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THE BEST OF BRITISH EDUCATION AT BRITANNICA
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By David Goodwin
he Best of British Education at Britannica provides a broad crosscurricular and co-curricular program emulating the best provision found in the UK independent school sector. Britannica International School, Shanghai, offers a unique After School Activities (ASAs) program, which supports and expands the timetabled curriculum. With our own teachers offering specialist activities and a number of carefully chosen partners who offer professional or specialized training sessions, we can provide for most students’ interests and talents. T
Britannica is the only international school in Shanghai offering a full week of after school activities to all students in Reception to Year 13.
ASAs have proven very popular at Britannica. It is here where the students can experience a range of different learning experiences outside their regular studies. Students get a chance to take part in activities which genuinely inspire them, or they can take a chance and try something new for a term. All the ASAs are delivered between 3-4pm across all school days except for
Wednesdays. Our students are given sufficient time to develop skills in their interested areas, along with an excellent opportunity to work collaboratively with others from different year groups.
We offer more than 100 activities a week to children from Reception to Year 13. Activities are offered in music, sports, language, arts and craft, computing, games, competitions across different levels and many others. This extended curriculum provision includes other opportunities for students including Residential Trips, the World Scholars Cup, ASDAN Business Simulation and a range of local trips around Shanghai.
Residential Trips
To further promote Global Citizenship and broaden our students’ global mindset, Britannica is providing three residential opportunities this year for our Year 4 to 13 students. The three trips are located and themed differently, which include a skiing trip in China, a sailing and cultural trip in Mallorca, Spain and a cultural trip in Moscow, Russia. The variety makes sure that as many students’ interests are met as possible.
World Scholars Cup
Last year Britannica had the privilege of hosting the Shanghai round of the World Scholars Cup (WSC), which saw over 150 participants from local and international schools. This year Britannica is looking forward to participating and hosting the WSC again. This is a fabulous opportunity for our students to compete and take up the challenges either autonomously or as a team and develop skills across different curricula such as science, literature and the arts. Best of luck to our students entering this year’s competition!
For any admissions enquries, parents can scan the QR code and register your interest. The school admissions will be in contact soon after your registration.
CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SHANGHAI
Fine Arts Education Instrumental in Developing Both IQ and EQ
By Brandon Fisher
or years, schools have been aware of the instrumental effects the arts have on a student’s overall academic performance, from improved motor skills and language ability, to higher scores on standardized tests. F
Comprehensive research from organizations such as the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies has shown that music education enriches both math and language learning; that participation in theatre improves reading and oral language skills; and, that artistic practice allows for better interpretation and use of visual information.
Yet, the positive impact these subjects have on student success does far more than bolster academic intelligence. The fine arts also build confidence and empathy and enhance a student’s motivation and engagement in the world around them.
The fine arts are valued not only for providing a buttress to language, math and science achievement, but for their role in enhancing emotional intelligence, creativity and holistic education.
Study in the fine arts, says Concordia Shanghai music teacher Sara Preus, makes for “thoughtful, creative and detail-oriented students who know how to work cooperatively for a greater good.” This feeds
The fine arts are valued for their role in enhancing emotional intelligence, creativity and holistic education
the soul, she adds, “helping students express love and loss, highs and lows, relationships and understanding.”
Encouraging creativity is yet another invaluable component of the fine arts. The creative expression fostered in the studio, the music room and on the theatre stage leads to positive risk-taking, iteration and innovation; and, it transforms the way in which students acquire knowledge.
students cultivate their imaginations and find new ways to express what they see and feel in the world around them.” When applied outside of the art room, creativity improves critical thinking and allows students to embrace the ambiguity of complex projects.
Validating the fine arts through their supporting role in a student’s success in ‘core’ subjects is important in cultures where academic performance is highly valued. While that is not a false view of the arts, to focus entirely on that point of view is to see only half the picture. As a mode of expression, the fine arts transform thoughts and emotions in ways that transcend the academic arena and lead students to a more comprehensive understanding of themselves, the world and their place in it.
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Varied Co-Curricular Program an Essential Aspect of Education
By Gary Willis
t Harrow International School Shanghai, our Co-Curricular programme immerses pupils in a vibrant range of opportunities and challenges through sport, leadership and service, expeditions, drama, art, music, academic enrichment and extension. We firmly believe every child has a great number of talents and passions yet to be discovered. The Harrow Shanghai daily experience is designed to unearth these talents and to develop them to the fullest over time. A
Extra-Curricular Activities
We are committed to providing an outstanding all-round education, and life beyond the classroom. We believe that extracurricular activities broaden horizons and instil a sense of adventure, leadership, teamwork and decision-making, complementing what goes on in the academic curriculum.
There is a wide and diverse choice of activities on offer and whether pupils enjoy art, music, drama, sport, languages, Model United Nations, helping disadvantaged groups, competing in the International Award or just wanting to try something new, with over 120 activities taking place every week, there is sure to be a club available for everyone.
The aims of our extracurricular programme are: • To provide a wide range of enjoyable and challenging experiences above and beyond the timetabled curriculum. • To allow competitive teams, drama productions and music ensembles to reach high standards of team/group and personal performance. • To provide opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills. • To develop our involvement in community and service programmes, helping disadvantaged groups both locally and nationally.
In addition to utilising the strengths and areas of specialism that we have amongst our talented staff, we also recruit the very best experts to support our extensive program. In doing so, this broadens the range of opportunities and increases attainment through the implementation of elite and specialised provision. This includes
a number of sporting activities such as badminton, basketball, dance, football, golf, horse riding, swimming and tennis, as well as music, art, drama and LAMDA.
Using the School’s outstanding campus facilities, involvement in the programmes on offer not only will enable our Harrovians to be high achievers in their chosen activities, but it is great fun too!
Leadership and Service
In order to enhance leadership and service opportunities, our whole school programme develops key skills and leadership attributes. This programme begins in the Lower School, with incremental progression as pupils develop in age and awareness. In the Senior School, there is an expectation that the outreach and service programme is purposeful and increasingly pupil led. Ultimately, pupils will be global citizens, possessing international mindedness, and a clear understanding of the value of commitment and service to others.
Through the programme, our pupils develop six key Leadership Attributes: • Contributing positively to the community • Applying knowledge with compassion • Solving problems collaboratively • Solving problems creatively • Making fair and just choices • Facing challenges with determination
Pupils build new skills and resilience, and experience significant personal growth, enabling them to develop the attributes underpinning the School’s vision statement: Leadership for a better world.
Super-Curriculum
It is important to balance the rigour of carefully crafted examination preparation with the development of research skills and the ability to debate, communicate confidently, solve problems and think both critically and creatively. These skills have inherent, lifelong value and help to develop resilient and confident young people.
Our Super-Curriculum encapsulates all those activities that foster academic endeavour beyond the measurable outcomes of examination results. It includes (but is not limited to) wide and habitual reading, extended project work, debate, public speaking, research, competitions, academic lectures and study trips.
// Gary Willis is Director of Co-Curricular at Harrow International School Shanghai
SHANGHAI SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Interactions, Experiences, Support and Friendship
By Corey Baker
ome people think schools are mainly for achieving great grades and a pathway into a good university. If this was the case it would be cheaper for all stakeholders to have students stay at home and take online courses. So why do we bus them hours from homes to a central place for learning? It’s because of interactions, experiences, support, friendship and other aspects that compliment learning through extracurricular activities. S
Our Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) offer our students many opportunities. To list a few examples we have - cooking, language acquisition, reading and storytelling, design, painting, sculpting, broadcasting, nature club, 3D printing, chess, drama, robotics, video creation, mindfulness, leadership, football, dance, basketball, golf, frisbee, table tennis, swimming, badminton, band, skipping, martial arts, rock climbing, gymnastics, drone flying, coding, string orchestra and pop band.
Students can stay in one program for the whole year having over 45 hours of practice and reflecting to master a new skill. Other students like to change activities each term and are fortunate to learn three new skills with over 15 hours of practice. The skills and activities improve student self-esteem, confidence and readiness for movement forward in life.
Our After School Programme (ASP) offers a range of activities, empowering students with more opportunity to learn and
demonstrate a greater depth of understanding. Students who are selected in the Washington Post and was president of the American enterprise institute for over a
a varsity sports team are extremely fortunate. The skills learnt are only a tiny part of what they take away from a season. Leadership, time management, commitment and teamwork are some of the big outcomes we see in students at SSIS. Many activities turn into hobbies and lifelong passions that allow individuals to relax in a positive way outside of work hours.
Many companies are not only searching for university graduates with high grades. They want people who demonstrate teamwork, critical thinking skills, leadership and a strong work ethic. These are all examples of skills students learn while performing together within extracurricular activities. Skills that have been learnt during classes can be enhanced through performance.
To conclude, let’s hear from Arthur Brooks. He is a social scientist, musician, writer for decade, currently working at Harvard Business School.
“Endless repetitions. It’s reps. It’s getting your reps. Again and again and again. Playing the same passage over and over and over again. Because, until you actually get the reps, you won’t have the ballistic movements into your brain.
“Slowing everything down. If you – when you are playing a classical instrument, and you are learning a piece of music, to make it such that it will sound great, flawlessly, over and over again, you need to play everything incredibly slowly.
“Appreciation of failure. You are just going to fail a lot. You are going to fail a lot before you can succeed because the level of technical perfection is so demanding that there is just a lot of failure involved.” // Corey Baker is Physical Education Teacher and Co-Curricular Activities Coordinator at SSIS
WESTERN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SHANGHAI Intellectual, Physical, Moral, Emotional and Social Development
By Tony Anderson
40 www.urban-family.com any people feel that extracurricular activities are not an important factor in a student’s life. However, this notion couldn’t be further from the truth. Co-curricular activities are just as important as academics. They both compliment each other to develop a well-rounded student. M
In my view, education should go beyond the four walls of a classroom; it should be more than just books. A well-rounded student should perform well both at school and in their everyday life. The all-round development in a child essentially means intellectual, physical, moral, emotional and social development. All this cannot be achieved only through basic education.
There are so many activities that a student can choose from, including sports such as martial arts, badminton, football and basketball; creative arts like drama or music; and clubs like debate and MUN (Model United Nations), to name a few. In my experience, students who participate in cocurricular activities often have a marked improvement in their grades. This improvement can be attributed to skills they learn such as better time management to accommodate their hobbies and activities, better organizational skills and a boost in their self-esteem.
Skills learned in clubs such as debate can be applied in the classroom too, as the students learn how to express themselves better. Being involved in extracurricular activities strengthens confidence. Being the captain of their school’s sports team develops that child’s leadership skills.
Many children struggle with self-esteem and lack confidence. Being active and involved in a variety of activities helps them develop their identity and self-worth. Through participation in extracurricular activities, students learn new skills that are useful in their day-to-day and school life as well. Students build social skills and learn how to work on a team and think critically.
The aim of education should be to develop well-rounded students. A balanced approach improves a student’s intellectual, social, physical, and emotional well-being and benefits the whole child. Extracurricular activities play an essential role in shaping the personality and overall development of a human being. Therefore, parents should encourage their children to explore their interests and participate in a variety of extracurricular activities.
COVID-19 outbreak
A guide to protecting your child By Dr. J. Celese Beaudreau
As news of coronavirus, a new flu-like illness, has emerged in China, the rapidly changing and evolving situation, combined with a fear of what is not known about this virus has understandably put many people on edge, especially those that are the parents of young children. As a pediatrician and parent of four young children, I understand this fear. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer many simple and practical steps you can follow to help keep your child safe in these anxiety provoking times.
As we all now know, a new human coronavirus was discovered in China in December 2019. Most people that have this illness develop symptoms that are common with influenza and other respiratory illnesses including fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat. A small percentage of these progress to a much more serious form of pneumonia. With the memory of SARS on everyone’s minds, people are understandably worried. There is no vaccine currently available for this illness, so the best way to stay safe is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The best way to do this is to follow many of the same steps you follow to avoid exposure to other viruses like influenza.
1. Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands! One of the best ways to prevent spread of illness is to wash hands frequently. The most effective way to do this is with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wash your hands and the hands of your children if hands are visibly dirty, after returning from outside, going to the bathroom, before eating, before and after preparing food, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
42 www.urban-family.com 3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. This is understandably hard to do with young children, but this is a good time to start educating your children about hand hygiene and prevention of viral illness.
4. Teach children to sneeze or cough into a tissue or their elbow Instead of covering their mouth with their hands. Then throw away the tissue or wash hands immediately.
5. Clean and disinfect frequently Clean and disinfect frequently touched household objects, surfaces and toys in your home with routine household cleaner.
6. Avoid sharing personal household items Items like cups, glasses and utensils should be washed with soap and water after use.
7. Practice food safety and avoid eating raw or undercooked meat Practice food safety when preparing meals for your family. Use different chopping boards for raw meat and cooked food and wash your hands between handling raw and cooked food. Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat.
8. Wear a mask Masks have become mandatory in many situations. Masks do not eliminate risks, but may help in certain situations. Masks likely provide the most benefit for those that are already sick to help keep them from spreading infection to others. Most studies on the effectiveness of masks in preventing transmission of illness in the general population are inconclusive and inconsistent.
However, they do function as a barrier to cover your mouth and nose and reduce the number of times you touch your face. Wash your hands after you remove your mask and then again after you remove your child’s mask. Compliance in young children in wearing masks can be difficult. Be creative in ways to get your child to keep a mask on.
9. Seek medical care early Seek medical care early if you or your child experience fever or respiratory symptoms. Be honest with your health care provider about any travel history or exposures. It is probably a good idea to speak with your physician first to understand the current policies about who can be seen where. And don't forget to get a flu vaccine. Still by far the most common respiratory illness in circulation is influenza.
10. Stay up to date with the latest updates and recommendations The World Health Organization and the US and Shanghai Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are good sources for reliable information. The American Academy of Pediatrics also provides advice on its parenting website. Despite some adjustments to our normal services, like the temporary closing of the Jiahui Health Jing’an and Yangpu clinics till Feb. 29, Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital, located at 689 Guiping Lu, remains open, and continues to provide many services, including family medicine, pediatrics, emergency services and obstetrics and gynecology, among many others. For a complete list, visit www.jiahui.com, or follow our WeChat public account at “Jiahui-Health-Eng”. A few simple and practical steps can help ensure that your child stays safe during this difficult time. The staff at Jiahui are always available to answer any questions and address any concerns you may have. We even offer an online consultation service for those who are unable to reach our facilities. Simply scan the QR code below to sign up and chat with our international medical team Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm.
Dr. J. Celese Beaudreau serves as a pediatrician and Director of Inpatient Pediatrics at Jiahui Health. She obtained her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed her Pediatric Internship and Residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Beaudreau is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and maintains board certification by the American Board of Pediatrics. She has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP). Dr. Beaudreau gained extensive experience working as a Pediatric Hospitalist and Pediatric Emergency Room physician before moving to Shanghai with her family 10 years ago. She has worked at several international hospitals and clinics in Shanghai and has provided advice and assistance to many orphan care foundations throughout China.
