What is Earth Hour?

Started in 2007 by the World Wildlife Federation and their partners, Earth Hour began in Sydney Australia as a symbolic lights-out event and has grown to engage millions of people in more than 180 countries and territories.

It’s simple. Switch off your non-essential lights for an hour on Saturday, from 8.30-9.30pm your time and share it on your social media channels to bring attention to climate change and spark global conversations on protecting nature. Use hashtags like #EarthHour and #Connect2Earth to be part of the community.

You can do this with a candlelight dinner, camp out in your living room, have a themed movie night where you watch documentaries like Our Planet or the Wild Kratts cartoon, paint with glow in the dark neon paint – there are so many ways to open up the discussion with your kids. You can find more ideas here.

Share with us what you did or plan to do for Earth Hour by sending a short video or photo to editor@beijing-kids.com! And don’t forget to follow our WeChat Channel to watch our explainer video:

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Photos: Courtesy of Earth Hour

Following the 2020 Jingkids International School Expo (JISE) in October last year, which brought together more than 70 schools, daycares, and educational centers, we’d like to acknowledge the people who make those schools and institutions truly great. Many of Beijing’s esteemed international schools submitted their nominations for the Jing Educators Award 2020, celebrating those who dedicate themselves to education, create innovative learning experiences, and maintain outstanding environments for our kids to study in. In this #JingEdAwards series, we’ll share these committed individuals and why they were nominated.

Not every teaching position fits smoothly into a single category. From homeroom teachers to heads of humanities departments, each of the teachers in this award category excels in their chosen field of education.

Name: Zhao Shan 赵姗
Position: Teacher of Student Affairs
School: Central Conservatory Preparatory School

Ms. Zhao Shan is a member of the Communist Party of China and was born in the 90s. She has been in the education industry since graduation. As a young teacher, Ms. Zhao knows that a teacher with high morality is a true teacher. In her spare time, she is constantly studying to improve her skills. She cares for the educational, emotional, and spiritual development of her children. She has a strong sense of responsibility and mission, and always follows up and resolves parent requests in a timely manner because she knows that the home plays just as important a role as the school in the growth of students.

Name: Pingping Qian 钱致平
Position: Head of the Media and Resource Center
School: Beijing Enlighten School

Pinging is an experienced bilingual IB educator. Over the past 21 years, she has worked in four well-known IB and British international schools in Beijing and Wuxi, across the whole of the K-12 education process. She is passionate about her career, especially the school library in a bilingual educational context as the Head of the Media and Resource Center in Beijing Enlighten School.

Ms. Qian graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. She holds dual degrees in English education and information technology and management, as a Master of Education Degree from Flinders University Australia. During her 21-year career, Pingping has attended a variety of workshops, trainings, forums, and conferences in relation to IB and international bilingual education focus. She also believes that a library is a place where treasures can be found and are a vital part of everyone’s educational journey.

Name: Amanda Williams
Position: Primary School Homeroom Teacher
School: Beijing Haidian Kaiwen Academy

Amanda Williams joined Haidian Kaiwen Academy in January 2019. Her teaching career spans more than 25 years, during which time she has taught in diverse settings and programs. She holds a degree in history and English language and literature and a higher diploma in education. She is also a certified Level 3 IB teacher.

Born in South Africa, she started her teaching career there, where she spent ten years teaching literature and language to middle school and secondary students in public school systems. Later, she moved to Botswana, where she taught in primary and secondary international schools and gained experience of both the Cambridge and IB programs. During her time in Botswana, she held various leadership positions, ranging from IB curriculum coordinator to deputy head of school. She was also involved in a number of school evaluation and authorization processes, giving her the opportunity to visit a number of international schools in other parts of the world to see best practices in action.

Name: Martin Schulte-Albert
Position: Homeroom teacher C7.1/Calvert Middle School Coordinator
School: Limai Chinese American International School

As a professional educator who has dedicated himself to assisting others with their personal and academic development, Martin takes great pride in helping students achieve their long-term goals. Early in his teaching career, he helped adults in Shaoxing improve their fluency skills for the purpose of engaging in the international market. After working in China for a few years, he eventually returned to Canada to obtain a master’s degree in education. Today, he is a homeroom teacher at Limai Chinese American International School, where he also serves as coordinator for the middle school department. Throughout his time at Limai, he has continued to learn to appreciate the value of being a positive role model for the many students under his care, and it is a responsibility that he will continue to uphold with great diligence.

Name: Megan Huckfield
Position: Head of Humanities/History Teacher
School: Wellington College Tianjin

Megan graduated from the University of Lancaster with a degree in history and completed her teacher training at the University of Birmingham. She remained in Birmingham for the next four years, teaching history at an outstanding secondary school. During this time, Megan also completed a Master of Education degree in Teaching Studies at the University of Birmingham; her research-led dissertation focused on the impact of teacher feedback and peer assessment in History lessons. In August 2015, Megan moved to Bangkok to teach secondary history and humanities. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she was responsible for Gifted and Talented provision across the school from early years to the sixth form. A key part of this role was the responsibility for the school’s World Scholar’s Cup debating program, including coordinating a trip from Bangkok to the Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the USA and organizing and hosting the Bangkok regional round of the competition at her school in March 2016.

KEEP READING: Jing Educators Award 2020: Chinese-language Educators

Images courtesy of the schools

As we prepare for one more week of e-learning (we hope), let us not forget how our children prove they’re built for the dramatic.

Nevertheless, it’s Friday!

While you’re home, why not watch some movies? But remember this truth:

Let’s also not forget to be realistic about some of our favorites:

Ever feel old? Yeah, me too.

No matter how tired (old) you feel, you can’t let those kids out of your sight for a second though:

But it all comes down to love, doesn’t it?

Have any memes to share? Send to editor@beijing-kids.com !

KEEP READING: Friday Favorites: We Want Your Beijing Parenting Memes, Too!

Images: found across the internet

Following the 2020 Jingkids International School Expo (JISE) in October last year, which brought together more than 70 schools, daycares, and educational centers, we’d like to acknowledge the people who make those schools and institutions truly great. Many of Beijing’s esteemed international schools submitted their nominations for the Jing Educators Award 2020, celebrating those who dedicate themselves to education, create innovative learning experiences, and maintain outstanding environments for our kids to study in. In this #JingEdAwards series, we’ll share these committed individuals and why they were nominated.

Name: Maria Cordelia Oliver
Position: Nursery Teacher
School: 3e International School

Maria Cordelia “Odie” Oliver has years of experience in the education field. After a short stint in government service and in a UN population project, she entered the realm of education, helping children with special needs to live happy, independent lives. From then on, teaching became both a career and a calling. Odie holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling, both from the University of Nueva Caceres. She completed all academic requirements for an M.A. in special education at the University of the Philippines. She also holds a Certificate in Multiple Intelligences from Harvard University.

She got her first peek into international education at one of the most prestigious International Baccalaureate schools in Manila. Teaching in the early learning center as well as in the lower and middle schools opened her eyes to the beauty and rewards of developing young minds into their fullest potential. She has now been teaching at 3e International School for nine years. She was a nursery school English teacher for seven years and a younger and older pre-kindergarten teacher for two years. For Odie, teaching the youngest of learners is a dream come true because they are at their most malleable stage. Her more than twenty years as an educator plus her passion for teaching have resulted in an amazing rapport with students and parents.

Name: Kitty Zhang 张翘楚
Position: Kindergarten Homeroom Teacher
School: Beijing Enlighten School

Ms. Kitty Zhang graduated from Beijing Language and Culture University, majoring in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. She has completed postgraduate study in psychology at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. She has more than 12 years of experience as a homeroom teacher, trainer, and lead teacher at a well-known international kindergarten in Beijing. She led the kindergarten’s International Curriculum Organization evaluation and achieved outstanding results. She has also worked as an interpreter for foreign experts in curriculum training in China.

Over her years of teaching, she has developed a professional approach and a wealth of experience in the fields of school readiness and children’s education. Her training and management experience have also given her excellent coordination and leadership skills. She frequently conducts teacher training and has led a team of teachers to continuously improve their professional competence in education. She often provides practical and professional parenting advice to parents through workshops and conferences.

Name: Subi Li 李琴秀
Position: Kindergarten Teacher
School: Brilliant International School

Subi graduated from Minzu University of China and majored in Art Education. She has more than 15 years of working experience in kindergartens and now works for Brilliant International School. Subi always inspires kids to explore by themselves, and she likes to observe kids and encourage kids to show the best of themselves. Subi loves kids and respects them. She is the most popular teacher in BIS and loved by kids and parents.

Name: Jean-Pierre Taute
Position: Lead Teacher
School: Etonkids International Kindergartens

Jean-Pierre attended to North-West University of Potchefstroom in South Africa, where he studied marketing and tourism management. After he graduated, he first went to work in hospitality on Mabalingwe Nature Reserve. Two years later, he came to China, where he started at Etonkids as an English specialist. After two and a half years of outstanding experience, he became a lead teacher and has now been a lead teacher for a further two and half years.

Name: Dong Shuang 董爽
Position: Lead Teacher/Teaching Supervisor
School: Kidtopia

Ms. Dong Shuang holds a master’s degree in regional economy from the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northeast Normal University. During her doctoral study, she chose Montessori education for her child and was deeply impressed by its scientific and systematic nature, respect for children’s lives, and effective education. As a result, she chose to pursue a career in early childhood education. During her nine years of teaching, she has always followed the Montessori education philosophy and has obtained professional training from the International Montessori Association (AMI). As a member of Kidtopia’s teaching and research team, she is committed to guiding the teachers in devoting themselves to teaching, continuously improving teaching quality, and popularizing the scientific parenting concepts.

Name: Gao Tingting 高婷婷
Position: IC Class Lead Teacher
School: Kidtopia

Ms. Gao Tingting majored in preschool education at Beijing Normal University. She is the founder of the Green House of Beijing Kidtopia Montessori Kindergarten, IC class lead teacher, instructor of positive parenting, and the mother of a seven-year-old child. She is deeply engaged with the Montessori education philosophy and, over the years, has helped more than a thousand families with scientific parenting methods and provides appropriate guidance and solutions according to different stages of childhood development. She has held lectures on various parenting topics so that more families can enact scientific Montessori parenting concepts. She has also conducted family environment guidance and designed parent-child activity courses.

Name: Jojo Zhou 周洁
Position: Member of the Management Team/Teacher
School: Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy

Ms. Jojo Zhou graduated from Yangzhou University, majoring in teaching Chinese as a second language. After graduating, based on her passion for promoting Chinese language and culture, she went to the US and taught Chinese at kindergartens and elementary schools for almost two years. In the summer of 2015, she returned to China and joined Kids ‘R’ Kids as a member of the founding team. In just over five years, she has grown from a front-line teacher into an outstanding member of the management team, setting an example of dedication and professionalism for others. She was also named one of the “2020 Top Ten Touching KRK Figures.” As the most experienced front-line teacher at Kids ‘R’ Kids and as a bilingual, multicultural international citizen, she will continue to contribute to the school, to Kids ‘R’ Kids as a brand, and to the early childhood education industry as a whole.

Name: Candy Tang 唐迎
Position: Teacher
School: Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy

Candy Tang graduated from Capital Normal University, majoring in early childhood education. She decided to become a kindergarten teacher early on in her career. With more than 13 years of experience since 2007, she has worked at many different kinds of kindergartens, from traditional Chinese to Montessori to bilingual international kindergartens. Growing through new challenges and adventures, she has won many awards for her outstanding performance. She is fully committed to improving the life of every child.

Name: Cici Xiong 熊聪聪
Position: Teacher
School: Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy

Cici Xiong graduated from Jiaozuo Normal College, majoring in early childhood education. Thanks to her dedication and hard work, in just over four years at Kids ‘R’ Kids, she grew from a regular assistant teacher to an outstanding leading teacher, gaining popularity among her children, recognition from parents, and admiration from her peers. She was also named one of the ‘2020 Top Ten Touching KRK Figures.” While trying hard to improve her English, she continues to advance her education and has received training to be a kindergarten director. A perfect example of “staying true to your heart,” she aims to be a positive influence on the children with her positive energy.

KEEP READING: Jing Educators Award 2020: High School Principals

Images courtesy of the schools