If the extra use of deodorant, antiperspirant, and sunscreen isn’t a clear indication that the summer temperatures are here then the constant craving for something cold should be the most telling marker that our bodies need extra help to cool down.

Shops and supermarkets are filled with different varieties of ice creams and popsicles that can be quite challenging on your tastebuds. Here are some easy do-it-yourself popsicle recipes from allrecipes.com that you can make at home and enjoy throughout Beijing’s warmer months.

Monkey Tails

Ingredients

• 10 ice pop sticks
• 5 very ripe bananas, peeled, and halved crosswise
• 1 (16 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 10 tablespoons flaked coconut, or as needed

Directions
Insert 1 pop stick into the cut end of each banana. Place the bananas on a wax paper covered baking sheet and freeze until the bananas are frozen, about 2 hours.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave).

Dip the frozen bananas in the melted chocolate, spooning the chocolate over the banana to cover it completely. Roll in coconut if desired. Place the dipped bananas on the wax paper-covered baking sheet, and freeze until the chocolate is firm.

Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Ice Pops

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and sliced bananas, mixed
• 2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 8 small paper cups
• 8 popsicle sticks

Directions
Place the mixed blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, sliced bananas, yogurt, and sugar into a blender. Cover, and blend until fruit is chunky or smooth, as desired.

Fill paper cups 3/4 full with fruit mixture. Cover the top of each cup with a strip of aluminum foil. Poke a popsicle stick through the center of the foil on each cup.

Place the cups in the freezer for at least 5 hours. To serve, remove foil and peel off the paper cup.

Yummy Watermelon Pops

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cubed seeded watermelon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Directions
Place the watermelon, lemon juice, sugar, and raspberries into a blender, and blend on High speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into ice pop molds, and insert sticks or handles. Freeze until firm, several hours or overnight.

READ: Would We Lychee to You? Five Summery Fruits Now in Season

This article originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids.

Photo: pinimg.com

For Yinan An her long term goal of opening a school got accelerated in 2012 when she and a partner, Sandra Bo opened AnRic Little Montessori Room. Don’t let the name fool you; this has grown to be more than a room, literally. The two moms were brought together through their children’s extracurricular activity where they gravitated towards each other. An is a certified AMS teacher and holds a dual masters degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from New York University (NYU). She is the head of school and lead teacher for the Toddler Class (TC). Bo holds a PhD in Economics and handles the finances.

AnRic LMR is a full international member school of the American Montessori Society (AMS) and has an interesting tale of how it began before moving to their new swanky location.

The reception area

Their humble abode was in Tower C at the Global Trade Mansion near The Place, beginning with just one classroom. As the years passed and the demand for classrooms grew, they expanded to three classrooms. In their new building space in Tower D, AnRic has maintained three classrooms, and added facilities including a library, gym and kitchen.

It took three years to pick the new location because of a number of variables that An and Bo weren’t willing to compromise on. The most important variable was the location. They wanted to stay in the same general area because of the diverse community that matches their values of a diverse and multicultural-school, the accessibility of an outdoor play area, and also because many of their students are from around this area.

A teacher explores a concept with her students

When An and Bo started the school, all they wanted first and foremost was to create a healthy and safe learning environment. However, year-on-year as the numbers kept growing the circumstances about taking it slow changed and they had to adapt to accommodate their growing popularity. The school had grown from a mere two students to over 40 and the founders always strived to provide an ideal learning environment for AnRic children. When it was time to move, they engaged an expert interior designer to bring to life their concepts of having nature, light, and simplicity as the main themes.

A student does her own work

“I wanted the designer to have their own ideas and to get in touch with the environment. When they design something original it’s truly a work of art and I wanted something unique. Nobody tells you how a school should look like, “ said An.

The most noticeable feature after entering the new location is something that is absent greatly from Beijing, high ceilings. Yes, this space has very high ceilings and windows. The windows as well as the school’s walls are covered with translucent blinds, which display the students’ artworks to give it an added personalized touch.

An shared that the students find it much easier to visit one another. Also, the children love sharing the library and gym. The teachers were equally ecstatic about the new location because they often use it as a learning tool, for example, the second-floor children’s toilets are used to teach about varying perspectives, such as the top view (or bird’s eye view).

A view of the second floor washrooms

The school has two Daikin central air purification systems that clean out over 90 percent of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and much more, making the air clean and fresh. The location’s interiors are also covered by a photocatalytic coating, that’s an “Advanced surface coating technology designed to self clean the surfaces, remove air and water contaminants, suppress microbial growth, degrade hazardous organic pollutants into a harmless substance, producing a safe and healthy living environment,” according to Green Millennium.

The new location has the following cool new spots.
Library: This area is currently in the filling stages since this is going to be one of the most important areas for learning and exploration in the years to come. The curation of the books is being carefully done with a focus on arts and science books in different languages such as English, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, and much much more. The main idea of this area is to have books that aren’t easily found in bookstores in China and to encourage a love for independent reading.

The best spot for the children

Gym: The student’s favorite place to play is the gym with plenty of fun inducing equipment including a dome climber, net climber, swings, large soft blocks, a triangular mirror tent, and much more . Another really unique feature of the gym is the ballet and yoga studio that is created when the curtains around three sides of the gym are drawn to minimize distractions while classes are run.
Kitchen: The cuteness factor is above measurement in this area as all the materials are specially made for children including their very own child-sized food grade 403 stainless steel kitchen islands, oven, and stove. Children have small group cooking sessions and experiment with recipes that are updated regularly.

The parent’s room also doubles as the waiting room

Parent’s Room: Doubling as the waiting room, the parent’s room has a unique function and that is to help new school students go through a smooth separation process. In most schools, parents drop off their children then head off on their merry way until it’s time to pick them up. This isn’t the case at AnRic, as parents may stay in the room and their children can go back and forth to look for them as necessary. This supports the transition process and eases children into the school routines and general environment.

Should you be interested in going to check out the school, please call 6591 8169, text (only) 186 0082 6958, or email admissions@anricedu.com to make an appointment. Please visit www.anricedu.com for more information.

This post is paid for by AnRic Little Montessori Room.

Photos: AnRic Little Montessori Room

This content marketing series is divided into three parts under the themes of sports, leadership, and the arts. This is part three of the three-part series. In part one, we spoke to the talented art students and their insight can be found here. In part two, we spoke to the sporty students and they share their fuller school life experience here. As the graduating class of 2017 bids farewell to family and friends, they have come full circle and share their ups, downs, and advice for younger students.

Students have a greater ownership in school when their voices are heard. Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) provides numerous avenues for students to realize their full leadership potential on a small or large scale and joining the Student Leadership is one of them.

Far left: Silvia, Lesley, and Johanna with friends

Students need to apply for the Student Leadership team and undergo several rounds of interviews, including an elevator pitch in front of the Headmaster and the school leadership team. The aim of this process is to mentally prepare the students for future application or selection process to universities and jobs. The prefects, as what the leaders are called, are comprised of a Head Boy, a Head Girl, and their Deputies, and the rest of the team with individual portfolios ( i.e. Sports, Media, Performing Arts, Sustainability Prefect etc.). The leadership team is open to Year 12 and serves a one-year term until Year 13.

We sat down with outgoing Head Girl Johanna S., who has been at the school for eight years, Deputy Head Girl Lesley Z., who has been at the school for five years, and MUN Prefect Silvia S., who has been at DCB for almost nine years.

Silvia giving a speech at MUN

The three young ladies share their background and motivations for wanting to take up leadership roles.
Lesley: I’m Chinese-American. I always wanted to be a prefect when I was a younger student because prefects were like role models. It seemed like it would be a nice way to give back to the school community. I really didn’t think of becoming a prefect leader until the process was announced when I got to know more about it. Then I realized that if you become a leader you could do so much more than just be a prefect.
Johanna: I’m Swedish-Chinese. I have quite a similar experience to Lesley on how I got involved in this role. I always looked up to the prefects especially the leadership team and they really encouraged me to take different pursuits. I saw how they were able to influence the school and they were almost seen as teachers more than just students, so I really admired that.
Silvia: I’m Austrian-Chinese. I was running, alongside Johanna, DIMUN (Dulwich International Model United Nations), which is the school Model United Nations. I got into that from middle school. I started participating in MUN conferences then I realized it was quite an intellectual challenge and a way to meet new people who were really smart as well. And so I decided to get into leadership in this area because I have a lot of ideas and I thought they might bring some benefits to the system as well.

Johanna on stage at DCB’s Founder’s Day last year

These were some of the benefits they were been able to gain from their roles.
Lesley: As deputy head girl, most of my leadership experience comes from managing a portfolio. I’m in charge of the ICT [Information, Communication, and Technology] sector. One thing that I learned from this so far is probably taking initiative. It’s because when you do a lot of tasks, it’s easier to envision ideas. But to actually get down to materializing those ideas, it requires you a certain level of commitment. I learned how to tweak my approach to things to make it easier to get things done.
Johanna: It really challenged my time management skills and resilience. The IB program is quite rigorous and with a lot of other extracurricular activities. It was a bit hard to balance everything at the beginning but then it taught me to prioritize and be most efficient with the tasks I was given.
Silvia: I guess as a leader in MUN, firstly you have to be good at MUN itself to be able to organize a conference. We’re also a kind of hands-on in what’s happening.

Johanna, Silvia, and Lesley take a selfie at their graduation ceremony

Balancing between their academics and leadership roles did not diminish their enthusiasm for either.
Johanna: I wouldn’t say my leadership role took away anything from my academics, I would probably say the opposite. Having all these extra-curricular activities is more of like a stress reliever than something that pressures you most of the time. Also, having so many things can help you become more efficient.
Lesley: I agree. I like making a list of all the things I need to do and prioritize them.
Silvia: I just do it.

Future prospects
Lesley: Amherst College
Johanna: Yale University
Silvia: Oxford University

Learning by Leading: Model United Nations at Dulwich

Dulwich International Model United Nations Conference teens are anything but ordinary.

Words of advice
Lesley: Taking a leadership role can be scary! But the ultimate experience and benefits greatly outweigh the fear, so you should definitely try.
Johanna: Try to take every opportunity out there and be dedicated!
Silvia: First, know what your talents are and then be good at them. 

This post is paid for by DCB.

Photos: Courtesy of DCB & Uni You

This series is divided into three parts under the themes of sports, leadership, and the arts. This is part one of the series. As the graduating class of 2017 bids farewell to family and friends, they have come full circle and share their experiences and advice for younger students.

Behind every great artist, there’s a great teacher, and many of those performers and creative types are quick to thank their mentors and educators — from actors like Kerry Washington to legendary singers like Patti LaBelle and more. We might one day hear some of the stars of tomorrow giving the same credit to their teachers at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), seeing that this British international school in China brings such strong programmes to nurture budding talents.

The school knows that starting early is key to igniting a passion in talented students. That means even their youngest students (18 months to 3 years) have a specialist music teacher in their class every week. In Year 3 (7 years old), students kick things off with a recorder and ukulele then move to wind and strings instruments.

Flemming performs her piano solo at Dulwich Music Awards

There are also over 100 music and drama events, art exhibitions, and artists’ visits (VPN required) in an academic year that provide pupils with the opportunities to hone their skills based on DCB’s philosophy of student-led projects.

We spoke to three students, Flemming L., who has been at the school for six years, Simone Z., who has been at the school for eight years, and Tristen W., who has spent his entire academic life at the school.

The three talented Year 13 (Grade 12) students share their background and reasons for pursuing their creative paths.

Flemming: My interest is in music, especially piano and choirs. I started playing at a really young age and my parents just really urged me to move on. They really told how important it was to have one skill that you are really good at. Over the years I have discovered my talent in music over many other subjects so I continued on this road.
Simone: When I was younger I used to love drawing and my parents encouraged that. They sent me to sketching classes, typical kinds of art related classes and I chose to continue to take art at school at GCSE through [to]IB.
Tristen: I didn’t have a passion for music until I was a teenager. That’s when I started to fall in love with music in general because I have been actively listening to different kinds of music.

Tristen in one of the state-of-the-art music production studios at DCB

Here are some of the benefits the students have experienced.
Flemming: I have met many great musicians and fellow students like Tristen. I also built really good relationships with every music teacher I have had.
Simone: For me, pursuing art is cathartic at times and it’s very different, the arts and performing arts, from your other subjects. Being able to take that class many times a week gives you a release from the typical mathematical, science subjects.
Tristen: Definitely my social skills [improved]. I remember when I was small, I was a really closed [off]person. Then, when I got into music and started to attend a lot of the events at school, I was able to open up myself a bit more and communicate with more people. That helped me make more friends.

Royal Shakespeare Company Practitioner Guy Jones at DCB

DCB interviewed director, dramaturge, and facilitator about his time at DCB.

The students have projects that they are most proud of accomplishing.
Flemming: The project I’m most proud of is an oral class for junior school students that I initiated and am the only teacher of. There’s this external music exam called the ABRSM and it includes a section called oral. I started this project because I benefitted from this system from a really young age and I wanted to help more junior school students prepare for it. I knew that a lot of students at DCB would be taking ABRSM exams. I started this project in Year 12 as part of my CAS project but after CAS ended I found it really interesting so I kept on offering it.
Simone: The teachers gave me license to decorate and refurbish our Common IB room last year. I solicited photographs from fellow students in the IB programme. I was quite proud of the final result because it proved to me that art doesn’t have to be something only critics look at, it could be something students and everyone can appreciate.
Tristen: I’m really proud of the composition arrangement that I wrote for a songwriter/producer. I’m not exactly proud of the project itself but because it marks the beginning of my musical career.

Simone at her final IB exhibition at DCB

Future prospects.
Flemming: Northwestern University
Simone: Brown University
Tristen: Berklee College of Music

Words of advice.
Flemming: Grab all the opportunities you can get. You can get something meaningful out of everything you do. There’s no such thing as a waste of time; you can learn even from the smallest thing.
Tristen: For someone with a strong passion, [try]not be too desperate to reach it [success]. Once you are too desperate you lack the experience and head into things without knowing much.
Simone: Fake it until you make it! I think the key to improving and increasing your ability is to have the confidence that you can do something and throw yourself at it until you get better. 

This post is paid for by DCB.

Photos: Courtesy of DCB and Uni You

If you’re at your wits’ end over what to cook, then don’t fret, as getting hot, delicious food delivered to your doorstep is very simple. Beijing has several English- and Chinese-based delivery services that simplify your life by giving you one less thing to think about. Here’s a list of English-only delivery services that truly deliver.

Sherpa’s

Its familiar orange scooters can be seen across the Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts. It has a large selection of partner restaurants such as Home Plate BBQ, Wagas, and Tandoori Kitchen.

Delivery zones: Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts

Delivery fee: Starts at RMB 15 and increases according to distance. Sherpa’s has a happy hour promotion from 1-6pm on weekdays where the delivery fee is waived if the total is RMB 20 or less. There’s a minimum delivery amount of RMB 100 at dinner hours starting from 6pm.

How to order: Check their app and website or contact 400 600 6209

Jinshisong 锦食送

It is one of the larger delivery services for western restaurants. It has international and Chinese selections and covers a wider delivery area than Sherpa’s.

Delivery zones: Chaoyang, Dongcheng, Xicheng, and Haidian

Delivery fee: Starts at RMB 15, though many restaurants offer free delivery within 3km. There is a minimum order of RMB 68.

How to order and pay:  Check their app or website or contact 400 030 0517. Cash or POS upon delivery, WeChat or Alipay if ordering via the app.

KK Rabbit

offers a range of international and Chinese cuisine, though it is more limited than Sherpa’s or Jinshisong. KK Rabbit Operators can also take orders through MSN and Skype.

Delivery zones: Guomao, Sanlitun, Chaoyang Park and Shunyi

Delivery fee: RMB 15 for addresses within 3km of the restaurant. There’s an extra RMB 7 for every kilometer after that. When you place an order through the website, KK Rabbit will call you within ten minutes to tell you the correct delivery fee; the website tends to overestimate the fee as a conservative measure.

How to order: Their website is easier than calling as the orders can easily be mistaken. Hotline: 400 720 1717

Youcansong 优餐送

delivers from Chinese and international restaurants. In its own words, Youcansong delivers “the best food with superior service.”

Delivery zones: Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts

Delivery fee: Delivery fee is calculated by the distance from the restaurant to your home. Youcansong charges RMB 15 for the first 3km and RMB 5 for each additional kilometer.

How to order and pay: Online via website or app, or by calling 4000 700 250 or 6500 9155. You can also use cash or POS (China Union Pay cards only) upon delivery.

Chinese-only Apps

Meituan Waimai 美团外卖

It’s a must for finding restaurants, food delivery, deals and vouchers, shopping, purchasing tickets, and so much more. Even better, with Meituan you can access its listings through WeChat.

Delivery zones: Across Beijing

Delivery fee: This depends on the restaurant but usually doesn’t exceed RMB 10. Meituan Waimai also has a minimum price range for food items that can be delivered.

How to order and pay: Via the app. You need to pay using Baidu Wallet, Alipay, or WeChat Wallet upon ordering, though some restaurants accept cash on delivery.

Baidu Waimai

Delivery zones: Across Beijing

Delivery fee: Delivery is calculated by distance from the restaurant, but is rarely more than RMB 5-10.

How to order and pay: Via the app or call 1010 5777. You can also use Baidu Wallet, Alipay, WeChat Wallet, or cash on delivery (for some restaurants only).

Eleme 饿了么

Delivery zones: Across Beijing

Delivery fee: Up to RMB 20 (for restaurants) and RMB 30 (for fruit deliveries)

How to order and pay: Via app. You need to pay via Baidu Wallet, Alipay, or WeChat Wallet upon ordering, though some restaurants accept cash on delivery.

This article originally appeared on p 54-55 of beijingkids May Issue.
Download the digital copy here.

Featured photo from Baohm via Pixabay

In the digital age, a cursory online search about “college admission myths” can generate millions of results – and just as many as concerns. The overwhelming amount of contradictory information can leave many parents and students with more questions than answers in their quest for sound advice from trustworthy sources.

In its Guide for Families in the College Admission Process, the National Association for College Admission Counseling suggests parents and guardians’ first steps towards planning for college should begin when their child is in middle school (grades 6-8). This might seem early, but during a sit down with the International School of Beijing‘s (ISB) High School Counseling Team Leader, Andy Mennick, we learned that many US college admission offices scrutinize students’ entire high school transcripts – and not just senior year results.

High School Counseling Team Leader, Andy Mennick

The most fundamental part of the college application process is finding the “best-fit” school. Is an Ivy League university the best choice? Not necessarily. Amid the flow of abundant information, high school counselors play a crucial role in helping students and parents navigate this important process with confidence. Mennick, who has over 20 years’ experience as a high school counselor, shares with us five common misconceptions about college applications:

1) Scores are Everything
The world has evolved from the “third industrial revolution” style of education, where standardized tests alone determined which university a student was accepted into. The Chinese education system still puts great emphasis on passing final exams, such as the gaokao. However, getting higher SAT and/or ACT scores aren’t an automatic guarantee of college acceptance in other countries. This is one of the most common misconceptions because college admissions officers ask for transcripts to see what the students have been doing throughout their high school life. Pay closer attention to the subjects and activities students are involved in.

2) External College Consulting Companies can Provide a Quick-fix
Unless your child’s school does not have a dedicated counseling team, this is not the time to get outside help. Private consulting companies charge a lot of money with the promise they can offer students a place at their “dream” school. The process of college counseling is a personal one. It requires getting one-on-one time, getting to know students intimately, and helping them navigate their lives as they get ready for the future. It isn’t a quick-fix process; it requires time and attention – something most private companies don’t invest in.

3) The Author of a Recommendation Letter is More Important than the Content
The golden rule for recommendation letters? No name dropping! A famous or influential family friend who seldom sees your child can’t write a recommendation letter that is as convincing as one written by a teacher. In the special circumstances where a student has outside help, such as from a coach, they should be listed as one of the referees. The people who are directly involved with your child’s education and are familiar with your child’s strengths and character are best positioned to write a recommendation letter. College admission officers want to hear from teachers who know what kind of learner (and individual) your child is.

4) There’s a ‘Magic’ Formula
The college admissions process is a personalized experience. One student’s pathway into college might not be suited to another. More accurately, the journeys students navigate into college are as diverse as they are. Your child is unique with their own interests, passions, and ambitions. Take these into account and don’t feel pressured to follow the lead of others.

5) University Rankings Matter
A 2012 survey of employers from different industries shed light on how they make decisions when hiring college graduates. Data from the Chronicle of Higher Education shows that most employers placed college reputation as the least relevant attribute. University rankings are deceiving because they don’t really tell students about the university’s culture. Moreover, some rankings are based on graduate research programs (not undergraduate courses), which provides a misleading picture.

Education is ever-evolving and trends are constantly changing. However, by dispelling some myths about college admissions you can make informed decisions grounded in research and expertise. ISB will be hosting an information session on college admissions led by Mennick on March 22 for grade 8-11 parents and students. This event is a good opportunity to get informed and ask questions unique to your family’s situation as you search for a “best-fit” university.

College Guidance Best Practices from ISB
Wednesday, March 22 from 9–11am
Space is limited. Long-press/Scan the QR code or visit www.isb.bj.edu.cn to register

This blog is sponsored by ISB

Photos: ISB

In November 2016, the International School of Beijing (ISB) held its first Innovation Expo that gave both old and young innovators a chance to exhibit their creations. In this edition of Blank Canvas, we showcase three projects from the expo as they share what the students are passionate about.

 

Project 1

The Rover Project by Grade 10 Bookyu P. and Subin U.

We began this project for the objective of winning the competitions that the robotics club holds every couple of weeks. The challenge, this time, was to design and create a robot that could complete an obstacle course in the least amount of time. We also had to do this within certain restrictions; we could only use 2NXT motors and Lego pieces.  We decided to work on a 4-wheel design and give maximum power to the back wheels to push our robot forward. We won the competition.

For the expo, we began to create an improved version that was faster and efficient. We successfully installed a redundancy that allowed the wheel to run even if a gear popped off, and we greatly increased the speed by introducing another motor to the front wheels. But not everything went smoothly, and we had many challenges on improving our older design.

Though I think we are both satisfied with the result, we are not done yet. We want to add a couple more commands to the programming that allows it to go backward, and think of ways to make the finished car lighter. We are both extremely passionate about science and robotics, and we hope to continue doing this for a long time!

One of the most contentious debates going on in the world is sex education, from how we define it to whether we should even allow this type of education to be part of the formal curriculum. There are those for and against such issues as sexuality and gender being broached in the classroom. Sex education, also described as sexuality education, is evolving from the purely biological to even including various mental health issues.

In this technologically advanced era, children have greater exposure to sexually explicit materials (check our feature on pg 48) through access to the Internet and other media, which means it’s vital to equip them with the knowledge and skills to make responsible choices.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE) advises that schools and educators touch on and explore the topic of sexuality in the classrooms in order to play the vital role teachers have in ensuring the protection and well being of young children and teens. Teachers also must work together with parents and the wider community.

This article in no way tries to dictate how schools should or shouldn’t approach this sensitive issue, but rather to highlight the approaches taken at two Beijing schools.

According to the ITGSE, “The rules that govern sexual behavior differ widely across and within cultures. Certain behaviors are seen as acceptable and desirable while others are considered unacceptable. This does not mean that these behaviors do not occur, or that they should be excluded from discussion within the context of sexuality education.”

In 2010, the regional office of the World Health Organization in Europe published the “Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe: A framework for policy-makers, educational and health authorities and specialists.” Meanwhile, UNESCO-ITGSE has outlined several topic areas and age groups where sexuality and gender education should start. Check pg 32 for more details.

The WHO guideline was spearheaded by Dr. Gunta Lazdane, regional adviser on sexual and reproductive health at Europe regional office. In an article on the WHO website, Dr. Lazdane was quoted as saying, “typically, current sexual education curricula places heavy emphasis on biological aspects. This is not enough. What we need is a new approach to sexuality education. This is what new guidelines are all about. They place facts in the broader context of values, knowledge, and life skills and so forth, so that the health-related aspects can be understood in the broadest terms.”

The article continued to add that the new guidelines are based on a positive interpretation of sexuality, as a part of physical and mental health. Such topics as HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, and sexual violence are embedded in all-embracing education that focuses on the individual’s self-determination and people’s responsibility for themselves and others.

We sat down with Western Academy of Beijing’s (WAB) High School Principal Melanie Vrba; Grade 12 student Hitomi Saito; Andy Murphy, middle school English Language and Literature, and Individuals and Societies teacher; and Zhang Hong, principal of Fangcaodi (FCD) School International Department. WAB has had a sex education program for years while FCD is starting its program.

Program Implementation 

Four years ago, Canadian Vrba came to Beijing after years of pursuing her passion for teaching at different international postings in Lebanon, Thailand, and Japan. WAB’s approach to sex education is broached through the health curriculum under their Health and Physical Education and Personal and Social Education programs, according to Vrba.

Kicking off the subject at Grade 5, WAB factors in the developmental age of each grade to give students suitable information. The school uses a mixed model in developing the sex education program of teachers and outside experts.

Some of the classes are lead by the students, with topics such as how to deal with a break-up, relationship, cyberbullying, and so on, Murphy said. The role-play in each of the sessions reenacts real life situations, and teaches how to deal with them.

Hong has over 20 years teaching and education management experience. First starting as a Chinese language teacher in 1990, Hong has taken many roles as a classroom teacher, a teaching director, an academic research head in an FCD education group, and now as a principal.

Hong said that the parents-teachers association initiated the sex education program after it organized a lecture that was delivered by Dr. Liu Wenli, a professor from Beijing Normal University, who’s also an expert in children’s sex education research and an author of many textbooks currently used in migrant schools in China. Hong explained that the lecture and the diverse student demographic helped the school management to come up with a stronger sex education program.

“We are in a unique situation with students from all over the world. That forces us to change and we cannot act like an old- style Chinese public school when it comes to sex education. We definitely cannot forbid teenage students from talking about love or threaten to punish them. That would just hurt the kids psychologically; that’s not the right path of education,” said Hong.

In countries such as Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and even some states in the USA, sex education programs start as early as nursery and kindergarten. China, in comparison, is lagging behind, according to Hong. The school management and teachers had a lot of discussions and research using case studies from the countries mentioned above.

“At the same time, our PTA was also looking for solutions to address this subject, and we were lucky to have Dr. Liu and her team come on board to help. She and her team developed the first set of Chinese textbooks in children’s sex education: Love of Life – sex and health education for primary students. We decided to start the sex education program from Grade 1 to 6 by adopting this set of textbooks and with the help of Dr. Liu. Also, we follow instructions from the experts to make sure we can execute this program at an international level and standard,” Hong said.

Hong took us through the process of developing and implementing this program:

1. Teacher Training: The priority of this training was to make sure all teachers were on board, truly understanding what sex education is about, knowing how to deliver it to students, and learning how to measure the result. The goal is to make sure all teachers in the school can deliver the course, so we don’t rely only on external experts to deliver lectures to kids. The school had to make sure every teacher is comfortable and confident with this subject, so whenever they encounter a situation, they can talk to students in an appropriate way.

2. Resource Building and Curriculum Change: The school introduced and adopted the use of Dr. Liu’s textbooks, then placed those books in every classroom book corner so that teachers and students could flip through them anytime before or after class. Also, a full-class session is dedicated to this subject every week, so the teachers can teach and discuss with students.

3. Collaboration: The school appointed a lead-teacher for each class to be the teacher in charge of delivering the program. Simultaneously, all teachers study and prepare the teaching content together, having teachers sharing successful experience with other teachers and teaching students in different classes.

4. Professional Development: The school, with the help of Dr. Liu, gets expert speakers from around the world to come and offer workshops to learn about the latest research and global and regional practices.

5. Research Center: Working with Dr. Liu in further research and development of the program, using the school as a research field, to further study how sex education could be better approached with students from different background. “We have to respect such cultural difference while making sure all students get the knowledge effectively,” Hong said.

The school did face three major challenges:

• Getting the teachers to be educated first, fully understand the concept and philosophy of sex education, and master the skills on how to deliver it to students, takes time. Like every other subject, it might take as long as 3 to 5 years for a teacher to truly be good at it.

• Most of the resources and learning materials are from other countries that differ in cultural context and practice therefore time is spent on tests, experiments, and localization of all the content.

• Parents misunderstand sex education. Before the course was started, the school surveyed parents and found that most parents believed their kids are too young to understand or be taught sex education. The misconception is that exposing kids to sex education in an early age would most likely result in sex behavioral problems when growing up, while worldwide research actually shows just the opposite.

The Next Step

Sex and gender isn’t the same thing. Sex refers to biological status such as male or female and is closely linked to physical attributes such as chromosomes, external and internal anatomy, while gender refers to what society considers appropriate for boys and men or girls and women. These are socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that affect the way people act, interact, and feel about themselves, according to the American Psychology Association (APA).

In schools like WAB, they provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and students who are questioning their gender through clubs such as Spectrum, Vrba said. In addition, they have feminist groups which challenge the gender stereotypes. Currently, WAB stands alone as the only school to have a vibrant LGBT club that operates freely and openly.

APA explains that “transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression, or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else; gender expression refers to the way a person communicates gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice, or body characteristics.”

Recently, the school has been working on its transgender guidelines, which at time of publication was undergoing final reviews. The guideline started as the school started to help one of their students who was questioning his gender and wished to transition into identifying as male.

Vrba said, “As our counseling team and teachers worked with him, we realized that WAB needed some guidance for our community for situations such as this. Early on, this guidance included research on gender pronouns and focused on logistics, such as which bathrooms were most appropriate. Later, we formalized the policy so that we could make decisions about student travel for our Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC) activities. Those involved included our Student Support Team and administrators, as well as the student himself. Later, once the policy was written, the student helped by having an expert read and comment on the policy to see if we missed anything. We will make this policy publicly available to our community and to other schools if they wish to see it. It is, for instance, being used as a model by other APAC schools who are currently writing their own policy.”

Grade 12 student Hitomi Saito identifies as male but was born female. Saito is the transgender program coordinator at the Beijing LGBT Center. He has helped in the establishment of a hotline and support groups. A twin, Saito and his sister are of mixed heritage, Japanese and Chinese but he has lived in China for most of his life. In my interview with him and a video he gave me to watch, he narrates his story of how he struggled to fit in from an early age, and had a hard time adjusting to school and life in general.

The charismatic student had to explain to his parents what was going on, and relates that his parents didn’t understand at first what he truly was talking about, as they thought it was a phase he would ultimately grow out of. A few years later, the parents started to fully understand. In grade 11, his parents approached the school after he had missed several classes to explain the absence, and that resulted in the school and family working together to come up with a way to let him freely be himself.

Sexual Abuse

When approaching discussions around sexual abuse, the main area of focus should be consent. The contextual navigation of the subject will differ accordingly; for example boarding school students will need more information and guidelines than their day school counterparts.

Schools such as WAB have policies in place to help children know what consent is such as “good touches” and “bad touches,” discussions that start as early as elementary school. Vrba said that WAB’s Child Protection Policies outline the school’s way of dealing with a case should it arise.

“WAB’s Child Protection Policy is based upon the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Minors (2012 Amendment), international law and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which China has signed.”

According to UNESCO, children from age 5 should begin to have discussions about sexual abuse. But experts disagree. Go to page 54 for more information.

It’s that time again to submit your cookie recipe for the Annual Cookie Monster Charity Bake-Off and get full bragging rights if your recipe is crowned the winner. This year’s deadline is February 13 and should be sent to Kristen Lum of Lum Dim Sum. The cookie monsters can get to munch on these year’s entries on March 19. Spaces are limited and the earlier you send your application the better.

The Hutong and lumdimsum.com co-host an annual charity bake-off – now in its fourth year – to feed the city’s cookie lovers and help aspiring bakers get more publicity. Additionally, part of the money from the sale of cookies goes to charity.

The entrance fee is RMB 150 for non-members, RMB 100 for members, and RMB 50 for children under the age of 12. The entrance fees include samples of cookies and a cup of warm milk. The selected bakers are asked to bake enough samples to feed 50 people and small packets to sell (RMB 20 which RMB 5 are donated to charity) on site to people who might like their cookies. If you don’t score big in Chinese New Year hongbaos (red packets) then be sure to get your hands on the raffle tickets that will be used to raise money for charity.

The beijinger’s managing editor, Margaux Schreurs wrote, “if we can give you one piece of advice, it’s to make sure you come hungry because 20 cookie samples is quite a lot.”

You can find more information here.

Photos: thebeijinger.com