Finally Back to School

Saying “there’s never been a back to school like this before” is an understatement. After months of wondering whether the Sep 1 back to school announcement will actually happen or if last-minute changes would halt the plans, we’re excited to see schools all across the city welcome back their students after strict distancing measures have been put in place.

Shake Shack Opens in Beijing

Shake Shack opened its first location right in the middle of Sanlitun Taikoo Li. While some might say that Shake Shack is just a fast-food burger, others swear that it’s the best burger they’ve ever had. You be the judge, but in the first weeks following their grand opening, the line outside of Shake Shack was literally out the door — over an hour’s wait to be precise.

Extra Points for IB

Following the global outcry of students dissatisfied by their International Baccalaureate (IB) score, the company faced criticism over its handling of the testing in the wake of COVID-19 and adjusted the scores. In an official statement issued by IB, the company said “We listened carefully to the concerns raised by some schools, students and their families . . . Our review and analysis of the detailed information from schools offered invaluable insights, leading the IB to evaluate and recommend grade adjustments, where applicable, that we believe are fair to all students.”

Find The Perfect School for Your Child

With over 80 international schools in attendance, educational forums given by both parents and experts, activities for burgeoning student entrepreneurs, and much more, the Jingkids International School Expo (JISE) 2020 is something you can’t miss! Join us this coming Oct 24-25 at Beijing Renaissance Capital Hotel.

KEEP READING: 5,000+ Families Search for the Perfect School at JISE, Oct 24 – 25

Images: beijingkids, unsplash, Joey Knotts

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 October issue

Hot & Spicy Fest 2020

This year’s Hot & Spicy Fest was a weekend of fun, music, drinks, and (of course) a ton of deliciously spicy food, and a great crowd showed up to celebrate despite the threat of bad weather. Luckily, the rain never came and the good times rolled on! It just goes to show that when it comes to having fun, there’s no stopping us Beijingers. Stay tuned for more food festivals coming up later on in the year.

For food lovers, there’s more to come! The Beijinger‘s annual Burger Fest is just around the corner. This year’s superhero-themed festival will be held on Sept 18 – 20. What’s more, the fest will feature the superpowers of our title sponsor JSS and their caped delivery crusaders, a great way to get your favorite burger – or just about anything else, from fine foods to fresh groceries – brought straight to your door.

Meet Our New Deputy Managing Editor

Beijingkids welcomes Cindy Marie Jenkins as our new Deputy Managing Editor. Jenkins hails from Los Angeles where she was a writer, director, and marketer for theaters and nonprofits. Her published works address the intersection of parenting, travel, culture, and work. Cindy consults with both work-at-home-parents, employers who want to hire them, and most recently helped live theaters pivot to virtual experiences. She lives in Beijing with her husband and two kids aged four and six. She read beijingkids for four years before moving here and we’re so thrilled for her to join the team!

We’ll Miss You, Anna!

As we welcome in our new Deputy Managing Editor Cindy Marie Jenkins, we say farewell to Anna Pellegrin Hartley who’s been an integral part of the beijingkids team over the past few months. Pellegrin Hartley has been a part of the True Run Media family for 2 years, first working as the Senior Editor and Digital Media Strategist at the Beijinger before moving over to beijingkids. Pellegrin Hartley’s personality was like a ray of sunshine and we’re going to miss seeing her in the office every day. We wish her all the best in her next big adventure!

Summer Well Spent

We’ve had such an amazing time working with our interns this summer. This group of talented young writers contributed their unique voice and views of our beloved city. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dorothy Asiedu, Qinglan Du, Jack He, Olivia Li, Pranav Sundararajan, Eloise Wester, FeiFei Xu, TianTian Xu, and Lauren Zhou for their hard work. We’re so impressed with the quality and maturity of your work, and know that you will achieve great things in life. It’s been a privilege working with you guys!

KEEP READING: Liangma River Revamp Shapes up Nicely, More Than Half Now Open

Images: Uni You, Heidi Vale Photography, unsplash

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 September issue