The Art of Bilingualism - Daystar Academy

An Ivy Education Group Publication

All rights reserved © Ivy Education Group

Feb/Mar 2018

The Art ofBilingualism双语的艺术

I grew up in 3 distinct cultures; first in Taipei, then Harrisonburg, Virginia, and finally in Singapore. So my journey had been from a traditional

Chinese culture, to small town USA (population 48,914) where we were the only Asian family, and then to Singapore where it’s somewhere in between.

Through my experience I’ve realized one thing. It is really not so much the proficiencies of the languages that are important, but the goals that we are trying to accomplish through the language. Most of our children are not going to grow up to become professional writers or translators, so for most of them the practical goal of being bilingual is to have more effective communication with people from different backgrounds. When they grow up in the future, they will need to be able to pitch a product to their clients, or to get buy-in for an idea among their colleagues and bosses, all whom are equally likely to be from China or from another part of the world.

If the goal of being bilingual is to communicate, then a lot more emphasis must be on the cultural aspects of the languages. This refers to not just the manner and body language that we communicate, but also what to talk about. It could be about sports, or it could be about politics -- but being

able to judge what is appropriate to talk about and how much to say depending on the background of the audience is what a truly effective bilingual program should be able to accomplish.

I believe our programs have done an amazing job in achieving this goal. Not only do we ensure that the foundations of both languages are done well (our Daystar program is the only program in China that formally assesses its students against both Chinese Public Schools in Chinese and US schools in English, and we’ve done exceptionally well against both), but we focus on the cultural aspects of the language, such as exposing baseball to our elementary school students and introducing Chinese poetry. I am confident that when our students begin their working careers anywhere in the world, they will be great communicators.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful and prosperous Chinese New Year!

Jack HsuCEO and Founder of Ivy Education Group

FOUNDER’S NOTE

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Chief Editor

Copy Editors

Contributors

Special Contribution

Consultant

Designer

Ja Wuttithamrong

Cecilia LiangPhoebe ShiTing WangAaron Wu David Zupko

Pim AroraRyan CardwellEmily ChangBita ChangiziNick GrassoYvonne HorstJack Hsu Carrie LiuHelen Sun Fang WangEryn WattsKevin WatsonLucy XingLeo ZhangSusu ZhaoMargaret Zhu

Daystar Grade 3 students: Evan Hsu, Angelina Lee, Lily Li, Michelle Li, Wesley Xue, and Eva ZhaoLauren Lowry, Hanen Center (Canada) Nini Suet, Shang LearningAnitra Williams, Beijing United Family Hospital

Tim Lan

Helen He

Sarah Lea Pang

400 890 2199www.ivyschools.com

VOICES


Acknowledgements SPOTLIGHTBilingualism in Young Children: Separating Fact from Fiction

GreetingsFounder’s NoteEditor’s Note

NewsIvy NewsITI Corner: “Supporting Our Children to be Active Learners”

DSS Recap“Unlock the Passion In Your Child”: Recap and Takeaways

VOICES from our COMMUNITYKindergarten: A Seamless Partnership Creates Bilingual Magic & MoreElementary: “Learning Chinese Can Be Fun!”Middle School: “Language…The Key to Culture” & “Scarf”, a Children’s story written by a Middle school student

Up Close“Loneliness, Craziness & Naivete”How those three elements helped a young mother find her calling

Art CornerDaystar Middle School presents “3D Letterform Sculptures Project”

Education Corner“Learning Chinese Can Be Fun!” By Nini Suet, Founder of Shang Learning

Health Corner“Settling Into Your New Hometown” by Anitra Williams, Beijing United Family Hospital

SnapshotsHighlights from our schools

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About the Cover:

Grade 6 Daystar Academy students Skye McNeil and Susu Zhao pose in their Chinese philosopher’s outfits for their Chinese Individuals and Societies Class.

EDiTOR'S NOTE

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Dear Readers,

With warmest regards,

Ja WuttithamrongChief Editor, VOICES

Director of Community Advancement, Ivy Education Group

When my husband and I moved to Beijing in 2005, it was a deliberate decision. Although we didn’t have children at that point, we knew that if we were blessed with children, we wanted to raise them bilingual. The reason was simple: we truly felt, and still feel that China is the future. The gift of both languages and a deep understanding of both cultures will equip our children well for whatever the future may bring.

Fast forward 13 years. Both girls were born here, and have been raised bilingually from day one. We have had the same Chinese ayi since the day they were born, while our native tongue is English. They have also been attending bilingual schools for most of their education, and are now attending Daystar.

I don’t think I really appreciated what it all meant, until last year, when my older daughter became best friends with a little Chinese girl in her class. When they had their first playdate, her parents sent me a video of the two girls happily singing and dancing to a Chinese song together. It was all so seamless, so effortless, and they were having a blast. I had had no idea that my daughter had become so comfortable in Chinese. It brought me true pride and joy, to see her so happily playing with a child from China. Their friendship was mutually beneficial-as my daughter’s friend barely spoke English when she first joined Daystar. But now, she only speaks in English to me. It’s amazing to watch the two of them speak, as they easily switch back and forth between English and Chinese.

As we all know, raising a bilingual child is no small task. Especially as a foreigner, learning Chinese and all those characters can be incredibly daunting. But all good things need patience and perseverance.

If you have decided to choose a bilingual education for your child, the question is what can you do to best support your child/student? In this issue “The Art of Bilingualism”, our goal is to share with you how Ivy Education Group approaches bilingual learning, and some key takeaways that may be helpful.

Language is just the beginning of this bilingual journey. My hope is that this gift of languages will help my children connect and truly appreciate people from different countries, cultures, and all walks of life. With this gift, they will feel uninhibited and come to realize that there is nothing they cannot do.

Thank you as always for taking the time to read VOICES. Here’s wishing that the Year of the Dog brings you and your family much happiness and prosperity!

iVY NEWS

A Helping Hand

Beyond Expectations! Ivy Sanlitun recently hosted a Charity Bazaar. Gently used books and toys, children’s arts and crafts,

parents’ games and yummy food, all came together for a good cause: raising money for a child who needed heart surgery The target was to raise 15,000 rmb, but we exceeded the target and made 16,100 rmb within just 3 hours. It was truly a heart-warming event for the whole community!

International EducatorsGives Daystar a Thumbs-Up

On January 15th, Daystar Academy Beigao campus had the honor of hosting 28 teachers and school administrators

from Australia, Nepal and other countries. Mostly principals from K-12 schools as well as universities in their countries, these group of educators were here attending a teachers’ training at the Beijing International Chinese College. This marks the second time that Daystar has had an opportunity to collaborate with the College. After a tour of our campus, the visiting educators also met with Daystar’s principals, interacted with our students, and saw bilingual education in full display. Many of the visitors commented that they feel Daystar has a great vision, and greatly enjoyed their visit.

An ivy Education Group Publication

iVY NEWS

Ivy MIK Eco-city Campus Awarded Food Safety Recognition

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Safety is one of Ivy Schools’ top priorities. With this as our guideline, school doctors at Ivy MI Kindergarten Eco-city Campus (Tianjin) strictly adhere to the

group’s guidelines for the benefit of the students. They check air quality and drinking water on a daily basis, record and track absent children, establish archives for each kid on sick-leave, and urge the children to exercise more. In addition, they have also established a stringent food safety system, where school doctors check and approve the routine work in person, monitor the process and ensure the quality.

On Monday January 8th, the Eco-city Adminstrative Committee held an award ceremony. for excellent organizations elected by Food Safety Commission Office (FSCO). Xu Wenjiao, Campus Director, and Ma Na, Kitchen Director, were at present. At the ceremony, the leadership of the local Human resources and Social Security Bureau gave credit to the school kitchen

and urged the campus to further improve the food safety. The honor of “Excellent Organization in Food Safety” means a lot to the campus and serves as an accreditation to the Campus Director, kitchen staff and school doctors. And such honor also prompts us to fulfill our responsibility in food safety.

Ivy MI Kindergarten Eco-city Campus (Tianjin) won the honorary title of “Excellent Organization in Food Safety”. In the new year, the campus will dig deeper in the forms, colors and presentation of dishes, continuing to perfect their food service management.

Supporting Our Children to be Active Learners

iTi Corner

By Ryan Cardwell, Director of Ivy Training Institute


Name and Notice Thinking

Use the language of thinking to name and notice the thinking your child is using and thus make it more visible. “I like how you have used what you already know to make connections. That’s a perspective I hadn’t thought about.”

Develop a Growth Mindset

Develop a growth mindset in your child by focusing your praise on process, learning, and effort. “You really worked hard on this and have learned a lot.” “You’ve really developed as a musician”, as opposed to ability “You’re so clever. You’re good at math.”

Challenge but Don’t Rescue

When your child encounters difficulties, don’t jump in to solve the problem and rescue him or her. Instead, ask questions that will help your child to think through the problem. Idenify, and choose a course of action for moving forward.

What Questions Did You Ask Today?

Our questions drive us as learners. Instead of asking your child, “Did you learn anything today?”, you could say, “Did you ask a good question today?” This will encourage your child to be more invested in the types of questions they ask at school, and in life.

Focus on the Learning Over the Work

Learning is the goal of an assignment. Take a moment to ask your child what the purpose of each homework assignment is, what do they think the teacher wants them to learn and get better as a result. Then monitor the learning, not the work.

Supporting our kids’ education at home can seem like a daunting task for parents of children at every age. However, one of the most important indicators of student success is parent involvement. But

where to start?

Here are nine easy discussion starters for parents of the App Generation:

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iTi Corner

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Support Your Child in ArguingEffectively and Persuasively

Research has shown that teenagers who argued constructively with their parents by building a case and providing evidence for their position were more enabled to speak up, voice an opinion, and use evidence in other facets of life.

Provide Time to Pursue Passions

Students need time and space to pursue their passions and interests. Pay attention to your child’s learning and passions outside of school and make time to develop these interests.

Make Your Own Thinking Visible

You are a model for your child of what it means to be a thinker and a learner. Model your own interests, passions, curiosity, reflection, learning, and thinking for your child.

What Makes You Say That?

By simply asking, “What makes you say that?”, in a curious and non-judgmental tone after someone has given a response, we are able to get a window into the thinking behind that student’s initial response.

Final Thought

In many ways your own habits as learners will be reflected in your children. Try to be a good role model by showing curiosity, grit and a love of learning and your children will to a certain extent follow suit!

Happy Learning!


DSS RECAP

On January 20th, Ivy Education Group hosted our second Distinguished Speaker Series for the school year. Over 100 people packed Daystar Sanlitun’s

multifunction hall to hear our noted speakers share their take on how to “Unlock the Passion In Your Child”.

Moderated by veteran CGTN Host Liu Xin, the DSS session featured three speakers-entrepreneur Dai Kun, Chinese violinist virtuoso Gao Can, and clinical psychologist Dr. Claudine Hyatt from Raffles Hospital. During the two-hour session, Dai Kun and Gao Can spoke candidly about their childhood and upbringing, how their education influenced them, and provided some key takeaways.

Dr. Hyatt, provided some wonderful, insightful and professional observations and commentary. As a result, we had a truly stimulating and content-rich two-hour session that was enriching and enjoyed by all. Here are some key takeaways.

Childhood/Upbringing

At the beginning of the session, Dai Kun and Gao Can openly shared some personal stories and anecdotes, about how their parents raised them which made a lasting impression and has helped shape who they are today.

By Ja Wuttithamrong, VOICES Chief Editor

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Dai Kun shared how he remembers lying on a basketball court with his best friend (who is now his company’s CFO), dreaming about becoming an entrepreneur. He loved to play basketball, and his parents used that as an incentive for him to complete his school work. They also filled his life with books. He credits his parents for giving him the right framework and discipline, and for exposing him to great knowledge at an early age.

Gao Can commented on how he loved drawing as a young child and thought he was pretty good at it. His parents felt otherwise. They had introduced him to the violin instead in an initial effort to support him academically, as they had read that learning the violin helps develop both sides of the brain. However, even though Gao Can loved drawing, he would also make very deep and observing comments about music that he had heard. With that, his parents recognized that Gao Can also had an ear for music, and encouraged him to pursue it professionally. Similar to Dai Kun, he also credits his parents for exposing him to music, and for recognizing his talent even before he recognized it himself.

Dr. Hyatt recommended that parents to make the distinction between encouraging versus pushing. Parents need to know how to weigh that scale. And that ability can only come from having a relationship with your child, understanding them, and always checking-in to know their needs.

The Role of Education

Besides their childhood and upbringing, both speakers also spoke vividly about their education, and some of their greatest influences.

Dai Kun shared how he still remembers that his early days of elementary and high school (which were in local schools), was primarily rote learning. He was incredibly bored. It was only when he entered university in the UK that he felt excited about learning, and the spark and interest of becoming an entrepreneur really took off.

Gao Can, for a long time he felt that practicing the violin was more of a chore…and he didn’t have a true passion for it. It was not until his professor exposed him, at the age of 13, to a special piece written by Nathan Milstein and Jasha Heifetz that things changed. The composer had written that piece during the second world war, and Gao Can could feel it. He could feel the pain and the history in that piece. That experience was a life-changing moment for him, and from that moment on--he yearned to practice and play the violin every day. Therefore, the role of education can be traditional education-but it can also be about the people who enter your life, or experiences that may shape you.

Dr. Hyatt shared that curiosity is what should anchor education. Don’t foreclose on an idea. Be patient with your child. Allow your child to explore and cultivate their curiosity, even if it may not be what you are interested in. And in that, they may discover their passion.

Final Takeaways

Dai Kun

• Help your child develop goals• Help them with time management & create an environment that allows them to explore their passions• Help them to be happy

Gao Can

• Don’t compare your child to another. Let them be themselves• Don’t make a decision too early for your child. Be patient. Expose them to different experiences and let them explore• Cherish the time you have with your child now. Give them love

Dr. Claudine Hyatt

• Communicate with your child• Create structure • Play a supporting role in their different stages. Sometimes you can be a cheerleader, sometimes a coach. And sometimes, be a role model

The event ended on a perfect note, with Gao Can playing “Scent of a Woman Tango (Por una Cabeza” on this 400 year old violin, accompanied by his colleague from China’s Central Conservatory of Music.

Our sincere thanks to all the amazing panelists for their insights, and to our wonderful host Liu Xin for moderating such an engaging and informative DSS session. We truly appreciate it. And many thanks to all of the parents and educators who chose to spend the morning with us! Until next time!

DSS RECAP


Note: “bilingual” refers to someone who speaks two languages; “monolingual” refers to someone who speaks one language

The Facts: What We Know About Bilingualism

Our world is becoming increasingly multilingual. Consider some of the following statistics:

Worldwide, it is estimated that:

• there are more second language speakers of English than native speakers.

• there are as many bilingual children as there are monolingual children.

These trends mean that many children are being raised as bilinguals. Sometimes bilingualism is a necessity, as a child’s parents may not be fluent in the majority (dominant) language spoken in the community. Therefore, the child may learn one language at home and another at school. But sometimes bilingualism is a choice, and parents may wish to expose their child to another language, even if they do not speak a second language themselves. This could be due to the many benefits of being bilingual.

SPOTLiGHT


Bilingualismin Young Children: Separating Fact from Fiction

By Lauren Lowry, Certified Speech-Language Pathologist & Clinical Writer, Hanen Centre

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SPOTLiGHT

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Benefits of Bilingualism

• Bilingual children are better able to focus their attention on relevant information and

ignore distractions

• Bilingual individuals have been shown to be more creative and better at planning and solving

complex problems than monolinguals

• The effects of aging on the brain are diminished among bilingual adults.

• In one study, the onset of dementia was delayed by 4 years in bilinguals compared to monolinguals with

dementia

• Bilingual individuals have greater access to people and resources.

• The cognitive advantages of bilingualism (e.g . with attention, problem solving, etc.) seem to be related to an

individual’s proficiency in his languages. This means that a person will benefit more from his bilingualism (cognitively) if he

is more proficient in his languages.

How children learn more than one language

Bilingual acquisition can take place in one of two ways:

1 Simultaneous Acquisition occurs when a child is raised bilingually from birth, or when the second language is introduced before the age

of three. Children learning two languages simultaneously go through the same developmental stages as children learning one language.

While bilingual children may start talking slightly later than monolingual children, they still begin talking within the normal range.

2 Sequential Acquisition occurs when a second language is introduced after the first language is well-established (generally after the age of three).

Children may experience sequential acquisition if they immigrate to a country where a different language is spoken. Sequential learning may also occur if the

child exclusively speaks his heritage language at home until he begins school, where instruction is offered in a different language.

A child who acquires a second language in this manner generally experiences the following:

• Initially, he may use his home language for a brief period.

• He may go through a “Silent” or “Nonverbal” Period when he is first exposed to a second language. This can last from a few weeks to several months, and is most likely

a time when the child builds his understanding of the language. Younger children usually remain in this phase longer than older children. Children may rely on using gestures in this

period, and use few words in the second language.

• He will begin to use short or imitative sentences. The child may use one-word labels


or memorized phrases such as “I dunno” or

“What’s this?”. These sentences are not

constructed from the child’s own vocabulary or

knowledge of the language. Rather, they are phrases he

has heard and memorized.

• Eventually, he will begin to produce his own sentences.

These sentences are not entirely memorized, and incorporate some

of the child’s own newly-learned vocabulary. Eventually the child

becomes more and more fluent, but continues to make grammatical

mistakes or produce sentences that sound abbreviated because he is missing

some grammatical rules Some of the mistakes a child makes at this stage are

due to the influence of his first language. But many of the mistakes are the same

types of mistakes that monolingual children make when they learn that language.

Fiction: Some Myths about Bilingualism

#1. Bilingualism causes language delay.

FALSE. While a bilingual child’s vocabulary in each individual language may be smaller than average,

his total vocabulary (from both languages) will be at least the same size as a monolingual child.

Bilingualism itself does not cause language delay. A bilingual child who is demonstrating significant delays

in language milestones could have a language disorder and should be seen by a speech language pathologist.

#2. When children mix their languages it means that they are confused and having trouble becoming bilingual.

FALSE. When children use both languages within the same sentence or conversation, it is known as “code mixing” or

“code switching”. Parents sometimes worry that this mixing is a sign of language delay or confusion. However, code mixing is a

natural part of bilingualism.

#3. A person is not truly bilingual unless he is equally proficient in both languages.

FALSE. It is rare to find an individual who is equally proficient in both languages. Most bilinguals have a “dominant language”, a language

of greater proficiency. An individual’s dominant language can change

SPOTLiGHT


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with age, circumstance, education, social network, employment, and many other factors.

#4. An individual must learn a second language as a young child in order to become bilingual.

FALSE. There is a “Critical Period” theory that suggests that there is a window of time (early childhood) during which a second language is most easily learned. This theory has led many people to believe that it is better to learn a second language as a young child. Young children have been found to achieve better native-like pronunciation than older children or adult second language learners. And they seem to achieve better long-term grammatical skills than older learners. But other findings have called the idea of a critical period into question. For example:

• Older children (in middle elementary school) have been shown to have advantages when learning “academic” English. “Academic” language refers to the specialized vocabulary, grammar, and conversational ability needed to understand and learn in school. This is likely easier for older children because they learn their second language with more advanced cognitive skills than younger children, and with more experience with schooling and literacy.

• Older children and adults seem to be advantaged when initially learning vocabulary and grammar.

Therefore, while younger children seem to become more “native-like” in the long-term, older children may pick up vocabulary, grammar, and academic language more easily in the initial stages of language learning.

#5. Parents should adopt the “one parent-one language” approach when exposing their child to two languages.

FALSE. Some parents may choose to adopt the “one parent-one language” approach, where each parent speaks a different language to the child. While this is one option for raising a bilingual child, there is no evidence to suggest that it is the only or best way to raise a child bilingually, or that it reduces code mixing. Parents should speak to their child in a way that is comfortable and natural to them.

#6. If you want your child to speak the majority language, you should stop speaking your home language with your child.

FALSE. Some parents attempt to speak the majority language to their child because they want their child to learn that language, even if they themselves are not

fluent in the majority language. This can mean that conversations and interactions do not feel natural or comfortable between parent and child. There is no evidence that frequent use of the second language in the home is essential for a child to learn a second language. Furthermore, without knowledge of a family’s home language, a child can become isolated from family members who only speak the home language. Research shows that children who have a strong foundation in their home language more easily learn a second language. Children are also at great risk of losing their home language if it is not supported continually at home.

How to Support your Bilingual Child

There are many ways to support your child’s bilingualism:

• Do what feels comfortable for you and your family. Don’t try to speak a language with your child if you are not comfortable or fluent in that language

• Don’t worry if your child mixes his two languages. This is a normal part of becoming bilingual Provide your child with many opportunities to hear, speak, play, and interact in your home language.

• If you think your child has a language delay, consult a speech language pathologist for advice regarding the best ways to help your child learn more than one language.

SPOTLiGHT

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About the Hanen Centre Founded more than 35 years ago, The Hanen Centre is a Canadian charitable organization.

Their mission is to provide parents, caregivers, early childhood educators and speech-language pathologists with the knowledge and training they need to help young children develop the best possible language, social and literacy skills.


Today our children are incredibly tech savvy. There are also a plethora of apps available for downloading which support English and Chinese language learning. Below are a list of apps recommended by Daystar Academy’s K-12

Technology Integrator, that you can introduce to your child/students, to help on them on their bilingual journey. (Please note that function and speeds may vary depending on the network and internet of your location.)

Enjoy!

APP

LEARN ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Application name

Raz Kids

Wawayaya

Epic

Phonics Genius

Spelling City

Qwertytown

Quizlet

Grammaropolis

(Chengyuxiaoxiaole)

*Available to Daystar students

Subscription or Free

Subscription*

Subscription*

Subscription*

Subcription

Subscription*

Subscription*

Free

Subcription

Free

Logo Description

Students can read the books as they follow along the highlighted words.

Chinese version of Raz Kids. Access a library of books to practice reading in Chinese. Appropriate for Gr 1-3

This is the Leading Digital Library for Kids 12 & Under

Help students learn the letter-sound associations with English graphemes. There are many online resources to help make this fun for student. Phonics Genius is an iPhone and iPad app designed to help kids identify letter sounds and their relationships to words.

Word bank that aligns with Journey’s curriculum. Choose one activity to practice your child’s weekly spelling words. Use your child’s account for extra online practice that aligns with his/her Journeys material.

QwertyTown is a web-based keyboarding app that teaches typing and online communication skills. Students are driven to succeed by games, rewards, social motivation, and a deep understanding of how keyboarding skills improve their lives in and out of school.

Flashcards for all levels of English or Chinese. Create your own set or search for sets created by others.

Game based English grammar learning app to study all different parts of speech.

Find the Chinese idioms. Read idiom definitions and descriptions. Good for Gr 2 and up (native) or Gr 4 (non-native)

Elementary School (Grades 1-5)


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APP

Middle School (Grade 6-8)

Application name

Abcya.com

Raz Kids

Osmo Words

Wawayaya

Little Fox

Application name

Newsela

Memrise

Qwertytown

Quizlet

SPaG

Skitter

(Piyingkeshaoer)


Free with In-app purchases

Subscription*

Subscription

Subscription*

Subscription


Free for single teacher/class use

Free within App Purchases

Subscription

Free

Subscription

Free

Free

Logo

Logo

Description

Phonics practice

All Daystar KG students have accounts Raz Kids. The books can be read to the students as they follow along the highlighted words.

An interactive game that gives students a chance to practice spelling. Word lists can be set up by parents or downloaded from Osmo Website. Great for groups and teamwork.

Chinese version of Raz Kids. Access a library of books to practice reading in Chinese.

Award-winning library of leveled stories and songs to teach English as a second language (ESL) and guided reading, for Kids ages 4 to 12.

Description

Data base of current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Indexed by broad theme (e.g. War and Peace, Arts, Science, Health, Law, Money), stories are both student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level.

Fun English or Chinese language learning games

QwertyTown is a web-based keyboarding app that teaches typing and online communication skills. Students are driven to succeed by games, rewards, social motivation, and a deep understanding of how keyboarding skills improve their lives in and out of school.

Flashcards for all levels of English or Chinese. Create your own set or search for sets created by others.

English Grammar App practice for Upper Elementary and Middle School levels. SPaG Gold covers grammar, sentences, prefixes and suffixes, spelling and punctuation with lessons and quizzes for each topic, as well as over 250 audio spelling questions and over 40 activities

Practice Chinese Characters. You choose the vocabulary lists and Skritter handles the rest. Focuses on characters and tone. Create flashcards to study. (For non-native speakers)

Choose a cartoon character and record your voice into a story, add captions or subtitles for reading.

Kindergarten (ages 3-6)

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TEAC

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A SEAMLESS PARTNERSHIPCREATES BILINGUAL MAGIC

TEACHER’S VOICEKiNDERGARTEN

Since I first arrived in China 15 years ago, intending to teach English for three months, I have considered myself a citizen of the

world. Now, as I look back at my adventures, both successes and failures inside and outside of the classroom, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in the bilingual education sector. I am excited by the opportunities we are able to offer children that wouldn’t have been possible had I returned to my teaching career in Australia after three months.

Today we know more about the potential of the brain than ever before. The benefits of learning a second language as a child is phenomenal: increased brain function & flexible thinking, stimulated creativity, improved memory and more. What’s more, the social impact of going to school with other people from different backgrounds teaches understanding, acceptance, and social skills that will help wherever they go in life. But as much as we can celebrate the long-term benefits of bilingual education, we would do them a disservice if we didn’t remember it is not always easy.

When I approach bilingual education with my class, I make it a priority to meet the individual needs of of each student in my class. If you enter the room without knowing a single word of the spoken language, it can be quite overwhelming and isolating. For those children, I feel the most important thing I can do to support them is to let them know that this is not a test and that they are secure. A few kind words spoken in their own language can let them know they are not alone, that we are all learning.

For children who have developed a foundational vocabulary, I try to push them to use fuller sentences and adjectives, and to use the language more in their play. For those who are fluent, it is a chance to showcase their skills and develop codeswitching tools to help those who are struggling. The beauty of a bilingual & multiple intelligences based

education is that everyone will have an opportunity to shine. We celebrate children’s strengths and let them know they can use their skills to improve the environment for everyone.

Working with Lucy, my Chinese co-teacher, has been such a gift. She approaches language with patience and understanding. Through collaboration, we are able to create a cross-classroom educational experience where we support and enhance the learning in each room. An example of this has been our study of the world. As we explored the globe Lucy focused more on the structures of the world and the countries’ flags, while I concentrated on the continents and languages. As the topic progressed children would carry the information from one class into the other class for discussions, such as exploring why the Statue of Liberty is called a lady in Chinese? Or what would we need to make our own country? I am consistently impressed by the way children combine and extend their own learning. A bilingual education is an opportunity to learn all the angles.

By Eryn Watts, Kindergarten Class English Teacher and Coordinator, Ivy Bilingual School Orchid Garden Campus

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STUD

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’ VOI

CEKiNDERGARTEN


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STUDENTS’ VOICEKiNDERGARTEN

By Lucy Xing, Chinese Lead Teacher & Eryn Watts, English Lead Teacher-Kindergarten ClassIvy Bilingual School Orchid Garden Campus

Bilingual Learning in Action

In November and December, Ivy Bilingual School Orchid Garden’s Kindergarten class studied about the

globe. During this time, we studied each of the continents, their structures, music and language. We learned about how art is created around the globe and were able to try many of them, from block painting, to metal art, to mola.

We also used this as an opportunity to explore literacy in the world. We read a lot of books and picture books on the theme, such as THIS IS - Sasek’s Picture Travel Guides, Map, and Learning to Get along Series, and also studied some foreign poetry, such as I Learn to Write by the Belgian poet Maurice Maeterlinck. We also made hieroglyphs of our names, and created Native American story stones using traditional symbols. Children took a great deal of interest in the structures of the world, re-creating them in the block corner and their artwork. Making pyramids proved a challenge but with perseverance we discovered many materials which could be used.

We made our own globes using paper mache. This process was fascinating for children as they explored the changing properties of the materials, and the painting process showed us the unique ways in which the children view the world.

This theme allowed the children to learn a lot about the world. It was wonderful seeing how the children embraced their own countries and cultures. They enjoyed finding their countries on maps and the globe, and were excited to show their classmates. What was even more special was how, despite their young age, they were able to recognize each other’s countries and culture.

The biggest message we took from the opportunity is that we are all a part of the world. We each have our own skills and experiences and by sharing them we can make the world a better more loving place.


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Why We Chose A Bilingual Kindergarten for Our Children By Wang Fang, Ivy Bilingual School Ocean Express Parent

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Our world, which is full of diversity, is becoming increasingly integrated. As they get older, our children will

encounter people from different cultures and backgrounds. It’s only natural that their thoughts and value systems may be at odd with others. That is part of growing up.

For my own children, I am trying to raise them so that while they are young, they have open and pure hearts. As they get older, I would hope that they develop to become citizens of the world in an environment of respect, equality, independence and inclusiveness.

That was our original intent when we choose a kindergarten. We want them to be able to seamlessly integrate in this increasingly connected world. Now, both of our kids attend Ivy Bilingual School Ocean Express Campus. Our son has become an independent, self-confident elder brother at the top of his class. His little sister has begun to immerse herself in a wide variety of everyday campus activities conducted in both Chinese and English to broaden her horizon. Our family and the campus share a similar educational philosophy, and have cooperated with each other through all the stages in the children’s linguistic and cognitive development, so as to establish their cognition and world view during their care-free childhood.

In Ivy Bilingual School Ocean Express Campus, the Nursery class has foreign teachers all day long to conduct daily activities with the children. The Pre-K1, Pre-K2 and Kindergarten classes have a separate Chinese and English curriculum. Children are provided with a Chinese environment for half a day, and are in an immersive English environment for the other half of the day. Children use and acquire their two languages through games, reading, discussions and other forms covering a wide of variety of topics. They also have a chance to explore different civilizations, and learn about and appreciate differences between

Chinese and Western cultures and customs in their classes.

Unlike adults, Children don’t rely very much on language in the early stages. Because of this, Nursery class students experience a lot of their early learning through Chinese and English activities and games, which stimulates and inspires their language learning. When they enter Pre-K and Kindergarten classes, they would have accumulated a glossary of vocabulary. This knowledge allows them to begin learning how to read and spell. Reading helps them independently explore the world, while interactions with their English and Chinese teachers help them absorb more knowledge, and develop their creativity through a wealth of designed activities. At Ivy, the children are constantly growing and evolving, surprising us from time to time.

There was a period of time when our daughter learned a new song every day from the kindergarten, and she could perform these songs with small dance movements. I was often amazed by how many children’s song lyrics she could remember. Our son has also made great strides in his understanding and ability to effectively express himself in both languages. He introduces his work to everyone at the “show and tell” with great confidence, and enjoys sharing with others folk songs he has recently learned. He also proudly told me that “Miss Jamie said I am her super reader” and discussed with me some stories, conventions and etiquette about Chinese traditional culture taught by his Ivy teachers. I can see that he enjoys both languages and means of expression.

Language is a communication tool, and a mini reflection of the country’s culture. We use different languages to understand the world and different groups of people by delving deeper into their histories and cultures. Curious about the big world and equipped with bilingualism, our children can explore and create a better future.

PARENT’S VOICEKiNDERGARTEN


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Bilingual Educationis a Team Effort!By Yvonne Horst, Grade 2 English Teacher, Daystar Academy Sanlitun Campus

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“What is ‘opposite’ de yisi?”, asks one of my students as we’re discussing our weekly words. I ask them for the opposite of the

word ‘small’ and another student replies, “That’s big!” The student is still unclear on the exact meaning of the word ‘opposite’. Luckily, this week’s words all have an opposite and we try figuring out the meaning of that difficult word with a few other words. After a couple of attempts she gets it, “Oh, it is the 反义词!”

This moment is just one of the many I experience on a daily basis with my second grade students as, together, we are on a journey to become truly bilingual. I write “we” as we are a team where the different members help each other to understand concepts and big ideas. My students help each other with words like “oppos-ite” by giving examples, by making drawings to show their ideas or by referring to the various word walls we have in our classroom. Most of the word walls we have in our classroom are bilingual as this helps students to make connections and allows for a deeper understand-ing of concepts and key vocabulary. Students continu-ously have access to vocabulary in two languages. I be-lieve that this will help students whose mother tongue is Chinese, and also students whose second language is Chinese as they are being exposed to Chinese when they use the word wall to check their spelling.

Having easy access to a lot of bilingual vocabulary helps students, but having a teacher who is bilingual is, in my opinion, helpful too. As my students and I are having conversations we sometimes switch between languages and often try to explain things in different ways. For example, when students aren’t able to finish an English sentence I will offer clues or key words in Chinese to help them better understand the sentence structure or vocabulary. This bilingual learning environment helps

improve overall understanding of new concepts and re-duces difficulties.

Earlier, I referred to my students and myself as a team, but for a child to become truly bilingual more people are needed to support the team. Parents are a very im-portant part of this process and along the journey there are many ways for them to support their child at home. For example:

First. One way to support your child is to make learning the second language fun. Provide your child with books, songs or videos of his/her interests in the desired language. Read, listen, sing, or watch these together to expose your child to the second language in a fun way.

Second. Another way to support your child at home is to attend multicultural events that relate to what your child has been learning at school. At these events, and also at museums or during other family out-ings, your child can share with you what has been learned at school.

Finally, I would also like to suggest talking with your child about being in a bilingual program. Acknowledge feelings and frustrations your child may have towards learning a new language and celebrate their triumphs!

It is important to reinforce both languages to create truly bilingual students, in the classroom and at home.

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Learning Chinese Can Be ! A brief overview of how Daystar teaches Chinese Writing for grade three studentsTE

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By Sun Qiuxin, Grade Three Chinese Teacher Daystar Academy (Beigao Campus)

Chinese recently topped UNESCO’s list of top ten hard-to-learn languages in the world. At Daystar, students have

half a day to learn English and half a day to learn Chinese so as to achieve the goal of bilingual education. Chinese is the mother tongue of most of our students, but the question is how can we help our students learn Chinese in an engaging and efficient? This is not a simple task for teachers.

As a teacher with 15 years of experience in international Chinese education, I’ve

thought a lot about how to allow Chinese children and foreign children learn this difficult language.

For primary students, learning Chinese usually begins with the basic knowledge of pinyin, literacy and writing. However, in grade three students are at an inter-esting crossroad. Students at this age are beginning to learn actual writing versus just learning words or phrases. By being formally exposed to writing, it is a com-prehensive test of their cognition levels

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and language skills. At first, many children are fearful of writing. The key is help them gain those skills, in a fun and engaging way that’s easy for them to grasp and comprehend.

This year, the first writing exercise for grade three dur-ing our first semester was to write a composition titled My Extracurricular Life. During the two weeks before writing, I closely integrated text learning with writing preparation, so that students can record their extra-curricular lives while studying the texts. After a week of continuous recording, students prepared a wealth of writing materials. In developing students’ writing, we adopted “writing centers” to guide their writings from four aspects: “beginning”, “middle” (activities and gains in after-school life records), “ending”, and “word supermarket”. Students finish a composition after fin-ishing the task in each “writing center”.

In addition, for observation diaries, we encourage children to bring suitable plants and animals to the classroom. Some students brought beans to observe how beans germinated in water; some brought garlic to observe how garlic grows garlic seedlings; some brought hamsters to observe the shape and habits of hamsters. For some time, the classroom was bustling like a king-dom of plants and animals! More importantly, children not only carefully observed and recorded their pro-jects, they also took wonderful care of these animals and plants, and developed the qualities of caring and patience. At the end of the unit, students wrote what they had observed and how they care for their plants and animals in their observation diary, instilling the im-portance of harmony between humans and nature in their minds.

These activities provided students with a wealth of writing material; helping them feel that writing is no longer a difficult task. Instead, writing simply becomes a natural part of the process of learning, and they can record their lives in words. After mastering the writ-ing method, children took the initiative to deftly apply the verses accumulated in their “Daily Recitation” into their own exercises. A foreign student wrote a com-position describing landscapes by combining what he learned in the text The Fertile Xisha Islands with his own experience.

According to the Chinese course standard, teachers should encourage students to express themselves in a free and creative way, minimize restrictions on writ-ing, and provide students with ample space for writ-ing. This means that teaching should be unrestrictive. I am delighted to share that after the first semester implementing the various approaches described above,

Daystar’s grade three students are confident in writing, but have also mastered a lot of writing skills.

In the second semester of the third year, we plan to ask students to keep “circular diaries”. A circular diary can extend from a person’s expression to the wisdom of a group; all group members can be readers of the diary, which allows students to feel the meaning of writing and will help students master how to revise and assess writing exercises. Hopefully the students’ writing abil-ity will also improve during the semester.

What can parents do at home to support Chinese learning? If parents want some suggestions, I would say

First: Read more, think more, accumulate more, practice more and give more en-couragement. At Daystar, we advocate 20 minutes of reading every day; there’s no output without sufficient input

Second: Parents should guide children to connect the Chinese that they are learning with real life situations to show the relev-ance of learning Chinese

Third: Children should recite ancient po-etry to enrich their language accumula-tion and cultivate a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture;

Fourth: Children should be encouraged to write more, such as taking reading notes, keeping diaries, etc.;

Most importantly: Provide positive rein-forcements and evaluation to help children build their confidence in learning Chinese.

Chinese is a practical discipline. We need to consider the characteristics of students’ physical and mental de-velopment and language learning and encourage them to learn in the most natural and ideal state. Learning can be more interesting without stress and restraint.


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Wesley Xue, Class 3B

The best thing I got from this semester is I learned many strategies to write. My deepest expression is that one day Ms. Sun told us to observe an object and record the result. I studied about the secret of my dad’s razor and wrote about how it works. All of my classmates think my writing is great! From that on I think writing is easy and I can write about everything in my life. I feel confident in writing.

I think speaking Chinese is more comfortable, because I always speak Chinese at home, so I think that is easy. Learning English and Chinese is easy, because if you know about Chinese, then your English will be good. I think learning English and Chinese can help me talk with a lot of people.

Daystar Academy Grade three students reflect on their bilingual journey, in both languages.

Back Row: Lily Li, Wesley Xue, Michelle Li, Evan Hsu

Front Row: Angelina Lee, Eva Zhao

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Eva Zhao, Class 3A

Hi, I am Eva Zhao from class 3A.If you ask me which language is easier for me, I will say it is Chinese. Because it is the first language I have heard starting from my birth. To me, Chinese is not just any language to express myself, it is also a culture ( like in calligraphy, ancient Chinese poems and books) that differentiates me from other country’s children and adults.

Learning both English and Chinese is not very hard for me, although sometimes I get the spellings wrong for long words. In my mind, the long words are like little rocks that I will trip over. So I learned a very good way to remember the words“netmind”. The “netmind” is a way to “capture” the new words you see, and find the word’s synonems antonems or rhyme words and learn them all. For example, your new word is “beautiful”, then you might think of “beauty”, “pretty”, “ugly”, or words with “ful” endings. When I read them again, I will remember it even deeper. And that is like climbing a mountain of books and words. One step at a time, and finally reaches the top. I did it that way too, but I sometimes feel that there are still trillions of steps to go.

I know that learning both languages is very important, like they help you communicate with other country’s people, learn Western and Eastern culture. And I need them later when I go to English or American college.In conclusion, the two languages are big parts of who I am.

Angelina Lee, Class 3A

I think I made some progress at all aspects of Chinese learning especially writing. When I was in first and second grade, I can only write very short sentences. But now I can write a 600word composition! My writing improved a lot at the end of this semester!

The best way to learn English and Chinese is to read. I can learn a lot of good words and sentences during reading. The good part of speaking English is that people in many countries in Europe speak English and I can talk with them during travel. The good part of speaking Chinese is that I am living in Beijing and I can talk with people here.

Michelle Li, Class 3B

I have made a lot progress in Chinese learning. I used to be weak at Chinese but now my handwriting is neater and I can write almost all words which I did not know how to write. In addition, I find Chinese is not boring and I like reading! I also like the group discussions in CLA class and the experiments in UOI class. CLA this year is very interesting!

Now I want to talk about how I made these improvements! For Chinese I read a lot so I know a lot of words. I also play some games about Chinese words. I think it is a good way to learn Chinese. For English I watch some funny videos about phrases and practice typing online. It is easier for me to recite words!

I think learning English and Chinese at the same time really helps me a lot! I can talk with the English-speaking people who know little Chinese and Chinese-speaking people who know little English. The best part is I can help both to translate!

This semester is really fun! I found the right way to learn and learned a lot!

Lily Li, Class 3B

When I am in first grade and second grade, language was not my best. But when I am in third grade, I think my language capacity improved. And I find that now I can do things which I cannot do in the past like writing a composition, writing a book and many others. My deepest impression is that one day my composition was shared in my class and I was shy. But when it was over, I got applause from my classmates which gave me self-confidence. I think when next semester comes, I will make greater progress.

I think learning English and Chinese at the same time is amusing. Because if you don’t know a Chinese word but you know the English, you can use one language to help you improve the other one and also help with your understanding of the relation between these two languages. I think learning English and Chinese is very important because it will help me a lot when I study abroad or live in China after growing up.

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Evan Hsu, Class 3B

I think the language I am better at is English because I speak it a lot at home. The improvement in English is that my paragraph’s are neater. The improvement in Chinese is my paragraph’s are longer. I think speaking both English and Chinese is useful. Because I can understand what people are talking about when I go to English-speaking or Chinese-speaking countries.

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Why are more and more parents choosing a bilingual education for their children? People everywhere are realizing that the world is

getting smaller. With a simple touch of a keyboard, we can transcend beyond our neighborhoods, cities and nations and become part of a community that stretches across the globe. This interconnectedness impacts us as parents but more so our children who need to be fully equipped with the skills and abilities necessary to become active participants in this global village.

Over the last twenty years, well-documented research has emerged from various models around the world such as Canada’s French immersion system showing the benefits of a bilingual education. Some of the research has shown that ‘bilingual children outperform monolingual children on tasks that tap into executive function’ (Bialystok, 2012), such as skills having to do with attention control, reasoning, creativity and flexible problem solving. Bilingualism has also been shown to have a’ brain-sharpening’ benefit, preserving brain function well into old age.

As parents, we know that these benefits all come at a cost. Mastering the linguistic components of two very different language systems is a daunting task! At times, we may notice that there is a delay in speech or language output or that our child’s educational achievement is lagging behind his or her mono-lingual speaking friends! This will be a cause for worry for most of us!

Our family’s journey with bilingual education started in 2002 when Daystar was founded. At that time, a bilingual model of Chinese-English education did not exist and we were fully on board when the founder of Daystar, Dawn Vermilia-Cai, established the school.

Since we could not help them in their Chinese language development, we called on the support of tutors after school and weekends. At the beginning this support was frequent, Once the foundational knowledge of the language solidified, this support then lessened.

The other was to have lots of Chinese friends who had limited English which meant they had to communicate in Chinese. However, at the heart of it was an appreciation and love for learning such a unique language and culture which needs to be modeled by mom and dad!

There are also social and cultural advantages to bilingualism. Our two older children who are now in university in Canada enjoy friendships with friends from diverse backgrounds. Their bilingual journey not only gave them the ability to speak Chinese but also enriched them by giving them cultural understanding. As a result, all three of our children have benefitted from this bilingual journey.

Learning a second language does not only mean learning the linguistic aspects of that language but also its culture. This cultural understanding which embraces diversity and brings down barriers that separate us is an invaluable asset for our children to have as they become future leaders who contribute positively to their communities.

PARENT’S VOICEHow I Support My Bilingual Children

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By Bita Changizi, Elementary School Parent, Daystar Academy

At Daystar, all our teachers go beyond textbook contents, through different learning approaches and activities. This helps ensure that our students develop the abilities to think independently and to apply knowledge when solving real life problems.

This style of teaching was on full display in mid-January in the Chinese Individuals and Societies Class for grade six students. A special assessment was given to students –a mock interview titled “The Hundred Schools of Thought [A1] ” where students had the opportunity to use what they have learned to solve problems independently.

Ms. Carrie Liu, the Middle School Chinese Individuals and Societies teacher, provided a series of possible interview questions, while students prepared their speeches and answers through independent research, based on their Chinese philosopher character. Teachers and parents conducted the mock interview, playing the role of “Kings” during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China. They raised questions, where students explained their opinions

and proposals in character, to persuade the “Kings” of all countries to hire them as their Chief Ministers [A2].

This is similar to today’s job interview process, where recruiters will ask different kinds of questions to assess candidates. To be able to succeed in this mock interview, students had to integrate textbook knowledge, combined with what they had learned from their own research. This is where the magic happens, and when the students’ critical thinking skills plays a vital role.

At Daystar, we go beyond teaching bilingualism. Imparting deep and genuine cultural experiences, and real-life skills are also just as critical to help them succeed, and become true 21st century learners.

[A1] Philosophies and schools that flourished from the 6th century to 221 BC, during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China

[A2] Official of high rank in ancient China.

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“The Hundred Schools of Thought” Mock Interview

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Language: The Key to a Culture By Nick Grasso, Grade 6 & 7 English Language & Literature Instructor, Daystar Academy


I’ve been a teacher for many years now and still, almost every day, I find myself explaining new words, interesting

phrases, and unique expressions that I hadn’t had to teach before. I think this is for the simple reason that English is hard. It’s a nuanced language full of idioms, crazy spelling, strange rules, and then exception after exception to the “rules” that fly in the face of what we had just previously learned.

Through all of this, I am constantly left inspired by our Daystar students. I am inspired by their nimble ability to conceptualize, comprehend, and apply the mechanics of the language with such natural and fluent ease; I am inspired by their curiosity to learn and grow as burgeoning life-long learners.

I have always loved learning languages. Having the opportunity to learn languages has allowed me to not only learn how to say things differently, but how to think about different cultures differently as well. Growing up, I studied Spanish in school and used it as often as I could around the different taquerias I frequented as a kid. Living in Vietnam, I studied the intricacies of the tonal language for over a year, practicing my new words with people in my neighborhood. During my five years in Turkey, I learned Turkish to a proficient enough degree to allow me to travel around the country without needing to rely on English.

The richness and brilliance of a culture is often conveyed through that culture’s language, and knowing that language opens doors to an understanding of that culture and its people. In today’s increasingly global society, speaking multiple languages is almost like a portal to the whole world.

I really believe that a bilingual education is the best gift a parent can give their child. Every day I am awed by what our students are able to produce in not one but two (and some students even three!) languages. Students will fluidly communicate with each other, switching between the two languages seamlessly. Chinese words are interspersed into an English discussion, not because they don’t know how to say a word, but because the Chinese word offers a precision and connotation that could not be duplicated in English. Words dance around the school with the weight of the culture they are expressing attached to it. It’s truly incredible to watch.

Daystar students are purposefully on their way to becoming citizens of the world. Being “bilingual” at Daystar isn’t just an amazing resume builder or line on a college application, it’s a window into two profoundly distinctive cultures. Daystar is equipping students with the tools they will need to unlock their seemingly limitless potential and fuel their ever-growing curiosity for the world.

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Recently, Daystar’s 6th grade students read the book “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio as part of their unit of inquiry, taught by Mr. Nick Grasso, their English language and literature instructor. The statement of inquiry had been how authors tell stories from different points of view to show characters’ unique differences and to promote empathy.

Some of the major themes in “Wonder” dealt with empathy, caring, and treating

other people who are different from us with kindness. Students were asked to write a children’s story to show why we should treat people around us with kindness even if they are different from us.

The next page is a story written and illustrated by Daystar Academy sixth grade Chinese student Susu Zhao. Enjoy!

Empathy Inspires Powerful Children’s Story By Voices Reporter


that he had to stand up to himself. Kay took a deep breath, and with a quivering voice he said, “Scarves aren’t stupid, nor are they useless, they can-”

“Humph, so you believe your puny little can save you, huh? Well, let’s see if it really can!” There was a mysterious grin on her face, and her eyes gleamed wickedly. A moment later, kay realized what was going to happen, but it was too late. Camille roughly shoved Kay down the icy cliff, ripped his scarf off, which sent kay twirling and spinning, plunging towards the rolling waves.

Camille threw the scarf towards the ocean as far as she could throw, which was pretty far. Kay tumbled down the cliff, right into the swirling gray waves, which seemed to be sucking him down, down, down, into the ocean floor, where there were many dangers.

Kay felt like his heart was made out of rock, and weighing him down. It wasn’t how much the crashing and tumbling had hurt him, but it was what Camille had said, “stupid, useless scarf”. He was stupid, he was useless. That hurt him a great deal more than rolling down the cliff.

Kay swam hard towards his scarf, choking back a sob, but the tears just kept on coming. It rolled down his cheeks, and blended in with the sea water. He licked his lips, and could no longer tell if it was the sea water or his own tears.

By the time Kay swam back to land, he was more exhausted than he had been his whole life. Kay thought: how could I get through my life, when I am only 1/5 across and I don’t feel like to keep going anymore?

That night, the queen penguin laid a new egg, everyone cheered and congratulated the king and queen-----that is, everyone except for Kay. He knew that he should congratulate them, and he wanted to, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was as if all the happiness has drained out of him. He felt terrible.

By midnight, the wind was roaring like a hundred lions, and the sea was churning as if it wanted to break the ice. All of the penguins huddled together, getting warmth from each other. Because kay was one of the youngest and least respectable, he stood on the very outside of the pack, and he was shivering.

Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind, it sent all the penguins rolling across the ice. The egg slipped out from under the king’s legs, rolling past the queen, who made a grab for it, but missed. It rolled past every single penguin, and they all missed the egg which was

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Written and Illustrated By Susu Zhao, 6th Grade Student, Daystar Academy

In the South Pole far away there was a penguin named Kay. Kay sat on the bank, his arms wrapped around his knees, his head hung down. The red scarf

he wore flowed behind his back. Cold wind whipped and bellowed around him.

While the others splashed and played in the Arctic sea, with blue waves and white crests, Kay was not invited to play.

He often wondered: what is wrong with wearing a scarf? Why am I always excluded from the other penguins? If people in Asia or Europe wear scarves, why can’t I wear them? He sat there, as still as a rock, and wondered.

In the afternoon, when all the penguins came up to rest, Kay tried, once again to persuade the others to accept him in their group when they played merrily in the ocean.

“Ha!” Camille, the toughest one said with her hands on her hips, looking menacingly

at Kay, “You will never, ever be in our group. Now get you and your stupid, useless scarf out of my face!”

Kay did not give up, he hoped that someone, anyone could stand up for him. He looked around, and all the other penguins snickered and

whispered, and he knew

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out of him, leaving him with just the fragile shell. Far below, his precious scarf disappeared in the blink of an eye. Kay blinked back his own tears, the scarf had been his only friend, his faithful companion through all his miseries, and now it was gone. He had no more tears left to cry, and he would be gone from this world in a moment...

Strong hands grabbed his knuckles, they hauled him upwards, Kay clutched the egg tight, as he felt himself being set down gently. Kneeling above him, was no other than the famous “Kay beater” Camille.

“Why, I have never been so glad to see anyone in my whole life!” Kay managed to say, his head feeling quite dizzy.

“Good to see you alive.” Camille answered back, with a big grin on her face stretched from ear to ear.

The word spread about Kay returning with the egg, and penguins gathered from all sides.

The king came up to him, grasping his hands, “You are the bravest, most loyal penguin I have ever known. Not only are you my pride enjoyment, but you will get to stand in the middle of a group huddle!”

The queen said to Kay, her eyes misty, “You are the hero for not only the little guy in the egg,” she said as she patted the egg, “but for all of us standing in front of you.” Camille clapped him on a back, a little too hard, and completely knocked him over. It was the best knock he’d ever had.

A few days later, the snowy land that used to be plain white, was now scattered with bright colored spots of scarves. Every single penguin in the South Pole had a scarf. That is, everyone except for Kay.


now rolling every which way. The king was agitated, and the queen had started crying with worry, but there was nothing they could

do about it, as the egg just kept on rolling.

The egg rolled toward Kay, who tensed, watching the egg come

close, and at the right moment, kay made a desperate lunge for the egg, his aim was perfect, but at the last moment, the egg hit a chunk of protruding ice, and

rolled the other way. Kay landed face first into the snow.

He did not give up, and knew that there was still a chance for the egg to be saved. He got up, brushed the thin layer of snow off his face, and charged after the egg. The egg bounced and rolled, Kay bounced after it. It was snowing hard now, the wind almost ripping his scarf off.

The egg tumbled down the cliff, with no hesitation, Kay dived after it. 10 meters, 5 meters, 3 meters... Slowly, with the scarf billowing behind him, Kay caught up with the egg. He looked down, which was a huge mistake, and realized that he was about to crash onto the hard, solid ice. He reached out his hands, trying to grab the egg, just as his flips intersected with the egg--- “Thump!”

Kay closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to reach him, for his consciousness to leave him... it never happened. Kay dared to open his eyes, he looked around, the sky was still grey, the sea still splashed along the shore. Kay looked below him, his feet dangled 50 meters above the ground, he was suspended in the air, but how? Kay then tilted his head upwards, the scarf hung on the edge of an icicle that stuck out, it was moving closer and closer to the edge as he watched.

“Oh, no! I’m not going to survive this fall!” kay whispered urgently to himself. Frantically, he began to climb the scarf. Wait, hay felt something between his legs, something round, smooth, and just the right size to be... the egg! He hadn’t lost the egg! It felt warm and comforting against his body, and that gave him a new hope and spirit, he climbed faster, with more power and determination.

Even though he had used all the energy he had, the scarf still gave away at the last moment. Kay flung himself upwards with all his might, and managed to grab the icicle with one hand. The ice was slippery, and Kay knew he would loosen his grip sooner rather than later. He could almost feel the energy draining

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“My Thoughts on Bilingual Education” By Emily Chang and Leo Zhang, Grade 7 Students, Daystar Academy

Three years ago, I was transferred to Daystar Academy, then, I began a learning process as a bilingual IB learner. Three years have passed like a strike of lightning, and now, as a 7th grader bilingual learner at Daystar Academy, I suddenly find out the precious knowledge that I have gained.

From the very beginning, English wasn’t my native language, and I had faced one of the biggest problems for me - to master and change the way I think in both languages at the same time. When I just got started, I was still using the way that I think when I speak or write Chinese, so I had some problems with grammar in English writing. But at the end, I slowly observed the knowledge from both languages by read some English books and attended some summer camps in the United States, as well talking to others with that specific language. I didn’t really fit in at the beginning, but I found that as long as these two different ways of thinking in language are observed, most of the lessons we take after will be much easier. Preciously, in this learning process, I found happiness in “learning”.

I feel that learning two languages is not difficult, but having two different languages will give me more options, more memorable friends and memories after I grow up.


My experience of learning bilingual, might be pretty different from other people. When I grew up, I gradually changed my mind about learning bilingually. Because Chinese is my first language, it’s pretty easy for me. But English is different. When I started first grade at Daystar, I couldn’t speak any English. When the teacher communicated with my classmates in English, I felt kind of lost, because I couldn’t understand any word that the teacher said. Apart from feeling uncomfortable, I felt embarrassed.

Time passed by. When I was in third and fourth grade, I could basically understand what the teacher talked about. Now I speak English fluently, and can follow the study in class. When I first got into Daystar, I only wanted to learn Chinese because English was so challenging. But it turned out to be such a great experience to learn bilingually.


A Bilingual School is Just the BeginningBy Margaret Zhu, Middle School Parent, Daystar Academy

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PARENT’S VOICELearning a foreign language allows one to learn a different culture, a different society and meet groups of different

people. This will help expand one’s horizon and help one become open-minded. A bilingual education gives children a chance to learn beyond languages - chances to think from different perspectives, meet interesting people from different backgrounds, different cultures, different ethnicity, and different social backgrounds. Such exposure will prepare kids with diverse thinking from an early age.

Sometimes, as parents, we consider sending kids to a bilingual school in order for them to naturally acquire bilingual ability. However, some additional efforts are necessary to really help our children truly become “balanced”. Activities such as a summer camp in an English native environment and travel to other countries can help achieve that.

My son Yoyo (7th grader at Daystar Academy) has attended a century-old summer camp in New Hampshire for two consecutive summers since he was entering 6th grade. This summer will be his third time. In terms of how to choose the summer camp, for me it’s quite simple: A friend’s recommendation. Wendy, a parent in Yoyo’s class, specializes in organizing kids to go to summer camps in US, based on her education background in a top MBA program. Upon my discussion with her, I fully trusted her recommendation, so we decided to let Yoyo join the camp. He did enjoy it, and missed the camp after returning back to school.

Of course he experienced cultural differences (and that’s why we sent him there, right?), but the good thing was that the camp’s operation team really knew what they were doing, and how best to handle the kids, and how best

to support them where needed. When the summer camp is not in session, the camp’s operation team members work at various top private Secondary schools in the US, so they know what kind of quality a prospective student needs to enter a top High School. So that’s a bonus for us. Luckily, not just my son, but other kids who attended the same camp shared the same sentiment- and are willing to go back time and time again.

For my younger daughter who is five years old, she isn’t quite aware yet of why she should learn English, as she is Chinese. But she recently had a chance to see why learning a foreign language is so important: our family traveled abroad and we needed to communicate with hotel staff and the local people in English. She saw this, and is gradually realizing the importance of a common used language.

In sum, bilingual education doesn’t end at choosing the right bilingual school. In fact, it’s the beginning, to give children the right kick-off. In my opinion, education is a long journey that needs constant effort and fine-tuning in the process. The final outcome us hard to predict. Hopefully, they will enjoy a rich and fulfilling journey.

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How those three elements helped a young mother find her callingInterview by Ja Wuttithamrong, VOICES Chief Editor

“Loneliness, Craziness & Naivete”

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VOICES: How did the idea of “Little Oasis” begin?

Jennifer: When we were about to move to China, I had this idea that it was going to be very easy, because I am Chinese. I speak Chinese. I’m coming back to Asia, and I wanted to be here. But then when we came back, my child was only one, and I think the first six months I cried almost every day. So that was a shock to me because having lived in New Zealand, Australia and London-I had considered myself quite adaptable. And I had thought to myself “oh I’m Chinese, I’m coming back to China-no problem”. But what made it tough was that I was coming back to China as a mom-and five years ago, and even still now, I found it very hard being a mom in China with a young child-with a baby. Not because we didn’t have help. It was more because I had grown up in countries where we could go outside almost any time of the year. But in China I felt it was much tougher. It wasn’t as easy to go outside-I felt there were not enough public parks and public facilities which were family friendly, clean or just nice. So six months in I wrote a business plan. Back then it was called “the Beehive”. And it was really this idea that as a mom with

young children in China, creating a space where we can go and meet other people, and talk face to face. Because everything was happening online.

So the idea of “Little Oasis” now…originated five years ago. But back then, I actually had no idea about China. I had left for over 20 years. The only thing I had was I could speak Chinese, and that was it. I didn’t know anybody when I first moved here. I had no relatives, no friends… no “guanxi”. No idea how anything worked. So back when I wrote this business plan, I was like “wow I actually have no idea how to do this. I don’t know how to set up a business because I’m a foreigner!” So this idea just seemed way off, kind of unachievable. How do you put a program in place?

VOICES: So what did you do?

I didn’t give up. It wasn’t a conscious thing, but I met a lot of moms, I moved to Central Park where there were a lot of parents, and quickly gathered a lot of mommy groups around me. I would go out and find a music teacher for us, and host music classes. Then I did a lot of little parties-mostly because I needed

A native of Tianjin, Jennifer Ma immigrated to New Zealand when she was eight. She went on to study law and commerce, lived in Australia and London, and returned back to China 20

years later with her husband and one year old son Jacob. The move proved more difficult than she thought it would be…and planted the seed of what has now become “Little Oasis”, a beautiful space for families to Relax, Connect, and Powered to Play.

Today, we are proud to share her story. How while still in her thirties, Jennifer has become successful and is devoted in all her roles: as an entrepreneur, a mother of three boys, a wife, and a daughter…not to mention a Daystar parent as well.

“Loneliness, Craziness & Naivete”


something to do. And I felt like there was no one for my child to play with-I just wanted him to play. It was really having this need of something to do, with my own child before nursery. Between thinking about Little Oasis and actually talking the first step, I actually did mini round tables. Just to figure out if this was commercially viable. Of course. Everyone wants a play group that’s free. But if this was actually commercialized, would it work? What form would it work? I did some due diligence, looked at properties including Parkview-but they were not looking for a family space at the time. I talked to architects…some wouldn’t talk to me because I had no experience. And I put together a budget. In between I had another baby, so I stopped this project on its track. Between thinking about doing something to actually making something happen-it was three years.

When Jacob was one, I realized three years on still no one has done this. And that’s when I thought “Okay, I’ve got to do this!”

VOICES: How did it all come together?

Jennifer: I just think it’s timing and luck. I basically approached someone that had a store in Parkview, and asked them to introduce me to the leasing team. They did, and at that moment in time, Parkview was thinking of doing something to do with children. They asked, “Can you give us a proposal in a week?” I think that week we did not sleep…! Obviously, they needed to see a floorplan. So luckily I had done so much work.

I had picked an architect and then I found the right person who was going to give me a draft. I had been thinking about this for so many years-so I had a vision. And within that week we did a 60-page proposal. Back then you have to consider this Mall was considered the best mall-in Beijing, almost in China. And I was coming in-back then I didn’t have a company, I didn’t have a brand. I had no prior track record about running this. I’m not from the industry. The team consisted of me-not that they knew…! This was after four years of being a full-time mom!

I was coming to pitch to these people with this idea that I have not done before. I wondered “is this going to work?” Everything that could go wrong that day did go wrong. But long story short, we got the space! Huge commitment.

VOICES: Were there any defining moments that made you really think “I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to make that leap.”

My husband is a banker. One thing that my husband said to me as I was working on this project “the work that we do for a billion dollar deal, is actually not that different to the work that we do for a million dollar deal.” Because as I was working on the deal, I think he also sensed that whether it was going to be a community type of store, or an investment of millions and millions-I was going to put in the same amount of effort. So he said. if you’re going to do this, you might as well do it

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properly and invest the right amount of money to do this properly. Why did she speak to me?

Another story that really triggered me to do this-was when I took Lucas home, he was one. NZ super friendly, positive. Lady says “good morning, how are you?” and my son turns around and asks “他为什么跟我说话？” (Why did she speak to me) That really hit home. In China-that would never happen. Strangers don’t talk to you. But for me growing up in NZ, it’s so innate.

That’s what made me put my foot down –that I am going to do this, and do it properly and share it with people.

So this is how Little Oasis came about. A touch of loneliness, combined with craziness, and naivete!

VOICES: What have you learned through this experience?

Jennifer: What I have learned in my six years here, three as an entrepreneur-and having met thousands of families, is this: All mom’s are the same. Despite culture. Despite age. Despite wealth. Despite status or education. We all share the same anxieties about being parents. Are they eating? Sleeping, Playing well with others? These are all similar anxieties.

And that is a great foundation for parents to come together. Even if you are older, younger or from a different background or professional industry, you have

children, you have a common language. And that’s a bonding point. And that’s what’s so beautiful about parenthood.

VOICES: How do you try to balance being an entrepreneur, mom, wife and daughter?

Jennifer: Not very well…! I do think women entrepreneurs do wear more hats than their male counterparts? The way I did it was I chose a profession that involves my children. Especially the younger two, they grew up here. Little Oasis is as much mine as it is theirs. Important to set up a fundamental team that you can trust, so that you can get things done. I don’t clean, I don’t cook, I don’t iron. I don’t do any households stuff. One because I don’t have time. But the other is finding your strengths and passions and focus on. And the good thing about entrepreneurship is that it gives me flexibility. I go where I am needed. If my kid is sick-I am there. If the team needs me, I am there. And I try to structure my schedule so that I have touch points for each of my roles –the important things in my life, on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. That guarantees my well-being. For example, 6:30-8pm that is my kids’ time. I have date night once a week where we put our phones away and are not allowed to talk about Little Oasis…which is very hard for us! I schedule a girl’s lunch once a week with my friends. I talk to my parents once a week. But I find that having those touch points gives me a healthy mindset. Then everything else fits around that schedule.

3D 3D 3D ART CORNER


Tiffany Xu Gr. 7: Fast food equals obesity (McDonald’s)

Wenqiang Rachlin Gr. 7: Addiction to unhealthy drinks (Coke)

Kaka Wang Gr. 7: Luring kids to eat fast food (McDonald’s)

Emily Chang Gr. 7: Addiction to Social Media (Facebook)

Letterform Sculptures Project By Kevin Watson, Middle Years Program Visual Arts Teacher

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Naomi Bodeen Gr. 8: Genetically modified chicken in fast food (KFC)

Ian Hu Gr. 7: Use of sweatshop labor, inequality (Apple)

Lukas Geyer Gr. 8: Rip-off brands (Supreme)

Recently in the Middle School, our grade seven and eight students enjoyed learning about Pop Art an art movement that emerged in the 1950s and flourished in

the 1960s and drew inspiration from sources in popular and commercial culture. The students looked at both 2D and 3D Pop Art artworks by artists such as Robert Indiana and Roy Lichtenstein, and aimed to create 3D artworks that, in common with Pop Art, playfully referenced commercial culture.

This unit also built on some of the prior learning our students were engaged in last year, when students were introduced to monograms and logos, and learnt how letterforms, typefaces and fonts have personalities and how logos commonly function as mediums for communicating the virtues and positive values of companies and organizations. Flipping this understanding on its head, in this unit, the students learned that by playfully reworking corporate identities into different forms, they might be able to communicate some of the controversies or unsavory stories and practices that have surrounded certain global brands and products.

The results of the students’ inquiries during this unit have at times been astounding, they are demonstrative of the ownership students are taking of the creative process - to create truly surprising, original and meaningful artworks.

What It Means to Be a Cultural Chameleon?

EDUCATiON CORNER


I was born in Beijing, attended schools in the states, studied abroad in Seoul, worked in New

York, Hong Kong, and now, back in China. I’m what you might call a “Third Culture Kid” (TCK), a global nomad if you will.

My journey as a TCK began when my parents decided to pull me out of a Chinese public school for education in the States. Call it forward-thinking (or reckless parenting), I was parachuted off at the age of fourteen to a beautiful boarding high school near the ocean with an equally wonderland sounding slogan – school by the sea, Tabor Academy.

As one of the first Chinese students in the private boarding school system, I’ve always felt within and without. Yes, I picked up the language and cultural nuances quickly. I mimicked the way American students acted until mimicking became habit, and habit became second nature; I even started dreaming in English. Yet, there was always a part of me that felt foreign.

It wasn’t until I read about a term coined “1.5 generation” or the “1.5ers” did I start to understand my lingering feeling of alienation. In 1999, UCLA anthropologist Kyeyoung Park first used this term to describe the growing Korean population in the states. Dr. Rubén G. Rumbaut conducted further research in 2004 on Americans growing up abroad and assessed their language ability, education and career. Rumbaut’s results showed that a new term is needed to describe those who are neither first nor second generation immigrants in order to pinpoint the complexity of this group. Then, according to sociologist David C. Pollock, the term “Third Culture Kid” (TCK) is introduced to describe

a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture.

Finally, I belong to a group after all.

In the increasingly globalized world we live in, TCKs are not uncommon. Yet, optimizing your life as a TCK does not come easily. As I navigated in different communities, friends back home would comment that I’ve turned into an ABC (American born Chinese) while friends stateside would ask why I’m so obsessed with ramen and Korean drama. At times, remarks could be flattering and well-intentioned: “wow, you sound like a native English speaker!”; but at times, they could also be hurtful and offensive.

I tried to find my comfort zone among different groups, somewhat awkwardly. I allocated my time carefully to sit with American friends in the dining room, but mingled with international students in the academic center. In the process, I became more aware of my surroundings and myself. It was as if I adopted the skills of a chameleon, except that my specialty is not color, but culture.

Then, college rolled around and my wish to meet more TCKs was eventually granted. At Princeton, I met Aditi, who was born in Mumbai but grew up in Hong Kong and studied in the UK; I befriended Sam, who spoke six languages and attended 10 different schools across the world; I connected with Brian, who grew up in Egypt, lived in Bermuda, Malaysia then Brazil, but referred to himself as a “diehard Canadian”. Like me, they struggled to answer questions such as “so where are you really from?” (hmm…do you mean my nationality?

Where I was born? Where I live now? Or where my parents live?). They also once wondered whether life would be different to truly belong somewhere. But eventually, we all came to the conclusion that instead of trying to fit into one, it is our unique privilege and blessing to embrace many.

As I work with the next generation of students who eagerly prepare for education opportunities abroad, I envision their roads ahead as budding TCKs who blossom into leaders of tomorrow. BBC’s recent report indicates that in a future world dominated by automation, the most sought-after and irreplaceable skills are: creativity, communication, and building complex human relationships. Interestingly, TCKs are born into an environment naturally conducive to the development of these core competencies. Of course, there would be feelings of displacement and loneliness, but the possibilities for the future are endless as TCKs choose to be whoever they want, wherever they go, bearing in mind that home is where the heart is. To me, they are truly the citizens of the world.

Being a TCK has given me a sense of freedom. My many colors as a chameleon are a storyboard of who I am. I feel grateful for the experiences I’ve had as I gradually built myself an identity that is a collection of pieces, each of which I’ve handpicked – some Chinese, some American, some Korean…all of which not mutually exclusive, but seamlessly complementary to form all of me. Being a TCK doesn’t mean that I don’t belong to any particular place; it means I choose to belong to many.

By Nini Suet, Founder of Shang Learning

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Advice to parents of TCKs (who are not TCKs themselves):

Don’t force your own value system onto your children. Appreciate the differences and try to understand as opposed to change them.

If possible, immerse yourself into a similar environment as your children so you could better understand them. For example, begin learning English as your children started to study abroad or entered into international school.

TCK children inevitably go through identity crisis, so a strong sense of love and security from parents is extremely important. Some even suffer from separation anxiety. If not addressed well, these emotional scars remain and transform into various forms of apathy, lack of confidence, etc.

Create and maintain a safe environment for open communication where you truly listen without judgment. Don’t be too quick to offer solutions.

You have the natural advantage to be an effective

communicator across differences. Practice your innate observant ability

to detect underlying dynamics.

When you feel lonely and rootless,

focus on the similarities, rather than differences. And, if it makes you feel better, know that great men such as Sun Yat-sen

and Obama are all TCKs like you.

You will face

more complexity in relationships (i.e.:

differences in time zones, languages, cultures, etc.) so it’s important to put

more efforts into maintaining them.

Prepare both a short

and long answer to the question “where are you from?”, and pick one depending

on who’s asking.

Your true friends will

likely be TCKs too. Similarities

breed liking.

Be honest. You’ll feel more

at ease when you are genuine with others and with yourself

instead of trying too hard to fit in.

Advice to TCKs:

Nini Suet is the founder of Shang Learning, China’s premier life-skills learning center & educational advisory that provides private families industry intelligence, comprehensive assessment, and independent advisory throughout the child’s development. A serial entrepreneur, Nini co-founded a lifestyle digital media platform QI Post and successfully sold to a Hong Kong listed company. Her career spanned from investment banking at Morgan Stanley to advertising at Ogilvy to broadcast media at Phoenix InfoNews Channel and CNN International.

Nini is the China Representative of Tabor Academy, and the former Chair of Alumni Students Committee of northern China for Princeton University. She holds a master of journalism from the University of Hong Kong. Nini is a professional member of the Independent Education Consultant Association, and sits on the board for JUMP! Foundation.

Last but not least, Nini is a proud TCK.


for kids,” she explains. To make the transition as easy as possible, try and spend your first several weeks in a similar daily routine as you had back home.

It’s also important to keep track of how everyone is doing. “At the beginning, it’s important to keep talking to your kids about how they’re feeling and how they’re doing,” says Dr. Salinas. “Make sure they’re enjoying school, make sure they’re involved, have them do after-school activities that they like,” she suggests. Having a sense of involvement can help ease the adjustment period and reduce feelings of homesickness.

After six months: Slowly add local elements

While Dr. Salinas advises celebrating festivals from back home and calling family and friends often to stay in touch, she stresses that it’s also important for your kids to make new connections in Beijing. “The more friends they make, the more adjusted they get,” she explains. “So, it’s good to make a point to make playdates and meet other people. They don’t necessarily have to be from the same place as you. Maybe there are kids in your neighborhood that your kids can hang out with for a few hours.”

After five months of living in China and getting acclimatized, Dr. Salinas’ kids now watch a mix of English and Chinese cartoons. This is one way of adding

Moving internationally is a big step for any family. Not only is the packing up and leaving friends and family part of it hard, you’ll also have to get used to a new culture, new cuisine, and new language when you arrive. Your kids will have to undergo a big change, which they may find traumatic. Here to explain how to make the whole thing easier for your family is Dr. Esperanza Salinas. She recently moved her family (including two young children) from Chicago to Beijing to work at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) as a child and adult psychiatrist. In this article, she draws on her personal experience and her expertise as a child psychiatrist to explain how you can do your best to keep your kids happy and well-adjusted when moving internationally.

First few weeks after the move: Maintain continuity

“As they’re growing up, children need consistency, stability, and security,” explains Dr. Salinas. “If things are stable, they feel more secure. If things are chaotic and constantly changing, then they may feel unstable,” she says. For this reason, she suggests maintaining as much consistency as you can when you first arrive. “I think that so much chaos happens around a move like this, and having that consistency and that normalcy is comforting

Settling In to Your New Hometown

HEALTH CORNER

By Anitra Williams, Digital Marketing Copywriter, Beijing United Family Hospital

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call an adjustment disorder. Children and adolescents sometimes struggle with this. This is when kids withdraw, aren’t thriving, are having a hard time connecting with friends, are moping, or are showing a lack of interest in activities they used to enjoy. Maybe their sleep pattern or appetite pattern changes, maybe they get more anxious,” she explains.

“I think that as soon as you see it, it’s important to talk about it and, if it doesn’t go away and starts interfering with their schoolwork or activities or relationships, then you should address it. Typically you would address that by doing therapy with the kid. The treatment is short-term therapy to help them adjust and give them an avenue to talk about whatever is going on with them,” she says.

local elements to your new routine. “Having an ayi can also help because the kids will start speaking to her and picking up Chinese, and she can start cooking more local food so that this becomes part of their experience as well,” she says.

If your child doesn’t adjust well ...

While you can do everything in your power to make an easy adjustment for your child, everyone knows that even the best-laid plans often go awry. “On the psychiatric side of it, there are a lot of kids who will still have a very hard time adjusting, even if you do all of this preparation. They may get depression and anxiety even if you go through everything with them,” says Dr. Salinas. “This is what we in Psychiatry would

HEALTH CORNER

Dr. Salinas received her bachelor of sciences in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA) in 1995. In 1999, she received her doctorate in Medicine from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Salinas completed her residency in psychiatry at the University of Illinois in 2003, where she rotated through inpatient and outpatient wards. Following her residency, Dr. Salinas went on to complete two fellowship programs.

Dr. Salinas has over 11 years of clinical experience. She has experience in both the inpatient and outpatient settings with both youth and adults. Her interest areas are mental illness in the

young adult population and in the impaired professional population. Before joining Beijing United Family Hospital, Dr. Salinas worked in the United States with a variety of patient populations.

Dr. Salinas is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN).

SNAPSHOT


On December 7, Kindergarten kids from Ivy MI Kindergarten First City Campus (Chengdu) took a field trip to a community dental clinic. The children saw the inside of the clinic, explored the teeth-checking apparatus and also watched a video clip on how to take care of their teeth. After that, dentists performed basic oral examination on every kid with a short advice for parents on how to check their children’s teeth. In addition, the dentists also showed the children how they conducted teeth inspection on patients, and instructed them to do the same for one another . After the field trip, many of the students got over their fear of dentists, and also learned the correct way to brush their teeth, and why it’s so important.

Ivy MI Kindergarten Eco-city Hefeng Road Campus (Tianjin) has designed an interesting teaching activity of six major themes during the winter camp in order for kids to have a meaningful festival. The activity was aimed at developing kids’ intelligence and fostering friendship between students so that children can have a wonderful adventure. The winter camp for Jan 8th-12th was themed “A Bite of Delicacy” where kids make some New Year food with teachers, through which they can all have a deeper understanding about the meaning behind the “year”.

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Tianjin Ivy Bilingual School Eco-city Campus carried out a weeklong theme activity of “DIY New Year” to enrich students healthy life on campus and celebrate the new year of 2018. Teachers regaled kids with stories and customs of new year celebration in advance. Then, during the themed activity, every class held their DIY activities such as Chinese paper cutting, upside-down Fú (character, meaning “fortune” or “good luck”), Antithetical couplet and Chinese lantern. With full hearts, the students let their creativity shine and showed off their manual dexterity, creating a warm and wonderful traditional Chinese cultural atmosphere.

2017-2018 fall semester at Ivy Bilingual School Orchid Garden campus ended with our Winter Carnival, which took place on December 14th. We were so lucky to be joined by Ryan Cardwell, Director of International Kindergartens and our singing leader for some tunes. The most exciting moment for the children was getting presents from Santa Claus. We were also thrilled to have so many of parents join us for our activities, including arts and crafts, and face painting. Christmas hats were also available, and many people went home looking like completely new people! We spent a wonderful morning celebrating Christmas.

On December 20, 2017, Ivy MI Kindergarten Three Thousand Castles Campus (Chengdu) carried out a performance titled “A Merry Christmas Show” in order to create a traditional Western festival environment for kids. This was in order to develop their interest in English, and build their confidence in stage performance. During the performance, the Kindergarten students and teachers delivered dozens of English language acts, including an English drama “Santa’s Workshop” and an English song “I’m a little Snowman”. Cheerful and classic children’s English songs showcased their delight for Christmas and best wishes for the new year.

SNAPSHOT


On the morning of December 29, 2017, Ivy MI Kindergarten La Botanica Campus (Xi’an) held the themed activity of “New Year Celebration” in a children’s theatre of Wanhecheng to bath in the warmest sunshine in winter and welcome the new year. At the closing ceremony of the activity, the event also drew delightful laughs from the kids and praise from the parents.

On January 7, Sunday, Ivy Bilingual School Waterfront Campus (Tianjin) held an original parents-child activity for new year celebration in AEON MALL in Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center of Tianjin City. The activity allowed parents and students to experience the atmosphere and environment of school by simulating the actual campus. In addition, through class interaction and bilingual reading, other children had an opportunity to experience and appreciate the unique teaching methods, receive meticulous care from teachers, and also experience the immersion English class concept of Ivy Bilingual School. The “Little Angel Chorus” also delivered a wonderful performance and was highly praised by both parents and other audience members alike.

On January 20, Ivy MI Kindergarten Eco-city Campus (Tianjin) held the “Spring Festival with Song and Dance” performance. The cold winter was filled with warmth and bustle from the show performed by the students. The performance “Lovely Rabbits” combined entertainment with education. The “Global Fashion Show” and the dance “Love Waltz” were showered with applause from both parents and teachers. And the choral reading “I Promise to Be Your Best Teacher” by all the teachers greatly moved the audience. Through this activity, Ivy Schools want to show our respect for children to help build their confidence.

On January 19, Ivy MI Kindergarten La Botanica Campus, First City Campus and Jiaoda Campus in Xi’an together carried out an activity of teaching observation and evaluation, with the purpose of fostering the comprehensive development of teachers by improving their organizing and leading abilities. Ella Qu, Regional Program Director of Xi’an, together with the Campus Directors of the above-mentioned campuses, attended the activity, giving credit and offering valuable advice to the teachers. As for the teachers, this activity was a great platform for them to put their teaching concepts into practice, and at the same time to improve themselves, demonstrate their talents and learn from one another. As a result, teachers have gained learning experience from the activity, thus yielding strong promotion to the progress of the Ivy Schools.

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In December, Daystar Academy SLT hosted an amazing Winter Performance and Art Show. It was well organized by our Music and Art teacher Vivian Gao and the school principal Kari King! We made sure that art work from all of our students was on display for our parents to enjoy and to beautify our amazing campus. We are very proud of our student’s wonderful talent. With all the great help and support of our students, parents and our school staff, the Winter Performance and Art Show was a huge success. Our school is a true example of our core value, Unity.

Ivy MI Kindergarten Lijing Campus (Beijing) carried out the Lantern Festival Celebration at the schools opening day. In order for kids to experience the traditional Chinese culture and many interesting customs, as well as to celebrate the start of a new semester, kids gathered together for the Lantern Festival, appreciating lion dance and participating in traditional activities such as lantern riddles.


Sanlitun Campus (SL)(010) [email protected]. 13 Sanlitun East 4th Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Central Park Campus (CP)(010) [email protected] 24 Central Park, No. 6 Chaowai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Ocean Express Campus (OE)(010) [email protected] E, Ocean Express, No. 2 East Third Ring North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Orchid Garden Campus (OG)(010) 8439-7080/[email protected] Garden, No. 18 Xin Jin Road, Cui Ge Xiang, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Summit Residences Campus (HH)(0574) [email protected]. 45 Xinyi Road,Jiangbei District, Ningbo

Waterfront Campus (SA)(022) 5889-7705/[email protected] 7, Tian Tao Yuan, MJN Waterfront Community, Jiefang South Road, Hexi District, Tianjin

Jiaoda Campus (JD)(029) [email protected] Shouzuo, Xingqing South Road, Beilin District, Xi’an

Eco-city Campus (Hefeng Road) (EB)(022) [email protected]. 312 Hefeng Road, Sino-Singapore Eco-City, Binhai New Area, Tianjin

Lijing Campus (LJ)(010) [email protected]. 28 Shilipu North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

First City Campus (Chengdu) (CF)(028)8145-7868/[email protected] City Compound, No.1 Hemeixi Road, Chenghua District, Chengdu

Three Thousand Castles Campus (SQ)(028) 6502-1118/[email protected] Thousand Castles, No. 60 Jianxiang Road, Chenghua District, Chengdu

First City Campus (Xi’an) (GJ)(029) [email protected] 23, First City Community, Fengcheng 11 Road, Weiyang District, Xi’an

La Botanica Campus (YJ)(029)8350-1669/[email protected]. 1698 North, Chanhe East Road, Baqiao District, Xi’an

Eco-city Campus (EC)(022) [email protected]. 1375 Heyun Road, Sino-Singapore Eco-City, Tianjin

Eco-City Hefeng Road Campus (ES)(022) 6622-7888 [email protected]. 312 Hefeng Road, Sino-Singapore Eco-City, Binhai New Area, Tianjin

Beigao Campus (DS)(010) [email protected]. 2, Shunbai Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Sanlitun Campus (Elementary only) (DT)(010) [email protected]. 13 Sanlitun East 4th Street,Chaoyang District, Beijing

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The Art of Bilingualism - Daystar Academy

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