Madam Tsang Chor-hang founded the first Yew Chung School in Hong Kong in 1932, inspired by her vision of a revitalized China. Her aim was to help students develop “good character and sound knowledge”. Eighty-five years later, Madam Tsang Chor-hang’s legacy lives on through the Yew Chung Education Foundation (YCEF), which has grown into a global network of schools and colleges. With the recognition that their founder’s ideals are more relevant than ever, YCEF remains committed to educating ‘the whole person’ and cultivating a new generation that will have a transformative impact on the world.   

YCIS celebrates the founding of the Yew Chung Foundation

On the occasion of the 85^th Founder’s Day celebration at YCIS Beijing, Vice Principal/Head of Secondary school Mr. Don Collins spoke passionately about the school’s commitment to preparing students for real-world challenges. “We can teach the students to write essays but it is also about getting them to articulate their understanding of any subject in a way that they enjoy,” Mr. Collins said. Mr. Collins also emphasized how creative self-expression is welcomed and how the school brings industry experts into the classroom and shares knowledge through video calling technologies.

A clear example of the incredible power of technology was seen at the Founder’s Day celebration, which is held every year across all schools and colleges in the YCEF network to honor Madam Tsang Chor-hang and to reflect on the years of success. At this year’s Founder’s Day celebration, 10,000 students and staff from six campuses connected virtually through video conferencing software.

What is the secret of YCIS’s success over the last 85 years? Perhaps it is staying true to their founder’s vision while adapting with the times. The motto may have changed from “Diligence, Thrift, Modesty, and Honesty” to “ Align with Science and Technology, Culture and Art, Love and Charity”, but the vision is the same.

All six Yew Chung International Schools (YCIS) offer an academic curriculum that focuses on preparing students for the IGCSE and IB Diploma programmes. The curriculum ensures a smooth transition through the different Key Stage Levels (Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, and Secondary Education).

The curriculum at YCIS emphasizes all-round development

Equal emphasis is placed on arts, music, and sports. The commitment to educating the ‘whole person’ also includes YCIS’s Character Education Programme, which aims to provide students with a values-based moral education. Drawing from a variety of cultures, the idea of this is to use everyday examples to help nurture the values of compassion and commitment to serve family, community, and society. In line with this concept, the Seeds of Hope project was introduced in 2008. By partnering with different stakeholders, YCIS hopes to establish ‘Seeds of Hope’ schools for underprivileged children in rural China.

By ensuring the intellectual, physical, and emotional growth of each student, education at YCIS prepares them for achievements in a wide variety of arenas. With the help of guidance councilors, alumni, and industry experts, students are able to choose their career paths and secure places in top universities around the world.

While the term ‘international’ is often confused with ‘westernization’ in China, at YCIS it signifies a balanced blend of east and west. In addition to Chinese Studies and language classes, the east meets west philosophy is primarily exercised through a unique co-teaching model. Each classroom is served by two teachers — one Chinese and one Western — who collaborate to provide a bilingual learning experience. “It is a rock-solid commitment to the notion of language development and cultural understanding”, said Mr. Collins.

Staff, parents, and students celebrate during this year’s Founder’s Day event

Asked what else sets YCIS apart from other international schools in the region, Ms. Christine Xu, Chinese Co-Principal, pointed to the foundation’s history and rich experience, which has helped strengthen areas such as curriculum design and management. She also touched on the dedication and commitment of the teachers: “I strongly believe that experience generates creativity… sometimes innovation comes from what you already know.”

Ms. Xu went on to talk about the Parents Organization (P.O.), which is actively involved in various school activities and community initiatives. YCIS believes that parents grow and learn along with their children. “Just this week we started our Active Parenting Program led by our counselor”, she added. These programmes ultimately focus on working with the teachers to raise happier, healthier children. “Parents are our co-pilots!” Ms. Xu emphasized.

Speaking of parental influence, as part of the celebrations, Dr. Betty Chan Po-king, daughter of Madam Tsang Chor-hang and Director of YCIS schools, addressed the students, staff, alumni, and parents who joined the event and announced the introduction of a four-year degree program in Early Childhood Education starting in 2018 at Yew Chung Community College (YCCC). “The 85^th anniversary serves as a reminder to be thankful and count our blessings as we embark upon the next chapter.”

This post is sponsored by YCIS Beijing. 

Photos: Uni You, YCIS Beijing

A child with learning difficulties or disabilities that make learning harder for him or her can be described as having special education needs (SEN).  For your convenience, we have copy pasted the Beijing section of the US State Overseas Schools office provided guide on Beijing schools that provide support to children with special needs.  The contents of the guide were originally provided by the schools.

If you suspect your child might be learning at a slower pace than other children of similar age and that it might be a problem, consult Olivia’s Place for an assessment, advice, or for opportunities to attend free parent education workshops.

Extracted from the US State “Overseas Schools Offering Support to Children with Special Needs” 2015-2016:

 British School of Beijing, Shunyi:

In BSB Shunyi, the Inclusion Department consists of a Leader of Inclusion, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Special Educational Needs (SEN) Teacher and Counselor. The SENCO in collaboration with the Leader of Inclusion plays a key role in determining the strategic development of the Special Educational Needs policy, support and provision in the school to raise the achievement of children with special educational needs.

The SENCO will coordinate additional support, Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Action Plans for pupils with special educational needs and liaise with their teachers and other professionals who are involved with their education.

The counselor supports children’s needs when they are going through a difficult time; this can be emotional, social, or behavioral. For children it can be difficult to talk about their problems with their family, teachers, or friends and they might prefer to talk to someone that isn’t a part of their life. The counselor gives them the chance to share their feelings in a safe and non-judgmental environment. By using different therapy, such as play and art therapy, the feelings of the child will be explored.

The School has a few SEN certified teachers that work with a small portion of students as part of the mainstream program.

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 British School of Beijing, Sanlitun:

The School does not offer a comprehensive SEN program. They do have trained SEN specialists within their network of schools and work with professionals and organizations locally. The School endeavors to work with families to ensure that they have provisions in place to cater to the specific needs of their child. The School offers the support of a one-to-one teaching assistant for any student that may need the additional support during their lessons.

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 International School of Beijing:

Learning Support Policy: In support of the mission, purpose, and philosophy of the School, as existing space and resources allow, students with mild to moderate learning differences will be admitted in accordance with the School’s admissions policy. This might include students with learning disabilities, ADHD and some high-functioning students on the autistic spectrum. However, placement in the learning support program is not based on diagnoses. Placement is determined by the level of support needed to be successful.

Description of Services: At this point, the School does not have self-contained classes for students who require a separate curriculum. Most services are provided through a push-in, inclusion model, with the exception of first and second grades in which a pull out model is utilized more frequently. Presently, they have ten learning support teachers, one speech and language pathologist and a director of student support services who also covers the school psychologist position. The School tends to use a modified response to intervention model (RtI) as the referral identification process. The modification is that they use standardized assessments as well as curriculum based to inform intervention.

Decisions regarding admission and services for a student will be made on a case-by-case basis within the policy parameters. The School does not have an educational program for:

• A student with intensive learning needs.
• A student who requires a self-contained learning environment with separate curriculum.
• A student with significant cognitive, developmental, physical and/or emotional needs/disabilities.
• A student who exhibits a continual pattern of behavior in the classroom that is disruptive to the learning process.
• The Student Support Team generally consists of an Administrator or designee, Counselor, Learning Support Teacher, and Classroom Teacher who interacts directly with the child.

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 Ivy Schools:

While several of the School’s teachers are special-needs trained or informed, they are not equipped to accept children with special needs on a regular basis.

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 International Montessori School of Beijing:

MSB employs two Learning Support teachers who are trained to diagnose and support children with learning needs. All learning support students must be identified during the admission process and will undergo observation and testing by our Learning Support staff. Admittance to the school will take into account their recommendations.

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 Side By Side:

Their program is solely for students with special needs and learning difficulties. The School will consider students with a variety of special needs, though they are unable to admit those in wheelchairs, or with moderate to severe medical needs. Their special education students usually have autism, are mentally challenged, have down syndrome, language delays or disorders, or global delay. The majority of their students have a combination of communication, behavioral and social issues.

Side by Side also offers 1:1 learning support and 1:1 music therapy for students who go to international school and have learning, behavior, emotional or communication difficulties. The School has a qualified special needs teacher, a music therapist/social worker/special needs support worker, and an assistant on staff. They refer to external therapy centers for diagnosis, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and/or physical therapy if it is required.

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 Yew Chung International School:

The School aims to assist children of foreign personnel as much as possible. However, there are limits to the range of services provided, resources obtainable, teacher and specialist expertise available in YCIS. For this reason, YCIS can only accept students with mild learning difficulties, i.e. children who can work successfully in a regular classroom environment with minimum support. The School employs a SEN teacher to work with students, in-class and in a withdrawal capacity. The School reserves the right (in consultation with the parents) to review all prior school reports, recommendations, and external assessments, and conduct an interview to determine the student’s level of need/s. The School will only accept students whom it believes will be successful in the YCIS program. Should a special educational need/s be identified after entrance (or a more serious need develops), the School reserves the right to review the placement.

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 3e International School

Children with special needs are considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure that all their needs can be met if admitted.

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 Beijing City International School – BCIS

BCIS provides learning support for those students who require additional assistance in mastering the curriculum. Acceptance into the school for children with special needs is made on a case-by-case basis. Determination is based on whether they have sufficient expertise and resources to accommodate the student. BCIS personnel do not diagnose disabilities.

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 Dulwich College Beijing

The School accepts students with learning needs on a case-by-case basis. Mild needs are supported either through in-class or pull-out sessions. Students needing extra support are requested to hire a shadow at their own expense. They do not have services for severe learning needs that may require professional services such as speech or physiotherapy.

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 Lycée Française International de Pékin

The School currently has 4-5 mentally handicapped or sight impaired students. These students’ families engage a personal assistant (with the help and agreement of the school) to assist their child in classes. The School also has several dyslexic students; 2 external speech therapists assist them after school.

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 Western Academy of Beijing

Learning Support Program: Students are eligible for admission if it is believed that WAB can meet their emotional, social, physical and academic needs. WAB can offer places at each grade level to a limited number of students with mild learning difficulties. For these students, assistance is provided by their Learning Support Center, both in and out of the classroom as appropriate, usually in small groups and occasionally on an individual basis.

Since WAB does not have separate classes for children with learning difficulties, a primary consideration in offering a place will be the student’s ability to access the regular curriculum with limited support. WAB takes into account the number of other students requiring learning support in the grade level applied for, and the level of resources needed to support the applicant. Thus, while WAB recognizes the value for all children of the social learning which can occur through contact with a peer group, places cannot be offered to students who need extensive program modifications, an alternate curriculum or constant support.

In accepting students with learning difficulties, WAB usually also adheres to the school admissions policy of placing students by chronological age and educational background, so the ability to function with a group of similarly aged students is an important factor. WAB is able to accept some students with minor physical disabilities, although expertise with any type of adaptive communications systems is not available. In accordance with the general admissions policy, the school reserves the right (in consultation with the parents) to conduct all necessary assessments and obtain copies of all previous reports and records. The School will offer a provisional place only to those students who they believe can benefit from the educational program it provides.

Photo: Flickr (US Army)

Sandra Greenwell
A clever pictorial extravaganza about summer holidays for all ages
“Never break the rules. Especially if you don’t understand them.” Strange and mysterious things can happen, as discovered by a young boy and his brother one summer! This is the lesson we learn from Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan.  Sandra Greenwell, Head of Libraries at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) has chosen a story about a young boy and his brother who recount their previous summer through the rules they invented. These are not just any rules, Greenwell tells us; they are filled with mystery, wonder, humor, and magic.

“As a young child summer was always associated with holidays, family, friends, the beach, BBQs and so on. It was a time when my friends and I would invent new adventures and games and, like the two children in the story, have our own rules for play. But unlike in the story, our rules were mundane – we never had rules that threatened punishment by mean, oversized, hooked beaked creatures if we ate ‘the last olive’ or invited a nasty tornado for stepping on a snail! Throughout the book, the little brother follows his older sibling, trying his best to keep up and understand the rules that he makes up.

“The opening line of the story, ‘This is what I learnt last summer,’ unlocks the rules. It is obvious that the older boy is there to protect his younger brother from the imagined danger associated with breaking the rules. Like being stalked by giant scary red rabbits and alien monsters. The rules are just one liners, mostly starting with ‘Never’ and a few with ‘Always’  ̵ the consequences are shown in Tan’s amazing paintings, which reflect the imagination of the young boy as he tries to understand them. It is this combination that makes this book a winner and allows all ages to make the connections and interpretations.

“Tan’s richly coloured and highly textured paintings aptly capture the setting and fun and fear shared by the brothers. There is so much detail to be found in them and they allow the reader plenty of room to reflect and come to their own conclusions.”

James Honey
A source of inspiration on the merits of imagination, creativity and individuality
A few years ago, James Honey, Primary Year 4 teacher at YCIS, stumbled across a fantastic book that reminded him of a time when every day was spent in search of adventure and excitement.  The book, titled Weslandia and authored by Paul Fleischman, tells the story of Wesley, a boy who is far from popular at school and spends most of his time being bullied for being different to the other children.  Instead of eating junk food, playing football, and having the trendiest haircut, Wesley prefers to follow his own path and generally spends most of his time in the library, reading up on many different subjects, until one day he has an amazing idea.

“His summer project will be to start his own civilization,” Honey says. “ Now, of course, Wesley hasn’t taken this lightly, and through his reading he knows that every great civilization in history had its own staple food crop.  So this is where he begins, turning over a plot of land in his garden until one night the wind blows in a collection of seeds that will become the basis of Wesley’s civilization.

“Over time Wesley finds that these plants, which he can’t find in any book, provide him with everything he needs to live a happy life.  Soon, Wesley finds that his civilization quickly thrives in the summer sunshine and before long other people start to take notice.

“I absolutely loved this book, and my class enjoyed it too.  In a world where children seem to spend the majority of their time glued to one screen or another, it shows us that adventure and possibility are everywhere in the world, even if we only venture as far as our own gardens.”

This article originally appeared on page 38 of the 2016 June-July Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

This week we’ve got Where We’ll Be, Free Events, Unique Events, Ongoing Events and seven of the Best Events of Next Week. Click on the header of each event to see more information in our events directory, where kid-friendly-event organizers and businesses with family deals are encouraged to post at no cost!

School editor Jessica Suotmaa will be nibbling on treats at the British High Tea.  On Saturday, she’ll try to time herself just right to make it to both the YCIS Global Community Day and the BCIS Festival of the Arts.

Senior editor, Nimo Wanjau is planning to learn about how to help early readers then cheer on a friend participating in Tri4Change! 加油 (jiāyóu)!

Tea at the British Ambassador Residence, May 10
Adults. Join the ladies of the Brit Club for a morning tea in high style. RMB 50 for non-members. 10am – Noon. British Ambassador Residence (britclubbeijing@yahoo.com)

Parent Teacher Workshop Emergent Literacy for Early Readers, May 10
Adults. Attendees will be able to learn the foundation of emergent literacy and signs of a need for intervention, thus better prepare their child for international schools or immersion programs. Best for parents or teachers of children with non-native English backgrounds. Registration required. Free. 1.30-2.30pm. Little Oasis (8417 6878)

Tri4Change Super Sprint Triathlon 2016, May 14
All ages. Tri4Change’s Third annual super sprint triathlon seeks to raise money for Roundabout Beijing. All spots are taken but people can go cheer and get motivated for next year. 7-10.30am. Western Academy of Beijing (Tri4Change.net/Beijing)

YCIS Beijing Global Community Day, May 14
All ages. Global Community Day is hosted with the mission of showcasing the very best of each and every culture in the school while unifying us all as global citizens in Beijing. Global Community day is also the annual charity event for the YCIS Beijing PO; all the money raised at the event is donated to the “YCIS Seeds of Hope” charity. 10am-2pm. Yew Chung International School of Beijing (8583 3731)

2016 BCIS Spring in the City Community Fair, May 14
All ages. This year’s theme is “The Festival of the Arts,” and the event promises an amazing celebration of the many artistic talents and opportunities students at BCIS have. The fair will also have family-friendly games and activities, performances, raffle prizes, delicious food, and more. Free. 11am-3pm. Beijing City International School (8771 7171)

Free Events
One Day Pop-up Fashion Focused Sale, May 10
Adults. If you’re still looking for that signature summer dress, accessories, hats, and more. There will be wine to sip on while you browse the wares designed my moms. Free. 11am-3pm. Beijing Riviera Clubhouse ( 186 0080 9284 (Malinda), 139 1043 1832 (Elisabeth))

3D Printing Expo, May 10-13
Ages 7+ Kids, teachers and parents need to prepare themselves for a future requiring 21st century skills; this expo provides a great introduction into a fast growing tech industry! Free. 10am-4.30pm China International Exhibition Center (Register here)

Basically Beethoven, May 12
Adults. Swooning among swirling notes at this classical open mic sounds like the perfect, chill date night on a budget. Free. 7.30-8pm. (info@chinabookworm.com)

Scratch Day China 2016, May 14
Ages 6+. Scratch Day is about exploring programming, being creative, collaborating with each other, and having fun. Everyone who attends receives a free Scratch Day T-shirt. Free, 1pm – 5.30pm Guanghua Soho (wilraising@163.com)

Yetang Creative Pop-up Market, May 14-15
Ages 7+. This perfect event for a mother-daughter shopping duo includes products from several different handcrafted, handmade or unique hipster, and indie vendors. Free. Noon-7pm. 3.3 Clothing Mall Sanlitun (event@yetang.com)

The Beijing Flea Market: May Edition, May 14
Ages 7+ More than 30 independent labels, handmade goods, vintage, craft foods and drink specials. Come and post a photo on WeChat of your favorite vendor in the first hour of the event for a free drink. Free. 11am-5pm. The Bookworm (jessicamrapp@gmail.com)

Unique
Salsa and Wine Community Event by JingJobs, May 11
Adults. Why not salsa and enjoy wine while you search for a new job or new employees? After all, great teams work hard and have fun together. RMB 60. 5.30-9pm. INN Cube (we chat: getjinged)

5th Annual Hockey Night Beijing, May 14All ages. Bring your friends and family to the Fifth annual Hockey Night in Beijing to enjoy high-energy, fast-paced ice hockey, and a complete sports entertainment experience. RMB 50-100. 12.30-7pm. Quanfa Garden North Gate (curtis@canlifesports.com)

Memphis in May in Beijing BBQ/Music Fest, May 14
All ages. Don’t pine for the Southeast any longer! Home plate is bringing home the barbecue and the Memphis blues with this food fest. RMB 125 (All you can eat – AYCE) wristband. 2pm-late. Home Plate Bar-B-Que, Sanlitun (400 096 7670)

Day Trip to Imagival Festival, May 14-15
Ages 7-18. Kids who can’t spend the night at the Imagival Festival can still purchase day tickets. On Saturday and Sunday, kids will enjoy: Games, Water Fight, Archery, Rollerblading, Bubble Football, Survival Skills, Mountain Forest Adventure, Giant Treasure Hunt and more. Mangshan (imagival.com)

Fest Noz Interceltic Festival, May 14
All ages. Live music, food, and plenty of traditional Celtic dances. RMB 25 (Adults), RMB 10 (Kids 2-12). British School of Beijing, Sanlitun (zhongbreizh@hotmail.com)

YCIS Beijing’s Fun(d) Run at Global Community Day, May 15
Ages 5+ Participation in the 2.5km or 5km races requires a RMB 50 donation to the Yu Hua charity, a local charity that specializes in assisting children with epilepsy. Runners will be able to win prizes from YCIS sponsors. Registration required. RMB 50. 10.30-11.30am. Yew Chung International School of Beijing (tsodavid@hotmail.com)

Ongoing

Mentor Walks at Ritan Park, May 13
Adults. A typical walk includes one Mentor and three to five Mentees. Mentees have the incredible opportunity to seek advice from seasoned professionals who will provide an open ear, honest feedback and meaningful guidance. Free, but registration required. 7.45-9am. Rita Park (info@mentorwalks.asia, michelle@m-restaurantgroup.com)

7 Best of Next Week

Co-Leadership: Uniting Cultures in the Workplace, May 19
Adults. This essential seminar serves as a practical introduction to cultural awareness in the workplace, providing useful strategies and techniques for embracing cultural differences and even using them to your advantage. Free. 4-5.30pm. Yew Chung International School of Beijing (8583 3731)

American Tribal Style Bellydancing Beginners Classes with Kae Montgomery, May 20-22
Ages 12+ ATS bellydance is a collective improvisation dance form based on a fusion of Oriental, Flamenco and Indian dances. Come with your daughter, your mom, your best friend and share this unique sensation of sensuality, pride and spirituality! RMB 2,000 for four 2 hour classes. 10am-Noon, except Saturday 21, 1.30-3.30pm. 77 Theater (inkonic@hotmail.fr)

Rock in the Park: Identity Film Festival, May 20-21
All ages. Share a picnic in the glow of the sunset while watching free student produced films. Come back the next day to rock out to great student performances. Free. 5-9pm. Western Academy of Beijing (5986 5588)

Shaun the Sheep Live Stage Version, May 20-21
Ages 3-12. This live and interactive English version of Shaun the Sheep is sure to split your sides. RMB 80. 6pm-8pm. Century Theater (6466 4805)

HoK Community YARD Sale 2016, May 21
All ages. Free tables to sell your goods! All we ask is you bring some baked goods we can sell out our cake table and ALL the money raised from the cake table goes to Charity. Free. 10am-1pm. House of Knowledge, Chaoyang Park and House of Knowledge, Quanta Gardens (vg@hokschools.com, qf@hokschools.com)

Yoga Gives Back, May 21
Ages 13+.  A two-hour bilingual yoga class successively hosted by five different yoga teachers: Gwen, Robyn, Sean, Theresa, and Desiree.  Participants are encouraged to practice at their own pace and bring their own mat.  Coconut water sponsored by Vita Coco. Snacks and juice can be purchased from Juice by Melissa, Shunyi. Minimum donation RMB 150.9:30-11:30am. International School of Beijing (gwenwynne@gmail.com)

TRY IT – International Fitness Day Event, May 22
Ages 8+ Try 5 uniquely different fitness workouts during an instructor led 20-minute sessions of each workout, from CrossFit, Yoga, Heyrobics, Nia to JindaFit®. Early bird tickets on sale until Friday, May 13. RMB 50 (early bird), RMB 90 (normal price). Sanfine Hospital (150 0115 7367)

Photos: Courtesy of Donnie Ray Jones, Mike Trudeau, Hernán Piñera, Jerome Naselli and Republic of Korea (Flickr)

Sponsored by Yew Chung International School of Beijing (

Arguably the largest change within schools both state and international in the last ten to fifteen years has been the increasingly important role technology plays within the classroom. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in itself is not just limited to being a subject of study. The crossover of technology into other subject areas is making knowledge of technology and computer use more vital for both teachers and students. Furthermore, the dimensions that are available in learning through technology are incredibly vast, including the convenience it brings to study outside the classroom or on field trips, learning skills that will almost certainly be required for later life and the ease of access to the most recently updated information. As a result of this educational change, schools are doing their utmost to provide students with best possible opportunities to keep pace with the rapid technological demands of the 21st century.

At Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing), Mr. Matthew Broughton has the role of Primary Technology Integrator at the school. Broughton discusses his key responsibilities within a school as a whole in a job that may not have even existed several years ago, “My position at YCIS Beijing is as a full time ICT integrator. My sole responsibility is to enhance the use of ICT in the primary curriculum. I work with primary classroom teachers and students to enrich their ICT skills. I also find authentic links to technology in the primary curriculum so that technology becomes less of a stand-alone subject and more of an integrated subject.”

Creativity in particular is an asset that ICT nurtures as is witnessed in our everyday lives. When we look to the past, it is very hard to imagine some of the activities and projects that students are currently undertaking, even at such a young age. Broughton explains some of the ways he has incorporated technology into the daily study of students at YCIS Beijing, “Throughout this past year, we’ve really tried to push the boundaries of how we use technology in the classroom. We use I-Pads in the classroom but the focus is not on consumption. Replacing a book with an e-book does not allow for any educational advantage apart from simple convenience. Instead, we focus on creating something new that the students would not otherwise be able to do through the more traditional equipment present in most schools. Examples of how we have used I-Pads this year have included our Year 2 students creating e-books, a radio broadcasting unit in Year 3, creating comic strips in the Chinese classes to aid the learning of characters and stop motion animation in Year 5. As long as we continue to highlight creativity through technological advancement, we are on the right track."

In addition to ICT, the study of Design & Technology (D&T) has developed dramatically in recent years, primarily as a result of findings during an Ofsted report in 2011. Christine Gilbert CBE, the former Head of Ofsted stated, “At a time of rapid technological advance schools need new approaches to teaching design and technology. Pupils need to learn about new materials and technologies and to investigate practically how and why products work.” The benefits of D&T, including encouraging pupils to consider design problems, developing a range of practical skills associated with modern industry and solving future ecological and environmental issues, make this subject potentially one of the most important within school curricula in the present day.

Through studying D&T, students become prepared for the skills they need for life in the 21st century. Thomas Burns, D&T Teacher at YCIS Beijing explains some of the skills students learn within his classes, “Students learn how to design and develop their own ideas. They analyze various design problems and work independently or within groups to create a solution. In addition, they learn how to critically evaluate products – an important skill in further and higher education.”

Fortunately within this digital age, YCIS Beijing has in place an exceptional D&T course in which students can develop knowledge and skills in areas that are almost certainly going to prove advantageous as they progress to university and into the future careers, as Burns describes, “Our students learn how to use the latest in computer technology (Computer Aided Design & Computer Aided Graphics). We use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Revit Architecture & digital movie editing software. Students are exposed to high-tech textiles manufacturing equipment such as a dye sublimation printer and laser cutters, while also learning some of the more traditional skills such as sewing, stitching, woodworking and point perspective drawing techniques.”

A recent animation project within D&T really encompasses the direction of technology at YCIS Beijing. The task for students in Year 9 was to create an animation using Adobe Photoshop and then create their own unique QR codes which when scanned by a smart phone, would display their finished animation. Such projects that overlap so many every day technological uses truly emphasise the YCIS Beijing motto of Aligning with Technology. If you’d like to view a couple of the animations created by Year 9 students Jiwon Baek and Hiroto Yamamoto, simply scan the QR codes below.

To find out more about YCIS Beijing, please visit www.ycis-bj.com

Photo: YCIS

Last Friday, May 15, students at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) had the chance to participate in a coaching masterclass from former England cricket captain Mike Gatting OBE. On arrival at the school, Gatting was welcomed by YCIS’ Year 5 and 6 students in the school’s auditorium after which he gave an entertaining talk about how playing cricket and other sports at school helped him learn valuable life lessons such as making friends, working hard, and learning from mistakes. As a sport, cricket is synonymous with good sportsmanship and the former England captain stressed the point of being a good loser as well as a good winner.

After his talk, a coaching session was held with Year 6 students in the school gymnasium in which Gatting went through some batting, bowling, diving, and catching drills before an exciting and close game of cricket was played between two Year 6 teams with Gatting himself bowling to the students. With Gatting explaining all aspects and skills of the game to students as he coached them through the session, it was a special day for students.

Gatting was one of the world’s greatest cricketers from England during the 1980s and 1990s. A powerful middle-order batsman, excellent fielder, and useful medium-pace bowler, he began his career with Middlesex in 1975 and remained with them until his retirement in 1998. He went on to represent his country 79 times in test cricket between 1977 and 1995, captaining his country 23 times. He scored a total of 36,549 runs across 551 first-class matches, making 493 catches and taking 158 wickets. His crowning glory was to lead England to victory in the Ashes series in Australia in 1986-87. He currently serves as President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and as Managing Director at the English Cricket Board (ECB).

Photos: Courtesy of YCIS

Is your family shopping for a new school? Start your homework tomorrow by attending Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS)’ open day from 9am-1pm. This free event is open to the whole Beijing community and promises to showcase the unique experience of what it’s like to be part of the YCIS Beijing family. Parents can find out about the kindergarten, primary, and secondary school curricula including university guidance workshop while kids have the chance to partake in various interactive activities from 9-11:45am.

Whether your child wants to play an instrument, enjoys learning languages, or feels like getting creative with arts and crafts, there’s something to keep even the youngest kids entertained while parents check out all YCIS has to offer. Activities promise to be suitable for both children and adults, so parents can feel free to join in the fun. See below for a full list of activities.

Art workshops with YCIS Artist-in-Residence Elizabeth Briel

ICT Workshops

Followed by the morning’s events, lunch will be served in the cafeteria and parents  have the chance to speak to YCIS teachers, students, and parents.

To find out more about YCIS’ open day, email enquiry@bj.ycef.com, call Tel 8583 373, or visit YCIS’ website.

Photo: Franciso Osorio (flickr)

The session runs from 10-11am and will cover the YCIS Beijing model, which follows the UK National Curriculum and incorporates a research-based Chinese curriculum. In order to foster bilingualism, YCIS Beijing primary classrooms have one Western teacher and one Chinese teacher, who share classroom authority.