Schools

As competition for places in elementary schools increases, more and more parents are sending their children to preschool in order to give them a better chance of being accepted into the best elementary schools.

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Recent figures from ISC Research state that in the past 10 years, the number of pupils studying at international schools across the world has increased from 1 million to just over 3 million.

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More than 500 people turned up for the inaugural beijingkids School Choice Fair on Sunday. Families packed Kempinski Hotel’s Jade Ballroom to mingle with representatives, teachers, and parents from 34 international schools, as well as several hospitals, clinics, play centers, sports organizations, and other groups. (China Radio International even wrote an article about us!) We gave away lucky draw prizes, chatted with readers, and generally had a blast.

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Ahhhh…spring break! Just those two simple words bring back memories of trekking south with friends for some sunshine and fun. But even if I went nowhere it was still a week off of school, much needed R&R. While the “official” history of spring break has no true origins, there is a lot of speculation about its purpose: celebrating the return of spring, having a holiday around Easter weekend, observing “study week” or “reading week” to avoid academic burnout, or just being a college student tradition (for some) of, well, partying.

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The first-ever beijingkids School Choice Fair is almost here! This Sunday from 10am to 3pm, join other families at the Kempinski Hotel Ballroom for a one-stop school fair. More than 30 schools will set up booth for what is essentially a live version of the beijingkids 2012-2013 School Choice Guide.

Here’s who’s coming so far:

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Parents and Chinaphiles, here’s an excuse to wear your qipao/changpao (or he-pao for the men): On April 14, the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) will host the fourth annual Beijing in Bloom Gala, a night of tipples and fundraising. This year’s event will take place at the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel and raise money for WAB’s China Engagement Program, as well as the school’s Miao Liang Environmental Education Center.

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Job seekers are under more pressure than ever as the demand for English-speaking teachers at international schools continues to grow. There are 280,000 teachers currently working in international schools across the world – a figure that is predicted to increase even more over the next few years.

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Kate Chen is the communications manager for the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). She recently wrote an article about the school’s co-founder, Michael Crook, for WAB’s newsletter, Lianxi. She recounts Crook’s fascinating January 18 “fireside chat” about his family’s long history with China, as well as the past, present, and future of WAB itself.

WAB Co-Founder and Board Member Michael Crook gave what can best be described as a “fireside chat” to a captivated audience of WAB parents and staff.  Though minus one actual fireplace, Michael’s charming and extraordinary vignettes from his past transformed WAB’s Lotus Lounge into the coziest of fireside settings.  His stories were further brought to life by his accompanying slideshow of old black and white family photos. Though the images were shown via laptop, projector, and PowerPoint, I swear I could hear the “kir-chunk” of an old slide wheel shifting frames.

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The second annual beijingkids School Choice Guide is the definitive guidebook of education choices for expat families in Beijing.

We put together comprehensive listings for the top 49 schools in Beijing, including details on 2012-2013 tuition fees, school facilities, after school activities, and much more. The profiles are rounded out with detailed maps and charts organizing the schools by area, education system, and age groups.

Beyond the basics, we’ve also added in-depth features on bilingual (and even trilingual) school choices, uncovered the complexities of Beijing’s education systems, got four families' takes on paying for their children's education, and detailed the resources available to kids with special needs and their families.

Any schools that were not included in the beijingkids School Choice Guide 2012-2013 can be found as shortened Directory listings in the back of the issue.

Here’s a bonus: at the end of March (exact date and location TBD), the School Choice Guide will come alive in a special school fair. Families will have the opportunity to speak to many of the schools in person. (Expect a few other surprises, too.) Stay tuned on our blog for details.

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“What's the deal with Beijing No. 55?” This is a question that several parents have asked before in our forum, without a definitive answer...until now! Tucked away in a hutong between Dongzhimen Waidajie and Gongti Beilu, this bilingual Chinese/English middle school and high school has caught the attention of many expat families. Yesterday morning, I joined beijingkids Brand Manager and Beijing No. 55 mom Theresa Ahdieh on a tour of the campus. Here’s what we learned.

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