Communitas oct 2013

Shanghai Community International Schools & Hangzhou International School

October 2013

How we learn

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES Superintendent’s Letter Administrator’s Letter Host Culture Curriculum: What is Social Studies?

Theme: How We Learn

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03 04 05 06-07 18-19

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

COMMUNITY

Hangzhou Pudong Hongqiao

Opinion Student Spotlight Educational Insights Meet The Teacher PAFA Community Alumni Page Partner

08-09 10-12 14-17

13 20-21 22-25 26 27 28-29 30-32 34

Cover Photo: Features HIS students with their teacher Mr. Eric Chernoff during their PE class, taken by Ms. MunYee Choo, Marketing Manager.

Communitas is the official magazine for the Shanghai Community International School and Hangzhou International School. Please contact us at: jpaulson@scischina.org

SUPERINTENDENT ‘S LETTER

Dear SCIS-HIS Community and Friends, At Shanghai Community International School and Hangzhou International School (SCIS-HIS), we serve over 2400 students from over 60 nations on 5 campuses at 3 schools in 2 cities with 1 single mission.

That mission is to provide all of our students with opportunities to pursue academic and personal excellence in nurturing, international, community environments. Providing meaningful and challenging opportunities that address the intelligences, learning styles, skills, interests, passions, needs, hopes and dreams of 2400 individual students requires support from home and the dedication and expertise of a truly professional and experienced team of educators. In this edition of the Communitas magazine, we share “How We Learn” at SCIS-HIS schools.

SCIS-HIS schools provide opportunities that are just right. This mantra is repeated when looking at how we learn as parents, as faculty, or as students. In fact, this year the SCIS-Pudong Upper School will be hosting the annual ACAMIS Spring Conference, and the conference theme will be “Providing Opportunities that are Just Right”. We are excited to have guest keynote and workshop presenters at the conference that will also be working with our students and giving talks to our parents during the evenings. We will also be sponsoring the Shanghai International Literary Festival and sending all teachers to the EARCOS teachers conference. These wonderful events are all part of our more comprehensive push to build our capacities as adults (faculty and parents) to serve the needs of our kids.

SCIS-HIS schools are committed to a vision of an inclusive community. We recognize that Shanghai and Hangzhou cities do not serve all international students well, especially those with special learning needs.

Next year, SCIS Pudong will be developing a school within a school model to better serve these learners.

This inclusive model has been successfully implemented at Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) and the International School of Brussels (ISB), and we plan to join those schools that are recognizing and serving the unique learning needs of all children within the international community. We will continue providing individualized learning and differentiated instruction so that all students are challenged at their own level, and thriving to their fullest potential. This approach has served the SCIS-HIS community well whether a student is learning to read or striving for top AP or IB scores.

These are exciting times to be a part of SCIS-HIS schools. It really is great to be a Dragon! GOOOooo Dragons!

Jeffry R. Stubbs Superintendent of Schools

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ADMINISTRATOR’S LETTER

MEET THE Admissions TEAM

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s a new member of the SCIS community and new to the position of Director of Admissions, I would like to say hello and welcome to the 2013-2014 school year. This year is well underway and the campuses are buzzing with students, new and returning. Across the campuses, we have welcomed over 460 new students and parents this year alone. However, in international schools the admissions process is never over, and the admissions office team is still enrolling students as well as looking forward to the 2014-2015 school year.

I would like to take a few moments to introduce a few of the team members some you may already know, but a few are new.

The following people are system wide and can help parents, students and alumnae on any of the campuses: JONATHAN PAULSON - Jonathan has joined the Admissions team as the Communications officer. In this role he is responsible for this magazine (the Communitas), Alumni Relations, and Marketing. Jonathan is also responsible for many of the Admissions responsibilities in Pudong and Hangzhou, including following up with families, giving tours, and reviewing applications. Lastly, he focuses on school fairs and HR/Relocation Agencies relationships. For any questions about communications or alumnae, please email Jonathan at jpaulson@scischina.org JASON DWI - Jason has taken on some of the responsibilities of the Admission Officer.

In addition to his finance department responsibilities, Jason has been tasked with giving tours at the HQ Main Campus as well as the HQ ECE campus. He also has taken on the responsibility of follow up with admission inquiries as well as follow up after campus tours. Jason will also be working to develop a more comprehensive list of Merchandise for each campus. For admission inquires or questions about merchandise, please email Jason at admissions@scischina.org ECHO HE - Echo is our system wide registrar.

She is responsible for sending out acceptance letters to newly accepted families, as well as helping them enroll. She works with all new families to ensure that their transition to Shanghai and to SCIS is smooth. Echo is also responsible for helping current families and past families with their transcripts request. Any questions you may have you can reach Echo at registrar@scischina.org

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Grace Han - Grace is our finance Officer. She is responsible for the invoices and payments from newly enrolled families and current families. For any questions about billing or payments please email Grace at payments@scischina.org

Also for your information the following people are part of the Admissions team and can help you at any time on the individual campuses: KERRI LANG - Admissions Secretary, Hangzhou Campus MAGGIE YANG - Admission Secretary, Hongqiao ECE Campus ELENA HAN - Admissions Secretary, Hongqiao Campus JOICE HE - Admissions Secretary, Hongqiao Campus TRACY YIN - Finance Assistant, Hongqiao Campus RAINBOW GU - Finance Assistant, Hongqiao Campus JULIA QIAN - Admissions Secretary, Pudong US Campus VICKY XU - Admissions Secretary, Pudong LS Campus In marketing news, the admissions office and the marketing officer are working hard to increase the SCIS merchandise for parents and students. Some items that we already have or are working on getting are; golf umbrellas (in stock), new dragon plush toys, SCIS golf shirts, SCIS fleece blankets, Scarfs for PD, HQ and HIS, SCIS ties, SICS t-shirts. We would also like to thank you, the parents for purchasing the SCIS uniform. SCIS uniforms are manufactured by SchoolCampusStuff, which recycles non-biodegradable plastic bottles into eco-friendly fabrics. This year by purchasing the SCIS uniform SCIS/HIS has saved over 110,726 bottles from landfills. Thank you!

In finance news, please be aware that the second semester invoice will be sent home next week and the deadline for payments is November 1st. Parents, you can also check your balances through Powerschool. Please log into you powerschool accounts using your username and password and click on “Financial Statement.” If you have any questions regarding your statement please contact Grace or Tracy in the finance office. If you do not remember your username or password for Powerschool please contact the Tech departments on your child’s campus.

In Alumnae news, alumnae you can now stay more connected through the new Alumnae Facebook page at www.facebook. com/SCISandHISalumni We also have a more professional way for alumni to stay connected through the new Alumnae Linkedin page at http://www.linkedin.com/groups/SCISHIS-Alumni-4757677 Additionally, we now class representatives for most classes who serve as point men to keep everyone in touch.

As always thank you for your continual support to our SCIS community and to our new families. Our outside community, parents, friends and alumnae are an important part of the success of Admissions and Marketing. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

By ANNE HUNT Director of Admissions for SCIS-HIS

HOST CULTURE

China Trips – Explore the culture

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very year, China Trips is a wonderful time for students to experience the Chinese culture. This year our HIS grade 11 & 12 students, along with myself and a few other faculty members, went Guizhou, and visited an ethnic minority culture called the Miao. A quick history of the Miao: they are one of the most ancient of all China’s nationalities, tracing back their origins to over 4,000 years ago. Prior to modernization of farming methods, they grew millet and buckwheat using the slash-and-burn methods. Lastly, the Miao language has three main dialects, but there was no unified written script until 1956.

For this China Trip, there was not “easing into it.” We went straight there and lived in local family’s homes. Students, used to all the conveniences of modern living, were excited to try something different. They stayed in a wooden house with wooden tables and chairs that were very low to the ground.

They also had a chance to experience first hand the hierarchal clothing schemes of the culture used to represent their social status and martial status. It was cool to look outside the window and see a wide range of rice fields and mountains. Noah Kim, in grade 11, remarked that, “The country side was very peaceful and almost ‘one with nature.’ It was a good feeling without the constant roar of traffic. It was a change that brought some peace over my mind throughout the trip.”

Students also had the opportunity to try the Miao’s traditional (read non-conventional) style of fishing. It was really fun for students to try to walk into a rice paddy for the first time and

literally catch fish. Rather than fine-turning our poles and gathering some bait, students strapped on some rubber boots and splash-pants and trudged their way through knee-to-thigh deep water. The Chinese local farmer explained the method: wait to see the air bubbles of the fish, then suddenly try to trap them. Isaac Bender from grade 12 said that, “Though many tried, only few succeeded. But it is a very interesting way to catch fish.

I will remember it forever.”

To top off the cultural experience of the trip, the 16 and 17 year olds got to learn about and observe some of the unique Miao dating customs. In their unequivocal way, the Miao specific clothing to express how they feel towards a potential mate. For example, if there were two sticks on the clothes, then she liked him. If her clothes were made of silk, it meant keep trying.

And if there was dirt, then it mean she didn’t like him. Overall, Maiti Rooth from grade 11 commented that, “It was very fun, and I learned so much about Chinese culture that I hadn’t ever seen before!”

In conclusion, the trip was very interesting and gave our students quite an experience. The wisdom and hard-working spirit of Miao Minority people left our students with a deep and positive impression.

By LILY ZHOU Hangzhou International School Mandarin Coordinator

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CURRICULUM FEATURE

What is Social Studies?

Conflict anyone?

One of the many interesting things about the Social Sciences is that at their heart is conflict. While on the surface that may seem counter-intuitive, studying and experiencing conflict really is of great value to teachers and students.

What do I mean by conflict? In the world, as in the classroom, there is conflict over historical interpretations, the significance of historical figures, developments and decisions. There is conflict over economic policies concerning inequality and employment, and differences embedded in culture, belief and science. There is conflict about the causes of human behaviour, governments’ role in people’s lives and where we are headed as a species. And of course there is the study of political conflicts, like the ongoing Syrian civil war.

Social Sciences education should focus on these areas of conflict as a source of learning. By engaging in these areas of intellectual conflict, students are encouraged to reflect on the relevance of their own ideas to the world around them, as well as how well founded their own and others’ perspectives are, in reason and evidence. Students re-enact or create conflict situations in the classroom to stimulate thinking and reflection. It also helps that carefully chosen areas of conflict are intrinsically interesting to young people and help to engage them.

Many people view these issues as a matter for personal conscience, not to be discussed in polite company. But for me,

By RICHARD SEARLE HIS Social Studies Teacher

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I suppose I should be careful to add that it is not the goal to teach students what to think about these conflicts but to teach them a variety of methods to think about them. But isn’t this idea also a source of conflict?

CURRICULUM FEATURE

Sustained Silent Ready It is said that if an individual students reads for just 15 minutes every day, they will have been exposed to over a million words over the course of a year. This is a concept that we have taken to heart in my English class. In fact Reading is where it all begins.

Each and every day we begin our class by opening our books, turning on our e-readers and losing ourselves in the magic of books. For us this is called sustained silent reading, and it’s a time where we each enter a world that is known only to the reader: a world of mystery, fantasy, suspense, and intrigue; a world that captures our imaginations and touches our hearts.

The author Anne Lamott once said, “what a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world. Worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live.” A miracle indeed!

By allowing ourselves the time to delve into stories of all kinds we are able to open our minds to not only a million words, but to also millions of educational possibilities.

Currently my students are connecting their own lives and experiences in Shanghai with those of the infamous Ji-li Jiang, author of her own memoir called Red Scarf Girl, which tells of her life during the Chinese cultural revolution.

It is my goal as an English Teacher to not only teach my students specific content and skills, but to also instill in them a life-long love of reading!

By BRETT PETRILLO Pudong Campus Middle School Language Arts Teacher

International Education in a Globalizing World For example, an examination of the decision of our host country to limit access to various viewpoints (ie. the Great Firewall) does not mean condemning that choice but attempting to understand it within the context that it was made while at the same time espousing values that seem diametrically opposed to its philosophy. In this example, the Great Firewall can be used as a teaching tool to aid in the examination of alternative viewpoints on globalization.

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eaching Social Studies at an international school can be challenging. Most national curricula require teachers to develop “good citizenship” amongst their students; this means vastly different things in different cultures. At SCIS, we work hard to ingrain a sense of global citizenship which requires that a common set of values be instilled in a diverse set of students.

To me this does not mean trying to remove students from their national contexts but to encourage them to appreciate the complexity of their overlapping contexts and their roles within that relationship. At times this can be challenging.

We should not define an international education as tolerance or acceptance of alternative viewpoints. These terms imply that outsider views are something other than the “truth” – something to be permitted or allowed. In my view, the goal of international education at SCIS should be to foster an understanding that global citizenship carries a responsibility to honestly evaluate - on an equal footing - but not necessarily accept viewpoints that may be incompatible with students’ own.

By DARREN SEATH Pudong Campus Upper School History with IB History & Tok Teacher 7

HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHTS

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Introducing “Dragon Time!”

t HIS, we are excited to introduce our “Dragon Time!”

This is a comprehensive student advisory program, currently for Upper School students. This program was developed to fit specific and unique needs of our growing student body. The counseling curriculum aligns with the school’s mission of providing all of our students with opportunities to pursue academic and personal excellence in a nurturing and safe international environment. Each student is supported by the strength of our community of faculty, staff, fellow students and parents who work together to build on our strong traditions while committing to future excellence.

Our Counseling Beliefs: • We believe in diversity and individuality – finding the strengths of every child.

• We believe in developing the whole child – helping each student develop into responsible, confident contributors to the world around them by stressing (in addition to academics) their social, emotional, and ethical growth.

• We believe in cultivating intercultural opportunities and community involvement – helping every child become a future global citizen.

This comprehensive advisory curriculum is dedicated to helping students academically, personally and socially, in career development and enhancing a global perspective. Topics will include community building (e.g. team building, conflict resolution) prevention (e.g. bully prevention, safe technology use) career/ college readiness (e.g. study skills, test preparation, anxiety reduction, transition to college).

Students meet twice a week for 35-minutes, totaling 70 minutes a week. Once a week all students meet assembly style to 8

develop a strong community identity. The following “Dragon Time!” is led by grade level advisors to maximize individualized attention and focus on topics relevant to each grade.

Another component is an online blog called Dragon Ear. This is an avenue for students to reach out in a way they may feel more comfortable: online. Sometimes students feel intimidated having a face-to-face conversation and would rather text or email. This allows for students to express concerns, thoughts or issues that can be responded to online. Topics presented by students are written about in a blog format in order to provide guidance and support. This is not, however, a 24-hour hotline and if students are in urgent need or in crisis, they are directed to come visit the counselor face-to-face or turn to a trusted adult. If you are interested in perusing our online Dragon Ear, please visit: https://hzteachers.scis-his.net/mswan/ As always, any thoughts or comments are welcome. Please feel free to visit online or offline!

By MAHRI SWAN HIS Intern Student Support Counselor

HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHTS

A new perspective as a parent educator

the cat toy in front of the cat to make him play with it! I mean, come on! That took me like a year to figure out and I was 23 at the time. Right? Oh, and she can say mom and dad. I guess that’s kind of a big deal too. And she walks. At 11 months.

Harvard? Yale? President? Anything’s possible right now.

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vent though this is my 14th year in education, I have developed a new perspective on childhood development in the past 11 months. Watching my daughter grow up and go through the different stages of development has been one of the most interesting educational pursuits I have ever done. I now understand parents when they say “I know you work with a lot of children, and you treat all of them as special, but my child really is special!”

I could list pages and pages of what makes my daughter special, but I won’t, okay just one. She already knows how to dangle

The most unique part of this whole process has been watching her develop a perspective on the world and navigate it, as small as it may be. This perspective, this knowing, is what makes us all unique as learners and is something that I cannot find captured in any of the multitudes of educational studies I have read or been a part of. We forget, some of us anyway, that we are all on a journey to figure out what this world is all about and what our place is in it. That is what education is all about and that is the ultimate goal for all of us.

So I will continue to watch my daughter (Klara Mei) develop and help her along the way as she figures out her life story and makes meaning of this world we live in. Whether that world is based on the cat and the kitchen floor or the transcontinental life most of us live in the realm of international education, the meaning is still as profound, significant and relevant.

By KORY INDAHL HIS Upper School Principal

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PUDONG HIGHLIGHTS

Meet

Anna Ferrarasi

SCIS Pudong Athletic Director Mike Deneef interviews Anna Ferrarasi, a senior who has been a leader in basketball and volleyball in her four years here. Developing students’ skills and attitudes through co-curricular activities in sports, clubs and the arts is important to SCIS and Anna’s responses provide some insight into the value of participation through a student’s eyes.

Q1: In what sports have you been involved and which is your favorite?

I’ve been on the basketball and volleyball teams here for all of grades nine through twelve. I think basketball is my favourite, because of its intensity and the nature of the competition. There is always lots going on and, compared to volleyball for example. It’s easier to make things happen on the court.

Q2: What is the highlight of your years in high school sports?

The SISAC and ACAMIS tournaments have always been something to look forward to and winning ACAMIS was a definite highlight.

However, a basketball season home game against Concordia was the most memorable of all. It was the most intense game of my life, neck and neck all through with us beating a team that had not lost for years by two points.

I was really happy to contribute with 13 free throws because I remember my fifth grade coach telling me that free throws win games.

She would have been proud of me that night.

Q3: How does participation in sports affect your academic life?

Being physically active helps me to be mentally active as well. Sports also give me motivation to work because I know that if I put my studies aside I will not be able to play. Finding the balance is not difficult as I care about playing sports and so I work hard at using good time management and keeping myself organized.

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Q4: What do sports mean to you?

Sport is a passion for me, as I love competition.

Also, I know sport helps me build skills for later in life such as good teamwork and a positive attitude when things are not going my way.

PUDONG HIGHLIGHTS

Swimming with a Purpose

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o you love to swim? Is there a competitive streak in your personality? Then the Green Dragons swim program is for you!

The swim program here at SCIS Pudong has grown in leaps and bounds since the opening of the pool a few short years ago.

From about 20 swimmers last year at this time to 60 at the end of last year and now to over 120 athletes from Lower School to grade 12, swim team has become one of the premier ASA offerings here.

With numbers like this, the Green Dragons swim program is off to a strong start to the year. This is a fantastic development for the team and ensures that we will be competitive with some of the bigger teams in Shanghai. We welcomed lots of new Green Team swimmers from lower school and a number from middle and high school as well.

Our swimmers not only train throughout the week but are also involved in many events over the course of the year. For example, in September our experienced swimmers attended the Shanghai Swim League (SSL) time trials event at the Olympic Centre in Pudong. Our swimmers swam well with many personal bests in the four competitive strokes and some of our pool records fell as a result of their quick times. Also early in the year is a meet at our sister campus of SCIS Hongqiao, which will prove to be a quick one, with swimmers competing from across the city.

the city competing with the Green Dragons. Strong support from our parents makes events like these come alive with activity and run smoothly so that all the swimmers can enjoy a great day at the pool.

Swim team members also travel to competitions throughout Asia. As last year, our swimmers will attend events in Nanjing and Hong Kong, with other possibilities for travel on the horizon.

Participating in swim team results in improved fitness and helps develop a sense of commitment, but meeting students from other schools, making new friends and seeing more of the region are some of the other less tangible benefits of being involved.

The swim season last year culminated in a celebration of food, awards and recognition at the barbeque finale. We are looking forward to another successful year to celebrate next spring!

By GARY MACDONALD Pudong Campus Upper School Science with IB Biology & IB Sports, Aquantics Teacher

Taking full advantage of our pool’s electronic timing capabilities, we host a number of swim events here as well. One of the highlights of last year, the Santa Splash, will be held again this December.

The pool area becomes a busy place with swimmers from around 11

PUDONG HIGHLIGHTS

United Nations International Day of Peace

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CIS Pudong celebrated their annual United Nations International Day of Peace on Friday September 27th. The day opened with a beautiful presentation of flags representing the lower schools diverse population from around the world.

The assembly culminated with a colorful display of the things that both unite us, and make us unique. During the assembly, teachers and students highlight how they have been engaging with the concept of peace. Students made “peace” rocks, expressed “peace” in various languages, created posters and reminded all in attendance about the importance of understanding our differences.

As a school, we raised our voices in song to unite under the common language of music. Scholars will continue their

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discussions of peace as they join together to create books about peace during their library time in the days to come.

Following the assembly, students, parents, teachers and friends joined together in another common language: FOOD! As usual, PAFA and the parents of SCIS Pudong outdid themselves with an astounding array of food from around the world. Smiling faces could be seen everywhere.

By BRIAN BYRNE Pudong Campus Lower School Vice Princiipal

OPINION

A Point of View Living In a World of Warcraft: a Parent’s Call of Duty

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sychologists say there is now irrefutable evidence that long term exposure to violent video games effect the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. This is the part of the brain that controls reasoning and impulse control.

Speaking at a conference in Sydney recently, Baroness Susan Greenfield, a professor of pharmacy at Oxford University and Dr Wayne Warbuton, a psychologist from Macquarie University, stated that adolescents were particularly vulnerable between the ages of 11-18 years because many new brain connections are being made during this time. The changes to the brain are permanent.

Brain images of players exposed to violent video games show reduced activity in the pre-frontal cortex. This is like “turning down” the part of the brain where you control behaviors, consider consequences, plan and have rational thought.

Additionally, this “turning down” leads to a desensitization to violence and a loss of empathy both short and long term.

So, should we go running to our children’s electronic devices this instant and remove them from sight? Perhaps not… First, consider that helpful pro-social game content has the potential to enhance the lives of children. It can improve visual and spacial skills, help manual dexterity, be a valuable tool in education, provide access to physical activity in games such as Xbox connect and depending on the game, can confirm pro-social behavior.

Clearly video and online games can enhance the lives of children.

Unfortunately, excessive gaming, particularly with violent content has the potential to impact children in a number of negative ways not just physiologically. The question is, what is it, exactly, that our children are playing, why do they become so obsessed with it and how much of their lives are consumed by it?

American children aged 8-18 play an average of 8 hours of video games per week (Rideout, Foehr and Roberts, 2010). The most frequent players are 11-14 years old, with boys outplaying girls more than 2.5 hours to 1. Many children are playing to “pathological” levels. This means that it is having a detrimental effect on family, school, social or psychological functioning. It appears that no group is immune. Violent video games affect people regardless of age, gender, culture or socio-economic status.

Research appears to throw up the following negative effects: • Attention deficits • Impulsivity • Drop in school performance • Less pro-social behaviors • Desensitization to violence • Addiction to gaming • Increased aggression and altercations with others

Media violence is not the sole cause of aggression, a gamers personality does play into how he or she is effected by violence.

Media violence does however, appear to be a contributing factor.

It appears that exposure to violent video games effects not just the physical connections in the brain but also the psychological processes, particularly those related to learning. Video games are filled with appealing features such as interactivity, repetition and active participation, methods that effectively embed patterns of learnt behaviors. Researchers believe that this is why the effects from violent video games may be stronger when compared to other violent media.

Features of video games that embed learning include: • Imitation of heroic attractive characters • Repetition and therefore automation of scripts for behavior • Interactivity of active participation • First person: viewing the action through the eyes of the character • Rewards: money/goods, level elevation for anti-social behaviors including killing opponents Be warned, the most addictive games are the ones that have no end. These are generally the massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs) like World of Warcraft, Everquest and Call of Duty.

Limiting the frequency and amount of time our children are playing video games is a step in the right direction but what else can we do?

• Educate your child and share your feelings about video games.

• Role model the behaviors you would like to see in your child. If you do not want them to play violent video games, why play it in front of them?

• Ensure that electronic devices are kept and used in public areas and out of children’s bedrooms.

• Know your entertainment software ratings before children are allowed to purchase games.

• Play the game with your child so you are aware of the content and can knowledgably discuss implications of usage.

• Supervise your child’s internet use. There are built-in parental controls on Macs, or you can purchase parental controls such as Netnanny to monitor and restrict access. Remember that iPods and Android devices are computers too; blocking websites on a computer is useless if the child has access to an iPad or a Galaxy S4 phone.

• Share with other parents information about gaming and ideas for alternatives.

Continue on page 17…

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HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHTS

Why Community Service is Important

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ow many adults take time out of their busy days to help nurture others who are less fortunate? How many adults reflect on the global and ethical implications of their actions on a weekly basis? Conway, Amel, and Gerwien (2009) discuss the importance of service learning for student self-esteem, self-efficacy, compassion, and social awareness. If students begin the process of thinking about how they can help others, think about what they will be capable of achieving later in life. When parents and teachers formalize the activities and require students to get involved in local community service programs, it can sometimes destroy individual desire to help others, but when students are given the opportunity to see how their actions positively impact others, the results can be amazing.

Over the last few years, SCIS students have had the opportunity to take part in a variety of programs designed to enhance their knowledge, attitudes, and understanding. However, the SCIS Service Program takes that a step further and demands that students begin thinking about the global and ethical implications of their actions. Why? By joining this after school and extracurricular program, students have the opportunity to show not just their talents, but to introduce music, language, or activities to individuals who don’t have access to these types of programs due to physical or financial limitations. By participating, SCIS students often have the chance to realize the value that they bring to other’s lives through these service program opportunities.

They also discover that “caring for others” is an important part of being a member of the global community. They learn to plan and work with others, see that little actions are the start of big changes, learn to empathize with others, and understand their differences while also sharing their similarities. Through the SCIS Service Program, students get involved in meaningful social issues and learn to grow into mature, caring, and principled individuals.

At SCIS Hongqiao, the SCIS Service Program has been growing at a rapid pace. While the Service Ethic encourages middle school 14

and high school students to get involved in outside of school activities, students are joining these activities to fulfill the requirements, and realizing that they are enjoying the opportunities to interact with “others” who they might not normally meet in their daily lives.

Students are visiting the Shining Star Blind Orphanage up to four times a week to help develop fine motor skills for blind children. More students are volunteering to visit the Qingpu Migrant School to share games, language lessons, and the joy of being a child with the migrant children on Saturdays. Others are volunteering to work with the ELG inclusion program by learning more about various physical and mental disabilities and how to overcome them. Still other students volunteer to entertain children who are waiting for or recuperating from heart transplants, by performing music or dances for them. Our students are gaining a deeper appreciation for the lives that others live and choosing to go above and beyond the required number of hours they have to fulfill for a passing grade.

SCIS students demonstrate the positive attitudes and behaviors that parents, teachers, and future employers want them to have.

By getting initial experience with Service, they are becoming global members of a society that will need the help of everyone to survive. It’s great to see that what starts as a mandatory commitment often ends with the comment, “That was fun! Can I do this for one more quarter, or even better for the entire year, Ms. Andrea?”

Conway, J. M., Amel, E. L., & Gerwien, D. P. (2009). Teaching and learning in the social context: A meta-analysis of service learning’s effects on academic, personal, social, and citizenship outcomes.

Teaching of Psychology, 36(4), 233-245.

By ANDREA STUBBS Hongqiao Campus Visual Arts/IB Visual Arts Teacher

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHTS

Narrative of History & Knowing It

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e don’t recite. We don’t memorize dates. We don’t regurgitate “right” answers. So what exactly are we doing in MS history classes? We are “doing” history.

How is this done? An example might help answer that question.

In Grade 6 History students recently took the role of detectives because, in part, this brings forth prior knowledge—something that they can more easily identify with than a historian. These students learned to frame questions that would be of high interest to detectives (and historians) prior to exploring an ancient “crime” scene. Armed with Change & Continuity, Turning Point, and Through Their Eyes type questions and field journals, the sleuths considered the power and limitations of inference while exploring an in-class-dig, replete with skeleton and scattered artifacts! Their mission: using artifacts and autopsy reports, examine and make inferences to help recreate a narrative of what happened to the hundred year old victim.

this work it is clear that these kids will be ready for IB Theory of Knowledge class: To what extent is the study of the past interpretative?

What are the strengths and limitations of history?

After all this is done, will I disclose the “truth”? Will I tell the students what really happened at the crime scene? Will I, in other words, open the black box? No.

Not surprisingly, teams and even partners differed on what happened at this ancient dig, even though they all had the same reports, the same artifacts, and the same amount of time at the dig. Afterwards, like scientists, these detectives presented their findings to other teams and received peer review. Ultimately, student-historians voted for the interpretation from their class which each thought was the “best” explanation of what happened.

(Some, interestingly, thought it was unfair that only one interpretation got published. So we looked at their arguments and debated the merits of their claims. One student even considered publishing every interpretation.)

And these MS sleuths know why: just like all those who study aspects of the past or who explore things which cannot be observed directly: tectonic plates, black holes, and properties of quantum mechanics. We too do not have a time machine to return us to any past event (If we could create an H.G. Wells type time machine, historians would be out of a job!). So, at the end of the day, the past remains locked to us mortals. But as these fine MS minds are learning, if we search the clues “well,” if we, in other words, explore opposing primary sources and consider secondary source material carefully, the narratives we pen, might reveal something of the past worth telling and holding on to. And this is why we “do” history.

Today, outside the classroom, are the published ones, the ones which have been approved by each class as being the best interpretation but not necessarily the “truth-filled” one. From

By MICHAEL KOHLER Hongqiao Campus MS History Teacher

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HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHTS

UPCOMING SHOW: Up and Away! (a HQ Lower School Production)

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hen a freshly recruited elf arrives at the North Pole for on-the-job-training, all sorts of mayhem erupt. Come take a magical mystery ride with the Lower School Experimental Dance Theatre as we travel around the world by sleigh! On the evening of November 26th artists from grades four and five will present a lively holiday production featuring dance and drama.

Under the direction of Rhythm and Movement instructor Sarah Bailey, each class is learning choreography for multi-cultural dance numbers. Similar to our Lower School music concerts, students from each class will have the opportunity to perform live on stage. However, the fun doesn’t end there.

Hip Hop dancers and aspiring thespians were invited to participate in an Experimental Workshop before the October Holiday. At the workshop, students learned basic dance steps and improvised acting scenarios. Unlike traditional auditions where students simply parrot lines, this workshop emphasized skills such as cooperation, imagination, intonation and brainbased body movement. It was a smashing success, allowing coordinators to determine truly committed participants.

Dancers and actors sacrifice recess time and meet every Wednesday after school to study dance steps and block acting scenes. As curtain call draws near, additional rehearsal time will be added before school. That’s commitment!

Sharing the school theater and coordinating a large production is not easy. Luckily, cooperative learning is the operative phrase among the staff here at SCIS Hongqiao. Teachers and students from the Lower, Middle and High Schools are pooling their collective talents. Sarah Bailey has been a busy bee, selecting music and choreographing eight dances for over 200 students!

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Weaving the dances together, an original script written by Grade Four teacher Jennifer Rowe will offer up a humorous plotline.

She will assist experienced Grade Five teacher Dianne Watt in directing the fanciful drama. Viewers will be in for a multi-media treat as the drama department steps off the stage and into the Hongqiao film studio to create a movie. Under the tutelage of Middle School technology instructor Ross Orchard, student Omar Segalwill film, edit, and add special effects to the feature film. Technical lighting is a crucial component of any show, and Hody Zacharia and Upper School drama teacher Melinda Tatum-Kaiser are already at work designing state of the art light transfers that will enhance the show.

No production would be possible without a stage manager, and Grade Two teacher Christy Klump has once again stepped up to the plate to share her expertise in logistics and planning. The generous support of numerous students, staff and teachers highlights the belief in cooperative learning and strong community we enjoy here at SCIS Hongqiao.

If you just gotta dance, join us for an exciting evening on Wednesday, November 27th flying around the world with six elves, two reindeer, and one sleigh! Up and Away!

By JENNIFER ROWE Hongqiao Campus Lower School Grade 4 Teacher

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHTS

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How do I Become the Student Universities Want?

frequently have discussions with students, parents, and university representatives about what is the kind of student universities are looking for. What is the ideal student? I have concluded that no matter what country a student is applying to, most universities everywhere are looking for the same qualities in students. They want students who are self-starters, engaged in the world, and who are interesting people.

The challenge for students is how to be such a well-rounded person engaged in activities and community service outside the school when they are struggling to find enough hours in the day to do their academic assignments. From an IB student’s perspective, it might feel like the system is working them to the point of exhaustion and then telling them to go out and contribute to the world.

How does a student become the top academic, interesting, caring, world citizen that colleges are looking for? One quality that I have noticed in most students that have had success in getting into top universities is that they can prioritize their schoolwork. They make decisions on what to spend time on and what to put aside. The best students usually have enough academic curiosity that they will remain focused with active brains during class. This often accounts for those students who seem to get good grades without working as hard. If a student retains more concepts and information from his or her classes during the day and is skillful at choosing work homework to do,

they might find themselves with more free time at the end of the day. Students often label themselves as being smart or dumb, or perhaps dumb at a particular subject like “dumb at math.”

I’m sure there is such a thing as innate ability, but I am also convinced students can also become much more effective and efficient learners with practice. I’m also convinced that if a student can carve out enough time in the week to spend time doing community service, then they can’t help but become better world citizens who care about their communities. That caring can then lead to a sense of purpose in their learning.

In high school, I have seen this transformation again and again.

Students here have the advantage of being in a big, dynamic, developing country with lots of needs and opportunities.

Universities like the IB program because it encourages students to use higher level thinking skills in the classroom and requires students to engage in community service. In fact, any student who earns an IB diploma will have taken concrete steps towards becoming the kind of student universities are looking for. The hope along the way is that they are learning how to become these dynamic students and community members while also enjoying themselves too.

By RAFAEL KATZ Hongqiao Campus Upper School College Counselor

…Continued from page 13

A Point of View Living In a World of Warcraft: a Parent’s Call of Duty • Provide healthy alternatives to gaming such as sports participation, interest groups or clubs or just playing outside with you or neighbors.

gaming industry needs to find something for gamers that is more fulfilling, that makes a person feel confident, that gives you a sense of being a real individual and a sense of self-esteem.

In their text “Growing Up Fast and Furious”, authors, Warbuton and Braunstien, relate media interactions to the analogy “you are what you eat”. To maintain a healthy media diet they suggest that there is media that can be consumed regularly in moderation, media that is for infrequent consumption and media that children should avoid. The best thing we can do as parents is to help our children by educating them and enabling them to make informed choices about their media diet.

TOP 10 ALTERNATIVES TO VIDEO GAMES (www.video-game-addiction.org) 1. Take the family outside for a walk, game or picnic 2. Play a board game as a family 3. Join a club or sports team 4. Enroll in art, dance or music lessons 5. Get a pet and have your child have responsibility for its care 6. Read a book 7. Take a class at the community centre 8. Participate in a church or youth group 9. Volunteer to help those less fortunate 10. Try an adventurous outdoor activity such as rock climbing

Exposure to violent online video games affects the brain both physiologically and psychologically. The effect is especially detrimental in the growing brains of tweens and teenagers.

Parents can have a positive influence on the quantity and type of video game exposure as well as educating their children about media effects. Baroness Susan Greenfield also suggests that the

By MARY ELLEN COX Hongqiao Campus Lower School Academic Counselor 17

THEME FEATURE

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THEME FEATURE

How We Learn Acquire, Apply, Repeat...

Model, Inspire, Motivate...

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hen we witness a person acquire new information we typically refer to this as learning. This act is further confirmed when a learner displays confidence in being able to apply their newly found skills in an appropriate way.

In order to support this process, we can provide an opportunity for the learner to understand and practice through repetition the skills that are being developed.

Having described learning as an act or a process, it is important to note that there are also several factors less visible that impact learning. Inspiration, motivation and modeling are factors that are difficult to measure in terms of their impact on the learner, but in my own experience they are factors that have a profound impact on learning. Children as well as adults look to significant people in their lives to imitate. What we show them is far more impacting than what we tell them Finding a way to guide a child towards a preferred outcome, making the process of learning fun and learner focused, and taking advantage of a child’s own interests and abilities are all factors that can make the process of learning a more meaningful experience.

A gentle reminder... We don’t always have to help people DIScover something they don’t know; we might find more success in helping people UNcover something they already know!

By ERIC CHERNOFF HIS P.E. Teacher and After School Activity Coordinator

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Great Success at the Shanghai Daily International Children’s Art Competition

Mong Koo

Jenny Lee

Harry Song

Cate Mok

Ela Samataci

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bright blue sky and busy market day atmosphere provided a superb backdrop for the award presentations of the Shanghai Daily International Children’s Art Competition at the Kerry Center Parkside. The theme for this year’s competition was “Ideal City Ideal Life” and this provided our Lower School students with the inspiration to frame their perspectives on the cosmopolitan city in which they live. This theme and opportunity certainly motivated our students to participate and produce quality work using a variety of media and techniques to express themselves. The Lower School had many outstanding contributions and the number of students that won awards reflected this.

Congratulations to:

Gold Award: Mong Koo Bronze Award: Jenny Lee Nominee Awards: Harry Song, Cate Mok and Ela Samataci

By BETTINA SALAS Hongqiao Campus Lower School Art Teacher 20

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

I hear you’re a busy man TEDXYouth@SCIS X= independently organized TED event Two SCIS seniors, Thibault Sorret and Tanner Briner, hosted 100 of their classmates and teachers for the first TEDxYouthSCIS conference. You may have seen some of the fabulous TED talks on youtube, but this event happened right here at the Hongqiao campus. Here is a short introduction from the organizers!

TEDxYouthSCIS is an independently hosted TED event focused on Youth, so students and teachers have priority :) We discussed a wide range of topics, from entrepreneurship to art and renewable energies.

rret, a 17-year old Hi, I’m Thibault So studying at SCIS. A tly en rr cu ce an Fr student from es, so I decided to ad gr y m ith w g lin successful was strugg , experiments, and couple years ago, I ch ar se re of s ar ye eBook elf. After two ly finished my first al fin e figure it out for mys I’v , f) el ys m g 0 students (includin test trials on over 13 s. tivity and study skill on student produc of creasing demands in e th to e du ic idem ent ss is becoming an ep ach accelerated stud te to School-related stre s m ai ol ho Sc t s. My book,Win at studying smarter, no by ss re st ed schools and college at el -r school r teens ades and decrease lp by providing thei he to learning, improve gr es on e th be n st and foremost, ca harder. Parents, fir need for success. with the tools they and est in your success, nv . I / om .c ol ho sc twin-a e NOW on http:// The book is availabl Win at School.

By Thibault Sorret

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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

How do we learn?

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hysical Education is a truly unique class of learning compared to that of other subjects SCIS students take during the school year. In regular classes students may be sitting for fairly long periods of time focused on academics. I think that most teachers would agree that by the time students get into the gym for their PE class that they are more than ready and eager to have the chance to move around. They are full of energy, and when they come to the gym they need an experience that they will enjoy.

Here at SCIS Hongqiao Lower School, the physical education we are incorporating is an inquiry-based type of learning that encourages risk taking. In order for students to become risk takers, the lesson must take place in an environment where they all feel comfortable and accepted. They need to be able to know that they can miss the hoop, but try again until they get the ball in the basket.

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Students have to feel safe to fail when trying something new, challenging or out of their comfort zone. They need to be able to feel confident to ask questions on why games are played the way they are, question the rules of the game, and even offer alternatives as to how to improve the game. If students are inquirers they can take ownership of their learning and hopefully as far as physical education is concerned be more likely to want to become active for a lifetime. We have a huge responsibility as lower school PE teachers to instill a love for physical activity that will hopefully blossom in to a lifetime of healthy living.

By DWAYNE FRIESEN Hongqiao Campus Lower School PE Teacher

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

Learning. It’s more than it use to be…

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he place in which we live in is a rapidly changing world. The educational needs of today’s students are evolving with the realization that knowledge and memorization are no longer sufficient. We are preparing students for an unknown, but not altogether unpredictable, future; a future where many of the jobs they will hold have not yet even been created.

Did educators of twenty years ago know that so much of our world would be based on technology now and know what skills would be needed in the job market today? Not likely, but they did their best to prepare their students for this world anyhow.

Nowadays, educators are still charged with the same complicated task—preparing students for the unknown. So how does one prepare students for this rapid change?

Our students will be challenged more than ever and will need the skills of critical thinking and have an inquiry based focused.

Students will need to develop their skills at seeing problems from different angles and devising their own solutions. The ability to think and respond quickly will be indispensable tools for the future. To practice this, teachers present students with situations in which they need to figure things out for themselves using skills that they have already developed which can be accessed and applied to help them solve a problem. The problem itself has multiple solutions, as we do not want to teach students that there is only one answer available. Situational problems in mathematics provide a good example of these skills at work.

What else do students need to learn? Collaborating across networks as well as having opportunities to take on differing roles will be paramount. They will also need to be effective oral and written communicators. Not every person is a born leader

—in fact few are. However, the ability to lead is an important life skill. To best prepare students in this area, more than just the typical teamwork is required. Instead of simply getting into a group and splitting the tasks with each other, students are encouraged to take on different roles within their group for each task within the project. There are many different roles that students can fill during a project with their peers that allows them to work with others in a more collaborative way. Project work is more than just breaking apart a project and then putting it back together in the end.

Students also have opportunities to be able to take initiative and contribute to the world. We encourage these skills within our classrooms by presenting them with opportunities to contribute to the school for school improvement and also to offer services to help children in rural areas of China. Teachers help them organize their ideas and put them into practice—even if an idea may fail. It can be a valuable lesson about how to analyze what went wrong and consider how to improve the idea. Our learner-centered approach to learning ensures both academic and personal growth in which initiative is encouraged and failure is not feared.

We may not know exactly what lies ahead for our students in the future, but we have the advantage of knowing what skills they will need once they get there. We have established a climate of inquiry that challenges the entire school community to continually re-evaluate itself by building on our core values and beliefs, with a focus on the future.

By JANE MACMILLAN Pudong Campus Lower School Principal 23

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

The Homework Debate fluent in the English language in the least amount of time possible. As a consequence, practice beyond school hours is a must.

Homework, then, inevitably becomes a frequently used word in my classroom.

But instead of assigning the students “busy work,” I have adopted a rather friendly approach to homework. The questions I often ask myself while planning assignments are: What would be good practice? How long will it take? Is parental help acceptable?

I

t is hard to believe that in 2013, the debate about homework across schools is far from being settled. Strong arguments have been made for and against it. In the 1940’s theorists claimed that homework interfered with other activities and created a negative impact on students.

A few years later, homework became popular again in response to the notion that schools lacked rigor and discipline.

More recently a study concluded that 50 percent of parents reported having a serious problem with their children over homework, and 34 percent reported homework as a source of stress and struggle. (Kravollec & Buell, 2001). More shocking is the correlation that emerged between homework and an increasing rate of student drop out. With that said, the reasonable questions are: what is the problem with homework? If there is a problem, is it possible to turn homework into an enjoyable, non-threatening experience for both students and parents?

As an ESOL teacher I have the responsibility to ensure that students become

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Drawing the line between “busy” and “purposeful” work does not come easy. In fact, not every student needs to have the same homework. Identifying areas where a particular student might need additional practice is a necessary habit. Failure to do so would be the equivalent of having a doctor prescribe the same medication for all his patients. To some, it might be helpful. To others? Potentially harmful.

Here are some strategies that might be helpful for teachers and parents: 1. Get to know your students: Invest some time to specifically listen to your students’ interests. What kind of music do they listen to? What sports do they play? What is their favorite movie? This will come in handy when deciding the nature of the assignments.

2. Make real-life connections with homework: I once watched lesson where the focus was on statistics and percentiles. The teacher had his students watch a portion of a Barcelona soccer game and count the number of passes to determine the overall ball possession rate. Although more popular with boys, this assignment had a tremendous learning impact with students.

3. Turn homework into a collective effort: When every student is responsible for one piece of the puzzle, you remove the expectation of them working for

you only. They will be more likely to comply with a particular assignment when they feel that they are contributing to a large-scale project.

4. Incorporate technology: I recently came across the first ESOL online video game. Students navigate through a school campus completing a number of tasks in order to fix a time machine.

This was a great way to extend practice while having fun! It only takes a bit of digging in the net before you strike oil!

5. Involve family: My ESOL class recently put together a recipe cooking video. It was a pleasure to watch parents help out as camera crew and to participate with demonstrations. I am sure they all enjoyed the tasty final product in the end.

6. Make homework relevant: Explicitly communicate to your students why you are sending out a particular assignment, and never ever turn homework into a punishment.

The bottom line here is that while homework can be necessary, it does not have to be a painful experience. Surely parents appreciate having their children do some work after school, but after all, we all enjoy unwinding after a long day while having some family time. Homework can be an activity that can be both purposeful and enjoyable!

Kralovec, E., & Buell, J. (2000). The end of homework: How homework disrupts families, overburdens children, and limits learning.

Boston: Beacon Press.

By ANDRES SANCHEZ HIS Upper School ESOL Teacher

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

The Power of Collaboration

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veryday in the lower school, teams of teachers meet together in different groupings to discuss, demonstrate, share, query and seek help from each other. Some of these meetings are incidental or unplanned…teachers or friends sharing the daily ebb and flow of the classroom. However, more often these meetings are planned and sought out opportunities to discuss teaching and learning. The meetings help to ensure that great practice is being shared, that grades are working towards common standards, and that each class have essential learning experiences that are similar, while still retaining their own unique flavor.

Teachers usually loathe meetings because much of what is discussed tends to centre on administrative matters and has limited impact on what they are struggling with daily. When they can talk about the things that matter most—their students and teaching—then teachers are highly motivated.

It is not just grade teams meeting together to ensure greater consistency and depth to what they are teaching, the specialist staff too are becoming part of these meetings as well. The staff is working at enriching units from the different lens that each learning area can provide.

The impact of this collaboration is often publicly displayed at assemblies. Take for instance the recent assembly where Grade Two students are currently inquiring into the Science topic of Matter. Student created dances demonstrating their knowledge of dance around space and movement were then successfully linked to their understandings of how atoms move in states of solids, liquids and gases. Concurrently, student created art work showcasing their knowledge of poetic forms, rhyme, rhythm and beat was based off from the prose provided from the Science they are studying.

Grade Five showcased their work in technology by creating mini plays and vignettes around school rules. Interviewing, recording and editing their work to ensure it entertained and got the rules clearly across to the audience. Grade Four utilized these too but also displayed the production process and thinking that had taken place to make the mini iMovies. Elaborate storyboards reminiscent of the best Hollywood epics displayed the snapshots needed to put together a story.

This collaboration is also taking place in the important areas of assessment. Common assessment tasks are regularly shared and all students have summative assessment tasks at the conclusion of the inquiry study they have undertaken. More often these require students to transfer knowledge and demonstrate it in a performance piece. Invention Convention, Gold Rush Wax Museum, Pot Luck Nutrition Lunch and Market Day are some instances of this.

In addition, teachers are meeting to moderate student work across the grade to have a clear understanding of how learning is developing in writing, reading, spelling and problem solving.

Teachers and school leaders examine assessments from a variety of perspectives and develop strategies to support, motivate and extend students across all grade levels.

They say 2 heads are better than one ………..when teams of teachers collaborate the power is exponential.

By LYNN PENDLETON Hongqiao Campus Lower School Vice Principal

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MEET THE TEACHER

What’s life like Living in the Water?

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eter Cox is the SCIS Hongqiao Director of Aquatics. He has represented Australia at three World Championships and has 28 years in swim coaching and teaching. This is his second year at SCIS with his wife (Lower School Academic Counselor Mary-Ellen Cox) and their two children (Alexandra grade 10 and Corey grade 8). Peter recently sat down with me to talk about water and life.

Do you consider yourself just a swim coach?

Having a physical education teaching background, certainly supports my role as the Red Dragons Head Swim Coach; however, my seven World Championship medals were all for Lifesaving events which is probably why I am so insistent on quality water safety and the introduction of student lifeguard programs.

As an aquatic director, what other programs do you offer?

Along with the Swim Team and school PE lessons, we do life guarding, life saving, Saturday Learn to Swim and synchronized swimming programs.

Synchronized swimming goes on at this school?

Yeah, Friday afternoons for lower school students taught by a couple of real professional synchronized swimmers. I can’t do it; I don’t own any glittery swimsuits.

Do people know about this? Are there any other programs that people don’t know about?

Yeah! There are a lot of extra things happening here in the pool that people may not know enough about such as us hosting four swim meets a year for Shanghai Swim League schools. However, I’m real excited about my latest idea ‘underwater ping pong.’

Unfortunately, I keep having trouble with the balls floating away.

was surfing before he was walking, they had to be Red Dragons swimmers. They especially love morning training in winter [laughing].

What else should people know about you that they don’t know already?

I love kart racing. I am going this Sunday with my family and a few friends for a little bit of fun at the Formula One track.

What are you currently working on?

My daughter and I have been keeping a journal since we first arrived in China just over 14 months ago, and we are planning on publishing that in some format. Just a little anecdotal story of two perspectives of China—a teenage girl and a father and their experiences living in a new country.

You share a diary with your daughter?

We, we [laughs], we both keep our own notes and journals in separate documents but we’ll combine them. [laughing] We don’t each have half of a key that opens a heart shaped locket to a book.

So were you born in the water or was this something you learned to love later in life? [laughs] I think I accidentally fell into the water when I was a young child. And since I didn’t drown, I became a swimmer then a swim coach. In Australia, if you drown you die; if you survive,

By JONATHAN PAULSON you eventually become a swim coach.

SCIS-HIS Communication Officer Both your children are on the swim team, was that mandatory?

Yes, since they were both born with webbed feet and Corey

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PAFA FEATURE

HIS PAFA: What’s in it for me?

Dear New Family,

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he Welcoming Committee of the Parent And Friends Association would like to welcome your family to the Hangzhou International School!”

This is the first line of the email our Chair of the Welcoming Committee, Meg van Dijk, sends to all the new families that enroll their children in HIS. The WC (Welcomign Committee) was set up three years ago when Meg decided that moving to a city like Hangzhou could use more support and information for the families than the traditional package. All new families are individually welcomed with a personal letter, which has the contact information of all Welcoming Committee Representatives. New families can then get into contact with someone from their own country so they can have a nice conversation in their native language. The representative also perfectly understands the culture from which the questions come. Let’s be honest, a French family will only believe our French representative when asking where to buy the best French cheese.

On the first morning that their children come to school, the WC representatives are present to help the parents with any questions they might have. It’s always very satisfying to see these parents go home with the feeling their child will be fine and they have information to work with. To offer our new parents the opportunity to meet other HIS parents, we regularly organize coffee mornings. Especially the August and January sessions are very well attended and are very helpful for the parents looking for the first contacts.

It’s this kind of special attention in the first stages of the application that leaves a good first impression. It can be the final reassurance that, with the help of our enthusiastic and welcoming parents, settling in Hangzhou will be a new challenging but great experience.

By FRANCIS SPIEKERMAN HIS Upper School PAFA President

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: LS co-Presidents: Miranda Kwan & Jerry Joseph US President: Francis Spiekerman US Vice-President: Amy Nash Information about our activities: https://hz.scis-his.net/Pafa.

Contact us at: pafa_hz@scischina.org Hongqiao PAFA President: HQ PAFA Co-President: Mun Chang roymun5@gmail.com Event Coordinator: Donna Bose events.scispafahq@gmail.com information.scispafahq@gmail.com

Pudong PAFA Chairs: Lower School: Lauren Pitts, laurenupitts@yahoo.com Katie Berkaw, katieberkaw@yahoo.com Upper School: Sandra Machan sandramachan@yahoo.com Weili Vlas, vlasliu@yahoo.com

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COMMUNITY FEATURE

Mr. Gamez Analyzes Children of Men

“‘Any Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” – Arthur C. Clarke

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cience fiction is a film or literature genre that helps to solve this need by addressing humans’ relation to technology.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Film Children of Men, has London as a stage. This movie takes place in a dystopian and apocalyptic future in which infertility has become ubiquitous and thus is the backbone of the whole story. The human race is becoming extinct since it has been 18 years since any woman in the world has had a child. However, Kee, a black woman, is pregnant and thus seems to be the only one on Earth that can save the human race because she is expecting a baby. Throughout the film there are many elements (characters or situations) that allude to the magical and religious thought exalting black culture.

Just as Césaire coined the term ‘négritude’ in 1935 to claim the black identity and culture, Alfonso Cuarón exalts Kee ( Ashitey) as the main character because she is black and yet gives hope to all humanity. Magical thought is by design a kind of ‘inadequate’ logical thinking. It has a lot of emotional elements common to primitive cultures, which we see resurging in cultural themes in modern times. In other words, magical thinking is a human thing and as such can develop in anyone, any family or social group. For example, more emotional than rational belief is involved in thinking Kee could save the human race in the movie. Religious thought is the structuring of the magic.

Formalizing magical thinking means to give it structure, and associate a picture or a meaning to an idea, word or deed.

To illustrate the religious thought are the names Cuarón used in Children of Men. They refer to a series of mythological

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figures of Christian tradition. For example, Theo (Owen), escorts Kee (Ashitey) out of London to help her to have her daughter. Theo means God in Greek. He makes possible the birth of Dylan, Kee’s daughter. Theo not only helps her to leave London but also assists in childbirth.

We find Jasper (Caine), in Persian means ‘treasurer’. He helps his friend Theo, Miriam (Ferris) and Kee by providing home and food to continue the journey to ‘The Tomorrow,’ which is the boat of the Human Project that will take care of Kee and her daughter.

Jasper, in the Judaic-Christian tradition, is one of the three wise men visiting the baby Jesus, and offering incense. Miriam, a Hebrew name which means being stubborn or beloved of God, also escorts Kee, but cannot complete her mission. Miriam evokes San Gabriel. This angel in Christian mythology served as a messenger from God to announce to the Virgin Mary the Son of God. The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

It is interesting to note that Miriam not only alludes to this heavenly creature, she also mentions other divine beings: “We have to call on help now. Put your hands out. May all the ascended beings, the bodhisattvas and saints and all those who have walked the surface of earth in the light of eternal truth, come to aid of our beloved sister, Julian.”

We also find another representative name: Luke (Ejiofor), who is part of the activist group The Fishes. St. Luke is the evangelist who never met Jesus in person, but this did not prevent him from describing his birth. It seems interesting that in the

second century the Church takes the Greek word Ichthys. Fish is a symbol of Christ. In these symbols, the letters of the word ‘Ichthys’ represent the initials of the sentence: Christos Soter Yios Iesous Theou Ichthus: I=Iesous (Jesus) Ch=Christos (Christ) Th=Theou (God) U=Uios (Son) S=Soter (Savior) Meaning: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

All the characters in the film are central to the Judaic-Christian tradition and are doing everything possible for Kee so she can save the world. There are certain ritualistic rites in Cuaron’s movie, either to death or life. When Julian (Moore) dies, Miriam, along with Kee, prepares the body of the deceased, and in a kind of rite, Miriam emits a sound from her throat and puts her hands over Julian’s body without touching her. At the same time she puts a picture on Julian’s forehead and pronounces the word ‘Shanti’ which in Sanskrit means ‘inner peace.’

Therefore, Miriam not only refers Christian traditions but also Buddhist and Hindu.

Miriam, also is a Taichi practitioner. When doing this, Kee thinks it is ‘her voodoo.’ It is important to say that voodoo is a religion that originated from the beliefs held by the slaves brought from West Africa in contact with Catholicism. This is a theistic variant animistic system, equipped with a strong element of magic. Moreover, it seems important to mention a scene with a very strong symbolic meaning: Kee takes her clothes off so Theo realizes she is pregnant. At the same time she asks him for help. In this scene we hear an angelic type of music. The very young Kee shows that inside her is the baby that will save the human race. In conclusion, we can say that the names, rituals, and images reveal the exaltation of the black culture achieved through the use of magical and religious thought in Cuaron’s film.

By JESUS GAMEZ HIS World Language Teacher

COMMUNITY FEATURE

Everyone’s Kickin’ At HIS!

T

he rhythmic slap of congratulatory “High-Fives” being given left and right, boisterous cheering for teammates and enthusiastic goal celebrations have become as common as any other sight or sound at HIS! The positive energy that comes with an inclusive sport such as soccer has spread throughout the student population. From lunchtime soccer leagues, to Lower School Soccer Days, all the way up to HIS’s competitive soccer teams…it is clear that HIS truly has soccer fever!

The resurgence of soccer Euphoria began last fall while the other 5th grade teacher and myself were watching the kids at recess.

Some students seemed lost, wandering around unsure of what to do for fun, others were struggling to organize a soccer match with their friends, and several were standing around watching the organized chaos, unsure of how to join in on the soccer match.

Suddenly a light bulb popped on: start an organized lunchtime soccer league!

The student’s response was incredible, and over 90% of 3rd-5th grade students signed up for the league. Students were organized in to teams of 10, we made a schedule and even had a weeklong playoff with a hyped up championship game! Stop by the HIS soccer field any weekday at lunch and you can witness this incredible mix of students enjoying a sport that many had previously never ever played, or seen! Kids, who never had the courage to step on to a soccer field before, were now playing the game and loving it. During and after soccer league, we had many parents come to us and tell us how they had seen the confidence within their child grow, and they attributed this to

their child’s participation in lunch time soccer league. Possibly a child who had never played a team sport was now running, being knocked over while chasing a ball, getting up smiling and telling their parents about how great it was!

Another amazing program is 3rd to 5th grade “Soccer Days” tournament. Every September and May, elementary students from schools in Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou go to Shanghai American School to play as a “class team” in a tournament. This gets the entire class working together as a team, and helps to develop critical skills at important times of the year. Teamwork, communication, maintaining a positive attitude, and playing fair are traits that are all focused on during this activity. And let’s not forget the most important one: Having Fun! The evidence of the success of these programs can be seen in the upper school sports. At this time last year, HIS had no middle school girl’s soccer as only two girls enrolled in the A.S.A. This year we just returned from a successful tournament in Nanjing with a full team, and many of those girls learned soccer last year during that lunchtime soccer league! To see the smiles in the children’s faces as they make their first ever goal, pass, or even touch the ball for the first time without (or with!) falling over is priceless and an experience that I hope every teacher can help to make happen at their school!

By PAUL CHEEVERS HIS Lower School Grade 5 Teacher

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ALUMNI PAGE

The

Alumni Association

Alumni Mission: The SCIS-HIS Alumni Association has been established in order to foster the continued cordial relations of the SCIS-HIS 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 December 2013 in Shanghai June 2014 in Shanghai

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Dear Dragons, Fall Greetings from Shanghai and Hangzhou!

This school year is well underway now, and we have now grown to approximately 2,500 students across five campuses. Furthermore, after 17 years of education, we now have nearly 400 alumni, and are on pace to add over 100 more this coming June. In order to better serve our Alumni, we have launched several new initiatives.

First, is the Class Notes section that follows. Three times per year, we will now publish Class Notes about what all the latest alumni are up to around the world.

We have official Class Ambassadors for 2009, 2012, and 2013 (we are still looking for 2010 & 2011) who gather the news from everyone and make it available to the community here. Please send your information to your classes’ ambassador, as this is an easy way to keep the your fellow classmates, your old teachers, and the community as a whole up to date with your latest information.

Second, we now have an alumni Facebook page. You can see it here at https:// www.facebook.com/SCISandHISalumni Our Facebook account is going to be an easy way to keep up with big social events that are happening at your alma mater.

Third, we also now have an Alumni Linked In account. You can join here at http://www.linkedin.com/groups/SCISHIS-Alumni As Linked-In has now taken center stage among professional social media, we felt now was the necessary time to establish an account. With your international education, you and your fellow classmates will be the next wave of international leaders. This gives you an easy way to network with them on a professional level.

Fourth, we are now set up to have permanent reunions in Shanghai twice a year (once in early January and once in late June). Besides our official reunions, we also have plans to organize unofficial get-togethers in London and New York.

Our next Alumni update will follow in February. In the meantime, feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions or questions.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Paulson Head of Alumni Relations

ALUMNI PAGE

Class of 2009 Notes 2009 Class Ambassador: Tiffany Davis tiffanyRdavis.88@gmail.com -none yet-

Class of 2010 Notes 2010 Class Ambassador: Kolina Kretzschmar kolinakret@gmail.com Wendy Lee is currently pursuing International Relations and Chinese literature at Songang University in Guadalajara, Mexico. In March she was able to meet up with fellow classmates Jonneke Hofman and Saki Nakahara in Seoul. She is looking forward to heading to Mexico City to complete an internship next semester and possibly heading to Spain for an exchange year.

After finally completing his 2 mandatory years in the Korean Army, Nick Lee is happy to be back at Illinois State University as a sophomore. Recently meeting up with fellow SCIS students Sarah Fredritz and Victoria Zepp he is looking forward to graduating and beginning work.

Studying News media and psychology at the University of Toronto, Teddy Chan hopes to find a job in Toronto after graduation this summer. Over the summer he was able to meet up with classmate Joe Chaing.

Graduating as the youngest in the SCIS class of 2010, Ekansh Sharma has continued the trend and will graduate a semester early from University of Illinois Urbana Champaign in Mechanical Engineering. He hopes to find a job but plans to move to Dubai in January of 2014.

Taking on International Business Management in Bangkok, Thailand, Jonneke Hofman plans on heading to Spain for a exchange year. After completing her degree she would love to go to either Singapore or Australia for her masters. She recently met up in Seoul with classmates Saki Nakahara and Wendy Lee. Vesta Iwatsao just graduated from the University of Oregon in Environmental Science with a minor in Architecture. She is currently looking for jobs and says she might head back to Taiwan soon. She has been unable to see any classmates in person but video chats regularly, mentioning she really misses Shanghai and would love to be back.

Jerry Chen is currently attending the Savannah College of Art and Design in Hong Kong focusing on Motion Media and

Graphic Design. He hopes to work and attend school next year when he is done with his program but will return to Taiwan for National service in the fall.

Currently pursuing his masters in Electrical Engineering, Lukas Sandborgh enjoys his time in Lund, Sweden but misses Shanghai. He plans to do an exchange in 2014/2015 and is interested in work related to renewable energy. Recently he spent the weekend with fellow classmates and SCIS alumni Ruben Kraaijeveld, Kolina Kretzschmar, Bexy Drakeford and Jennifer Marr in Holland as well as spending a day at the beach in Sweden with Kolina Kretzschmar, Ludvig Hammarlund and Mathilde Nygaard.

Ruben Kraaijeveld is currently studying International Business and Management in Utrecht, Netherlands. His plans as of now consist of finishing his degree, graduating and getting a job.

In July he had fellow SCIS Alumni Kolina Kretzschmar, Lukas Sandborgh, Bexy Drakeford and Jennifer Marr stay with him at his home in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Arie Kooij is in his third year of his bachelors in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Groningen. He was in Shanghai over the summer and able to attend the SCIS Alumni Reunion with classmates Kolina Kretzschmar and Ludvig Hammarlund. He is excited to be heading back to Shanghai again over Christmas and enjoys being able to return.

Studying Sociology at Keio University, Tokyo, Saki Nakahara is taking her studies one day at a time mentioning she does not know what she would like to do after she graduates. Recently she was able to meet up with classmates Jonneke Hofman and Wendy Lee in Seoul.

Kolina Kretzschmar is finishing up her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Cultural Anthropology with a focus in International Politics at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. She hopes to travel and work internationally for a few years before completing a masters program. This summer she traveled around Asia and Europe, and was able to meet with classmates Arie Kooij and Ludvig Hammarlund in Shanghai, stay with Ruben Kraaijeveld in Utrecht while Lukas Sandborgh, Bexy Drakeford and Jennifer Marr visited. She was also able to stay with Josefine Jacobsson and Mathilde Nygaard in Sweden and spend a beach day with Lukas Sandborgh and Ludvig Hammarlund.

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ALUMNI PAGE

Class of 2011 Notes 2011 Class Ambassador: Open email Alumni Coordinator jpaulson@scischina.org to inquire -none yet-

Class of 2012 Notes 2012 Class Ambassador: Open email Alumni Coordinator jpaulson@scischina.org to inquire -none yet-

Class of 2013 Notes 2013 Class Ambassador: Tara Kung tara.kung@mail.mcgill.ca Anais Galliet has started university in Bristol and is getting used to the new environment and customs. Between the city, the landscape, and the university itself, she hopes to have a great time ahead of her. She will stay there for the next four years to obtain her Master in Mathematics.

Tara Kung resides in the vibrant city of Montreal, Quebec where she studies Pharmacology and Psychology as a sophomore at McGill University. Over the summer, she gained further insight into psychology and psychiatry through a rewarding internship at Royal Creek Psychiatry in Dallas. At McGill, she is currently involved in and volunteering at a number of associations and clubs, namely the Dream Corps McGill’s Chapter and PSI Psychology Undergraduate Research Journal for which she is a senior editor.

At the moment, Sonia Elmabrouk is studying international law at Kingston university and is expected to get her degree in three years. After that she’s thinking of getting further qualifications and maybe work somewhere in the UN or with Unesco.

Jack Choi is now attending Yonsei University (Underwood International College) and is studying hard for mid-term exams and is enjoying his university life back in his home country! He will enter in the military service next summer, and when he is discharged after two years of service, he will continue study in Yonsei University!

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Shermaine Sng is currently attending the University of Toronto at Mississauga and is adjusting well and having a good time with friends.

Jared Lonergan is pursuing a major in athletic training and spends all his free time eating and working out. His next few years he plans to get an internship in exercise and conditioning at a gym.

Troy San has been taking Chinese classes at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai and playing football. In the next year he hopes to study in California, play college football and study Jouralism.

These past couple months Kaitlin Mallon has been attending classes at Goucher college in Baltimore Maryland. She currently is planning on double majoring in psychology and international affairs.

Yoo Rim Lee is currently waiting to hear back from universities. She plans to start working to earn experiences that could be one of those steps to be taken to achieve her dream which is an advertisement director and also wants study more about film.

Alexander Yin is currently working on a degree in photojournalism and has some side projects with up and coming electronic music producers.

Richard Han is at Concordia University in Montreal. For the moment, taking mathematics and statistics courses. He plans to transfer over to JMSB (John Molson) or McGill University’s Management next year.

2013’s Visiting Travel Photographer

Richard Sobol Since graduating from Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University, Richard has used the art of photography to visit 31 countries and produce visual narratives. His photographs from these disparate worlds have been published in Time, National Geographic, Newsweek, People, Paris Match, Bunte, Stern, The New York Times, and Photo District News. Additionally, he has combined his pictures with text and published eleven books for children and adults.

Nov 4 & 5 at SCIS-Hongqiao Nov 6 at HIS Nov 7 at SCIS-Pudong 33

PARTNER PAGE

Volunteering: helping others helps you

I

f you are new to Shanghai or have even been here a while but are still trying to figure this incredible city out, one of the best ways to feel part of the bigger picture is to get involved. Maybe you have helped out at your children’s school, in an expat organization, pursued a beloved hobby or perhaps you have even started taking a language class.

Now that you’ve asked these questions, one place to start is through The Community Center Shanghai. As a non-profit, CCS strives to inspire, connect and empower expats in Shanghai.

CCS also bridges the cultural gap by offering opportunities to give and serve through our charitable programs: Giving Tree and River of Hearts.

These are, without a doubt, great ways to get involved. But another option is to get involved on a deeper, more committed level: charity volunteering.

Giving Tree assists thousands of children in need from Shanghai and neighboring provinces by providing “Winter Warmth and School Success Bags” full of age/gender appropriate winter clothing and school supplies.

Shanghai has many organizations where you can volunteer. The key to volunteering, though, is finding the right organization that suits you. When you are planning to give your time, talent and resources, it should be with a cause that ignites your passion. From teaching English and caring for the environment to helping orphans and working with animals, with countless possibilities in between, the difficult part is often choosing!

Asking the following questions can help you define where you want to volunteer and why: • Do I have a preference to work with babies/children/animals/adults/nature?

• Am I prepared to interact directly within the local community, or do I prefer an environment where I make/prepare items that are delivered or sold to benefit the local community?

• Do I want to contribute by utilizing my professional skills (legal, medical, administrative, etc.)?

• Do I want to give a specific amount of time/money each month?

• Do I want to work with like-minded people in a team environment, or be more independent?

• Do I want to do something creative and hands-on or something more administrative?

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Part and parcel of the expat lifestyle is moving. More often than not items are bought, kept and eventually must be packed up or left behind. River of Hearts (ROH) was created to accept gently used items (clothing, toys, furniture, etc) that expats no longer need to sort and distribute those items to those in need. Several times a year, sorting parties are held at different international schools and hundreds of volunteers come together to sort, box and ship out the items.

Getting involved, as much as it appeals for the exterior result, also has an internal allure.

You want to do something that has an outward effect, but in reality there is a secondary effect- the personal satisfaction that comes with helping out, filling a need or providing a service.

At the end of the day, volunteering is a very personal choice, but one that most definitely makes a difference-within the community and yourself.

Winston Churchill sums it up nicely, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

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Emory

Bristol University UC Berkeley Cardiff University Hong Kong University Rice University University of Toronto

NYU

Boston University UCLA University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University College London

Monash University

University of Warwick

Amelia, HIS Varsity Volleyball Captain Attending NYU

PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE JUST RIGHT… Tour our state-of-the-art facilities by calling 86-21-6261-4338 x1 (Shanghai) or 86-571-8669-0045 (Hangzhou) www.scis-his.org HANGZHOU • HONGQIAO • PUDONG 36

NURSERY – GRADE 12

The International School of Choice