BIBA Meets Dr. Kraczar from EARCOS
On March 12, Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA) received Dr Richard Krajczar, executive director of the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS). Dr. Krajczar met with the staff as well as middle and high school students to discuss culture, the school’s vision, and the school’s mission. BIBA recently became a provisional EARCOS member. EARCOS is an association of international schools in East Asia that use English as the primary instruction medium. It has over 100 members schools.
DCB Students and Teacher Perform with the Rolling Stones in Shanghai
Four students – Bjorn Shen, Risako Katsumata, Pratcha Sananvantanont, and Jason Yuan – and Head of Music Mark Stingle from Dulwich College Beijing performed with the Rolling Stones in Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. The choir performed “You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ with Mick Jagger in front of a crowd of 15,000 people for the only stop in China on the group’s “14 on Fire” world tour. Stingle and the students were joined by other pupils and faculty from the Dulwich China network.
ISB Celebrates Smile Week
The International School of Beijing (ISB) community celebrated Smile Week from April 14-18. The Middle School Student Council and mentor Jim Fidler led the week-long fundraiser. Now in its ninth year, this year’s Smile Week had an added dimension of experience-based learning. Fidler is the author of a book called Looking In, a compilation of photographs from his travels around China. Proceeds from the sale of the book and all money raised during Smile Week will be donated to the Holt Ping An Medical Foster Home. Smile Week pays for medical care for babies with cleft palates and other conditions. The book can be purchased directly from ISB’s PTA Store starting from April 21. It costs RMB 200.
Introducing O’le Afloat
The people behind O’le Ski and O’le Music have launched a new program called O’le Afloat focusing on water sports for kids at Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. The organization offers activity days for large international school groups as well as small private groups. Sports include sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and rafting. The courses include practical and theoretic elements and are taught by English-speaking coaches. O’le Afloat also offers pirate-themed birthday parties with treasure hunts and floating battles. Schools should keep an eye out for the Boat Race of Internationals Schools in China (BRISC), set to take place for the first time this October. Visit www.ole-sports.org/afloat for more information.
New Advanced Maths Teacher Joins TLC
The Learning Center (TLC) welcomes mathematics teacher Matt Lenton. Originally from the UK, he completed his mathematics BSc and Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at King’s College London. Upon graduation, Lenton joined American Express as a database developer. From March 2011 to March 2013, he worked as a mathematics teacher at an international school in South Korea. Lenton has experience teaching numerous curricula, including General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), A-Levels, Standard Assessment Tests (SAT), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Advanced Placement (AP).
Prof. Yi Speaks on Chinese Language Arts Curriculum and Instruction at 3e
On March 14, Beijing Normal University Professor Yi Jin from the Faculty of Education gave a talk to parents from 3e International School. The talk was about China’s 2011 curriculum standards and its implications for Chinese Language Arts instruction. Prof. Yi talked about how parents could support their children’s Chinese learning in a fun and meaningful ways in both local and international schools.
IMTI Professional Development Workshop with Brittany Dunn
On March 29, teacher Brittany Dunn conducted a workshop called “Using Outdoor Time Proactively, Positively and Creatively” at the International Montessori Teaching Institute (IMTI). Participants roamed around the room acting out the animal puppets they were given. IMTI will continue to provide parent and teacher workshops. For more info, visit www.imti-china.com.
WAB Students Hang Out with Aaron “Wheelz” Fortheringham
As part of the Distinguished Speakers Series program, the Western Academy of Beijing welcomed Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham from the US. Fortheringham was born with spina bifida, a condition of the spinal cord that limits his ability to walk. Despite his physical condition, he is an extreme wheelchair athlete who performs BMX skateboard adapted tricks. During assemblies with elementary, middle school and high school students, he charmed everyone with his charisma, sense of humor, and relaxed attitude, posing for photos, posting on Instagram, and signing autographs throughout the day.
YCIS Seeds of Hope Concert Raises RMB 160,000 for Charity
The annual Yew Chung International School (YCIS) Seeds of Hope Charity Gala Concert was held on March 22 at the Da Ning Theatre in Shanghai. In attendance were more than 370 students, parents, and faculty from YCIS schools around the world. The event raised more than RMB 160,000 to construct a school for children in rural China. Funds were generated through ticket sales and donations, and by a silent auction in the theatre lobby, with artwork created by YCIS students and artists-in-residence.
Photos: Courtesy of BIBA, DCB, ISB, O’Le Afloat, TCL, 3E, Wab and YCIS Beijing
This article originally appeared on p18-19 of the beijingkids May 2014 issue. Check out the PDF version online at Issuu.com
