SHANGHAI COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SEP/OCT. 2019 Transitions TABLE OF CONTENTS Features Community Campus Highlights P. 22–23 // Teacher Spotlight P. 16–17 // Hongqiao Campus Highlight P. 4 // Director of Schools’ Letter Farewell to an SCIS Gem Back-to-School Connections P. 5–7 // IB Corner P. 24–25 // Family Spotlight P. 18–19 // Hongqiao ECE Campus Highlight Transitioning to the Upper School and the Meet the Ong Family International Literacy Day: Celebrating our Middle Years Programme Multilingual Readers Getting a Real Time Glance into Your Child’s P. 26–27 // Student Spotlight Progress with Seesaw Dragons in Action SCIS Swimmer Wins Bronze P. 20–21 // Pudong Campus Highlight at Nationals Welcoming Friends, Old and New! P. 8–9 // Synchronized Accreditation One Community Celebrating Diversity Together P. 32–34 // PAFA for United Nations Day Meet our New Parents and Friends Association Members P. 10–11 // Conselor Connection Surviving in Stride: A Guide to Culture Shock and the Expat Life P. 12–13 // Language Acquisition A look at the PYP Mandarin Language Acquisition Program at SCIS P. 14–15 // China Host Culture SHANGHAI as Seen Through Our Eyes 18 P. 28–29 // Sports Recap Meet the XpertHealth Athletics Trainers Behind the Scenes 22 P. 30–31 // Librarian Corner 8 4 DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS’ LETTER In response to the need for a space to the knowledge they are to acquire and share our varied experiences within SCIS, understand as well as the skills and “Communitas” was created. Entering its character qualities that are embedded tenth year of publication, it continues to within our program. These SLOs will be the venue for reflection, discovery, officially replace our previous Expected and celebration throughout our school School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs), community. The name Communitas and we believe these SLOs will be more roughly translates from Latin as “the very definable, measurable, and better reflect spirit of community.” That same spirit is our work as an IB World School. They what we intend for you to find throughout will be organized within four main strands the pages of this and future editions. of Thinking Skills, Research Skills, Self- Management Skills, and Communication It is this spirit that has continuously fed and Social Skills. As this work is evidence our passion to deliver on our SCIS Mission of, our learning journey at SCIS is far from Dear SCIS Community, to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and over as we continue to refine and define caring learners who contribute positively how we learn as a vibrant and reflective It is my pleasure to extend a warm to our community. A keyword, not to learning community. welcome to our SCIS Community for be overlooked in our mission statement, this 2019-2020 school year at Shanghai is that we use the phrase “learners,” We are proud, we should be, and this Community International School. not “students.” This is because of our is just the beginning of a new year of belief that every member of our school opportunities, experiences, and growth. This was my 18th “first day of school” at community is a learner, and we take on Let us continue to challenge ourselves SCIS, and despite having so many years the noble effort of developing all of our as a community to inspire each other within our community, I continue to feel students, parents, faculty alike as we move to become inquisitive, globally-minded the same rush of exuberance and, of forward in our learning journeys. learners. For now, please read on and course, sense of trepidation that I had find inspiration within these pages, and in year one. It is a healthy balance and a We have undertaken some significant I challenge you to share your learning perfect reminder that all of us, students, initiatives in our community-wide journey journey with the editors of Communitas. teachers, parents, and staff are at the start over our 24 years of operation. We It is going to be a great year, full of learning, of something new. This, in and of itself, are now entering into our work on the “a-ha moments,” and smiles so, please is one of the many wonderful aspects of development of our strategic plan. This enjoy, and I look forward to learning with choosing a career in education, we have work will support our effort toward you this school year. an opportunity for a fresh start, each year. a successful synchronized Western We, as educators, can set the stage and Association of Schools and Colleges establish the foundation for the incredible (WASC) accreditation and International Sincerely, learning experiences to come. It is through Baccalaureate (IB) three-program this annual occurrence that we can create authorization visit to be held in the new opportunities for our students, spring semester of 2021. As part of our opportunities that build the foundation of launch, we will work across our various our community, and students” experience campuses and with all stakeholders to Daniel D. Eschtruth within the school, and it is the combination establish Student Learning Outcomes Director of Schools of these shared experiences that then (SLOs). These SLOs are the foundation Shanghai Community International School defines our SCIS community. for what we want to see in our students, Communitas is about community Communitas is published and we rely on contributions from six times per year for the SCIS community. the SCIS community, our friends, SEP/OCT. 2019 and the larger Should you have any commentary, Shanghai community. Editor: Mikael Masson Editor: Lili Shi observations, wish to submit articles, Art Director: Mun Yee Choo or inquire as to ways to collaborate, We are social! Feel free Designer:Designer: AllesAlles ZhengZheng feel free to send all to visit us on the web at inquiries or correspondence to www.scis-china.org and follow us! Do you have a story to tell, a project the Communitas editor to share, or art to be displayed? Let via email at Communitas be a platform for your voice. [email protected]. IB CORNER 5 – the Learner Profile. These are ten attributes that IB students of all ages strive to fulfill. One cannot help but be filled with confidence knowing that at the heart of our curriculum are attributes like being open-minded, caring and principled. These characteristics are needed now and for all of our futures. The MYP plays a vital role in connecting these programmes, and also (importantly) considers the unique social and emotional time this can be for young adults. The MYP in its planning acknowledges the challenges faced at 11 – 16 years of age and considers this in a student’s learning and school life. Transitioning As we approach the end of term one, grade six students are happily finding to the Upper School and the their way. They are understanding the advantages of eight caring adults to assist Middle Years Programme them and they are seeming to be enjoying the movement and independence here are always mixed emotions The Middle Years Programme (MYP) of their school days. Challenges will Taround the transition from Lower provides skills (Approaches to Learning continue as they move through MYP School to Upper School. Parents and skills) to harness this inquiry and look at it and DP, but challenges will also continue student share concerns about moving through different subjects and conceptual in life. At SCIS we are proud to offer from one homeroom teacher to eight topics. Then the Diploma Programme an internationally credible continuum different subject teachers. Both can be (DP) takes their strengths and allows education to help students with their worried about the change and things a student to direct their interest into transitions and learning. Transitions are a like getting lost in the Upper School. particular subject areas and pathways for part of an exciting and fulfilled life and we However, both parties also share the University and life. Providing the three will equip our students for this. excitement. For students, the perceived IB programmes provides a holistic and fear of the Upper School is coupled with continual approach to learning. By MAREE COMERFORD, the thrill of “freedom” and independence. Upper School Vice For parents, the transition is a time to There are also commonalities among the Principal & MYP experience growth in their children – three programmes, with the strongest Coordinator at “a rite of passage” as such. link being at the core of the programmes SCIS Hongqiao So how to handle all of these emotions and ensure our SCIS students are happy, safe and successful? We believe this is in a large part addressed by the fact that SCIS is an International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum school, offering three accredited and proven programmes. The International Baccalaureate purposefully and thoughtfully designed three programmes to meet the needs of students. Each programme considers the age and abilities of the students. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) embraces the natural curiosity of young children, allowing them to explore through their programmes of inquiry. 6 IB CORNER Getting a Real Time Glance into Your Child’s Progress with Seesaw sking a child what he or she did at school that day often In Nursery through Pre-Kindergarten, Seesaw is largely used Aresults in a shoulder shrug or the age-old reply, “Nothing”. by teachers to share progress in a child’s development. On the As adults, we simply know this is not true. So much goes on surface, the photos look “cute”. A closer look at these posts and during the hours a child is at school that is it often difficult parents will be able to see the connection the teacher is making for a child to identify what could be shared.