Shanghai Community International School & Hangzhou International School June 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

P. 5 // Editor’s Letter

P. 6-15 // Graduates Highlights

P. 34-41 // Curriculum Inquiry as a Frame of Mind

3-Peat at the Qingdao MathQuest Tournament

What is Visual Art?

P. 44-45 // Host Culture A Taste of Chinese New Year

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P. 26-29 // HongqiaoLooking Forward

White Snake (白蛇传）Chinese Folk Tale Comes to Life

P. 30-31 // Hongqiao ECENurturing Young Readers, Writers and Inquirers

P. 22-23 // PudongIt Takes a Village…

Campus Highlights

Community

P.17 // Favourite Spot In The City221B Baker St.

P.18-21 // Educational InsightsMobile Apps and Online Tools for Student Success

The Art and Science of Play

P. 32-33 // Community Feature SCIS Turns 20 Years Old!

P. 42-43 // TechnologySupporting the Art with Technology

P. 24-25 // HangzhouHangzhou’s “Big Kids” Heroes!

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SUPERINTENDENT ‘S LETTER

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“Once a Dragon… Always a Dragon”

The 2015-16 school year has come to an end and with it comes the turning of pages, tassels and leafs. Looking back at all that has transpired over the course of the previous ten months, we should all rejoice at the amazing accomplishments and undertakings that have been achieved by all. Accordingly, our latest installment of the Communitas magazine contains a compilation of previous stories from our community members, hand-picked to highlight the best moments throughout the year.

This year marked a very special day in the history of SCIS as we celebrated our 20th anniversary with our beloved community members, so be sure to turn to pages 32-33 for a special dedicated feature with some of our favorite pictures taken during the day of the celebration.

You will also be able to read the very inspiring and heartfelt valedictorian speeches from each of our three graduating classes, as well as a neat infographic detailing some interesting facts about our growing alumni family.

With that, from all of us here at SCIS-HIS we wish you a pleasant reading ahead and enjoy the summer!

Sincerely,

Mikael Masson PerezEditor

From the EditorJune 2016

EditorMikael Masson Perez

Art DirectorMun Yee Choo

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

The Communitas Magazine is published four times per

year catered primarily for the SCIS-HIS community and our

friends, but also the larger Shanghai-Hangzhou

community in general.

Everyone involved in the making of the Communitas magazine work diligently to bring enlightening and interesting content to our readers, however we are always open to opinions

and suggestions as we are constantly looking for ways in which we can improve.

Moreover, we greatly welcome submissions to our magazine and we will

willingly include contributions to future issues.

Should you have any commentary, observations, wish to submit articles or

inquire as to ways to collaborate, feel free to send all inquiries/correspondence to the Communitas editor

via email at mmasson@scis-his.org.

We are social! Feel free to visit us on the web at

www.scis-his.org and follow us

EDITOR’S LETTER

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GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

Congratulations

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GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

Class of 2016

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GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

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Teachers, administrators, friends, family, and honored guests: good evening. For those of you who don’t know me, I am an

American on paper, a Swede by bloodline, a Parisian by birth, and in this moment, hard as it is to wrap my head around, a member of the SCIS 2016 graduating class.

Even standing here, on stage instead of nestled into our impromptu orchestra pit, feels surreal. It’s hard to believe that after two years of struggling through tests, milking the scaling system for extra marks, and deluding ourselves that “well, that paper’s only due last block, I can cobble it together during dragon time, right?” we’re actually done. We’ve survived IB. Having finished our last day of classes, played our last sports games in the SCIS gym, bought our last guiltily unhealthy snacks from the café, or taken our final bows from this stage, we now flip to a new page in our autobiographies. For some of us, the expanse of white carries a lurch of uncertainty, maybe a twinge of writer’s block, but also the thrill of the unknown. For others, who have already stenciled an outline, the future holds the promise of gleaming horizons, painted in dreams and colored in with successes-to-be. Wherever the future may lead us, I believe that the values and experiences imparted to us in our time at SCIS will lend us the respect of our colleagues and peers. Though we may forget pieces of our IB knowledge along the way, the nondiscriminatory principles of our international community will follow us through life.

The graduating class that stands before you tonight comprises X nationalities and has lived in over X countries. With this incredible variety in ethnicity and experience comes an open-mindedness that my primary school could not boast. Whereas my sole Japanese classmate in Paris was teased mercilessly for her facial features and accent, students here seem barely even to notice differences in ethnicity. We take the (somewhat corny) epithet of “global citizens” to heart. Even though some of us may have considered UN day as more of an excuse to skip class than an occasion to celebrate our national heritage, from an outside perspective the endless parade of colors must have been a sight to behold. To us, open-mindedness is the norm, and it is easy to forget that it is not ubiquitous. I was most recently reminded of this fact last week, on my senior trip with my dad to North Korea.

Before embarking on the plane to Pyongyang, we were debriefed by the Beijing tour agency as to what not to do or say. I concluded that, given my near-nonexistent brain-to-mouth filter, the only way I was going to avoid saying something incriminating was by not saying anything at all. With this resolution firmly in mind, I packed my bag and trundled off to the airport, with a fair bit of trepidation that I wouldn’t be coming back.

As American tourists, we were accompanied at all times by a pair of local guides, who took exception to the title of “minders” but carried military ID. Though these guides began the trip cordial but aloof, dad and they soon grew comfortable enough with one another to compare perspectives, with both sides vying to mine the other for information.

Occasionally, between discussions of the great leaders, and the Evil American Imperialists with their unquenchable thirst for World Domination, one of the guides would address a question to me specifically, which I did my best to dodge. On one such occasion, our male guide, Mr. Kim, cornered me and said: “No offence, but I think you might be a little slow. You know, because you never say anything.” I was tempted to tell him that use of the phrase “no offence” does not make the following statement any less offensive, but luckily for my vow of silence, he wasn’t done. “Also,” he continued, “I think you’re very narrow-minded.” He proceeded to saunter off for a cigarette, leaving me behind to fume.

The sting of his statement, however, was dulled on reflection by the knowledge that we, the SCIS expat community, can boast a breadth of experience that precludes – or at the very least, curbs – narrow mindedness. Where once, at a summer camp in the States, telling my dorm mates that I lived in China was met with: “Oh, you mean Chinatown? In Washington?” here I can come back from break and say “I rock-climbed in South Africa” and my friends will respond, “yeah, well, I went scuba diving in the Philippines.” We’ve turned one-upping into a veritable art.

I am incredibly lucky to count myself amongst such an astoundingly open and welcoming class. If, as stipulated by Elizabeth Ann Lawless, “diversity creates dimension in the world,” then our microcosm boasts an impressive array of dimensions, rendered rather more successfully than the 7D film at the Pyongyang science center, where water was spritzed in our faces and all dinosaurs were depicted as carnivorous. Of course, any discussion of travel must be accompanied by an immense thank you to all of our parents, for showing us the world while we were still trying to figure out how it was possible to spend 14 hours on a plane and yet land earlier in the day than we’d taken off.

At my old school, in Paris, the terms started on the first of September. Thus, I spent my birthdays in the States beating up piñatas with my cousins. After our move to Shanghai, with the first day of school shifted to mid-august, my birthdays were spent on redeye flights. Then, in 10th grade, the SCIS schedule changed so that school started on August 14th: my birthday. On hearing this, I was appalled: instead of candy or cake, my birthday present was IB. Now, I look forward to the end of summer. To seeing my friends who will sneak into the gym with me to play volleyball late into the evening, or discuss video games in Mandarin class (after finishing work), or curl up in the library to cram for the next morning’s exam. Thanks to this incredible community, and the opportunities SCIS gives us, I can look forward to sports teams, friends, fantastic teachers, and a bright and beautiful city to call home. Even though we won’t be coming back to these familiar faces next year, I am confident that we will all go on to ever loftier stages. We will fill the pages of our biographies with ticket stubs and snapshots from far corners of the world, with successes and lessons learned, and one day we will meet again to trade stories about the marks we made in history.

SCIS Hongqiao Campus Valedictorian

Alissa Johnson GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

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SCIS Pudong Campus Valedictorian

Melanie Venet GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

Dear parents, teachers, guests, and fellow graduates. After four lengthy years of complaining about home-

work, overdosing on coffee, making our parents deal with our moodiness, and procrastinating, the day has finally come for us to graduate.

I remember two years ago, entering our first advisory meeting about IB, when we were told about all the assignments, assessments, and mostly torments we would have to endure before graduation. At this point, Myra turned to me and convinced me that all those deadlines and acronyms could not be real, they were definitely made up to put pressure on us, obviously. But no, they were very real trust me, although I can assure you we all wished they weren’t at some point. And despite the fact that, at the time, we dreaded all these IAs, EEs and PEAs, I think we can all agree that, at the end of the day, it was worth it.

IB was tough, and there were some days where we felt like it had drained the last bit of energy out of us. Some nights, after staring at a past chemistry paper for two hours, all I wanted was to set it on fire and run away to the Bahamas to escape IB forever. But instead of doing that, I called Mathieu and forced him to explain redox for the 15th time before binge-eating cheese with my cats. And you know what? I’m glad I did that. I am so immensely proud of all of us for our perseverance. Some might deny it, but I think that we have improved so much academically through IB. We have grown in many aspects of our lives like time-management, objectivity, or flash-cards making. We all had very different methods of studying, but I can guarantee you we all perfected our studying techniques during the past two years. About 15 minutes before the econ mock, for example, I remember seeing Hani and Sam watching a youtube video about macroeconomics at twice the normal speed. The person’s voice sounded like a chipmunk to me, but they seemed to be learning pretty well from that chipmunk, so I guess it works. Another time, I looked outside my window and saw Sandra walking her dogs in the street, while reviewing psychology notes for the final exam. Now that’s what I call multi-tasking. What I’m trying to say is that although we all hated IB at one point or another, I think it gave us the tools we need for our college courses.

I also wanted to take the time to congratulate all of you who

have been accepted into college. At this school, and at a lot of international schools, it seems that we view college acceptances as a necessity. A lot of us have forgotten to recognise how fortunate we are not only to have been accepted into university, but also to live in a world where we have these opportunities. Our teachers and parents have worked hard to make this possible, and I think we owe them all a little thank you card at least.

Another thing that I’ve noticed in the past year is the number of people that are worried about their future plans at university. A lot of us haven’t really set our minds on any major yet, and haven’t quite figured out what field they want to go into. To me, that’s the great thing about college! We don’t have to have our whole life figured out yet, because dreams change. If they didn’t, a lot of us would be crushed about not being a princess or an astronaut right now. It’s okay that not all of us have decided on what we want out of our college experience, or where we want to end up, or who we are as individuals. That’s the interesting thing about growing up, and I encourage you to be excited about your futures, because I know you all have bright things ahead of you.

Finally, and most importantly, I think it is crucial that we do not lose sight of what academic excellence means in our student lives. Of course I realise it is important for us to embrace achievements such as a high GPA, or a good SAT score, and celebrate them together. But I believe that academic excellence means a lot more than a number on Powerschool. While I was writing this speech, I did some research, probably even more than for some of my IAs actually, and I found one quote that really stuck with me, and which I wanted to share with you today. That quote was by David McCullough, who compared life to climbing a mountain in his speech. He told the students: “Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you”. Work hard and be the best you can be, not to impress, but to accomplish. It’s true, not everyone reached the same goals, and none of us are going to Harvard or Princeton next year. But that’s not the sort of things we should be looking for in our academic lives. We should be putting our heart into the work that means something to us and accomplish something worthwhile. And I can promise you that, with the education we have received at SCIS, all of us are capable of accomplishing more than we give ourselves credit for. Thank you.

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GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

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GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

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Hangzhou International School Valedictorian

Vanessa Rimmer

GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

I want to devote this speech to my parents who provided me with the opportunity to live abroad. Moving to China has made me the person I am today. I finally had the chance to show what I am capable of and I could have not done it without the support of my family and teachers here at HIS. My three years at HIS had many ups and downs

and all of the experiences that I made here I won´t ever forget.

I want to take a moment to say thank you to my sister. She has always been there for me and never left my side through my many sleepless nights. Dad no words can describe how much I look up to you and all you have given for our family. I probably don’t say it enough, but I love you. Mom, thanks for teaching me how to be a caring, responsible and hard working person. We have been through so much together, but we have never given up on each other and I am thankful for that.

Thank you to my best friends, Flo Spiekerman, and Megan Mullen who have been there for me through all the strug-gles of IB and who I don’t ever want to miss. I know I can always count on you. And a special thank you to Mrs. Rooth, who has made my time at HIS so much easier with supporting me through my IB German Self Taught stress and for always having time to give me advice. As she always told me: “Remember everything will be alright”. Last but not least, I want to thank all of my teachers and the administration for all their support and understanding.

Through my time at HIS I have realized that yes grades are important, but being happy is probably the most important goal in life. I don’t know where I’ll be going or who I once will become, but I know that no matter where I’ll be my memories here at HIS will always remain with me. Thank you.

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GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

CANADA

AMERICA

EUROPE

Albright College Baylor University Bentley University Berklee College of MusicBoston University Bournemouth University California College of the Arts – San FranciscoCalifornia Institute of the ArtsCalvin CollegeCase Western UniversityCase Western Reserve UniversityCentral Michigan UniversityCentral Washington UniversityChapman University Colorado Springs UniversityColorado State University Cornish College of the ArtsDrexel UniversityEmory UniversityFlorida International University Fordham University George Mason UniversityGrand Valley State University Grinnell CollegeIthaca CollegeIllinois Institute of Technology Indiana University – Bloomington Indiana University BloomingtonLasell College LIU Post

Maryland Institute College of Art Massachusetts College of Art and Design Menlo CollegeMichigan State UniversityMinnesota State UniversityNew York University Northeastern UniversityOberlin College Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University Pitzer College PRATT Institute Purdue UniversityReed CollegeRutgers UniversitySanta Clara UniversitySavannah College of Art and Design School of Art Institute of Chicago School of Visual Arts – NYC Seattle Pacific UniversityState University of New York SUNY BinghamptonSUNY Buffalo Syracuse University Texas A&M University The Ohio State UniversityTrinity University Universidad Iberoamericana, MexicoUniversity of Albany University of Buffalo

University of California – Davis University of California – Irvine University of California – RiversideUniversity of California – San DiegoUniversity of California – Santa BarbaraUniversity of California – Santa CruzUniversity of Colorado – BoulderUniversity of Colorado – Denver University of DelawareUniversity of Georgia University of Hawaii University of Illinois - Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Indiana – Bloomington University of Massachusetts - AmherstUniversity of Minnesota Twin CitiesUniversity of North Carolina University of North TexasUniversity of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of PortlandUniversity of RochesterUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of Tennessee, Chattanooga University of Washington University of Wisconsin – MadisonWashington State Washington State UniversityWestern Michigan UniversityWestern Washington UniversityWillamette University

Brandon UniversityDalhousie UniversityEmily Carr University of Art & DesignGreystone CollegeMcGill University McMaster UniversityMemorial University of NewfoundlandOntario University of Art & DesignQueens University Simon Fraser UniversitySt Mary’s UniversityUniversity of British Columbia University of ManitobaUniversity of TorontoUniversity of Victoria Western University York University

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GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

ASIA

Apex Flight Academy, Taiwan City University of Hong Kong, HKHong Kong Polytechnic University, HKHong Kong University, HKHong Kong University of Science and Technology, HKInternational Christian University, JapanJiao Tong University, ChinaKeio University, JapanKorea University, KoreaNelson Aviation College, New ZealandNew York University – Shanghai, ChinaRIMT University, AustraliaRitsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan Savannah College of Art and Design – HKSeoul National University, KoreaShanghai University - MOD’ART International, ChinaSophia University, JapanSungkyunkwan University, KoreaThe Education University of Hong Kong, HKUniversity of Sydney, AustraliaUniversity of Technology Sydney, AustraliaWaseda University, Japan

Berlin Business School, GermanyBirkbeck University London, UKBocconi University of Milan, ItalyBrighton and Sussex Medical School, UK Brunel University London, UKCity University London, UKDurham University, UKEcole Hoteliere de Lausanne, SwitzerlandErasmus University of Rotterdam, netherlandsESSEC Business School, FranceImperial College LondonKings College London, UKMaastricht University, NetherlandsModul University, AustriaQueen Mary University of London, UKSOAS (University of London), UKTilburg University, NetherlandsUniversity College London, UKUniversity of Aberdeen, UKUniversity of Amsterdam, Netherlands University of Bath, UKUniversity of Birmingham, UK University of East Anglia, UKUniversity of Edinburgh, UKUniversity of Essex, UKUniversity of Exeter, UKUniversity of Greenwich, UKUniversity of Groningen, NetherlandsUniversity of Manchester, UKUniversity of Sheffield, UKUniversity of St. Andrews, UKUniversity of Surrey, UKUniversity of Twente, NetherlandsUtrecht University, NetherlandsWarwick University, UK

GRADUATES 2016SCIS-hIS class of 2016 students will be found in all corners

of the globe as they pursue their dreams and goals.

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Alumni Nationalities

724Graduates

and counting

46Nationalitiesrepresented

22%21%

LongestAttendee

15YEARS

Smallestgraduating

class

Class of 2015(Hongqiao Campus)

Class of 2006(HIS)

North America

South America

Europe

Asia

Rest of the World

2006

13

25 26

38

54

7568

104100

111 110

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

HIS 50%MALE

50%FEMALE

Alumni Growth

SCIS Pudong Campus

SCIS Hongqiao Campus

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Top 2 Nationalitiesrepresented

29% 23%

5%

43%

2%

1

Biggestgraduating

class

73

Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon

SCIS-HIS ALUMNI NETWORK

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FAVOURITE SPOT IN THE CITY

Pinning down a single favourite spot in this ‘megatropolis’ of a city that we call home is a near impossible task, as

there are just too many to choose from. In light of this, I have recently come across an interesting little café that is sure to intrigue the most curious of crime-solvers.

What probably spawned as a result of the trendy Sherlock Holmes detective frenzy a couple of years back, 221B Baker St. Café is a quirky little place located in the heart of the city, on No. 50 Ruijin Er Lu (瑞金二路). It is nested in the most unexpected of places, off one of the busiest shopping streets of Shanghai, Huaihai lu (淮海路). What isn’t a mystery thought, is the inspiration behind this café, with pictures of, actor, Benedict Cumberbatch from the BBC’s recent televised series, Sherlock, almost littering the entirety of the place alongside a platitude of paraphernalia worthy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous novels.

Fans of the show will adore the décor and atmosphere that make up this museum-cum-café: quotes, postcards and merchandise of all sorts can be found lining the walls and a neat

“Wall of Detectives” showcases portraits of past mystery-solvers. Mr. Watson nor Mrs. Hudson made appearances when I visited, unfortunately, but there is a nod to both characters on the menu alongside their assigned teas (Sherlock is an English breakfast if you must know).

Their tea is quite good, although a little pricy, but then again all those trinkets and replicas aren’t going to pay for themselves. It is especially enjoyable while pitting your wits against a friend at a game of chess, sitting in comfy leather armchairs by the ‘fire-place’ in a room that closely resembles that of Sherlock’s’ flat in the series, complete with the giveaway yellow happy face.

Albeit a bit cheesy adorned with over-the-top artifacts that include magnifying glasses, pipes and wearable deerstalker hats, 221B Baker St. is a fun and affordable place where you can put your deductive reasoning to the test while enjoying a cup of tea and some sweets.

By Mikael Masson PerezCommunitas editor

221B Baker St.

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The proliferation of social media and technology has changed the way educators teach, how students learn, and the way

teachers and students communicate. Most adolescents cannot imagine spending a day without their mobile devices. A recent study conducted by The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University found that an average user checks his/her mobile device around one hundred and fifty times a day. This number is speculated to be much higher among the adolescent population. Mobile devices are more than a mere distraction. For many teens, they are the essential ingredient for maintaining a healthy social life. And, when used wisely, they can become an important tool for academic success.

Below is a section of some of the best apps developed to help students interested in utilizing technology to enhance both their studies and their personal wellbeing.

REvISION APPSThese apps are designed to put some fun into an important but often dreaded activity – revision. Among the most popular ones are EverNote Peek (iOS), an app exclusive to the iPad. This app uses revision notes made on EverNote in order to

quiz users on what they have learned. The iPad2 version utilizes the iPad’s cover to hide and reveal clues for answers to the revision topics, which makes it easier for students to quiz themselves. ExamTime is a web-based revision website, with resources that help students create revision charts, mind maps, flash cards, notes and quizzes in a fun and colorful program. Another excellent choice is RevisionApp (iOS), which covers all education levels, and Exam Countdown (iOS), which helps students keep track of the time left until an exam or other major assessment. Students who like to learn with flash cards, might like StudyBlue, an app that allows students to browse thousands of flash card collections, or make their own. Gojimo is a free app, which helps students study for upcoming SAT, ACT, AP and IB exams with 150 000 quiz questions and detailed answers.

StUDENt PlANNER APPSAll educators agree that organization is key for academic success at virtually all levels. Apps that help students organize their tasks and assignments are very convenient as many of them are able to send reminders and alerts to a student’s mobile device. The most poplar student planner apps include

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

Mobile Apps and Online Tools for Student Success

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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

Timetable (Android), known for its attractive and user-friendly interface, as well as My Class Schedule (Android), My Study Life and Class Timetable (iOS). Clockwork Tomato is a free app, which offer students a strategy to manage their time while studying. It is based on the idea that frequent breaks help mental agility. The app reminds the student to take a five-minute break every twenty-five minutes. After four twenty-five minute sessions, a fifteen-minute break is recommended. The app tells students when to break and get back to work.

BIBlIOgRAPhy APPSEasyBib is an extremely convenient app, which creates an academic reference for any book simply by scanning the book’s barcode. Students can choose between three bibliography styles – MLA, APA and Chicago styles, which is especially useful when working on the Extended Essay!

PERSONAl SAfEty APPSAs adolescents get older, they become more independent, which means spending more time outside of the house and without direct parental supervision. There are quite a few apps, which have been designed to promote personal safety. One of the most popular is the Circle of Six app, which works on both Android and iOS. The app is extremely useful in locating lost friends on nights out, and it also allows users to send their circle of six friends an instant call for help at the touch of a button. The GPS tracker indicates the user’s location on friends’ devices, ensuring that they will always be able to find one another. Other safety apps include Watch Over Me, bSafe and React Mobile.

APPS thAt MAkE StAyINg fIt fUNOne of the more interesting apps that has been developed to help users meet their fitness goals is an app for runners called Zombies, Run! This fun app is a way to get users to push themselves when jogging. The app plays the user’s music playlists alongside an audio recording describing a zombie apocalypse in which the user must run to avoid being infected. Other excellent fitness apps include Training Club (iOS), Sworkit, Moves, Fitbit (iOS), JeFit, RunKeeper, Strava, 7 Minute Workout and MapMyFitness and, finally, Nudge, an app that collates fitness data from all other apps and puts it in once place.

SlEEP AND wAkE-UP APPSAlarmy: Sleep If You Can is an ingenious app, which prevents students from pressing the snooze button and oversleeping. The app requires users to complete small tasks, such as taking a photo of something specific, or shaking the phone up and down a number of times before the alarm turns itself off. Additionally, Alarmy gives weather updates, so students will always know how to dress and what to bring before they leave the house.

Sleep Cycle is an app, which monitors both movement and the time the user goes to sleep, in an attempt to correct sleeping patterns by waking the user during the lightest phase of the sleep cycle. The end result should be waking up feeling less groggy, which leads to a more productive day.

By Maya KellySCIS Pudong Campus College Counselor

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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

Stella Maris Maruso’s Health Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to bio-psychosocial studies and

services. It gives medical assistance to people facing severe crisis and offers them a personalized health improvement plan. Among the foundation’s most outstanding work is an activity which is an integral part of the daily activities of students at Hangzhou International School. The activity is essentially, how to have fun!

In this pursuit students invest their free time to practice, much like as professionals, and achieve the objectives without reservation. Fun is not just about walking the dog, although that is also a possibility if it generates pleasure and positive distraction. Diversion is a vital aspect in evolutionary development and a fundamental element of being human, and something we need to consciously promote for both adults and children. In essence it can be a rediscovery of how to enjoy ourselves. To enjoy oneself comes from the capacity to not only do different things but also transform usual activities in ways to allow us to emerge from them with renewed energy. This ability is not only beneficial for oneself but also those with whom we work with and for whom we care for. It helps us face loss, disease, and aging, and find meaning and purpose in our lives through feeling creative, and able to express ourselves in healthy ways. One should con-sciously develop this capacity rather than only calling upon it when we suffer an illness or when a crisis knocks at our door.

An essential tool according to Maruso, although as simple and absurd as it may sound, is to simply go back to being children and play. To play is to do activities that give us pleasure without any other result, no competition, no financial gain, no extrinsic rewards. To play is to do something that is directly and solely connected with joy. This strengthens our internal chemistry and helps us continue to evolve as humans. Maruso’s studies have demonstrated that adults who spend time playing (defined as engaging in new or funny experiences) have a powerful tool to

promote their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Among findings associated with the benefits of play is how it enhances the immune system. Studies have found that adults engaged in play are more relaxed and thus their need for oxygen is reduced and there is also an increase in alpha brain waves associated with creativity. This also lowers the heart rate and lactic acid in the blood, a substance produced by metabolism when suffering from anxiety. Laughing when at at play causes a tremendous release of hormones known as endorphins as well as serotonin, dopamine and adrenaline. This “explosion” of positively charged hormones causes something akin to ecstasy, it brings vitality, energy and increases brain activity. Laughter is even a form of exercise as it shakes many muscles in our body that otherwise remain inactive. This in turn is an effective stimulus against stress, depression and sadness.

When at play we move. We exercise and biochemically burn off stress, lower our blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. Exercise Is an antidepressant that produces a biochemical discharge that increases levels of endorphins. Our body temperature rises and there is an increase in the production of T and B cells and B that are responsible for developing our immunity to disease. In essence, play and humor serve as internal safety valves that allow us to release tension, alleviate concerns and relax, develop our body’s defenses and improve our quality of life.

As adults we are often caught in a battle with the clock and can easily fall to the fallacy that play is a waste of time. However, it is widely known that stress is a major contributor to ill health. The simplest, most effective treatment for stress is to simply stop working and return for a while each day to our childhood and simply play.

By JANNET MOLINAHIS ECE Rhythm and Movement Teacher

The Art and Science of Play

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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

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PUDONG HIGHLIGHT

A few weeks ago, we saw an influx of visitors on our campus. No, they were not potential families taking tours or

accreditation teams. While, we have had those, these particular visitors were even more special. We had several former students and families who came back to visit SCIS on their Spring Break. Yes, that’s right. Instead of going on holiday to a beach or hitting the slopes, these former Dragons made their way back to Shanghai from all over the world just so they could walk the halls of SCIS one more time. This made me think: What it is that makes SCIS so special? What is it about our school that not only draws people in, but brings them back long after they’ve gone?

SCIS truly is a community! And, to borrow an African proverb (and the title of a famous book), “it takes a village” to create such a diverse, international community. It requires several, integrated, interworking groups of people to run. And, the fact that each of these key groups not only fulfill their roles but go above and beyond is what that helps to make our school a community.

Students. What would a school be without students? Well, not a school, that’s for sure! And, while students are usually at the receiving end at a school, our students at SCIS very much give back to their community. It’s when the recycling program is entirely run by students. It’s when a high school student gives up his study hall time to read to a lower school class. It’s when a Danish student gives a tour to a potential family who doesn’t speak English. That’s what turns a school into a community.

teachers & Administration. From the teacher side of things, who you work with and who you work for are key factors in

how much you enjoy your job. But, it’s when the head of school is willing to have a pie thrown in this face or give up part of his afternoon to help paint sets for the school musical. It’s when a principal is not afraid to show his rocker side during an Air Band competition. It’s when a dance teacher gives up her lunch time to bring LS, MS and HS students together for a Zumba session. That’s what turns a school into a community.

Parents. Educating children definitely requires teamwork between school and home. SCIS and PAFA coordinate many events and activities. But, it’s when parents spend months planning an event that allows children to attend a carnival for free. It’s when moms spend the morning washing fruit for a middle school lock-in. That’s what turns a school into a community.

Support Staff. Who washes our dishes every day?!? Who is the first face anyone sees when the walk on campus?!? Who makes sure we have water and electricity (and internet!) on campus?!? Who turns a room from an indoor play area for LS students into a testing center for IB students into a convention hall for our Grade 5 inventors into a dance floor for our middle school students and back again (and all within a 24-hour time period, mind you!)?!? The support staff are the true unsung heroes of SCIS! And, many of them have been here for longer than the expats. That’s what turns a school into a community.

And that is why once you’re part of the Dragon community, you are always a Dragon.

By KARIN VALENZA, Pudong Campus Middle School Math Teacher

It Takes a Village…

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PUDONG HIGHLIGHT

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HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHT

There she is! There she is! Ms. Becca do you see her over there? My enthusiastic students yell to me as they see

Apoorva walking to the cafeteria with her classmates. Apoorva waves to the class as they giggle with delight and ask if they can go to give her a hug. Then, nineteen kindergarten students dash across the playground to hug and high five their favorite volleyball player. As a kindergarten teacher and varsity volleyball coach I often spoke to my class about my volleyball team and spoke to my team about my class. They would both ask questions and wonder who I was talking about. Working at HIS has provided the opportunity to teach lower school and coach upper school. HIS is lucky to have one campus which houses nursery through grade 12.

It was the end of the season and the varsity boy’s and girl’s volleyball teams were headed to Hong Kong for our ACAMIS tournament. The teams were already excited but as a coach I wanted the players to feel the support from the school who would be cheering them on back in Hangzhou. A pep rally was planned with a few surprises from lower school. Three weeks in advance, a list was sent out that assigned the twenty players to a lower school class. Then it was up to the teachers and students to display their support for their volleyball player. Their job was to make cards, signs, and letters for their player.

It was Wednesday afternoon as the players changed into their uniforms anxious for the surprises that I had mentioned to them. The volleyball net was set up, We Will Rock You was playing on the speakers, and kindergarten through grade 12 students were filling the gym. As the teams enter the gym a roar erupts from

the lower school classes! They are cheering, pointing, waving banners, holding signs, and screaming for their class’ volleyball player. The teams lined up and each player was introduced by the sports captain. Next the teams set up a hitting drill to show of their skills. Each class screamed and cheered as their player approached to hit. After both the teams had a chance to show off their skills, the teams lined up facing the crowd. I announced for the teachers to send up the two students picked to represent their class. This was the surprise! The players were going to be wrapped like mummies. The boys and girls ran to get two rolls of toilet paper each and stood next to their assigned player. The ACAMIS tournament was the same weekend as Halloween and the teams would miss celebrating at school. The lower school students were given one minute to wrap their player in toilet paper. The crowd cheered as the faces and uniforms were covered in toilet paper. Every person in the gym had a big smile spread across their face.

It is now a month later, and the lower school students still adore the “big kids”! On any given day you can see and hear lower school students pointing out the players and waving. A few of the high school students joke about being HIS celebrities. The teams took this excitement into the tournaments and played their hearts out. As a student athlete myself, I have many stories that I still share today. I hope in the end, that both the girl’s and boy’s teams will carry these memories and feelings with them.

By REBECCA HAMERNIKHIS Kindergarten Teacher

hangzhou’s “Big kids” heroes!

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HANGZHOU HIGHLIGHT

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There has been some change in how we approach learning with your child. It is nothing to be alarmed about; in fact, it is

something to embrace. Former United States President John F. Kennedy put it quite clearly, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Our children will not make their living in the current economy or work environments when they are adults. Their work world will look different from today’s world. They will still have bills to pay and mouths to feed, but the manner in which they go about it may look vastly different, and the school has a large role to play in their preparation. The specific skills and knowledge the future global workforce will require is a guessing game. However, attributes the IB emphasizes, such as open-mindedness, creativity and reflectiveness, will surely be desirable.

Last year, I visited the iconic Dutch windmills in my mother’s native country of The Netherlands. Inside, I met a young man in his twenties tending a mill. Through a short conversation, I quickly came to see that even though his job was housed in a very traditional workplace, his job had evolved. He was crushing lime in the old mill and selling it online to markets overseas. He controlled the production, sales and even shipping through a computer in a back room. His creativity and risk-taking transformed a traditional role into a secure living for his family through modern business skills. At SCIS, our role is to develop adaptable global citizens who can grow and change with the needs of an ever-evolving workplace and society. It is not a process that has an ending. The IB programs provide an ideal vehicle for our role in creating these adaptable life-long learners.

Where does the development of adaptability, open-mindedness, creativity and reflectiveness start for your child? Does it begin in Grade 10 or 11 as we prepare to depart for university? If you

have a child, the process has already begun. If your child is here at SCIS, you have already made a great first step. The conversations that your child is exposed to during the day present tremendous learning opportunities, as the above attributes are woven into all learning environments. I had the mind-blowing privilege last week of sitting and listening to four seven-year-old girls work through a social issue very politely and respectfully in three different languages with one girl interpreting for me! How quickly the adult with three university degrees became the lowest qualified person in the room to solve the problem! Perhaps, I had a brief look into the future of four international trade negotiators and lawyers.

SCIS’s decision to move towards the International Baccalaureate’s (IB’s) PYP, MYP and DP programs was a wise decision for your student. When we look at the ideal profile of an IB graduate, we will find most of the attributes we as parents want in our child. Look at the table below and see what learner profile attribute you value the most for your child. The learner profile attributes are human responsibilities that go beyond academic success. At SCIS, IB’s learner profiles attributes are taught explicitly as well as integrated in all learning throughout the school day.

As we continue to work intelligently together as a school community to move our International Baccalaureate programs forward, please ask us questions and attend the information meetings provided. You will become informed on the efforts that staff is putting forward for your child’s growth, and appreci-ate what a good decision you have made as a parent. I have a daughter here at the school and I am thrilled to see her learning in an MYP classroom. I also enjoy seeing her learn from your children in this truly international school community.

By KEVIN HAGGITHHongqiao Campus Lower School Principal

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

Looking Forward

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HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

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The White Snake is one of the “four great folktales” of ancient China, existing in oral tradition since the Ming Dynasty. It tells the story of White Snake/Lady Bai (Sophie Nettesheim), an ancient creature living atop a mountain, who has

grown restless in her search for enlightenment. She and her feisty companion Greenie (Neela Rochet) transform them-selves into humans and travel to Hangzhou to experience worldly pleasures. Lady Bai unexpectedly meets and falls in love with a man named Xu Xian (Karl Lee). Together they open a pharmacy and start a family. An evil monk named Fai Ha (Hayden Lelievre) discovers her true identity and, believing their love to be unnatural, does everything in his power to tear them apart. The SCIS Theatre, Music, and Dance students worked together to bring this mystical fable to life. The music was per-formed live by SCIS string and percussion students. Middle and high school Drama students spent weeks building and painting sets, and creating props. Our high school and middle school student actors rehearsed for more than two months to learn their lines and perfect their parts. The students on the technical crew, led by Stage Manager Omer Segal, learned new skills as they labored to create the backstage magic of the production. More than 100 students worked together to bring this magical story of love to life.

By JENNIFER LAWLESS, Hongqiao Campus Upper School Drama Teacher

White Snake (白蛇传)Chinese Folk Tale Comes to Life

HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

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HONGQIAO HIGHLIGHT

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HONGQIAO ECE HIGHLIGHT

At the SCIS Hongqiao Early Childhood Education (ECE) campus we subscribe to a balanced literacy approach. This approach incorporates a wide variety

of literacy practices including Readers’ and Writer’s workshop. This framework is based on the research and publications of Lucy Calkins and her work with The Reading and Writing Project ( http://readingandwritingproject.com/ ) at the University of Columbia. With a focus on explicit instruction in the skills and strategies that make for proficient readers and writers, students experience both individual and collaborative experiences. The ultimate goal of the approach is to develop life-long readers and writers.

The basic philosophy behind writers’ workshop is that students write every day for real purposes about topics that interest them as they are introduced to different genres of writing. Students learn the craft of writing through practice, conferring, and studying mentor texts. Writers’ Workshop has a structured order of events that occur daily within a block of time. The structure of Writers’ Workshop follows a predictable pattern and set format which builds structure, expectation, and opportunity for students to write. The model always starts with a mini-lesson with the whole class in which the teacher explicitly teaches one skill,

Nurturing Young Readers, Writers and Inquirers

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HONGQIAO ECE HIGHLIGHT

strategy, or quality of writing. Once introduced, the teaching point becomes an option for students to use in their writing. Students then move on to independent writing time while the teacher confers with students individually or in small groups about their writing. Through ongoing mini-lessons and conferences with students, the teacher is able to attend to individual student needs, support students in setting writing goals for themselves, and reinforce previous lessons. The Writer’s Workshop time often concludes with the whole class reconvening for a brief teaching share where the teacher may identify a student whose work has effectively utilized a strategy or the day’s teaching point.

The structure of Reader’s workshop, is similar to that of Writer’s Workshop in that it also includes a whole class mini-lesson where the teacher teaches concepts, strategies, and techniques for reading and comprehension while encouraging students to read and interact with high quality, authentic literature. Independent reading is the time when students practice strategies modeled in the mini-lesson. Students are taught how to choose books of interest in which they can read most of the words, these are called “just right” books. These “just right” books allow students to practice reading strategies introduced with texts that are appropriate to each individual child’s level of reading development. One on one reading conferences with students allow the teacher to see how a student is working on a particular reading strategy in their own reading. Teachers can also do various assessments such as retellings, running records, or by keeping anecdotal notes on each student’s reading progress. guided reading and strategy groups are forms of small group instruction where the teacher works with flexible small groups of students during independent reading time to reinforce certain reading areas such as phonemic awareness, fluency, and reading comprehension strategies. The final element is once again the teaching share when the class comes together to allow students to share how they practiced their reading strategies. They are able to share things that worked for them and problems they have solved with their classmates.

In both Writer’s and Readers’ Workshop, students are explicitly taught how effective partnerships work to share ideas and to support the revision of writing and thinking. Teachers model how to listen to others, share writing and thoughts, as well as how to respond with questions, comments, suggestions or compliments based on what they have heard. These collaborative conversations allow students opportunities to revise their writing or further develop their understanding of what they have read in a safe environment.

It is through these strategies and the workshop framework that teachers at the ECE create a learning environment that encourages independence, gives writers a high degree of choice, all while encouraging readers and writers to take risks and learn their craft. Students are able to build a support system and have consistency in both materials and process. Perhaps one of the greatest elements of the framework that is highlighted by Lucy Calkins herself is that teachers unmask their expertise and think aloud in front of students, providing them with an opportunity to observe and learn firsthand how good readers and writers think about texts.

By DANIEL ESCHTRUTHHongqiao ECE Campus Head o f School

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COMMUNITY FEATURE

SCIS TurnS 20 YearS OLd!

The turn of the year marked a very special milestone in the history of SCIS; our 20th

year since our commencement in 1996!

On Saturday, June 4th, the day of the celebration, over 1,500 community members from both the Hongqiao and Pudong campus came together to celebrate this important date.

The amazing turnout, combined with wonderful student performances, great food and the cooperative weather all came together for a delightful day of celebrating two decades of commitment and continued support from our community.

Thank you to all who attended and took part in the 20th anniversary festivities, and here is to 20 more years of SCIS!

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COMMUNITY FEATURE

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It is not only our own species that have had to suffer or enjoy the answer to the question, “What will happen if I do

___________________?” As I consider what it means to teach with an inquiry approach, I find myself recognizing that inquiry is more a frame of mind rather than a new teaching practice. At the heart of such an education, which aims to take one’s natural intrigue and curiosity and build connections from it, we find the most essential question of “So, what?” being asked and answered.

Recently I went to a professional development workshop with the world-renowned inquiry guru, Kath Murdoch, and came face to face with the mixed emotions students of inquiry encounter. I felt myself both excited and terrified to be asking such open-ended questions and having them ultimately lead to more and more questions. Although these days inquiry can feel like a buz-zword within the current educational circuit, true inquisition is as old as time immemorial. We have been inquirers all our lives, just as our cavemen and Paleolithic ancestors have.

During my most recent encounter with inquiry as a learner, I began to see the merit of this style of teaching in large part because of its potential for authenticity. For example, when we

need to fix a problem with our outdated software or figure out how to transfer music from one iTunes account to another, we are inquiring into a process that we genuinely want to find an answer to. The same can be true of cooking vegetarian lasagna or whether or not I should start taking vitamin D.

As adults, we are frequently inquiring into the ins and outs of our profession, families, and general daily needs that we too often forget that children naturally do this as well. To consider inquiry as part of the educational system, then, we have to remember that our students are already questioning on a daily basis what is going on with their favorite things, in the world, or within them-selves. During my training, it was refreshing to be given permission to engage students in their questions, rather than feel that we don’t have time for them, and instead consider ways to spur their enthusiasm or feelings for one thing towards another.

As we embark on bringing PYP to SCIS Pudong, we are at a moment in the school’s history to truly integrate inquiry into our classrooms. The success of this depends on wrapping our minds around inquiry being a frame of mind, not just a process or method. There are many misconceptions that inquiry is too open-ended as to be unfocused and can, on the outside, seem

Inquiry as a Frame of Mind

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less rigorous or serious than paper and pencil tests. When well done, though, good teaching, no matter what we call it, is based on the same foundation of making learning meaningful to students.

Inquiry takes it a step further and allows students ownership in the classroom and pushes kids to make new connections to the things about which they are already curious. You, the teacher, have got to make it personal and relevant so that in the end they care about whatever it is we are supposed to teach them based on the school’s standards and benchmarks.

Authentic inquiry as a frame of mind is therefore a stance that the teacher act more as a guide than a “know it all.” For many, adapting their teaching to a PYP or inquiry approach will feel strange and, just as it does for me, disconcerting at times. This is because we are asking educators and parents to trust that, although the learning is guided by the teacher, that ultimately it’s the students who must build their own web of connections between what they already know and what they are learning. It takes a leap of faith to give up on the idea that only one answer fits all or that the limits of students’ learning should only be what I had expected of them.

The trick, it seems, is to encounter stu-dents’ questions with an equally pondering mind so that I, myself, am just as drawn into the process of our collective learning. As we guide students to develop and find their own links between what they already know and the new learning that we want them to encounter, we can be impressively surprised. Also, by encouraging students to make the learning personal, the question of “So, what?” is answered because the desire to know, discover, compare, examine, and analyze is compelled by one’s own curiosity. As I try to wrap my head around inquiry for myself as a teacher, I am excited because I’m reminded that every day I will also learn something new because I am no longer limiting the contributions of my students’ knowledge and can equally enjoy the process of our learning together.

By CLEO PETERSONPudong Campus Grade 5 Teacher

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CURRICULUM

If you are a sports fan, you are probably used to hearing about legacies and dynasties. Our Middle School Mathematicians are

creating quite a legacy and dynasty, as this year marks our third consecutive first place victory at the ACAMIS MathQuest and Rubik’s Cube Challenge, held at the Qingdao Number 1 International School of Shangdong Province (QISS). This was the third year of the tournament. In each and every year, SCIS-HQ sixth graders have earned the tournament’s top awards.

Fellow Math teacher Marissa Tualla and I supported twelve sixth graders in their quest for victory: Kevin Chen, Sota Yangiswa, Sarah Wong, Nick Kim, Karin Eguchi, Ji-Woo Choi, Celina Xie, Kyowon Ku, Chloe Kim, Pheobe Wang, Donghyun Song, and Mingon Jin. The Math Dragons were also supported by two parents, Ling Teo and Colin Chen, who acted as photographers, videographers, and our staunchest supporters.

Our students formed two teams. Team A of Kevin, Sota, Sarah, Nick, and Karin took second place place in the mental math challenge and secured first place in the team event. In the individual category, Kevin placed third and Nick placed first. Karin was our only representative in the Rubik’s Cube challenge. While she did not make the final eight, she did achieve a new personal best. All twelve of the students participated to the best of their abilities and came away with valuable tournament experience. Phoebe summarized, “I enjoyed solving questions with friends. Even if we didn’t win prize, this was a nice experience.”

Since August 2015, the students and I prepared for this tournament in our MathCounts club. MathCounts club students met during our in-school club time and after school on Mondays. Our Vice Principal, Amy Bowley, initiated the MathCounts club several years ago, and I am the current sponsor. The club provides rigorous, enticing enrichment mathematics learning opportunities and a platform for tournament participation and preparation. Additionally, MathCounts provides an avenue for students to engage in high level mathematics and improve their computation, communication, and collaborative skills. In Kevin Chen’s words: “I thought it was a great experience competing against other schools. There were many challenges and difficult problems throughout the competition to solve, and loads of enjoyment. It allowed me to truly feel all the fun in mathematics.”

As a math teacher I am fortunate to see firsthand what it means to truly enjoy mathematics and the pleasure one gets from solving a complex problem from start to finish. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to foster middle schoolers’ love for mathematics and dedication to learning the language of math.

Will next year’s Qingdao tournament bring SCIS-HQ four in a row? It’s too early to tell, but the real joy is in the journey.

by ROBERT LA LONDEHongqiao Campus Middle School Math TeacherPhotographed by Ling Teo

3-Peat at the Qingdao MathQuest Tournament

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CURRICULUM

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CURRICULUM

What isVisual Art? Nothing beats the unbridled passion and creativity of

our young. Working with Kindergarten kids through to adolescents and beyond, encouraging them and providing opportunities and challenges to unleash their creative fires in the visual arts is very rewarding as a visual arts educator. Robert J Sternberg provides an interesting description of the role teachers, parents society and schools have in the creative lives of children.

“The most powerful way to develop creativity in your students is to be a role model. Children develop creativity not when you tell them to, but when you show them.” Robert J. Sternberg in How to develop student creativity

Its an interesting simplistic statement when paralleled to school situations where students find they have to adapt to timetables and specific times when they have to do particular subjects.

I have always been impressed at how positively reactive and responsive young kids are to the creative imaginative dimensions you can conjure up in their minds. Recently I worked with Kindergarten and year ones on insects and “the under the grass world”. Obviously showing an excerpt from “A Bug’s Life” helped provide the “hook/entry point” for these students along with doing large whiteboard humanized insect caricatures in front of their eyes. The students raced into their own imaginative representations of a bug’s world. Whilst some of the students are of an age barely out of the scribbling stage their artwork saw a vast array of results.

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CURRICULUM

What isVisual Art?

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Being the age they are of course they pose numerous questions and are in an unfiltered and open honest state of mind as they describe what they are doing. It didn’t always look like an insect or bug but in their mind it was.Questions such as “how many should I do?” pose interesting inter-disciplinary (subject) opportunities. If you respond with do at least 15-20, you find your helping their Mathematics because they engage in active counting as they go along. That’s got to be a positive outcome.That brings me to a key aspect of how Visual Arts in the curriculum has a vital collaborative role and relationship between students and to other subjects.

“Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together.” (Wikipedia) This is a simple definition applicable to only students but it is vital that schools, teachers and the curriculum actively and creatively collaborate across the learning years.

Art teachers need to be passionate themselves on ensuring this happens. Whilst we all get over-busy and pressured as teachers, sometimes it only takes a quick collaborative chat with other year level classroom teachers to stimulate directions and ideas for students to focus on.

A recent example was where the year one teachers at SCIS- Pudong simply conveyed they were focusing on “weather”, that simple word stimulated a more than

generous range of possibilities for students to be artistically creative.As students move through their schooling the concern is are their passions and creative fires being slowly extinguished? It seems to a degree true for many students.

“If intrinsic motivation is one key to a child’s creativity, the crucial element in cultivating it is time: open-ended time for the child to savor and explore a particular activity or material to make it her own. Perhaps one of the greatest crimes adults commit against a child’s creativity is robbing the child of such time.” From Goleman, Kaufman and Ray (1992) The creative spirit.

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Goleman, Kaufman and Ray use quite dramatic language in saying adults are responsible for one of the greatest crimes against creativity. In this sense they surely don’t mean parents only, but society and schools more appropriately. Fortunately, at an International School like SCIS-Pudong it sees its whole school environment have generous displays of Visual Art and Photography, and Arts events. This can only be seen as a huge stimulator to encourage passion for the arts in the students.

Curriculums in schools are a hard balancing act to maintain high numbers of students in the arts maintaining their passion and keeping their creative fires burning and developing. One of our

greatest challenges to creativity is social media and smartphone/tablets, and the sheer amount of time young people and adults are spending with it seemingly glued to their hands. But that’s another topic for discussion. Fortunately, Kindergarten to mid elementary kids seem to be more naïve to this issue and that is a good thing.

I will finish with something that has always been important to me; “The essence of creativity and passion is to create things that have never existed before”.

By MARK THOMAS, Pudong Campus K-8 Art Teacher

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TECHNOLOGY

While walking the halls at SCIS Pudong, one can’t miss seeing teachers and students using technology in creative

and meaningful ways. You’ll notice pockets of students gathering around a computer creating a movie presentation or collaborating on an assignment. Teachers are seen demonstrating how to digitize a piece of art or musical score. The whir of a 3D printer can be heard as it processes a replica of a student’s CAD drawing. It’s fascinating to see the variety of ways that technology is supporting the Arts.

SCIS prides itself on providing ubiquitous access to many forms of technology with the main purpose of enhancing and supporting student achievement. It also excels at using this technology in an integrated manner rather than making it the prime focus of learning. Technology as a tool can help teachers differentiate their instruction and help meet the needs of various learning styles. As the world of technology rapidly expands, our students and teachers are exposed to many exciting resources making each day an opportunity for new learning.

My journey through our campus begins in our Music department where on any given day, melodies can be heard echoing through the halls long before you reach the classroom door. Today, though, things are silent. Instead of holding their instruments, I see high school students, laptops out, writing music aided by the use of computer software. Sibelius is the program and students are using it to learn about music theory. The immediate feedback that the software provides promotes the learning process by giving students a sense of where their progress is and allows them to quickly make necessary adjustments so they can reach their goal.

Next door, middle school music students use their laptops to record their practice sessions at home and are saving their audio files to the server. While this approach may seem like a simple

use of technology, the benefits are great. Garageband produces a waveform that gives students a visual representation of their sound recording allowing them to not only hear themselves play but to visually compare their recording against the metronome to judge how well their timing is. In addition, the student may not be satisfied with his or her recording, self-critiquing it as they listen, and may record it until they are. This leads to the student spending more time practicing. Having students turn in their digital recording also gives the teacher the opportunity to hear and give feedback to each student, freeing up class time for new learning.

Creativity becomes visible as I head upstairs to the Visual Arts department. What catches my eye isn’t the dazzling array of student work decorating the walls, but the ways kids are using technology to create it. Take digital photography for example, where students’ exploration of the camera settings leads to new discoveries and learning resulting in some amazing shots. Editing software programs like Adobe’s Photoshop or Lightroom are used to take the creativity to the next level but isn’t the focus of their learning, nor is the drawing tablet they are writing on. The technology is seamlessly integrated into the learning process and acts as just another tool, like a pencil or brush, and a means to completing their assignment. Technology has the power to redefine students’ creative expression and SCIS is poised to support it and see it grow.

Down the hall, 3D objects are being digitally designed and printed in Modular Technology class. 3D printing has seen exponential growth in popularity in all sorts of industries. At SCIS, we feel that exposing students to 3D design gives them not only another avenue to creatively express their ideas, but it builds higher-level thinking skills, preparing them for a future filled with innovative technologies.

I enjoy my role as campus Technology Coordinator because it fuels my desire to be a life-long learner. Teachers come to me seeking new ideas, tips on using a particular piece of software, or suggestions on using their current technologies more effectively. By helping teachers and students integrate technology, we are not only providing experiences that broaden their creativity to create new products, but we are giving them opportunities to also develop their computer literacy. I applaud our faculty and their support of our mission at SCIS to provide students with opportunities for academic and personal excellence, and with the support of technology, our arts program is thriving!

By BARRY JOHNSONPudong Campus Technology Coordinator

Supporting the Arts with Technology

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TECHNOLOGY

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HOST CULTURE

A Taste of Chinese New YearThe SCIS lower school has the tradition of orchestrating a

Chinese New Year assembly before the CNY holiday. This year, with the collective efforts of our students and teachers, we offered a truly international show of Chinese culture.

During the initial 60-minute, our lower school performers used various artistic means to present a kaleidoscope of Chinese

elements. They not only included our traditional singing, dancing, games, Kung Fu arts and ancient poem recitation, but also a creative drama from a Chinese classic love story, a Peking Opera mask show, a Chinese-history fashion show and a special bicycle performance. While the show was mostly performed by students, our teachers surprised everyone as the assembly approached the end. Five mandarin teachers,

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along with eight specialist teachers, performed a Chinese folk handkerchief dance, which drew long applause from the audience. And the entire assembly ended with an exciting Acrobats show.

Much to our delight, the whole 90-minute assembly was well recognized by teachers, students and parents. One of them said that the show truly showcased what the kids have learned and what teachers do in the classes. Another one labelled it a very creative, thoughtful, interesting and complex event. Those sweet words are the best prize for all those who made it happen. In fact, it took the students and teachers three weeks to get prepared for the show. Under a reasonable division of labor, the students spent two weeks learning to understand what they were going to present on the Assembly, while their Mandarin teachers ordered costumes and props, arranged rehearsal schedules and coordinated theater requirements. In order to achieve the best audio and visual effects, they had careful consideration of lights, sound, seating arrangements

and background slides. With all those inputs, we were able to transform the preparatory work into a vivid Mandarin class: we learned some of the Chinese martial arts although all our knowledge about it comes from action movies; we used a Chinese romance story to celebrate the Chinese New Year which turned out to be a very successful trial for the assembly; we learned Peking Opera through colorful masks and last but not least we brought bicycles -- a typical means of transport in China’s 1980s – to the stage because it is also the most popular means of transport in Netherlands.

As known to all of us, interest is the best teacher for everyone. We hope that through this assembly, we will find a new engine to our future mandarin learning and teaching. Having that mind, let’s work together to embrace an even more prosperous Year of Monkey!

By JENNY ZHANGHongqiao Campus Lower School Mandarin teacher

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I amSCIS

“SCIS helped me prepare tremendously for university. While I attended SCIS I was able to fig-ure out what aided me most in my study and now that I am in university it is proving really useful to know how I learn best. I also learned how to take detailed notes during class when the teachers were speaking which has helped me so far in all of my lecture classes. Most importantly, SCIS has helped me make friends fast at university. At SCIS we are so used to many people coming and going that we are able to quickly make new friends with relative ease, something that has truly helped me transition into a school where no one else from my graduating class is attending. ”

– Olivia HartmanSCIS Class of 2015 – attended SCIS Pudong Campus for three years

AttendingBoston University

High School Varsity Soccer, Volleyball and BasketballHigh School Student Council, Jazz Band and Macaroon Five

Majoring in Athletic

High School GPA89

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

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HONGQIAO • PUDONG

NURSERY – GRADE 12