The beijingkids and JingKids 2014 Spring School Choice Fair is sponsored by RGF AIR Purifiers.  

The third annual beijingkids and JingKids 2014 Spring School Choice Fair sponsored by RGF AIR Purifiers is this weekend, at the Hilton Beijing on March 1 and 2 from 10am-4pm. This is your chance to get face time and information from representatives from over 30 of Beijing’s top schools, as well as attend education related lectures and parent led panels.

Study up on all participating schools with the beijingkids 2014-2015 School Choice Guide, (articles, 70 school listings and entire magazine online).

Don’t forget preregistration is required for the fair — click here to register:

• www.beijing-kids.com/scf
• or use the JingKids (Chinese only) site www.jingkids.com/zxz

The schools confirmed to date are: 

1. 3e International School
2. Australian Haileybury International School(Tianjin Campus)
3. Beanstalk International Bilingual School
4. Beijing BISS International School
5. Beijing City International School
6. Beijing Collegiate Academy
7. Beijing Huijia Private School 
8. Beijing International Bilingual School
9. Beijing No 4 High School International campus
10. Beijing SMIC Private School
11. Beijing World Youth Academy
12. British School of Beijing
13. Canadian International School of Beijing
14. Daystar Academy
15. Dulwich College Beijing
16. Harrow International School Beijing
17. House of Knowledge
18. International Deparetment of  Beijing No 4 High School
19. International Montessori Teaching Institute
20. Ivy Schools
21. JiaDe Montessori kindergarten
22. Keystone Academy
23. Maple International Academy
24. Muffy’s International Kindergarten (MIK)
25. Saint Paul American School (SPAS)
26. The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China
27. Tsing Hua International School  (THIS)
28. Wellington College International Tianjin
29. Yew Chung International School of Beijing
30. Yew Wah Infant and Toddler Education Center  
31. Yew Wah International Education School

You can also get information from exhibitors in health care, after school education and camps: 

1. Bayley & Jackson Medical Center
2. Century Glory International Education
3. Foundation Global  Education
4. Haiyi Education Group
5. Hongkong International Medical Clinic
6. Horizon Sports Medicine Clinic
7. JTC  Camp
8. New Century Women’s  and Children’s Hospital
9. OASIS Health Management Hospital
10. OASIS International Hospitals
11. Princeton English and Amercian Culture Camp
12. Stateside Adventures
13. The Learning Center
14. YESSAT 

Kids’ Corners

Ivy Schools will host a kids’ corner for younger children (age 2-6) on the second floor from 10am to 4pm. Activities include creative art, a sensory table, science exploration and a library corner. Free. 

Older children can visit the third floor, for a creative art based children’s corner hosted by the newly launched UCCA Creative Studio. Suitable for children aged 5-12 years from 10am to 4pm. Free.

About our sponsor RGF AIR Purifiers

With our signature PHI pro-active air filtration system, RGF Air Purifier is a breakthrough in the history of air purification.  The innovation is nothing like the existing technologies and we are leading the field of air purification with advanced technology.

With our product, you will no longer be bothered by the typical problems: purification blind spots, insufficient treatment, secondary pollution, excessive cost, distracting noise and more.

The new technology allows you to breathe forest-like fresh air by eliminating harmful micro-organisms and substances in the air, including bacteria, viruses, mould, formaldehyde, benzene, TVOC, odors, and PM2.5 particles.

With RGF, you have nothing to worry about the air around you! Relax and enjoy.

For further inquiries, you can get in touch with the marketing team either by calling 5941 3243 or emailing events@beijing-kids.com to get more information about attending the event. If you wish to participate in the School Choice Fair please e-mail  schoolchoicefair@truerun.com.

beijingkids file photo. Photo courtesy of ivyschools.com

The beijingkids and JingKids 2014 Spring School Choice Fair is sponsored by RGF AIR Purifiers.  

Several years back, parents had limited schooling options in the capital but now there are international, local and amalgamated schools to choose from. Here lies in the conundrum, where do I take my child to school?  We are nearly two weeks away from the 2014 beijingkids and JingKids Spring School Choice Fair sponsored by RGF AIR Purifiers on March 1 and 2 at the Hilton Hotel Beijing, where you can get information about schooling from the exhibitors, education related lectures and parent led panels.

Preregistration is required — click here to register: www.beijing-kids.com/scf

A prelude to the event, the fourth annual beijingkids School Choice Guide  hit the streets last week featuring 70 schools listings up from last year’s 62 from small kindergartens to expansive K-12. This year apart from listing the school fees structures, student population, facilities, we added wanted to find out if the schools were registered with the Ministry of Education as well as local and international accrediations. Furthermore, the articles touch on topical issues such as the different curricula available, money matters, tackling air pollution, admission process and after school education. Get your online copy here.

Armed with information from the School Choice Guide, mingle with school representatives from the following schools: 

1. 3e International School
2. Beanstalk International Bilingual School
3. Beijing BISS International School
4. Beijing City International School
5. Beijing Collegiate Academy
6. Beijing Huijia Private School
7. Beijing International Bilingual School
8. Beijing No 4 High School
9. Beijing SMIC Private School
10. Beijing World Youth Academy
11. British School of Beijing
12. Canadian International School of Beijing
13. Daystar Academy
14. Dulwich College Beijing
15. Harrow International School Beijing
16. High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China
17. House of Knowledge
18. International Montessori Teaching Institute
19. Ivy Schools
20. JiaDe Montessori kindergarten
21. Keystone Academy
22. Maple International Academy
23. Muffy’s International Kindergarten (MIK)
24. Saint Paul American School (SPAS)
25. Tsing Hua International School  
26. Wellington College International Tianjin
27. Yew Chung International School of Beijing
28. Yew Wah International Education School
29. Yew Wah Infant and Toddler Education Center

Schools are not the only exhibitors present get information about health care, after school education and camps from the following: 

1. The Learning Center
2. Hong Kong International Medical Clinic
3. Bayley & Jackson Medical Center
4. Stateside Adventures
5. JTC  Camp
6. Foundation Global  Education
7. Century Glory International Education
8. New Century Women’s  and Children’s Hospital
9. Horizon Sport Medicine Clinic

Lecture Series: The Boarding experience and 21st Century Education

Wellington College International Tianjin  will give a lecture on, ‘The Boarding experience and 21st Century Education’ by headmaster Murray Fowler on March 1 from 1-2.30pm as they join Dulwich College Beijing, Harrow International School Beijing and the International Montessori Teaching Institute, for the lecture series sessions.

Mr. Murray Fowler has been the Headmaster of Wellington College International Tianjin since August 2013.  He was among the pioneers in the school’s establishment in Tianjin as second headmaster from August 2011. Before that, he spent 20 years with the Wellington College, UK holding various positions from head of Geography, head of year 12 group and both Deputy Director of the IB Diploma and CAS coordinator. He holds a degree Geography from King’s College, London, and training as a teacher in Oxford. 

Kids’ Corner

The newly launched UCCA Creative Studio will host a creative art based children’s corner from children aged 5-12 years on the third floor from 10am to 4pm. This is free.

About our sponsor RGF AIR Purifiers

With our signature PHI pro-active air filtration system, RGF Air Purifier is a breakthrough in the history of air purification.  The innovation is nothing like the existing technologies and we are leading the field of air purification with advanced technology.

With our product, you will no longer be bothered by the typical problems: purification blind spots, insufficient treatment, secondary pollution, excessive cost, distracting noise and more.

The new technology allows you to breathe forest-like fresh air by eliminating harmful micro-organisms and substances in the air, including bacteria, viruses, mould, formaldehyde, benzene, TVOC, odors, and PM2.5 particles.

With RGF, you have nothing to worry about the air around you! Relax and enjoy.

For further inquiries, you can get in touch with the marketing team either by calling 5941 3243 or emailing events@beijing-kids.com to get more information about attending the event. If you wish to participate in the School Choice Fair please e-mail  schoolchoicefair@truerun.com.

beijingkids file photo

The beijingkids and JingKids 2014 Spring School Choice Fair is sponsored by RGF AIR Purifiers.  

We are happy to inform you that 2014 beijingkids and Jingkids Spring School Choice Fair, sponsored by RGF AIR Purifiers will host a third education related lecture by International Montessori Teaching Institute (IMTI) to be held on March 2 from 1.00pm to 2.30pm by Deborah Gillespie and Jessie Zhang. The topic of discussion is, "Maximizing your Child’s Language Development". This lecture will be in Chinese however there will be a translator present during the Q&A portion.

Don’t forget preregistration is required for the fair — click here to register: www.beijing-kids.com/scf.

IMTI is part of the Wisdom International Education Group together with the International Montessori School of Beijing and Jiade Montessori Bilingual Kindergarten. Here are the biographies of the speakers:

Jessica Zhang (Chinese) found her passion for teaching after completing her Montessori Early Course for 3-6 years old and now works at the International Montessori School of Beijing. She once was the marketing director at IMTI. Jesse is ardent in developing children’s language skills using Chinese language techniques.

Deborah Gillespie (Canadian) is the program director at IMTI and has over 25 years in Montessori education and training experience. Before finding herself at IMTI, Deborah worked at the director of Angela Martin Montessori Training Centre, senior consultant of the Edge of Montessori Education and director of Maria Montessori School all based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She holds a Masters of Education from the College of Notre Dame in Belmont California.

While attending the lectures parents can leave their children (ages 5-12 years) at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art Creative Studio (UCCA Creative Studio) corner on the third floor, where they will can engage in various activities from 10am till 4pm. There is no extra cost to leaving your children happily distracted.

Pre-register can be done here and details about the two other lectures that are going to be conducted by Dulwich College Beijing and Harrow International School Beijing can be found here.

Apart from getting an education information fix from the local and international school exhibitors present, there might be rumbling noises heard and attention spans shorten as a result of empty stomachs, you can get a lunch buffet at the Elements restaurant by buying discounted meal tickets from our taobao shop. If you have no clue how to use taobao then first take a look here.

For further inquiries, you can get in touch with the Marketing team either by calling 5941 3243 or emailing events@beijing-kids.com to get more information about attending the event. If you wish to participate in the School Choice Fair please e-mail  schoolchoicefair@truerun.com.

About our sponsor RGF AIR Purifiers

With our signature PHI pro-active air filtration system, RGF Air Purifier is a breakthrough in the history of air purification.  The innovation is nothing like the existing technologies and we are leading the field of air purification with advanced technology.

With our product, you will no longer be bothered by the typical problems: purification blind spots, insufficient treatment, secondary pollution, excessive cost, distracting noise and more.

The new technology allows you to breathe forest-like fresh air by eliminating harmful micro-organisms and substances in the air, including bacteria, viruses, mould, formaldehyde, benzene, TVOC, odors, and PM2.5 particles.

With RGF, you have nothing to worry about the air around you! Relax and enjoy.

beijingkids file photo

Ready, Set, Go! The checkered flag has been waved as we confirm two education related lectures to be conducted by senior management teams from Dulwich College Beijing and Harrow International School Beijing at the 2014 beijingkids and JingKids Spring School Choice Fair taking place at the Hilton Beijing on March 1 and 2.

The pre-registration period kicked off on Wednesday, January 15 for a chance to get the discounted buffet meals from the Elements restaurant from our Taobao shop. We will also have a kids corner for different age groups. Don’t forget preregistration is required for the fair — click here to register: www.beijing-kids.com/scf

To kick off the fair’s lecture series will be Dulwich College Beijing hosting two talks on March 1 from 10.30am to noon. The lectures will be held in English with no Chinese translation. ‘Creativity in Schools. How a Creative Curriculum Impacts Your Child’s Learning’, with Head of DCB Junior School, Ruth Grant. Ruth has worked with the school past seven years and has been teaching in British International Schools for 30 years working in places such as Zambia, Bangkok, the Caribbean and other locations. She started teaching in an small school in Cheshire.

Ruth will be followed by the Head of DCB Senior School, Simon Herbert as he talks about ‘What’s Needed for Success? How Pastoral Care Facilitates Positive Educational Outcomes’. Simon joined the school in 2012, and was formerly head on modern languages, and senior housemaster, at Fettes College in Edinburgh, UK. While at Fettes College he introduced Mandarin and IB programs. He holds a bachelor of arts in French and Latin from the University of Nottingham and has worked in both Kenya and France.

Dulwich College Beijing is affiliated to Dulwich College London that was founded in 1619 as an independent school. DCB was formed in 2005 and now has over 1450 students. It is part of the Dulwich family of international schools with sister schools in Shanghai, Suzhou, Seoul, Zhuhai and Singapore.

After the lunch break from 1-2.30 pm, Harrow’s Lynne Oldfield, Headmistress; Alasdair MacRae, Director of Studies and Nick Rickford, Head of Sixth Form will be conducting a lecture on the following topic, ‘Leading the way in international education with a perfect fusion of creativity and tradition to produce leadership for a better world.’ This lecture will be in English and simulatinous Chinese translations.

Lynne Oldfield joined Harrow Beijing in August 2014 after a number of senior leadership posts in schools in Suffolk and Norfolk in the UK. Earlier overseas experience as an Education Management Consultant in Rwanda wetted her appetite for overseas education and the new experiences. After visiting gorillas in Rwanda, pandas in China promised to be one of the many attractions of a post in China.

Alasdair MacRae has been working in schools for 16 years, equally split between the UK and China. He joined Harrow Beijing in its first year – 2005. He has played a number of roles in the development of the school as it has grown; as Senior tutor, he established the house structure, and as Director of Studies developed the online reporting system. Immediately before moving to Beijing, he was Head of Science Faculty at a large state secondary school in the UK. Prior to that he worked as a Senior teacher, seconded part time with the Local Authority to develop science teaching and train teachers across 29 secondary schools. His move into teaching was the result of a year-long adventure in Peru, where he discovered his passion for education while teaching English.

Nick Rickford has been Head of Sixth Form at Harrow Beijing since August 2013 and held a similar role at a large state secondary school in the UK since September 2009. Previous educational roles include that of Director of Learning at a different secondary school elsewhere in the UK. Before training as a teacher, he was based in London where he worked for several years in the corporate events industry. During his time at the University of Edinburgh, he would often be found scaring unsuspecting tourists while conducting ghost tours through the underground vaults of Scotland’s capital.

Harrow International School Beijing is affiliated to the Harrow School in the London that is an all boys boarding school founded in 1572. The school is part of the Harrow Family of schools which comprises of John Lyon School, Harrow International school Bangkok and Hong Kong. Harrow is open to international students only and offers the National Curriculum of England and Wales culminating in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE and IGCSE’s) and A Levels.

This blog has been updated with biographies of the Harrow International School Beijing team.

Photos courtesy of Harrow and Dulwich

For the coming weeks, we will be highlighting local and international schools around Beijing from our upcoming 2014-2015 School Choice Guide, which comes out in early February 2014. Scroll down for more information on how to participate in our annual school choice fair in March 2014.

Over the past 20 years, BIBS (青苗国际双语学校) has grown from one campus to seven and from a Kindergarten-only curriculum to a full-fledged K-12 school. BIBS boasts a unique program that combines the best of Eastern and Western educational philosophies and seeks to empower its learners to become bilingual, multi-cultural and global-minded citizens who are equipped with the knowledge and integrity to function successfully, responsibly and effectively in an ever-evolving global environment.

Founding date: International Kindergarten: 1993; Primary School: 2003; Senior school: 2009; Wanda Bilingual kindergarten: 2011; Chang Qing Teng Kindergarten: 2013; Wanghu Kindergarten:2014; Yangshan Kindergarten:2014
 

School type: Kindergarten, primary school, senior school
 

Is the school registered with the Ministry of Education?  Yes

Accreditations: IB, WASC
 

Tuition fees (2014-2015 Academic Year):

a. Application fee: Reception–Grade 12
International Kindergarten: RMB 1,600
Wanda Bilingual Kindergarten: RMB 1,200
Primary and Senior School (Reception to Grade 12): RMB 1,600

b. One-year tuition: 
International Kindergarten: RMB 78,000 (Half Day); RMB 100,000 (Full Day)
Wanda Bilingual Kindergarten: RMB 55,000 (Full Day)
Chang Qing Teng Kindergarten: RMB 20,400 (Full Day)
Primary and Senior School (Reception to Grade 12): RMB 168,000.

c. Other fees:
Lunch fee: RMB 25/day (Optional), Transportation fee: RMB 10,000/year (Optional), Uniform: RMB 2,500/year (Primary and Senior School)
, Capital levy fee: RMB 8,000 (International Kindergarten).

Scholarships Offered: Yes

Age range: 2-18

Number of students: 1,000 plus
 

Nationality of students: US, China, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Spain and other over 30 countries.

Foreign passport holders accepted? Yes

Local Chinese students accepted? Yes

Primary teaching language: English

Other languages taught: Chinese

Class size: Maximum 22 students

Teacher/student ratio: 1:5 (Kindergarten); 1:8 (Primary School); 1:4 (Senior School)

School hours: 8.30am-4pm (Kindergarten and Primary); 8.20am-4pm (Senior School).
 

After school activities: Activities vary depending on campus and students’ grades. They include ballet, gymnastics, tennis, basketball, soccer, dance, drama, French, Spanish, music, Model UN and more.

School nurse: Yes, full-time qualified nurse on each campus.

Special needs programs offered: No

Extra help offered: ESL, CAL

Lunch offered: Organic fruit and vegetables, high-quality meat. The nutritionist-approved menu includes vegetarian, Muslim, Chinese and Western options.

Contacts: 

Beanstalk International Kindergarten
青苗国际幼儿园
1/F, Bldg B, 40 Liangmaqiao Lu Chaoyang District. 朝阳区亮马桥路40号B座一层  (6466 9255) bikoffice@bibs.com.cn

Beanstalk Bilingual Kindergarten (Wanda Kindergarten)青苗双语幼儿园 （万达园）
Bldg 7, Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District.朝阳区建国路93号万达广场7号楼  (5960 3887)  bbkoffice@bibs.com.cn

Beanstalk Chang Qing Teng Kindergarten
青苗幼儿园常青藤园
4 Dongba Nanyijie, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区东坝南一街4号 (8537 9659)

Beanstalk International Bilingual School (Primary School)青苗国际双语学校 （小学部）
6 Dongsihuan Beilu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区东四环北路6号阳光上东二区 (5130 7951) office@bibs.com.cn

Beanstalk International Bilingual School (Senior High School) 青苗国际双语学校（初高中部）
38 Nanshiliju, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区南十里居38号 (8456 6019) bssoffice@bibs.com.cn

Opening Soon 开园在即：

Beanstalk Wanghu Kindergarten青苗幼儿园望湖园
51 Wangjing Beilu (beside Wanghu Park), Chaoyang District. 朝阳区望京北路51号(望湖公园旁） (5130 7951/185 1169 3537)

Beanstalk Yangshan Kindergarten 青苗幼儿园（仰山园）
Bldg 7, East Gate A, Yangshan Park, 30 Anli Lu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区仰山公园东1门安立路30号7号楼 (5130 7951/ 185 1169 6337)

Word from a parent: “Since his first day at BIBS, Simon has enjoyed each day at school. To help him familiarize himself in new environment, Simon’s homeroom teacher paired him up with his classmates to explore and learn about the BIBS campus. From then on each day after school, he would bring home various ‘good news’ like: ‘There are so many books I can borrow from the library!,’ ‘I made another friend today!,’ and ‘Lunch was yummy!’…. Simon has made vast improvements in his English skills and teachers often encourage him. Lesson plans are catered according to his level of achievement to allow him to learn to the best of his abilities. In BIBS, not only does Simon gain knowledge, he is happy and able to build confidence.” – Ms. Liu (Chinese), mother of Simon Meng (Grade 4)

For more information on the guide e-mail editor@beijing-kids.com and click here to view the 2013-2014 School Choice Guide on ISSUU. For more information on our upcoming School Choice Fair on March 1-2, 2014, please e-mail schoolchoicefair@truerun.com.

For the coming weeks, we will be highlighting local and international schools around Beijing from our upcoming 2014-2015 School Choice Guide, which comes out in early February 2014. Scroll down for more information on how to participate in our annual school choice fair in March 2014.

Saint Paul American School (S.P.A.S) (北京师范大学第二附属中学) is a private, residential school program dedicated to meeting the educational needs of international students at the middle and high school level. S.P.A.S is guided by the standards, policies, and procedures of the Nacel International School System, which manages international programs all over the world. Located near the Olympic Village Park, and partnered with Number Two High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, S.P.A.S offers both an American curriculum, as well as intensive study in Chinese language and culture. This arrangement provides a unique dual diploma system that is fully accredited by the NCA (North Central Association on Accreditation and School Improvement). Saint Paul American School’s intercultural program currently serves students from 20 countries around the world.

Founding date: 2007

School type: International boarding school, grades 7-12

Is the school registered with the Ministry of Education? Yes

Accreditations: NCA

Tuition fees (2014-2015 Academic Year):

Application fee: USD 100 (around RMB 609)

Enrollment fee: USD 850 (around RMB 5,176)

One-year tuition:
USD 16,500 (around RMB 100,485) (Middle School), USD 17,500 (around RMB 106,575) (High School)

Room and Board: USD 2,000-3,000 (around RMB 12,180-18,270)

Food offered: Day students are offered a wide variety of Chinese, Korean and Western cuisines, as well as other international dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Types of scholarships offered: Merit-based scholarships available.

Age range: 13-18

Number of students: 305

Nationality of students: China, South Korea, United States, Russia, Thailand

Foreign passport holders accepted? Yes

Local Chinese students accepted? Yes

Primary teaching language: English

Languages taught: English, Chinese

Class size: Max 25, min 5, average 15

Teacher/student ratio: 1:10

School hours: 8.35am-5.35pm

After school activities offered: Art club, basketball, book club, debate, drama, games, fitness club, jazz band, knitting, ping pong, soccer, study session, student council, student newsletter, volleyball, volunteering, yearbook. Following the regular school day, each student participates in a club or activity of their choosing from 3.10-4pm. Students have the opportunity to choose a different club or activity every nine weeks, or remain with the same one. Saint Paul American School also provides a wide range of out-of-school activities for students. These programs include Drama, Music, Volunteering, and Sports. All students are encouraged and welcome to take part in these recreational pursuits, allowing them to showcase their talents and show pride in their school.

Extra help offered: Pull-out ELL program, Bridging ELL program (co-teaching environment with specialist), Student Help Center (daily tutoring), Nightly study hall 6.30-8.30pm with two instructors as well as peer tutors.

School facilities: Saint Paul American School’s college-preparatory campus has one main teaching building, two dormitory buildings, a newly-renovated library, laboratory, computer and technology center, full sized gymnasium, Olympic-sized (50 meter) swimming pool, cafeteria, and outdoor multi-purpose court with a running track, basketball courts and a soccer field.

Total area of campus: 33,350 square meters.

School nurse: Yes, two; 24-hr in office and on call for emergencies.

Contact: 18 Guan Ao Yuan Longgang Lu, Qinghe, Haidian District (188 1039 2083, Admissions Director David Krieger, david.krieger@saintpaulamerican.org) stpaulamerican.org 海淀区清河观澳园18号

Word from a Parent: “For my son Johnny’s 15th birthday party I travelled from Colorado to SPAS in Beijing and saw firsthand how his life was going. I was able to meet some of his teachers, the staff, the principal, his classmates and his roommates. I ate lunch with the students in the cafeteria, hung out in his dorm room, saw where he played sports, and even took the bus with some of the students. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating that I felt like I was part of the SPAS family. Back home in the USA, Johnny’s family was missing him terribly … but Johnny was doing fine. Not just fine, but extremely fine. He had good friends, supportive teachers and staff and good facilities. As parents, we chose to send Johnny to China for high school so that he could learn Chinese language, appreciate other cultures, and at the same time not compromise his academics. While we had concerns both regarding our objectives being met and Johnny’s ability to adjust from being away from home, I now knew we didn’t have to worry.” – Bob Barron (American), father of John Barron (Grade 9)

For more information on the 2014-2015 School Choice Guide e-mail editor@beijing-kids.com and click here to view the 2013-2014 School Choice Guide on ISSUU. For more information on our upcoming School Choice Fair on March 1-2, 2014, please e-mail  schoolchoicefair@truerun.com.

Photo courtesy of SPAS