SCIS Pudong Lower School Principal's Post

With only 19 days left of the 2018-2019 school year, the next few weeks are going to be filled with a variety of fun, engaging and collaborative learning experiences that we hope you will have an opportunity to participate in.

As you know, the next four weeks are also going to becoming increasingly warmer as temperatures rise.  To prepare for these weather changes please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for school each day.  Navy blue shorts or skirts along with the SCIS light blue polo shirt would suitable for the weather, while adhering to the SCIS dress code.  Additionally, please ensure that your child water bottle is carefully labelled with their name.  We continue to encourage all children to regularly drink water throughout the day to ensure they stay healthy and hydrated.

Teacher Appreciation

Thank you to PAFA for providing a fantastic teacher appreciation breakfast on Friday morning as a way to thank teachers for the tremendous amount of time, energy and passion that put into each and every day. We are very fortunate to have such a supportive parent community that take the time to recognize the exceptional SCIS-Pudong faculty!

Lower School Field Day

Field Day for the Lower School will take place on Wednesday, June 12^th.  On this day, all students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 will participate in a variety of fun outdoor activities where they will use their physical and collaborative skills to complete an assortment of challenging tasks.   Students will move freely with peer groups through activity stations that will be set up around the soccer field.   To ensure the activity stations run smoothly and successfully we are looking for parent volunteers to assist in leading a station.   Students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 will participate in Field Day from 9:30am until 11:30am, while students in Grades 3-5 will partake in the fun from 12:30 until 2:30pm.  If you would be interested in helping run a station for 45 minutes during the K-2 Field Day and/or the 3-5 Field Day please contact Ms. Tarsi Bali at tbali@scis-china.org

Parent Appreciation BBQ

As a way for us to express our gratitude for all that you do, we would like to invite all parents to attend a Parent Appreciation BBQ on Wednesday, June 12^th between 11:30am-12:30pm in the SCIS Cafeteria.  Please come and enjoy a BBQ style lunch with your child(ren) either before or after they participate in Field Day! 

Lower School Variety Show

Please note that the Lower School Variety Show will take place on Thursday, June 6^th from 1:30-2:45pm in the Theater.  All lower school students will attend the variety show and support their peers as they showcase an array of talents on the Theater stage. If you have any questions regarding the variety show, please contact Mrs. Laurie Luebbe at lluebbe@scis-china.org  We hope to see you at this fantastic event!

Congratulations Grade 4:

Congratulations to Ms. Briton and all students in 4C for their awesome assembly performance at Thursday’s Lower School Assembly!  Students used their current unit of inquiry focused on Sharing the Planet to explore how the common spaces in the school are used and shared.  Students created and presented informative videos on the ways to inappropriately and appropriately use and share the spaces to ensure that all students are safe, respectful and responsible at school.  The final Lower School Assembly will be the farewell assembly on June 13^th at 8:15am in the Black Box.

Class Placements for 2019-2020

This afternoon an important letter was sent to all SCIS-Pudong Lower School parents surrounding class placements for returning students.   Please take a moment to read through the letter in order to gain a deeper understanding of the tremendous amount of thought that is put into establishing balanced classes.  As mentioned in the letter, “In order to establish balanced classes, we are unable to consider parent requests for specific teachers. We are also unable to accept requests for students to be placed in the same class with a particular child. Please do not submit such requests, as they will not be considered.

We will however, accept emails in which you may share particular information about your child and his/her academic and social needs that you think the school should take into consideration when formulating class lists as described above. While we accept such correspondence, it should be noted that we believe that all our teachers are well placed to meet the needs of our students and it will be more important to meet with your child’s teacher at the commencement of the new school year to discuss your child’s individual circumstances. Should you wish to share specific information regarding your child’s needs, please email me at egale@scis-china.org before June 14^th.

Please Label Your Child’s Belongings

With the recent change in weather and the need for students to attend school in various layers of clothing, we ask that parents take extra care to label your child’s personal belongings.  In the event, that an item is misplaced, the item can easily be returned to its owner if it is properly labeled with the child’s name and grade. 

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

More Photographs from a Great Week of Learning!

Dear Families,

Next week, students across grade levels (K-5) will begin the process of moving into their sixth and final unit of inquiry for the school year.   At this point in the year, it is so wonderful to observe students as they conduct independent inquiries and ask thoughtful questions on topics that are meaningful to them.  It has been an incredible year of learning for SCIS students and teachers as they have inquired into a variety of real world topics that are relevant, meaningful, significant and engaging.  This final unit will allow students an opportunity to utilize all of the thinking, research, communication, self-management and social skills they have developed over the course of the year to engage in authentic learning experiences that are inquiry based and driven by students’ interests and questions.   The below table provides specific details on the units of inquiry for students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 from now until the end of the year.  Please continue to take time to talk with your child about the types of inquiries and big ideas they are learning about during the remaining five weeks of the school year.

Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon!

As we near the end of the school year, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you and farewell to our departing Lower School teachers:  Ms. Emily Putnam, Ms. Cleo Peterson and Ms. Aloura Pearson who will be moving on to new educational adventures both within and outside of Shanghai.  We appreciate your commitment to the SCIS community and wish you the best of luck in your next chapter.  Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon! 

Lower School Assembly:

The next Lower School Assembly featuring Grade 4 will take place next Thursday, May 16^st in the Black Box.  This will be the last Lower School Assembly before the Farewell Assembly on June 13^th.   We look forward to seeing you there!

Lower School Variety Show

Please note that the Lower School Variety Show will take place on Thursday, June 6^th from 1:30-2:45pm in the Theater.  All lower school students will attend the variety show and support their peers as they showcase an array of talents on the Theater stage. If you have any questions regarding the variety show, please contact Mrs. Laurie Luebbe at lluebbe@scis-china.org  We hope to see you at this fantastic event!

Lower School Field Day

Lower School Field Day will take place on Wednesday, June 12^th.  In order for this event to run successfully, we will need many parent volunteers to assist with running the field-day stations.  For more information please read the announcement below or contact Ms. Tarsi at tbali@scis-china.org

Parent Appreciation BBQ

As a way for us to express our gratitude for all that you do, we would like to invite all parents to attend a Parent Appreciation BBQ on Wednesday, June 12^th between 11:30am-12:30pm in the SCIS Cafeteria.  Please come and enjoy a BBQ style lunch with your child(ren) either before or after they participate in Field Day! 

Class Placements for 2019-2020

This afternoon an important letter was sent to all SCIS-Pudong Lower School parents surrounding class placements for returning students.   Please take a moment to read through the letter in order to gain a deeper understanding of the tremendous amount of thought that is put into establishing balanced classes.  As mentioned in the letter, “In order to establish balanced classes, we are unable to consider parent requests for specific teachers. We are also unable to accept requests for students to be placed in the same class with a particular child. Please do not submit such requests, as they will not be considered.

We will however, accept emails in which you may share particular information about your child and his/her academic and social needs that you think the school should take into consideration when formulating class lists as described above. While we accept such correspondence, it should be noted that we believe that all our teachers are well placed to meet the needs of our students and it will be more important to meet with your child’s teacher at the commencement of the new school year to discuss your child’s individual circumstances. Should you wish to share specific information regarding your child’s needs, please email me at egale@scis-china.org before June 14^th.

Please Label Your Child’s Belongings

With the recent change in weather and the need for students to attend school in various layers of clothing, we ask that parents take extra care to label your child’s personal belongings.  In the event, that an item is misplaced, the item can easily be returned to its owner if it is properly labeled with the child’s name and grade. 

SCIS Uniforms

Please note, that all students are required to wear their SCIS uniform to school each day, unless an exception has been made and communicated such as the upcoming Spirit Week.  As a reminder, students should wear navy blue trousers, shorts or skirts and the light blue, long or short-sleeved SCIS polo shirt.   On days the students have PE class, they should wear their PE uniform including appropriate footwear such as sneakers or sturdy laced shoes.  Accessories such as hats, jewelry, watches, and costume related items should be kept to a minimum as they often impact student’s ability to completely focus on their learning. 

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org.

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

Dear Families,

It has been an incredible week of learning and celebration at SCIS-Pudong!  Most grade levels are in the process of concluding their 5^th Unit of Inquiry and beginning their 6^th and final unit prior to the end of the school year.  Students in Nursery, Preschool and Prekindergarten are learning about how we can take care of each other, as well as the environment and how our actions can help or hurt living things.  In Kindergarten, students have been working on using knowledge gained during their current unit of inquiry on Sharing the Planet to write an informational book on an animal of interest.  Grade 3 students are currently using knowledge acquired during their unit on How we Organize Ourselves to work in groups to design and build a stable, weight-bearing bridge structure.  Grade 4 students are exploring the various spaces in the school and the ways in which the spaces are organized and governed by various expectations and behaviors. Grade 2 students have learned how communities organize themselves around the environment and the ways in which communities are interdependent.  Grade 1 students are completing their current unit on Life Cycles and will soon begin a new unit focused on exploring the distribution of water and how it creates challenges for life on Earth. There are so many incredible learning experiences taking place each day and I encourage you to ask your child(ren) to share with you some of the great work they are doing.   Also, please be sure to add your comments to work posted on Seesaw.

As you may notice, all events until the end of the school year have been listed on the left side of the blog.  More information will be provided on certain events as the dates draw near.   However, if you have any immediate questions please contact your child’s teacher.

The PYP Exhibition

A huge round of applause goes to all Grade 5 students for the hard work and commitment they have shown in order to prepare for the PYP Exhibition.  A BIG THANK YOU to Ms. Peterson and Ms. Clodfelter, as well as all community members who came out to support students and take part in this fantastic learning celebration!  During the Exhibition Grade 5 students proudly shared their research surrounding real world problems and issues. They also shared ideas surrounding they types of actions people can take to eliminate these issues.  Super Work Grade 5!

Positive Discipline Parenting Workshop

Congratulations to Dr. Myers and all the SCIS Lower School parents who participated in the most recent series of Positive Discipline Parenting Workshops!  Once again, the feedback was extremely positive as parent participants were able to acquire new knowledge surrounding the research behind the positive discipline approach, as well as practical strategies for implementing positive discipline techniques at home.   Throughout the course of the next school year (2019-2020) we will continue to offer parenting workshops and would appreciate your feedback surrounding convenient dates and times. 

Lower School Assembly

The next Lower School Assembly featuring Grade 4 will take place on Thursday, May 16^st in the Black Box.  This will be the last Lower School Assembly before the Farewell Assembly on June 13^th.  

Lower School Variety Show

Please note that the Lower School Variety Show will take place on Thursday, June 6^th from 1:30-2:45pm in the Theater.  Please contact Mrs. Luebbe regarding any questions you have.

Please Label Your Child’s Belongings

With the recent change in weather and the need for students to attend school in various layers of clothing, we ask that parents take extra care to label your child’s personal belongings.  In the event, that an item is misplaced, the item can easily be returned to its owner if it is properly labeled with the child’s name and grade. 

SCIS Uniforms

Please note, that all students are required to wear their SCIS uniform to school each day, unless an exception has been made and communicated. As a reminder, students should wear navy blue trousers, shorts or skirts and the light blue, long or short-sleeved SCIS polo shirt.   On days the students have PE class, they should wear their PE uniform including appropriate footwear such as sneakers or sturdy laced shoes.  Accessories such as hats, jewelry, watches, and costume related items should be kept to a minimum as they often impact student’s ability to completely focus on their learning. 

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org.

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

More Photos from a Great Week!

Dear Families,

Another great week of learning at SCIS-Pudong that has been filled with student field-trips, hands-on learning experiences, and as always, lots of fun!  At this point in the year, students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 are well into their fifth unit of inquiry, while students within the ECE have begun their fourth and final unit for the year.   Below is an overview of each grade’s current unit.  As a parent or caregiver, please continue to make time each day to talk with your child about their learning at school.  Asking them questions or reviewing Seesaw posts are a fantastic way to show that you value their learning and want to be a part of it! 

Just a reminder there will be no school next Wednesday, May 1^st.  Enjoy this mid-week holiday!

The SCIS-Pudong International Festival is TOMORROW!

We look forward to seeing you there!

The PYP Exhibition:

Students in Grade 5 have been working tirelessly this week as they prepare for the upcoming PYP Exhibition which will take place next Friday, May 3^rd in the Black Box from 1:00pm-2:30pm.  This whole school community event represents a significant milestone in the life of a PYP school and student.  During this year’s exhibition, four student groups will be sharing information related to an in-depth inquiry they have undertaken over the course of the past 8 weeks that is related to a personal interest and extends into a real-world issue.  Please consider joining the SCIS community as we show our support for the Grade 5 students and this tremendous accomplishment next Friday.

Attention Grade 5 Parents:

The Upper School Administration would like to invite you to an information session on the transition into Upper School on Friday, May 3^rd from 12:00-12:45pm in the Library Conference Room.  This meeting is scheduled in conjunction with the PYP Exhibition, which will immediately follow.

The session is designed to provide parents with an understanding of what your child’s Grade 6 year will look like, and to introduce the supports they will have for this transition.  Topics will include an introduction to the IB Middle Years Program (MYP), the SCIS Advisory program, after school activities in the Middle School, China Go! Trips, and the daily schedule structure for middle schoolers.  We hope to see you all on May 3^rd!

Session #3 After School Activities

This past Monday marked the beginning of the last session of After School Activities (ASAs). Please remember that children will not be allowed to “skip” or miss their ASA, unless the school has received a direct email or phone call from a parent.   Once a student has signed up for an ASA, they are making a commitment to attend all sessions of that ASA, unless the school has been notified otherwise by a parent.  Students who fail to follow the instructions of the ASA leaders or do not adhere to the SCIS behavior expectations may be removed from their ASA at any time. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Coach Vic Caban at vcaban@scis-china.org.

Spirit Week is Next Week!

Please support your child as they participate in a schoolwide Spirit Week starting with Pajama Day on Monday, April 29^th!  Students have the option throughout the week to come to school in their uniform or participate in Spirit Week!  We hope they choose the latter.

Physical Education Swim Unit for Grades 1-5:

All parents of children in Grades 1-5 please note that the second swimming unit in PE class will begin next Monday, April 29^th and end on Friday, May 31^st. 

We ask that you help support the implementation of this unit by ensuring that on the days your child has Physical Education class between April 29^th through May 31^st, he/she brings the following items to school.  Please feel free to reach out to Ms. Tarsi at tbali@scis-china.org with any questions or concerns you may have surrounding this unit.

1. A comfortable swimsuit 
2. A towel with their name written clearly on the tag in permanent marker
3. A pair of goggles
4. A swim cap
5. Underwear (if your child wears his/her swimsuit to school under his/her uniform)

Please Label Your Child’s Belongings

With the recent change in weather and the need for students to attend school in various layers of clothing, we ask that parents take extra care to label your child’s personal belongings.  In the event, that an item is misplaced, the item can easily be returned to its owner if it is properly labeled with the child’s name and grade. 

SCIS Uniforms

Please note, that all students are required to wear their SCIS uniform to school each day, unless an exception has been made and communicated such as the upcoming Spirit Week.  As a reminder, students should wear navy blue trousers, shorts or skirts and the light blue, long or short-sleeved SCIS polo shirt.   On days the students have PE class, they should wear their PE uniform including appropriate footwear such as sneakers or sturdy laced shoes.  Accessories such as hats, jewelry, watches, and costume related items should be kept to a minimum as they often impact student’s ability to completely focus on their learning. 

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org.

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

MORE PHOTOS FROM A GREAT WEEK!

Dear Families,

What a fantastic week of learning and celebration at SCIS-Pudong!  Hat’s off to Ms. DeVeor and all Kindergarten through Grade 5 students for their enthusiastic participation in the very successful and entertaining Lower School Spring Concert.  Students across grade levels sang and danced to original compositions showcasing their amazing musical talent, as well as the progress they have made this year as composers, singers, and performers.  A HUGE thank you to Ms. DeVeor for the time, planning and organization that went into the concert preparations.  Additional thanks to Ms. Tarsi, Ms. Vicki and all Lower School teachers for their support in making this concert a success.  Lastly, thank you to all parents that attended the performance or watched the performance via live-stream to support and celebrate students’ musical growth this year.

Session #3 After School Activities

Next Monday begins our last session of After School Activities (ASAs). Please remember that children will not be allowed to “skip” or miss their ASA, unless the school has received a direct email or phone call from a parent.   Once a student has signed up for an ASA, they are making a commitment to attend all sessions of that ASA, unless the school has been notified otherwise by a parent.  While we want to encourage students to take risks and try a variety of After School Activities, we also want to help them understand the importance of following through with their commitment as a member of the ASA(s) they sign up for.  Please take note of the important information surrounding Session 3 ASAs:

• All LS activities finish at 4pm and buses will depart promptly at 4:10pm. Bus schedules will be sent out by our transportation coordinator, Stu Ren, as soon as they are finalized.
• Any payments to any outside providers should be made through WeChat or Alipay so that our students or teachers are not responsible for any sums of cash. •
• Once ASAs have begun, please be aware that any changes must be requested during the 1st week and are subject to approval. In order to apply for a change please notify Vicki Xu (vxu@scis-china.org) as well as me. We want to encourage all of our students and families to commit to the ASAs they have registered for during this quarter. Commitment and perseverance are two traits that we value in all of our learners and are greatly appreciated by our ASA leaders.
• Students who fail to follow the instructions of the ASA leaders or do not adhere to the SCIS behavior expectations may be removed from their ASA at any time. Refunds will not be issued.
• If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Coach Vic Caban at vcaban@scis-china.org.

Spirit Week

During the week of April 29^th through May 3^rd all students will have the option of participating in a whole school spirit week!  Below are the themes for each day:

• Monday, April 29^th:  PJ day, come in your comfiest clothes.  
• Tuesday April 30^th: come in your grade assigned color: 
• Nursery – Red
• PS/PK – Purple
• Kindergarten – White
• Grade 1 – Blue
• Grade 2 – Green
• Grade 3 – Orange
• Grade 4 – Yellow
• Grade 5 – Black
• Wednesday, May 1^st:  No School! 
• Thursday May 2^nd: Mismatch Day – dress in a crazy combination of clothes that don’t match
• Friday May 3^rd: come and show your school spirit in Greens and Jeans!

Lower School Assemblies:  Congratulations Grade 5

A big shout-out to all Grade 5 students for their informative and thought provoking assembly presentations this past Thursday.  Grade 5 students worked together in their exhibition groups to teach the audience about topics that are significant and meaningful to them.  Additionally, students presented the types of action will continue take to combat some of the issues and concerns they are researching for the PYP Exhibition.   Lastly, Grade 5 ended the assembly by inviting all SCIS community members to the PYP Exhibition on May 3^rd starting at 1:00pm in the Black Box.  Please note that our next Lower School Assembly will take place on Thursday, May 16^th featuring 4C.

Attention Grade 5 Parents:

The Upper School Administration would like to invite you to an information session on the transition into Upper School on Friday, May 3^rd from 12:00-12:45pm in the Library Conference Room.  This meeting is scheduled in conjunction with the PYP Exhibition, which will immediately follow.

The session is designed to provide parents with an understanding of what your child’s Grade 6 year will look like, and to introduce the supports they will have for this transition.  Topics will include an introduction to the IB Middle Years Program (MYP), the SCIS Advisory program, after school activities in the Middle School, China Go! Trips, and the daily schedule structure for middle schoolers.  We hope to see you all on May 3^rd!

Physical Education Swim Unit for Grades 1-5:

All parents of children in Grades 1-5 should have received an email via their SCIS-parent email account from Ms. Tarsi regarding the upcoming swim unit that will begin on Monday, April 29^th and end on Friday, May 31^st. 

We ask that you help support the implementation of this unit by ensuring that on the days your child has Physical Education class between April 29^th through May 31^st, he/she brings the following items to school.  Please feel free to reach out to Ms. Tarsi at tbali@scis-china.org with any questions or concerns you may have surrounding this unit.

1. A comfortable swimsuit
2. A towel with their name written clearly on the tag in permanent marker
3. A pair of goggles
4. A swim cap
5. Underwear (if your child wears his/her swimsuit to school under his/her uniform)

International Festival:  Saturday, April 27^th

SCIS Uniforms

Please note, that all students are required to wear their SCIS uniform to school each day, unless an exception has been made and communicated such as the upcoming Spirit Week.  As a reminder, students should wear navy blue trousers, shorts or skirts and the light blue, long or short-sleeved SCIS polo shirt.   On days the students have PE class, they should wear their PE uniform including appropriate footwear such as sneakers or sturdy laced shoes.  Accessories such as hats, jewelry, watches, and costume related items should be kept to a minimum as they often impact student’s ability to completely focus on their learning. 

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org.

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

More Photos from a FANTASTIC Week!

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe we have only 9 weeks left in the 2018-2019 school year.   There are several exciting and upcoming events this month and we would love to see many SCIS families participate in what will certainly be a variety of fun experiences. 

Lower School Spring Concert

Next Friday, April 19^th will be the K-5 Lower School Spring Concert.  Since January, students across grade levels have been learning how to compose music and create dance movements which will be showcased at the Spring Concert starting at 1:30pm in the Theater.  Each grade level will be performing separately, with the exception of Grades 4 and 5 who have a combined performance.  Additionally, please support your child in putting together the following clothes or color combinations for the show.  We look forward to seeing you there!

• Kindergarten Performance Attire: White t-shirt with black bottoms (pants or skirts)
• Grade 1 Performance Attire: Traditional Chinese clothes or red shirts and dark bottoms (pants or skirts)
• Grade 2 Performance Attire: Hip Hop inspired clothes – bright colored t-shirts (any color) and jeans
• Grade 3 Performance Attire:
• Students will be assigned different outfits to wear depending upon their part:

1. Intro Melody Performers: Jazzy dresses or outfits
2. Rappers: White T-shirt, black bottoms
3. Cane Dancer: White dress shirt and black bottom

• Grade 4 and 5 Performance Attire: Super Hero costumes created by the students

Lower School Assembly featuring Grade 5.

The next Lower School assembly will take place on Thursday, April 18^th featuring Grade 5.  During this assembly Grade 5 students will be sharing information related to the upcoming PYP Exhibition which students are busily preparing for.  Additionally, visiting author Andy Craven-Grifiths will be our guest dragon spotlight performer.  We look forward to seeing you there! 

Principal’s Coffee Morning Focused on the PYP Exhibition

This year’s PYP Exhibition will take place on Friday, May 3^rd.  An informative coffee morning for parents interested in learning more about exhibition and ways to help support our Grade Five students will take place on Thursday, April 18^th following the Lower School Assembly.  The coffee morning will begin at 9:15am in Ms. Ruf’s classroom (Room 222).  We hope to see you there!

Positive Discipline Parenting Workshops Kicks-off!

On Thursday, our 3^rd Positive Discipline Parenting Course led by Dr. Myers kicked-off in room 208 from 8:30am-11:30am.  A HUGE thank you to Dr. Myers for leading this series of workshops and to all parents who signed up.  These sessions provide a fantastic opportunity for parents to learn strategies and techniques to encourage positive discipline in the home environment.

Lower School After School Activity Session #3

The third and final session of ASAs will begin on Monday, April 22^nd and end on Friday, May 31^st.  Please take note of the important information surrounding Session 3 ASAs:

• All LS activities finish at 4pm and buses will depart promptly at 4:10pm. Bus schedules will be sent out by our transportation coordinator, Stu Ren, as soon as they are finalized.
• Any payments to any outside providers should be made through WeChat or Alipay so that our students or teachers are not responsible for any sums of cash. •
• Once ASAs have begun, please be aware that any changes must be requested during the 1st week and are subject to approval. In order to apply for a change please notify Vicki Xu (vxu@scis-china.org) as well as me. We want to encourage all of our students and families to commit to the ASAs they have registered for during this quarter. Commitment and perseverance are two traits that we value in all of our learners and are greatly appreciated by our ASA leaders.
• Students who fail to follow the instructions of the ASA leaders or do not adhere to the SCIS behavior expectations may be removed from their ASA at any time. Refunds will not be issued.
• If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Coach Vic Caban at vcaban@scis-china.org.

Student-Led Conferences

Once again, a BIG thank you to all parents that attend their child’s student led conference.  It was truly a magical day and many of the children are still talking about the fact that their SLC was a major highlight for the month of March.   There was overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents regarding their SLC experience with their child.  This was evidenced through the compilation of the responses from the Parent Feedback Form that was completed by110 parent responses.  We greatly appreciate the time parents took to complete the form.  Survey results can be accessed here.

Book Fair

Next week there will be a book fair on campus hosted by Blue Fountain.  For every purchase made SCIS-Pudong receives points to purchasing additional books for the library.  

SCIS Uniforms

Please note, that all students are required to wear their SCIS uniform to school each day, unless an exception has been made and communicated such as the upcoming Spring Concert.  As a reminder, students should wear navy blue trousers, shorts or skirts and the light blue, long or short-sleeved SCIS polo shirt.   On days the students have PE class, they should wear their PE uniform including appropriate footwear such as sneakers or sturdy laced shoes.  Accessories such as hats, jewelry, watches, and costume related items should be kept to a minimum as they often impact student’s ability to completely focus on their learning.  

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

International Festival:  Saturday, April 27^th

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Over the past few weeks, all SCIS families should have received several emails from the SCIS Admissions Department regarding re-enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year.  Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org. 

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

Photos from a Great Week!

Dear Families,

We had another fantastic week at SCIS-Pudong filled with excellent and informative learning experiences for students, teachers and parents.  A huge THANK YOU to the Lower School Literacy Team (Mrs. Ruf, Ms. Van De Laarschot, Dr. Myers and Ms. Williams) for planning a fun Literacy Week where students had an opportunity to participate in various events that fostered a passion and enthusiasm for literacy.  Additionally, HATS OFF to all SCIS-Pudong parents and friends who volunteered to be a guest reader during Friday’s Read Around the World Day! 

Please take note of all the upcoming and exciting events that will take place in April.  It is hard to believe that following the April Break there will be only 10 weeks left until the end of the school year!  I hope all families have a wonderful and relaxing holiday!

Lower School Assemblies:  Congratulations 2V!      

Congratulations to students in 2V for their entertaining and interactive assembly performance that truly showcased the different ways literacy can be made fun and engaging.  During the assembly, students confidently and courageously shared information surrounding favorite books and had the opportunity to reveal the top two most popular books within the lower school as voted on by all students.  Great job 2V!

The next Lower School assembly will take place on Thursday, April 18^th featuring Grade 5.  During this assembly Grade 5 students will be sharing information related to the upcoming PYP Exhibition which students are busily preparing for.  We look forward to seeing you there!

 Principal’s Coffee Morning Focused on the PYP Exhibition

This year’s PYP Exhibition will take place on Friday, May 3^rd.  An informative coffee morning for parents interested in learning more about exhibition and ways to help support our Grade Five students will take place on Thursday, April 18^th following the Lower School Assembly.  The coffee morning will begin at 9:15am in Ms. Ruf’s classroom (Room 222).  We hope to see you there!

Positive Discipline Parent Education Opportunity

There is still an opportunity for parents to sign up for the Positive Discipline Parent workshops that will take place from 8:30am until 11:30am on the following days:  April 11^th, April 18^th, April 25^th, and May 3^rd.  The workshops will be led by First Grade Teacher and Certified Positive Discipline Educator and Trainer, Dr. Molly Myers. 

Parents are highly encouraged to attend all four sessions.  We hope you are able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn about strategies and techniques to encourage positive discipline in the home environment.  Please contact Ms. Gale at egale@scis-china.org if you are interested in attending this valuable parent education course that will be offered at the discounted price of 500RMB.  Parents who have attended previous courses are also encouraged to attend.

Mark the Date for our Lower School Spring Concert

The Lower School Spring Concert for Kindergarten through Grade 5 will take place on Friday, April 19th from 1:30pm-2:30pm in the Theater.   The concert titled, “A Spring Affair:  A Celebration of American Music from an International Perspective,” will showcase original student compositions and various music and movement creations.  Please be sure to mark your calendar for this great event!  Additionally, please support your child in putting together the following clothes or color combinations for the show:

• Kindergarten Performance Attire: White t-shirt with black bottoms (pants or skirts)
• Grade 1 Performance Attire: Traditional Chinese clothes or red shirts and dark bottoms (pants or skirts)
• Grade 2 Performance Attire: Hip Hop inspired clothes – bright colored t-shirts (any color) and jeans
• Grade 3 Performance Attire:
• Students will be assigned different outfits to wear depending upon their part:

1. Intro Melody Performers: Jazzy dresses or outfits
2. Rappers: White T-shirt, black bottoms
3. Cane Dancer: White dress shirt and black bottom

• Grade 4 and 5 Performance Attire: Super Hero costumes created by the students 

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

International Festival:  Saturday, April 27^th

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org. 

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

Dear Families,

What a wonderful week of learning and fun for students, parents, and teachers.  The highlight this week was of course, Student-Led Conferences and we’d like to extend a big thank you to all parents, family members and friends that set aside time to engage with and support their child during their Student-Led Conference (SLCs) this past Thursday.  There was overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents regarding their SLC experience with their child.  This was evidenced through the compilation of the responses from the Parent Feedback Form which will be shared in next week’s principal’s post.

During conferences, it was wonderful to see students from Nursery through Grade 5 take responsibility for their learning and share the learning process, as well as the progress they have made over the course of the school year across subject areas and disciplines.  We hope that through your participation in your child’s student-led conference that you have gained a deeper understanding of the benefits of this event including the fact that it is an opportunity for you to understand your child’s strengths and the ways in which you can further support their growth as a learner.  Therefore, please continue to talk with your child about their learning at school and provide them plenty of positive encouragement and constructive feedback through Seesaw, as well as in daily conversation.  Once again, thank you for taking part in this incredible celebration of learning. 

Mid-Semester Reports

This afternoon, all parents should receive a link via your scis-parent email account that will take you to your child’s Mid Semester Progress Report on Managebac.  Please note, the purpose of the Mid-Semester progress report is to provide students, parents and teachers with an opportunity to reflect on students’ attitudes and actions that lead to academic success at mid-semester.   If you have any questions surrounding your child’s mid-semester report, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.

 Literacy Week:  March 25^th-29^th

Over the course of the past several months, the Lower School Literacy Team has been working hard to plan a Lower School Literacy Week that will take place from Monday, March 25^th – Friday, March 29^th.   Throughout the week, students will participate in a variety of fun activities and learning experiences focused on various aspects of literacy.   Friday, March 29^th will be Read Around the World Day and we are seeking parent volunteers to come to school between 2:20-3:00pm to read a story in your home language.  During this time students will have the option to move between classes listening to stories read in different languages.  If you would be interested in volunteering to share a 10-15 minute story in your Mother Tongue please contact Ms. Gale at egale@scis-china.org as soon as possible.  We greatly appreciate your support with this wonderful event.

Also, please note that Tuesday, March 26^th is Character Dress Up Day.  Please work with your child to help them come up with a simple outfit to wear for that day.  Students can come dressed to school in their Character Costume!

Additionally, next week there will be a book swap in the library where children can bring in “old” books and swap them out for “new” ones. 

Positive Discipline Parent Education Opportunity

Due to the tremendous success of our positive discipline parenting workshops, we have decided to provide all SCIS parents and friends with an additional opportunity to participate in this valuable course prior to the end of the school year.  Below are the dates and times of the workshops that will be offered in April and May.  The workshops will be led by First Grade Teacher and Certified Positive Discipline Educator and Trainer, Dr. Molly Myers. 

Parents are highly encouraged to attend all four sessions.  We hope you are able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn about strategies and techniques to encourage positive discipline in the home environment.  Please contact Ms. Gale at egale@scis-china.org if you are interested in attending this valuable parent education course that will be offered at the discounted price of 500RMB.  Parents who have attended previous courses are also encouraged to attend.

Session 1:  Thursday, April 11^th from 8:30am-11:30am

Session 2:  Thursday, April 18^th from 8:30am-11:30am

Session 3:  Thursday, April 25^th from 8:30am-11:30am

Session 4:  Thursday, May 2^nd from 8:30am-11:30am

Lower School Assembly

The next Lower School Assembly will take place next Thursday, March 28^th starting at 8:15am in the Black Box.  2V will be presenting!  We look forward to seeing many parents at this fun community event!

Mark the Date for our Lower School Spring Concert

The Lower School Spring Concert for Kindergarten through Grade 5 will take place on Friday, April 19th from 1:30pm-2:30pm in the Theater.   The concert titled, “A Spring Affair:  A Celebration of American Music from an International Perspective,” will showcase original student compositions and various music and movement creations.  Please be sure to mark your calendar for this great event!

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

International Festival:  Saturday, April 27^th

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Over the past few weeks, all SCIS families should have received several emails from the SCIS Admissions Department regarding re-enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year.  Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org. 

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

Dear Families,

We are so excited to welcome you to Student-Led Conferences next Thursday, March 21^st.   Students across grade levels and subject areas have been enthusiastically preparing to share their learning journey with you next week.  It is important to remember that Student-led Conferences are a celebration of learning and this is truly your child’s opportunity to shine!  During the conference, please provide your child with positive feedback surrounding their progress and encourage them to share with you the ways in which they feel you can support them with achieving their learning goals. 

If you have not yet signed up for a Student-Led Conference time slot, please do so immediately by accessing the sign-up genius link sent by your child’s teacher through Seesaw or scroll down to last week’s Principal’s Post where you will find the links to the sign-up pages for all Homeroom Teachers.  As a reminder, students should be brought to school for their student-led conference during their scheduled conference time and return home with their parent(s) at the conclusion of their conference.   Families who have more than one child participating in a student-led conference are welcome to have their child(ren) who are not participating in the conference wait patiently in the library until their sibling concludes his or her conference.  

Additionally, please be on the look-out for the SCIS-Pudong Student-Led Conference Handbook which will be sent home with the youngest child in each family next Monday.  This valuable resource will provide insight into the student-led conference process at SCIS-Pudong, as well as the ways in which you can support your child before, during, and after the conference.  Thank you for your support in helping make Student-led Conferences a very special event for your child.  

Mathematical Learning with Erma Anderson

On Wednesday and Thursday, Lower School Nursery through Grade 5 Homeroom Teachers had the opportunity to meet with international mathematics consultant and guru Erma Anderson to formulate a deeper understanding of how to develop students’ conceptual understanding in mathematics through an inquiry-based workshop approach. During her work with teachers, Ms. Anderson stressed the importance of providing engaging and meaningful opportunities for students to develop number sense, as it is the foundation for all higher-level mathematics (Feikes & Schwingendorf, 2008).   Past and current research has shown children’s initial understanding of mathematical concepts and their ability to conceptualize and explain their mathematical reasoning at an early age has long-term implications for their success in school and in life (Clements & Sarama, 2011).

Thank you to all parents who attended Wednesday afternoon’s Parent Education Event where Ms. Anderson discussed the instructional shifts in mathematical teaching that are occurring within schools around the world. During her talk, she emphasized that it is no longer acceptable for children to only be taught mathematical procedures. Instead, they need to understand why the procedures work and communicate their reasoning by constructing a viable argument. Ms. Anderson referenced the work of Jo Boaler, Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University who has written an excellent article titled, “Fluency without Fear” that provides information on how children develop number sense and ways parents and teachers can support mathematical understanding.  Additionally, Jo Boaler’s books, Mathematical Mindsets and What’s Math Got to Do With It? offer ideas on how to help children develop a growth mindset and appreciate the ways in which mathematics helps us understand the world around us.  You can also access other useful mathematics resources on the right side of this blog page under the section “Mathematics Learning at Home.”

Over the course of the two days Ms. Anderson had the opportunity to participate in cross-grade level lab-site visits and debriefs where teachers collaborated surrounding the planning of a lesson and then gathered together at the conclusion of the lesson to reflect upon students’ ability to meet the intended learning outcomes.  A HUGE thank you to Lower School Teachers, Malika Meidinger and Bart Kelly for facilitating this process.

Positive Discipline Parent Education Opportunity

Due to the tremendous success of our positive discipline parenting workshops, we have decided to provide all SCIS parents and friends with an additional opportunity to participate in this valuable course prior to the end of the school year.  Below are the dates and times of the workshops that will be offered in April and May.  The workshops will be led by First Grade Teacher and Certified Positive Discipline Educator and Trainer, Dr. Molly Myers. 

Parents are highly encouraged to attend all four sessions.  We hope you are able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn about strategies and techniques to encourage positive discipline in the home environment.  Please contact Ms. Gale at egale@scis-china.org if you are interested in attending this valuable parent education course that will be offered at the discounted price of 500RMB.  Parents who have attended previous courses are also encouraged to attend.

Session 1:  Thursday, April 11^th from 8:30am-11:30am

Session 2:  Thursday, April 18^th from 8:30am-11:30am

Session 3:  Thursday, April 25^th from 8:30am-11:30am

Session 4:  Thursday, May 2^nd from 8:30am-11:30am

Counselor Connection

Be sure to check-out Mrs. Luebbe’s new article on the right side of this blog post titled, “Solution Focused Problem Solving and Your Child.”  The article references the work of Jane Nielson, founder of the Positive Discipline approach and provides parents with a variety of strategies that can be used to help children solve daily problems that occur in their lives.

 After School Activities

Please note that this is the final week of Session #2 After School Activities for the Lower School.  A BIG THANK YOU to all teachers for providing such wonderful, fun and engaging sessions for students.  Session #3 will begin on Monday, April 15^th and conclude on Friday, May 31^st.  Please be on the look-out for the Session 3 ASA Guide in the coming weeks.  If you have any questions surrounding ASAs at SCIS-Pudong please contact Coach Vic Caban at vcaban@scis-china.org

Mid-Semester Reports

Mid-Semester Progress Reports will be distributed through a link received in your SCIS-Parent email account on Friday, March 22^nd.  The purpose of the Mid-Semester progress report is to provide students, parents and teachers with an opportunity to reflect on students’ attitudes and actions that lead to academic success at mid-semester.  At this point in the school year, the formal assessment and reporting focus will be on the Student-Led Conference and the growth that children have made over the course of the school year.

Literacy Week:  March 25^th-29^th

Over the course of the past several months, the Lower School Literacy Team has been working hard to plan a Lower School Literacy Week that will take place from Monday, March 25^th – Friday, March 29^th.   Throughout the week, students will participate in a variety of fun activities and learning experiences focused on various aspects of literacy.   Friday, March 29^th will be Read Around the World Day and we are seeking parent volunteers to come to school between 2:20-3:00pm to read a story in your home language.  During this time students will have the option to move between classes listening to stories read in different languages.  If you would be interested in volunteering to share a 10-15 minute story in your Mother Tongue please contact Ms. Gale at egale@scis-china.org as soon as possible.  We greatly appreciate your support with this wonderful event.

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

International Festival:  Saturday, April 27^th

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Over the past few weeks, all SCIS families should have received several emails from the SCIS Admissions Department regarding re-enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year.  Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org.

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

More Photos from a Wonderful Week!

Dear Families,

It’s been a week of reflection within the Lower School as students and teachers begin to prepare for the upcoming Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) on March 21^st.  Students across grade levels have spent time discussing and reflecting upon all the growth and progress that has been made since the beginning of the school year.  It is truly amazing to see what the students have accomplished thus far and how they have grown as individuals and learners.  I hope you are as excited as I am to see the children showcase their learning journey during their Student-Led Conference! 

If you haven’t had an opportunity to sign-up for a student-led conference time slot you can do so below by clicking on the name of your child’s teacher.  Please note that students will not have school on this day except for the time spent during their Student-Led Conference.  Students must be come to school and leave school with their parent(s). 

• Stacey Poncia (Nursery)
• Virginia Hunt (Nursery)
• Tami Litzelman (PS/PK)
• Aleksa Moss (PS/PK)
• Emily Putnam (PS/PK)
• Larisa Mount (KLM)
• Miss Malika Meidinger (KM)
• Molly Myers (1M)
• Ethan Schultz (1S)
• Emilee Van De Laarschot (2V)
• Matthew Ruf (2R)
• Tiffany Johnson (3J)
• Bart Kelly SLC (3K)
• Briton Coombs (4C)
• Grade 5: Cleo Peterson (5P) and Mrs. Whitney Ruf (5R)

Calling ALL SCIS Little Dragons and Friends

Starting on Friday, March 15th SCIS-Pudong will be offering 1 hour classes for 12-30 month old toddlers and a parent.  This is an interactive parent-child class and we invite SCIS families and friends to attend.  Interested parents should contact Kathy Lagarto at klagarto@scis-china.org to register. 

Student Safety

We would appreciate your support with helping us tighten up our safety protocols by letting the school know, no later than 2:00pm each day if there are changes to your child’s departure plan.  Last minute requests have the potential to result in safety concerns surrounding miscommunication.  If there are changes to your child’s departure plan please contact the Lower School Secretary, Ms. Vicki Xu at vxu@scis-china.org or by calling the school directly at 5812-9888.

Hat’s Off to the ECE

Congratulations to our ECE Team – Ms. Stacey, Ms. Hunt, Ms. Aleksa, Ms. Emily and Ms. Tami for hosting a wonderful parent education event focused on “Promoting Lifelong Healthy Habits for your Child.”  During this workshop parents learned practical and fun ways to encourage their child to develop healthy food and lifestyle habits.  Thank you to all of the ECE parents who attended this informative event and shared successful tips, as well as challenges faced in the home environment.

Student-Led Conferences

Student-Led Conferences are an integral part of the teaching and learning process at SCIS-Pudong.  This year Student-Led Conferences will take place throughout the day on March 21^st from 8:00am until 4:00pm.  Unlike the Parent-Teacher Conference that took place in October, Student-Led Conferences typically involve only the student and the parent(s). 

While a new round of conferences are scheduled every 60 minutes, please note that some children will take longer than the 60 minute time slot, while others may not need as much time.   This is dependent upon the child and the learning they have selected to share.  Regardless, we ask that as parents, you honor this process and provide your child with your undivided attention as they share and celebrate their learning with you.   A student-led conference handbook will be distributed to all families the week of Student-Led Conferences.  Please take time to review it before your child’s SLC.  

Mid-Semester Reports

Mid-Semester Progress Reports will be distributed through a link received in your SCIS-Parent email account on Friday, March 22^nd.  The purpose of the Mid-Semester progress report is to provide students, parents and teachers with an opportunity to reflect on students’ attitudes and actions that lead to academic success at mid-semester.  At this point in the school year, the formal assessment and reporting focus will be on the Student-Led Conference and the growth that children have made over the course of the school year.

Literacy Week:  March 25^th-29^th

Over the course of the past several months, the Lower School Literacy Team has been diligently working hard to plan a Lower School Literacy Week that will take place from Monday, March 25^th – Friday, March 29^th.   Throughout the week, students will participate in a variety of fun activities and learning experiences focused on various aspects of literacy.   Friday, March 29^th will be Read Around the World Day and we are seeking parent volunteers to come to school between 2:20-3:00pm to read a story in your home language.  During this time students will have the option to move between classes listening to stories read in different languages.  If you would be interested in volunteering to share a 10-15 minute story in your native language please contact Ms. Gale at egale@scis-china.org as soon as possible.  We greatly appreciate your support with this wonderful event.

Well Done 3K!

Congratulations to students in 3K for their informative and interesting assembly performance focused on persuasive techniques.  During the assembly, students confidently and courageously communicated information surrounding the persuasive techniques that advertisers use in order to encourage consumers to buy certain products.  The content from 3K’s assembly was based upon their current unit of inquiry focused on persuasion.  Well done 3K!

The next Lower School assembly will take place on Thursday, March 28th featuring 2V.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Parent Education Event focused on MATHEMATICS with Erma Anderson

We are fortunate to be welcoming back Erma Anderson, a well-known international guru in conceptually based mathematics to SCIS-Pudong next week.  During her time on campus Erma will be working with Lower School teachers to delve deeper into understanding conceptually-based mathematics practices.   Additionally, Erma will be providing a unique opportunity for SCIS parents to formulate a deeper understanding of the benefits of conceptually based mathematics programs.  This event will take place next Wednesday, March 13^th from 3:00-4:00pm in room 208.  We hope to see you there!

Reenrollment has begun for the 2019-2020 School Year

Over the past few weeks, all SCIS families should have received several emails from the SCIS Admissions Department regarding re-enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year.  Please note that seats are filling up quickly and we have multiple grade levels in the Lower School that are currently at capacity.  As such, if you are confident that you would like your child to continue at SCIS-Pudong for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to submit your re-enrollment as quickly as possible. 

Please note, you must use your @scis-parent.org email account details when signing in to the Online Re-Enrollment Website.  If you have any questions regarding the process for re-enrollment, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SCIS Admissions team at admissions@scis-china.org.

Summer Camp 2019

Save the dates! Summer camp is coming to both Puxi and Pudong campuses from June 17 – July 12, 2019.

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) is excited to offer specialized summer camp designed with the whole child in mind. Our summer camp programs are non-academic, thematic programs filled with action-packed fun for children in the ECE through grade 5. Your child’s summer will be filled with fun days of games, sports, outdoor exploration, water activities, field trips, art, music, drama, Mandarin language/culture fun, and more! All students from the Shanghai community are welcome to enroll. Summer camp offers flexible weekly enrollment options for families with limited availability or travel plans. More information to come in the new year!

Photos from a GREAT week!

Additional Information on Student-Led Conferences

Student-led conferences are an essential part of the assessment and reporting process at a PYP school.  They provide students with a valuable opportunity to take responsibility for their learning and share the learning process, as well as the progress they have made over the course of the school year with their parents.  There are several reasons schools implement student-led conferences including the fact that the spotlight is on the most important person in the process (the student).  Student-led conferences put the students in charge, holding them responsible and accountable as they present their work to their parents.   Research has proven there are multiple benefits that emerge as a result of preparing for and carrying out a student-led conference.  These include:

• Increased student accountability on their learning
• Enhancement of students’ communication skills
• Strengthening the collaborative relationship between parents, teachers and students
• Development of thinking, self-management, communication, social and leadership skills
• Increased student motivation towards learning
• Acquiring further understanding of how students learn including areas of strength and areas for growth

One of our main goals as a PYP school is to further the development of students in becoming independent learners and competent communicators who are eager to participate in society and make the world a better place. Such students and future citizens need to be aware of their own strengths and needs. They need to be self-motivated problem solvers and action-oriented, creative thinkers. Preparing for and participating in student-led conferences teaches students to be reflective, to self-assess, to set goals and to communicate effectively.  As students prepare for the conference, they learn to monitor their own progress and refer to the task-related learning intentions and success criteria to guide them. They collect artifacts that demonstrate their learning and set goals to move their learning forward. The work samples take many forms, including photographs, recordings, video clips and print, and may be assembled for sharing in a variety of ways, including a portfolio binder, Seesaw folder or other formats. 

Prior to the conference, students choose what work to share and how to share it with their parents. Because they are sharing with a real audience, students are motivated to do their best.  All the learning in preparation for the conference is relevant and authentic. Plenty of time for talk and interaction helps students become comfortable taking the lead and talking about their learning.

During the conference, parents/caregivers are empowered as partners in the education of their children. Student-led conferences strengthen the relationship between home and school, as parents discover what their child is learning and how he/she is learning. They also discover their child’s perception of him/herself as a learner and how they might help their child at home.

The collaboration among faculty, students and parents leading up to the conference builds a common understanding and common language relating to assessment and learning and results in a deeper understanding of the teaching-learning process. Parents and students develop a common vocabulary to discuss the learning. Students learn how to set goals and use success criteria to monitor their progress. They also learn how to communicate their ideas effectively. The assessment becomes the learning, and the feedback that occurs throughout the process and during the conference itself becomes an important component that drives the learning forward.

Student-led conferences within the Lower School at SCIS-Pudong are scheduled into 60-minute blocks of time.  At the end of the conference, parents will be asked to complete a reflection form. This form will help us assess the effectiveness of the conference. Based on the reflections, issues and concerns will be discussed in relation to improving next year’s conference experience.