infrequent. I quite enjoyed those days of mixing with the local crowds. Back to history and Lu Xun: The shortest story is that Lu Xun was a writer whose influence made him an important member of the New Culture Movement that advocated revolutionary changes in China in the early 1900s through the 1930s. Lu lived near the park and is now buried here. A free museum telling some of Lu’s story and ideas is on the park grounds and I wander

through the museum every time I come here as there are frequently new exhibits to enjoy. Time period architecture makes it obvious that foreigners inhabited this area at one time. Walking both west towards Lu Xun’s house or south down Sichuan Road, there are alleys to explore and shops to wander through. ‘Duloun Famous Cultural Person Street’ is worth a stroll and several cafes invite guests to rest. There are a variety of historical sites to check out. The house where some of revolutionary writers were ‘discovered’ is worth a visit. Additionally, the house of H.H. Kung is prominently in this area. Kung was once the richest man in China who was married to one of the storied Song sisters. I discovered the Hongkou area in 2007, and even eight years later, I continue to count it as a favorite place in Shanghai. By Terry Strombeck SCIS-Hongqiao Campus Upper School Social Studies Teacher

FAVORITE SPOT

Shanghai

significant involvement in the story of Modern China

FAVORITE SPOT

THEME FEATURE

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Peking Opera

with the

THEME FEATURE

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Peking Opera

with the

THEME FEATURE

eking Opera (京剧jīng jù) is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, dance, mime and acrobatics. It has history of more than 200 years and is now regarded as a signature traditional art in China.

This year, as a tradition of school-wide celebration for Chinese New Year, we invited Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe to perform for both Lower School and Upper School students in the theater on Feb 13th. They brought us four popular scenes. The first episode was “三岔口” (sān chà kǒu). This story happened in Song Dynasty about 800 years ago. Two men met in a small inn and misunderstood each other. One of them sneaked into another’s room then had a blind fighting in the dark. The audience can see the performers on the stage with perfect illumination. But the performers pretended to be not seeing each other. The second scene was called “Picking up the Jade Bracelet” “拾玉镯” (shí yù zhuó). It’s a love story that took place in the Ming Dynasty about 600 years ago. A young man fell in love with a girl at first sight. Not like western people, Chinese people sometimes are indirect to express love. The man deliberately dropped a jade bracelet in front of the girl’s house. That was a signal of showing love in ancient China. And the girl noticed this signal and picked it up with a shy look, meaning that she accepted his love. This performance contains all the typical body movements of the female role type “花旦” (huā dàn). The audience was impressed how that romantic love was presented in the Peking Opera way. The third scene was“四郎探母” (sì láng tàn mǔ). It showed the singing skills of painted-face male role in Peking Opera. Yang Silang, a general from Song Dynasty, who was in a difficult situation to find a way to visit his mother because he married

THEME FEATURE

the princess of the enemy state. He had to persuade his wife to allow him cross the heavily guarded border to visit his mother. The fourth episode was “盘丝洞” pán sī dòng. It’s an adaptation from the story of classic novel “Journey to the West” which our students are familiar with. The monk Tang Seng was on his way to the west to bring home Buddhist scriptures. The spider ladies caught him in the spider net Cave. While one of the spider ladies was forcing the monk to marry her, the Monkey King broke in and burned the spider webs and rescued his master Tang Seng. They eventually defeated the demons. The fun part during the show was when the performers interacted with the audience. Some students and teachers were invited to the stage to mimic the movements from the episode of “bling fighting”. Through participating, the students said they understood this was not as easy as it looked. After watching the show, the local TV channel “ International Channel Shanghai” interviewed some of our students and teachers. The reporter said they are very interested that the international school organizes traditional Chinese performance to celebrate Chinese New Year. They told us they would broadcast the story at 9pm at daily news program “Shanghai Live” on International Channel Shanghai on the same day. We all look forward to seeing our school on TV news after the Chinese New Year holiday. It was truly a special way to celebrate Chinese New Year by dipping into Peking Opera.

Best Wishes From ECE Community

By JENNY ZHANG Lower School Mandarin teacher and coordinator

THEME FEATURE

Best Wishes From ECE Community

By JENNY ZHANG Lower School Mandarin teacher and coordinator

THEME FEATURE

Happy New Year From Pudong Community

Happy Year of the Goat from HIS Community

THEME FEATURE

Happy New Year From Pudong Community

Happy Year of the Goat from HIS Community

HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHTS

f o oy

J e Th

g n i v i

his lesson offered an opportunity for our Pre-K children and their families to make a difference in our community by sending “100 Boxes of Love” to orphanages in China. The Boxes of Love were filled with New Year snacks and toys. These Boxes of Love were sent as a gift for Chinese New Year to children that do not have a family. Our Pre-K class was interested in participating, as I thought that it was a good learning opportunity for our youngsters. It is not only resonated at holidays, but it’s the event that we can instill year round by showing our kids how even little contributions can make a difference. By doing so, we hope this charitable involvement will help raise self-esteems, help develop social skills, and foster an introduction to the greater world and encourage our pupils to appreciate their own lifestyle. You would wonder, how would you teach such an abstract lesson to young children? There were several effective ideas that we came up with. First, we started by telling and showing real online orphan videos to our children, and

included the kids in our decision-making process, so that they were clear to why we were doing this. In addition, we incorporated giving into activities that our children look forward to, like birthdays or playtime with friends in class. We thought, there were virtually unlimited ways to do it. For example, we celebrate kids’ birthdays every year; the birthday child can choose one gift to donate to a local orphanage. An even better idea was to engage all the children at the in-class birthday celebration to double the effect. As for an arts and crafts activity in class, we made “giving certificates” with promises of things the kids will do to help others. Another extended option we came up with was to have all the guests bring a donation to the birthday boy or girl’s chosen cause, such as this “100 Boxes of Love” (snack and toy drive). Whatever we did, we tried and weaved it into the fun of the party to get the best results.

afterward to explain who we’ve helped and how. We didn’t want our children to go through the motions of donating without knowing why they’re doing it. So we showed them the pictures of the donated snacks and toys. This explained the effect of their efforts. An Upper School student also came to our classroom to thank our children for their big-hearted action. Every student got to share a sentence or two about how they felt after putting items into the empty boxes. One of our students even shared how joyful she was to be someone else’s Santa Claus! At last, we rewarded all of our kind-hearted children with very thankful words to make them realize how proud we were of them to be part of this group donation event. We hope this will make everyone want to give or volunteer again—and soon! BY JACQUELINE YEH Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Hangzhou International School

Then, it was time to show them the payoff! It is almost as important as the giving process. We talked about it

HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHTS

f o oy

J e Th

g n i v i

Then, it was time to show them the payoff! It is almost as important as the giving process. We talked about it

STUDENGT SPOTLIGHT

Extreme

My dad has attended many different exhibitions for his business, so he is very familiar with the setup of an exhibition. He managed the setup of my exhibition, and I was focusing on the design of the invitations, forward, the logo, sign board and many other things.

Photography by Lisa Chen

So you have been at SCIS since 10th grade, what brought you to SCIS? I wanted to study in USA for college, and I knew SCIS since after I finished kindergarten. At that time, unfortunately, I was holding a Chinese passport, so I couldn’t apply to SCIS. Is there any one person who has inspired/encouraged your passion? Yes, certainly, and her name is CHENMAN (陈漫), a fashion photographer. She had her personal photo exhibition in France, US, UK, Japan, and Hongkong. She has worked for 《VOGUE》,《ELLE》,《BAZAAR》,《MARIE CLAIRE》, 《L’OFFICIEL》,《WALLPAPER》,《PREFERENCE》, 《Madame Figaro》,《UNLIMITED》,《NYLON》, 《SPORT&STREET》,《i-D》, and《MUSE》.

How did you become interested in Photography? My family started traveling around the world when I was 7 months old, which was the first time that I was on a plane. Whenever I saw interesting or beautiful views, they made me want to recored them down for some kind of collection. Also, another reason was because of my dad. He is crazy about photography, so he bought me my first camera when I was six years old. Since then I started to view the world as a photographer.

So what is your future plans after you graduate? Do you plan on studying photography further? I’m planning to apply to a school of design/art illustration, and study in the area of photography for studio. For example, fashion, portraiture, interior, and product photography.

Did you take any formal classes? No, I didn’t take any formal photography classes. What inspired you to take this trip to the North and South Pole? Who went with you? The South Pole is a mysterious place that everyone yearns to go. On the trip to Africa, I met a Taiwanese that had traveled to Antartica before, and he told me a lot of fantastic events that he had experienced. I had traveled to more than 40 countries, and I have traveled to the other six continents before I went to Antarctica. So there was a motivation of reaching the seventh continent to have a nice ending before I start getting busy on college applications. So I made a decision that I must experience this exciting continent. I went to both Antartica and the North Pole with my family. Tell us a little bit about the trip, how long was it and when did you take the trip? It was a 9 days trip to the South Pole and 13 days trip to the North Pole. Since the poles are too cold during winter, the poles are only available for tourism during summer. So I went to Antartica when China is in winter, and I went to the North Pole when China is in summer, since they have opposite seasons. Can you tell us about the Camera feature/accessories you took along with you in order to capture the amazing photos? I have my common used camera and lens, which is Canon 6D with Ultrasonic 28300mm lens. However if I am traveling to the places like Africa or the Poles, I bring Ultrasonic 200-400mm & 600m lens+Extender 2x, because a safety distances rule exists, stating that humans have to obey the distance between human and animals. So bringing big range zoom-in lenses is useful. (South Pole, 5m between small animals like penguins, and 20m between big animals like whales or seals) For shooting landscape, I use Ultrasonic 24-70mm & 16-35mm lenses. Did you encounter any difficulties during the trip? The tourism part of the North and South Pole are already well or fully developed, and everything is well arranged for travelers. 32

What was your most memorable part of the trip? One of the strong messages that I learned from both trips is that we have to protect the environment and protect the animals! The habitat of penguins and polar bears are getting smaller and smaller due to some direct and indirect influences of the global warming.

When’s the next trip and where would you like to go? Since I didn’t get to reach the 90º S, (only the Antarctica circle), so maybe if I have time, I want to challenge myself to go to the center of the South pole.

From the trip to Antartica, the most memorable moment was when I was sitting on a rock, all of the sudden, two penguins came closer and started to run around me. One of the penguins bumped into me by accident. I was totally freaked out! They must’ve thought that I was a part of rock or something. I’m always really impressed about the relationship between animals and humans in the wild. From the trip to the North Pole, it was defintely the moment that we hit the 90N. Now a Gallery opening, how did this come about and who organized it? I have been to Africa twice, and Africa is a special place on the list of where I have traveled to. I have so many memorable events that happened to me on the trip to Africa. The photos that I shot in Africa are not like the photos that one would shoot in normal tourist attractions. There were alot of people asking me about my trip to Africa, and they were also interested in the photos that I took in Africa. I wanted to share all the photos since I only have one year left living in Shanghai. I also wanted to have an opportunity to meet my old friends in my old school, before I go to college outside of Shanghai.

STUDENGT SPOTLIGHT

Extreme

Photography by Lisa Chen

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

15th Annual Parkway Health

Art & Writing Competition Winners Announced

Art Calendar Contest T

he Hongqiao Lower School is once again pleased to have one of its students’ artwork featured on the Parkway Health Calendar. This year’s theme was “SuperHealth” which covered anything related to physical, intellectual, emotional, social and environmental aspects of life. Parkway received hundreds of pieces of art from students aged 7 – 12 years from various international schools in the city. Andrea Powell from Grade Three had her artwork selected and featured as the picture for the month of March. Her representation of “healthy friends” was a collage of her favorite fruits. Congratulations Andrea! By BETTINA SALAS SCIS-Hongqiao Lower School Art Teacher

“Mother Nature has created some crazy critters. If you could conjure up your own creature, what would it look like?” Shanghai City Weekend’s Parents & Kids Art and Writing Competition returned in November inviting students from international schools of ages 2-18 to explore deep into the jungle and use their imagination for this year’s competition, themed “Animal Magic.” Using any art medium of their choice, students created a new creature as the newest member of the animal kingdom. This year’s competition brought 4 SCIS HQ students to the finalists’ panel. 50 pieces out of over 700 entries got nominated and the finalists along with their parents and teachers attended the awards ceremony held at the Grand Millennium Shanghai Hongqiao on January 25th. 34

In the 11-13 years age category, Ryan King-To Yu from 8th grade was the winner followed by Daniel Park from 7th grade who received 1st runner-up. Mong Koo in 6th grade and Ji-Min Park from Lower School received honorable mentions and brought home goodie bags. When asked what motivated them to participate, our SCIS candidates agreed that this was one of the best contests in Shanghai geared for kids because the venue was fun for the whole family, and although prizes were awarded, it was not only about the incentive and the title of winning that made them want to participate, but the fact that they all enjoy making art, art is their favorite subject, and this was a chance for them to share and showcase their artwork to the shanghai community. Congratulations to all participants for sharing their talent and making their teachers and parents proud! By LISA CHUI SCIS Hongqiao Visual Arts Teacher 35

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

15th Annual Parkway Health

Art & Writing Competition Winners Announced

Art Calendar Contest T

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

ourney to the West is one of four great Chinese literary works of art and its central character, the Monkey King, is one of the most colorful and enduring characters in Chinese culture. This year the Lower School dance teacher, Laura Unzu collaborated with her Art and Mandarin colleagues to lead the grade four and five students as they used dance to tell the story of the Monkey King. The production commenced with the birth of the Monkey King from a stone rock and followed his exploits as he learned how to transform into other animals and accrued incredible strength and magic, which were used to cause mischief and challenge the most skilled warriors of heaven.

The

Monkey King Springs to Life

The music, choreography and costumes did a tremendous job of bringing to life the images described in the legend and the performance provided the audience with a nice blend of traditional Chinese culture and Western dance. The production was a great showpiece for the school and a fine example of the way in which the host country culture and language features as an integral part of our program. By ANDREW POWELL SCIS Hongqiao Lower School Principal Photos credit: Gustavo Salas 37

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

The

Monkey King Springs to Life

HONGQIAO ECE HIGHLIGHT

Parents Are Learning Too I

f you were at the Early Childhood Campus on January 28th you might have noticed the buzz and the excitement in the hallways on that Wednesday morning. And no, it was not coming from the students this time, but their parents talking to each other and enthusiastically sharing ideas while stepping out from a two-hour workshop on nurturing and supporting their children’s healthy self esteem. “Hand in Hand, We Learn” is a motto that we embrace fully at the ECE. Along with our young students, teachers and administrators are actively searching and

engaging in professional development to expand their skills and continue to grow as professionals. Providing meaningful opportunities to share evidence based practices as well as offering a venue where parents can learn, ask questions and share experiences, is something that is important to us as a school and we have been continuously looking for different ways to provide a safe, engaging and welcoming learning environment to the SCIS parent community. Various workshops supporting children’s social, emotional and academic well-being

have been offered on campus from both internal and external professionals. The opportunity to learn new strategies and to add on more tools and techniques to the “parenting toolbox” has been well received and welcomed by many parents. One such workshop that has been offered in the past two years and has been gaining an increasing popularity at the ECE is the “Love and Logic” workshop – a six module parenting workshop where parents get to work with others while learning and discussing different strategies to make parenting rewarding and fun.

Here are just few comments that I have heard from the group of parents during the workshop sessions: • I am much calmer now. • My children are solving problems independently. • I have improved the relationship with my child. • I can’t wait to go home and try all these new things I learned today! The energy of a supportive group, the stories of the challenges and successes

with our children, the flow of many ideas, while sharing some laughs and coffee have all contributed to the development of many new friendships and even a “Love and Logic” secret code language among these parents. All of this has been possible due to the continuous support of our amazing ECE PAFA President, Ramya Rajagopal. She has been collaborating closely with the administrative team to help with planning for the workshops, getting the information out and actively reaching out to our wonderful parent community. Keep an

eye for emails and news from her about the upcoming spring “Love and Logic” workshop, as well as all other parent learning opportunities that are planned for the rest of the school year. Learning is a lifelong process. What can be more inspirational than learning about our children in a safe environment with like-minded individuals? By TINA NAKOVA SCIS ECE Student Support Services Coordinator

HONGQIAO ECE HIGHLIGHT

Parents Are Learning Too I

PUDONG HIGHLIGHTS

Learning Support Program T

he SCIS-HIS mission is to provide its students with opportunities to pursue academic and personal excellence in a nurturing, internationalcommunity environment. The SCIS Pudong Learning Support Program extends that mission by celebrating diversity and welcoming students who learn differently, as we believe that diversity enriches the whole community. Mild to moderate learning support can be provided, given that we feel confident in our abilities to meet the needs of students who learn in their own unique way. We look at student learning through a best practice collaborative approach. A variety of in-house professionals support children with learning needs by looking through his/her own “lens” of expertise. These professionals - Learning Support Teachers, a Student Support Specialist, a Counselor, a School Psychologist, and a Speech Language Pathologist – work closely with teachers and administrators to ensure that students’ diverse learning needs are met. We also view parents as experts and partners in ensuring student success. Together we create an individualized, comprehensive set of goals to maximize learning for each child. How do we offer support? Providing all students access to the curriculum is a primary responsibility of all SCIS teachers. At a foundational level, all teachers offer differentiated instruction, taking into account students’ individual learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses.

The Learning Support Program provides interventions, as well as mild to moderate levels of learning support. Also under the umbrella of learning support are speech therapy, language therapy, and social communication therapy. The program is broken down into five levels of learning support. The level of support depends on the amount of time the child needs learning support and languagerelated therapy. The delivery of services for both learning support and language-related therapy depends on individual student’s needs. Service delivery may include one or a combination of the following: • Consultation • In-class support • Small group instruction • Individualized instruction Learning support may include one or a combination of the following: • Literacy support • Math support • Study and organizational skills • Social skills If you have additional questions about the Learning Support Program, please contact the Director of Student Support Services, Jessica Rose at jrose@scis@scischina.org.

COACHES CORNER

Who is Wouter Vlas?

outer Vlas is a half Dutch, half Taiwanese, 16-year-old sophomore student who loves chicken fajitas and hates celery. He is an above average jump-roper and an avid singer. His biggest pet peeve is the sound of snoring. He dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, professional volleyball player, or a successful businessman like his father. This past season, Wouter served as captain of the Junior Varsity Basketball team. I had the pleasure of being his coach this season, and recently sat down with him to discuss his life as an SCIS student-athlete. Describe your experience of playing on the basketball team at SCIS The first time I played basketball was during lunch recess. My friend Johnny Liu and I started playing “King of the Court” games and I got pretty good at it. I enjoyed playing so much that I decided to join the basketball team. This past season I really improved my game and my ability to drive to the hoop and play physical. You obviously enjoy the competition of basketball. Do you participate in any other activities, and what is your motivation to be so active? I actually love volleyball. It is probably my favorite sport to play. I am also on the soccer team and I like to occasionally swim. Outside of sports, I participate in Model United Nations, and I really enjoy acting in the school theater productions. As far as my motivation to be active, I play sports because I enjoy being part of a team. It is also a great way to stay healthy and in shape. Also, as a member of a school production cast, I can bond with my other cast members – just like in athletics. Wow, you play a lot sports. Are there any particular moments in athletics that stand out to you as memorable? One time during a soccer game I was playing goalkeeper, and my game was a bit off. I gave up some goals early on in the game. I felt really bad for giving up so many goals, however, as the game was winding down, I was able to dive and make an acrobatic save that turned the game around. How do you think your participation in high school athletics can help you later on in life? I think a great life skill to have is being able to manage and balance your time. Athletics and other team activities provide a great opportunity to practice balancing time while learning self-discipline and cooperation. There are moments where you have to make quick decisions and think on your feet, and I think these activities help me build these skills that will definitely be useful later in life. What does being a “Green Dragon” mean to you? It means always trying to better yourself, staying positive, being a good sportsman, and keeping your head held high in victory and in defeat. Three words to sum up your experience as an SCIS student-athlete Let’s Go Dragons! Interview by JOHN BRENNAN SCIS Pudong Lower School PE Teacher JV Boys Basketball Coach

PUDONG HIGHLIGHTS

Learning Support Program T

COACHES CORNER

Who is Wouter Vlas?

COMMUNITY FEATURE

BASKETBALL DRAGON CUP B

asketball is an emotional game and it takes effort and focus to not let that emotion manifest itself in negative behaviors; our Dragon Cup event provides a great opportunity for our system of schools to emphasize the positive aspects of fair play with our student athletes as it relates to the game of basketball. Historically the SCIS/HIS schools operate 4 core sport Dragon Cups; Volleyball/Basketball/Soccer and Swimming. During each of these events one key ‘non-score’ element of sport is emphasized and the Dragon Cup is awarded to the school most exemplifying that trait. For the Basketball Dragon Cup the focus is ‘fair play’ and it is often highlighted through; • Pre-tournament team conversations surrounding appropriate attitudes and behaviors • a scoring rubric completed by all referees and coaches that measures interaction with opponents/interactions with teammates and coach/ interaction with officials and spectators • an anecdotal game by game record of team performance in regards to fair play shared with all coaches The hope is that with this experience and feedback our system of teams will enhance both their fair play skills as well as their basketball growth before their respective league seasons / events are in full flight. The competition itself proved very spirited. Hectic play and intense effort were hallmarks of all games. Congratulations to all of our school teams and players who developed both their ‘fair-play’ and basketball I.Q. Winning the cup this year season was HIS. We look forward to the soccer and the swimming Dragon Cup events in the spring. Gooooo Dragons! By MIKE DENEEF SCIS Pudong Upper School Activities Coordinator/Athletics Director 42

COMMUNITY FEATURE

BASKETBALL DRAGON CUP B

FAMILY SPOTLIGHT

Say “Yes” to the adventure

Dan and Jenny Whitaker -Dan is the Chair, IT Committee of AmCham. -Daughter Remmie in Grade 4 at SCIS-HQ.

How has Shanghai been different/similar in reality when compared to your preconceived notions? As a young couple we had lived in Kunming in 1996 as English teachers, so there were no enormous surprises, although was a bit surprised to see so many luxury brands and malls. Which campus do your children attend? And why did you choose SCIS? Our 4th grader goes to SCIS HongQiao, our 2 year old is in a local western daycare. SCIS is close to downtown (can bike/ subway there in 30 minutes, taxi in 20). And it has that American style feel of teaching skills where exploration and free thought is emphasized rather than a ton of stuff to memorize. Discerning what to memorize, teamwork, problem solving, creativity, etc. are all critical in the 21st century the other stuff can be always be looked up. 44

SCIS-HIS Parents e-enrollment for the 2015-2016 academic year is just around the corner. Parents will only have the option to re-enroll their children through PowerSchool. We encourage parents to participate in early re–enrollment of their children through PowerSchool because of its ease and efficiency. If you are unsure of your username and password, or have forgotten it, please contact your campus secretary for assistance (see the list below for your reference). The early re-enrollment period for PowerSchool will begin on Monday, January 19th. We anticipate full classes at many grade levels and wish to ensure all of our current families have first priority. Please let the admissions office know if we can assist you in any way through the re-enrollment process. We look forward to your continued support and involvement in our school community and hope to welcome your family for yet another successful school year.

Are there any family friendly perks? Yes! We live in a lane house, so we can simply open the door and let the kids go outside, and there is always a friendly neighbor around who helps keep an eye out. And the lane is small enough where we can yell out the window at dinner time for the kids to come home.

What is the best thing about bringing up your children in Shanghai? Diversity! In China diversity is much more than skin color, and Shanghai is like the NYC of China - everyone from all over China comes here. And from all of the world too.

It’s Time for Re-enrollment! R

Where do you and you’re family live? We live in the northeast part of the former French Concession, technically southern Jing’An district

Is there anything you do not like about your neighborhood? Our corner is famous as a lunchtime stopping spot for taxicab drivers to get cheap street food, which can lead to some congestion sometimes - but, you can always find a taxi!

ADMISSIONS

Hongqiao ECE Campus: (Nursery-Grade 1)

What issues did you face as a family moving to Shanghai? We moved here six months before the economic crisis and subsequent upheaval, which affected us as much as anybody. But we have worked hard to stay in Shanghai and carve out a great life here. Any advice you would give to new families? Shanghai is unique in that it is urban living that is both affordable and safe. I would encourage folks to enjoy this benefit, which can be hard to find in the West. Also, Seek to understand prior to seeking to be understood. And always say “yes” to any adventure. Favorite landmark in Shanghai It’s the parks - XiangYang Park, Fuxing Park and the Yan’An Greenlands are our favorite spots to take our kids to play. Favorite attraction in Shanghai When we are 90 years old we’ll always remember riding around with our kids on the back of the bikes around the former French Concession, finding a cafe, and a playground, and just enjoying the city life. Favorite restaurant in Shanghai? The Kelley Lee empire of Cantina Agave, Boxing Cat Brewery, and Liquid Laundry are all our family favorites (including grandparents)! And Bull Noodle of course. Interview by ANNE HUNT Editor

Name

Job Title

Ext

Maggie Yang

School Secretary/Admissions

Maggie_yang@scischina.org

7004

Hongqiao Main Campus: (Grades 2-12) Name

Job Title

Ext

Alice Dai Kinny Wang

Lower School (Grade 2-Grade 5)

adai@scischina.org kwang@scischina.org

5131 5133

Sunny Jiang Lisa Ni

Middle School (Grade 6- Grade 8)

sjiang@scischina.org lni@scischina.org

3153 3155

Sarah Jin

High School (Grade 9-Grade 12)

Sarah_jin@scischina.org

3103

Pudong Campus: Lower School Campus (Nursery-Grade 5) / Upper School Campus: (Grade 6-Grade 12) Name

Job Title

Ext

Joanna Zhou

Lower School Secretary (Nursery-Grade 5)

kliang@scischina.org

6776

Jelly Lin

Upper School Secretary (Grade 6- Grade 12)

jling@scischina.org

6015

Hangzhou International School: Nursery-Grade 12 Name

Job Title

Ext

Kerri Lang

School Secretary/Admissions

kliang@scischina.org

86-571-8669-0045

FAMILY SPOTLIGHT

Say “Yes” to the adventure

Dan and Jenny Whitaker -Dan is the Chair, IT Committee of AmCham. -Daughter Remmie in Grade 4 at SCIS-HQ.

It’s Time for Re-enrollment! R

Where do you and you’re family live? We live in the northeast part of the former French Concession, technically southern Jing’An district

ADMISSIONS

Hongqiao ECE Campus: (Nursery-Grade 1)

Name

Job Title

Ext

Maggie Yang

School Secretary/Admissions

Maggie_yang@scischina.org

7004

Hongqiao Main Campus: (Grades 2-12) Name

Job Title

Ext

Alice Dai Kinny Wang

Lower School (Grade 2-Grade 5)

adai@scischina.org kwang@scischina.org

5131 5133

Sunny Jiang Lisa Ni

Middle School (Grade 6- Grade 8)

sjiang@scischina.org lni@scischina.org

3153 3155

Sarah Jin

High School (Grade 9-Grade 12)

Sarah_jin@scischina.org

3103

Pudong Campus: Lower School Campus (Nursery-Grade 5) / Upper School Campus: (Grade 6-Grade 12) Name

Job Title

Ext

Joanna Zhou

Lower School Secretary (Nursery-Grade 5)

kliang@scischina.org

6776

Jelly Lin

Upper School Secretary (Grade 6- Grade 12)

jling@scischina.org

6015

Hangzhou International School: Nursery-Grade 12 Name

Job Title

Ext

Kerri Lang

School Secretary/Admissions

kliang@scischina.org

86-571-8669-0045

ALUMNI INTERVIEW

Saki Nakahara From Keio University to future career success

Japanese Saki Nakahara spent her last 4 years high school years at SCIS before returning to her hometown for University and soon to be career. She was very successful at SCIS, and her success has continued at the Keio Univeristy(Tokyo, JAPAN). Saki recently sat down with the Communitas to talk about how her time in Shanghai helped shape her life… Tell us about yourself. Hi, I’m Saki Nakahara, currently a senior with a major in sociology at Keio University located in Tokyo, Japan. I was born in the UK, and I have lived in Singapore for a year a half, and in Shanghai for about five years. I will be graduating this March and will start working for an e-commerce company in Tokyo a month after that. I have two months of spring break before starting to work full time, and I have decided to spend it pursuing the art of the tea ceremony through which I am re-exploring Japanese culture and mentality. I think it is what defines the core of my identity; I believe that it is something I have to embrace more in the coming future because I wish to work internationally. Placed in an international environment like SCIS, I have naturally come to realize the importance of expanding my mind toward cultures of not only others, but also of my own, as it serves as a window through which I see people from diverse backgrounds. You’re at one of the world’ Top Universities, how well prepared do you feel coming from SCIS? SCIS has given me more than enough chances to prepare myself academically and socially for the university. The IB Program at SCIS offers a multicultural environment and has contributed to my confidence as a student. At school, I am expected to meet high academic standards and to have great interpersonal skills. Five years at SCIS was such an opportunity for me to consider what “how to learn” truly means. In classes, I was not only taught to think and analyze critically, but also to 46

deliver and share those interpretations with fellow classmates. As a result, I have not only gained study tactics for further learning but also social skills for fruitful interactions with people. The knowledge I gained there has led me to have profound learning experiences in every situation and with every person I encounter. To me, academic and social intelligence overlap, and SCIS has assisted me to establish a bridge between those two aspects so I can go back and forth in my learning. What do you think the biggest difference coming from an international school versus coming from a regular school? I think it is the amount of flexibility that you learn to cultivate in yourself, as I have grown to really value it throughout my student life at SCIS. At an international school, you will be exposed to a wide range of cultural differences and also frictions at times. It could range from a little misunderstanding in communications due to different ways of thinking that each of us are used to, to bigger ones concerning historical issues or diplomatic relations of your country and your friends’. It might be difficult at first, but gradually you learn how to adapt yourself to such an environment. You become more tolerant. You will not reject how others think or act but instead you will accept and learn from them, and those will be added to the stock of your knowledge. You will definitely learn to love those differences in the continual exposures, which I think serves as the primary factor of flexibility in a communicator.

When you first moved to Shanghai 4.5 years ago and attended SCIS, did you think you would be where you are today? No, not at all. I was confident these experiences at SCIS would have a positive impact on my life as a whole, but I was not confident most of the time and was constantly overwhelmed by how bad I am at everything I do at school. I didn’t even know how to speak English properly. It took me a lot of time and endurance to be the kind of student I would be proud to have myself as, but everything that I experienced, both sad and happy, makes me think it was all worth it. What advice would you give to those in high school right now preparing to go to university? I would say, take this time to seriously think about what you want to do in the future. All of you must be really busy completing and submitting assignments and studying for exams to get into the university you want to attend. Those exams are as important, but it is also important to rest once in a while. If I could go back to high school right now, I would give myself enough time to look at those around me and myself to see what is it that I want to cherish throughout my life. I would ask myself, what drives

ALUMNI INTERVIEW

you to work harder, and what touches your heart, because answers to them will show you what your core values are. And clarifying those values will help you see yourself in the future more clearly, and make right decisions whenever you come to crossroads. It makes you stay strong when you feel like you are lost. I know you were multi-sport athlete in high school, have you continued to participate in any sports in the university? No I do not participate in sports in the university. Do you have any favorite SCIS story to share? It was in math class. My friend J, who had a kidney stone then, was showing me an X-ray shot of it. It was quite interesting, and we were staring at the photo when our math teacher sneaked a peek of it from the back, gasped, and asked her if that was her baby. She was so calm and said “what, no……” while I was busy holding my laugh. I love the teacher and hopefully he was joking, haha. What was the most memorable moment as a student? My most memorable moment as a student was when I received a compliment from my Language Arts teacher about my final oral presentation on the novel “The Scarlet Letter”. First of all, the novel was quite difficult I was not sure I could read it, and second it was the first time for me to do a project completely on my own, coming up with my own question for a project and doing all the research by

myself. It was when I realized this is how studying should be done; it was about connecting yourself to the topic and materials, expanding the search to reach the answer to one pure question you really want to know, and approaching it from various aspects. It was about involvement, and this project has conceptualized the way of learning for me, and receiving good marks for it was like being told that I have done the “learning” the right way, and I discovered that if it is the right way then I actually like studying. Are you still friends with anybody you met at SCIS? I keep in touch with a lot of my friends from SCIS and I am grateful for the friendships. I continue to enjoy even after we have all spread to different countries after graduation. They are all ambitious, having their passion and certain goals they want to achieve, and it is inspiring to see them striving for whatever path they decided to take. I am always amazed by how they continue to inspire me from so far away, and I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say that their open-mindedness and eagerness always give me hints when I come to crossroads in my life. What is your lasting impression of SCIS? I would say, warm, fun, difficult, but rewarding. I am grateful I was able to spend an important time of my life, being exposed to such beautiful people with unique cultures and values. Things could give you challenges at times, but it will all add to your character at the end. You will be more tolerant, flexible and respectful,

and I am sure you will always know how to love differences, and it could be such an asset that helps you learn positively everywhere you go. What is your most significant accomplishment? To me it is receiving 8 awards in the last year at SCIS. I was not even a fluent English speaker when I first came to SCIS, and was not used to the American style of studying which required a lot of assertiveness and self-involvement in the class. I remember not being able to say one word in one of the debates in history class despite a lot of preparation I had done. I have slowly got used to actually participating and learning actively in class, and I take those awards as a proof that I made the effort and that I have mastered the learning I have always thought I lacked. 5 years from now, what do you see yourself doing after graduated from university? I feel like after working for the Japanese company for some years, I will quit my job and use the money I earned to attend a graduate school or find other ways to pursue my studies. I would also be immersed in studying cultures, not just Japanese, but many different countries, so I can understand a lot more about people and the world. Either way, I hope to see myself in an international environment, where I could hopefully contribute to, and enjoy the beauty of cultural interactions. Interview by MUN YEE CHOO SCIS-HIS Marketing Manager

The Alumni Association Alumni Mission: The SCIS-HIS Alumni Association has been established in order to foster the continued cordial relations of the SCISHIS community. The Alumni Association seeks to generate and maintain the active interest of all SCIS-HIS alumni in its regular business. It will provide the alumni with regular opportunities to assemble and maintain valued relationships through the promotion of

alumni events and communications. Alumni Contact: Jonathan Paulson // jpaulson@scischina.org Alumni Requirements: 1. Graduated from a SCIS-HIS school OR 2. Went to school here for at least one year AND be over 18

Social Media facebook site: www.facebook.com/ SCISandHISalumni Linkedin site: www.linkedin.com/groups/ SCISHIS-Alumni-4757677 Upcoming Events June 2015 in Shanghai 47

ALUMNI INTERVIEW

Saki Nakahara From Keio University to future career success

ALUMNI INTERVIEW

Social Media facebook site: www.facebook.com/ SCISandHISalumni Linkedin site: www.linkedin.com/groups/ SCISHIS-Alumni-4757677 Upcoming Events June 2015 in Shanghai 47

TECHNOLOGY

“Keyboarding, or typing, instruction is a vital piece of a young student education and to overlook it would be a mistake that can plague a person’s personal and professional life for many years.” The average typing speed of a college student, who practiced keyboarding in school previously, is between 35 and 50 words pre minute (WPM). All too often though students are going through primary and secondary school without deliberate practice at keyboarding and the result is a lack of skills when they enter universities or the workforce. Fortunately, Shanghai Community International School (SCIS-HIS) is committed to providing typing practice through a mix of deliberate practice and practical application with our wealth of technology at all campuses. This is a great start but students need to dedicate time outside of school to practicing effective keyboarding to improve their skills. Teaching students to use computers competently is an important part of preparing students for future college and career opportunities, and typing is a vital part of that. Below are five of the best resources available for free to help student practice keyboarding; many are used in the classrooms as well at SCIS-HIS schools.

practicing the skill of

keyboarding

BBC Dance Mat Typing is a great resource from Britain that helps student aged between four and nine learn the basics of keyboarding. This program has no login or registration that is safe but also means there is no way to save your progress; you just need to remember the level you were on. There are four levels with several lessons in each level. The very first level offers instruction on the correct placements of your hands on the “home row” of the keyboard. Each lesson offers plenty of practice with instant visual and audio feedback with no timer or scoring system.

to move a character through a scene or defend an area with typing skills. Some can be downloaded onto your computer for offline use if needed as well. Resource link: www.wordgames.com Typing Web is an online typing tutorial site that helps provide free typing lessons with instant feedback to students. You can register to track your progress or play without registering. Resource link: www.typingweb.com Listen and Write is a great way for students to practice typing and learn about short news stories. The website allows students to select a story on their site, which then plays an audio clip of the news story so that learners can type what they hear. The audio clips are usually short and come in different levels for various skill levels. You can register to track your progress or just play as a guest. Resource Link: www.listen-and-write.com

Power Typing is has a selection of five games that students can use to develop their typing skills. Power Typing is one f the few sites to host games for QWERTY keyboards that are common and DVORAK keyboards that are less common. Resources Link: www.powertyping.com Other Resources Links: Learning Games for Kids: www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games.html Typing Test Games: www.typingtest.com/games.html ABC Typing Rocket: www.abcya.com/typing_rocket_junior. htm Z-Type: phoboslab.org/ztype/ Good Typing: http://www.goodtyping.com/ By ANTHONY PASCOE Hongqiao Campus Technology Integration Specialist

Resource link: bbc.co.uk/schools/typing Word Games offers a huge collection of online games that includes enjoyment and educational, which also includes a good selection of typing games. Games span from crosswords to speed sentence typing practice. Some require students 48

TECHNOLOGY

practicing the skill of

keyboarding

PARTNER

One Sure-fire Recipe of “

Children’s Potential

Outside Ordinary Holland

he Orange Dragon is a school for Dutch language and culture for Dutch and Belgian children that live in Shanghai and Suzhou. Our goal is to keep up the same level of Dutch as their peers in The Netherlands. Last year we started with an extra after school activity named: de Drakenlcub (the Dragonclub). During these lessons the Dutch children would learn about their own culture. The learning had to be in an active way, by doing that the children would learn more and their connection to Holland would improve.

Scouting”

The Netherlands is a country full of culture and it has a rich history. Our history doesn’t just stay in Holland; it is entwined with the rest of the world. The Netherlands has been important for other counties. A lot of other countries traded with the Netherlands. The Netherlands grew into a rich and powerful nation thanks to our company the VOC. It was really interesting for the kids to learn about countries the Netherlands or our language is connected with . For example: Belgium, South-Africa, Indonesia, Antilles, Suriname and the city New York.

“Never do anything a boy can do.” —Robert S. S. Baden-Powell The Netherlands were the founders of New York City! The city back then had an other name, New-Amsterdam. The children at the picture look at an old map of New-Amsterdam, in Dutch of course. Together we learned about the connection between The Netherlands and the US. Did you know 246 words of American English come from the Dutch language?

In South-Africa they call this a ‘braai’. That doesn’t sound very Dutch, but the language ‘Afrikaans’ is based on the Dutch language!

These boys can speak a little bit of Afrikaans!

n recent years, there is an increasing number of well-known colleges and universities that have looked at leadership training camps as an essential criteria for enrolling students. Why? Now let’s get to know this stepping- stone of world famous universities and sure-fire recipe of exploring children’s potential. How does Leadership training camp anneal children? Leadership training camps recognize the achievements of Scouts through advancement in rank and with various special awards. It includes several program divisions, targeted at boys ages seven through seventeen and young men and women ages fourteen through twenty-one. Leadership training camp operates locally, through volunteer-led units such as troops, packs, and crews. Cub Scouting provides advancement opportunities throughout the program to help each Scout feel that he has accomplished something when completing an activity. Some of the advancements in Cub Scouting are of the “Immediate Recognition” type; that is they are designed to be given as soon as possible after the award is earned. Others are to be given ceremoniously at Pack meetings in front of all the Scouts in the unit and their parents. The Boy Scouting

advancement system consists of a series of obstacles and steps that the boys must take to overcome them. The system is designed so that a Scout will plan his advancement and by participating in the troop program, be recognized as he overcomes each challenge. The Scout is rewarded at each step of the way, which is intended to develop self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system are designed to help him grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others. The highest level of Leadership training camp advancement is the rank of Eagle Scout; an award considered by some to be so prestigious that many adults continue to list it as a major accomplishment or award on their resumes or CVs, many decades after they were initially awarded the badge. Indeed, the rank of Eagle Scout is generally spoken of in the present tense, and it is not unusual, at Scout gatherings, to hear men in their 40s, 50s, 60’s or even 70’s, proudly proclaim: “I’m the future president!” Now the chance is close at hand! AAA Leadership Training camps include 49 kinds of survival compulsory courses, which involves four aspects: patriotic and moral education, physical and health development, common sense on life safety and the cultivation of personal ability. Through some seemingly easy skill and knowledge training, we cultivate children’s self-esteem, mutual assistance and brave spirit, hands-on ability, safety consciousness, survival skills under the guidance of the foreign instructors. *For more information please call 400-805-8585 or pay a visit to our school

American Afterschool Academy No.668 ,Gold Avenue , Changning District ,Shanghai ,China

PARTNER

One Sure-fire Recipe of “

Children’s Potential

Outside Ordinary Holland

Scouting”

In South-Africa they call this a ‘braai’. That doesn’t sound very Dutch, but the language ‘Afrikaans’ is based on the Dutch language!

These boys can speak a little bit of Afrikaans!

American Afterschool Academy No.668 ,Gold Avenue , Changning District ,Shanghai ,China

PAFA

Passing On The Tranditions B

orn as a native Chinese, Chinese New Year has been a treasured childhood memory to me: brand new clothes with chrysanthemum shaped fabric buttons hand-made by my mom, and firecrackers that brightened the chilly winter night and blossomed like flowers in the sky. The most enjoyable thing for me as a child was BaiNian, an activity where we would visit our neighbors’ houses and give them a New Year’s greeting on the first day of the New Year. In return, children received many treats and sometimes red envelopes. Adults, even the sternest ones, seemed extremely patient on those days!

After my husband and I moved to the U.S and stayed there for many years, Chinese New Year caused countless feelings of homesickness and created an invisible string stretching from the U.S. to our home in China. As for my two children who were born in the U.S., their experience of Chinese New Year only consisted of broken pieces of information from a dinner table chat, a book or a craft made in class. Three years ago, when we moved back China, we were thrilled that our children could finally experience this traditional holiday with their grandparents and relatives. However, I found I could not replicate my Chinese New Year memories for my kids to experience. Nowadays, New Year Eve’s dinners are not mom’s home cooking any more, instead, the dinner is served in restaurants. Traditional Chinese Clothes are not handmade any more, instead, it is now bought from stores. The beautiful hand crafted fabric buttons are rarely spotted. There is less of a chance to bargain with street vendors for firecrackers. I started to wonder if traditions I had treasured had gradually gone missing. After a couple of Chinese New Years past, I decided I would like to do something to pass on traditions to my children. last week, I and few friends hosted a dumpling making party in our neighborhood, which is right across from HIS campus. Neighbors are not only schoolmates and playmates, but also friends. 52

The party was bustling with excitement! Edward, a ChineseCanadian boy, made his first dumplings. Ron and Jerry from Hong Kong loved to put a lucky coin in one of the dumplings they made. The coin signifies luck and whoever gets this special dumpling will be the luckiest in the family. Janet and Cassidy from the U.S preferred the untraditional sweet rice and chocolate chip fillings. Yuval, Idan, Mayan and their Mom from Israel were showing off their first dumplings as I took a picture of them. Hao An with a Vietnamese background, displayed unexpected enthusiasm and made dumplings of many fancy shapes. Best of all, we talked about the origin of making dumplings. According to an ancient Chinese folk tale, it can be traced back to the Hang Dynasty. There was a famine in the South Western part of China close to the New Year time. A legendary doctor of Chinese herbal medicine observed that people’s ears were infected due to the extremely cold weather. So he boiled lamb meat and various herbs in a pot for hours and used minced lamb as filling to make dumplings in the shape of an ear to help heal the sick. To memorialize him, people have since started to eat dumplings. Even before the party was over, the next community event was already being planned: a firecrackers/ fireworks party for the upcoming Chinese Lantern Festival! Just like when I was a child, my children and their friends will bring their lanterns, walk around the neighborhood and light firecrackers (not the noisy kind) in the compound yard. This year, the Chinese New Year definitely has its international flavor. It helps to knit our community together. This year, my Children can start to put together those puzzle pieces of Chinese New Year and truly live in the Chinese culture. It is such a special time of year to bring traditions back! To share that tradition with HIS community was a huge plus! By CRYSTAL WU HIS Upper School PAFA Co-Vice President

The ABCs of PAFA

hat is the perfect way to get involved at school? Attend PAFA’s next meeting or event to find out. At SCIS Pudong, PAFA (Parents and Friends Association) hosted popular events and fundraisers throughout the fall and are now busily planning an exciting calendar of events for spring. Read on to discover the ABCs of PAFA and find out how you can participate! Art Auction. Art Auction is one of the biggest events of the year so mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25! Spend a fabulous evening with friends and members of the SCIS community. The event will showcase students’ artwork and photography, which will be auctioned off live during the event, along with other sensational items such as hotel packages, salon treatments, featured works by artist Brian Michael Reed and much more. A committee for this event is being formed and PAFA needs you to help plan and run this event. Contact Robin Williams (mikeandrobinwilliams@gmail. com), Upper School PAFA President, to get involved. Bingo Night. In November, PAFA hosted a record crowd of over 420 adults and kids at its hugely popular Bingo Night event. Attendees enjoyed a fun-filled evening of non-stop Bingo action, prize baskets, and lucky draws. This family-friendly event was a great way to celebrate our close SCIS community and kick off the holiday season. Class Events. PAFA always lends a hand in planning the 8th grade celebration party, this year to take place on May 15. The party is always a fun night filled with dancing, good food, and great friends. PAFA 12th grade reps and volunteers also play a key role in planning the senior graduation party, this year to be hosted on June 13 on a stunning multi-level pirate ship. This will be a night to remember for the class of 2015 as they culminate their special SCIS experience with family and friends on a Huangpu river cruise.

Donations to Charities. At the end of each school year, PAFA generously donates a portion of their fundraising to local charities. Last year, Lower School PAFA donated 50,000 RMB to the Maitian project, an SCIS initiative to help rural Chinese children who don’t have easy access to education. Upper School donated 39,000RMB to Healing Home, an organization that funds life-saving surgeries to orphaned babies, and Will Foundation, a residential learning center for orphaned children. Education Support. PAFA sponsors a huge variety of educational activities for students such as visiting authors and artists programs. Parents also benefit from PAFA-sponsored guest speaker events, where local experts share valuable information on topics such as healthy eating, safety and security, and finding quality medical care in Shanghai. Fundraising. The money raised by PAFA’s school and community events is directed back into the school in a multitude of ways. One of the most highly anticipated PAFA-funded items is the forthcoming 3D printer for the Upper School! This state-of-theart printer will enhance the learning experience in many classes such as mod tech, art, and science, and students and staff alike are already dreaming up their next projects using this awesome new tool. In fact, Lower School PAFA supported the purchase of a 3D printer for the lower grades last year, and children have enjoyed getting creative while learning the new technology! Additional items supported by PAFA include new gear for swim sport activities and film projects. Get involved. PAFA welcomes you to our next monthly meeting to find out how you can share your time and talents. Stay current about PAFA news and events by visiting our websites: Lower School PAFA: https://teachersh.scis-his.net/lspafa/ Upper School PAFA: https://teachersh.scis-his.net/uspafa/

PAFA NEWS SCIS-HIS has parent organizations called the Parents and Friends Association (PAFA) on each campus. PAFA serves as a way that parents can communicate ideas for the betterment of the school to the administration and Board. SCIS and HIS are proud of the high level of parents participation in their schools and value their partnership with the parent community. PAFA conducts various activities, from community events to charity fundraisers to volunteer support for teachers and students. Each campus has a PAFA board who works closely with each campus’ administrations to plan events that help to make SCIS-HIS schools a unique experience for families, faculty, and students alike. We are always welcoming new members! For more information about PAFA, please contact us at: Hangzhou PAFA President: Jerry Joseph LS Vice President- Anu Mehta LS Vice President- Anuja Jain US Vice President- Carmen Freissmuth US Vice President- Crystal Wu

Hongqiao PAFA President: President: Don Rendall pafapresident.scispafahq@gmail.com

Pudong PAFA Chairs: Lower School: Katie Berkaw katieberkaw@icloud.com

Events Coordinator: Donna Bose events.scispafahq@gmail.com

Upper School: Robin Williams mikeandrobinwilliams@gmail.com 53

PAFA

Passing On The Tranditions B

The ABCs of PAFA

Hongqiao PAFA President: President: Don Rendall pafapresident.scispafahq@gmail.com

Pudong PAFA Chairs: Lower School: Katie Berkaw katieberkaw@icloud.com

Events Coordinator: Donna Bose events.scispafahq@gmail.com

Upper School: Robin Williams mikeandrobinwilliams@gmail.com 53

THE LIBRARIANS CORNER

Book Recommendations for All Ages Flow My Tear, The Policeman Said By Philip K. Dick

For High School Students Recommended by Frank Stone “If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others.” – Philip K. Dick Do you enjoy a reality-bending Sci-Fi experience? Philip K Dick has a knack for exploring alternate realities, and for getting you to question your own reality by book’s end. Many of his stories have been turned into movies – Blade Runner, The Adjustment Bureau, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly. You will find The Man in the High Castle as a new TV show on Amazon starting this spring exploring what the world would look like if the Axis powers had won WWII. Flow My Tears, the Police Man Said, a 1974 novel by Philip K. Dick begins by introducing Jason Tavener, a genetically modified “6”. He is a talk show star with the looks to match and he takes his success for granted. After an angry lover throws a poisonous squid at his chest out of spite, he wakes up to find that he has lost his identity. For a celebrity that is devastating, but for a

genetically modified celebrity who lives in a police state where all movement and freedom is tied to that identity, it’s paralyzing. Tavener survives by learning about the underworld, an underworld full of traitorous police informants trying to survive. Relying on his looks and wit, he survives…for a while. When he meets the incestuous sister of a powerful police official and she dies in his company after trying a mind-bending drug – his new reality begins to disintegrate again. Tavener experiences intense relationships that compress years of emotion into hours, he comes up against insecure, clever power figures who know how to bluff, he experiences a nightmare and keeps pace with it for a while… Check out Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said… and examine your own reality, and Dick’s controversial ending to the story. If you like it, consider other Dick novels in our collection: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Graphic Novel. This story was made into the movie Blade Runner), The Zap Gun, The Crack In Space, The Man in the High Castle. “The pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Parmenides taught that the only things that are real are things which never change... and the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Heraclitus taught that everything changes. If you superimpose their two views, you get this result: Nothing is real.” – Philip K. Dick *Quotes retrieved from Goodreads.com

THIS IS NOT MY HAT

The Dark

For grades 2 – Grade 5 Recommended by Gregory Watt

By Jon Klassen

I love picture books and I absolutely love quirky picture books. At the moment this is my unqualified favourite – a book, that while simple in plot and narrative, is exceedingly clever and beautifully illustrated. This is the story of a small fish, a big fish and a stolen hat. It doesn’t sound like much, but Jon Klassen brings elements of intrigue and mystery even into a simple storyline. I love the drama of the little fish being sneaky and thinking he is getting away with the “crime of the century”. This is a book that is appealing to all levels of children. I’ve read it aloud to grade 2 through 5 and it has provided a launchpad for some pretty complex discussions. Jon Klassen has also provided us with “I want my hat back” and has illustrated the Lemony Snicket picture book “The Dark”. I would thoroughly recommend this author and illustrators’ work for a wide range of readers with the added bonus that are especially good for parents to read and discuss issues and ideas with their children. 54

By Lemony Snicket

Are you afraid of the dark? Well Laslo is, and he doesn’t want to meet the dark.. Ever.. Unfortunately the dark very much wants to visit him and let him know a few things. The Dark is a great readaloud, it has suspense, believable characters and situations and the slightly goofy nature of Lemony Snickets’ other works (You may remember him from A Series of Unfortunate Events). Snicket is a dark writer and this picture book, with splendid illustrations from Jon Klassen (This is not my hat) maintains a shadowy nature with the funny twists. Will you travel down to the basement with Laslo…..?

Call New Horizons today to learn about any of our outstanding test prep or language arts courses, and follow us on WeChat (New_Horizons_Prep) for student updates, education news, and course information.

Suitable for all ages (its not that scary really….)

THE LIBRARIANS CORNER

Book Recommendations for All Ages Flow My Tear, The Policeman Said By Philip K. Dick

THIS IS NOT MY HAT

The Dark

For grades 2 – Grade 5 Recommended by Gregory Watt

By Jon Klassen

By Lemony Snicket

Suitable for all ages (its not that scary really….)

SCIS-HIS

Scholarship Program SCIS-HIS wants youâ&#x20AC;Ś. Are you a student with an exceptional record in academics, the arts, creative writing, technology and/or a special talent? If you are entering grade 9, 10, or 11 and can answer yes to the above questionâ&#x20AC;Ś Then apply for an Excellence Foundation Scholarship.

For more information or to apply please visit http://www.scis-his.org/form/scholarship-program or contact the SCIS-HIS admission office at admission@scischina.org 56