“When are the kids going back to school?”

You’ve asked it, we’ve asked it, heck, parents have been talking about this since the schools went online again. This year’s Chinese New Year starts on Jan 22 and we’re already less than a month away. Many of us assumed that there wouldn’t be any chance of our kids returning to campus again until after Chinese New Year.

The Beijing Education Committee has yet to make any formal announcement as to when international schools may resume, but since Covid management will be reclassified into Category B on Jan 8, officially moving it down on the level of seriousness of diseases in China, many have seen this as a positive sign that school restrictions may soon be lifted.

Examples of diseases in each category:

Category A: plague, cholera
Category B: AIDS, rabies, measles, epidemic hemorrhagic fever, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, epidemic encephalitis B
Category C: influenza, mumps

Beijing City International School (BCIS) has already emailed their students’ parents with a warm holiday greeting from the head of school and the highly anticipated news that they’re “eagerly looking forward to returning to school on Tuesday, 3 January and will share more information with [parents]next week.”

International School of Beijing (ISB), Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), and Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) have also contacted their students’ parents with the announcement that they plan on resuming on-campus classes on Jan 2. The schools have not received any confirmed information from authorities, and the decision to return to campus is based on the new measure released by the Ministry of Education stating that schools without an outbreak of Covid-19 should have normal on-campus learning.

The schools are still awaiting the exact campus entry requirements and will share them with parents as they receive them. While there is still a chance that schools will be asked to stay online in the coming days, without a clear directive many schools will continue to open on campus as planned.

A WeChat post sent by the Beijing Education Committee on Dec 29 listed the prevention and control guidelines for schools, including implementing a “daily report” and “zero report” system and taking measures to monitor the symptoms of those on campus. Anyone with a fever, dry cough, fatigue, and sore throat will not be allowed on campus. It also goes on to stress the importance of ventilation and thorough disinfection as well as taking timely measures to reduce interpersonal contact.

One slightly vague point in the post says the following [from Google Translate]: “After the outbreak of the epidemic in the school, measures such as reducing interpersonal contact, strengthening personal protection, implementing online teaching in primary and secondary schools, and temporarily closing preschool education institutions in a short period of time shall be taken in a timely manner.”

学校内发生疫情后，及时采取减少人际接触、强化个人防护、短期内实施中小学校线上教学、学前教育机构临时关停等措施。

The comment does not state the severity of Covid cases on campus but leaves room for interpretation that, although Covid restrictions have loosened overall, schools may continue to experience similar online learning days as in previous years.

Images: Pexels

Every year for back to school there’s one thing that parents tend to forget to add to the checklist – the notorious Beijing traffic. With the kids heading back to school at the same time in the morning plus their parents going to work, understandably there will be some frustration on the road.

According to the Beijing News, the Beijing traffic police news, this year’s back-to-school traffic is already ahead of schedule but as the week continues, the traffic pressure on the roads around primary and secondary schools will increase in the early morning and afternoon times during drop off and pick up.

Around the National Conventional Center and Shougang Park area, temporary traffic management measures will be taken due to the current 2022 China International Trade in Services Fair from Aug 31 – Sep 5. The roads will be closed off to vehicles and pedestrians in the area until midnight on Sep 5. For those who need to travel through there, officials recommend going by Beichen East Road, Beichen West Road, Hujing East, Kehui South, South 4th Ring Road, Xin’an Lu, and Shijingshan Road.

In Xicheng District, to help with the flow of traffic officials have announced that starting from Sep 1, Xibienmenwai Avenue between Fuxingmen Wai and Zhenwumiao Road will now prohibit U-turns.

Lastly, due to the back-to-school traffic, entrances to parking structures at places such as Joy City, Hopson One, Solana, Sanlitun, Wanda Plata, and other popular shopping centers can expect unusually long queuing.

For the next week, remember to leave more than half an hour earlier than your usual estimated travel time and try to take public transportation as much as possible.

Images: Beijing News, Pexels

The countdown is well underway for families looking forward to the first day of school, and in fact some schools have already opened their doors to kids this week. But as bags are packed with water bottles and homework and files, is there something that needs replacing, or that is missing altogether? Where in Beijing can you get stationery and other school supplies?

While you might usually be content to open up Taobao and type in specifically what you need, like ball point pens 圆珠笔 (yuán zhū bǐ) or notebooks 笔记本 (bǐ jì běn), at this point you need the supplies in 48 hours or less! In this case, it might be quickest to head down to one of these physical stores in Beijing to pick up what you need. Plus, isn’t it better to be able to test the pens and paper before you use them?

Beijing Wanpeng Stationery Commodity Shopping Mall

Oh yes there is an entire shopping mall dedicated just to stationery! Isn’t that a dream come true for stationery geeks who could spend all day searching for the perfect pencil? (Yes, I’m guilty.) This stationery mall is basically a wholesale center that feels like somewhere out of the ’90s, since the layout, look and even the smell is pure nostalgia. While business has slowed because of the pandemic, you will still be able to find a great variety of stationery shops catering to different needs and tastes. Aside from stationery, you can find some popular sporting goods such as badminton rackets, basketballs, and footballs too!

Find it:
Beijing Wanpeng Stationery Commodity Shopping Mall 北京万朋文化用品商城
3/F, Group 28, 128 Yongdingmenwai Dajie, Dongzhimen
东城区永定门外大街128号28组团3层

M&G Stationery

The M&G stationery store is located on the fourth floor of Building 2 of the Bairong World Trade Center in Dongcheng District, and is a veritable treasure chest of stationery! From coloring supplies to paper to planners to files, it has it all. There are even toys (some educational-ish, and others not) for sale in the four-story store. It can easily be a whole day affair to shop here, so luckily there are restaurants and cafés in the mall.

Find it:
101-2 Yongdingmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区永定门外大街101号

乐乐学生屋 lè lè xué shēng wū

This ordinary shopfront hides a dazzling array of stationery goods within its walls. The store proudly hosts the most complete Zebra brand stationery collection here in Beijing, and it has been said that many models that are not available online can be found in this store. The store also offers other international brands, though it seems to favor popular Japanese ones such as Pilot and Uni.

Find it:
No. 12, Courtyard 2A, Xiaotun Road, No. 2 Courtyard, Fengtai District
丰台区小屯路甲2号院12号

天天向上文具店 tiān tiān xiàng shàng wén jù diàn

This shop, which literally translates into “Everyday upward stationery shop” can be a bit difficult to find. After entering, the first feeling is similar to other stationery stores, but if you look closely at the products, you will find everything has been specially selected by the store owner, and hence endorsed for its quality! Though prices are higher than online, you will get discounts if you buy in bulk! And let’s face it, you will ALWAYS need more pens.

Find it:
Bldg 34, Ziyunzhuang, Jinsong Shangduo Market, Wusheng Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区武圣路劲松尚多市场紫云庄34号楼

KEEP READING: Getting Into That Back-to-School Mindset

Images: Pexels, Dianping

Like so many educators I have been taking stock of my professional wardrobe in these last weeks leading up to the start of school. I wanted to add a few new pieces to the mix and headed to the internet for some fashion inspiration.

I typed in “fashionable teacher back to school outfits” and was hit with a barrage of the most ridiculous, inappropriate, and nonfunctional clothing I could possibly imagine. No one designing these ‘capsule collections’ has ever spent an afternoon sitting criss-cross applesauce in a bean bag chair or rinsing a sick student’s vomit off their shirt. They have never had to run up 4 flights of stairs holding 500 paper copies and a laminator or had to stand on chairs and reach up high to decorate classroom bulletin boards. Fashion bloggers mean well but a Bryant Park runway look, while cute, is not going to be functional in a classroom.

In one two-page spread, a young woman is surrounded by her “must-have” back-to-school items, including a pair of white linen slacks, a spaghetti strap sundress five inches above her knees, and strappy platform sandals. Stop, stop, stop the madness!!!!! Those white pants will be wrinkled and covered in paint, ink, or an unknown substance from a child’s hands by lunch, that adorable sundress is going to give your students an unintended anatomy lesson the second you sit down in circle time or bend over to pick something up, and your feet won’t last through first period in those shoes.

Does that mean I’m doomed to a life of scotch-guarded khakis and boring button-downs? Nope, I refuse.  So instead, I crowd-sourced some of Beijing’s best educators to find out what their must-have pieces are and where to find them. Here is the real wardrobe these veteran educators say you should be creating.

You got to have pockets!

At least four people commented that pockets are a must-have! Wendy Heppner, a 4th grade teacher at Beijing Xin Fuxue International Academy in Shunyi, keeps it classic. “I usually go with dresses, simple, comfortable, and basic…This one is my favorite for work, it is so comfortable to wear and it has pockets.”

Other teacher suggestions included wrap dresses and items made out of durable materials like denim. Several teachers pointed out that the age of the kids you’re working with poses different issues, so leggings and cardigans help to keep everything conservative but cute if you’re sitting on the floor or bending over desks to help students with assignments.

The Roundabout thrift store in Shunyi has rack after rack of great gently used cardigans at very reasonable prices, and the HEATTECH leggings at UNIQLO are a game changer come Beijing’s notoriously cold winters.

Mary Frances Cappiello who will be teaching public speaking at Renmin University this fall suggested one of my favorite fashion hacks: “Sometimes you find a dress you really like, but you think it is too low cut to wear to school.

On Taobao you can buy all these lace things that go in the front of your dress to cover your cleavage.  They’re very light, so they’re cooler than a shell or undershirt. Some snap onto your bra straps. With these, you can have a dress that’s school-appropriate in the day, and when you get off work you can just remove the lace thing and be ready for a date.”

Skirts and pants that actually fit!

Dresses are great, but you can only mix and match so much with them. Pants and skirts give you a lot of mileage both in and out of the classroom. University lecturer and researcher Santa Stopniece loves a classic black skirt. “Practical (and) it can still be worn into autumn. The skirt I have is straight and a bit above the knee, not tight but still shape-defined enough to balance a ruffled top, for instance. It is comfortable yet work appropriate and easy to combine with various tops or blouses.”

I talked to tons of people and we all agree you ‘gotta have great slacks. Specifically, you need comfortable, durable, and machine washable slacks. But finding well-made pants that fit everywhere they are supposed to is a difficult task even in our home countries. Finding them on Taobao or off-the-rack in local malls is nearly impossible for western proportioned ladies. So, I took the advice of a friend and headed to a tailor she suggested. It’s a little more expensive (about 300-350 RMB per pair) but I know they will fit and I chose the fabric to be resilient in the face of art project mishaps, so theoretically I will keep them for more than one fast fashion season, which is better for the environment and it supports a local business. Check out the link at the bottom of the article for a list of local shops or ask around for recommendations from friends.

Blazers make everything better!

Hannah Northcott is the founder of Well Style and the International School of Beijing’s (ISB) Middle School Drama teacher and theatre director. Her job requires her to have ease of movement but she still brings flair to her wardrobe.

“Wearing blazers has been a simple way to upgrade any teaching outfit. I’ve sourced some of my favorite blazers sustainably from either the Roundabout (like this beige Zara blazer) or the Beijing Clothing Auction Network (like this Crane blazer).”

To join the Well Style WeChat group and get more amazing tips from real women, add Hannah using the ID: Hannah_Northcott.

Don’t ignore your feet!

Ana Lourenco, the founder of Beijing Foodies group, spent all summer on her feet teaching cooking camp. She swears by these cute and comfy loafers that allow her to always look cool, collected, and professional.

Another fan favorite with lots of votes from the teachers I talked to was Rothys, which are machine washable and made from recyclable materials. They come in a billion colors and patterns, and you can walk the halls all day! Get them from Eason Shoes, he has great prices and ships fast. WeChat ID: 13717589495

Accessories!

It never ceases to amaze me how a belt or bag can change an entire outfit. So many teachers I spoke to mentioned buying sustainably through resale outlets or clothing swaps. That often means things need little adjustments. But a good belt can help cinch the waist of that super cute dress that’s just a little too big, and these retro clips can add definition to a collard shirt or a few inches to the waistline of an almost right skirt, all while giving them a touch of your personal style.

To all those educators who make the hallway their runway: have an amazing start to the 2022/23 school year…you make teaching look glamorous! Got a teacher fashion tip we didn’t cover? Put it in the comments section!

KEEP READING: Pants Too Tight? No Worries, These Tailors Can Help

Images: Hannah Northcott, Canva, Taobao

Back to school.

That phrase alone brings about feelings of both excitement, and, if we are to be honest … maybe a little disappointment at the same time. Summer is over, and it’s back to the daily routine. While parents may be jumping for joy, for children, the start of a new year can bring about feelings of anxiety. New classmates? New teachers? Routines? Perhaps even a new school? Oh my!

In the weeks leading up to a new year, I’ve found it helpful to strengthen my mindset. Yes, the ending of just doing what I want and going back to a routine can suck let’s be honest)… But it’s all in how we think about it.
What’s this mindset business about anyway? Simply put, mindset is how we think and feel about our abilities and the world around us. What we think and feel, along with our mindset, shapes our everyday life experiences and our outlook on the future.

It’s kind of like seeing the world through a clean pair of glasses versus a smudgy pair.

A clean lens gives us the ability to see things clearly and view different possibilities in a distance. While the dirty pair distorts what we see, making it difficult to see past the smudge. How we see the world depends on the mindset.

Dr. Carol Dweck, researcher at Stanford University, equates this to having a growth or a fixed mindset. A growth mindset sees struggle as opportunity, while a fixed mindset finds it difficult to work past the struggle. A new year will bring challenges – so how can we foster a growth mindset before the year even begins?

Begin by exploring with your child how amazing our brains really are! It’s all about neuroplasticity, which is just a fancy way of saying our brains get stronger the more we work it! Check out Big Life Journal, which has a four-week guide to teaching your children about neuroplasticity and the growth mindset available – for free!

It’s All About That Process Praise!
Coined by Elizabeth Gunderson’s research, process praise equates success with actions and effort, not results. This differs from person praise, which looks more at abilities as being fixed – your’e either good or bad at something – nothing in between. When we paise the process it impacts motivation, which is essential to a growth mindset.
Instead of saying “you’re so smart,” go a little deeper by adding the effort and strategies your child used. You can say, “Wow, I am impressed with how hard you worked – you did a great job!” Now they see the link between trying and achieving positive results. A major win when it comes to frustrating moments. Take it up a notch and challenge them by asking “What do you think helped you?” This helps them – and you – start to recognize strategies that are helpful, and it also builds their self-regulation skills.

Praise the Struggle
Don’t be stingy with the praise – encourage your child through struggles as well. When used this way, praise becomes almost like a Jedi mind trick! Encouraging your child to act in a way that encourages a repeat performance.

For example, you can say: “I noticed that you took a deep breath when you were frustrated. That kind of practice settles your energy and helps you communicate and focus better.”

When you use praise as an antecedent, the praise comes before the specific behavior and boosts the likelihood of a positive repeat. #winning

Practice Coping Skills
Life is just that: life – with its various ups and downs. It’s inevitable that children will experience an uncomfortable moment here and there. That’s where coping skills come in!

Emotion-focused coping skills are integral when we can not change a situation, enabling us to manage stress levels. Perhaps as a family creates a Raise the Vibe list, where you list various things you can do to boost your mood. Then put your child to work when a situation calls for it. Practice these high vibe techniques now and your child will have a bag of mood-boosting tricks to carry with them back to school.

Make sure to put these skills into practice by integrating coping skills into your family routines. It could be as simple as a collective breathing or stretching exercise to wind down from the day, or going for a walk together when the energy gets a little too high. Modeling these skills together is a form of co-regulation, which is the first step toward your child’s ability to self-regulate.

Boost Those Problem Solving Skills!
A new school year brings challenges; they are inevitable. Equip your child with problem solving coping skills This will require you to be on the hunt for those teachable moments. So how do you do that? If/when you notice your child struggling with something, stop and ask “Do you think you need to change the situation or change how you feel about the situation?” This challenges your child to think critically and assists them with recognizing they have options, which reduces feelings of stress.

Challenge them to make a list of probable ways to tackle the problem, and lists of pros and cons. By doing this you are teaching them problem solving skills they can use in and outside the classroom!

Remember to model this process as well. Children learn by observing. Next time you are facing a problem, share your problem solving process with them. This way they are able to pull from your example.

Nurture That Spark!
Encourage your child to explore those things that make their hearts smile. Remind them that as they fan that spark, their brain grows stronger – making it easier to learn more. Start talking about new ventures they want to explore this year. Is there something you are wanting to try or learn together as a family?

As with anything, building a growth mindset is a process. It’s not about perfection, rather it’s about celebrating the wins and being grateful for the struggles along the way! Happy mindset building!

Images: Pexels

I love the week before the kids come back to school! It’s a highly energetic, productive, and creative time as we get organized, rethink projects, refine lesson plans, and design our classrooms. 

Being an expat teacher often means we have access to some really fun and interesting local teaching tools, but it can also be difficult to find the more familiar tools and products we loved back in our home country. Many of us used to use trips home to stock up on our favorite art supplies and classroom materials but this year we all need to make do with what we can source locally. Here are a few places to find your favorites right here in Beijing:

Taobao: This one feels obvious, but it can be hard to know where to go and what to type into the search tool to find good quality and decent prices. I polled a few Taobao Queens, and have listed their top shops for specifically hard-to-find items below. 

Item: Classroom Boards
Taobao Store: yueling8

This is where my creative teachers shine! A great bulletin board makes your classroom feel personal and welcoming. This store carries bulletin board paper, cellophane sheets, and borders, among many other classroom supplies that aren’t always easy to find!

Item: Bean Bag Chairs and Reading Cushions
Taobao Store: 虹彩汇生活馆 

I love a book nook. I think encouraging children to view reading as a fun, cozy activity is vital to lifelong learning, so sprucing up a corner of the room with a place to cuddle up in with a book is super important. Bean bag chairs at this shop are as inexpensive as RMB 42, so you won’t mind if you only get a year or two of use out of them.

Item: Story and Picture Books
Taobao Store: 小时光图书店 

Getting good-quality English picture books and early readers for your classroom library can get expensive fast. This particular Taobao store has hundreds of titles, including books by Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss, as well as a good selection of Caldecott Medal winners at reasonable prices.

Teacher’s House Shop: This is a WeChat resource that was recently recommended to me. They have everything from classroom materials to games and books and organizational solutions at reasonable prices. Bonus: The whole site is in English, which makes it easier for those of us still struggling with Mandarin.

Teacher2Teacher: This is an online marketplace for teachers to buy and sell lesson plans and class materials, and it is a rich resource for printables and instructions on making great class activities and decorations.

Website: www.teacher2teacher.education

Buy and Sell Groups: A lot of teachers are moving on and cleaning out their classrooms as well as their homes. Check out any of the second-hand groups in WeChat like live LIGHTER, live BETTER!! or 2nd Hand Beijing Bargains. You never know what might show up!

Back-to-School Swap: You have tons of teacher friends and they have teacher friends too. Set up a coffee date or happy hour where everyone brings their unwanted teaching materials and trades their items. It’s a chance to clean out your class closet, get inspired with new products, and also get in some networking!

KEEP READING: Luxcessaries Every Beijing Teacher Needs!

Images: Unsplash, Taobao, WeChat

By now, you might be just a little confused about the procedures to follow in order to be ready for the start of school, which has more or less been delayed city-wide to 1 Sept. There have been conflicting reports on when you need to be back in Beijing if you want to start school on time.

Last week following meetings with the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, multiple international schools issued letters to their faculty and students that the start of the new school year will be postponed to Sep 1 and that, as per Beijing’s latest health and safety requirements, everyone must return to Beijing at least 21 days prior to the start of school.

This week the regulations have loosened up a bit and the new guidelines now require anyone who plans to be on campus on Sep 1 to be back in Beijing at least 14 days prior to the start of school for self-monitoring. Everyone will still be required to provide negative Covid test results within 48 hours of returning to campus.

On Wednesday the Beijing Municipal Education Commission advised all staff and students to stay in Beijing unless absolutely necessary.

School is still set to start on Sep 1 provided there are no more Covid outbreaks in Beijing. This means that according to the latest regulations, you need to be back in Beijing no later than Aug 18 to qualify for the 14 days of self-monitoring.

“Beijing is playing it safer than other parts of the world which is why we’ve been able to enjoy these past few months of Covid-free life. It’s important that we continue to observe preventative measures and keep in mind that we need to stay safe for the good of the entire community,” says expat mom Vivienne Tseng-Rush.

KEEP READING: Here We Go Again: Coping With Delayed Back-to-School Dates

Image: Pexels

We love those little buggers, we really do, but how nice is it to start and finish your morning coffee before it turns iced? Now that school is back in session, stay-at-home parents have a little more of that ethereal concept of time to ourselves. No matter how much fun we had taking them around Beijing for the new year’s holiday, or how many tears were shed while walking out the door, a little breathing time is always nice.

It’s tempting at these times to turn right to our to-do lists or move directly to that corner of the house that’s been calling for a donation bin or deep cleaner. And we might have the energy for those activities on the first day. But today, the second day of school being back in session should be just for us.

I know it’s hard to remember all those things you said you’d do if you just had the time, so here are our suggestions. Make the time before it becomes impossible to shower again, never mind take a breather.

Go For a Walk Somewhere New

Sometimes I neglect my own exploring for the idea that if I want to see a new place, I should expose my kids to it too. But how often can we not look around at our surroundings because they’re about to jump in a lake or touch a sculpture they’re not supposed to even be near? Find a new spot and just wander. Give yourself the time to see a place without worrying about all the trouble the kiddos can get into.

Try a New Lunch Spot. Or Visit a Favorite and Order Whatever You Want

Enjoying your food shouldn’t be a luxury, but we all know it is. Try one of your favorite spots and don’t take any work, just something offline to read. Or search your not-parent-specific-WeChat-groups for recommendations and just try one out of the blue. How nice to not check there are chicken nuggets on the menu?

No lie, nothing beats a quiet hour at Home Plate BBQ.

Catch Up on Pop Culture

Once in a while, I have a sitter scheduled and my plans fall through. Rather than go out on the town alone, I lock my door and enjoy some PG or above-rated shows. It’s kind of sad when your only time to binge-watch a new hit is when you’re sick in bed, and mostly because we don’t hire a sitter unless we have somewhere to go. Well, take these few hours and stay in bed and watch what you want to watch, darn it. Now excuse me, I have to finish Season 4 of The Crown.

Go For a Swim

Again, this is normally not an activity I would ever think to do without my kids. They beg me to take them swimming and the whole rigamarole of getting ready, remembering the right toys, swim caps, towels, blah blah blah is sometimes just too much. But if it’s just taking yourself to the pool, there’s time to really enjoy a good swim, for as long or as short as you’d like, without checking to see if security will kick you out for sneaking in a cannonball.

Let’s Go Ride a Bike

There’s no shortage of e-bikes in Beijing, and plenty of wonderful places to visit even before it’s spring. Take a bike ride to spots you’ve never been, or jet over to see the sculptures at Parkview Green, or just ride around Central Park. Who cares? Just breathe a little more fresh air on your own time.

Browse Through a Bookstore

This is really a lost art once you have kids. We love wandering around Page One Books together, and I can test how much Mandarin my kids really know but won’t tell me when we’re in the Sisyphe kid’s section, but it’s hard to get the time to simply look around and find a solid book to read. There’s nothing more exciting than discovering a new topic or author you never would have searched for on Taobao, but which speaks to you at that moment and makes you want to sit down to read.

Sometime around 2pm our lives revolve around those cherubs and their neverending need for Cheerios and cuddles after a long day at school. Take a minute to remember what you need to fill your own cup as well.

KEEP READING: Are School Breaks Negotiable? Take the Poll

Images: Canva, Cindy Marie Jenkins

Last Friday, I had my weekend to-do list all ready. It revolved around getting prepared to start school in person: my 6-year-old on Monday and 4-year-old on Tuesday. Their name tags, water bottles, backpacks, lunch plans, were all ready for assembly. A few last-minute items to arrange and obtain, and we’d finally be back to school!

Then the email came. Early Childhood Education (ECE) at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) couldn’t start on Tuesday; they were on the wait list for government inspections and a new requirement was added: every student entering ECE had to get a full physical, including a blood test, and it had to be done at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) in a very specific department, or it didn’t count. 

The whole process went smoothly, just a lot of paperwork to register.

Now, not every ECE in Beijing finds itself in this predicament. Maybe the older classes were prioritized and some smaller schools were able to meet the requirements faster. YCIS had their inspection scheduled last June when the small summer outbreak happened, and so it all got pushed. 

Most ECE schools across Beijing required a physical but not from a specific hospital and department. That’s the part of this snag that gave me the most stress, to be honest.

I called the number and was told that the department was overloaded with these appointments and so I had to go to the family practice instead. No one could directly tell me if that would work for these specific government requirements, but I made the appointment for 5.30pm on Tuesday and hoped for the best. 

I dragged them across town to a place we’ve never been, all so the youngest in our family could maybe go to school one day this year. Not much about government inspections was in my control, but obliging for the one thing his school asked of me besides patience is doable. It’s fine. I’m so grateful to be in a city where the pandemic was taken seriously and schools actually have, you know, real plans for reopening safely. I’m happy to jump through the hoops. 

The hallways at BJU are bright, clean and inviting.

The staff at BJU was wonderful, patient,  and easy to communicate with. I did the song and dance with balking at what it would cost, then was given explicit instructions on the “letter of guarantee” needed from my insurance. The receptionist even gave me the email address to send the letter of guarantee once I had it. The entire process from start to finish went swimmingly.

If you’re new to BJU, here are the steps to registering for your first appointment:

• Ask your DiDi or taxi driver to take you down the driveway; otherwise, you’re stuck walking the kids down a narrow two-way path that doesn’t have a sidewalk.
• Expect your typical Health Kit and temperature checks at the door. If you’re wearing a cloth mask and not a surgical one, they’ll give you the proper one to wear. 
• Directly inside and to the left is a snack bar, which is a good place to replenish the kids while you fill out the paperwork.
• Go to the front desk to complete paperwork: passport numbers, insurance, etc will be necessary. I heard that typically you need a guarantee letter from your insurance a week in advance, but they let it pass this time. It’s probably due to the short notice given for these ECE appointments.
• They’ll lead you through the doors behind reception, where you’ll complete more paperwork while your kids turn upside-down stools into rocket ships. There’s a cool interactive down the hall which kept mine occupied for quite a while. I disinfected it before they put their grubby little hands all over it, though!
• They called my 4-year-old to check his height and weight while I was still completing paperwork. His big brother went “to help him in case he has trouble.”
• Then we were brought into the check-up room by our doctor, who was lovely and worked so beautifully with my little guy. He found her directions easy to follow. 
• Last, we did the blood draw. Everyone has different experiences around needles, and the actual prick wasn’t bad. What got my kid upset was when they had to squeeze the blood out for what felt like five minutes. A real needle and blood draw would have been better in this case, but now I know.
• We didn’t leave until after 6.30pm, so it’s possible they do have lollipops but we were there too late to get them. I’d suggest bringing your own lollipops just in case. Some expectations just keep the hospital process going much more smoothly.

So if you need to get a special physical to start school, or just want to try Beijing United Family’s Pediatric ward, it should go pretty smoothly. Bring lots of snacks, lollipops, and have all your information for paperwork ready. The good news is that with all this information and some additional paperwork, their ECE students will start school between today and next week! What a Herculean effort by the staff, teachers, and parents at YCIS.

KEEP READING: “So You Want to Become a Doctor?”: Facing the Reality of Medical School

Photos: Unsplash and Cindy Marie Jenkins