Oliver Ross

American. Born on January 27 to Heather Ross at Beijing United Family Hospital

Landry Ellen Vaughan

American. Born December 28 to Josiah and Amanda Vaughan at Amcare Women’s & Children’s Hospital

Leo Joel Fellows

Chinese/British. Born on September 11 to Ben Fellows and Samantha Liu at Beijing Amcare Women’s & Children’s Hospital

Samuel Christopher Emile Wade

French. Born on August 2 to Ian Wade and Segolene Ekoto at OASIS International Hospital

Alexander James Robinson

Canadian. Born on August 2 to John and Shelby Robinson at Beijing United Family Hospital

This article first appeared in the beijingkids April 2019 Exploring Beijing issue.

Attending a prospective school’s Open House is one of the best ways to see the school facilities, the atmosphere, meet the teachers, and observe students in action whether in class or during break. Before we dive into our April roundup, let’s review how to get the best out of your school visits!

Prepare

• Read our 2016-2017 School Choice Guide for an overview of the school, check out the school’s website, and see what other parents have said about the school.
• Prepare individualized questions for each school in addition to general questions like the ones we’ve provided.

Ask

• Does this school have a particular educational philosophy or mission?
• Does this school have a specific focus or specialty that sets it apart from the rest?
• Which curriculum does the school follow?
• Which country’s standard’s does it adhere to?
• What is their solution to Beijing’s air pollution? What is their policy for your child’s grade?
• What is their solution to Beijing’s water pollution?
• What is the average class size? What percentage of the class are native speakers?
• How does the school teach 21st century skills?
• How does the school incorporate the environment in its lessons?
• How does the school maintain or grow your child’s culture?
• What is this school’s approach to student discipline and safety?
• How much homework do students have? What is the school’s philosophy/approach to homework?
• What kind of library resources are available to students?
• How is technology used to support teaching and learning at this school?
• How do the arts fit into the curriculum? Is there a school choir, band or orchestra? A drama program? Art classes?
• What extracurricular opportunities (sports, clubs, community service, competitions) are available for students?
• Is bullying a problem at the school? Does the school have an anti-bullying policy?
• Does the school have a program for gifted students?
• What languages are offered, and to what extent?
• How does this school support students who have academic, social, or emotional difficulties?
• What strategies are used to teach students who are not fluent in English (ESL)?
• Does the school offer tutoring services to struggling students?
• What professional development opportunities do teachers have? In what ways do teachers collaborate?
• Does the school offer Physical Education (PE) classes? How often are they held?
• How much outdoor time do children get each day?
• What are some of the school’s greatest accomplishments? What are some of the biggest challenges this school faces?

Observe  

• Are the school facilities well maintained? Is the building in good shape?
• Do classrooms look cheerful? Is student work displayed?
• Do teachers seem enthusiastic and knowledgeable, asking stimulating questions to keep students engaged?
• Can the school show the teaching curriculum and associated teaching materials (e.g. textbooks)?
• Does the principal seem confident and interested in interacting with students, teachers and parents?
• How do students behave as they move from class to class or play outside? Are they orderly? Cheerful and playful?
• Is there an active Parent Teacher Association (PTA)? What other types of parent involvement take place at this school?
• Can the school provide parent references for you to contact?

Attend (April Open House Roundup)

SIBS Open House, Apr 6 & 13 & 20 & 27  Springboard Bilingual International School offers classes from K1 through Grade 12, providing  positive learning curricula to develop learners for the 21st century. At their Open House, parents and families can learn about their curriculum and see what students are doing in class, view the classroom environment and tour the facilities, and meet the principal who will be giving a presentation on the importance of bilingual education.  9.30-11:30am.  SIBS (8049 0307)

BSB Shunyi Campus Open House, Apr 7
Take a tour of British School of Beijing Shunyi’s Primary, German Primary, and Secondary classrooms to see a classroom teaching and learning taking place. Also includes a meet and greet with the faculty, a visit to check out the new Early Years swimming pool, new Dining Hall, new amphitheater, new Secondary sandwich snack bar, sports dome, and other facilities. 8.30-11am. BSB Shunyi (8047 3558)

Daystar Academy Open House, Apr 7 & 21
Bilingual education from Toddler to Middle School affiliated with Ivy Schools. As a candidate IB school, Daystar Academy provides a 50/50 bilingual education in a child centered environment, character education program, and organic lunches/snacks, and has a strict indoor air quality policy.  9.30-11.30am. Daystar Academy (6433-7366)

Etonkids: Easter Celebration/Open House, Apr 9
Etonkids Educational Group currently operates 45+ bilingual, Montessori kindergartens throughout China as well as a K-12 International School, the Beijing Collegiate Academy (BCA). It offers international-standard early education programs in International (English only) and Bilingual (English & Chinese) classrooms. 9.30am-12pm. Etonkids Kindergarten (818 9098).

BCA Open Day, Apr 12 & 26 
Beijing Collegiate Academy is a international bilingual school affiliated to Etonkids Educational Group, and will have a series of open days during spring for parents interested in international bilingual education for children from preschool to grade 6. Meet with the principal and teachers, and understand the basis of BCA’s bilingual curriculum. 10-12pm. Beijing Collegiate Academy (5681 2555).

HoK Open House, Apr 19 (Chaoyang), Apr 21 (Shunyi)  House of Knowledge International School and Kindergarten will be hosting “Open Houses” at each campus this month. If you have questions, such as, “What does a language immersion classroom look like? How does the HoK program engage students? What can my child gain from an education at HoK?” The best way to obtain answers is to visit in person and ask the faculty yourself!  RSVP required. 9:30-11am. House of Knowledge (650 7747)

DCB Open House/Meet the Headmaster, Apr 21
Dulwich College Beijing’s Headmaster, Mr David Mansfield will be speaking on ‘DCB Past, Present, and Future– how we have come to be what we are and where we are headed’.  During the talk, Mr Mansfield will be covering the development of Dulwich College Beijing, its links to Dulwich College in London, the school’s values and philosophy and the future plans. RSVP required. 10.30am-12.30pm. Dulwich College Beijing (6454 9000)

Beijing No. 55 Open Day, Apr 21  Beijing No. 55 IB World School will be hosting an admission Open Day, offering campus tours, course introduction, and a question and answer session.  RSVP required. 9:30-11:00am. Beijing No. 55 IB World School (6416 9531)

If there are any specific schools you’d like to visit, but are not hosting open houses this week, feel free to contact them to schedule a tour.

Source: Greatschools.org

Photo: Pixabay

Next month, Krav Maga Beijing is once again hosting a four-part self-defense workshop specially designed for women and teenage girls (ages 15 and up). Book by March 22 and get an early bird discount.

Every Sunday in April, participants will learn techniques and strategies specifically geared towards dealing with bigger and stronger attackers. Topics include striking and turning on aggression, fostering awareness and avoiding dangerous situations, navigating low-light situations, dealing with grabs, pulls, and chokes, and more. Male Krav Maga Beijing students will be on hand to help and stand in as attackers. 

Krav Maga is a self-defense system originally developed for the Israeli military. It focuses on real-life situations and emphasizes situational awareness, preemptive attacks or aggressive counter-attacks, and targeting the opponent’s weak points (e.g. groin, eyes, throat, and knees).

Full disclosure: I’m hopelessly biased. Since writing about the self-defense workshop last year, my friend and I have become regular attendees, even partnering together for the the P1 proficiency exam in January.

Along the way, we’ve had the opportunity to meet some amazing people (male and female) and learn self-defense in a fun, supportive environment.

Here’s what some of my fellow female students had to say about Krav Maga and Krav Maga Beijing classes:

"[Krav Maga] gives me the confidence and ability to defend myself, especially when I travel alone in new places and foreign countries. Also, my physical strength and lifestyle have also changed in a positive way."

– Carmen (China)

"[Krav Maga] has given me more confidence knowing how to behave in some difficult situations. It’s good to know that even if you are a woman who maybe doesn’t have as much strength as a guy, there are some very effective techniques with which you can defuse a dangerous situation and get out of it. Last but not least, I got a lot of fun out of it!"

– Nathalie (Switzerland)

"I’ve gotten to understand my body better. I am more confident that now, after less than a year in training, I have enough capability to protect myself in case of an attack, a robbery, or if someone decides to casually grope me on a subway – that has happened before. Even going back to my hometown of Moscow – not the safest city in the world – this year was a very different experience from before. I was more aware of my surroundings and was confident enough to walk down a dark alley by myself. Last but not least, it’s empowering, physically and mentally."

– Anna (Russia)

"’What should I do if I encounter bad people?’ That’s the question that led me to Krav Maga. I’ve encountered dangerous people in the past and came out unharmed, but the disparity in height and strength [between men and women], combined with the lack the courage and skill to fight back in dangerous situations, means that women are often the victims. I have to fight back and rely on myself to escape from danger and avoid becoming a statistic.

Krav Maga classes simulate various attacks and counter-attacks with people of different sizes and strength. Female participants can directly experience how to deal with various crisis situations to protect themselves and their family.

Thanks to Krav Maga, I’ve gained confidence in both my everyday life and at work. It has become a personal interest; through the weekly classes, I have developed a much clearer sense of my physical abilities and fitness goals. Krav Maga is also a great source of stress relief and exercises the mind. Many of my classmates have become good friends. I’m grateful to instructors [Von Ng, Yonina Chan, and Richard Collett] for making the classes so interesting!"

– Qiong (China)

Until March 22, there is an early bird price of RMB 1,150 per person or RMB 2,100 per pair (regular price: RMB 1,400 per person or RMB 2,400 per pair).

The women’s self-defense classes will take place on April 3, April 10, April 17, and April 24 from 1-2.30pm. All self-defense packages also include 10 hours’ worth of regular Krav Maga classes (valid until April 30).

To register, call or SMS 150 1024 6131 or email info@kravmagabeijing.com.

Sijia Chen is a contributing editor at beijingkids and a freelance writer who has covered travel, tech, culture, parenting, and the environment. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Independent, the Beijinger, Midnight Poutine, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @sijiawrites or email her at sijiachen@beijing-kids.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Krav Maga Beijing

The April issue of beijingkids will make you green with envy!

We show you how to go green, with features on indoor air purifiers, picking your own veggies at a local organic farm, adopting chemical-free cleaning methods, and easy ways to cut down your carbon footprint.

In keeping with our green theme, Dr. Richard Saint Cyr explains how to keep toxic plastics under wraps while Olivia Lee shows us how to conserve resources through eating habits. In addition, beijingkids columnist Ember Swift pens a how-to on supplementing vegetarian or vegan diets.

Blue sky days are back, so get out your sunblock and explore. In What’s Fun In, we help you get the most out of Gongti, home to Fundazzle and Blue Zoo Beijing. We also round up spring sports for kids and teens, and peak into two families’ very different approaches to an Australian vacation.

In Learning, we spotlight world-class Welsh composer Karl Jenkins in When I Grow Up, while teenagers from Beijing BISS International School discuss the implications of an ever-growing world in The Roundtable.

In Food for Thought, we whip up a batch of creamy vegetable pasta. If you don’t feel like cooking, head to Shunyi’s celebrated brunch haven The Orchard.

As always, find kid-friendly events and search our Directories for anything and everything you’ll need in Beijing.

Can’t find the print edition? Send an email to distribution@beijing-kids.com or call 5820 7700.

Or, check out the PDF version below or at Issuu.com:

Set the alarm clock forward an hour. Dye the cereal milk green. Short sheet the bed. April Fools’ pranks can be silly for kids or more outrageous for adults. Whatever the degree, April 1 is a great excuse to break out of the mold and just have some fun.