BULLETINVol 1, Issue 2 / Winter 2015

In this Edition Futures Academy PBL

Exhibition

Grade 8 Star Night

NFL Legend Jerry Rice

Grade 4 Migration Unit

APAC Dance Festival

NBA Yao Basketball School

Wushu Warriors at Shaolin Temple

Follow ISB on YouTube, Vimeo and Instagram (@isb beijing)!

BEAD MATH HARVEST CYCLE THE TWO STEVES JAMES HUMBERSTONERIDE FOR CLIMATE

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You’re dazed, confused and shaken. Your entire world crumbled when your hometown in Sichuan Province was rocked by a devastating 8.0-magnitude earthquake. You’re exhausted, hungry and dehydrated. Your physical scars are obvious, but deep inside you bear psychological scars from the traumatic ordeal. Worst of all, you’re unsure about the fate of your loved ones.

Now, you’re on a bus with other survivors evacuating from the quake zone for a camp where UN humanitarian workers are providing aid. As the bus pulls away from the rubble, you try to listen to the volunteers’ instructions. However, all you can think about is your uncertain future and the scarce resources available for you and fellow displaced villagers.

Grade 7 students faced this unexpected scenario on October 27. After watching a newscast about an earthquake they had just “experienced,” students took buses to a “refugee camp” run by teachers posing as UN aid workers.

The Phoenix Project is an integrated unit that includes math, humanities and science. These three subjects aligned current units around the project to deliver the curriculum in an authentic, compelling way as promoted by Strategic Initiative 1 of Strategic Plan IV.

The project required students to work in teams to form a new government and devise a new model for a post-disaster society. Students developed a deeper understanding of academic learning through the Phoenix Project’s application in real-world settings.

“Sometimes you might think you have the best idea, but when you listen to others you can find even better ideas and ultimately combine different concepts to create a better result,”

ISB’s new external partnership with a local village deepened Grade 1 students’ Chinese integration during an experiential learning opportunity aligned with their cycle unit on October 28. Students learned about the origin and growth cycle of vegetables by harvesting cabbages, cauliflowers, radishes, onions and sweet potatoes at a farm in Ximagezhuang Village, Shunyi District.

Experiential learning coordinator Ms. Mary Wenstrom gave students an overview of each vegetable and tips on harvesting techniques she mastered growing up on a farm in rural Minnesota. Whether uprooting cabbages or bagging cauliflowers, the experience provided opportunities for communication and collaboration among students who helped each other each step of the way.

ISB’s partnership with the village aligns with Strategic Plan IV by increasing relevant learning through a local engagement, optimizing each student’s capacity to learn through individualized experiences, and increasing access to new learning opportunities through networks beyond the school. Village chief Mr. Tao praised the partnership and said he looked forward to more students visiting in future.

Phoenix Project: Innovation Rises from the Ashes By Tom Fearon

said Rachel K, a student in 7-4.

“This project makes learning more memorable and fun because we get to build and design. It’s been a very engaging experience,” said Julie C.

By launching Phoenix Project as a simulated earthquake response for internally displaced persons in China, students gained insight into the emotions and experiences of individuals and communities coping in the aftermath of an earthquake. Phoenix Project also enabled students to gain L21 skills such as inquiry, critical thinking and problem solving, innovation and creativity and global thinking.

Additionally, students gained an understanding of real-world issues of the impact of earthquakes on communities and ensuring the rebuilding process that occurs after such natural disasters.

After picking their vegetables, first graders returned to school and worked in small groups in the student cooking lab to prepare dishes using their freshly harvested produce. Learning about how their vegetables are cultivated and prepared provided a newfound appreciation for their food!

Grade 1 Students Harvest New Learning Opportunites through Village Partnership By Tom Fearon

Watch a video about the Grade 1 Harvest on Dragons’ Tube

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Sometimes we all “think” too much at school and don’t spend enough time “doing.” Futures Academy gives me the opportunity to “feel” learning, being able to let my passions guide me. These feelings culminated in an Identity Exhibition at the Futures Academy attended by parents, students and teachers. Some students dressed in suits and ties, some in skirts or blouses, and some in outfits from their home country. If you walked through the door that very moment, you would see a class that was presentable, proud and from all different backgrounds.

You might wonder, “How did a Grade 7 class get to be so formal?” The answer is that professionalism has been our priority at the Futures Academy since the beginning of the year, and this was definitely our biggest project so far.

Not only did I have fun preparing for the exhibition, I also learned a lot about myself by analyzing my own identity. But this experience was not just about what we learned about ourselves, and not just about mixing all the subjects together; it was about getting in touch with our hearts.

We were all asked to put together books on our identity. These e-books included all the components that made us unique. In science, we conducted an experiment that brought us in touch with our personal preferences; in humanities, we explored the concept of “third culture” and wrote essays that described our individual journeys; and in Chinese, we looked at life experiences that shaped our character and recorded professional podcasts that helped tell the story.

During the preparation process, we all worked hard personalizing our books. Some were funny and others were serious. The biggest challenge for me was to design a scientific experiment that reflected my passion. I also invested a lot of time and thought preparing for the culture essay which, in my opinion, was the strongest part of my book.

Our class worked on this project individually, but we certainly learned a lot by collaborating and communicating with each other. We drew ideas collectively and encouraged each other, learning along the way what makes us similar and different. In the project, we incorporated art into our books by designing our own covers that reflected our creativity.

Futures Academy Students Explore Self-Identity By Catherine L (Grade 7)

One of the highlights was getting to design our own presentation based on our book, or using the book as a guide.

Many of us were nervous during the presentation, with some students glancing at their notecards every few words. However, as we became more confident it was reflected in our speech, stature and overall professionalism.

In my opinion, this is what Futures Academy is about. Yes, the exhibition was a big part of that. But more importantly, it’s what we learned from the process. We innovated, created and did so much more. We showed confidence, but at the same time remained humble. This was not only a chance to learn about culture; it was also an experience, a project of passion and demonstrated the big picture of the world. This is what Futures Academy is all about!

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Any middle school student would agree that Spirit Week is one the most enjoyable weeks of the whole school year. It is always quite a sight to see both teachers and students dress up in their most outrageous outfits walking around the school!

This year’s Spirit Week, which ran from November 17 to 21, included Pajama Day, Formal Day, Twin Day and Walk on the Wild Side Day. Each morning finalists were selected from each grade by the MS STUCO committee. A winner among these finalists was then chosen by a panel of judges that included middle school principal Mr. Mark Hardeman and vice principal Mr. Fred Schafer, and an MS STUCO executive member.

Picking a winner for each category was very difficult because there was so much spirit shown throughout the grades. However, the winners really did show what the middle school is all about with their costumes: collaboration, creativity and a touch of craziness!

We also had our annual Banana Shuffle and Mystery Drink Relay, where we saw some pretty horrific yet hilarious things as the teams tried to gobble and drink as fast as they could. One of the Grade 8 teams won the Banana Shuffle and a Grade 7 team won the Mystery Drink Relay. We ended Spirit Week with an enjoyable and successful function that included a movie, laughter, extremely loud singing and some pretty weird dance moves!

7KDW·V�WKH�6SLULW��06�(PEUDFHV�:HHN�RI�&UHDWLYLW\���������� By Anagha S (MS STUCO Secretary)

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5HӿHFWLRQV�RI�D�6WDUU\��6WDUU\�1LJKW�DW�,6% By Roanna Z (Grade 8)

I always observed the night sky with awe when I was younger, looking excitedly for the few shining dots of light. But now, I realize that there aren’t just a few stars; the universe is filled with them! Stars, planets, moons, galaxies – you name it! It’s so exciting to be able to look up at the night sky and point out the different constellations and stars you see. To make sure that everyone gets a chance like this, ISB organized Star Night for Grade 8 students on November 28.

Staying at school overnight wasn’t just a chance to enjoy a giant sleepover and observe the night sky, but also to engage in an assortment of enriching activities. We watched a hilarious animation on the Orion’s Belt constellation, ate pizza, drank hot chocolate and watched the movie Galaxy Quest.

We were divided into two teams. I was in the first team, which went to the soccer fields, while the second team went to the baseball diamond. We then split up into partners within our homerooms and recorded the stars that we saw through binoculars. Thankfully, we had clear, unpolluted sky!

All I could see were a few bright lights blinking, but it was still really cool to realize that those little dots were stars! I only recorded a few labeled stars in my booklet, but you should have seen the other students! Some of them had zillions of dots filled in. When I asked where they saw these stars, they pointed to what seemed a totally black sector of the sky.

Everyone took a turn looking through the telescope to see the moon. Seeing its craters and “holes,” I now understand the cheese comparison. Needless to say, I had a really great time!

Next came my favorite part of the evening, though I enjoyed everything: the constellation video. We watched what was supposed to be a realistic video of how Orion’s Belt came to be, but it ended up with everyone laughing at the jerky movements and weirdly pitched voice in the animation. After this, we each got handed a sheet and were asked to create a constellation we could see. I have to say my group really nailed it.

I really enjoyed Star Night and the sleepover experience. It was both educational and fun, even if we only got a measly five hours of sleep!

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Appreciating Our Place in the Solar System By James W (Grade 8)

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Our universe is huge, and we are just a speck on a vast canvas where space paints its works. Nebulae, galaxies, stars, supernovas – they all seem so far away. Perhaps it’s best to just focus on our own solar system!

The solar system is composed of eight planets: four rocky and four gas giants. We live on Earth, the third planet from the sun.

We decided the easiest way to appreciate Earth’s size compared to the solar system was to create a scale diagram. We substituted 50,000 kilometers for one centimeter on paper. We then used clay to create a model of our solar system.

Afterwards, we hopped out of our seats and followed Mr. Winkelman to the field. The first four terrestrial (inner) planets quickly fell into place with the groups Mr. Winkelman assigned. He and the rest of the class then dashed out about 100 meters, where they placed Jupiter.

We continued onwards, until we found Saturn a couple of hundred meters away. As Saturn stopped and the rest of us moved on, Jupiter scrambled to catch up. We continued this pattern until we reached Pluto.

Most people think of the calculator, protractor and compass as being essential tools for math, but a group of innovative high school students have recently been using the saw, hammer and drill in their math class. The students have been applying theory learned in math class in the woodwork shop as part of the design thinking unit BEAD Math.

BEAD, which stands for business, engineering, art and design, is a hands-on project-based learning unit that requires students to use their knowledge of trigonometry and measurement to build lamps and bookshelves.

The elective course was previously only available to students in grades 11 and 12, but this year it has expanded to include grades 9 and 10. During the first quarter, students learned basic components of mathematical art through animation to

We went from the back of the domes all the way around the stadium, through the middle school office, and ending up by the doors near the elementary school. After a brief discussion by Mr. Winkelman involving berries and scale, we were allowed to go to the cafeteria for hot chocolate: an ideal ending to an experiential learning opportunity out of this world!

produce their own portfolios.

“It began with an idea of moving away from just using textbooks, which has opened things up and given kids a lot of freedom in the ideas they can run with. It fits well with ISB’s strategic plan; the ideas we had for the course just naturally aligned,” explained high school math teacher Mr. Andrew Armstrong.

BEAD Math consists of a three-stage process: design, building and business. The latter stage requires students to consider how they would meet market demands by determining the quantity of materials and costs to fulfill an order to build hundreds of units per month.

The class also aligns with Strategic Initiative 5 by utilizing an external partnership and deepens Chinese integration for students, who receive guidance from local carpenter Mr. Tom Dong. Although encountering some setbacks, students managed to succeed by collaborating in small groups and learning to resolve real-world problems.

“Students liked the fact that we were facing challenges every day. Some days we would turn up and the wood was wrong or cut to the wrong size, which is what happens in business. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have and reconfigure your design. I thought it was frustrating, but they liked that we had to work through those issues as a group,” said Mr. Armstrong.

Grade 11 student Mike L has built a lamp and a bookshelf in the class. Working in a group of three, he said he had learned about the true value of math.

”In this class, I get to learn how math works in real life. I really like how I get to do things hands-on rather than just sitting down and solving math problems,” he said. “I really enjoy woodwork. I might even take this as a hobby in my future and maybe even start building my own furniture.”

Watch a video about BEAD Math on Dragons’ Tube

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NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice is best remembered by fans for catching game-winning touchdown passes, but he captured the hearts of students during a discussion at ISB on November 15. Rice inspired a hundreds-strong audience of students, teachers and parents with his message of working hard and never losing sight of one’s passion.

“The most important thing is to find something that you love doing. I never looked at football as a job. It was my way of entertaining people and bringing so much excitement to their life on that given day. I remember going to training camp early because I wanted to be the best football player I could possibly be,” said Rice, who won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers.

Rice also took time to speak with ISB staff and sign memorabilia auctioned after his dialogue to raise funds for the Love & Hope Center, a local charity committed to the care and education of underprivileged youth in China.

Among items autographed were portraits of the star by ISB middle school art teacher Mr. Steve Northcott.

The dialogue was held in Gym 2 and led by ISB students Edward C, Quinn S (both Grade 11), Jasmin J and Billy L (both Grade 12). Despite some initial nerves among students ahead of meeting the NFL legend, Rice’s message of teamwork and his down-to-earth personality set the tone for a relaxed conversation.

“I was definitely a little bit tense and nervous [about meeting Rice], but the second I shook his hand all the pressure just went away. It was so relieving to see what a normal, genuine guy he is. Before we went into the gym, he got us together and said, ‘You’re my team and I need to know you have my back,’” said Quinn.

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Rice, runner-up on reality TV show Dancing with the Stars in 2006, also showed flair by breaking into an impromptu cha-cha with fellow Mississippian Ms. Menya Jefferson, a dance instructor from the Seoul Foreign School visiting ISB for the Asia-Pacific Activities Conference Dance Festival.

ISB’s Strategic Plan IV gives students access to expertise and real-world learning experiences. By reflecting on their success in various aspects of life, experts such as Rice demonstrate the importance of key values including teamwork and leadership.

“Jerry Rice’s work ethic was amazing. He was the guy always practicing 24-7. He showed up early before training, even before the rookies. His actions spoke louder than his words, and that’s the kind of communication we here at ISB want to try and hold dear to our hearts,” said Edward.

Rice’s visit to ISB also provided a unique opportunity for four students in ISB’s Film Club, who collaborated with NFL China by providing the star with his own multimedia team throughout his Beijing visit.

By developing partnerships with such organizations, ISB provides innovative educational opportunities for students.

“When you’ve got real people from real companies relying on you to do your part, you feel you want to succeed more. That drive is more there in a real-world setting to do your passion or do what you care about,” said Elias K, a Grade 11 student.

“Whenever someone like Jerry Rice comes to ISB, it’s always an inspirational moment to hear what they have to say to us. But I think he really left an impact on us because [even though] he was talking about a sport, in film it’s almost the same; you need teamwork and goals you can strive for,” said May H, also in Grade 11.

Watch a video about Jerry Rice’s visit on Dragons’ Tube

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&OLPDWH�&RXSOH�9LVLWV�,6%�RQ�(SLF�5LGH�$FURVV�$VLDBy Tom Fearon

Many newlyweds spend their honeymoon relaxing with their feet up, but David Kroodsma and Lindsey Fransen decided to put their feet to work by pedaling across Asia. Their epic journey began in April 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey. Six months, eight countries and more than 8,000 kilometers later, they rode into ISB.

During their passage along the ancient Silk Road, the pair witnessed the impact of a modern challenge: climate change. Cycling and environmentalism go hand-in-hand for the couple. In 2005, the Ride for Climate campaign was born when Mr. Kroodsma set out on a 33,000-kilometer journey across Latin America.

Mr. Kroodsma, a climate researcher, and his wife Ms. Fransen, who helps communities adapt to rising sea levels, cycled through Asia on the latest leg of their campaign. On October 29, they visited ISB to share a simple message: we can stop global warming by taking small steps each day.

“You can really accomplish amazing things if you sit down and do a little bit every day. It’s amazing to me how unimpressed I am in some ways that we’ve crossed Asia, because it doesn’t seem that hard day to day if you do a little a bit. If you do a little bit every day, after a year or two you’ve crossed the world. I think climate change is the same. It’s so daunting to think about having an entirely different energy system in 50 years,” said Mr. Kroodsma.

The couple began their visit at ISB by speaking to Grade 7 students in the theater. During their presentation they spoke about biking through Asia, sharing photos of the stunning landscape they witnessed and the hospitable people they met.

But behind all the enriching cross-cultural encounters were sobering reminders about the impact of climate change, including lower snowfall in Turkey amid warmer winters and valleys flooded by damming in Tajikistan.

Students engaged in a Q&A session following the couple’s presentation, taking the opportunity to ask them about everything from managing calls of nature on remote stretches of highway to finding out how they can improve the planet.

“The questions they asked were really great. It’s so great they have inquisitiveness, which is a huge advantage. It’s also so great to see their international outlook. What I care about almost more than climate change is that people have that international outlook. There are so many problems, like climate change, that have no borders and require people to think internationally,” said Mr. Kroodsma.

Global-mindedness is a core value at ISB, where students are encouraged to think about the world outside of their classroom. Developing an international perspective allows students to consider how they can contribute to the world as global citizens.

Through clubs including Greenkeepers and Roots & Shoots, students implement environmental projects within ISB and local community that align with Mr. Kroodsma and Ms. Fransen’s climate campaign.

“It’s really great that students here are able to have a tangible idea about what the world is like and start preparing from a young age for being a part of that real world and contributing to it. It’s not just a matter of graduating, going to college and getting a job. It’s important to find out what their passions are, and if that includes a desire to improve the environment that’s better for everyone,” said Ms. Fransen.

The couple will complete their Ride for Climate journey through South Asia by cycling through Nepal, India and Bangladesh using pedal power to rally people power for action on climate change.

Watch a video about David and Lindsey’s visit on Dragons’ Tube

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It is easy to think of film as an essentially visual experience, but renowned composer James Humberstone taught ISB high school film students the art of composing a compelling soundtrack in his series of November workshops.

Whether it’s tugging at viewers’ heartstrings or putting them on the edge of their seat, sound in film has

the power to set the tone and mood of what is on screen.

Using audio editing software GarageBand and Pro Tools, students experimented with a diverse mix of sounds ranging from pulsating drum beats to music that inspired some creative dance moves.

“The film students were quite confronted by this expectation to do original composition, but as the week has gone on we’ve had a great time, especially as we’ve moved away from esoteric stuff to popular music genres,” said Dr. Humberstone.

ISB’s partnership with Dr. Humberstone gives students access to new learning opportunities and promotes creativity, a core value at the school. An innovator in the use of new technologies in music, Dr. Humberstone has arranged and composed

orchestral music for films and multimedia installations.

He also gave students his latest interactive e-book, providing them with a valuable resource of knowledge on using drone to create apprehension, experimenting with the effects of timbre, writing chord patterns and creating motifs. “It’s surprising how easy it is to compose music. I thought it’d be a lot more difficult, but it’s easy,” said Kassia K, a Grade 9 student.

The unique experiential learning opportunity struck a chord with the school’s Strategic Plan IV by giving students access to expertise and the best learning methods consistent with the school’s core values.

“It’s really great to have such a talented composer come in, because in film sound is the key component. It conveys so many emotions in a film. Definitely having him here not only helps with our understanding of music, but also our understanding of how to put sound to good use in film,” said Chris S, also in Grade 9.

Students’ passion for learning and active involvement in a project with a real-world, practical purpose resulted in a memorable experience that ISB’s visiting maestro predicted would inspire sustained learning.

“Generally, it’s just that enthusiasm for [ISB students’] learning that I really enjoy here. The students are very friendly and eager to learn and do new things,” said Dr. Humberstone. “They always greet those opportunities with enthusiasm and grab them with both hands, which I think is the ‘ISB student.’”

&RPSRVHU�*LYHV�6WXGHQWV�6RXQGWUDFN�IRU�6XFFHVVBy Tom Fearon

Award-winning author Bali Rai was ISB’s author in residence from November 3 to 6. Rai was born in 1971 in Leicester, Britain, and grew up in a multicultural community. As a child he dreamed about three things: playing soccer for Liverpool, being reggae singer Bob Marley and becoming a writer.

Mr. Rai took time out of his busy schedule of middle school writing workshops to speak to Friends of the Library, a group of students who contribute to the library’s design and promotion of books that appeal to middle school readers.

Q: What inspired you to write you first book? A: One of my teachers read James and the Giant Peach [by Roald Dahl] and I thought it would be cool to live inside a giant peach.Q: When did you first decide to start writing?A: When I was 7. Q: Do you have a specific writing style? A: I try to write gritty, serious-themed young adult fiction.Q: Do your novels carry a message for readers? A: Not really. I like writing characters who are different from the ones we constantly read about in books. Q: Who are your favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work? A: One is James Lee Burke, who has long, detailed descriptions. Another is George Palecanos, who barely has any descriptionsQ: Do you travel much as an author? A: Yes. I need to travel to schools or for research.

4$�ZLWK�,6%�$XWKRU�LQ�5HVLGHQFH�%DOL�5DL By Alan W (Grade 7), Phillip F (Grade 7) and Iris Y (Grade 8)

Q: What was the hardest part of writing your book? A: There is always one point during writing when you have to overcome the problem of overthinking. I think that is the hardest part.Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?A: Read a lot and write a lot! Publishers won’t really read your work if they don’t know you.Q: What parts of writing do you like the most/least?A: I like when I first get an idea and start planning my story. I hate editing for the third, fourth and fifth time. Q: What change would you like to see in literature?A: There should be a broader range of books. Just because something was a classic in Europe in the 19th century, it doesn’t mean someone today wants to read it. It was great talking with Mr. Rai, who was really funny and very inspiring! We highly recommend reading his books.

Watch a video about Dr. Humberstone’s visit on Dragons’ Tube

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Collaboration is at the heart of the best combinations in life: Tom and Jerry, Batman and Robin, milk and cookies. The world of children’s fiction is no different, as elementary school students found out in late November when ISB welcomed authors in residence Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore, better known as the Two Steves.

The dynamic duo met over 20 years ago when they were both teaching in Nottingham, Britain. Since then they have written more than 150 books together. They have also acted as series editors on numerous reading programs for several major publishing houses.

During their visit to ISB the pair led creative writing workshops for Grade 5 students, who learned the essential components of a good story including character development and foreshadowing.

“With this age group, they are very unafraid and that’s really refreshing. The further they go in school, pressure to achieve and get certain results leads them to become more conscious of failure and anxious to avoid it, whereas at this age they just go for it. That’s important when kids are given space to fail, because that’s when you learn,” said Mr. Barlow, the self-described “taller, hairier” one of the Two Steves.

ISB’s access to experts, such as the Two Steves, broadens students’ horizons and unlocks new learning opportunities that draw on the school’s core values, including creativity and global-mindedness. One of the purposes of the authors’ visit to ISB was to stress the value of maintaining focus when writing a story, said Mr. Skidmore.

Ask many young children what they want to be when they grow up and you will hear a variety of answers: superhero, princess, or maybe even a spy. However, children’s author Andrea Beaty has inspired many elementary school students to set their sights on unlikely fields: architecture and engineering.

The heroes in Ms. Beaty’s children’s books are budding technocrats whose creativity offers solutions to many different challenges. Rosie

Revere, Engineer tells the story of a brilliant inventor who builds a contraption to make her aunt’s dream to fly come true. Then there is Iggy Peck, Architect, in which a young boy is confronted by his new teacher who dislikes his architecture.

Ms. Beaty engaged with students in grades 1 and 2 on December 1 in the Multi-Purpose Room. After reading Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer, she spoke about how she gets ideas for books and encouraged students to use their imagination to come up with ideas for writing their own stories.

“I want to teach children to embrace their passion and follow

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By Tom Fearon

“What we tend to find with Grade 5 students is that they try to do too much. Very often it’s because they are trying to rehash some video game they have played that has an entire world with hundreds of characters and loads of location, but they run out of steam,” he said. “ISB students are enthusiastic and want to learn, which is great. If we can engage and tap into that need and want to learn, that makes our job a lot more enjoyable.”

The usual approach to story writing for many students involves coming up with a beginning and then improvising to an end. However, the Two Steves’ workshops taught students how to plan their stories from the end to provide a solid framework for their stories.

Before putting pen to paper, students were encouraged to think about how they would develop their narrative, rise tension to a climax, invent characters, plan dialogue and embed internal and external conflicts.

“A story is like a journey and you’re taking your reader on a journey. If you set off on a journey, you tend to know where your destination is. So we use the analogy of a satellite navigation system, whereby you enter the end of the journey at the beginning. If you do that, kids know where to get to in the end because they have a goal,” said Mr. Skidmore.

their interests. It’s important they realize that no one gets it right all the time and discover that when you fail is when you really learn,” said the New York Times bestselling author. “Learning is about exploration. Children need to explore their creativity and not have the mindset that there are only right and wrong answers.”

Ms. Beaty, who studied biology and computer science before becoming an author, hopes her stories can inspire more children, particularly girls, to develop a passion for science. “Every child starts off feeling like they can do anything, but then self-doubt can creep in. Somewhere around the fifth or sixth grade, a lot of girls walk away from science. That’s kind of heartbreaking, because it’s so much fun,” she said.

Ms. Beaty’s visit also provided a unique opportunity for children to collaborate in a project-based learning opportunity in elementary school art teacher Ms. Jesse Bradley’s class. Characters in Ms. Beaty’s stories were the focus of the question: How do we, as architects and engineers, create a found-object model of a Heidelberg house?

The Heidelberg Project is an outdoor art initiative that aims to improve the lives of people and neighborhoods. Ms. Bradley’s students plan to display their “houses” in the hallway to form their own Heidelberg Project neighborhood. Make sure you check out the creative works next time you pass by the ES art department!

Watch a video about the Two Steves on Dragons’ Tube

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A semester of creativity and collaboration among more than a dozen upper elementary school students culminated with a colorful art exhibition on November 14 in the MS/HS Cafeteria. Students’ paintings were created as part of an after-school activity (ASA) led by Grade 12 student Sabrina S, who enjoyed sharing her own passion for art with fellow Dragons.

“Originally, I signed up with Passionate Projects and was really into the idea of

having kids be expressive and confident because it stays with you as you grow up,” she said. “I really like how the kids are so happy to be involved in this. They are proud of what they have created and like being able to show their works to our community.”

Subjects of exhibited paintings ranged from animals and nature to abstract themes. All reflected a high level of student engagement, with Sabrina noting parents were “really excited for the second session” of the popular ASA.

PreK 4 children recently spread their creative wings by creating colorful butterfly artworks that reflect light through their classroom window. Just as a caterpillar undergoes change to become a butterfly, children in Ms. Christine Ishii’s class experienced their own artistic transformation while making their butterflies.

Emerging from their “creative cocoons” was a group effort, with effective collaboration generating innovative ideas for designs and inspiring critical thinking to go beyond simply drawing butterflies on paper. The idea to create stained glass-like artworks gained flight when students observed actual butterfly specimens encased in resin.

“We took their original butterfly pictures and held them up to the window to see how they would look. Then we got some specimens and held those up to the window. A girl said, ‘Look! The butterfly makes light!’ The resin was transparent unlike students’ pictures, so we decided to draw pictures that could reflect light,” recalled Ms. Ishii.

The class turned to upper elementary school art teacher Ms. Jenny Winkelman for transparent acrylic canvases. They also received some “gummy” paints destined for the trash can, which provided a creative twist to their artworks. The paints turned into a rubber-like substance upon drying, creating the unexpected stained-glass window effect.

“After some experimenting, we found [the artworks] could be

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Student-led ASA Paints Picture of Innovation By Tom Fearon

plastered on the window. We started making our butterflies out in the hallway and more kids came by and wanted to join. It just grew,” said Ms. Ishii.

The butterfly designs were based on specimens researched online, with outlines printed and enlarged using a photocopier before children added their colorful touch by painting in the hallway.

“I didn’t have any expectations. We weren’t sure where it was going to go, but we may do a music composition to match the window or tell a story about the butterflies,” said Ms. Ishii.

In addition to creativity, the exhibition highlighted another core ISB value in service as demonstrated by Sabrina’s mentoring of young students pursuing their passion for painting. The senior credited ISB for helping her realize her artistic potential and encouraged others to follow suit.

“When I was growing up in Singapore, I didn’t have a lot of opportunity to be artsy because my last school didn’t have many courses that allowed that freedom. When I came to ISB, I automatically wanted to do art because I am really interested in it. I want to share the joy of painting with other kids,” she said.

12

What’s round, furry on the inside, and a fun way to learn math? A hamster ball race! Children in kindergarten gathered on the elementary school’s red carpet on November 21 to cheer on hamsters Fluffy and Steve, who each rolled their way down lanes divided with baskets marked with numbers.

The hamster ball race offered a fun way for students to learn about counting and timing, with children calling out numbers as Fluffy and Steve inched their way to the finish line. Placards were waved by children cheering on their favorite hamster, with some unable to contain their excitement and wanting to

.LQGHUJDUWHQHUV�+DYH�D�%DOO�ZLWK�+DPVWHU�5DFH������������ By Tom Fearon

,6%�&HOHEUDWHV�0RYHPEHU�ZLWK�&KLOL�&RRNRӽ������������� By Tom Fearon

ISB’s facial-haired faculty wound back the clock with some vintage moustaches to celebrate Movember, an annual event in which men grow moustaches to raise awareness about men’s health. The month-long charity campaign culminated with a staff chili cookoff in the Faculty Lounge on November 26.

Moustaches weren’t the only order of the day, with plenty of goatees, beards and “misstaches” from Mo Sisters visible at the cookoff. Fortunately, no hair ended up in pots of chili prepared by staff.

There was chili to suit every palate at the cookoff. Among the most popular were chilis by high school math and science teacher Mr. Travis Tebo, middle school principal Mr. Mark Hardeman, ESOL teacher Mr. Jason Muhl and an “all-Texan” recipe by PreK 3 teacher Ms. Karen Fidler. There were also exotic entries by Chinese Integration specialist Ms. Annie He and ed-tech teaching assistant Ms. Pim Arora, whose Thai-flavored chili was a big hit.

Movember badges, bracelets and T-shirts were sold at the cookoff, with all proceeds going toward men’s health charities.

Staff weren’t the only ones to get into the Movember spirit, with a few brave students volunteering to have lines shaved into the side of their heads during lunch on November 20 at the MS/HS Cafeteria. In addition to raising awareness about men’s health, the trendy hairstyles were also a show of solidarity and school spirit leading up to the Tim Callahan Great Wall Shoot-Out named in honor of one of ISB’s proudest former mustachioed teachers.

touch their rolling rodent friends. The winning time of the first two races was 27 seconds, with Steve claiming victory in the first race and Fluffy in the second race.

With both hamsters evenly poised and deafening cheers from the sidelines, anticipation was high heading into the third, deciding race to crown the elementary school hamster champion. After a nervous start from both critters, Fluffy broke away from Steve to roll to glory in a time of – you guessed it – 27 seconds.

13

Spending a night at a hotel offers a luxurious home-away-from-home experience, especially at the Grand Hyatt Beijing. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at an international five-star hotel, like how the beds are always perfectly made whenever you return to your room, or how a hotel restaurant prepares meals for all of its thousands of guests?

After completing the advertisement unit this term, the two classes of 8-5 and 8-6 were given an opportunity to see how it all really works. As a lucky student in one of those classes, I can say it was an exciting experience.

After navigating our way through a maze of gray hallways snaking with pipes and power lines, we entered one of the wonderful meeting rooms, our first pit stop of the day. The transformation of scenery as we walked in was amazing. The whole room exuded royalty, and the people there were the absolute best. We were all so excited for what they had planned for us!

One of the main focuses of our experiential learning opportunity was understanding how big companies advertise themselves. We first attended an informative presentation on the topic, where we learned the “four Ps” of marketing: product, place, pricing and promotion. We learned the importance of each aspect and how they support each other.

Michelle Lai, communications and marketing manager at the Grand Hyatt Beijing, involved us in the concepts of marketing by collaborating with us in small groups. We also received a

7DNLQJ�([SHULHQWLDO�/HDUQLQJ�WR�D�1HZ�+\DWW������������ By Erica B (Grade 8)

,%�6HQLRUV�8QZLQG�%\�0DNLQJ�3XOOHG�1RRGOHV������������ By Erica B (Grade 8)

It’s not often you see International Baccalaureate (IB) seniors in the student cooking lab, but on December 5 a group of students enthusiastically donned aprons and greased up their hands to learn the art of making lamian (hand-pulled noodles).

For centuries, lamian has been a staple in Northwest China. In modern times, the dish has evolved into a meal-stopping spectacle for diners who marvel at chefs twisting and stretching dough by waving their arms and torso.

Ahead of an IB individual oral commentary assessment on December 8, the lamian workshop aimed to help students in the Year 2 Language and Literature class unwind amid a stressful time of the year.

Leading the class was local lamian master Mr. Zhang Dongping, whose interaction with students deepened their Chinese integration by encouraging them to ask questions in Chinese and learn more about culinary culture. A native of Lanzhou in Gansu Province where lamian dates back more than 500 years, Chef Zhang offered useful tips to students as they twisted, twirled and tossed their noodles into fine strands.

Collaborating in small groups, students were able to create noodles worthy of being served at Beijing’s finest lamian restaurants. Served in a beef or mutton-based soup, the end result was a mouthwatering success conveniently prepared in time for lunch.

“Anyone can learn to make lamian. You just need to have the

personal tour of the kitchen and other hotel facilities. We even got to taste-test delicacies ranging from smoked salmon to bite-size cheesecake.

Walking by the pool transported us to a tropical paradise. The skies above the pool were a beautiful sunset purple, creating a relaxing atmosphere that belied the CBD surrounds outside. I know I speak for all of my classmates when I say that this whole experience was amazing. It was not only an experiential learning opportunity, but it also was a lot of fun!

right technique and have fun,” said Chef Zhang, who has been making lamian for more than 20 years.

14

Take a class of high school students, stir in knowledge of Chinese cuisine and add a pinch of collaboration and you have the recipe for a delicious experiential learning opportunity in the student cooking lab. A class of Chinese A3 students led by teachers Yang and Zhou Laoshi rolled up their sleeves and laced up their aprons to prepare famous Chinese dishes on November 26.

Students worked in small teams to make signature chuancai (Sichuan cuisine) delicacies including mapo doufu (spicy garlic tofu), gongbao jiding (Kung Pao chicken) and suanrong xilanhua (crushed garlic and broccoli). Some teams put their own twists on the dishes by varying ingredients to cater to their own tastes.

Mouth-numbing peppercorns, hot chili paste, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and onion created a heady mix of aromas in the student cooking lab, where dishes tempted taste buds with a rich array of flavors.

Each team was assigned multiple dishes, requiring multi-tasking and delegation among students for various culinary duties.

“I was really impressed with the students, especially considering that for most it was their first time cooking Chinese food. There was a lot of collaboration in learning complicated steps,

$�%LWH�RI�&KLQD�LQ�WKH�6WXGHQW�&RRNLQJ�/DE������������ By Tom Fearon

,URQ�&KHI�&RPSHWLWLRQ�6HUYHV�8S�&ROODERUDWLRQ�and Innovative Learning By Brook Ketchum (HS Physical Education Teacher)

and students used Chinese to communicate with each other,” said Yang Laoshi, a Sichuan native who judged the gongbao jiding to be the best dish of the day.

Throughout the rest of the year students will learn the signature dishes and cooking methods of other regional cuisines including sucai (Jiangsu), zhecai (Zhejiang), yuecai (Guangdong) and lucai (Shandong).

Students also took photos to provide their peers and new ISB families with a step-by-step guide for cooking Chinese dishes. The guidebook features descriptions and recipes of each dish in Chinese and English.

“We want readers to learn about the differences between food from the north and south of China, while also understanding why culinary styles differ regionally. For example, rice is popular in the south and wheat-flour is popular in the north,” said Yang Laoshi, attributing the difference to each region’s climate.

The guidebook will also include recommended Chinese restaurants in neighborhoods popular with ISB families including Wangjing and Shunyi, as well as instructions on how to find restaurants and read reviews on dianping.com, China’s largest restaurant review website.

In late October, excitement was buzzing among many of our Grade 10 students as they prepared to compete in an Iron Chef Competition. The competition was part of a three-phase nutrition project that placed emphasis on student-centered learning, collaboration, inquiry, digital graphic design, technology and cooking.

In phase one, students built their background knowledge of nutrition by working in teams to

create colorful, comprehensive digital portfolios in which they critiqued one another’s work and presented their work to the class.

In phase two, each team used what they learned and applied it by searching and analyzing dishes that they could prepare that would be tasty and healthy. During this phase they also worked to make ingredients cards and detailed time management plans for use on the day of the event.

Phase three of the project consisted of the competition, self and group assessments, and project reflection. The highlight of the project was the competition, where students had an hour to prepare two healthy dishes that would be judged by faculty members and scored based on their ability to demonstrate teamwork, time management, and their dish’s taste and nutrition. The head chef of each team sported a masterful chef hat, while other team members wore hairnets.

ISB’s food services manager and head chef assisted in the preparation and on-site logistics, which allowed students to make a deeper connection with a different facet of ISB and the professionals that play an integral part in school operations.

Upbeat music and spirited collaboration in the student cooking lab prompted many passersby to stop and observe the competition. Dishes prepared by the students were incredibly healthy, creative, beautifully presented and outstandingly delicious. The Iron Chef Competition was an event that will be remembered!

15

+HDOWK�3%/�+HOSV�'HP\VWLI\�0HQWDO�,OOQHVV������������ By Sophia Z, Veronika L and Judy J (All Grade 10)

Project-based learning (PBL) allows students to freely explore their own areas of interest. Throughout our health course, we worked on both essential units as well as our chosen PBL, where we got to choose and explore a health topic of our choice. In our group we wanted to learn about mental health. This led us to wonder how we could use art to depict various mental illnesses.

We came up with our driving question: How can we, as artists, create 3D art that will allow people to understand what it feels like to suffer from a mental disorder? We wanted to investigate this topic because it challenged us to reach out of our comfort zone and try to empathize with an aspect of society that we hadn’t really understood before. We spent a lot of time researching mental illness, and by the end of the semester we had created three models depicting the disorders autism, depression and anorexia.

Our autism model shows a manikin isolated in a bubble and surrounded by smaller dolls placed in a colorful environment in a black box. Our desire was to represent the different ways in which autistic people are absorbed in and view their world, as well as the way they stand out in ours. The colorful background creates a contrast with the surrounding blackness, symbolizing the various elements of life in which those with autism are exposed to, but cannot comprehend in ways we generally would.

Our depression model shows a black cloth wrapped around a manikin tangled in wire. Its fetal position shows seclusion and insecurity, while the black cloth sets a dark and gloomy mood. Entangled in wire, we tried to show the inner turmoil that a depressed person might experience in life.

Our anorexia model contains towering mirrors surrounding a fragile manikin. This is to express how individuals suffering anorexia are obsessed with their body image and how they

believe others perceive them. Mirror shards on the inside give a “broken” view of the individual, conveying how people with anorexia continuously perceive themselves as “defective.”

Reflecting upon the whole project, we learned a substantial amount of new knowledge. This project tested our ability to understand what theses disorders are and how they affect a person both mentally and physically. We also learned how to effectively communicate with others as we tried to contact parents and teachers for interviews.

In our interview with social studies teacher Ms. Voigt, she questioned, “What is reality, and who says what is reality?” This encouraged us to think about this question and debate what “reality” sufferers of mental disorders see, and how it differs from what other people see.

By channeling all of this into our art, we wanted to express empathy, compassion and emotion that would allow the audience to connect on a deeper level.

Grade 2 students performed a collection of holiday pieces for their program “The Lights of December” in the theater on December 9. The show incorporated a number of songs celebrating different winter holiday traditions including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and preparations for Chinese New Year. Students accompanied these songs with several dances and instrumental pieces. All were very excited to show the elements of movement, drama and music they learned in performing arts to an eager audience of family and friends.

Students in Mrs. Eveland’s Grade 2 visual arts class used a variety of sculptural techniques to create the set design for the Celebrations Musical. Ms. Sarah’s class made lanterns for Chinese New Year using paper mache and balloons. Ms. Kelly’s class made candles for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Ms. Lane’s class made accessories for Hanukkah including two big dreidels and gold coins called “gelt.” They also wrapped boxes to look like Christmas and Hanukkah presents. Ms. Van’s class made things to celebrate winter: candles, a snowman, penguins and snowballs. We used most recycled materials like coffee cans,

paper towel tubes and newspaper. Special thanks to Ms. Ma for all of her help setting up the artwork.

*UDGH���3HUIRUPDQFH�6SUHDGV�)HVWLYH�&KHHUBy Matt Enders (ES Music Teacher)

16

High school students in the Chinese Neo-native III course learned about playwriting and drama last semester, especially the influence of language on an audience. In this unit, students read two well-known Chinese plays: The First Imitate Contact by Qingshui Buding (清水布丁) and Sunrise by Cao Yu. During class time, students acted out character roles in the plays to learn more about how to express emotions through acting. Thanks to the Chinese Program at ISB, students had the opportunity to watch a live production of Sunrise performed by the Tianjin People’s Art Theater Troupe at the Art and Educational Center for the Performing Art of Tsinghua University.

与中文戏剧面对面 By Stephanie D (Grade 10)

最近，高中中文部近母语三级（HSNN3）班的学生们正在学习和研究中国戏剧。在这个单元里，学生们阅读了由现代网络爱情小说改编的舞台剧《第一次亲密的接触》和当代著名话剧《日出》。在课上，学生们首先研究了戏剧是如何通过剧中人物的行动、语言、心理、肖像的描写去塑造反映当时社会现实的人物形象。为了加深理解，学生们还在课上排演了这两部话剧里的各种角色，体会怎么通过语言、动作的表达来表现出剧中人物的思想感情，进而感染观众。11月21日，学校中文部特意安排了我们去清华大学艺术教育中心现场观看了由天津人民艺术剧院演出的话剧《日出》。《日出》是中国当代经久不衰的最著名的

&KLQHVH�'UDPDV�'HHSHQ�&XOWXUDO�,QWHJUDWLRQ������������� By Emma C and Evan C (Both Grade 10)

话剧之一。它是曹禺先生的代表作。主要是从社会各阶层的几个人物的生活中反映了当时社会的黑暗和不公平。它以交际花陈白露为主角，讲述了她住在一个旅馆里的生活。陈白露的客厅就是旅馆的“活动场所”，不少社会名流和有钱人都到她的客厅里去聊天、喝酒、打牌来消磨时光。他们的生活背景和做事态度都深深地影响着陈白露。该剧里还有一个重要的场所就是楼上的妓院，不少穷苦女孩在那里过着悲惨的生活。不同角色的服装、语言、表情和动作也惟妙惟肖地反映了他们的生活状况。这些社会中形形色色的人物的性格和命运交汇成了一曲曲对命运抗争、对社会反抗之歌。

Sunrise is one of the most famous plays performed in China. The focus of the play is to express the darkness and corruption of society through the storylines of multiple characters. The play revolves around the main character, Chen Bailu, describing her life in a hotel. Chen’s living room serves as the social hub of the hotel, where all the socialites in their society go to chat, drink and play cards.

17

Migration has been a part of human civilization for as long as people have roamed the Earth. People migrate for various economic, social and political reasons. Some people choose to migrate to enhance their career opportunities, while others are forced to migrate to escape war or famine. However, all migrants share a common desire: to improve their livelihood in their newfound home.

Grade 4 students learned about the reasons people migrate during a speaker series last semester. Three speakers shared their compelling family stories of migration with the class, increasing students’ relevant learning through authentic local engagements. The series began with a talk by math teacher Ms. Linh Vu, who shared her harrowing story of fleeing Vietnam as a child.

Escaping the WarMs. Vu’s grandfather was a wealthy businessman and her father worked for the government, but their lives turned upside down when the country’s south fell to communist forces from the north. Her father was jailed and their house was seized by soldiers, who made holes in the walls to make sure they weren’t hiding any money or gold. Ms. Vu and her family were blindfolded and sent to the countryside while her father was jailed.

They eventually fled Vietnam by boat, hiding jewelry in their clothes and as much gold as they could bring to help them with their new life. Everyone slept on the floor of the boat crammed side by side. During their voyage, they were attacked by pirates who came aboard their boat brandishing huge knives. The pirates stole everything they had – money, jewelry, food and water.

Ms. Vu and her family eventually docked at Hong Kong, where they were transferred to a refugee camp. Everyone lived in one big building, where Ms. Vu shared a single bed with her mom and two siblings. They received basic provisions at the camp, but schooling was limited and many adults made souvenirs.

Ms. Vu’s uncle, who lived in Chicago, sponsored her family’s passage to the US. It was tough for Ms. Vu, who was the only Asian child at school and initially unable to speak English. It was also difficult at home for her mother, who relied on food stamps and was unsure about the fate of her husband.

After four years without seeing her father, Ms. Vu was finally reunited with him when she was 9.

Ms. Vu’s talk was followed by an engaging experiential learning component for students in 4EL, who were taken by surprise when Ms. Krista McGowan’s Grade 8 class “took over” their classroom. The younger students were forced out and could only watch helplessly as the big kids took their jackets, stationary and other possessions. Their feelings of anxiety, fear and frustration eventually turned to relief, however, when it was explained that it was all staged to let children know how it feels to be displaced and vulnerable.

Great Leap to a Better LifeMr. YC Chan was full of idealism to make China a better country when he left his native Hong Kong in 1952 to study in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. Four years later, he graduated and was assigned a teaching position at an agricultural college in Shenyang, Liaoning Province.

Although he was a professor, he only taught for four years. The

6SHDNHUV�6KDUH�6WRULHV�RI�0LJUDWLRQ�ZLWK�*UDGH������� By Tom Fearon

rest of his time was spent in the countryside, where he worked in a factory and in the fields. His monthly salary was 69 yuan ($11.15) for 19 years, during which time he endured hardships including the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution.

Yearning for more freedom and a better life for his family, Mr. Chan moved back to Hong Kong with his family during China’s reform and opening-up.

In his retirement, Mr. Chan migrated to Canada to lead a more comfortable life.

“People are always looking for a better place to live, just as birds migrate during the winter to find a better living environment,” he said.

To gain a sense of the hardships endured by Mr. Chan, some students took on the challenge to go without food for the day. Some felt dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous, weak, and just plain old hungry with a rumbling stomach.

Fleeing from FascismThe final guest speaker was Grade 5 teacher Ms. Sandra Pasconlini, who shared her grandparents Luigi and Amelia’s story of migration from Gubbio, Italy to Buffalo, New York. Luigi was an outspoken critic of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s regime. His views attracted suspicion, and he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by the secret police one night in his home.

However, he was later involved in a struggle that ended fatally for a secret policeman atop a local hill. Realizing it was no longer safe to stay in Gubbio, Luigi and Amelia migrated to New York to start their new lives.

Tragedy struck the family when Luigi died while getting his tonsils removed, forcing his sons aged 13 and 16 to drop out of school and work. Ms. Pascolini’s uncle lied about his age to enlist in the army in order to get a small salary, while her father took on two full-time jobs plus a part-time job to make ends meet. His lack of education limited his choices, but he worked hard to make a better future for his family.

Mr. YC Chan’s sons pose in front of a portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76).

18

6WXGHQWV�*HW�LQWR�WKH�6ZLQJ�RI�:RUOG�$LU�7RVV� &KDPSLRQVKLSV������������������������������������������������������By Tom Fearon

Baseball has the World Series and soccer has the World Cup, but each year ISB has its own sporting spectacle that entertains, thrills and inspires: the World Air Toss Championships! Teamwork and communication are essential elements of the game, in which players swing their way Tarzan-style to glory by shooting a ball into a basketball hoop or bucket – or both if they are lucky.

Students in grades 3 to 5 apply unit concepts of aim, force, accuracy and timing learned in their physical education classes in a showcase of skill and fun. This year’s much anticipated World Air Toss Championships were held in Gym 2 from November 24 to 27. The championships marked the culmination of the target games unit, with the best two classes in each grade facing off in the finals.

Students from all grade levels were invited to cheer on the finalists, with parents among the gym’s vocal spectators. A House Color Challenge was also held for PE classes in which each class scored points for their house color total. This year, the Red team had the highest score with almost 2,000 points!

Our World Air Toss champions for 2014-15 are 3-AT, 4-SM and 5-HD. Congratulations to these classes. Our winners are proudly declared as “world champions” because, to the best of our knowledge, no other school organizes this fantastic game.

19

Return of the Jedi Jugglers Entertains Audience By Tom Fearon

The Jedi Jugglers celebrated their 15th annual performance at ISB in a trademark showcase of skill and showmanship on October 24. Grade 4 and 5 students displayed their juggling talents in Gym 1, with students in grades 6 to 12 squaring off in a highly entertaining combative juggling competition. Balls, rings, clubs, plungers, tennis rackets and even toilet paper rolls were among items juggled by students on a fun-filled day that promoted their physical well-being. The quest to become a Jedi Juggler is itself a juggling act of coordination and determination. It begins with the rank of Jedi in Training held by students who can juggle three beanbags. They graduate to Jedi Knights upon being able to juggle three beanbags for 20 cycles, three rings for 50 cycles and three clubs for 50 cycles. As Jedi Knights, they are eligible to perform at the show in front of the ISB community.Elite jugglers, known as Council Members, must be able to juggle four beanbags for 10 cycles, three clubs for 100 cycles, three clubs with double spins for 20 cycles and juggle with a partner six beanbags for 10 cycles. But there is more to being a Council Member than just tossing items, with 10 good deeds witnessed by a parent or teacher also necessary. A record 12 Council Members starred in this year’s Jedi Jugglers performance, with 50 students from grades 4 and 5 juggling as Jedi Knights. Council Members dazzled the audience by juggling on pogo sticks and skateboards, but the real show-stopping moment came during the combative juggling segment.Students jostled with each other while juggling three beanbags in a bid to thwart their opponent’s rhythm and be the last juggler standing. In another event, students juggled on office chairs while being pushed by partners in a thrills-on-wheels race to the finish line.Throughout the performance there was additional entertainment from skits involving a rock band, sports medley, hula girls, Sodexo workers and fairies. There was even a touch of matrimonial bliss, with four boys in wedding dresses and four girls dressed as grooms participating in a ceremony that ended with the declaration, “You may now juggle with the bride.” The show ended with “Eat It,” a segment requiring students to juggle two bean bags and an apple, which they took bites of during each cycle.

20

$3$&�'DQFH�)HVWLYDO�&HOHEUDWHV�&XOWXUDO�'LYHUVLW\��������������������������������������������By Sarah W (Grade 11)

“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” – Jimmy Carter (Former US President)

On November 13, 50 dancers from five schools united at ISB in a celebration of creativity, art and diversity at the APAC Dance Festival. Over three days, participants had the opportunity to learn from professional dancers and choreograph a piece with students from other schools.

The festival culminated on November 15 with a showcase of the “fusion group” dances and individual school performances. This year’s festival celebrated the beauty of diversity exhibited in workshops, musical variety and different backgrounds of dancers, teachers and instructors.

This experience revealed to me that dance is a powerful reflection of cultural identity, while also illuminating changes taking place in our world. As our world continues to diversify and different cultures come into exposure with one another, dance will continue to progress and reflect this diversity and fusion.

In a world where people of different cultures are becoming increasingly connected to one another through technology and immigration, different forms of dance that reflect this fusion of different cultures are constantly being created.

21

+DUPRQ\�5HVRQDWHV�DW�$3$&�2UFKHVWUD�)HVWLYDO By Jerry W (Grade 11) and Auston W (Grade 12)

Senior members of the ISB Concert Orchestra traveled to Shanghai on November 12 for the APAC Orchestra Festival hosted by Shanghai American School (Puxi). The festival provided an opportunity for passionate musicians to come together and share their love for music as one large combined orchestra. Students were from Seoul Foreign School, Shanghai American School (Puxi and Pudong), Taejon Christian International School, the American School of Guangzhou and, of course, our very own ISB.

The combined orchestra performed in an hour-long concert, playing music from a variety of eras. The concert repertoire consisted of “Adagio” by Albinoni, “Irish Tune from Country Derry” by Percy Granger, “Ases Dod” by Edvard Grieg, “Hokum Pocus” by Philip Green, “Aurai Adventurer” by Sam Wu and many more.

The festival featured renowned Australian violist, Lawrence Jacks. A friend of SAS Puxi’s orchestra teacher, Jacks has been principal violist for various orchestras throughout Australia. As an experienced musician, he was able to give great insight into the music and led the students in a fantastic performance.

Students spent countless hours rehearsing over the duration of the festival, sometimes for up to six hours a day. The performance was exciting. Parents and students of SAS Puxi as well as participating schools were in attendance. The final piece, “Irish Legend” by Soon Hee Newbold, received a passionate encore. The fast passages and Irish dancing tunes obviously injected much excitement into the concert.

The five-day trip was also highlighted by a trip to Shanghai’s Yu Garden. Students were given the opportunity to explore a bit of Shanghai, experiencing its shopping scene and distinct local culture.

“I felt that this was the best and most memorable of APAC Orchestra experiences. The music was awesome and I picked up some really nice beanies that will keep me warm for the Beijing winter. It was a fantastic way to end my senior-year APAC Orchestra Festival,” said violinist Michael C.

22

,6% Triumphs in 7LP�&DOODKDQ�*UHDW�:DOO�6KRRW�2XW��������������������������������������������By Tom Fearon

ISB honored one of its legends by winning the boys and girls championships at this year’s Great Wall Shoot-Out on November 29. The 11th annual tournament adopted a new name this year: The Tim Callahan Great Wall Shoot-Out. Mr. Callahan retired from ISB following the 2013-14 school year after 17 years as a physical education teacher and varsity basketball coach.

In addition to hosts ISB, five other schools competed in this year’s round-robin tournament: Australian International School (AIS), Singapore; Chinese International School (CIS), Hong Kong; Concordia International School (CISS), Shanghai; New International School of Thailand (NIST); and Western Academy of Beijing (WAB).

Finals action tipped off with ISB’s varsity boys team playing NIST. Despite a vocal home court advantage, ISB headed into the game as underdogs following their 28-point defeat to NIST earlier in the tournament.

The key to victory for ISB coach Mr. Bruce Weir was shutting down NIST’s star player Sammy B. The New Zealand student scored 38 points in his team’s earlier victory over the Dragons, but was contained to just 10 points in the final.

“I had a simple message before the game: ‘This is our house and we are the defending champions. We need to come out and show why we’re in the final,’” said Coach Weir.

ISB made a sluggish start to the game characterized by unnecessary turnovers, but remained competitive on defense. The Dragons began to play with more confidence in the second quarter, spurred on by a three-pointer by Thomas C to tie the game at 9-9. Despite strong rebounding by big man Alexei M, NIST matched the intensity of ISB’s defense to close out the half with both sides tied at 14.

The game remained tight throughout the third quarter, with NIST holding a narrow two-point lead heading into the final period. In the fourth quarter,

ISB fans raised their voice – and the rafters – to give the Dragons the extra momentum needed to break away from their rivals.

Back-to-back three pointers by Daniel E and Billy Z took the sting out of NIST’s attack. ISB’s Dion D matched his teammates’ dominance outside the arc with his own strong display under the boards, making clutch rebounds inside the final minute to seal a memorable 33-29 victory for the Dragons.

Coach Weir praised NIST for their performance and credited his team’s success to their ability to “find a way to win” in each game.

“We made a lot of mistakes, but our boys just kept plugging away and found a way to get it done. That’s been our modus operandi for the past couple of years; we just find ways to win, even if it isn’t always pretty,” he said.

23

1%$�<DR�6FKRRO�7HDPV�8S�ZLWK�,6%�IRU�$6$ By Tom Fearon

It’s been 12 years since NBA star Joe Alexander led the Dragons to glory in ISB’s Gym 2, but you might not need to wait as long for another one of the school’s students to follow in his footsteps. Each Wednesday afternoon, the gym echoes with the sound of bouncing basketballs as more than 60 students from all divisions learn the game’s fundamentals.

The after-school activity (ASA) is the result of ISB’s partnership with the NBA Yao School founded by Chinese basketball great Yao Ming. The ASA attracted huge interest from boys and girls of all ages eager to learn from a team of NBA-certified instructors that includes former players of the Slovenia and China women’s national teams and a former NBA Development League player.

The ASA aligns with ISB’s Strategic Plan IV by increasing students’ access to expertise through external partnerships, while also assisting the school’s mission by nurturing children’s physical well-being.

“We’re the first school to be associated with NBA China, so it’s a stepping stone for us as an international school and an excellent partnership that gives our kids a chance to learn from high-level international coaches all throughout the year,” said Mr. Jason Cuthbert, assistant director of student activities.

Mr. David Yang, NBA China’s senior vice president of business affairs, said the ASA “marks just the beginning of our

Editor’s Note:ISB observed Women’s Health month in October by organizing various activities that aimed to raise awareness and funds for research into breast cancer. One of these activities was Volley for the Cure, a volleyball match between teachers and students. Ahead of the game, students and parents whose lives have been affected by cancer spoke about their experiences. Their moving speeches provided an opportunity to reflect on the importance of getting annual checkups and served as a reminder to always cherish good health. The following speech was given by Jerry W (Grade 11) whose mother passed away from cancer.

I’m here today to reiterate the importance of getting annual health checkups both individually and with your family.

At age 9, I remember sitting on a couch for a “family talk.” The idea of “I did something wrong” kept going through my head, but then there was a sinking, sad feeling that this wasn’t the typical “you-did-something-wrong” conversation.

That day, I found that my mother was diagnosed with Mycosis fungoides or, more simply put, a rare form of skin cancer. As a 9-year-old child facing that sort of information, I didn’t know what to do. My family was about to start a three-year journey of helping my mother battle cancer.

Unfortunately, I lost my mom to cancer. What I took away from the experience stays with me every day. There is still regret, grief and sadness. But more important than anything else, I’ve learned true gratitude from the experience.

With my mother gone, I can now only encourage others to

9ROOH\EDOO�*DPH�6SLNHV�$ZDUHQHVV�RI�&DQFHU��������������������������������������������By Jerry W (Grade 11)

cooperation” with ISB, saying there are plans to use ISB as a future training base for the NBA Yao School.

“It would be great to produce another Yao Ming or Kobe Bryant from our program, but our main goals are to encourage a healthy lifestyle among children and offer a healthy balance between their studies and exercise,” Mr. Yang said.

The ASA aims to foster teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship and a spirit of community service among students.

embrace what I now deeply understand: to appreciate all that you have. Appreciate all that your mother has given you, the sacrifices she has made, and the time and concentration she has dedicated to making you who you are. To the moms, thank you for all you do for your kids and all us kids at ISB.

Good health is not indefinite. Please show your love and support for your mom, and bring her and your family for regular health checkups. I am a teenager who doesn’t have a mother because of cancer, and this is an experience that I wish for no other child in this world.

24

,6%�6ZLPPHUV�%XUVW�RXW�RI�WKH�%ORFNV�LQ����������������������������������������������������By Kerry Kertes and Kathleen Heinemann (ISB Swim Team Coaches)

The swimming pool has been extremely busy during our first semester. Our schedule has included programs such as youth learn to swim, kayaking, fitness for life, special needs, master classes and adult swim lessons to name a few. Factor in team workouts and meets and it all adds up to active period!

In addition, coach Nic Wilson offered a coaching certificate course through Australia Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association to 17 candidates over the APEC break. It was a very thorough and worthwhile course for all involved. We had 11 visiting coaches, six ISB coaches and 35 ISB swimmers in the water as demonstrators!

Roundup of Home Meets ISB has hosted several swim meets so far this year including Group Standard time trials in September, an in-house time trial event for ages 7 and older. The purpose of this meet was for swimmers to demonstrate current performance levels. It also provided a glimpse into our current swimmers’ fitness levels after the long summer break.

Our next meet was the ISB Pentathlon. Nearly 160 swimmers attended, with each swimming in five events.

This was followed by the ISB/SAS Swimvitational held from October 17 to 19. The annual event was co-hosted with the Shanghai American School. ISB swimmers produced some outstanding swims, with personal best times, pool records and ISB school records all smashed! Of ISB’s 127 swimmers, 94 set personal-best times in at least one event.

The FINA/MASTBANK Swimming World Cup was held in Beijing in late October. A team of ISB swimmers swam alongside world-class swimmers in this meet, which served as a great experience.

Roundup of International MeetsFifty-seven ISB swimmers and four coaches traveled to Taipei American School to compete in the 10th annual Tiger Shark Invitational on November 21 to 23. ISB dominated last year’s meet with its nearly 75 swimmers, but returning to Taipei as

defending champs with fewer swimmers was a daunting task. Three days of competition started with events swum on Friday evening. Saturday’s action lasted a grueling 10 hours, with the last event finishing at 6:00 pm. All swimming on Sunday was completed by 12:00 noon and followed by a luncheon and award ceremony.

The Dragons Swim Team placed a respectable second out of 14 teams, with the home team Tiger Sharks clinching the championship. Nearly 400 swimmers from 10 countries and regions competed in the three-day meet. Swimmers competed in almost 275 events, with nearly 230 personal-best times posted – a remarkable feat!

For ISB, nine of our swimmers placed in the top three for overall point leaders in age group results. A further nine meet records and 10 school records were broken by our swimmers.

Before the winter break, 14 ISB Dragons competed in the Feeding Frenzy Meet on December 5 in Bangkok, Thailand. It marked ISB’s debut at this meet, with great races and times sealing a memorable maiden performance against many fast swimmers from Southeast Asia who we normally do not compete against.

In summary, a total of 60 ISB records were broken in the first four months of school and 20 top-three overall finishes were posted in age-group results. This fantastic start sets the tone for another successful year in the pool for our Dragons!

6WURQJ�3HUIRUPDQFH�E\�,6%�*ROIHUV�DW�$&$0,6� Tournament in Shenzhen By Jim Fidler (MS Humanities Teacher, ISB Golf Coach)

The ISB Golf Team recently finished their season at the ACAMIS tournament at the Palm Island Golf Resort in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. ISB’s team of 12 students was the largest of the eight participating schools, and incorporated students across the school from Grade 5 to Grade 12. The overall standard of the golf was very high.

Several of our students scored very low. Annie S (Grade 8), Hermes G (Grade 12) and Alan Z (Grade 10) shot mid-70s over the 36-hole tournament, which was an excellent effort. In the team championship, ISB finished runners-up to Shanghai American School (Puxi), who had some excellent players shooting under par.

Our other team members enjoyed the challenge of the Palm Island course, with most of our players shooting in the low to mid-80s. It was a challenging tournament and our players

were a great credit to themselves, their families and our school.

We bid farewell to our senior players of Woody L, Hermes G, Stefan P and Leo L who have given great service to our golf team. We wish them the best as they move on to other golfing challenges next year. We have an exciting group of younger players coming through so the future is very bright for our golf team. Go Dragons!

25

,6%�:XVKX�:DUULRUV�:LQ����0HGDOV�DW�6KDROLQ�Temple Festival By Jonathan L (Grade 12), Trinette W, Sophia Z and Stephanie D (all Grade 10)

On the hidden side of the sacred Mount Songshan, ISB’s wushu team stood before an ancient gate where a sign read three of the most fabled characters in Chinese martial arts folklore: Shaolin Temple (少林寺). Our task was to compete against over 3,000 athletes from 66 countries and regions in the International Shaolin Wushu Festival. After two days of intense action, our team of 15 were awarded one silver and 18 bronze medals.

An ISB tradition dating back 21 years, the Wushu Warriors of Wisdom have always been focused on artistic performances and service projects. However, this time our coach Mr. Flores brought us to join one of the two most prestigious events in the martial arts world. We competed in contemporary and traditional wushu events, including swords, daggers, fan, whip and ethnic minority styles. “This challenge helped us grow as a team and to evaluate each other’s performance more critically than ever before,” said Jonathan L.

Tonia B, a Grade 11 member of our team, noted that being evaluated by national and international judges was a nerve-racking experience. “I felt intimidated competing against professionals. However, this helped me realize that I will further commit to wushu and strive to reach higher levels,” she said.

Our success at the festival cannot be measured with trophies. The experience taught us more about the ethical and cultural aspects of wushu, where is vital to respect other competitors and the judges’ decisions. The tournament also taught us more about the value of self-control, time management, teamwork and taking initiative. We are very proud to have been a part of the International Shaolin Wushu Festival and represented ISB on a global stage.

For more than decade, she has been the organizer of countless ISB events and the friendly face greeting alumni returning to school. But now community relations coordinator Ms. Mel Ker has moved on from ISB after 11 years of wonderful service.

“I’m going to miss the people,” she lamented. “I love my job, but I love working with the

people here.”

Ms. Ker first arrived in Beijing from Canada in 1999. She worked in banking and public relations before making her foray into education by teaching business English to corporate clients. Having attended Chinese school during elementary years in her native Malaysia, she described coming to China as a “refresher

course.”

Much has changed in Beijing since she first arrived, but her affection for the Chinese capital has never wavered. “I love Beijing despite the pollution. Some people might find it hard to live here, but it’s been my home for the past 16 years. My kids were born here. They might have Canadian passports, but when people ask them where they’re from they reply, ‘I’m from China!’” she laughed.

Few people in Beijing during the 2003 SARS epidemic have fond memories, but it was at this time that Ms. Ker joined ISB. Many schools were forced to close for extended periods amid the crisis, including the language training center Ms. Ker worked for at the time. However, shortly after its closure she received a tip from staff development coordinator Ms. Sherryl Gonzales about an opening at ISB.

Ms. Ker initially worked at the main reception, where she saw many of the young faces who would later go on to graduate from ISB. “It’s unbelievable to see someone you know from Grade 1 become an alumnus. Whenever they would see me around school, they would say, ‘Hi, Ms. Mel’ or ‘Hi, Aunty Mel,’” she laughed.

,6%�%LGV�¶)DUH�0HO·�WR�D�&KHULVKHG�)ULHQG�DQG� &ROOHDJXH������������� By Tom Fearon

The ISB Wushu Warriors of Wisdom pose at the 1,500-year-old gate of the Shaolin Temple, where many aspiring warrior monks seek acceptance.