Don't Lose Your Voice: A Checklist For ECE & Primary Parents Attending JISE

There are so many critical factors when choosing the right school for your kids that it’s hard to remember everything. Once you pick up a copy of our School Choice Guide, a few simple elimination rounds based on location, learning philosophies, teacher to student ratios, etc can give you your family’s top choices. Even taking a tour of each campus may simply flood your brain with new questions so that you forget some basics.

That is why we highly suggest that parents looking to enroll or transfer their children attend this year’s Jingkids International School Expo (JISE) 2020 on October 24-25 at Beijing Renaissance Capital Hotel. Although each day there are panels by leading educators in both Mandarin and English, the main event of JISE is the rare chance to meet educators and staff from your top schools to compare, contrast, and ask those questions in person that will help you make the right choice for your family.

Early Childhood Education and Primary are some of the hardest grades to grasp without being in the classroom, so here are ideas to get more in-depth answers while you have the chance. Print this checklist and take it with you. Don’t let anything slip your mind!

ECE

Is your program play-based, student-driven, or is there a clear curriculum and outcomes for each year?
If my child’s birthday is in the first week of school, are they able to be in the older age grouping or do they need to stay in the younger classroom?
Do children nap during the school day? For how long? What if they’ve dropped their naps?
Do students have access to the school library?
Is there Mandarin instruction or is it immersion?
Do they have PE, Art, or Music classes?
How much interaction do students have with older students?
How are intimate situations like potty use regulated?
Do parents have an opportunity to participate in school activities? What are the expectations of hours volunteered and possibilities?
How often do parents meet with the teachers?
What is the primary method of communication between parents and teachers?

PRIMARY

When does homework begin? For how long each day?
How long at school do students study Mandarin?
What are the levels of language learning? How can a student new to the country catch up?
How often are assessments and what is the approach?
Have children ever moved forward a grade or been given assistance based on the results of those assessments?
What kind of social development is taught: perseverance, sharing, etc?
Do you have a digital literacy program and when does that start?
How are students encouraged to resolve conflicts?
What resources are available if a child struggles in a subject?
Are your teachers trained to recognize learning differences?
Do parents have an opportunity to participate in school activities? What are the expectations of hours volunteered and possibilities?
How often do parents meet with the teachers?
What is the primary method of communication between parents and teachers?

You’ll probably have follow-up questions based on the school’s answers, so take a notebook with you as well. You never know what kind of new questions will arise out of an event as exciting as JISE!

Here are the panels that are being conducted in English. They might spark even more questions for you to return to the school tables and ask: