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HIS Launches Parent Support Group
Hope International School (HIS) has created a Parent Support Group (PSG) for parents to “discuss strategies to better understand, love, guide, and discipline their children.” The PSG will run for ten sessions of two hours each at HIS starting at the end of February. The group is open to the wider Beijing community and will be held in Chinese, English, or Korean. The fee for non-HIS parents is RMB 400. For more information, email Alison Wong at wong.alison@hopeintlschool.org.
WAB Student Jade Lin Named International School Young Musician of the Year
Jade Lin, a Grade 12 student at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), earned the title of International School Young Musician of the Year. Students representing eight schools in Beijing performed in the competition, and six students were selected to enter the finals hosted in WAB’s Founders’ Theatre. Judges Gao Can (violinist), Robin Wang (soprano) and Irene Chen (piano) selected Lin as this year’s champion for her opera performance.
Positive Discipline Day at 3e
On November 21, 3e International School welcomed two guest speakers from the US for its Positive Discipline Day. Kay Nicholas, former principal of a Michigan elementary school, led a a three-hour workshop on conscious discipline. This award-winning classroom management program was created by Dr. Becky Bailey and presents a comprehensive set of brain research-supported skills to foster positive behavior in a family-like classroom environment. Sophia Garner, the other speaker, is a teacher experienced in implementing readers’ workshops with lower elementary students. She shared her training at Columbia University with 3e’s K-4 teaching team, composed of both local and foreign teachers. Both speakers immersed themselves in 3e classrooms for several days afterwards. This was the third time for Nicholas to work with 3e teachers on conscious discipline and it was the first China visit for Garner.
TLC Welcomes Jeremy Arden
The Learning Center (TLC) recently welcomed Jeremy Arden, a UK native who has lived and taught English in China for five years. As a TEFL qualified teacher with a TEFL-C qualification specializing in working with younger learners, Arden will work with students of varying ages. As a dedicated ESL teacher, Arden has also been working with adult students.
DCB Students Build Houses in Cambodia
This year, DCB Interact Club and Beijing Rotary Club funds made it possible to build 12 houses for families in a Cambodian village. Students got into hammering and nailing floors and walls, and had the opportunity to interact with village children, including a volleyball match with the DCB boys. On a cultural note, students visited some of Cambodia’s landmarks such as the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Museum, which enriched their trip and enabled them to gain a better understanding of the country’s history.
SIBS Announces New Principal
Beijing Springboard International School (SIBS) recently announced Gary Dimitratos as the new principal. Dimitratos has over 20 years of educational administration and teaching experience in the US. He has filled many teaching and administration roles, from elementary and high school teaching to academic counselor. Prior to this, he was the vice principal of SIBS.
ISB Welcomes NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice
On November 15, the International School of Beijing (ISB) welcomed NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice to participate in a student-led dialogue for the ISB community, followed by a meet-and-greet and photo opportunities. Rice inspired an audience of hundreds of students, teachers, and parents with his message of working hard and never losing sight of one’s passion.
This article originally appeared on p14-15 in the January 2015 issue of beijingkids. To view it online for free, click here. To find out how you can obtain your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.
