Shanghai Community International School & Hangzhou International School May 2015

P.40

Middle School Teachers and Students Volunteer to Fight Modern-Day Slavery

P.44

How to EAT Your Way Through

SHangHai

Beyond the Classroom

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P.44-45 // Favorite Spot in the CityEat Your Way Through Shanghai

P. 46-47 // Community Feature The Invention Convention

P. 50-53 // Student SpotlightTing Ting ChanIce Skating Champion

Fiona Huang -- A Flute Maestro

P. 54-55 // Repatriation SpotlightGallet FamilyA Successful Repatriation back to the EU

P. 34-35 // HongqiaoMathletes

P. 32-33 // Hongqiao ECE2015 ECE Charity Art Auction Behind the Scenes

5 Children Saved by the 2014 ECE Art Auction

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

P. 04 // Superintendent’s Letter

P. 05 // Editor’s Letter

P. 06 // Letters To Editor

P. 7 // Director’s Letter How to Prepare Your Children for the Future-- Laurie Klancke

P. 8-11 // Curriculum:

Performing Art

P. 48-49 // Host CultureVisiting Nanchang, ChinaTwo HIS teachers visit Jenny Wang’s Village

P. 40-43 // Feature Theme:

Humanities for Humanity

P. 36-39 // PudongCultural Understanding A Formula for Success

Thunderstruck! The SCIS Rock Band Rocks the House

P. 18-20 // Art Gallery

P. 26-30 // HangzhouLife lessons from Annie Jr

Narrowing Down University Choices

Engineering Design = Teamwork with a Purpose

Campus Highlights

Community

P. 12-17 // Educational Insights Play is the Work of Children

Working Memory What is it and how can you help?

HIS Teaching Assistants Shine

Teaching Through Thematic Units

The Day When “SCIS Walkers” Met Planet Walker

P. 22-23 // Spring Sports Recap

P. 24-25 // Special Feature Have You Been Shanghai’d

P. 56-57 // Alumni InterviewAnthony GatesStaying in China for University

P. 58 // Fairwell NoteYou Will Be Missed

P. 59-61 // PartnerThe amazing journey of a bottle that became your uniform

Community Center Shanghai (CCS) is offering Subsidized Counseling Sessions

Is Your Youth Athlete Playing In Pain?

P. 62-63 // Recipes

P. 64-65 // Looking Back, Looking Ahead

P. 66 // The Librarians Corner

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Dear SCIS-HIS Community and Friends

As we begin planning for celebrations marking our 20th year in China, the phrase ‘winding down’ does not apply at SCIS-HIS schools. In fact, our campuses are still ‘winding up’ and bustling with more activity than ever. We believe providing students with a robust program of opportunities allows for students to pursue their known interests and talents, or just try something new. In this edition of Communitas we are going ‘Beyond the Classroom’ in an effort to share the wonderful things happening outside regular school hours.

Providing students with robust program options and offerings that let them explore new skills and further develop talents is not an easy task. Each of our schools employs an Athletics and Activities Coordinator (AAC) whose specific responsibility is to ensure that students are provided with a well-organized slate of sports and creative programs. Our teaching staff also put in well over the minimum expectation of at least 40 hours through additional support of our extracurricular programs. Why? Because we hire and retain excellent teachers who truly care about kids and have so much more to share than just what they teach in the classroom. And why do we do it? For as much as we believe in the core learning that goes on during the school day, we believe students learn valuable life skills and attitudes by engaging sports, arts, clubs and electives that allow them to take risks by trying things that are new, challenge personal talents they want to take further, or simply engage in a club or activity that is fun!

A visit to any one of our schools just after 3:00pm and one would find a vibrant and bustling community. Our strength in activities makes our schools such outstanding centers for learning and growth. From musical and drama production rehearsals, ceramics, Chinese painting, Model UN, rocket club, girl/boy scouts, multiple field sports, swim team, robotics, dance, gymnastics to mother tongue language programs and academic support networks to name a few, we take our mission to provide opportunities within a nurturing community environment very seriously. Ask around town which teams tend to dominate the ACAMIS, SISAC, or CISSA division championships in sports each year. It will not matter if your students go to SCIS-Pudong, SCIS-Hongqiao, or HIS, the answer is always the same… “we do”! It’s a good thing each our schools play in different colored divisions!

As the Superintendent of Schools, I feel it is an honor and a privilege to witness how each of our campuses has become a town center for its communities. I am also proud to see how our network of SCIS-HIS schools extends its opportunities between sister schools, such as with the quarterly Dragon Cup and Invention Convention. These events provide red (Hongqiao), yellow (Hangzhou), and green (Pudong) dragons a chance to make new friends who may have similar skills or interests. Few educational organizations have such a unique and collaborative relationship.

If you are interested in learning more about our efforts to go beyond learning within the classrooms, I encourage you to visit our Athletics and Activities Coordinators at one of our campuses. Better yet, talk with any one of our students and I am sure you will find that one of the most difficult aspects of being an SCIS or HIS student is having so many options and ultimately having to make a choice. And if you are interested in coaching or volunteering at one of our campuses, we welcome our parent community to stay involved in sports and activities that once inspired their own childhood. We encourage you to join us in going beyond the classroom.

Have a wonderful Summer Break! And as always, GoooOOO Dragons!

Jeffry R. StubbsSuperintendent of Schools

Should this be lucky issue 13? Or should I skip over thirteen and jump right to fourteen like some hotels in certain countries? Trying to balance the cultural context of the magazine is not the only difficult act; in fact, the most difficult act is trying to balance the English standardization of the magazine.

Should punctuation go “inside,” or “outside”? Is our varsity spring sport soccer or football? Should we just sweep this all under the carpet (or is it rug)? Perhaps the world is more colourful this way. Then again, perhaps the colors clash…

As a linguist and English language connoisseur, it is enjoyable to the palate but difficult for the editor. To settle these language differences for the magazine, I have looked to who we are as a school. We are not an American school. We are not a British school. We are a truly international school that takes the best practice from around the world and melts it into one unique and intentional community. So as you read through the content, you might see American punctuation, British spelling, Australian idioms, and a host of other quirky language bits. I apologize if this is confusing (and I especially apologize to second language learners). But the magazine embraces this and reflects us: a truly international community.

And if standardization still bugs you at night, you can rest assured that I can hardly read a sentence without visually diagramming it like some John Nash formula, so the entire magazine is compositionally correct even if it does fluctuate between nationality language quirks.

Warmest Wishes,

Jonathan PaulsonEditor

Oops…no one is perfect.

Last issues’ cover story on page 32 was eloquently written by Robert Van-dereyken—not Robert Vandereken. Additionally, last issue had a mix up in the PAFA section on page 56: Anu Mehta, Anuja Jain, Carmen Freissmuth, and Crystal Wu are part of the Hangzhou PAFA—not the Hongqiao PAFA. The editor regrets these mistakes.

From the EditorMay 2015

EditorJonathan Paulson

PublisherAnne Hunt

Art DirectorMun Yee Choo

...............................................

The Communitas magazine is publishd eight times per

year for the SCIS-HIS community in particular as well as for the larger

Shanghai-Hangzhou community in general.

The Communitas welcomes letters from readers. Please

send all correspondence to jpaulson@scischina.org. Letters may be edited for

publication.

The Communitas welcomes submissions and suggestions.

If you have an idea for a great story, please share

it. Remember, nobody like secrets, and nobody like spreading good stories

more than us. If you have an idea, please query

first to the Communitas editor via email

(jpaulson@scischina.org).

Visit us on the web atwww.scis-his.org

www.scis-his.org/communitas

SUPERINTENDENT ‘S LETTER EDITOR’S LETTER

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DIRECTOR’S LETTER

Letters to the Editor(if you have anything you would like to share for future issues, feel free to write to the Editor at jpaulson@scischina.org)

Dear Communitas Team of 2014-2015,

It is an honour to be writing this letter to a team of dedicated people, whom I wish to thank every single time a new issue of Communitas is released. Whenever my advisor hands out the newest issue or I see it sitting quietly on the magazine rack in school, I firmly grasp onto the cover and flip through the pages. And, as peculiar as it may seem, something surprisingly interesting is always there, waiting for me to unfold what there is.

For those who don’t know who I am, my name is Joei and I am an 8th grader attending SCIS Pudong. I have been here ever since the year of 2009, where I was only 9. Now, 5 years has passed and that little girl of 9 is now a teenager of 14.

During my 3rd grade year, I didn’t know what the Communitas was, so I would usually hand it to my mother. She would read through it, then probably discard it afterwards. It was only the beginning of the year, 2011, when I really started collecting.

Year after year, I kept collecting them, like a hobby that I never seem to find boring. And what was so queer and interesting was that the more I collected, the more I saw a difference in them.

The first one that I collected was around in March 2011. The cover had a young girl, with a soccer ball tucked under her arm, grinning at the camera. The picture looked old, even vintage looking. But what really shocked me was how limited the pages were. There were no interesting and humorous student/teacher interviews, no book recommendations, etc. There were just articles, pictures, and like what Mr. Paulson said in the November/December 2014 issue, there were articles about what this class was doing currently, and what that class was doing…

The Communitas and I both grew up together in this loving, international community. As I grew, the Communitas did too. The fonts of the article titles, the graphic designs, the pictures of every memorable event, and the layout all changed. By the time I reached middle school, the Communitas isn’t as thin as I remembered it to be. It grew to become more like a real-life magazine.

The very first thing I realised that was totally new was the student/teacher interviews. The first interview I read was so realistic, full of humorous questions and life, it blew my socks out. I whistled with laughter (believe it or not!) and wished for more. Every interview later on was different and serious and humorous in its own way, as if it’s like a new story book, coming to life within my eyes. Each interview was better than the last, it it really did show how each student/teacher sees things differently through their own perspective and the diversity that we have in this school.

Then, I realised the book recommendations. I absolutely LOVE and ADORE books terribly much. I’m always seeking for new books to read, but the problem is, some people who recommend me books just say, “Read it. It’s so good!” And I’ll be like, “Okay, I’ll give it a shot.’ The thing that frustrates me is that they don’t tell me what the book is about, then when I start reading, I fall into a deep sleep, bored out. It’s like someone teaching me French without telling me what I’m learning and speaking! When the book recommendations popped into the Communitas, I was able to see what librarians and students like me from all three campuses recommend, giving me a brief, but detailed meaning of what the book is about.

Though I would love to go on and on about all of the differences of the Communitas in the past and present, I’d rater save that for later. I wouldn’t want to make this letter too long! :)

It is a pleasure for me to write to you all who surprisingly surprise me every time with a new issue. I honestly can’t wait for more to come!

Best Wishes and Cheers,Joei

P.S. Attached is a picture of me holding up two issues of the Communitas. The first one is the most recent issue while the second one is the very first one I had, around 5 years ago. I hope this can definitely give you some sense of what I was talking about earlier about how they both changed throughout the years :)

How to Prepare Your Children for the Future

The main goal of education is to create individuals who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done. – Jean Piaget

Good organizations review where they have been and where they are headed, and SCIS-HIS is no different.

This year, the School has gone through a process of reviewing its curriculum and its Learning Standards (what students should know and be able to do by the end of each grade, in each subject), and we are excited about some updates that are in progress.

Learning isn’t just about the content; however, it is also about the process. Many of our teachers participated in professional development opportunities this year that provided opportunities to learn more about “inquiry.” Inquiry is related to the process of learning. It is the art of teaching the content – while encouraging the students to become curious and ask questions about what they are learning and what interests them. Teachers are learning to not readily give answers, but to ask questions to guide and meet the students at their individual readiness level.

An example of inquiry comes from an article I recently read about a first grade class that was learning about the human body. They had a “Wonder Wall” where the students could write things they were wondering about. One student wrote, I wonder how my eyes stay in my head. Another student wrote, I want to know how my skin stays on my body. Interesting questions! This led the class to talking about science in a different way than the teacher anticipated – on a whole different level.

Did she answer their questions? Well…not in the typical way. Now remember, this was a first grade class. She guided the students who were interested in these questions (while other students worked on other topics) and asked them questions as they worked together to find the answers.

One student stated, “The eyelids keep the eyeballs in place.”

So the teacher asked, “If I had smaller eyelids, would my eyes still stay in my head?”

A very excited student replied, “Of course! Unless you sneezed!”

This brought about great laughter but even more questions. “We close our eyes when we sneeze so our eyeballs stay in our head,” said another student confidently.

“Does everyone close their eyes when they sneeze?” asked the teacher.

This led to great debate and a discussion about gathering data

to see if everyone closes their eyes when they sneeze. While the debate went on, one little girl remained quiet and thoughtful. She eventually raised her hand. “Teacher,” said the little girl, “I think mouse holes have some-thing to do with my eyes staying in my head.”

“What makes you say that?” asked the teacher.

“Well, when I sneeze, I DO close my eyes. Really tight! I think they close tight because of mouse holes. Maybe the eyelids help too, but I think it is also mouse holes.”

The discussion and research continued…and new questions arose – after they determined that mouse-holes were really muscles!

If these inquiries were made at a different grade level, the teacher would potentially guide in a different way.

Today, schools are asking themselves, “How do we prepare students for the future; for jobs that don’t even currently exist?” Many businesses and universities believe the answer lies in teaching students to be creative and “inquire,” and in teaching students how to research and collaborate. This is exactly what we are doing.

At SCIS-HIS, we are committed to helping our students become students of and for the future. Some of our campuses will incorporate “maker spaces” or design studios this next school year. These spaces will help encourage experimentation, creativity, and collaboration. Many of our teachers are also beginning to “flip” their classrooms. Flipping the classroom essentially means doing lower level cognitive work outside class, thus providing more guided problem solving time during the day so that students can inquire, collaborate, and debate during the time they are together and with their teacher. This also allows teachers to provide more support and guidance to students individually as they learn.

By combining continued focus on what students are learning and how they are learning, your children are in good hands at SCIS-HIS and are being prepared for the future – whatever that may bring.

By Lauri KLanCKeSCiS-HiS Deputy Superintendent

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CURRICULUM CURRICULUM

How Drama Transforms StudentsArt “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most

immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” —Thornton Wilder

Ever since I was a little girl, performing was what I loved doing most, and I was always involved in dance concerts, competitions,

speech and poetry eisteddfods, and school plays. Being an only child helped me to develop a sort of “confidence”, as I would practice speaking in a multitude of accents and voices whilst my dolls sat lined up against the wall for their first class of handwriting.

Deciding on a career path was tough at first: do I focus on music, art, or drama? Why not go into teaching? You are great with kids!, You get to stand in front of a class and perform for them! So teaching it was, with a major in Music and Arts.

Transformation of Students“Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand.” —Chinese Proverb

Drama has been around since the time of Aristotle, who be-lieved that theatre was a means to express emotion. It is now used in classrooms worldwide, with research revealing its posi-tive impact on students’ physical, emotional, social and cognitive development.

From the outside looking in, what takes place in the Drama classroom may seem blurry and distorted, and its importance is often questioned. Learning is an active, constructive process of coming to know, with drama providing a process for learning by living through an experience or event.

I see teaching as assisting in the transformation and growth of an individual. And having taught Drama to a group of middle school students for three years, I would like to share with you this transformation: students enter my classroom with very lit-tle or no English and through drama into confident, outgoing, expressive young learners.

An Inside Look at Drama ClassAs students enter the drama classroom on their first day, a variety of energizers and warm-up games are introduced. This aims to help students relax, unwind and get to know their peers, creating a stress free environment.

1. Drama activities can challenge students’ perceptions about the world and themselves. The games played in class provide an outlet for emotions and thoughts. Drama allows for students to become someone else, explore new roles, and experiment

with choices and solutions to real-life problems. The classroom is a safe environment where these actions can be discussed and reflected upon.

2. Drama teaches students to collaborate and cooperate, preparing them to live in a world that is increasingly team-oriented.

3. Communication, the center of all drama, allows students to communicate with each other effectively. In today’s information-centered world, drama provides training in the practical aspects of communication. Speaking in public can be a very daunting experience for students; however, by participating in games and dramatic activities, students learn to be confident and more persuasive in their communication—both written and orally.

4. In order to play a variety of different roles, students need to know how to inhabit another’s soul, view the world through another’s eyes. This allows the student to develop tolerance and empathy. In this sense, drama can help build responsible global citizens, which is one of SCIS’s Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLR’s).

5. Drama allows the teacher to assume a supporting role rather than that of a controller, where the teacher is seen as the center of focus. The students can therefore take more responsibility for their own learning and be a potential teacher for the group.

6. With such easy access to media and technology, stimulation from external sources almost hinders the imagination process of adolescents. The benefits of drama in developing the imagination should not be undervalued. Core subjects can often leave the student memorizing content and falling into the trap of rote learning and routine, whereas drama can spark imagination and creative ways of thinking.

7. Learning should be fun, and by incorporating fun into the classroom, the learning process becomes enjoyable. By creating memorable experiences, students show a willingness to try, explore, and challenge themselves through these new experiences.

Looking at the students I have and am currently teaching, drama has helped create well- rounded individuals who have a passion to excel and perform to the best of their ability. Drama is not just another subject, but an escape, a stage, and an awareness of self.

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” –Albert Einstein

By CanDiCe BotHaPudong upper School Drama teacher

Performing

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CURRICULUM CURRICULUM

There are many students who are natural performers. They love to break away from their own identity, try on the shoes

of other characters, and create comedy on the spot. For the great majority of students, this is more of a living nightmare!

At HIS, the Middle School (MS) drama course has not been designed for the natural performers, who will find opportunities to express their exuberance regardless. Instead our course focuses primarily on:

“developing the confidence to take risks.”

With this maxim in mind, I try to present students with a range of learning opportunities that challenge their capacity for speaking in public, specifically in front of their peers. By the end of the school year, while a shy student might still identify as a shy student, I like to think that students have banked a series of public performance experiences from which they can begin to redefine their personal comfort levels. Giving a speech? Done

that before. Talking to strangers? Done that too. Danced in funny clothes while people laugh? Done it.

Games and mistakesWe play a lot of games in drama. At least, that’s what I call them. Most of them are just little challenges for students to experiment with voice, movement, posture and expression. Given the delicate nature of teenage self-esteem, the most difficult part of being a drama teacher for me is creating and maintaining a safe learning environment in which students feel they can take risks, make fools of themselves, and not feel mortified or rejected when they do. As such, we talk a lot about making mistakes. We talk about how when someone makes a mistake, we can all learn from it—so the more mistakes we make, the more we can all learn. We applaud and acknowledge mistake-makers. Part of the final grade is participation, to encourage otherwise reticent students to take a risk and to deter disrespect. Above all, students in my class need to remember the three rules of the drama space: respect the teacher, respect my peers, and respect myself.

Speaking of mistake-makers: like every other teacher, a drama teacher has to model the focus skills. Drama teachers need to be willing to act, sing, dance, act the fool, and be comfortable facilitating the critique that follows. I make mistakes. We talk about them. We talk about how self-confidence is like a muscle; it must be used and stretched to strengthen. We talk about that great adolescence-survival strategy: fake it ‘til you feel it. Last week, HIS held its inaugural recycled fashion competition. As I watched shy and embarrassed models struggling to show-off their wonderfully creative costumes on the runway, I could feel my drama teacher instincts starting to itch. Kids, join the drama class!

Project-based with a writing focusThe MS drama course is project based, and projects vary from year to year. A student might choose the drama elective three

Why drama? years in a row and have new experiences, develop new skills, and hone their core communication skills each year. Recently, one of my students reflected: the first time he performed a monologue in last year’s drama class he forgot several of his lines; this year he was louder and word-perfect but felt he was lacking facial expression; and, perhaps next year he thought he might try one of the Shakespearean soliloquys. It’s this personal growth (in both performing and reflecting) that’s so enjoyable to watch as a drama teacher.

Very little of the course assessment is based on success in live performance (approximately 20%). Considering that we spend most of our class time doing practical activities, the major assessment focus for the course is actually written.

What do we write? We journal about our experiences in class: speculating about the purpose of an activity, trying out our new vocabulary words. We write reflections about our performances, review our rehearsal processes, evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, and identify our goals for next time. This semester

we are writing mini-essays each fortnight with topics that run the gamut from the satire and puppetry of Ancient Greek tragedy to identifying communication strategies for feeling angry or frustrated.

Improving student-writing skills is a relentless task. As such, we spend regular class time practicing our proofreading and peer-editing skills as well.

Does drama work?So far this year, my MS students have adapted a children’s book for the stage, produced an animated voice recording, visited Lower School classrooms with storytelling performances, prepared poems and soliloquys as outdoor theatre, and performed improvisational theatre games for parents and friends. If you believe the metaphor—that confidence is a muscle that strengthens with use—then yes, drama works.

By Miriama GemmellHiS Drama teacher

Giving a speech? .

Talking to strangers?

Danced in funny clothes

while people laugh?

Improved self-confidence?

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Play This quote by well-known educator, Maria Montessori, is what

we believe to be true at the Early Childhood Education (ECE) campus. Stop by on any given day and you will see children hard at “work”. ECE campus has the tools necessary for this work as the campus has been designed with children’s work in mind. A quick tour and one can easily see how the resources provided support students’ growth and development.

Outdoor playgrounds offer a wealth of opportunities for fun and learning. Students swing from monkey bars, climb ropes and ladders and play games with friends. Children build confidence and demonstrate perservence as they strive to make it from one end of the monkey bars to the other or to climb down the rope ladder on their own. This physical activity is necessary for children to further develop their fine and gross motor skills in addition to overall health but also offers opportunities for students to practice social skills and problem solving.

The sandbox is a highlight for students as they eagerly jump in and begin baking cakes, building sandcastles and digging for lost treasure. All this messy play is supporting vocabulary development as well setting up basic foundations of scientific exploration such as measuring and comparing. Sand (and water) play has been shown to have a calming effect on children and play in the sandbox or with the water tables offers opportunities for cooperation among peers.

Large foam blocks in indoor playrooms offer a world of possibilities for children. Students can create anything they can dream and

these areas often become the foundation for dramatic play. Students build castles and act out princess storylines; some build forts and become Ninjago; others create obstacle courses and race each other to the end. The possibilities are endless! Students gain an understanding of size, shape and weight of objects as they build and begin to see cause and effect when blocks do not fit together as anticipated. Dramatic play offers opportunities for students to negotiate and take on different roles, building vocabulary and social skills.

Most recently, Lego and Duplo walls were installed in each building. Cars, boats and houses, along with words have been appearing on these walls. Students building one play period and often come back numerous play times to continue building their structures. These walls take Lego play to a whole new level with students gaining the regular benefits of Lego play such as fine motor development and hand-eye coordination with the added benefits of strengthening large arm and leg muscles as they reach up to this vertical surface.

We do indeed have all the tools necessary for the work of children from a variety of play spaces to tricycles, games, and even a climbing wall. On your next visit to the ECE campus, take some time to visit all the great learning spaces for children. Come and have a look at all the “work” that is going on here!

By HeatHer KniGHtHongqiao eCe Campus Vice Principal

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

is the Work of Children

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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

It may seem like a few simple directions: “I need you to get your backpack, put your toys away and turn off the television.”

Still the television remains on or their toys remain in the middle of the floor. Does your child have difficulty completing multi-step directions? The good news is it may not be just because they don’t want to! Do they also have trouble remembering important facts/dates? There may be an underlying problem with their Working Memory.

Working Memory is one of many skills that fall under the broader category of Executive Functioning. Executive Functioning skills encompass everything from organization to emotional regulation. Working Memory is the skill that refers to the manipulation of information during an activity in which you receive that information, aka memory in action. For example, the 3-step verbal direction earlier – the working memory is tasked with having to verbally take in those steps, process them, and remember them all while carrying them out in the order presented.

So how can you help? There are a number of ways you can support your child with their working memory, and strategies you can model and teach them to help them be successful both in and out of school.

1. Be clear in your languageFirst, make sure you have your child’s attention before giving directions! Then before you start, state the intended outcome (goal) of those directions. After stating those directions, repeat them and then have your child repeat them back to you to make sure all things were absorbed. Encourage your child to ask these things of their teacher as well.

2. Use visual supportsIf your child has trouble with processing all that is asked of them in a short time, provide it another way. This can be as simple as counting things out on your fingers to attach a visual number to

each step of the process or drawing/finding pictures of the information presented. This could also involve making checklists for tasks, such as homework. With technology, this can be achieved with apps on a phone or computer to make it more engaging for the child. Once they get used to this, it can be translated to school work and allow them a way to self-regulate their tasks.

3. Make the task meaningful! Having a connection to what is presented or learned will help the child recall it later. Making that connection fun or emotional may help later on. Having your child ‘teach’ you what they have learned and explaining it to you may be memorable enough for them to recall it automatically next time.

4. Use memorization techniquesUsing mnemonic devices and rhymes can help make the information ‘stick’. Something like “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” for the order of operations (PEMDAS) in Math can be extremely useful. That way when they are presented with a problem in class (or for homework), and their Working Memory needs to use that information in order to complete it, it is recalled much easier. Making information ‘automatic’ helps relieve the stress on their Working Memory. Try making up your own mnemonics or rhymes for facts that need to be remembered!

Our Working Memory plays a central role in just about every-thing we do in and out of school. There are different schools of thought on whether or not one’s Working Memory can actually be increased, but both sides agree that strategies such as these can certainly help. By making tasks or information more accessible and automatic, they are easily recalled and manipulated.

By DanieL StriPPHongqiao Lower School Learning Support Specialist

Working Memory What is it and how can you help?

HIS Teaching Assistants Shine

It is widely accepted that an International School can only truly succeed if it has the

support of the local and expat community and that of, the local and expat members of staff. At HIS we are extremely fortunate that we have both. I want to highlight upon one particular group of local staff who I have the pleasure of working closely with on a daily basis. At HIS we have 18 Teaching Assistants (TA’s) who mainly work with the teachers and students in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) area of our school. With such a large percentage of ESOL and predominantly Mandarin speaking students and parents in this area of the school, the TA’s not only assist in the classroom but also play a crucial role in facilitating good communication and building relationships with parents and community members. Traditionally, TA’s have focused much of their time supporting teachers in preparing charts and posters, helping to prepare meals, supervising students during quiet or nap time as well as supporting with small groups during lessons. While all of these tasks are vitally important in helping to provide the very best environment to facilitate effective learning, we feel that with the exceptional high quality of staff that we have working as TA’s, that we can expand their role even further so that they can take on a more active role in the teaching and learning aspects of day to day lessons. One of the focus areas in our ECE next year will be in the area of Synthetic phonics (UK) or blended phonics (US), also known as inductive phonics. This is a method of teaching reading which first

teaches the letter sounds and then builds up to blending these sounds together to achieve full pronunciation of whole words. The teaching of phonics and phonological awareness is crucial for beginning readers and allows students to quickly develop an understanding of all 42 sounds that we use in the English language, rather than simply focus on the 26 letter sounds. The program that we are implementing starts with a grounding in ECE and continues through to Grade 5, where the emphasis is on grammar and spelling. It is a seamless and continuous approach that we are confident will have a positive impact on the teaching and learning that goes on in our school. Of course, in order to teach an effective phonics program, staff need to have the skills and knowledge to implement it. This can be a costly exercise and in my experience, sending one or two people to a course and then getting them to train others has limited effectiveness. However, at HIS we are used to finding creative solutions to problems and finding a way to make things happen. Our saviour in this instance is technology. We have been able to access a fully accredited, online training course that guides participants through a comprehensive learning program that includes professional readings, videos, chat groups, and formal assessment. Participants are able to interact and share ideas with other like-minded participants from across the globe. Rather than just ensure that the ECE teachers are trained in the delivery of a strong and effective phonics program, we have enrolled all staff from Nursery through to Grade 5. This includes specialist teachers and administrators. ESOL teachers

will particularly benefit from this course as the strategies used are particularly useful when working with ESOL students. In addition to the teachers, we have ensured that all 18 Teaching Assistants will complete the 30-hour training course. The course is available in English and Mandarin, which has greatly enhanced the confidence of the TA’s and their willingness to participate. They will read all the course materials in English but all of their communication with the assessors and their written component will take place in Mandarin if they choose. By empowering TA’s with these skills, it will enable them to work with small groups of students under the direction of the classroom teacher and focus on a particular area that may need remedial support. Many of our students in the ECE are from a non-English speaking background, so by having the phonics training, it will allow them to be more effective in dealing with these students. The added advantage of this universal approach is that all staff who come into contact with Lower School students is conveying the same message and sharing their collective understanding of how we learn to read. It is a very exciting time for us as we embark on developing the skillset of all of our staff which ultimately will contribute to enhanced outcomes for all students but particularly exciting for the often unsung heroes in our schools – The Teaching Assistants.

By ruSSeLL o’neiLLHiS Lower School Principal

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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

What kind of world will our students live and work in? What skills do our students need to develop in order to

succeed in the world? What is the best way for them to learn these skills? In a constantly growing and changing world, it’s important for educators to ask these questions, especially in an international setting. Every country has their own curriculum based on the skills their children need to develop in order to succeed in their own society. But, the big question for international educators is, how should we prepare our students to become international citizens of the world. At HIS, we teach using thematic units designed with specific goals for international mindedness.

Teaching through thematic units benefits children’s personal, academic, and social development. It provides a way to learn through a creative system that connects multiple subject areas (in teacher terms, we call this cross-curricular teaching) and integrates them into one particular theme. Teaching with a theme not only helps children develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them, but it also makes learning more fun!

A personal favorite thematic unit my kindergarten class has been engaging in is called “The Toymaker’s Workshop.” Imagine being a kindergartener getting to school in the morning, only to find your classroom has a magic lock on the door and you don’t have the key to get in. Your class goes searching throughout the school, asking the librarian, the other teachers, the office, and finally the principal, who has a special package with a key inside. You take the key and finally the door opens. You walk in… but something is different. Someone has moved all the furniture around, covered the walls and ceiling in brightly colored decorations, and put toys everywhere. You keep walking slowly into the classroom with a

little hesitation, but mostly full of wonder and excitement as your eyes scan the seemingly unfamiliar room. You spot a wrapped box in the middle of the floor and everyone runs over to it. There’s a letter on top! It’s from the magic toymaker, and he wants your class to use the what’s inside the box to create your own toys for his workshop. This is only the beginning of “The Magic Toymaker’s Workshop,” which is designed to spark the student’s imagination and interest.

As the unit continues, the students bring to the classroom old and new toys and games from home. They explore toys from the past and how they have had an impact on today’s toys. They interview their parents, grandparents and community about toys from their childhood, and compare them with modern toys and toys from different countries. They are able to write about and share their thoughts and experiences with the class. After taking a deeper look into the history of toys, they then create a museum in the classroom that depicts toys throughout time. This is the perfect time for a class field trip to the scissor, sword, fan, and umbrella museum, where they are able to explore a public museum.

The lessons throughout the thematic units are packed with fun-filled experiments and learning activities that foster international minded-ness. The students finish each unit with a stronger understanding of cooperation, respect, communication, and thoughtfulness. They develop many other critical skills needed to become productive members of the globe. Plus, everything is more fun with a theme!

By teSS BoHLSHiS Kindergarten teacher

Teaching Through Thematic Units

Do you know what Earth Day is? Earth day is the famous environmental day that environmentalists established to

raise awareness of the seriousness of environmental pollution problems. Did you know the oil spill accident on January 19, 1971 in San Francisco, California, caused by two oil tankers that collided in the San Francisco Bay was the event that affected and inspired the Planet Walker?

The Planet Walker is a nickname for Dr. John Francis, who walked around the U.S.A. When Dr. Francis witnessed the severe damages from the oil spill, along with the death of his neighbor the following year, he decided not ride in motorized vehicles. This decision went on for 22 years, and he finally walked around the entire United States of America, hoping other people would realize the destruction humans are causing towards the earth. During a walk around the U.S.A., not only did he walk, but he did not speak for 17 years. While he was walking the earth, a lot of people started to notice his decision and he became popular. From his popularity, he was asked to present as a motivational speaker and taught at various colleges. He was also named the environmental ambassador for the United States of America. Today, Dr. Francis is known as ‘The Planet Walker’ since he is still walking over the boundaries of many countries.

During his walk around the earth, SCIS was able to contact Dr. Francis who was now walking around China and working with

students from other schools. Interestingly, the day he was in Shanghai was near Earth Day, so it tied in perfectly as he was able to come visit our school and take a walk with the students. He showed the video which briefly introduced himself, and he also stated how he used his Banjo (musical instrument) to express himself, from the day he started walking. SCIS students got to take a walk with him without any destination of where to go. During the walk, he played his banjo and we ended up at the park near our school, where we started to draw and water paint what we felt, just as Dr. Francis used to do himself before he was nicknamed ‘The Planet Walker.’ SCIS students were fortunate to be able to get a chance to speak, walk, and paint with Dr. Francis, while listening to his professional Banjo skills.

After the walk, students were very impressed and inspired by experiencing his life and hearing what he had to say. SCIS students learned from him that only one person can affect the whole environment. SCIS students were also very surprised about the things Dr. John Francis achieved. To sum up, not only SCIS students learned a lot from John Francis, the Planet Walker, but we also got a title of “SCIS Walkers” who will care about the environment like John Francis did.

BY anGeLa KiM (HYun HonG), HaLeY YanG and anGeLa KiM (Ha) Hongqiao Main Campus students

About John Francis:- Born in 1946, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- Parents immigrated from West India. - Affected by the damages of oil spill in San Francisco Bay in 1971.- Refused to ride motorized vehicles for 22 years, from 1972-1994.- Remained silent for 17 years, from 1973-1990.- Completed three college degrees: *Ph. D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. *Master’s degree from University of Montana.! *B.A. from Southern Oregon University

INTERVIEW OF “SCIS WALKERS”

How did you feel after having walked with John Francis, ‘The Planet Walker?’“It was a pleasure to see a person working so hard for our earth, since there are only a few people left who actually care.” -Julia Maeng, Grade 6

What lessons did you learn after walking with John Francis?“I learned that it doesn’t matter how much power or strength you have, just one person’s courage can change the world.” -Sella Bae, Grade 8

After a walk with John Francis, have you felt any changes from that experience?“Before the walk with John Francis, I was unsure of the true meaning of listening to others, but after a walk, I learned to listen to people more from his experience of not talking for years.”! -Rosabel Zhang, Grade 8

What was the most interesting fact about John Francis for you?“I was very interested of the fact that he walked for 22 years, did not contact his family for 10 years, and did not speak for 17 years. I could not imagine those events ever being possible before I met him.” - Haley Yang, Grade 8

The Day When “SCIS Walkers” Met Planet Walker

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DIRECTOR’S LETTER ART GALLERY

Manya Jain, Grade 4

Ben Wang, Grade 5

Minji Kim, Grade 11

Anica Xie, Grade 4

Camila Reese, Grade 7Hyun Seo Park, Grade 8

Christy Chan, Grade 11

Ryo Yamazaki, Grade 12

Anita Liang, Grade 11

Matthew Yung, Grade 12

Ryo Yamazaki, Grade 12

Ryo Yamazaki, Grade 12

20 21

ART GALLERY

Berenice Schulte, Grade 8

Fiona Hinrichsen, Grade 3

Mong Koo,Grade 6

Annais Luo, Grade 8

Hyeon Seo Kim, Grade 7

Nodoka Matsumoto, Grade 7

cordially invites you to the Annual Alumni Gathering

Southern Belle

433 Chang Le Road, Shanghai

(Near Xiang Yang Bei Road)

Please e-mail RSVP to jpaulson@scischina.org

by May 31st

The art and science of education since 1996

Please join us for Drinks & Appetizers

Friday June 19th 6pm-8pm

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

22 23

SPORTS RECAP SPORTS RECAP

HZ Boy’s Football (Soccer) Record: 2-2Coach: Andres Sanchez Captain(s): Jun Seon ’17

HZ Girl’s Football (Soccer)Record: 6-1Coach: Paul Cheevers, Katie DaleyCaptain(s): Maiti Rooth ’15ACAMIS ChAMpIonS (Gold dIvISIon)

HZ Swim TeamRecord: 16th (at ACAMIS)Coaches: Dan & Julie MullenCaptain(s): Lucas Gramann ’21, Callie Phillips ‘22dRAGon CUp ChAMpIonS

PD Boy’s Football (Soccer) Record: 9-9-2Coach: Garret NewellCaptain(s): Michael Kostiw ’15, Alex Reither ‘15

PD Girl’s Football (Soccer)Record: 10-5-2Coach: Beatriz Cacheda De PazCaptain(s): Olivia Hartman ’15, JosephinePanafieu’15, Nina Walther ‘15

ACAMIS ChAMpIonS (orAnge dIvISIon)SISAC LeAgue ChAMpIonS

PD Swimming Record:9thPlaceFinishoutof21TeamsatACAMIS.5AsianAll-StarQualifiersCoach: Gary John McDonald, Candice Botha, and Anja SantiagoCaptain(s): James McGee ‘15 Derek Mallon ‘15Water Polo: 12Players(upfrom8lastyear)Lifeguarding: 4newlifeguards

HQ Boy’s Football (Soccer) Record: 14-6Coach: Dwayne FriesenCaptain(s): Matt Duffy ‘15

HQ Girl’s Football (Soccer) Record: 15-2 Coach: Miro BruanCaptain(s): Hailey Gribble ’15, Jutta Korhonen ‘15

HQ SwimmingRecord: 150 Personal Best Times at ACAMISCoach: Noah Randall, Kelsey Barden, Senior(s): Lou Salome Chou ‘152015 ACAMIS CHAMPIONS

SPRING SPORTS RECAP

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Caitlyn ConnollySCIS Hongqiao ECE Grade 1 Teacher

Dongtai Lu Antique Market

Where have the past ten months gone? It is amazing how quickly life can fly by in this bustling city! Shanghai feels like it is actually living and breathing! Things are consistently changing from one day to the next. New buildings seem to be built overnight, while an old part of town might disappear in the blink of an eye.

This reminds me of a little adventure I had back in August 2014, right when I first arrived in this city. Recommended by a friend, I went on a mission to explore the Dongtai Lu Antique Market located in the Huangpu District! I love to photograph still life, and this market was a treasure trove of Chinese antiques (fake and real) and old political paraphernalia.

Beautiful teapots hung from one booth, another displayed Shanghai Girls advertisements, and everywhere you could find dusty, old figurines. At one particular booth, there were stacks of old leather, luggage trunks. They were beautiful to look at and made an excellent photo opportunity!

In charge of the luggage was an elderly, male shopkeeper who was weathered and frail. I was bit intimated to take a photo of the luggage. I didn’t want to upset him by taking photos of his things without an interest in buying them. But what I’ve come to realize though, is that people in Shanghai are so friendly if you only take the time to say hello!

Since this was early in my time here in China and my language skills still lacking, I tried to ask if I could take a picture of the luggage by pointing to my camera, using broken Mandarin, and

a thumbs up (shameful…I know). Not even hesitating, he broke into a smile that could light up a room! He had so many smile lines etched into his face and his eyes danced with warmth. Not sure where this urge came from, but I then asked him if I could take a picture of him and he complied! And by that, I mean, I pointed to my camera and then at him saying “Ni?” I wanted to capture the joy and happiness that just exuded from him!

It was my first photo of a stranger, and I don’t think it could’ve turned out any better! He was adorable! I showed the picture to him and he was very pleased with it. I thanked him and was on my way. After I left, my goal was to print out his photo and present it to him at a later date. I attempted to stop by over the CNY holiday to see if my friend was still there, but unfortunately he was gone. Sadly, as Shanghai is consistently changing and modernizing, the little antique market is now closed. I hope one day my friend and I will cross paths again!

In Shanghai, you learn that the people you meet, no matter how brief the interaction might be, can leave a very special impression on you!

SPECIAL FEATURE EDUCATIONAL INSIGHT

Colleen PowersSCIS Hongqiao ECE Kindergarten Teacher

I just climbed on the back of his small gold and silver Honda electric bike. No questions. I even smiled and nodded and laughed that uncontrollable chuckle you get when you have no idea what is happening but you want everyone to know that you ARE friendly and agreeable! No worries Mr. Scooter-Salesman. Why no, I don’t have the faintest idea what is going on. I cannot

tell if that look on your face is disgust or admiration, but do not worry, I am an easy-going gal! I’ve always silently pitied the e-bike passengers relegated to that low seat in the back that looks like a sorry after-thought. And here I was, the object of my own scorn. Approximately six seconds into our journey, I realized that easy–going Colleen had made a grave error. In all likelihood, I was the e-bike passenger on the way to my demise. I had boarded a stranger’s bike, and we were going in the opposite direction of all that I knew. It is

Have You Been

Shanghai’dThe three new teachers at the SCIS Hongqiao ECE Campus talk about their experience in Shanghai

Justen RoselleSCIS Hongqiao Physical Education Teacher

I am a coffee guy. Well, at least I have become one after arriving in Shanghai. Trying to match the intensity of my 3-7 year olds as they arrive to my PE class is no easy task, but coffee has become one of my methods to do so. But where to get coffee? It seems that Shanghai is simply exploding with coffee shops, Starbucks reining supreme, but I had been on a long, and relatively unsuccessful search for a specific kind of coffee shop. I wanted somewhere that offered a unique, cozy environment for spending an afternoon, without listening to the repetitive soundtracks found in places like Costa Coffee, or looking at the cookie cutter layouts of so many other Shanghai cafes. Then, a couple months back, I heard about Seesaw Coffee out in the Jing’an area. The first challenge is simply finding the place. According to the map I had (trusting a map in Shanghai was my first mistake) it was located in the very unique, maze of a neighbor-hood that was actually situated behind it. After realizing that couldn’t be right, I was able to locate the ‘Seesaw Coffee’ sign, but even then you’re still not out of the woods. Once you head down what looks to be a driveway, you’ll likely end up in this courtyard which will confuse you, and lead you to start peeking through different windows to see if you can find this elusive place. I will not completely reveal the secret of finding Seesaw, but I must say, if you can, it is worth the hunt. The inside has an environment that I have found simply unmatched, modern, stylish, and simply ‘unique’. They have an attractive ‘outdoor’ seating area, which looks to be outdoor, but is actually simply in a bright open space of a large building. The building itself which Seesaw Coffee is located in is also worth seeing, as I have yet to spend time in another place like it in China. For whatever reason, finding Seesaw Coffee, after spending so many hours in coffee shops I wasn’t really enjoying, was a big victory for me in Shanghai!

not technically a kidnapping if you willingly climb on the bike—they always get you on a technicality.

It all began when a friend and I had gone shopping to buy a scooter. I had bought one an entire week earlier, so naturally I was an expert. I find that I am rarely the expert on anything in Shanghai, and I was feeling quite heady in my new role. We arrived at Mr. Scooter’s store, and mimed what I believed were very clear scooter specifications. Mr. Scooter then launched into an impassioned conversation with another man in the shop, a similarly fervid phone call, took slugs of tea from an opaque pink Hello-Kitty thermos, and heavy drags on a cigarette. Finally, he shook his head and wagged his finger at my friend, and ushered me towards his gold and silver beauty.

We were going faster than I ever have, floating through the traffic, the wind was roaring fantastically in my face. For the first time in my life I wasn’t wearing a helmet. It felt amazing. I abruptly remembered that I had probably agreed to be chopped

into pieces and fed to the turtles on Hong Gu Lu, or end up in the traumatic brain injury ward when we crashed, if I was lucky.

At each pause of the e-bike I dejectedly noted that in all her beauty, Shanghai sure has a lot of unsavory spots to end up in. After a tense fifteen minutes we pulled up to the destination. The building was nondescript and concrete; inside it smelled vaguely toxic, the floors were marble and dusty. We came to a lumpy mass covered with tarp; he pulled it up to reveal…scooters. I exhaled. A kind woman offered me tea, a mangy cat rubbed against my leg. Mr. Scooter grinned. He plugged a battery into the new scooter, this miracle scooter of the perfectly mimed specifications. He motioned for me to get on it. I did. Cue the easy-going gal laugh, I turned the key and off we went.

I followed him through busy streets at breakneck speed, bus engines roaring, horns blaring, getting closer and closer to my home. I was not wearing a helmet, I was not kidnapped, I was finally an expert in Shanghai, and it felt amazing.

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HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHT HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHT

“This is our show, and there will never be another performance like it. Even if another school does Annie, it will never be exactly like this. Cherish it. Make your last performance count!” The energy in the room was contagious as we all put in our hands to shout “Go Annie!’ and run to our places. House lights dim and the overture starts. The magic was about to begin.

Annie Jr was composed of 30 students: 24 students who acted and 6 CAS (Creative Active Service members) who designed sets, costumes, and lighting. Ages ranged from Grade 2 to grade 12. We rehearsed twice a week, beginning last September as an ASA. There were three and later four teachers involved: Miss Jessie, Ms. Sirotti Wong, Miss Darden, and Ms. Josie. While all of us had experience doing theatre, nothing prepared us for the magnitude of Annie Jr. Here is are the life lessons we learned:

Stay optimisticThe sun’ll come out tomorrow, even if it doesn’t always appear that way. Annie Jr was a large scale musical, nothing like the small musical we undertook last year. There was so much involved, from meeting with CAS students about sets to teaching orphans choreography to directing the students playing Lily, Rooster, and Ms. Hannigan about how these renegade adult characters would act. It was easy to get stressed and begin to doubt ourselves and what we were doing. Cast member began to feel the pressure when their lines weren’t memorized and CAS members had the weight of the show on them. Like the character Annie, we all believed in the show. We could feel (and see), at times, the glimmer of the show coming together. During dress rehearsals especially, the glimpses of the character and beauty of the show began to shine through. Set changes began to go smoothly; lines that weren’t memorized were down pat the next day; characters and their nuances replaced nervous actors.

Life lessons from Annie JrWe began to pull together, and the results were awesome.

Life is tough. Theatre is all about resilience and staying on your toes. Life offers us hard-knocks and it’s all about how you deal with them that makes the difference. We lost a female lead and soloist after Christmas because they moved. We had students eagerly step into different roles and another student gladly agreed to join the production. Mishaps happened during the show and students stayed in character. Shoes broke and set pieces fell. Micro-phones didn’t work and costume changes didn’t happen, but the show went on. We were given the chance to perform to 700 people. We didn’t get many official rehearsals, and they were brief. The stage, sound, and lighting was completely different from what we were used to. Most students would have been nervous, but our cast and crew became even more graceful under pressure, working as a team to figure out what they needed to do to make the show a success.

You’re never fully dressed without a smileThis was the motto of our cast. We all became a theatre family. Grade 2 kids became best friends with grade 12 students. Soon kids of all ages were delighted to say hi to each other in the

hallway. We knew everything about our cast mates because we worked together for 9 months. Friendships between students in different grade levels were everywhere. Smiles and laughter were all over the school during rehearsals. And smiles really do complete any outfit!

Annie Jr brought together the whole HIS community. We performed 4 sold out performances and were then asked to perform at the neighboring high school. Here are some of the reviews:

“HIS is a real school now.” “This is the best performance I’ve seen since I’ve moved to China.” “I had tears in my eyes as I watched the show. Everything that you and the students have accomplished is amazing.” “I was completely transformed and taken to a different world.”

And, like all theatre performances, they live on in the hearts and memories of those who performed it and watched it. That’s what makes theatre so special.

“When do auditions for next year’s show happen?”

By Amy DArDenHIS Grade 2 Teacher

28 29

Finding the right university fit for a high school student can be a long and

involved process. Today students have more options than ever before, but it can be overwhelming navigating all of the information that exists about universities throughout the world. University websites are a great place to start gathering information, but it does not give the full

HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHT HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHT

Narrowing Down University ChoicesThe Value of University Campus Visits

picture. A lot of students admit that it is hard for them to process all the information presented when they are still struggling to understand what makes up a university. Doing a campus visit brings a tangible element to the university search. Students are able to see the student union being used as a meeting and social place, see professors’ offices right down the hall from

classrooms, and realizing that tutoring and writing centers are available to all students throughout the campus. Being on a university campus can turn an environment that for so long appeared to be just a hazy dream into a clear reality. In April a group of HIS students in grades 10 and 11 had the opportunity to do a campus tour of New York University Shanghai. This was the first time many of these students stepped foot on a university campus and were able to see and feel what a university might be like. NYU Shanghai is located in the financial district of Shanghai and is part of New York University, a prestigious university in the United States. During the campus tour students saw classrooms, science labs, art studios, NYU students socializing and studying, and ate lunch at the cafeteria while asking as many questions as they could think of. Doing a campus tour was an excellent way for these students to better understand the different services and opportunities offered by universities. Many students mentioned that after the tour they had a better idea of what life could be like when attending university in the future. Although not all students on the tour were considering applying to NYU Shanghai, they all agreed that the campus tour was still an excellent learning experience and will help them in their college search.

The upcoming summer is the perfect time for families to consider visiting several university campuses, no matter where in the world you will be. A student does not need to know where they

Academics• What departments are considered to be the

strongest at your school?• What programs are unique to your school?• How easy is it to participate in research?• Can I double major? Can I take a minor?• Do you offer an honors program?• Is course credit given for IB? What score is

needed?• What is the average class size?

Student Body• How many undergraduate students are

there?• Is the student body diverse in age, race, family

income and gender?• Is there a large international student population?• What are the most common courses of

study amongst the students?

Admissions• When are your application deadlines?• Does your school use the Common App?• Does the school allow freshmen applicants

to be undecided?• Are IB predicted scores required as part of

the application?• Are admissions decisions for IB students

‘conditional?’• What are the average GPA/IB/SAT scores?• What are the entrance requirements for my

preferred field of study?

• What is the school looking for in an applicant beyond test scores and GPA?

• Are interviews a part of the application process?

International Students• Are there different deadlines and admissions

requirements?• Do I need to take the TOEFL?• What if my TOEFL score is lower than what

the university requests?• Am I allowed to work on-campus or

off-campus for pay?• Am I able to work in the country after

graduation?• How many students are from my home country?• Are there scholarships and financial aid

available for int’l students?

Campus Environment• What area is the university in? (Urban,

suburban, small town, rural?)• Is the area surrounding the campus safe?• What is transportation like?• Are there many events held on campus

during the week and on weekends?• Is there anything unique about the campus?

Student Support Services• What services are available if I am struggling

with my classes?• How available are professors?• Are there academic or faculty advisors to

help me with course selection?

• How can a career center help me?

Housing• What type of housing is available?• Is housing guaranteed for freshmen?• What percentage of students live on cam-

pus their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th year?• How are roommates assigned?

Cost and Financial Aid• What is the cost of tuition and room/board?• What is the cost of living?• What types of financial aid and scholarships

are available?• Am I automatically considered for scholarships

or do I need to apply?

Student Activities• What kinds of clubs and organizations are

offered?• What types of sports can I play?• What are some of the big events hosted at

the university each year?• What are some popular off-campus activities?

Miscellaneous• What type of study abroad programs are

available?• How can I get an internship?• What type of jobs and companies do

graduates pursue?• Are there religious groups on campus?

Five Tips for Getting the Most out of a University Visit:1) Research the university beforehand via their website. Identify particular

programs or activities of interest that you would like more information about.

2) Contact the admissions office ahead of time to join an organized tour. You will get more information this way (and they are often led by current students). Some schools can handle drop-ins, but many are quite busy in the summer. If a tour cannot be arranged, still consider walking around campus to get a feel for the environment.

3) Brainstorm questions ahead of time that allow you to receive answers about things that are important to you.

4) Try and speak with a current student. Ask them questions about their experience, what they are involved in, and what they study. If you are unable to connect with a student during the visit, ask the admissions office for the email address of a current student that you can email with any questions.

5) Allow time for reflection after the visit. Keep a journal with notes about each university you visit and reflect on what things you specifically liked about the school, and what you did not like. Have a conversation with family, friends, and your counselor about this as well.

Campus Visit Questions

University of San Diego

NYU Shanghai

are going to apply, for these visits to be valuable. The exposure and introduction to universities in general can be pivotal in helping students and parents prepare for the application process and shaping expectations for their college experience. Students can use these campus visits to help define what they are and are not looking for in a university. They can get questions answered in person by current students and admissions representatives. For those students who do have a good idea of where they want to apply, a campus visit can help distinguish those schools from one another, and allow the student to feel more confident when committing to a school in the spring. When students talk about having a ‘gut feeling’ about a university, the campus visit often weighs in heavily.

By JaMie HoVerSenHiS university Counselor

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HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHT

Engineering Design = Teamwork with a Purpose

BY JuLie MuLLen, HiS Grade 9-10 Mathematics & Grade 6 Science teacher

Identify Need:Mr. Horan was tired of always worrying about losing his phone out of his pocket while riding his bike. He wanted to be able to safely use his iPhone for navigation while riding his bike around Hangzhou. His thought was to ask Mr. Mullen’s Robotics class for help, after all, engineers find out what people need and use the design process to develop the idea into a product people will like.

Explore: Requirements/RestraintsSam Wong and Jun-Seong Park were up for the challenge. To understand the need, Sam and Jun sat down with Mr. Horan to brainstorm ideas to get a better understanding of the need. A few of the questions they had to answer were where he wanted to mount the device on his bike, getting the correct dimensions of the bike cross bar, dimensions of the phone, correct thickness of the holding arms and durability of material used.

Design:Mr. Horan drew up some ideas and schematics on paper, and Mr. Mullen put Sam and Jun to work designing during their robotics class on 123D Design. This program is part of the AutoCAD family, allowing the students to design with accurate specifications that can be uploaded into our 3D printer.

Create:Once they had the preliminary design completed on 123D Design, the next step was to convert the design in the software for the 3D printer. Once started, the prototype took five hours to print.

Test and Evaluate:The first prototype was completed and is being tested for functionality and modification. The team is also looking for ways to streamline the design while cutting down on print time.

Improve:Even though the first prototype is working, some of the modifications being discussed include: Adding curved features,Variations for other phone models,Different mounting features,Different colors

ECE Campus

The major beneficiary of the ECE Art Auction is Heart to Heart Shanghai, a locally based non-profit community outreach organization supporting children who are undergoing heart surgery at the various Shanghai hospitals.

Supporting Heart to Heart

Shanghai

ECE Charity Art Auction

Third Annual

Celebration of Art and Community

Platinum Level Sponsors

Thank you for your support and dedication to community service

We would like to thank all of our generous community sponsors and donors

Gold Level Sponsors

ECE SUMMER KIDS CAMP

Title: External Logo

Dimensions: as per DWG xx.07.00 drawing series.

Scale: Resize as per dimensions

PANTONE199C

PANTONE646C

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HONGQIAO ECE HIGHLIGHT HONGQIAO ECE HIGHLIGHT

Long before the lanterns are hung and the first piece of artwork is auctioned off, plans are being made to create an

event that brings together the ECE community as we continue our campus-wide support for families of children with congenital heart disease. The planning for the annual Art Auction, an event that takes place at the end of May, begins as soon as the school year resumes each August. There are several factors to consider when planning this event such as securing sponsorships, planning the event itself and, ensuring that student artwork is available for auction.

Early this school year, members of the art auction committee went over to visit Heart to Heart Shanghai to get a better understanding of the ways in which our ECE campus community could support this organization. In addition to monetary donations that directly support heart surgeries for children, Heart to Heart also supports the parents of the children who often come to Shanghai from rural China. This led to the committee seeking additional ways to involve our community to support Heart to Heart this school year. They reached out to PAFA for support and with the guidance of PAFA ECE Vice President, Ramya Rajagopal, parents volunteered to support this organization by collecting gently used clothing, toiletries, art and cleaning supplies. The items collected are used to support the children receiving heart surgery as well as their parents who often arrive in Shanghai with only the clothes on their back.

Student artwork is the focus of the event and takes careful coordination. ECE Kindergarten teacher, Cristina Pelaez, worked with classroom teachers to ensure there would be a wide variety of art pieces and that each would be framed and ready for auction. Creating pieces of art that look great, are child-centered, and include each student in the classroom is no easy task. Many parents jumped in to support classroom teachers and Mandarin assistants as they worked to determine an art medium and theme, secure materials and create each piece. The result of all this teamwork is 21 unique pieces available for auction.

A silent auction the night of the event adds to the fun of the evening. Last year this portion of the evening was responsible for generating over 50,000 RMB. Companies and individuals donate a variety of items ranging from toys to hotel stays and concert tickets. ECE faculty members Jeff Ginter and Sarah Thompson happily took on the responsibility of contacting potential sponsors and working with them to support this year’s event.

The evening cannot be successful without the careful planning necessary. ECE teachers Caitlyn Connolly and Colleen Powers took on this responsibility and with it attended to even the smallest of details. They have worked to ensure tickets were printed, menu was perfect, table looked just right and that the ECE gym somehow took on the look of a truly formal gala space.

Even with all of these details falling into place, the event would be nothing without the support of our school community in attendance. This is where the right kind of marketing is vital to the success of a charity event like this. Not only is it important to fill every seat but even more important for the event guests to understand the worthy cause that is being supported. Poster design, flyers, email notifications and bulletin announcements were carefully planned.

Of course, the committee members themselves met on a regular basis to share updates on the planning process. They were greatly supported by all members of the ECE community – administration, office staff, parents, teachers, Mandarin assistants and support staff. The hours spent in preparation are all worth it when you consider the long-term impact this event will have on the lives of others. We raised over 125,000 RMB at last year’s event and were able to sponsor five children. This year, we hope to continue to save lives. Please join us for an evening of art, community and fun!

By HeatHer KniGHtSCiS HQ eCe Vice Principal

2015 ECE Charity Art AuctionBehind the Scenes

What is the SCIS ECE Art Auction? To you it’s probably a great evening where artwork is auctioned off, parents feel proud of their children’s abilities, and everyone goes home with a little less money—but happy. However, to Heart to Heart Shanghai it is something entirely different. Sure, our volunteers had a great time at last year’s event selling heart bears. They even came back from the event raving about how exciting it was. But, this was only the beginning. The real story unfolded several months later.

Thousands of Chinese children are born with congenital heart disease each year. These defects usually require heart surgery. Many rural families have no health insurance or savings to pay for their children’s heart surgeries nor can they earn enough to save the amount needed. Without surgery the children die due to a failing heart or secondary causes such as pneumonia. In addition, life is severely compromised for these children since they are often unable to walk to school, which is necessary in most rural villages—especially in Ali, Tibet, where the children that our proceeds are donated to came from. Thus, they don’t get an education even if they are surviving. Their families also suffer because the children require frequent trips to the clinic as well as expensive medicine.

The 2014 SCIS ECE Art Auction enabled Heart to Heart to bring four children from Ali, Tibe— Zhuo Ma Ci Ren, Suo Nan Wang Mu, Lu Bu Sang Pei, and Ci Ren Yang Zong—to Shanghai for heart surgery. They were all from illiterate herding families who made around RMB 3,000 a year. They were totally unable to pay for the surgery their children needed. The art auction saved the lives of these children and changed their family situations forever. They are all well now. It’s really a pity all SCIS students and parents didn’t get to meet them, because they were lovely—kind, affectionate, smart, and quick with smiles. You would have loved them all.

In addition, the heart bears purchased at the auction helped provide surgery for a fifth child, Wang Yong. Heart to Heart visited him in March in Guizhou province. He is now in great health as well. He has grown and says he feels better than ever. He runs and jumps around like a normal boy his age. He is quite charming and inquisitive. Wang Yong and his parents, brothers, and sisters live together in a small, primitive brick house in Kebu Village. They are of the Buyi minority group. Although Wang Yong’s house is poor and has no indoor plumbing or kitchen, it is very clean and has an unbelievably beautiful view. They are obviously a close family. They wanted us to be sure to tell you how much they appreciate what your generosity did for all of them. They were moved to the point of tears because of your support.

So can an art auction change lives? Definitely. We know of five families and their children who will attest to how art can work miracles.

By Karen CarringtonHeart to Heart Shanghai Executive Director (Volunteer)

5 Children Saved by the 2014 ECE Art Auction

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The SCIS Hongqiao MathCounts after-school club has been a part of middle school for three years. Yet in that time, it

has grown to be more than just a club. It is part of our math program and how we seek to challenge those math students who just can’t get enough math. Most of these students already complete the blue and black level work in class (the hardest) but are looking for a bit more of a challenge still. They complete MathCounts problems in the extra time they have during math class and watch videos from the MathCounts website learning advanced problem solving strategies.

Yet many of these students are passionate about MathCounts because they love the thrill of competition. Just like an athlete hungry for a match, these Mathletes enjoy opportunities to test their skills against other students and train intensely to prepare for these face-offs. This year, students had several opportunities to compete. All students in Grades 6 to 8 were able to take the AMC 8 (American Math Competition) in October, which seeks to recognize extraordinary math performance at the middle school level. Our Grade 8 students were further invited to participate in the AMC 10 competition in February.

While students get excited about the written competitions, the most exciting competitions are those that involve face-to-face interaction. There were three of these competitions this year, the first in Vietnam, the second in Tsingtao, and the last here at SCIS.

SCIS took 10 students from 7th and 8th Grade and two chaperones to the South East Asia MathCounts tournament in Saigon, Vietnam in February. This competition involved international schools throughout Asia, including Singapore American School, Jakarta International School, and more.

Mathletes Math Students

go Head to Head in MathCounts Competitions

While our students did not take home a trophy from this particu-lar event, they learned a lot, made new friends, and returned to Shanghai more motivated than ever to continue preparing.

6th graders got their opportunity to shine at the Tsingtao Annual math competition. This event is especially designed for younger students and features not only a math competition but a Rubiks cube contest. SCIS was able to take ten students to this annual

event and hopes to take more next year.

The most recent competition was held right here at SCIS on April 25th. The Annual Shanghai Math Olympiad brought 172 competitors from thirteen international schools around the Shanghai area. The competition featured both individual rounds and a team round, followed by a buzzer round featuring the top ten high- scoring individuals. One of the fun features of the day was the team relay where teams literally ran across the field to solve a math problem before passing off to the next competitor. The winning team had all answers correct and the fastest time. SCIS

brought home three trophies and many notable performances, but the best part was the interaction with students from other schools that share the same passion for math.

MathCounts is an afterschool activity open to any student who is interested. Though it is ideal for students who excel in mathematics and need more of a challenge, any student is welcome. Interested students should watch the daily bulletin early in the year and talk to their math teacher.

By aMY BowLeYHongqiao Main Campus Grades 7 & 8 Mathematics teacher

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

Hongqiao PAFA President:President: Don Rendallpafapresident.scispafahq@gmail.com Events Coordinator: Donna Boseevents.scispafahq@gmail.com

PAFA NEWS

Hangzhou PAFA Presidents:LS Vice President: Anu MehtaLS Vice President: Anuja JainUS Vice President: Carmen FreissmuthUS Vice President: Crystal Wu, jameswanshi@yahoo.com (main contact person)

Pudong PAFA Chairs:Lower School: Katie Berkaw katieberkaw@icloud.com

Upper School: Robin Williams mikeandrobinwilliams@gmail.com

SCIS-HIS has parent organizations called the Parents and Friends Association (PAFA) on each campus. PAFA serves as a way that parents can communicate ideas for the betterment of the school to the administration and Board. SCIS and HIS are proud of the high level of parents participation in their schools and value their partnership with the parent community. PAFA conducts various activities, from community events to charity fundraisers to volunteer support for teachers and students. Each campus has a PAFA board who works closely with each campus’ administrations to plan events that help to make SCIS-HIS schools a unique experience for families, faculty, and students alike. We are always welcoming new members!For more information about PAFA, please contact us at:

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

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PUDONG HIGHLIGHT PUDONG HIGHLIGHT

There are many words that are used to describe the Model United Nations such as resolve, dispute, compromise,

international law, and collective security. However, if the participation of MUN were thoroughly exercised, then the best word to describe what we do would be empathy. An over-whelming part of this club is not so much trying to voice your opinions, but understand the opinions, perspectives and cultures of others. In many cases this puts the student in an awkward situation because the country that they are to represent has a different culture, worldview, government and economy than their own. Thus, the students have to understand and pre-sent their arguments, for any given topic, based on the political trajectory of their assigned country (versus their home country or even the country they happen to currently reside in). Many political environments and discussions have a tendency to be filled with closed mindedness and inconsiderate participants that dogmatically try to foist their perspectives upon the audience. MUN gives our SCIS students the opportunity to do the exact opposite, to be open-minded and considerate of others even when there are disagreements.

As a team we have been consistently developing our under-standing of other cultures and how that impacts their political representation. The goal has never been to condemn another culture by our own subjective measures, but to have a thorough understanding of the policies they would support or refute. Our students have easily fulfilled this goal in our most recent MUN conference to Dubai, in that the country they had to investi-gate and represent was China. This was a unique opportunity because often times the students are given countries that are distant and, more often than not, unknown to them. To be able to represent China definitely gave our students an advantage in Dubai.

Hosted by the Dubai International Academy (DIA) and affiliated by The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) our students took to the challenge of representing China by

debating, sharing, collaborating and presenting China’s policies for human rights, space exploration, Crimean Crisis, global economics, and many other topics as well. It was challenging, but these obstacles were overcome by the hard work and dedication of each team member.

Emma Merritt the MUN student director for the 2014-2015 season said, “Working in the security council among what are commonly known as the best delegates was an opportunity unlike any other that makes me glad I stuck with MUN.” In addition Mahima Gill the MUN assistant-student director and next year’s student director complemented, “The Dubai conference was a great opportunity to put yourself out there. You develop a lot of debate skills as you compete with other students representing other countries. The fact that we were recognized as the best delegation demonstrates how our preparation and teamwork leading up to the conference paid off.”

Indeed, it was a great experience for our students to debate and share ideas at a conference that had nearly 1,000 students, over 50 schools from 4 continents, and 18 countries. Delegate Abby Merritt commented, “It was such a wonderful experience, and I was able to further development my debate skills. I have matured a lot in terms of cooperation and combining all different kinds of ideas. I hope this path of success culminates as the future secretary general of SCIS.”

The Model United Nations club helps to connect students from diverse backgrounds and offers the opportunity to grow, to share, to listen, to inquire, and to debate. But more importantly, MUN offers students the opportunity to understand the varying perspectives of our global society. Overcoming the obstacles of ignorance and hate is not easy, but I do believe that our SCIS championship delegation is on the right track.

By JeffreY BenSonPudong upper School iB History, toK, world History teacher

Cultural Understanding A Formula for Success

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Thunderst ruck! The SCIS Rock Band Rocks the House

PUDONG HIGHLIGHT PUDONG HIGHLIGHT

SCIS Pudong Upper School was “Thunderstruck” by the now famous, SCIS Rock Band! The concert

started off rockin with “Teen Spirit” by Nirvana -and continued to roll along with nine more rock-and roll classics. Audience members took a walk back in time as “Skizzard,” the shows emcee, introduced each song’s historical background, which brought tremendous satisfaction to all rock enthusiasts. Vocalists Emma Merrit (a senior) and Olivia Angrade (who is just thirteen years young) sang their hearts out and gave the impression they had just won a recent American Idol competition! Javier Sanchez and Sang Wu Lim played several difficult rock leads like professionals while Emmi Rytkloa, Steve Shin, Lucas Leder, Arturo Ramirez, and Ken Zahari kept each song moving forward using their steady rhythms and beats. To round out the sound, SCIS’s thirty-member middle school choir joined in the fun, singing back-up vocals for five of the songs played, including “The Wall” by Pink Floyd and “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The grand finale song “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC fired up the crowd as the sound of thunder was followed by the pulsing lead that has made the song famous. What a show! What an outstanding performance and commitment given by our own SCIS illustrious and talented musicians and singers under the tutelage and instruction of Mr. Miles. Long live SCIS Rock Band!

By Bret MiLeSPudong Middle School Math teacher and rock Band advisor

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Last spring, while sitting in an EARCOS workshop titled “Changing Minds Changes the World,” my thoughts began

to race forward: how could we the SCIS Middle School Pudong intertwine lessons of compassion and empathy with our curricula? The EARCOS workshop, led by the middle school social studies and English teachers at International Christian School in Hong Kong, detailed their humanities essay and fair that they organize for their students each year about the very dark, yet very important, topic of modern-day slavery. As they spoke, the wheels in my mind spun faster and faster. A heavy topic, indeed, I pondered, but certainly a manageable unit that would ignite passion in our students to use their education to improve the world. Inspired, I walked out of the workshop determined to engage our students in the same project. Of course, I never envisioned it would become what it has now at SCIS Pudong.

From a simple essay and fair, this project quickly turned into a semester-long series of activities that broke through the traditional classroom walls in order to teach the students that their words and their actions can and will affect change. At the beginning of the year, Ty Smeins, our middle school principal, encouraged the core subject teachers to work with the arts department in order to plan effective lessons that stimulate curiosity and creativity. Little did I know that when I posed my idea of the humanities fair to the arts teachers, the dance

teacher Sara Sokola would so fearlessly transform this idea into something that would involve the entire middle school population of students, teachers, administrators, and parents! In a matter of hours, we merged my vision of simple English skills-based activities and her vision of service-oriented actions into Humanities for Humanity, an intricate project that has involved donation drives, the creation of public service announcements, volunteering and fundraising for local and global service-related organizations, a research paper with proposed action plan, and, finally, the fair itself—the culmination of all of our students’ efforts and acquired knowledge and skills from this titan project. But even this fair exploded into a museum, stretching through the middle school hallway, the dance, room, and the black box, each room transformed into an informative, interesting, and interactive space designed to elicit a passionate response in the visitor.

Gender stereotypes, violence, trafficking, education, racism, poverty, environment, health, vital resources, addictions, and politics—these are the modern-day slavery subtopics that the entire middle school has been immersed in for the past several months. In English classes the students have been researching about narrowed-down aspects of their topics to write their essays; in their art, drama, and dance classes, students have been creating visual works that deal with aspects of modern-day slavery.

Humanities for Humanity

Middle School Teachers and Students Volunteer to

Fight Modern-Day Slavery

THEME FEATURE THEME FEATURE

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More than this, the project has has moved beyond the classroom walls. The success of this project, then, has depended on the entire middle school community to work as a cohesive unit. Last year, Ty Smeins hung up posters in each of our classrooms that contained the words, “Improving the world by being my best.” This year, Humanities for Humanity has helped to breathe life into these words, for each moment of this project has served as a reminder that our actions affect others and that effective team-work relies on individual responsibility. When Ms. Sokola and I asked each of the middle school advisors to guide a group of students in learning about, educating others about, and enacting realistic solutions for their chosen topics, each of our colleagues, already busy with their own classes and after school activities, readily gave of their time. When we informed the students and their parents about the work that The Renewal Center and Sonflowers does for those in need, and how these organizations must rely on others for support, our students brought in piles of donations. However, when Ms. Sokola and I encountered various roadblocks while trying to organize the Middle School Service Day—a day in which each of our students went out into the community to volunteer their services and talents to those less fortunate that them—our middle school parents (and even some parents of students who do not attend SCIS) eagerly offered their encouragement, assistance, and time.

Watching the student groups plan their humanities fair rooms, Ms. Sokola and I are overjoyed to see that our countless hours of planning have all been worth it. The room designs are reflective of the convergence of all the lessons the students have learned through this semester-long project. Individual posters and boards show that each of the middle school students has

gained valuable experience with writing a research paper—that is, how to communicate effectively through sound and supported ideas, logical organization, and appropriate word choice. Public service announcements being played in each of the humanities fair rooms reveal that our students benefitted from working with others to consider how images, music, camera angles, and words converge to elicit desired emotions in the viewer. Finally, thematic ties to each of the rooms indicate that baking cookies and hosting an open mic night to fundraise for different charities, along with volunteering for organizations such as Home Sweet Home, Shining Star, Beacon of Love, Heart to Heart, The Renewal Center, Mifan Mama, gave them awareness about the people and things in our lives which shackle us and the ways in which they can bring positive changes to the lives of others.

As we all know, our student body at SCIS is made up of vari-ous cultures, beliefs, and understandings. Each of our students has the unique opportunity to collaborate with other students from all over the world. Our hope with this project is that our students begin to understand how when they work together, they make a difference. In allowing their education to extend beyond the classrooms—and the school building—our students are learning ways in which each individual in the world can unite to activate necessary and positive changes.

For more information about what the students were involved with in this project, please visit the Humanities for Humanity tab on the SCIS-Pudong Middle School English website.

By Suzanne BYerLYPudong upper School teacher

THEME FEATURE THEME FEATURE

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Whenever I travel to a non-English-speaking country, I learn several

words before arriving: hello, goodbye, thank you and delicious. To me, the last is the most important.

Food tells us a story—from the way it tastes to the people who prepare it. It’s a gateway to understanding a culture and its people. And when you tell someone you enjoy their cooking? Well, you’re not only making their day, but opening a window to a whole new world.

This is something I’ve struggled with since moving to Shanghai ten months ago. It’s not that I haven’t eaten enough Chinese food, because my increasing pant size will tell you otherwise. It’s the language barrier, and the struggle to get past formalities and into meaningful discussions with local people. And even though I’ve made some attempts to learn the language, I realize that becoming fluent enough to open this window is somewhat of a lofty idea.

Luckily, I recently discovered a food tour group that has made this desire a bit more feasible. UnTour was founded in 2010 by a woman named Jamie Barys, a food writer and longtime Shanghai expat. She says, “More and more people rank eating local foods in authentic settings as their number one priority when traveling, but discovering where the locals eat can be difficult in an unfamiliar location.” She states that Shanghai especially can be overwhelming with the language barrier and street food options.

I personally hadn’t eaten much street food before joining Barys’ night tour last month. Stories of recycled oil and ingredient sourc-ing had scared me away. Plus, I wasn’t sure what to order and where to order from. But in just one night, I made up for it.

Along with about ten others, I met the Untour team on Shouning Lu to experience our first night market of the evening. It began with an explanation of the market, along with identifying all of the items being grilled and barbecued. Then it was off to a local restaurant to eat all the street food after it was prepared. Crawfish, lamb kebabs, garlic scallops, lotus root skewers, green bean skewers, snake, and roasted

garlic eggplant filled the table. “Make sure not to fill up, guys!” our tour guide warned. But it was hard to show restraint, and the food kept coming. After sampling a variety of fruit puddings and custards, we waddled over to a hole-in-the-wall noodle shop on Fangbang Lu for beef noodle soup, hand-sliced noodles with lamb and peppers, and noodles with egg and tomato. The chefs welcomed us into the kitchen and dazzled us with their flour pulling and knife skills. We finished with pepper cookies and beer.

The history of noodles and noodle making in Shanghai was fascinating, and our new “No Carb Left Behind” diet was going along famously, but people were beginning to fill up. So we took a walk through the old town. It was raining, but the lit-up temples and hanging lanterns provided a beautiful backdrop to our much-needed stroll.

After about 15 minutes, we reached our final destination at the hawker stalls on Sipailou Lu, near Fanbgang Lu. The vendors showed us how to make their dishes, then we sat down at another local restaurant to enjoy more noodles, pan-fried rice cakes, flat bread, garlic broccoli, and peanut sesame brittle. By the end, members of the group were unbuttoning their pants. Most had a glazed-over look to their eyes. Everyone was smiling.

In one night, I learned more about Shanghai’s food culture than I had in ten months on my own. Sure, along with knowledge, I gained a couple of pounds, but it was nothing a week of dieting couldn’t cure. I’ll be back for more. And this time, I’ll come even hungrier than before.

By Jennifer SteVenSPudong upper School Grade 9 & 10 english teacher

Additional InformationAlong with the night market tour, UnTour Shanghai also offers a breakfast tour and a hands-on dumpling tour. For more information, visit www.UnTourShanghai.com.

To read more about Jennifer’s excursions in Shanghai, follow her at http://www.adventurousappetite.com/

FAVORITE SPOT IN THE CITY FAVORITE SPOT IN THE CITY

Eat Your Way Through ShanghaiUnderstanding Chinese Culture Through “UnTour Food Tours”

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Science—it is everywhere. The advances in technology and science are transforming our world at an incredible pace.

Being science literate will no longer just be an advantage but will be absolutely necessity for our students’ future.

At SCIS we understand the importance of providing opportunities for our students to take part in scientific inquiry. All SCIS students in Grade 5 participate in science inquiry and showcased their inventions and investigations in a forum called the Invention Convention & Science Symposium (ICSS). On May 8th at the SCIS Pudong Campus, the ICSS showcased some of the most creative inventions and shared results of investigations made by 5th grade students across all of the SCIS-HIS schools. The students followed a scientific process to invent an original product or investigate a question they wanted to seek the answer to.

The Invention Convention Science Symposium provides our students with a chance to experience the excitement of publicly displaying and presenting their inventions and investigations to our community at large as well as to each other. The students talked to groups of facilitators about their work and met in discussion forums to critique the scientific works of others. This was an all day event designed to promote the students’ problem-solving, evaluative and creative-thinking skills as well as instill scientific collaboration between student scientists thus encouraging even more scientific inquiries and enthusiasm in our students.

By Jane MaCMiLLanPudong Lower School Principal

COMMUNITY FEATURE COMMUNITY FEATURE

The Invention Convention

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HOST CULTURE HOST CULTURE

Once upon a time, there was a man called Al Blank. He was the

Hangzhou International School (HIS) librarian from 2007 to 2009. I used to work with Al Blank as his library assistant. Through his encouragement, I eventually became one of the Mandarin teachers at HIS. But for two years Mr. Blank listened to my stories about my hometown of Nanchang. I talked a lot and my English gradually improved. Mr. Blank was interested in everything I mentioned to him. We both wanted to travel to Nanchang, but time was against us and soon enough Mr. Blank had to return to his home. Unfortunately, he did not have a chance to see Nanchang in person when he was working here.

In the middle of March, two months ago, I was surprised that Mr. Blank had arrived back in Hangzhou for a visit! He had been home in the USA for six years, and he said that he often thought about returning to China and trying to visit my hometown.

I was excited to make the arrangements for him and another HIS teacher, Mr. Steve, the Lower School ESOL teacher, to travel by bullet train to Nanchang for a weekend trip. I was honored to take these two foreign friends to Anyi County, a suburb of Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi Province. The following story is how I think they saw and appreciated my home village.

NECESSARY BACKGROUND INFORMATIONI was born in a small village called “Family Wang” (王家村) in Qiao Le township. All the folks here share the same surname of Wang. This little place is where I grew up and received all of my childhood education. This is the place where most folks are poor farmers and worked in the fields everyday. The living conditions were difficult, but with the passage of time and the development of society, most of the people left my hometown to find work in the big cities. Some worked in factories

while others started small businesses. Only the very old or the very young people stayed behind in Family Wang village. My own grandmother stayed behind (now, she is ninety years old!).

The three of us took the bullet train from Hangzhou to Nanchang and we arrived late Friday evening. Mr.Blank and Mr. Steve stayed in a hotel while I went home to my mom’s place. Saturday morning was rainy and gray but the foreigners wanted to see everything! My mom, my cousin/sister and my former English teacher all drove to the village together. The first stop was of course, my grandmother’s house. She was so glad to meet them, as these were the first foreigners she had ever met in her in her life! She prepared snacks for the guests and prepared a special and traditional soup to welcome visitors—egg soup. I think the guests enjoyed it. In the village, the few remaining people kept coming by to see Mr. Blank and Mr. Steve. Just like my grandmother, these two were the first foreigners any of the other villagers ever saw. The foreigners were definitely the focus of attention!

After we ate snacks and soup, we took a short walk around Wang village. I showed my guests where the center of the village used to be, which was once very crowded with many buildings and plenty of people. Some time ago there was an accidental fire that burned many of the old houses, although a few were saved and remain in good shape (but, remember, hardly anyone lives here any longer). We all explored the central location for the traditional celebration of the ancestors, which was currently littered with leftovers from all the fireworks from the Spring Festival. We looked at the tile roofs and the old wooden farm tools. We saw the old stone and timber houses. My mom unlocked the main door to my old home, framed with red “good luck” couplets. Inside there were old cabinets full of old kitchen utensils and closets full of old books. In the side room we found old baskets for gathering rice and other farm crops. We climbed the stairs and went out onto the balcony. Mr. Blank was holding his umbrella and seemed lost in thought while enjoying the view. Suddenly,

he took me aside and said, “Jenny, you should bring a quality camera the next time you visit your grandmother and your home village.”

Mr. Blank was serious—the same tone he used when explaining how he wanted me to do my old library assistant job. Mr. Blank wanted me to take as many pictures as possible of all these old things before they were lost and gone forever. Mr. Blank said I should record all the stories my mom was telling us that day. He said this was my history as well as part of my identity. He explained how precious all these memories are now and how they will become even more valuable in the future. He wanted me to make a “documentary” of my ancestral village. Mr. Blank said I should start the process by asking my grandmother as many questions as possible and get her to tell me as many of her memories as possible. He said that my grandmother must have witnessed some incredible events during her ninety years and that those stories would be a perfect gift for my children and grandchildren.

After listening to Mr. Blank’s suggestions to record history, my history, I felt a bit ashamed because I never really cared about all this old, broken and, abandoned place. I never thought to make a record of it. Nobody had ever mentioned that idea before. In my eyes, these are just ancient, junk filled houses. Nothing more. Now, I know that other foreigners might be very interested to know about how I grew up. Mr. Steve and Mr. Blank even suggested selling some of the old rice

baskets to foreigners in Shanghai and other big cities, in the antique markets. This idea that all this old stuff had so much value really shocked me. Mr. Blank said that the craft of traditional weaving hand-made baskets is being forgotten and that people will pay cash to have those objects, as reminders of the past. These objects are also my history and my culture and my own memories! Wow! What a different way to think about history and culture!

On the way back to my grandmother’s house he picked up some old tiles that had slipped off the roof and said he would give them to Ms. Newby, his wife, who likes to collect antiques. This would be a permanent reminder of his visit to my village. Mr. Blank finally got to see my hometown. And I finally got to see my hometown through the eyes of a foreigner.

Mr. Blank gave me a very meaningful lesson that day. China has a long history of over 5,000 years. There has been plenty of culture during that time. My hometown history is just a drop in the ocean. I do think that we should respect and preserve the history and culture of our own country. But I wasn’t aware that I could start doing something in my own life. Through the eyes of the foreigners, I realized the importance of memories, histories and heritage. I think the aware-ness and responsibility of Chinese history and culture is just what we need to continue to develop our Chinese society.

By JennY wanGHiS Mandarin teacher

Visiting Nanchang, ChinaTwo HIS teachers visit Jenny Wang’s Village

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Ting Ting is from Taiwan and is in her 10th year at SCIS. Last year, she won the Beijing ISI ice skating competition, and as a result earlier this year she was a flag bearer for the 2015 Ice Skating World Championships in Beijing. Between the IB and her serious ice skating training, she doesn’t always have a lot of time to chat. Luckily though, I got her to take a few minutes to sit down and talk with me about Shanghai, life, and of course ice skating…

How are you doing today?I’m doing well :)

Ice skating…how did that interest develop? 10 years from now I would guess Frozen, but that wasn’t around when you were a kid:The first time I stepped on the ice was when I was three years

old in HongKong City Plaza’s ice rink. Soon I started watching many figure skating competitions on TV, and the gracefulness of the skaters captivated in my eye. To me figure skating is a sport that requires a combination of grace and athleticism to perform the step sequence, spins, and jumps while skating with blades on the ice.

How many hours per week do you train?Actually it depends. Normally I go to the rink about 3 times during the weekdays and the whole weekend from morning to the afternoon. If it is competition season, I have to go directly to the rink afterschool everyday.

What’s your secret: how do you balance all your training with the IB program?It’s impossible to balance training with the IB program. Prob-

Ting Ting ChanIce Skating Champion

ably the only secret is to do the homework whenever you have any spare time. My training time during the weekdays is from 4~7pm. I do my homework on the way to the rink and when I have a break in middle of my training sessions.

What was cooler—winning the ISI Ice Skating championship or being a Flag Bearer for the World Championship?Being a flag bearer for the World Figure Skating Championships was a more special experience for me because it’s considered to be the most prestigious of the ISU Championships. Every skater’s dream is to be able to skate on the ice of the World Figure Skating Championships. Even though I was not a competitor, it was still an honor to be able to participate in this event. I was able to meet many of my role-models, which happen to be the top skaters in the world.

I heard you sprained your ankle the first few days training for the flag ceremony. It doesn’t sound easy to skate on a sprained ankle. How did you overcome it?While skating through my journey I have experienced many injuries and tears, but my passion for skating has kept me with this sport. I enjoy every moment that I able to skate on the ice, so I still showed up to all 45 days of training with my foot wrapped in a bandage.

Switching subjects, what IB class do you love the most? It doesn’t mean you don’t love the others also, it’s just means you love them less.I love IB economics the most (smiling)

What do you do when you are not ice skating or going to school? So it’s Friday night, all your school work is done; all your ice skating training is done. What are you doing?In my free time I like to watch some Taiwanese or Korean dramas and TV shows.

24 Second Shot Clock is in effect. So you gotta answer fast. Ready? What is your favorite restaurant in Shanghai? My favorite restaurant in Shanghai is Din Tai Fung.

Last question now: in just 14 months you will be graduating. What is your plan for your next phase in life?I am excited to leave Asia and enjoy my college life in America.

interview by JonatHan PauLSonCommunitas editor

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Fiona Huang is from Taiwan and is in her 8th year at SCIS. The SCIS-Pudong and larger Shanghai community has been

aware of her flute virtuosity for years, as she has continually performed both in school productions and around town for various Shanghai events. Recently, however, Fiona earned the opportunity to play with the best high school students in the entire world at a special AMIS (Association for Music in International Schools) International Honor Orchestra Festival in Singapore. Fiona auditioned against over 200 flute players from around the world, earning one of the nine flute positions, and even earning a solo in one of the pieces of music. She is currently in the middle of her final IB Exams, but luckily, she spared a few moments to sit down with me and answer some questions…

Thanks for granting the interview. How are you doing today?Great, well, as great as a person can feel during IB exams.

So…the flute! How did you choose that instrument? It was a pretty easy decision. When I started band in sixth grade, we tried the mouthpieces of all the instruments. The flute mouthpiece was the only one that I can make a sound out of, so I guess in some sense, it chose me?

I heard certain musical instruments are better for certain body types. I know you have been very successful with the Flute, but is it the perfect instrument for you?I don’t believe in that theory. I’m a person with uneven front teeth and small hands. I’ve never find my physical characteristics to be an obstacle when playing wind instruments and the piano.

I remember when I was back in University, we used to compliment the music majors by calling them “music athletes” because of how much they practiced and trained. How often do you practice your craft?It depends. When I am not preparing for music exams or competitions, I play whenever and however I want. When time is tight, I can practice over 8 hours a day. Just like students who try to learn everything the night before exams, the bitterness of procrastination applies no matter who you are and what you do.

What’s your secret: how do you balance all that training (8 hours per day sometimes!!!) with the IB program?To be honest, I don’t. I have been a terrible flute student since the beginning of my senior year.

That’s funny. Okay….what would you say has been your biggest accomplishment in Flute?Performing for charity has been my biggest accomplishment. Paying back to the community has always been an important

part of my life, and to help others through music is always the best. These concerts remind me that music is a significant aspect of our society: it has infinite influence, and through music, we can change the world.

Tell me about the AMIS International Honor Band and Orchestra in Singapore…Geez, I can’t even describe in words. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed playing in an ensemble as much as I did playing in the AMIS honor band, and I have been playing in ensembles since first grade. You are constantly surrounded by people who share the same passion and same amount of passion with you, and you are doing something you love for the entire day. You can feel the vibration of the drums and percussion, the warmth of the woodwinds, the power of the brass instruments and the salience of silence… and the best thing is, you know you are a part of it.

So on the traditional scale of 1 to 10, how cool was it?20! Doubtless!

10 for the actual experience practicing and performing on stage, and the extra 10 for the meeting all the talented people and sight-seeing the amazing city.

What do you do when you are not playing the flute or going to school?Likely to be with friends or a piano.

Do you have a “pre-game” meal for performances?Eat. No matter what it is, it is always important to get enough energy before being on stage… but don’t throw up, especially if you play a wind instrument.

(laughing) That’s good advice. What’s your secret for staying calm under pressure then? I imagine any slight nervousness or trembling of the hands or breath would make playing the flute pretty difficult.I pretend that the audience is a bunch of watermelons… you can’t see their heads in the bright light anyways. Otherwise, tremble with your legs.

Here is the million dollar question: you’re graduating in 1 month, what are you doing next?

I’m going to Bocconi in Milan for university. In terms of music, I have no idea what I will do, but I am going to do something. The thing is you can’t really stop once you start music: it’s a life-long addiction!

interview by JonatHan PauLSonCommunitas editor

Fiona HuangA Flute Maestro

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REPATRIATION SPOTLIGHT REPATRIATION SPOTLIGHT

The Gallet family, husband Wolfgang and wife Véronique, came to Shanghai 2009 with four kids, Anais, Adrien, Alexandre, and Aurelia. With Wolfgang

from Germany and Véronique from France, the kids were raised with strong German and French language skills; however, when they first arrived they spoke almost zero English. Four years later, their oldest graduated top of her class and is at one of the top universities in England while the younger ones are flourishing in a German school in Munich. Véronique was kind enough to sit down with me and reminisce about Shanghai and comment on repatriation back to Germany…

Guten Tag Véronique. Oh wait, you’re actually French, so maybe I should say Bonjour? What is the lingua Gallet?German, French and sometimes English.

So, how is it going in Munich?It’s going very well. The green vegetation and the clean air have certainly been a relief, and our last snowy winter was delightful for the children and parents. While it is nice being back, we still miss Shanghai quite a lot.

And how are the kids doing?They seem to have settled down quite nicely: Alexandre regularly attends his soccer training at the club, which he joined a year ago. Aurelia has continued playing the saxophone and has joined a nearby track and field team. While working hard at school, Adrien took part in a variety of sports again, and Anais still dances in University at Bristol.

We are a family of 6 with Anais, the oldest, studying in the UK, Adrien in 12th grade, doing his IB at MIS at the moment, Aurelia is in 9th grade and Alexandre in 6th grade, at a German public school.

Gallet Family

A Successful Repatriation back to the EU

Think back to when you first brought the kids to Shanghai…did you ever think that Anais would end up at a University in the UK?Back then we weren’t sure how long we would stay in Shanghai and therefore we had not considered it as a possibility yet.

Speaking of Universities, where did Adrien end up?Adrien is currently taking his IB Exams and has yet to choose which university he would like to attend. However, between Switzerland, Germany and the UK, it is likely going to be the latter.

Why is he zeroing in on a UK University?He likes UK Universities because of the language and the univer-sity program, which will give him an international outlook once he graduates.

How are Adrien’s IB Exams going? Did he feel like he was prepared for the program when he returned to Germany and entered his international school?Thanks to the program in SCIS Pudong, the transition to the international school went very smoothly and he was very well prepared for the IB in general, especially for mathematics HL. For the final results, well, we will see in July!

And how are the younger ones doing? I hear they are in a German school in Munich. How has that transition been?The German public school is obviously quite different to SCIS. The language, culture, and teaching methods definitely took some getting used to. Luckily, this particular school offers an English program for native speakers, which made the transition a lot easier. They met other children from similar backgrounds, which motivated them to work harder. In addition, the children have continued learning Chinese at school during afternoon lessons.

Has it been difficult for them to jump back into German full-time?Well, the German educational system is quite selective and competitive, especially down here in Bavaria, which offers the toughest yet also most prestigious educational level in Germany. However, when German schools recognize a student’s motivation and commitment to work hard, the teachers readily offer their support to propel the student’s academic achievements. This has been the case for Anais and Adrien, and Aurelia and Alexandre are just beginning to learn that.

Did the kids spend any time studying and practicing

German while here at SCIS—particularly the younger ones that are in German school?They had a few months of German lessons but otherwise they just simply spoke and read German at home.

And how are they doing in life overall at their new school? Has their success at SCIS continued in their new school environment?Teachers from both schools are absolutely satisfied with all our children so far.

Now that you have moved from SCIS to Germany, what advice do you have for families that might be doing a similar move in the near future?

There are a couple of pieces of advice that we would give any families moving back to Germany. First of all, the sooner the children pick up German again, the easier the transition will be; the language barrier was difficult moving to Shanghai in SCIS, and it was even harder coming back to Germany. Secondly, espe-cially here in Germany, it is practically impossible for the children to do well in their final years of education if they don’t return before 9th Grade; the school syllabus is drastically different here in Germany, and it takes some time getting used to the new teaching style as well. Lastly, just to keep the options open for the future, we would also advise the children to maintain their English when moving back, since it will naturally give them more opportunities in the future. These thoughts here though only count for Germany of course; it might very well be different in other countries.

Lastly, do you have a favorite SCIS memory that you would like to share?I really doubt that it is possible to simply pin-point one particular memory, but I can tell you what I miss the most here in Germany, which we had plenty of at SCIS: the incredible school spirit as well as the friendly and welcoming community of families, teachers, students and friends.

Thanks so much for your time. Goodbye, auf wiedersehen, and au revoir.

再见！

interview by JonatHan PauLSonCommunitas editor

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What has been the most surprising thing about your University experience?Before last semester started, I thought that my university experience was going to be a very lonely one. I thought that I was going to be the only foreigner at a local Chinese university. But to my surprise, Jiaotong has been nothing like that. The Mandarin program at the school is full with lots of international students from all over the world: Japanese, Korean, Ukrainian, Russian, Norwegian, Finnish, Singaporean etc…

Think about when you first moved to Shanghai and attended SCIS, did you ever think you would be where you are today?I didn’t even think I would be here two years ago. When I was a child, I never pictured my future. I never had this feeling that if I was to become this, then I would need to do this and study here. I always had dreams though. I used to dream about becoming a movie director or even a paleontologist, but I never planned how to get there. When I moved to Shanghai back in 2007, the only thing I cared about was if I was going to be happy at my new school and if I would make any friends. Looking back I have no regrets. I am glad that I didn’t put so much stress on becoming this one thing.

Your high school experience must have been pretty different from that average student at Jiatong. Do you feel more prepared coming from an international school compared to them?The learning system in Jiaotong is completely different to any western-based college. The work I received in the IB program was college-level, so graduating from SCIS and going into university, I was expecting nothing but essays and assessments. Jiaotong has been so very different. The course is based on daily language that is broken in to different categories from listening, writing, speaking, grammar and more. Exams occur twice a semester and homework, attendance and participation are all huge factors to a student’s grade.

What advice would you give to those in high school right now thinking about what University they are going to go to?My advice is this: don’t be scared if you don’t know what you want to do and can’t decide what you’d like to do. If there is

a dream that you have but feel that you won’t be able to reach it in time, don’t worry. Do something else that interests you in the interim. There’s no rush, your future will still be waiting for you and it’s paved with many opportunities.

Does Shanghai seem like a bigger place now even though you are only going to University a few km away?Actually, yes. Even though I have spent eight years in this city, I suddenly feel like I am embracing a whole new world. I think what has happened is this: before going to Jiaotong I had only traveled to areas of the city that were either a necessity or of direct interest to me. I used to only travel to homes of friends, the campus of SCIS, and various recreational centers. Now I have a whole new lifestyle, a lifestyle that includes university and my acting, I have ventured to brand new places. The little bubble that used to be my place has now grown exponentially.

What has been your favorite moment so far in your University career?My favorite time is when we all had to present to the class something revealing about ourselves. I was so worried about my presentation and whether my Mandarin was going to be good enough. In the end I had a ball, I had my teacher and classmates laughing uncontrollably, and we all learned some-thing about each other. The presentation exercise had this magical ability of breaking down borders between the students, and we all in one way or another bonded with each other and our teacher. That teacher has become one of my favorite teachers and I love going to his classes.

Fast forward to 7 years from now, what is Anthony Gates doing?My plan is that seven years from now, I will be in America studying and practicing stage theatre. My dream is to become an actor and I believe that if I am to make it in the industry, I need the training to do so. Some of the world’s best theatre schools are located in New York City and studying at one of the schools there could help me improve my craft. After studying there, then I would like to go to Los Angeles and start my career.

interview by JonatHan PauLSonCommunitas editor

THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONAlumni Mission: The SCIS-HIS Alumni Association has been established in order to foster the continued cordial relations of the SCIS-HIS community. The Alumni Association seeks to generate and maintain the active interest of all SCIS-HIS alumni in its regular business. It will provide the alumni with regular opportunities to assemble and maintain valued relationships through the promotion of

alumni events and communications.

Alumni Contact: Jonathan Paulson // jpaulson@scischina.org

Alumni Requirements:1. Graduated from a SCIS-HIS school

OR2. Went to school here for at least one year AND be over 18

Social Media facebook site: www.facebook.com/ SCISandHISalumni

Linkedin site: www.linkedin.com/groups/ SCISHIS-Alumni-4757677

Upcoming EventsJune 2015 in Shanghai

anthony gatesStaying in China for University

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Anthony Gates graduated from SCIS

Hongqiao in 2014 and matriculated to Jiaotong University right here in Shanghai (the #4 ranked university in China). In preparation for this program, he took and passed the HSK Level 3—which is notoriously diffi-cult—and has been taking classes fully in Chinese ever since. I recently got

him to sit down with me and talk about his journey….

I have been living here 4 years, and my Chinese is some-where between not good enough to go to Jiatong and not even close to good enough to go to Jiaotong. What has been your secret to hacking the language?I don’t really have a secret or some kind of special formula. I guess it’s from working and studying hard on the HSK papers. For those of you that are not familiar with the HSK, it’s a standardized Mandarin test for foreigners. Each HSK level has a certain amount of vocabulary words that you need to master to pass the test. For the HSK, I needed to know and memo-rize about 600 words. I took the test back in May last year. To help me prepare for the test, I had a tutor come by my house to help drill in the necessary words I needed to know. The tutor came twice a week. In each session, we would go over as many characters, phrases and sentence structures as possible. At times we would do as much as 30 new words, and at other times we will cover as few as eight. It wasn’t easy, and it was intense at times! But I did manage to pull through.

Was the Mandarin program at SCIS a big help to preparing you?While I was at SCIS I always thought that my Mandarin ability was below average even though I had studied it for more than 6 years. I was never very confident in conversing in the language. But I passed the HSK test. So to answer your question, yes, all the Mandarin studies that I received at SCIS must have been a big help in preparing me.

How did you end up choosing Jiatong? Did you consider doing a more traditional route by choosing one of the popular western Universities?I decided to apply to Jiaotong because I was determined to master Mandarin before I left China. I believe that mastering Mandarin will be a great skill to have in the future if I am going to pursue an acting career. You never know I could become a famous actor here in China (laughing). My parents were impressed with my decision, and I was happy about it too.

I have also since learnt that Jiaotong is one of the most highly ranked Universities in China, coming in 4th place in the most recent national rankings. There are many famous alumni such as Jiang Zemin, so I am very proud to be a member of such a famous institution.

Another huge factor for why I chose Jiaotong was because of my little brother. He may be only six, but I am his best friend and everyone felt in the family that right now wouldn’t be a good time for me to leave. I agreed. We have this magical bond and it’s special. I couldn’t leave his side—not right now.

Have you given thought to what your major will be?I’ve decided that Mandarin would be my major. I’m going to complete my four-year degree. Graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Mandarin and then apply to theatre schools in New York City where I will pursue my dream to become and actor.

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FAIRWELL NOTE PARTNER

Imagine you just finished drinking a bottle of water and you put it in the recycling bin. Nothing special, right? Now imagine that

the bottle of water that you drank a while ago is part of your school uniform. Baffling, isn’t it?… A group of eighty students and teachers and a team from Waste2Wear, the company that makes SCIS uniforms, went on a field trip to visit a factory that recycles plastic bottles into yarns to make clothes.

Why?Plastic bottles are a problem for the environment because they don’t biodegrade (This means that they don’t decompose when you throw them away -as an orange peel would-). As a result plastic accumulates growing every day more and more. There is so much plastic everywhere that a lot of it ends up in the rivers and, as you know, rivers eventually flow into the ocean. When plastic bottles get into the ocean, fish and birds can eat them thinking they are food and die.

So what can we do about it?First of all, we need to reduce our use of plastic as much as possible. For example, why not carrying your water in a canteen instead of buying a plastic bottle, or bringing your own reusable bag to the grocery shop? This small things can make a huge difference for our environment.

Another important thing is recycling. This means, not only that we put the bottles in a recycling bin, but that we also use them to make something new. The only way to keep this plastic bottles out of our environment is by making sure that they have a second life. The list of things you can make with recycled materials is endless but one of the most amazing ones is clothes. In fact, your own school uniform is made of plastic bottles mixed with cotton and other natural fibers.

How can that be possible?It all starts by separating, cleaning the bottles and shredding them. They have to be separated by colors and the ones made of a different kind of plastic have to be placed apart. After that they put them in a machine similar to a blender that cuts the bottles in pieces that look like small flakes to send them into a really big washing machine. Because this kind of plastic is inert (this means that it doesn’t react with other chemical substances) after washing it thoroughly it practically goes back to the same state as virgin new plastic.

But this still doesn’t look anything like a uniform (apart from the fact that it has already been into a washing machine!). The cool-est part of the process is just starting. After cutting and washing the pieces of plastic, they are heated to 270 C or 520 degrees (that’s 3 times the temperature of boiling water) until they melt to have a consistency of syrup.

The molten plastic is put in a metal container and pushed through tiny holes. The holes can be as tiny as 0.001 mm (this means that you would need to put a thousand of them side by side to complete a millimeter). Each hole ejects a strand of molten plastic that becomes solid again right away forming a filament. Later, this filaments will be spun to become a kind of yarn called polyester and eventually fabrics, clothes and uniforms.

As the students visiting the recycling plant learned, making bottles into fabrics is not only a fascinating process, but also a very important one in order to take good care of the environment. Recycling is a great way to keep these plastic bottles out of the nature and oceans. Maybe your school uniform has already saved the life of a fish or a bird!

Did you know that:

• Polyester fabrics and plastic bottles are made with exactly the same materials.

• Recycled polyester is an inert substance which makes it completely hypoallergenic.

• Certifications from organizations help recycling companies to supervise safety and quality to make sure everything is super clean and healthy.

• If you have any questions about the environment, recycling or about your uniforms you can ask: info@waste2wear.com.

If you want to learn more check out this cool video or go to www.waste2wear.com.

From the Backman family (three children):

“We have loved our five years here in Shanghai. All three kids have thoroughly enjoyed their time at SCIS, they have had a good start to their school years, and made lots of great friends from all over the world. It has been amazing to follow their development since day 1 to today.

More or less every teacher we have had has been extremely good with the kids, seeing them for who they are, meeting them on their level.

All five of us will miss SCIS, the staff, the students, the Emerald, and of course Shanghai.

Now, we have an exciting new phase ahead of us. We are not “moving home”, because our home is here. We are moving to a new country, with new schools, a new house, new friends - and we plan to make the very best of this opportunity. We look forward to traveling in Europe, taking the kids to see Paris, Copenhagen, London, Barcelona etc, instead of Hong Kong, Boracay, Beijing and Bangkok.

We wish you and your team all the best for the future, and hope to meet you again one day, somewhere. It is after all a small world...

I was born in the year of the Dragon, so I will always be a dragon. And we will make sure our children remember their time in Shanghai and at SCIS.

All the best, and thank you.

Daniel & CatrinLucas, Lisa & Anna”

The amazing journey of a bottle that became a uniformYou Will Be Missed

a Farwell note from a departing familyWhile Upper School has standardized test scores, university acceptances, and championship

trophies that make it easier to define success, an unsolicited note such as this from a Lower School speaks just as loudly.

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Community Center Shanghai is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to connect, support and enable the international community in their transition,

adaptation and integration to life in Shanghai. CCS has a team of more than a dozen certified counselors, specializing in a broad range of psychological, emotional, and relational issues and offering sessions in multiples languages in convenient locations across Shanghai. Skype sessions are also available upon request. This year, we are offering an exciting new service - subsidized counseling sessions.

What is subsidized counseling?In keeping with our mission to connect expats from all walks of life in Shanghai, CCS offers counseling sessions at a reduced rate to those who have financial need and who do not have insurance coverage. Our goal this year is to raise between 100,000-150,000RMB for a subsidized counseling fund which allows us to offer these reduced rate sessions. Who needs subsidized counseling?- Individuals without insurance coverage or

with limited insurance coverage- Individuals with limited or no income,

especially students and young professionals- Families who have multiple family members

receiving therapy and families with a child or family member with special needs who may also need additional therapeutic services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.

- Individuals in abusive situations- Individuals in transition

How can you be involved? -Come to our meetings, become

a CCS Ambassador, utilize your network, create teams raise awareness and to help fundraise.

-Make a donation at one of our 3 main centers (Pudong, Hongqiao, Minhang).

By Carrie JoneSDirector of Counseling Services Community Center Shanghai

If you would like to be involved with this project or if you feel you could benefit from our counseling services and would like to schedule a session with one of our counselors, contact Carrie Jones at 136 3631 7474 or counseling@communi-tycenter.cn.

Community Center Shanghai (CCS) is offering

Subsidized Counseling Sessions

PARTNER PARTNER

I’m going to live vicariously through my kids. They’re going to be nurtured and trained for ultimate athletic success. I’m put-

ting them through what I see fit and they’ll be the next best in that sport. Full rides to universities on athletic scholarships and Olympic medals.

Sound a little excessive? Okay, I may be exaggerating a little bit, but there are a few parents out there that may have that mind set. It could apply to anything really- athletics, academics, and performing arts. Many believe early specialization is the key to putting a child on the path to scholarships or professional sports.

Let’s focus on athletics in this article though. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine summarizes “Such an exces-sive focus on early intensive training and competition at young ages rather than skill development can lead to overuse injury and burnout.”

Getting a kid’s feet wet in all sports may be a healthier alternative and help develop them in more ways than one. Individual sports vs. team sports give them an understanding of being independent and/or working together. Specialization however, can cause chronic injuries and also boredom of the sport. Kids start developing overuse injuries and some of them play through the pain with no regards to long term repercussions.

Playing through pain (from a skinned elbow or knee) is no big deal, but we need to teach our kids to listen to their bodies and know when they’ve pushed past the point of being tired or sore and are truly hurt. Certain injuries left unrecognized or untreated can stop a youth athlete’s career before it even begins. Stress fractures can heal with no long-term issues if treated with proper rest and treatment, but if it is mismanaged, it can lead to degenerative joint disease.

Keep sports fun and exciting for your kids and let them know that you can play through being hurt but to know when they’re injured. A bump on the knee or a jammed finger may not end their careers, but a specialist should see things that don’t seem normal.

By MaGnuS LoBoHead athletic trainer/Community and Communications associate

Institute for Western Surgery (IWS)- China’s premium healthcare option for pediatrics, orthopedic spine care and sports medicine. Located at Parkway Clinic-Jin Qiao and Gleneagles Medical Center at tomorrow Square.

Is Your Youth Athlete Playing In Pain?

What isSubsidized Counseling Sessions?

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RECIPES RECIPES

Ingredients: • 8apples(peeled,coredandchopped)• 1cup(240mL)water• 1teaspoongroundcinnamon• Optional:1/2cup(125mL)honey

Directions方法:

1.Ina2-quartsaucepanovermediumheat,combineapples,water,andcinnamon(andoptionalhoney).Bringtoaboil,reduceheat,cover,andsimmer20-30minutes(oruntilapplesaretender).

准备一个中等大小的锅，放入苹果，水，肉桂粉（可加蜂蜜）搅拌。开火煮大约20-30分钟（或者可以等到苹果变软）

2.Forchunkyapplesauce:useapotatomasherorlargeforktomash.Fornon-chunkyapplesauce:allowapplestocoolslightly,thenblendineitherablenderorfoodprocessor.

制作果粒口味：可以使用叉子或简易工具捣碎苹果。制作非果粒口味：使苹果冷却后使用捣碎工具直接捣碎。

Alternative Preparation制作过程:

1.Putinslowcookeronhighfor3-4hours.

把捣碎后的材料放入炖煮锅内烧3到4个小时

2.Forchunkyapplesauce:useapotatomasherorlargeforktomash.Fornon-chunkyapplesauce:allowapplestocoolslightly,thenblendineitherablenderorfoodprocessor.

制作果粒口味：可以使用叉子或简易工具捣碎苹果。制作非果粒口味：使苹果冷却后使用捣碎工具直接捣碎。

配料:• 8个苹果（需要去皮去核并且捣碎）• 240毫升水• 1小勺肉桂粉• 可多加：125毫升蜂蜜

Applesauce苹果醬PREP/准备时间:20mins

COOK/制作时间:20mins

READYIN最后完成时间/:40mins

This is one recipe that I feel needs an explanation. My family and I LOVE pancakes!! We also try to eat healthy. So, I was looking for a recipe that had whole wheat flour and no white, processed sugar. We started making our own batter, and then ran out of eggs. In China. In the middle of the bird flu…. Needless to say, I was NOT running out to the grocery store to buy eggs. But my family “NEEDED” pancakes! JSo, I tried to find a recipe that did not call for eggs. Then I thought, “Wait a minute! Vegans don’t use eggs. Surly they’ve adapted a recipe!” And, yes, they had! Now, that recipe called for white sugar that I replaced with the honey. I do realize that the honey now un-veganizes the recipe, but I was okay with that. So, here is my “China Bird-Flu/Vegan/Healthy” pancake recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:• 21/2cupswholewheatflour• 1tablespoon+1teaspoonbakingpowder• 1teaspoonsalt• 21/2cupswater• 1/4cuphoney• 2tablespoonsoil(Iusecoconutoil)Directions方法:

1.Sifttheflour,bakingpowderandsaltintoalargebowl.Whiskthewater,honeyandoiltogetherinaseparate,smallbowl.Pourthewetingredientsintothedryingredients.Stirjustuntilblended;mixturewillbelumpy.

将面粉，烘培粉加盐一起放入大碗中。再将水，蜂蜜和油混合后放入另一个小碗中。将小碗中的倒入大碗混合。搅拌直到完全混合变成糊状

2.Heatalightlyoiledgriddleovermedium-highheat.Dropbatterbylargespoonfulsontothegriddle,andcookuntilbubblesformandtheedgesaredry.Flip,andcookuntilbrownedontheotherside.Repeatwithremainingbatter.

在平底锅里，放入油，用中高火加热。用厨铲把糊状的成品放入锅中，煎至起泡，边缘变干为止。翻面煎至另一面变成棕色为止。重复以上动作直至剩余材料用完。

Healthy, “Vegan” Pancakes健康素食煎饼

PREP/准备时间:5mins

COOK/制作时间:10mins

READYIN最后完成时间/:15mins

配料:• 2又1/2杯全麦面粉• 1大勺+1茶匙烘培粉• 1小勺盐• 2又1/2杯水• 1/4个杯蜂蜜• 2大勺油（我使用椰子油）

Try These Healthy Recipes

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May 23: 3rd Annual Art Auction to raise money to literally save children’s life’s through Heart Transplants was successfully held from 6:30 to 9:30pm.

May 26: Middle School Drama production.

May 30: SCIS Hongqiao ECE PAFA held a end of the year picnic from 3:00 to 6:00pm to celebrate another fantastic year shared by all.

May 30: 5K Run at HIS. People from Shanghai joined the Hangzhou crowd for a weekend on “Heaven on Earth” to participate in the 5K run followed by a carnival.

May 23: The “Jackpot” Prom was held from 7:00 – 10:00pm at the Renaissance Hotel.

May 23: Family Fun Day at the Lower School. Members from all over the community came together for a 4 hour carnival complete with inflatable games, dunk tanks, and a slip n’ slide.

May 19-21: Upper School Music and Arts have a cultural convention for three days to perform and show off the latest opuses the students have produced.

May 22: Middle School teachers and students spend the whole day at various organizations projects throughout Shanghai in a volunteer effort to fight Modern-Day Slavery

May 22: Middle School Drama performed the “Orphan Train” at 1:30pm and 6:30pm in the auditorium.

May 2: SAT test at SCIS Pudong.

May 4-9: A lifetime of memories were made as Grades 6-11 went on week long “China Trips” to different locations throughout the Middle Kingdom.

May 8: Middle Schoolers enjoyed some Lady Gaga music courtesy of the SCIS Strings Orchestra before proceeding to the “Spring Fling” (dance and lock-In).

May 8: Bake Sale outside the cafeteria to benefit the Animal Shelter.

May 8-9: Invention Convention at the Pudong Upper School Black Box Theatre. Students developed crafty solu-tions to quotidian and global issues.

May 18: High School students finished all their Advanced Placement (AP) tests. 24 tested were taken, and the results will be available in July.

June 4: Upper School Music Concert at 6pm in the auditorium.

June 5: SCIS Yard Sale Event.

June 5: Senior Dinner.

June 9: Senior Dinner at 6:30pm.

June 10: HIS Graduation at 3pm in the auditorium.

MAY MAY

LOOKING BACK LOOKING AHEAD

LOOKING BACK LOOKING AHEAD

June 11: High School graduation at 4:00pm in the auditorium.

June 12: High School graduation at 5:00pm in the auditorium.

June 17: Awards Day and Field Day.

June 18: International Breakfast

June 18th. Last Day of School.

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CREATIVITY

BRAIN POWER

THE LIBRARIANS CORNER

WHaT HaS THe SCiS-PD FaCUlTY been ReaDing laTelY?

The latest book read by IB English Teacher Monica Murphy

a by Leila Aboulela

SYNOPSIS: Sudanese author Leila Aboulela’s recent novel, The Translator, tells the story of a widowed Muslim mother living in Aberdeen who falls in love with a Scottish secular academic. Sammar is a Sudanese widow working as an Arabic translator at a Scottish university. Since the sudden death of her husband, her young son has gone to live with family in Khartoum, leaving Sammar alone in cold, gray Aberdeen, grieving and isolated. But when she begins to translate for Rae, a Scottish Islamic scholar, the two develop a deep friendship that awakens in Sammar all the longing for life she has repressed. As Rae and Sammar fall in love, she knows they will have to address his lack of faith in all that Sammar holds sacred. An exquisitely crafted meditation on love, both human and divine, The Translator is ultimately the story of one woman’s courage to stay true to her beliefs, herself, and her newfound love.

MS MURPHY’S TAKE: This is a lyrical and reflective novel that deals with the tensions that arise when two different cultures and belief systems clash. A meditation on grief, romantic love, Islam, and transnationalism, it’s an accessible and relatively quick read that allows readers to perceive the immigrant experience through the eyes of a devout Muslim woman.

The latest book read by Communitas Editor Jonathan Paulson

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein

SYNOPSIS: It is nature versus nurture. Are the athletic feats of sprinter Usain Bolt from training 10,000 hours as Malcolm Gladwell believes, or was he genetically predisposed to being incredibly fast? Are there genes in our body that predispose someone to being a coach potato versus a manically driven workout-aholic? Epstein uses everything modern science knows about athletes to tackle these questions. His conclu-sion: many of the best athletes in the world are the best because they were genetically gifted to be the best both in body and in mind.

THE EDITOR’S TAKE: This book is a must read for those interested in performing to their very best or for any coach/teacher interested in getting others to perform to their very best. Epstein shed light on why long distance running is so difficult for me (my feet, ankles, and lower leg are genetically horrible for it). And I found the fact that Alaskan sled dogs (as well as mice) can be bred for the personality trait of desiring to work rather than desiring to rest shocking to say the least. Lastly, the author explained why scientists, even after completing the human genome and conducting all these tests, still can’t tell us exactly what genes are doing this.

The latest book read by Middle School Principal Ty Smeins.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

SYNOPSIS: Today, buffeted by one food fad after another, America is suffering from what can only be de-scribed as a national eating disorder. Will it be fast food tonight, or something organic? Or perhaps something we grew ourselves? The question of what to have for dinner has confronted us since man discovered fire. But as Michael Pollan explains in this revolutionary book, how we answer it now, as the dawn of the twenty-first century, may determine our survival as a species. Packed with profound surprises, The Omnivore’s Dilemma is changing the way Americans thing about the politics, perils, and pleasures of eating.

MR SMEIN’S TAKE: Fascinating. Pollan takes an in-depth look at the history and progress of food production in the United States. Along the way, he examines the health effects derived from the growing geographical and psychological distance between food producers and consumers. Pollan also introduces readers to the good and bad of the organic movement and how government policies and large corporations have destroyed the health of a country to fill their pockets with dollars.

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Tour our campuses by calling 86-21-6261-4338 ext.1 www.scis-his.org

HONGQIAO • PUDONG NURSERY – GRADE 12

SCIS is a truly international school. Our rigorous curriculum and excellent co-curricular opportunities promote high achievement. Our diverse community of over 60 nationalities and our caring environment promote future success. Visit us to discover for yourself the amazing SCIS community. No school does it better.

The art and science of education since 1996

I amSCIS

“SCIS not only provided me the necessary tools to excel in a rigorous academic environment, but gave me a global experience like no other. With a close-knit student community, I was able to participate in the many aspects that made up SCIS, many of which have influenced the paths I’ve chosen at Vanderbilt University. Being a stu-dent at SCIS for almost a decade has completely shaped who I am today, and this is something for which I am extremely grateful.”

– Julia Zhu Class of 2011, Attended SCIS for 9 years

President of the High School Student Council High School Drama and Vice President of Interact

Captain of Varsity Basketball

AttendingVanderbilt University

High School SAT Score:

2260

Majoring in Honors Psychology with a

concentration in Psychopathologies

Communitas alumni ad final Julia Zhu.indd 1 5/19/15 8:24 AM