SHANGHAI COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL JUN. 2018 The Journey Continues TABLE OF CONTENTS American Products Features Community Campus Highlights We have found them for you! P. 4 // Director of Schools’ Letter P. 26-27 // Teacher Spotlight P. 20-21 // Hongqiao Campus Highlight From Third Culture Kid to OCEAN Nepal: Lending a Helping Hand P. 5-7 // IB Corner International Teaching How do IB-DP scores work? P. 22-23 // Hongqiao ECE Campus Highlight P. 28-29 // Family Spotlight A Celebration of Art and Community at the MYP Objectives and Criteria Meet the Berkaw Family 5th Annual ECE Charity Art Auction P. 8-11 // Language Acquisition P. 30-32 // Alumni Spotlight P. 24-25 // Pudong Campus Highlight Understanding the Difference between Social SCIS Annual Alumni Gathering Empowering Youth Through the and Academic Language PYP Exhibition Meet the EAL Teacher: Kristie O’Brien P. 33 // Favorite Spot in The City Meet the EAL Teacher Vive la Différence!! Strategies and Tips for Helping Kids P. 34-35 // PAFA P. 12-17 // Community Feature End of the Year Picnic 2018 GREAT QUALITY CONVENIENT* University Acceptances SCIS Class of 2018 SELECTION GUARANTEE P. 36-37 // Student Spotlight DELIVERY Your Online Expat Supermarket Building Career Skills with Hands-on Job Meet Yoyo Chun, A Superstar in the Making *Free for orders above 190RMB www.epermarket.com Shadow Program P. 18-19 // China Host Culture P. 40 // Partner Excellent Website Applications to ‘Looking Ahead’ with LanguageOne, The Dutch Learn Chinese School at SCIS ECE, SCIS HQ and SCIS Pudong 20 P. 38-39 // Art Gallery 30 14 4 DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS’ LETTER IB CORNER 5 Dear SCIS Community, Years Programme (IB PYP). This will not this and all previous Each subject also includes one Internal Assessment (IA), a only support our effort to align our Nursery school years. I also structured project that the student completes over an extended SCIS’ 21st school year is soon drawing to through Grade 12 program it also guides our wish to share my period of time under the supervision of their teachers, such as a close, and with it comes the completion ability to embed student-centered learning appreciation for the a research project or an exhibition. The teachers grade the IAs of a demanding yet highly productive year through an externally assessed program that dedication, talent, themselves according to fixed IB criteria, and these grades are for all. Throughout our community, faculty, is respected by educators around the world. energy, and care How do submitted to the IB for inclusion in the student’s overall mark. parents, and students will take part in the The four different authorization processes that our incredible In order to ensure that IB standards are upheld, the IB calls for various celebrations that accompany the will be completed prior to the end of our team of faculty, staff, a sample of student work from each class to be assessed by end of our school year. Inevitably, there is school year and we certainly expect to and administrators external examiners as well, and if the teacher’s scores are found a feeling of sadness that comes with the receive positive news about our steps toward bring to work each day. Finally, I want to various farewells and send offs, yet there is becoming a full three-program IB World acknowledge those that embody the mission, to be either too generous or too conservative, the IA scores of also a joyful celebration and acknowledgment School (IB PYP, MYP, and DP). Each of the vision, and purpose of SCIS – our diverse, IB-DP the entire class are adjusted to meet international standards. for all that was accomplished. Even though visiting teams that have come through have caring, bold, and positive students from Early the theme for this edition of Communitas provided positive feedback regarding the Childhood through to High School. We are so After all external assessments are marked and internal is “Looking Ahead”, I feel compelled to also effort of our faculty, the leadership’s support, very glad to have you as part of our school. assessments are moderated, the total forms the student’s overall take a moment to reflect on all that we have and our community’s open embrace for the SCORES score. Students with totals between 24-45, who have met all collectively accomplished throughout this various programs. Further, we have received One of the most difficult aspects of our other requirements, will earn the IB Diploma. Last May, of the school year. our MYP authorization notices for both incredible international lives is the inevitable 80,358 IB Diploma candidates worldwide, just 278, or 0.44% Pudong and Hongqiao and eagerly await farewells we face as friends, classmates, and achieved this “perfect” score. The year began with a significant change for similar results for our PYP efforts. colleagues move on. For those of you not SCIS with the adoption of a new mission returning after the summer, I wish you all statement to direct our purpose as a school. In addition to the behind-the-scenes the best, welcome you to come back for a The need for this change came from our achievements made by our faculty and visit (or long-term stay), and of course, thank Work?ost SCIS Seniors spent their last three weeks of high By NAOMI SHANKS, reflections on identified needs within our administrators, our students have also you for giving us the opportunity to work school in and out of exam rooms and study spaces. They continued to excel while personifying the with your children. For our departing faculty, M Vice Principal at SCIS Pudong system of schools. These ultimately led to the were solving problems, writing essays, analyzing texts, describing SCIS Board and senior administration team Dragon spirit. They have sat for exams, I want to thank you for all you have brought functions, building arguments, all with the singular goal of earning identifying seven strategic directions that will competed in sports, participated in clubs, to the lives of our students and all you have the coveted, highly-respected IB Diploma, dreaming of the serve as a focal point for how we will achieve volunteered countless hours, and performed done to enhance our learning community. elusive “45.” But what do these scores mean? our mission. Following this initial work, the incredibly on stage and off. For some, they For those returning for next year, I look full SCIS leadership team worked together to will be walking with their classmates for one forward to welcoming you back after the Every IB Diploma subject has a fixed syllabus with standard develop belief statements that establish the final time as SCIS students as the senior class summer. For schools, summer is a time of value each of the seven strategic directions takes part in their graduation ceremony. These reflection, planning and building and we will assessment criteria and mark schemes. Most courses last for two 7 has for our community. Looking forward, ceremonies are commonly referred to as be doing all three this summer. So, we look years, at the end of which students’ work on the standardized 3 the next step will commence during the ‘commencement’ due to their representing the forward to sharing with you all the new plans, assessment tasks is graded by a carefully monitored international 2017-2018 school year and will bring about start of a new phase of life. This senior class spaces, and people that will make 2017-2018 body of examiners, who grade work according to the fixed a significant review of the entire organization, will now join their fellow SCIS Alumni as they yet another great year to be a SCIS Dragon! criteria. The IB Diploma is respected by universities across the 7 7 from classroom to business office, to ensure represent the best of SCIS while attending planet precisely because of this external assessment system. An we are capable of moving forward with a outstanding universities across the globe. Sincerely, IB score means EXACTLY the same thing whether it is earned 45 clear understanding of our shared purpose. by a student in Geneva, Cardiff, or right here at SCIS. points While I am likely not the first, I am pleased to Another major undertaking that deserves join the many in congratulating our graduating The IB Diploma allows students to earn 1-7 points for each of possible attention is the incredible effort that both class of 2017 and wishing them all the best in their six academic subjects, for a base of 42 points and allows 7 7 our Pudong and Hongqiao campuses have the future. I must follow that with a sincere Daniel D. Eschtruth up to 3 “bonus points” to be added through achievement on undergone relating to the authorization for statement of gratitude toward our community Director of Schools the core requirements of the Extended Essay and Theory of both the International Baccalaureates’ Middle of parents for providing an incredible amount Shanghai Community International School Knowledge, for a total possible score of 45 points. 7 Years Programme (IB MYP) and Primary of energy, support, and patience throughout In each subject, the score of 1-7 is earned through the completion of a combination of two or three external Paper 1 Ext ent Communitas is about community Communitas is published assessments, submitted to the IB for grading, and one internal ernal Assessm and we rely on contributions from six times per year for assessment (IA) a project that is assessed by the teacher, with the SCIS community. the SCIS community, our friends, the results moderated by the IB.