The students rushed to class to greet their teacher, eager to show off the glittery, goofy, colorful creations bobbing atop their heads for the school’s annual “Crazy Hair Day.” However, when they entered and saw their teacher, they met her with gasps and laughs; their teacher was every bit as passionate about the activity as they were and had ensured that every strand of her hair stood on end like a troll doll.

“Crazy Hair Day” is just one of the many fun and offbeat activities that CBD-based AnRic Little Montessori Room holds for its students every year. During a recent interview, co-founder Yinan An (who is also a lifetime member of the American Montessori Society), along with lead teacher and assistant principal Jennifer Sau, discussed how such outside-the-box activities foster creativity and a sense of community at the school.

Crazy Hair Day gives kids a chance to let their creativity run free

“We don’t celebrate holidays in a conventional way at this school,” explains An. “A lot of holidays, even Children’s Day, have become very commercial, and have too great a focus on buying gifts. We want to have people rethink those notions and focus on education, community, and deeper values.”

AnRic acknowledges and values that different cultures celebrate different holidays, but tries to celebrate those holidays in a more creative way, all the while eschewing commercialism and gift-giving, and aspects that can label a culture. The AnRic staff encourages alternatives like introducing certain foods and traditions or stories regarding the holidays. Case in point: introducing children to the many versions of Santa Claus around the world.

The school’s staff encourage that approach not only with “Crazy Hair Day” — an event that encourages risk-taking and showcases students’ imagination and sense of fun — but also with community-driven events like “Special Visitors Day,” potluck breakfasts and dinners, a New Year party, and a summer fair.

AnRic’s most recent New Year Party, an event enjoyed by students, teachers, and parents

In recent years, AnRic’s summer fairs have happened in conjunction with neighboring Central Park, where bazaars and markets are sometimes put on. While there, students sell homemade snacks or other wares, the proceeds of which are entered into the school’s financial aid fund for children who require financial support for tuition fees, fund facilities for special needs students, and other initiatives. Similarly, on “Special Visitors Day” students are allowed to bring in a guest such as a friend or relative i.e. people who aren’t normally involved in school activities. 

At the school itself, AnRic Little Montessori Room’s staff endeavor to build a sense of community for the student body and their families. Close ties are fostered during annual potluck dinners and breakfasts, for which the highly multicultural student body and their parents stack their classrooms with “everything from baozi to sushi to Swedish meatballs” according to Sau, who adds that this seemingly simple activity offers students a crucial opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures.

Events and activities large and small are a major part of the annual calendar at AnRic

AnRic also holds home visits for all children at the beginning of the school year, which can be a valuable opportunity for the students to play host to their teachers, show what their home life is really like and also help with separation anxiety. Then there is, of course, the New Year party, one of AnRic’s biggest annual events. The New Year party serves as a chance for the students, parents, and staff to gather, dress up a bit, and enjoy a delicious feast together. More importantly, it also helps children develop a sense of art appreciation. Children’s individual artworks are put up for silent auction so children, families, and friends may bid for them. Each class also has an auction for their own annual art project, a collaborative masterpiece of art that every child and teacher in the class helps to create. All the proceeds go to the school’s financial aid fund.

An and Sau say they are heartened by how these activities help the students bond with one another. Another benefit: the enthusiastic reaction of the parents. An says, “We are excited to see the parents join us and get involved. We are lucky to have very supportive parents.”

This post is paid for by AnRic Little Montessori Room.

Photos: AnRic Little Montessori Room

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

In anticipation of the Beijing International School Expo on January 16-17, we will be highlighting local and international schools around Beijing from the upcoming 2016-2017 beijingkids School Choice Guide, which comes out on January 4.

A full member of the American Montessori Society (AMS), AnRic Little Montessori Room (AnRic LMR) caters to local and foreign children from the ages of 4 months to 6 years in three multicultural classrooms. The school aims to help children develop into self-directed learners, flexible thinkers, creative problem solvers, empathetic citizens and resilient individuals. The foundation of AnRic LMR was built on the Montessori method, but other educational philosophies such as Reggio are also embraced. AnRic LMR offers a fully bilingual curriculum and an environment where English and Chinese are consistently used all day. Children learn in an environment with a true sense of community, with special attention paid to issues like separation anxiety.

Founding date: April 2012
Age range: 4 months -6 years
Grades offered: Nido (4-15mths), Toodler (15mths – 3 yrs), Early Childhood Class (2 years – 6yrs)
School type: International Montessori preschool
Total area: 700sqm
Curriculum: Montessori
Boarding Program: No
Number of students: 60
Is the school accredited by the Ministry of Education? No
Foreign passport holders accepted? Yes
Local Chinese students accepted? Yes
Tuition fees for the (2015-2016 academic year):
Application fee: RMB 2,000

• Early Childhood Class: RMB 9,780/ month (full day); RMB 8,680/ month (half day)
• Toddler Class: RMB 9,780/ month (full day); RMB 8,680/ month (5 half days); RMB 5,680/month (3 half-days)
• Nido Class: RMB 8,680/ month (5 half days); RMB 5,680/ month (3 half days); RMB 3,980/month (2 half days)
• Refundable deposit: RMB 5,000 (return when children leave)
• Insurance: RMB 180/ year (over 3 years);RMB 365/year (under 3 years)

Lunch offered: Chinese and western food
Nationality of students: China, UK, USA,Canada, Japan, and Hong Kong
Primary teaching language(s): English and Chinese
Other languages taught: No
Average class size: Dependent on individual classroom
Average teacher/student ratio: 1:2(Nido Class); 1:4 (Toddler Class); 1:6 (Early Childhood Class)
School hours:
Nido Class: 9-11am (morning class); 4:00 -5:00pm (afternoon class)
Toddler Class: 8:30am-noon (half day); 8:30am.-3:30pm (full day)
Early Childhood Class: 8:30am-12:30pm (half day); 8:30am- 3:30pm (full day)
After-school activities: Ice-skating, Art,Swimming, Tennis
Special needs programs offered? Yes,accepted on a case-by-case basis
Scholarships offered? Yes
School facilities: Indoor gym, outdoor playground/field, reading area, parents room,and art room
School nurse/doctor available on campus? No
Contact: Rm 307, Block C2, Globe Trade Mansion, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (6591 8169, admissions@anricedu.com) www.anricedu.com 朝阳区光华路9号世贸国际公寓C2座

Photo: Courtesy of AnRic

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.

AnRic Little Montessori Room (AnRic) is a small multicultural classroom that caters to children from both local and foreign backgrounds. The school aims to help children develop into self-directed learners, flexible thinkers, creative problem solvers, empathetic citizens and resilient individuals. The foundation of AnRic LMR was built on the Montessori method, however other educational philosophies such as Reggio are also embraced. The school offers a fully bilingual curriculum so that children are immersed in an environment where both English and Chinese are consistently used all day. Children learn in an environment with a true sense of community, with special attention given to issues such as personalized support for separation anxiety. AnRic LMR is a full international member school of the American Montessori Society. The lead teacher has certification by the American Montessori Society as well as dual masters degree in early childhood education and special education.

Founding date: April 2012
School type: International bilingual preschool
Grades offered: Preschool
Is the school registered with the Ministry of Education? No
Accreditations: Full international member of the American Montessori Society (AMS)
Tuition fees (2014-2015 academic year):

• Application fee: RMB 2,000
• Half day: RMB 7,880
• Full day: RMB 9,280
• Refundable deposit: RMB 5,000
• Lunch fee: RMB 800/month
• Insurance: RMB 180 (students under 3) or RMB 365 (students over 3)

Lunch offered: Catered by government-appointed food company with both Chinese and Western options
Age range: 2.5-6
Number of students: Maximum capacity of 23
Nationality of students: US, Japan, UK, China, New Zealand, Sweden, Colombia, Canada, Finland
Foreign passport holders accepted? Yes
Local Chinese students accepted? Yes
Primary teaching languages: English and Chinese
Class size: Maximum 23
Teacher/student ratio: 1:5
School hours: 8.30am-12.30pm (half day), 8.30am-3.30pm (full day)
After-school activities: Ice skating, piano, swimming, and ballet. AnRic plans to also introduce drama, golf, and yoga
Special needs programs: Yes, available on a case-by case basis.
School facilities: Indoor gym, outdoor playground, reading area, parents’ room, and piano room
Total area: 300sqm
School nurse or doctor available? No
Contact: 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (6591 8169, admissions@anricedu.com) www.anricedu.com 朝阳区光华路甲9号

Word from a Parent:
"My daughter has been thriving at AnRic Little Montessori Room since she started last fall. I used to be an educator, so the learning pedagogy and quality of teachers were my top considerations. The teachers are excellent and their approach helps students become happy, independent learners. The intimate atmosphere has helped Kaili develop social and leadership skills. Parents are encouraged to be involved in the school."

– Teresa Woodland (US), mother of Kaili (age 6)

For more information on the 2014-2015 School Choice Guide email 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 AnRic