Welcome to the New School Year

We are off and running at SCIS… and we’re looking forward to a fantastic year together.  Let me officially (again) welcome all of you what I know will be a challenging and rewarding year for your children. We look forward to partnering with you to make it special.

For those of you who are new, this Head of School Update is one way in which we aim to stay in communication with families throughout the year. You will also notice that we added some new features and links to this blog that parents typically reference.

The first day was filled with boundless energy – old friendships renewed, new students a little nervous, returning students welcoming new students, and a lot of supportive parents and faculty trying to make sure the first day is a positive one.

 

That energy is still alive and well as we approach the end of Week 1. It’s been a very smooth and successful start, and we look forward to a great year.

Communication is Key

We pride ourselves on our community, and that community is built on trust and communication. Our first step in communication is our Parent Handbook, outlining expectations for Upper School and Lower School students and families. All families have this document, and are expected to have read and understand it. The Handbooks can be found on our Pudong Portal website: http://pd.scis-his.net/

If you have a question, please bring that to the attention of your child’s teacher. We want to partner with you to make this a great experience for your child.

Today’s Events: Typhoon and PAFA Meet & Greet

The recent typhoon provided a great example of why it is so important that we have emergency contact information for each family. On Friday at 9:09 PM, all families who have an emergency contact number in our system received an emergency SMS text message about the upcoming typhoon. If you did not receive this SMS text message it means that the school does not have your correct phone number, and we need that to ensure you will receive future emergency messages!  To learn more about setting up your phone number and contact information, contact Barry Johnson at pd-technology@scis-china.org

This morning we also held our PAFA Welcome Coffee, Meet & Greet at 9:00. A big thank you to the 50+ parents who came to school (through the rain) to begin building the community for the 18-19 year. The morning also included a presentation from Mr. Johnson to preview the First Lego League’s national championship tournament which will be hosted by SCIS Pudong.  Additionally, US Counselor Maja Kelly presented to parents on this year’s Relationships & Sexuality curriculum.

Here’s  to a successful year together,

Derek Luebbe
Head of School
dluebbe@scis-china.org

Photos From The Week

 

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends

It has been a fantastic year!

Yesterday, we said many goodbyes. For most of us, it will just be a few weeks apart, but for those leaving the SCIS community, it may be awhile before you see you again – but we hope we do!

As I shared with the students, we have collectively shaped the experience and culture of SCIS. I sincerely hope that everyone leaves with fond memories and that our school community has made you a better person. Additionally, I am sure that the contribution of each of us has added something (big or small) the Community we have.

To those of you leaving SCIS, allow me to wish you the best of luck. Once a Dragon; Always a Dragon.

And, to those of you returning, I wish you and your families a safe and relaxing summer vacation. We will see you in August!

I look forward to continuing the journey of building our community in the 2018-19 school year.

Until then…Go Dragons,

Derek Luebbe
Head of School

Yearbooks Still Available

It’s not too late!  We still have some extra yearbooks left. If you did not order a yearbook to remember the 2017-18 school year, you can still purchase a book by contacting Kathy (kyu@scischina.org) or Joanna (jzhou@scischina.org) in our office.

Photos from Around Campus

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends,

We approach the end of the year with much to celebrate.

Our Seniors (the class or 2018) leave SCIS ready to take on the world. Our graduation ceremony last week provided the formal recognition and the personal connection to officially celebrate their achievement. You will see many photos or the ceremony below. For those of you who missed out, you can hear the student and faculty speeches on our SCIS LiveStream.

You will also see a few of the pictures captured from last Friday’s Lower School Variety Show: “Dragons Got Talent”  The event took place last Friday; photos are shared below. You can enjoy the performances from home via this LiveStream link. It was an event that is a great example of the characteristics that we strive for at SCIS.

• Students performing on stage, sharing what’s important and fun about who they are. (Students made up their own short routines, including skits, singing bands and instrumental performances, magic shows, dances and a whole lot more.
• The diversity of performances allow us to see glimpses of children we otherwise would not see.
• The acts are short and fun. They are not overly-rehearsed, choreographed pieces which hours out of the day to practice.  They are genuine and child-focused.

As we near the end of the year, I want to remind everyone of the inevitable stress that comes with the pending transitions. Even if you are staying in Shanghai, recognize that some of your child’s classmates will be leaving. This is an unfortunate part of international life, and we remind you to help your child through it by encouraging him/her to say goodbye to special people. Helping children deal with the closure of transitions is also an important part of ensuring healthy relationships in general, which supports children in developing the skills in making meaningful friends in the future.

Lastly, today was our Lower School Field Day. The weather cooperated with us (so far, as of this writing!) and the chaos and fun on the field is

only possible with the huge parent turnout to help support the day. We also held a Parent Appreciation Lunch as part of the day, and as Ms. Gale shared, “Parents are the key to our success.”

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Derek Luebbe

Upper School Survey on Athletics and Activities

Athletic and Activities Director, Vic Caban has created a survey to learn more parent perceptions regarding Athletics and Activities in the Upper School. (Next week, Coach Vic will send out a Lower School Survey to help evaluate the Lower School Activities.) You can access the survey below.

Upper School Athletics and Activities Survey, 2017-18

Gathering data and perceptions helps us improve. We ask that each family fill out the survey one time (even if you have multiple Upper School children participating).

We thank you in advance for taking a moment to share your feedback.

PAFA 2017-18 & 2018-19

Our PAFA held it’s last meeting last week on Tuesday. A huge shout-out and congratulations to all the PAFA representatives, and especially Trish Castillo the President this year. Trish is stepping down as president for next year, but will remain an active PAFA member. And, let me formally say thank you to all the PAFA volunteers for the 2018-19 school year – led by the new president, Vanessa Thomas – who are going to keep the Dragon Spirit alive and breathing fire!  See  lists below for more details (and you will see that a few spots are still open).

 PAFA Board List 2018-19: Names and Positions

 2018-19 PAFA Job Descriptions

We are lucky to have such an active parent community; it makes SCIS a better place for our students (and teachers).

 

SCIS Pudong Growth in 2018-19

As I shared in the the last PAFA meeting, the year is ending with good news (and some extra work). Our enrollment numbers continue to grow. We anticipate an increase of 40+ students next year which is fantastic, with anticipated growth at every grade! We are really appreciative of all the new families who have been introduced and referred by all of you – our current families.

We are working hard to potentially expand some sections, and the first step of that process is finding quality teachers. We do not plan on expanding any section unless we can find a highly qualified teacher. That process is underway. Even with the expansion, we already have a wait pool in some grade levels. So, if you know of families interested in SCIS, please have them reach out to us as soon as possible. 

The second aspect of our growth and expansion is to ensure that our facilities are ready for all of the extra students. Thankfully, last year’s Parent/Student/Faculty Facility Task Force had outlined plans for facility growth – and our Board has agreed to put those plans in action to accommodate the growth. The larger projects this summer consist of:

• Expanding the classrooms on the 2nd floor to be larger
• Adding another ECE classroom on the ground floor
• Allocating money to re-design the High School Lobby. (We are waiting to complete this project until the Fall of 2018 so that we can include students on the design process.)
• Re-Designing the current space outside of the Illy Cafe and the adjacent (current) Faculty Room, to create a community gathering space, more similar to a coffee shop. The space will provide a more welcoming place for parents and students to gather during the day for meetings or socializing.  (And, a special thank  you to PAFA for donating some money and design expertise toward this project to make it special !)

One thing that is for certain, things will look a bit different next August.

 

Yearbooks

Reminder that Yearbook payments were due today.  All yearbooks that were ordered online will be set aside.  We always over-order a few copies of the yearbook, so if you did not order one using the online form, you still have hope ! At this stage, the extra yearbooks will be sold on a first-come-first served basis based on payment received. Cash payments must be made to Kathy in the main office. (150 RMB per yearbook).
Yearbooks are distributed on the last day and students will gather signatures and memories from classmates.

 

Reminder: The last day of school is Thursday, June 14. It is an early release day. Students are dismissed at 11:30 am

 

SCIS Class of 2018: Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon

 

Lower School Field Day

These DRAGONS GOT TALENT

Swim Team Awards Banquet

Other Photos From Around Campus

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends

The end of the year is rapidly approaching, and this week and the next few will be busy ones.

A quick congratulations to our Grade 7 MYP Teaching Teams for the Inter-Disciplinary Unit (IDU) they completed this week related to the United Nations Sustainability Goals. Our students combined learning outcomes in Humanities, Math, and Science to research and present their solutions. A special ‘thank you’ to all the parents who helped question the students and learn more about their proposals. If you are in school in the future, visit the 3rd Floor lobby and you can see the display panels our 7th graders created to share their learning.

With so much going on, do all you can to stay connected with your child these next few weeks. In addition to the many events, these are always emotional weeks for students to navigate. Some are leaving SCIS and everyone will be affected by friends who are leaving. Do what you can to help with that transition. Talk to your children. Encourage them to say goodbye and thank you to special people. It’s one way we can help children feel a stronger sense of closure regarding the transition, and model healthy emotional relationships.

Enjoy your weekend.

Derek Luebbe
Head of School

Class of 2018 Graduation

Thursday was the culminating event of our school year – as the SCIS Pudong class of 2018 graduation ceremony took place in the auditorium. The event highlights and celebrates the impact of our entire school community on the young adults who are about to venture into the world beyond the walls of SCIS.

It was an emotional night for our graduates and their families; there were more than a few moments during our students speeches  where it was difficult to find a dry eye in the audience.

To our graduates – we are so proud of who you are and what you have brought to our community! Thank you. You are just beginning an exciting journey. Enjoy it as a journey!  Go make your mark on the world.  You are all welcome back. Once a Dragon. Always a Dragon!

 

2018 Yearbook Orders: Due by June 6 at 5:00 pm

The 2018 edition of the SCIS Yearbook is at the printers and available for purchase.

For those of you who do not know, the yearbook is a hardcover book filled with memories of the school year. It’s a wonderful keepsake look back on the school year and relive all the memories.

Additionally, the yearbook also serves another purpose. One of the annual traditions is that on the last days of the year, the students will write messages in each other’s yearbook as a way to share some of the special moments and relationships of the 2017-18 school year.

For this reason, it is recommended that each family will want to purchase a yearbook for each child – so that each child can collect signatures and messages from each of his/her classmates.

You can order yearbooks using this online order form for 150 RMB per copy.  The deadline for ordering is Friday, June Payment is due on Wednesday, June 6 at 5:00 pm. Payment can be made with Kathy Yong at the front desk before Friday June 8.

(Minor) Update to the 2018-19 School Calendar

If you go online to view the school’s calendar, you will notice an updated calendar.  The new calendar is only a change for the Hongqiao Campus. The Pudong Campus school year remains unchanged.

On the new calendar, you will notice that on March 1, the Hongqiao Campus will host the ACAMIS Leadership Conference. This gathering of over 500 school leaders from around China means that the Hongqiao Campus will not have school on this day. The Hongqiao Campus will make up the day elsewhere.

As originally planned, the Pudong Campus will still have school on March 1.

 

Invitation To Parent: Sexuality and Relationship Curriculum Meeting

Dear Parents,

We are pleased to announce the new Sexuality and Relationship Curriculum, which is to be implemented in the 2018-2019 school year in grades 6-10. This new and engaging evidence-based program, based on the framework recommended jointly by the UNESCO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, was developed with the primary goal to equip our students with the knowledge, skills and values to make responsible choices about their sexual and social relationships.

We recognize the primary role that parents play as a source of information, support and care in shaping a healthy approach to sexuality and relationships. The new curriculum was designed to support and complement the role of parents by providing a safe and supportive learning environment for students to increase correct, scientific knowledge; clarify and strengthen positive values and attitudes; increase skills to make informed decisions and act upon them; and increase communication with parents and other trusted adults.

To learn more about the new Sexuality and Relationship Curriculum, we invite you to join us on June 5 at 9 am at the Counselor – Parent Coffee morning. 

We hope to see you there! 

Sincerely,
Maja Kelly, Upper School Counselor

 

Photos From Around The Campus

 

 

Dear Parents, Faculty, Students, and Friends,

Friday greeted us with some rainy weather, but the morning saw a different form of sunshine thanks to our PAFA group which helped fund the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. It was a great spread of food and drink, and we on behalf of all the faculty, I just want to say thank you for the appreciation – and all that you bring to our community. Thank you!

This afternoon, Teacher Appreciation extends beyond the school day as we are looking forward to a Teacher Happy Hour to celebrate what has been a great year.

On Wednesday, our Upper School Athletics Banquet took place. Congratulations to our Athletic Director (AD) Coach Vic for putting together a meaningful night to honor our athletes and the dedicated coaches who make it all possible.

I ended the day today as a fortunate audience member and evaluator of the 11th Grade IB Science Presentations for their Group 4 Project. The project asked groups of 11th grade students to meet with Lower School teachers to teach a science lesson that is integrated within the Lower School classroom’s unit. The presentation were extremely insightful and reflective. The amount of planning and collaboration that was needed to effectively plan, teach and assess students as young as four years old is a challenging skill to say the least. Effectively integrating science concepts in a meaningful and engaging way, is a whole other challenge!  Congratulations 11th Graders, and thanks for bringing your energy to the Lower School students.

It’s a short blog post this week, but I do want to ensure to encourage all of you to attend our 12th Grade Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, May 31 at 4:00. The ceremony marks the celebration of our Seniors, but it is also a celebration of all that we represent at SCIS. It is a unique ceremony – and you will have a chance to hear more from our Seniors about their SCIS experiences, and learn more about their next steps. They leave here with a great deal of pride in what they have accomplished. They have contributed to who we are. And, they leave SCIS prepared to take the next steps in their journey. I encourage you all to attend on Thursday.

Have a safe and relaxing weekend,

Derek Luebbe
Head of School

 

Invitation To Parent: Sexuality and Relationship Curriculum Meeting

Dear Parents,

We are pleased to announce the new Sexuality and Relationship Curriculum, which is to be implemented in the 2018-2019 school year in grades 6-10. This new and engaging evidence-based program, based on the framework recommended jointly by the UNESCO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, was developed with the primary goal to equip our students with the knowledge, skills and values to make responsible choices about their sexual and social relationships.

We recognize the primary role that parents play as a source of information, support and care in shaping a healthy approach to sexuality and relationships. The new curriculum was designed to support and complement the role of parents by providing a safe and supportive learning environment for students to increase correct, scientific knowledge; clarify and strengthen positive values and attitudes; increase skills to make informed decisions and act upon them; and increase communication with parents and other trusted adults.

To learn more about the new Sexuality and Relationship Curriculum, we invite you to join us on June 5 at 9 am at the Counselor – Parent Coffee morning. 

We hope to see you there! 

Sincerely,
Maja Kelly, Upper School Counselor

 

Photos From Around the School

 

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends

May is always a busy month for schools. The list of end-of-year events is both a celebration and a little chaotic. So, I want to extend a thank you to all the busy parents who are taking the time out of their schedule to be a part of so many of our activities. Last night, we help our Upper School Arts Night,

and the turnout was fantastic. Performances from visual artists, musicians, film makers, and actors showcased creative and thought-provoking student work. The arts is unique. It is an expression one oneself from one to many; this expression cannot happen without an involved and authentic audience – the SCIS Community. Watching the performances, and the interactions that take place on a night such as last night was an affirming confirmation of what makes SCIS special. Thank you to everyone for coming out.

And, last night was just one example. There are more to come.

Upper School Sports Banquet: May 23, 4:00 pm
12th Grade Graduation Ceremony: All parents are invited to this celebration of our Seniors!   May 31, 4:00 pm
Lower School Variety Show: June 1, 1:30 pm

Today marked the last day of IB Exams – and therefore the last official day for our graduating Seniors. I know you join me in congratulating all of them on reaching this major milestone. You are all invited to join in our Graduation Ceremony (above). It’s a true reflection from our students and faculty about how SCIS has made a difference in their lives, and how each of them has made a difference in who we are!

Our preparations for next year are certainly underway. We are working hard to project our growing enrollment and expand our facility with summer upgrades to accommodate our new students.

I also want to acknowledge that much of this growth has come from our community. As parents, you have been wonderful ambassadors for our program this year. We are appreciative of the feedback we hear, and remain open to additional feedback and opportunities about how we can provide a truly unique experience that best prepares our students to succeed in an ever-changing world.

I wish each of you an enjoyable and restful weekend with family and friends.

Derek Luebbe

SCIS Learning Support: Furthering Our Mission

In a previous post, I shared a detailed description of our Learning Support Program. What it is? Why do we value it?

That article focused on how our Learning Support Program benefits all students and helps make us a more academically rigorous program.

This post, the second of two-parts, will focus on how the Learning Support Programs is an integral part of how we strengthen our mission. To do that, it’s important to start with our mission statement.

“To develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring learners who contribute positively to their communities.” – SCIS Mission Statement

One important way that we can develop “inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring learners” is to implement a research-based, world-class curriculum; one that is filled with authentic, real-world learning experiences. We don’t want students learning ‘about’ a topic, we want them engaged in the learning with the hope of using their learning.  In short, if the goal is to have students meet our mission statement, then you have to provide learning experiences that give some them something to be genuinely “inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring” about. These experiences are documented in our curriculum, and strengthened by the IB frameworks and philosophy. All good schools should have learning experiences like these; but they are only half the battle.

Since SCIS opened its doors in 1996, it has always placed a high value on the diversity of its population. In a sense, we consider this diversity one of our strongest assets – and our best teacher!   We believe that students learn best when they are socially learning – learning from one another. To add value to any social learning experience, it is vital that different perspectives are represented.

For example, it is one thing to learn about different cultures. As an American, I can learn about Indian cultural views about religion, family, or race. I can try to compare that with my own views.  But my learning is strengthened – and it is so much deeper – when I am placed in a supportive, respectful environment where my views are constantly in the minority. I am interacting with Indians, Germans, Brazillians, etc.  I am naturally in a more inquisitive state of mind about my perceptions of the world, what defines me, and what other people believe. That diversity makes me stronger. I am not simply more knowledgeable; I am more empathetic,  more aware of the diversity of views that exist, and more aware how my previous (American) experiences have shaped by views – for better or worse.

The International Bacculareate’s (IB) own mission statement says it best.

“The IB aims… to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect…to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment…(to) encourage students across the world to be active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”

Our Learning Support program is a fantastic, tangible way in which we try to strengthen this mission. Our students learn that we all come from different backgrounds and with different learning styles. We all come to better understand that differences are not negatives. We understand that we all come to school with different strengths, weaknesses, perceptions, and skill-sets. And finally, we understand that we will become a better version of ourselves when we seek to learn from each other; we do that best by being part of a diverse community.

 

Photos From Around The Campus

 

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends,

Greetings again everyone.

Read below to find out a few of the big events this week around SCIS. And, don’t forget to scroll down to read more about our fantastic group of new educators joining SCIS in 2018.

PAFA Executive Council Meeting 2018-19

We had a very productive PAFA meeting on Thursday highlight the opportunities ahead of us in the 2018-19 school year. Additional PAFA Executive Board positions were described, and a productive discussion ensued to address what is working well, and what future steps are possible to help PAFA to additionally support. Many good ideas were shared to highlight potential ways that we can leverage our active and involved SCIS Community to better serve our studnets. Parents also began the nomination process for next year’s PAFA Board members. I encourage all parents to find ways -small or big – to to our our program, strengthening our sense of community and giving our students a more unique experience.

 

SCIS Pudong will have a Summer Camp!  

We are pleased to announce that we will soon begin accepting applications for our SCIS Summer Camps for children from Pre-School to Grade 5.  Like previous years, we will run 4, week-long camps starting on June 18 through to July 13. Participants can sign up for one or more weeks, depending on preference/schedule.  These are always fun sessions for students including arts, crafts, stories, dramatic play, swimming, and more.  Download the brochure and learn more here.

There is an early-bird payment discount for those paid by May 18!

Some Interesting Student Meetings

Today, I was fortunate to take part in a few interesting student meetings.

In the morning, our Grade 5 students met with Upper School Principal Dr. Volpe, US Counselor, Maja Kelly, and a host of Upper School teachers as part of our 5th Grade Transition Process.  The students were able to hear about life in the middle school, meet a few of their future teachers, and ask questions about homework, expectations, and (the all-important) lunch! 

In the afternoon, Lower School Principal Liz Gale, Operations Manager Nichael Yang, and I met with both 4th grade classrooms. Groups of 4th graders had worked the last week, to develop proposals for revitalizing the outdoor space behind the school (behind the pool). The quality of thinking and evidence was really remarkable, and I feel quite confident that their research and presentation skills will lead to some upgrades to the space. (Great job 4th Graders !)

Meet The New Pudong Teachers for SCIS Pudong, 2018-19

For families and faculties, the international lifestyle is inherently a transient one. People come into our lives, leave their mark on all of us, and then we say goodbye as they make their way to their next exciting adventure.

This is true for families each year – and it’s certainly true for some special educators who will sadly leave SCIS at the end of June. Our Principal’s Newsletter shared a special goodbye to that amazing group. I know you join me in wishing them well in their next opportunity. They know that they are always welcome back to SCIS: “Once a Dragon, Always A Dragon.”

With transition, comes the opportunity to welcome a strong group of new educators ready to join the SCIS team in August. Please join me in welcoming this experienced, energetic group.

Hi! My Name is Lana Revutsky, and I’m excited to be teaching at SCIS! I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Binghamton University, a Dual Master’s Degree in Special and General Education, Birth- 2nd Grade from Touro College, and an Advanced Degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology. Prior to Shanghai, I worked as both a Teacher and a BCBA.  I have served children with Autism and Neuro-typically developing students in the NYC and Hawaii area  for almost 10 years, working as Classroom Teacher and  Clinical Supervisor. These multitude of experiences have helped me evolve into an individual, who takes each students’ unique goals, needs, and interests into account when creating lessons that propels them into the most well rounded version of themselves. When I’m not teaching. I’m enjoying exploring, traveling, and yoga. I look forward to an exciting year!

Xiating Fang

 

Greetings, SCIS! I am very excited to join the Pudong community as a US Mandarin teacher. Originally from Guangzhou, I earned a doctorate in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics from the College of Chinese Language and Culture at Jinan University. Previously I have taught Mandarin in Australian for four years and in the International School of Dongguan for two years. In these years, I have developed skills to provide differentiated instructions and meet the needs of diverse learners. I am passionate about embedding Chinese culture to daily language-teaching. Outside of the classroom, I love traveling, enjoying the nature, reading, and swimming! Working in Shanghai at SCIS is going to start a new chapter of my life.

Michael Nicholaides

My name is Michael Nicholaides and I am from South Shore Boston, Massachusetts. After earning my Bachelors degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I began working with at-risk youth as a social worker for several years. It was during my time working with youth that I fell in love with teaching and began to pursue a career in teaching, by going down the international route in 2014. Prior to coming to SCIS in 2018 I have worked in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and in Manila, Philippines. I am very passionate about learning and believe that education can lead to a sustainable and peaceful future. In my free time, I love to read, write, and play sports. I always aim to bring my energy and enthusiasm into the classroom and am very pleased and excited to be apart of such an energetic community at SCIS! Go Dragons!

Tami Litzelman

 

Hello! My name is Tami Litzelman and I am so excited to be coming to teach at SCIS! I have taught the PYP Pre-K and KG the past four years in Korea utilizing play based models. Previously, I have worked at the Rabat American School in Morocco for four years while enjoying an amazing country and vibrant culture.  Being a Colorado native I naturally love to be outdoors hiking, camping, and snowboarding. I am deeply invested in the play-based ideals and look forward to being a part of the early years program at SCIS. I believe that children learn best when they have the opportunity to naturally explore what they love. I enjoy engaging in the learning that is discovered by playing. I am so excited to explore China and be a part of the vibrant SCIS community!

 

Chris Willauer

Hello! Teaching is my passion! I started as a MS wrestling coach in college which led to an Education Degree from the University of Dayton. Since then, I have worked at a boarding school, Pikes Peak Community College and public & private day schools. Since consciously coupling with my international travel partner, now wife, we spent four years teaching in Rabat, Morocco and most recently four years teaching at Chadwick International School in Korea. I can’t image doing anything other than teaching at international schools, especially SCIS. The opportunity to teach and inspire young problem solvers & designers on a global scale is important in an era of autonomous driving, home drone delivery, and who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Julie Broad

Hello, I am so excited to be a part of the SCIS family! I have been teaching for 10 years in North Carolina in both the middle school and high school settings. I have taught all four core middle school subjects, as well as special education and high school science and social studies. I attended Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville Alabama and completed graduate coursework at the The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and travelling, sports, and hiking. I am looking forward to exploring China with my youngest daughter Piper who will be joining me at SCIS.

DeVeor Rainey

 

My name is DeVeor Rainey and I greet you with great excitement.   I am so psyched to teach at at SCIS.  I received a B.A. in English at the City University of New York, and a M.A. in Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.  I am a native New Yorker who taught elementary music a public school located in East Harlem (El Barrio). I developed the music program for students in grades prekindergarten through sixth, in which I organized music presentations and performances for weekly community meetings and annual winter and spring concerts. In 2001, I established a percussion ensemble as an after-school program that later transformed into Speaking in Rhythms, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization.  After teaching in the New York City public school system for 15 years, I decided to teach internationally. In the summer of 2014, I began to teach at Gems American Academy in Abu Dhabi, UAE.  I worked with an arts team that collaborated on developing a music curriculum, an arts Program of Inquiry (POI), and annual arts festivals.  In addition, I collaborated with classroom teachers on planning transdisciplinary units within the PYP framework.   During my many years of teaching, I have come to believe that a strong music program should create opportunities that will foster musical thinking and creative expression in an engaging and innovative learning environment.  

Jill Sculerati

 

Hello! I am honored and thrilled to be a part of the SCIS community.  Originally from Tennessee in the Southeast USA, I received my Bachelor degree from Tennessee Tech and my Master of Science from Mississippi State.  After taking some time to serve in the US Army, I started teaching in 2000 because I love getting students excited about the natural world. I have taught everything from elementary to college science classes, with a special concentration in Biology.  I enjoy sponsoring student clubs and believe strongly that teachers should facilitate student-driven interests.  I have lived in China since 2015 and consider it my second home. My hobbies include traveling around Asia and attending live music shows, and I have a special appreciation for Korean food and culture. I have two grown children who live and work in the United States.

 

 

Photos From Around The Campus

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends,

A quick Monday note to share a few informational items.

• SCIS Pudong will have a Summer Camp!  

We are pleased to announce that we will soon begin accepting applications for our SCIS Summer Camps for children from Pre-School to Grade 5.  Like previous years, we will run 4, week-long camps starting on June 18 through to July 13. Participants can sign up for one or more weeks, depending on preference/schedule.  These are always fun sessions for students including arts, crafts, stories, dramatic play, swimming, and more.  Learn more here . 

There is an early-bird payment discount for those paid by May 18!

• On April 26, our PAFA hosted a parent session featuring Katherine Humphries. Ms. Humphries spoke to parents about the issue of raising children in a world where digital sexual content is so prevalent. What does it mean for the development of our children? How can we talk with our children to help them better understand the values your family establishes? We posted a video of that presentation here for those parents who were unable to make it.

 

• For those of you who were unable to attend this year’s musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, we have posted the recorded version on our SCIS Livestream. Enjoy the performance!

 

• Speaking of talented students, a big congratulations to our fifth graders and Ms. Clodfelter and Ms. Peterson for the fantastic PYP Exhibition on Friday. It’s a great example of students learning about real-world issues with a focus on taking action.  I have included some photos from that showcase event below.

 

• I want to remind everyone of the PAFA meeting at 10:00 am Tuesday. During the meeting, we will be hoping to hear ideas for next year’s PAFA as well as nominations for the 2018-19 PAFA Board Members. Parent involvement is so vital in shaping our SCIS community. I encourage you all to get involved and play a role in helping to make SCIS a special place for children.

5th Graders Lead PYP Exhibition

 

 

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends,

How did we get to May so quickly? The year is wrapping up far too quickly, but it has been one of growth on many levels. Next week, we’ll share the biographies of a strong group of educators we have already hired to join our SCIS faculty for the 2018-19 school year. Student enrollment is growing, and we continue to be appreciate of all the parent referrals we are seeing as new families come to tour our campus.

Of course, we are well underway in our planning for next year. There is so much more to be accomplished. And, it is as good a time as any to acknowledge the dedicated work that our faculty has put into this school year. I feel fortunate to be working with the teachers and administrators who are forward-thinking and committed to students. It’s not always calm – but it is certainly rewarding.

As always, we are humbled to have your trust and the privilege to work with your children.

This week, like many other, offers a glimpse into some of the unique moments of life on our campus.  Enjoy this week’s post, and have a relaxing weekend.

Derek Luebbe
Head of School

PYP Exhibition

This afternoon, our 5^th Graders presented one of the culminating aspects of the PYP Program as they shared their PYP Exhibition Presentations with an audience of approximately one hundred.  Let me start by saying a big thank you to all the parents who came to support the students’ work, ask them questions, and give them feedback on their process and product. Engaging in a real-world learning is a defining aspect of the IB program, but one important element that adds to areal-world experience is an authentic audience to share and critique their work.  It’s a fantastic experience that pushes the 5^th Graders to pick a personal project of choice, and work as a team to analyze and take action upon it. More details can be found in our Lower School Newsletter from Ms. Gale.  (Photos from Exhibition will be included in next week’s newsletter.)

IB Exams

This week, our Seniors started their IB Exams. This is a three-week process where 12^th grade students all around the world take exams at the same day and time. The exams are the culmination of These exams are marked externally, and they represent one of the more tangible ways that we are able to judge the quality of our programs – and they give us objective data to allow us to measure our performance relative to other schools. The IB Diploma Program is generally regarded as the most rigorous, university-prep Diploma in the world, yet still stresses the development of the whole child.

We track this data every year to monitor our effectiveness, primarily in two areas:

• The average IB scores of our graduates is 34 (out of a possible 45). The world average is between 29 and 30 each year.
• SCIS is an inclusive school. This means that we strive to include all of our students in the program – not simply our highest achievers. Research tells us that the main factor in university success is not the score a student achieves in the IB Diploma program, but the exposure to the program itself. For this reason, we aim to personalize our approach to keep students motivated and ensure that each student has the knowledge – and more importantly, the skills and habits – to succeed in the program. Historically, we are proud that approximately 85-90% of our graduates each year complete the full IB Program. It’s a statistic that defines SCIS as an inclusive school within Shanghai, and speaks to the academic rigor our students are able to achieve.

SCIS Expands Learning Support

Speaking of rigor, this week we held two parent meetings to share information about our newly developed Upper School Learning Support Academy Program. A more detailed explanation of our Learning Support philosophy and program were outlined in last week’s post. But one aspect of this week’s presentation that is worthy of sharing here is the unique way in which we define rigor.

Traditionalists envision rigor as a bar that everyone has to achieve. During our presentation, Upper School Principal, Dr. Volpe, shared our belief that rigor is actually a much more personalized approach to helping each individual reach their potential.  We base our belief on the research work of Strong, Silver and Perini’s (2001) Teaching What Matters Most: Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement:

Rigour is the goal of helping students develop their individual capacity to understand content and approach dilemmas that are complex, ambiguous, provocative and personally, physically or emotionally challenging.

Instead of simply setting one bar of attainment, this challenges educators and schools (and by extension, students themselves) to work to personalize the context of the learning so that it is relevant and challenging.  It forces us to rethink ways that  our system can better fit the child, instead of forcing children to continually fit into our system. 

Our Learning Support program is one way that we do this, but the conceptually based MYP Program is based on students constructing their own understanding of big-idea concepts. This type of  learning personalizes the learning by forcing students to build their own understanding of the concept – allowing students of all abilities to be challenged in a rigorous environment.

PAFA 2018-19: Executive Board: Nominations Open

Meeting Tuesday, May 8, at 10:00 am

Our PAFA is an incredibly important part of what makes the SCIS Community so special. Next week we take the first formal steps toward building the PAFA leadership and goals for the 2018-19 school year. We need your help.  Please review the list below. We have positions that need to be filled. Additionally, we have ideas for ways that we can expand PAFA to better support parents and the students within the community. If you have any questions, contact Trish Castillo. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, and hearing your ideas for additional ways to help families be a part of the SCIS experience.

 

Proposed Executive PAFA Postions, Pudong Campus

President: The PAFA Pres. is responsible for charing monthly PAFA
meetings, giving general guidance and support to the PAFA committees,
and working with executive committee and the administration to create the
activity schedule for the year.
 
Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for creating a yearly budget plan,
keeping track of all PAFA funds, recording expenses and income, and for
signing off on all finances approved by the Executive committee.
 
Communication Coordinator: This will be a new position on the
Executive Committee. He/or she will manage the PAFA Fantastic Parents
We Chat groups and White board. They will stay in communication with the
different department heads, administration and the PAFA Board to be a
conduit between school events and the parent community. They will take
notes at the monthly meetings and post them on the PAFA website plus
maintain the PAFA website. This position would also coordinate the grade
reps from Pre-K to 12th grade.
 
Events Coordinator: The Events Coordinator may oversee and/or appoint leadership for  all annual events that require organizations. Such PAFA sponsored events may include New Student Orientation, Welcome Back BBQ, Bingo Night, Winter Festival, Family Food Festival, Art Auction, Parents Night Out and parent
day outings. The Events Coordinator will need to work with the Executive
Board and the administration.
 
Food & Beverage/PAFA Supply Manager:  The F&B manager will
coordinate any purchased needed for PAFA sponsored events. They would
keep and maintain inventory of the PAFA room which includes beverages,
alcohol, food, popcorn supplies, coolers, tables, table clothes etc. They will
need to keep the Treasure informed of cost and supplies.
 
BINGO/Art Auction Chair: Since, these two events are PAFA’s largest
fundraising events. They should be represented on the Executive
Committee. It does not have to be the same person.
 
Any of the approve positions can stand in for the President if he/or she is
unable to attend the general PAFA meetings.

General PAFA Positions
 

Booster Reps
Swim Team Committee
MaiTian
Grade Reps Pre-K through 12th grade

On another PAFA-related note, please reach out to the our PAFA to help support the May 25th Teacher Appreciation Day. (In advance, we thank you!!)

Photos from Around Campus

 

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, and Friends,

It’s been another busy, but productive week at SCIS.

We’ll start with our Upper School Musical – Thoroughly Modern Millie. It’s not too late to join us for the final show at 6:30 pm tonight (Friday) at 6:30 pm. It’s a spectacular production, and a big shout-out to the cast, crew, and the dedicated leaders of the show (Ms. Riddle, Mr. Demas, Ms. Whiteside, and Ms. Williams).   And, special thanks to our PAFA and Student Council who are selling drinks and snacks to help make the night even more enjoyable. Come out and see what our amazing Dragons can do – or check out the performances via the Livestream

It’s been a special Spirit Week at SCIS this week, as the photos below will showcase. The Fourth Graders led yesterday’s Lower School Assembly with an excellent learning skit on the Age of Discovery. Spirit Week culminated today with a Green & Jeans day, an “Upper School Lunch Time Karaoke” (featuring risk-taking students and teachers!), ice cream sales, an Upper School Assembly from Slam-Poet Luka Lesson from Australia. The students have been truly captivated by his style, teachings, and message. (Thank you PAFA !)

A thank you to Catherine Humphries for her work with our students the last two weeks. Catherine came from the Shanghai Community Center to speak with our Upper School students about dealing with sexualilzed content on digital media appropriately, and developing a values based framework to help students understand their beliefs and live closer to them.  Catherine also gave an informative parent presentation at the school on Thursday, April 26. The video of that presentation will be shared on our portal shortly.

Lastly, I have been getting questions about whether SCIS Pudong will run a Summer Camp this summer. The short answer is:  “I hope so.”  Please hold your questions for one more week, and we will have an answer and more information!

Today is a big milestone for our Seniors. It is their last day of full classes before the IB exams begin in May. As a tribute to our outstanding group, we led them through a surprise “Walk Off” tribute, allowing them to get high-fives and congratulations from all the students as they left campus today. We wish them luck on their upcoming exams!

Don’t forget, Tuesday May 1 is a national holiday. There is no school for students.

Have a great weekend,

Derek Luebbe
Head of School, SCIS Pudong

Photos From Around Campus