I have vivid memories of marking up the School Choice Guide back in 2018, cross-referencing disciplines and school visions against the map of the vast city I was soon to call my own. We couldn’t have foreseen the trials that our community would overcome last year, or how schools would band together across time zones and inside our various living spaces to make e-learning valuable for students. Our challenges continue. But we are stronger together.
On our campuses, administrations worked more closely with security, operations, custodial, and medical staff than ever before. The different protocols that had to be created and followed so that everyone’s dream of reopening schools could manifest were awesome in the strict definition of the word: “extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.”
But no fear was needed as schools took valuable lessons from e-learning back into their classrooms, and three of our esteemed speakers from October’s Jingkids International School Expo (JISE) relate their experiences. Moreover, the community had time to reflect on our environment, which encouraged schools to move faster towards sustainability efforts in cafeterias.
But new parents still face old problems: At what age should I enroll my child in preschool? What kind of curriculum will be the best environment for them to thrive in? And how can we support their young journeys in our home environment and parenting?
We also hear from Contributing Teen Writer XueFei Liu, who helps teenagers deal with all the stress thrown at them. Among these stresses is homework, and two educators give parents the most valuable advice on the topic I’ve heard in years.
Most importantly, we celebrate our schools via this year’s School Choice Guide, where we present to you the best that Beijing offers so that you can take your notes and schedule your tours and make the decision that fits your child the best. But school should also be fun and this is what International School of Beijing (ISB) student Loviise Puntso explores so well on our cover, that even though the decisions are difficult, your school should also be a place where you are happy and love to learn.
Last year quite literally brought schools into our homes, but whether across pixels or the sacred space inside a classroom, we face the next year together.
Scan the QR code below to download a copy today.
KEEP READING: Jing Educators Award 2020: Homeroom Teachers, Lead Teachers, and Other Outstanding Educators
Images: Dave Hanssen of Dave’s Studio
This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 January-February issue
