BULLETINVol 1, Issue 4 / Summer 2015

>> The Monkey King

>> MS Smile Week

>> Semester at Sea

>> World Scholar’s Cup

>> 2015 Spring Fair

>> IB Art Exhibition

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KIDS ARE KIDS MULAN JR. HS MUSICAL

Contact UsISB is a vibrant community where exciting, inspirational learning opportunities are cultivated each day. Join us in telling the "ISB story" and celebrating our students' success. Send your articles, photos, or story ideas for the Bulletin to writer and editor Tom Fearon tfearon@isb.bj.edu.cn

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ISB seniors were given an emotional farewell by the school community on May 19 at the annual Parade of Graduates. The parade marked a heartfelt opportunity for students of all grades, proud parents, and supportive staff to give a sentimental salute to our seniors. This year’s seniors chose sheng (pictured left), meaning “bright” and “thriving,” as their class character. The graduation ceremony was held in Gym 2 on May 30. Speakers at the ceremony included students Harrison C and Vanessa M, and teacher Brad Philen. After the ceremony, seniors celebrated with their families and faculty at a reception in the Fountain Courtyard. Congratulations to ISB’s Class of 2015!

Congratulations, Class of 2015! By Bulletin Staff

CLASS OF 2015

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The elementary school hosted a series of activities to raise awareness about the impact of climate change and inspire members of the ISB community to minimize their carbon footprint. Various activities were held from April 7 to 22 and organized by different student-led green groups in all the divisions to spread the eco-friendly message. Greenkeepers hosted an Earth Day concert on April 24 for students in grades 6 and 7, while Roots & Shoots sold reusable recycled bags to encourage students to lead more sustainable lifestyles. The Global Initiative Group sold Earth Day T-shirts for 50 RMB, with free T-shirts given to students who donated three of their own unwanted shirts. The PTA also rallied behind the cause by giving students wearing Earth Day T-shirts free ice creams on April 22.Other activities included Meatless Monday, with vegetarian dishes served at the ES Cafeteria; Trafficless Tuesday, with students carpooling, walking, or cycling to school rather than being driven; Less Water Wednesday, requiring a shower of five minutes or less;

ES Goes Green for 2015 Earth Day By Bulletin Staff

Tree-Saving Thursday, with no homework that requires paper; and Electricity-Free Friday, with lights turned off whenever possible and no gadgets used. Conscientious stewardship of the Earth is our students’ responsibility when they are grown. Activities related to Earth Day go a long way in educating our students about the environment and putting our planet in safe hands for the future!

LES Students Pluck, Strum, and Bow Traditional Chinese Instruments By Matt Enders, LES Music Teacher

Lower elementary school students recently deepened their cultural connection to China by learning traditional musical instruments. Talented professional Chinese instrumentalists visited performing arts classes in mid-May to allow students to hear, see, and play some Chinese instruments. There are more than 600 instruments used in China, with many of these boasting histories dating back thousands of years.Grade 2 students tried the erhu, a two-stringed huqin (Chinese fiddle). Many students were able to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb," despite some challenges along the way! Kindergarten and Grade 1 students had the chance to play the guzheng, a 21-stringed zither with movable bridges. They thoroughly enjoyed this instrument, and Grade 1 students loved using their solfège knowledge to play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” as well as other pentatonic melodies they learned

earlier in the year.It was so much fun having a chance to try our hands at these instruments- a truly unique, Chinese experience enjoyed by all! Thank you to our teachers, Zhang Ling Laoshi and Song Laoshi.

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Editor's Note: The following is an abridged version of Angela with Straight Black Hair, a story written by Grade 4 student Elena J. Elena was awarded first prize in the 2015 LittleStar YCIS Short Story competition for her heartwarming tale that explores a friendship between two girls with a unique cultural connection. Our family had moved to a remote American town and it was the first day at my new school. I missed my old friends and was anxious to make new ones. I caught sight of a girl with straight black hair and brown eyes, just like me. Unlike other classmates mingling in groups, she sat alone.“Good morning, boys and girls,” said a lady with blonde hair and blue eyes. “I’m Ms. Curtis and I'll be your homeroom teacher this year. Please form pairs and introduce yourselves to your partner.” I turned to the other Asian girl and introduced myself.“I’m Angela,” she said, her eyes looking down.To break the ice, I suggested we draw pictures using crayons.“How about we draw our families?” I proposed. “I’ll go first.”I drew my family on vacation at Mount Emei in Sichuan Province. “Can you draw your family?” I asked Angela.She paused before nodding slowly. First, she drew a rippling wave of bamboo on a mountain. “My hometown is Bamboo Sea in Sichuan,” she said as she portrayed a man, both his sleeves and trousers rolled up. “My father,” she explained in a sorrowful tone.She then drew a lady wearing an apron with a young boy. Both the boy and lady had straight, black hair like Angela. The lady had a tired look on her face, but the boy seemed very cheerful.“My mother and younger brother,” Angela said. Finally, she drew herself. “I miss my family,” she said.

After school, Angela and I walked down the corridor to waiting parents. Many children passed us, running into their parents’ arms. However, Angela walked slowly. When we got to the end of the corridor, I tried to spot Angela’s parents in the crowd but failed to see anyone with black hair other than my parents. “Where are your parents?” I asked.She paused awkwardly and pointed to a couple with fair hair and blue eyes. As soon as I jumped into my parents’ car, I told them all about Angela.“I’m glad to hear that you've already made friends. Is she nice?” my mom asked.“Yes, but her parents look Caucasian,” I replied.“Angela’s parents are our friends from when we lived in China. They adopted Angela after her family suffered an accident. Like our family, they moved back to the US a month ago,” mom explained.At dinner, I asked mom if I could invite Angela over for a play date. She agreed, and when Angela came over her smiling face radiated. We spoke Chinese and watched Kungfu Panda as mom prepared spicy Sichuan food. Angela’s parents came to pick her up at the end of the day. “Can I tell you a secret? My Chinese name is Mei Mei. Whenever I miss my Chinese family, I will come to your house,” Angela whispered to me as she left my room. Since then, we have become best friends. At school, I call her Angela. At my house, she will always be Mei Mei.

Angela with Straight Black Hair: An Award-Winning Short Story By Elena J, Grade 4

Elena J (third from right) receives first prize for Best Short Story in the 9 years and under category at the 2015 LittleStar YCIS

Short Story awards ceremony in Shanghai on March 28.

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It’s easy to pay attention to the things that are different about life in China, but Grade 1 students have been learning they actually share a lot in common with peers in their host country. As part of their global thinking inquiry unit “Kids are Kids,” ISB students visited the Primary School Affiliated with Shunyi No. 1 High School in April to gain valuable insight into life in and out of the classroom for their local counterparts. Two weeks later, students from the Shunyi school visited ISB to reciprocate the valuable learning experience.The experiential learning opportunity aligned with key initiatives in ISB’s Strategic Plan IV, including increasing relevant learning through a compelling local engagement (SI 1); optimizing each student’s capacity to learn through individualized experiences (SI 2); nurturing the whole child, including social-emotional, academic, and physical well-being (SI 3); and increasing access to expertise and new learning opportunities through collaborative networks beyond ISB (SI 5).In addition, the chance to interact with local students strengthened children’s Chinese cultural

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Shunyi School Partnership Reveals 'Kids are Kids' By Bulletin Staff

integration and reflected one of ISB’s core values, global-mindedness, by encouraging them to think as global citizens.ISB students recorded their expectations and reflections of their experiences on iPads before and after the visits to the Shunyi school. “It’s been challenging for some of them, which is great,” said Grade 1 teacher Brittany Tam. “It’s always nice to have challenges in a structured environment where they have to extend themselves to succeed.”While interacting with each other at both schools, students formed groups and drew pictures of their favorite foods and family members. They also exchanged gifts and made the most of the opportunity to practice their spoken English and Chinese respectively.“It’s a chance for them to recognize the similarities and differences they have with children of different cultures,” explained Grade 1 teacher Anthony Meek. “Our partnership [with the Shunyi school] has run for two years now, and we find that kids from both schools get a lot out of it.”

Watch a video about the Grade 1 ‘Kids are Kids’ learning unit here on Dragons’ Tube

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After eight years and as many performances based on different chapters, The Monkey King reached its exciting finale on May 28 and 29 in the theater. Based on the main character of Chinese classical novel Journey to the West, the performance has become an ISB tradition that began when this year’s seniors were in Grade 5 in 2008.“It’s been fun watching it grow into a tradition. All the [Grade 5] students get excited about it because they see it in their earlier years [at ISB], so they can’t wait to participate by the time it’s their turn,” said Jenny Winkelman, upper elementary school art and music teacher.Preparation for the performance begins in Grade 3, when students dramatize nursery rhymes for PreK children and learn music, drama, choreography, movement, and dance. In Grade 4, students work on adapting music and dance routines to folk tales, before incorporating more advanced elements of storytelling and Peking opera movements in Grade 5.The performance is a wholly collaborative learning experience divided into two acts. In the first act, all students act; in the second act, they play Chinese folk music. The Monkey King also deepens students’ cultural connection to China by introducing them to the legendary 7th-century pilgrimage by Buddhist monk Xuanzang that inspired Journey to the West.Inspired by a modern series of the story for children, Grade 5 students take ownership of the performance by writing their own scripts based on each chapter under the guidance of their homeroom teachers. ISB’s Wushu Warriors of Wisdom also lent their expertise to help students choreograph fight scenes in the performance.

Grade 5 Students Stage The Monkey King Finale By Bulletin Staff

May’s performances reflected a culmination of students’ creative efforts in various classes. In their music class, students learned Chinese folk songs and luogu (gongs and drums) music on recorders and xylophones. In April, a visiting Peking opera troupe taught students about on-stage movements related to sheng, dan, jing, and chou characters in the art form in addition to symbolism associated with face painting.“I’m always proud that every child has a chance to be involved in drama at such a young age,” said Ms. Winkelman, adding students demonstrate their leadership and responsibility by running the show. “When the curtain is raised, I’m either at the back of the theater watching or filming. [Students] are the ones who are in charge,” she laughed.

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In April, 15 talented musicians from ISB's Concert Band traveled to Guangzhou to partake in the 2015 APAC Band Festival. We spent three days with musicians from five other international schools, namely the American International School of Guangzhou, Shanghai American School (Pudong and Puxi), Seoul Foreign School, and Taejon Christian International School. The festival provided a memorable opportunity for us to not only enrich our musical skills, but also make new friends and bond with students over our shared passion for music. For us, our friendships represented “colors” in the “artwork” that was our music.Eric Rombach-Kendall, a professor of music at the University of New Mexico, was this year's guest conductor. ISB students were struck by his uncanny resemblance to Mr. Johanson, our director of student activities. In addition to his familiar appearance, ISB students enjoyed his conducting. ISB junior Alan C said he liked Professor Rombach-Kendall because he “treated us as real musicians, while also being firm on minor details.” The repertoire of this festival consisted of diverse styles, from pastoral tunes by Percy Grainger to a tone poem based on scenes from Herman Melville's Moby Dick. During the first two days of the festival, students engaged in full days of group rehearsals. The third and final day of the festival culminated with the festival concert, where the band showcased what they had been working on by giving an excellent performance. Each student in ISB’s Concert Band had their own unique impression about the experience. Alan C (clarinet) said he appreciated that the festival “not only

Highlights from the 2015 APAC Band Festival By Chris W and Hubert F, Grade 11

brings students of similar interests together, but also creates a highly skilled, passionate ensemble.”Wilson L (Grade 10, trumpet) and Kieran M (Grade 11, baritone saxophone) both took advantage of the opportunity to bond and make friends with students from other schools. By playing with an honor band, they were able to raise their ability greatly by learning not only from the conductor, but also from their peers. Last but not least, everyone appreciated the unique atmosphere of the APAC Band Festival. Unlike other APAC events, the focus is more on collaboration rather than competitiveness. Everyone worked together towards a common goal: giving the best possible performance to the audience and developing our musical abilities. There was overall consensus among all participants that the APAC Band Festival offers a truly memorable experience. Current seniors will look back on the festival with fond memories, while high school students of other grades can look forward to next year's festival. Memories of this experience are likely to stay with everyone for many years after the final note was played in the concert which, for the record, was an F-sharp chord.

Festival conductor Eric Rombach-Kendall

reminded students of a certain ISB identity.

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As a band and general music teacher, my days consist of teaching music through performance. My students recreate works of music or compose their own music. They learn more about music itself through this unique process. Teaching students has been my job for many years. I love my profession, but over the past few years I have learned to love something even more: watching students teach other students. Every year I recruit new band students in the elementary school by visiting Grade 4 classes. Recruiting is very important because ISB’s band program is homegrown. If a good number of students don’t start playing at a young age, the program can suffer setbacks in middle school and high school. The goal of my Grade 4 visits is to introduce myself and give students a chance to hold and play some instruments for a few minutes to see what they like. The first two years I did this alone, which proved exhausting and very inefficient. I therefore relinquished control and decided to take volunteers from my high school and middle school band classes to lend a helping hand. The difference was remarkable. Grade 4 students loved it. They enjoyed learning from older students far more than from me as the teacher, which I tried not to take personally! I also observed how effective some of the band students are at teaching. They did a great job striving

MS, HS Band Students Thrive as Music ‘Teachers’ By Nathan Long, HS Music Teacher

to teach something, rather than just getting the younger kids to blow loud, obnoxious sounds. A few students are naturals and, as fellow music teacher Cyndi Campbell and I watched the classes, we couldn’t help but feel great pride watching these students who have trained for years in music turn the tables and become teachers. The second initiative in ISB's Strategic Plan IV is to “optimize each student’s capacity to learn through individualized experiences and opportunities.” What better way to embody this principle than empowering students to teach their peers? Middle school and high school students often tell me how much they enjoy teaching their younger classmates during our band recruitment visits. They also comment how challenging it can be when an elementary school student can’t do something, which requires the older students to figure out a strategy to help them. “Welcome to the life of a teacher,” I always reply. Finally, another rewarding aspect of having older students participate in the recruitment process is that I receive some welcome help. Grade 4 students also had the chance to try many more instruments than normal. May is a busy month for everyone at ISB, but this is an experience I hope to give band students for years to come. I always tell Grade 4 students that one day they might be returning to the elementary school to help recruit the next crop of talented band students.

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The Wisemann Brass Ensemble reconnected with ISB’s band program throughout 2014-15 as part of the school’s commitment to Strategic Plan IV. The ensemble helped increase relevant learning through an authentic, compelling local engagement (SI 1); optimize each student’s capacity to learn through individualized experiences (SI 2); invigorate ISB’s practice on the best teaching methods (SI 4); and unlock new learning opportunities through collaborative efforts and networks beyond ISB (SI 5). It was a fantastic experience for the students to work with professional musicians, who answered their questions and shared valuable insight. The Wisemann Brass Ensemble is a group of professional musicians who have performed with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Macao Orchestra, China Central Opera Orchestra, and China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra. The Wisemann Brass Ensemble is also deeply involved in music education, working with local Chinese schools and international schools. Tuba artist John Samuel Wood is one of the performers in the group. Mr. Wood’s music has been used in TV programs, movies, and radio. He has also performed and conducted orchestras in Beijing and his native UK. I have known Mr. Wood for many years, but a great deal of planning over time was needed to arrange a sustainable partnership between his ensemble and ISB. Mr. Wood and his group have made around a

Musicians in Residence: Wisemann Brass Ensemble By Nathan Long, HS Music Teacher

dozen visits to ISB over the past few months, working with the high school brass musicians in addition to the middle school and elementary school bands. I can tell the students like working with Mr. Wood as they frequently ask when he will be coming back out to the school. The high school brass students’ works with Mr. Wood and his group were showcased at the Simply Band concert in March and the Showtime extravaganza in April. The middle school brass ensemble played at the End-of-Year concert on June 4. ISB’s partnership with Mr. Wood and the Wisemann Brass Ensemble will continue in 2015-16, taking students’ learning and love for music to new heights.

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ISB’s Blue Fire Dance Team capped off their stellar year with a showcase performance on April 23 in the theater. Following their impressive performance at ISB for the APAC Dance Festival in November, the high school dance troupe demonstrated their on-stage creativity by choreographing and performing a variety of dances that included various styles including hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, and Chinese folk.“I think this group is particularly creative,” said Hway Anichowski, reflecting on her fourth year as the Blue Fire team’s head instructor. “Their passion to dance beyond practice is also impressive. Throughout the year they have practiced twice a week, often coming in on weekends.” Planning for the High School Dance Showcase began at the start of the second semester with the team’s annual “fun night,” where dancers fine tuned their choreography skills by drawing different genres from a hat before having one hour as a group to craft a two-to-three-minute performance to be shared and critiqued.“This is their baby,” Ms. Anichowski said of the showcase. “The students put their heart and soul into it throughout the year. To know how to dance is one thing, but to know how to choreograph and perform for your peers and the community is a whole other level.”

The showcase featured performances by nine student choreographers, who worked individually and in pairs. It was a particularly sentimental occasion for Grade 10 dancer Chloe M, who choreographed two pieces; one contemporary, the other hip-hop.“She has really grown a lot since last year in terms of confidence and showed her leadership by leading warmups,” Ms. Anichowski said of Chloe, who will leave ISB at the end of this school year. Another star of this year’s showcase was Blue Fire team captain Kimberly Y, who also made her farewell performance ahead of graduation. Ms. Anichowski noted Kimberly had “grown tremendously” during her four years in the team, both in terms of her confidence and skills as a choreographer and dancer.Ms. Anichowski noted dance fosters students’ L21 skills including creativity, leadership, collaboration, and even problem-solving.“The students learned to manage time and be leaders by encouraging their fellow dancers. They also learned to adjust, which is necessary because ISB students are very busy. If you have a couple of dancers absent, you need to solve problems and address space issues,” she said.“Before I took over, there were fewer than a dozen dancers. Now, the team has more than doubled and we’ve even had to even limit our numbers. Dance is such a great outlet for students to share their passion with others, bond as a team, and step up as leaders.”

Blue Fire Team Steps Up for HS Dance Showcase By Bulletin Staff

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ISB might be home to the Dragons, but Wildcats were in the house to present High School Musical in a production that highlighted students’ collaboration and creativity. A cast and crew of more than 50 students worked on stage and behind the scenes to relive a modern Disney epic many had grown up with. Months of rehearsals culminated in three shows in April in the theater, where full-capacity audiences were entertained by the uplifting story told through song and dance.Although the musical is based on the experiences of students at a typical American high school, ISB students put their unique mark on it by demonstrating one of the school’s key values: global mindedness. “Being in an international environment, we could pull a lot of different elements from different cultures together. And that allowed us to put our own spin on our characters. For me, the most rewarding thing was just to learn new skills. As a student, that’s one of the major goals you want out of an education, especially at an institution like ISB,” said Woody L, who starred Zeke Baylor.Students took ownership over the musical by designing, building and painting sets. They also took charge of sound, lighting, filming, artwork and makeup in a demonstration of leadership and responsibility – key skills within ISB’s L21 curriculum. “One of the luxuries for me is that I try to set it up so the kids run the show. My stage manager is a student,

my lighting tech person is a student, my sound person is a student. The kids were just running that show. They were moving the sets around and doing everything,” said Tom Rosevear, high school drama teacher. “That is a huge part of the experience at ISB: saying ‘we’re giving you the control, we’re giving you the leadership, we’re passing it on to you, because we trust you to be able to do it.’”In addition to nurturing leadership and responsibility, empowering students in each step of the creative process fostered pride and helped ease any pre-performance jitters. “I feel like we were all really nervous on opening night, but to have Mr. Rosevear so confident in us and our abilities ... was so comforting and amazing. For a person so strong to be like, ‘You guys can do this,’ was incredibly helpful,” said Molly Q, who played the role of teacher Ms. Darbus.Balance is an important element of student life at ISB. Theater allows students to ignite their passion for the performing arts, with the stage providing a valuable partner in the process of self-discovery. “I think this year, I’ve really found my identity and I really love being on stage, which I’ve kind of always known. But now that I’ve got to practice it, it’s really solidified that passion that I have. I definitely won’t forget it because I’m going to pursue it in some way in the future,” said Lizzie W, who played Sharpay Evans.

Students Raise Creative Bar with High School Musical By Bulletin Staff

Watch a video about High School Musical on Dragons’ Tube

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ISB traveled back to ancient China for this year’s middle school musical Mulan Jr., a production that deepened students’ cultural connection to their host country and highlighted their on-stage creativity. A cast and crew of more than 40 students collaborated for the musical, which enjoyed three packed-house performances in the theater from May 7 to 9.The story centers on young Chinese maiden Mulan (Louisa S, Grade 8), who learns that her weakened and lame father Fa Zhou (Willie Z, Grade 8) is to be called up into the army to fight the invading Huns. Knowing that he would never survive fighting in a war in his fragile state, she disguises herself and joins in his place.Unknown to Mulan, her ancestors are aware her plan. To prevent it, they order a tiny disgraced dragon named Mushu (Naomi W, Grade 8) to join her to force her to abandon her plan. Hannah Northcott, producer and director of the musical, described bringing the musical to life at ISB as a “dream come true.”“When I came here three years ago, I knew I wanted to stage Mulan Jr.,” she said. “It’s so closely tied to our strategic plan. There is a deep connection to Chinese integration, and I knew we had great faculty who could offer their expertise.”The musical’s talented production team included music director Rick Freeman, Wushu Warriors of Wisdom instructor Antonio Flores, dance choreographers Hway Anichowski and Edna Lau, technical director Mike Dawson, and costumes coordinator Karen Fidler. “Ms. Northcott told me to think of it as my own story. She said I needed to be like Mulan, which meant thinking of all the expectations – from parents and students – that were on me as a student. I felt I could identify in the beginning [of the musical] when she had all these expectations, because I also feel sometimes there are a lot of expectations on me,” Louisa said of her preparation for the lead role.One of the stars of the musical was Nicky W, who balanced humor and drama in his thoughtful portrayal of bureaucrat antagonist Chi Fu. “Before the show I was really shy, but now I know how to express my feelings. At first, I didn’t think I would be

Mulan Jr.: A Musical Fit for an Emperor By Bulletin Staff

that funny in the show, but after I experimented in the preview show I started to grow in confidence, so that really helped me throughout the show,” said the Grade 6 student.

Watch a video about Mulan Jr. on Dragons’ Tube

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MS Celebrates 10th Annual Smile Week By Anagha S, MS STUCO Secretary

Another mission accomplished! ISB’s 10th annual Smile Week, held from April 13 to 17, ended with almost all our smile badges sold and spread hundreds of smiles throughout our school. Most importantly, we were able to fund corrective surgeries for babies with cleft palates. After visiting the Holt Ping’an Medical Foster Home, we were motivated to raise as much money as possible to change these babies’ lives. Festivities kicked off with an assembly where Dr. Razik and Mr. Norris bought smile badges, which inspired everyone to buy their own badges and smiles! On Monday, we had our biggest day of fundraising to set the tone for a week of charitable service with a smile. In addition to all the smile badges, we organized a Smile Week function. STUCO members wanted to try something new by providing some drinks (Coca-Cola and Sprite), as well as other activities including soccer games and a screening of the movie The Maze Runner.You probably noticed the many framed photographs hanging on the wall in front of the MS/HS Cafeteria. These were the masterpieces of the Dragon’s Eye Photography Exhibition, where staff and parents framed their original photographs taken around China and members of our community were invited to bid on them in a silent auction. All money raised from the auction funded corrective surgeries and supported the foster home. Mr. Fidler even sold some of his original

photographs as greeting cards to further support Smile Week’s worthy cause. There are still more greeting card sets left, so if you wish to purchase some please contact Mr. Fidler. A set of 10 is just 50 RMB.The money raised from Smile Week this year will fund surgeries for eight babies with cleft palates – a wonderful achievement! It will be amazing to see the babies again after their operations and see their own precious gift of being able to smile. We hope they will be able to join us at our final assembly on the last day of the school year.All in all, 2015 Smile Week reflected a fantastic effort from our middle school and the ISB community!

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I’ve learned the importance of pursuing one’s passion by taking decisive action throughout the semester-long Passionate Project course. As someone with a passion for service, my initial goal was to raise awareness about vaccinating orphaned Chinese infants. As part of my commitment to this cause, I decided to create a new club for 2015-16 school year to achieve this goal.I found a local orphanage to partner with, but the project wasn’t as easy to implement as I initially thought. From interviewing the orphanage’s director, I gathered that the center was already receiving help from companies and celebrities. I therefore shifted my focus to the work ISB does with Smile Week to see how I could help.Most of our community members are familiar with Smile Week, the successful middle school, fundraising initiative to help babies born with cleft palates. It is one of the most common birth defects and it generally occurs as an isolated birth defect. Infants with a cleft palate face difficulties absorbing sufficient amount of nutrients and often have trouble eating and can suffer recurring ear infections.I wanted to raise awareness of their unique challenge, and ensure infants with cleft palates can be well fed before their surgery. Much of the focus is on the actual surgery and post-procedure care, but ensuring infants receive appropriate nutrients ahead of their surgery is also very important. Fortunately, there is a baby bottle in the US especially designed for infants with cleft palates. The bottles allow these infants to consume fluids easily instead of being fed by spoons or traditional types of bottles. In 2015-16, I will work to found a new service club based on helping cleft-palate infants ahead of their surgery. I would like to emphasize that our school has been and is continuously working to fund surgeries for cleft-palate infants; my focus will be on extending that support even earlier. If you would like to support or learn more about my club, please email me at saie.kim@student.isb.bj.edu.cn. Thank you!

Passionate Project to Give Preoperative Care to Cleft-Palate Infants By Saie K, Grade 10

Saie K (top) is striving to provide care to infants born with cleft palates, including Xia Jifang (below), before surgery.

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Chacun a, à un moment ou un autre, rêvé à ou trouvé beaucoup de plaisir à l'idée de participer à une chasse au trésor. L'excitation du jeu et la récompense suffisent à provoquer une poussée d'adrénaline.Notre école, l'École Internationale de Pékin-Shunyi, paraît elle-même avoir été conçue pour des chasses au trésor. Son bâtiment principal, construit au début du siècle, est relié à un véritable labyrinthe de passages, de salles, de laboratoires et de bureaux. Les couloirs peuvent soudainement pencher, changer de direction, ou se terminer nulle part. Même les professeurs et les étudiants les plus expérimentés peuvent être facilement désorientés!Cette année, la fête de la Francophonie s’est tenue pour la première fois depuis 2006 avec la collaboration des élèves de CM2 du Lycée de Français de Pékin et ceux de 5eme année de l ‘Ecole Elémentaire de ISB (cours assuré par Mme Baibeau). Deux communautés internationales francophones, des locuteurs natifs et des apprenants de français deuxième langue se sont rencontrés pour partager ensemble, outre le plaisir du jeu, celui de parler et de communiquer en français!

La Chasse au Trésor (The Treasure Hunt) By William H, Grade 10

Pendant dix jours, les étudiants de Français Avancé (cours assuré par Mme Nedellec) ont travaillé pour préparer les énigmes les plus amusantes et ésotériques possible a l’aide d’Aurasma, un logiciel qui permet de voir des vidéos instantanément sur iPhone ou tablettes. Au final ,cinquante élèves des deux écoles de 5e année, tous partageant le français comme richesse culturelle, se sont réunis pour participer à la Chasse au Trésor.Le 8 Avril, toutes les équipes sont arrivées à la boîte de verre pour commencer officiellement la Chasse au Trésor. Ensuite, les étudiants sont partis en équipes de dix et ont dépensé énormément d’efforts physiques et intellectuels pour résoudre une série d'énigmes déconcertantes, poussés par leur désir de gagner. En dépit de quelques frustrations ça et là, les élèves ont finalement pu trouver leur chemin grâce à leur esprit de camaraderie qui s'est développé en travaillant avec les uns avec les autres.On dit que "le temps passe vite quand nous amusons," et les étudiants ont définitivement eu une expérience culturelle, communicative et ludique inoubliable. A recommencer sans modération. Vive le français!

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ISB and French International School: 1, 2, 3 et Changez de place! By Marie Baribeau, UES French Teacher

How different would your schooling be if you studied at a French international school here in Beijing? ISB's Grade 5 French students spent a day with their counterparts from Lycée Français de Pékin (LFP), or the French International School of Beijing, to answer this very question by participating in a variety of lessons and interactive activities led almost entirely in French by Marie-Aimée Zhu, a Grade 5 homeroom teacher. The experiential learning opportunity also aligned with key initiatives in Strategic Plan IV, including increasing relevant learning through an authentic local engagement (SI 1); optimizing each student’s capacity to learn through an individualized experience (SI 2); and increasing access to expertise through collaborative networks beyond ISB (SI 5).Upon our return to ISB, students reflected on their day, their new LFP friends, and the similarities and differences of our respective daily school schedules. ISB Grade 5 students offered the following summaries of their exchange with LFP peers:“I had a very good time because I got to speak French the whole day.” Alisha H. “I wonder if it is hard for Madame Zhu to teach half the day in French and the other half in English?” Christina K.“The exchange was super fun because we learned songs and experienced each other’s different ways of learning.” Nicole C.“Our visit to LFP was awesome! The best part was when we played up and down tag. They played the game differently than us, but they call it by the same name. We had to collaborate as a team in French.” Grace W.‘’I learned more about the French school system. LFP teaches three languages and the kids speak all three languages fluently.” Chris S.The next part of this project-based learning opportunity involved a visit by LFP students to ISB, which took place on April 8. Thanks to the input of colleagues attending the workshop, the idea of designing a treasure hunt using the iPad application Aurasma developed.

Madame Nedellec’s French high school students designed riddles beyond the linguistic level of ISB Grade 5 French students to ensure that collaboration would occur with their LFP peers who had a greater knowledge of French. For their part, ISB students had more intimate knowledge of the treasure hunt site.As leaders of the treasure hunt, ISB high school students had the opportunity to interact with native French-speaking children here at their own school. Project Based Learning experience was made possible.Grade 5 students formed teams of 10 and spent tremendous effort solving a host of baffling puzzles. With fervent teams running around the hallways and some even frustrated eventually all teams found their way. Finally, all teams wholeheartedly enjoyed a variety of different French snacks. It was an unforgettable experience that cemented ISB and LFP’s strategic partnership.

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I met my buddy Maddy, her class, and her family on the first day of our homestay program. Their residential compound was the equivalent of Yosemite, located just a five-minute walk from the Renda Fuzhong Xishan High School (RDFZ). As I entered their apartment, Maddy’s cheery mom greeted me. We ate Chinese food for dinner and discussed tomorrow’s plans for horseback riding, lunch at a Japanese restaurant, and dinner at a birthday party for Maddy’s friend. “What a coincidence,” I thought to myself, “it’s my birthday tomorrow, too!” The next day was my 13th birthday, but I remembered where I was and cleaned up in my room. I was greeted cheerfully by Maddy’s parents. Their greetings were all in Chinese, but as a neo-native II level student I understood easily. After a filling breakfast of plain bread and an egg, it was time for us to go horseback riding. Afterwards, we arrived at a Japanese restaurant to meet up with the rest of the family. Maddy’s parents were asking a number of questions to get to know my lifestyle and my personality better, when Maddy’s dad asked me my age in Chinese. They were more than a little shocked when I replied in Chinese: “Today I am 13.” Later, Maddy’s mom took me to the supermarket to buy some food that I was more familiar with, which I thought was very kind. We then went to a mall with Maddy for her friend’s birthday party. Hugo, an ISB classmate also participating in the homestay program, was also at the party.The following day we visited the Happy Valley amusement park, where we rode several roller coasters and navigated a maze. We had some tasty Yoshinoya food for dinner before returning home at around 8 pm for a good night’s sleep.Walking to school the next day, a girl approached me and introduced herself. “You can call me Sky Banana!” I was shocked into silence as she and her friend started laughing. We had English first and our teacher, Ms. Zhang, asked Hugo and I to introduce ourselves. A lot of the students were surprised at our Chinese level. I joined Maddy and her friends later at the library, where they were members of an after-school club called Challenge-Based Learning (CBL). I realized it was much like ISB’s Roots & Shoots or Global Issues

Homestay Experience Deepens Cultural Bonds By Christina E, Grade 8

Network, where people come to together to think of ways to solve issues..On the fifth day, I was doing my work during English class when I heard the voice correcting the teacher’s spelling of "helicopter." Later when we had PE, we got to play basketball, which was really fun. The only thing I disliked about PE was that we had to jog in a row and the people in front jogged at a very slow pace. I much preferred the "ISB way" of doing things. When we got home, Maddy’s family was still out so her mom went ahead to order us McDonald's, which would be delivered to us. On the final day, I was excited to go home and start my spring break, yet also sad to bid farewell to Maddy. I gave her another stack of English books when I said goodbye. I was really grateful for what she and her family had done for me over the week.

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Reflecting on the history of exploration, we can think of many great explorers including Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, and Ferdinand Magellan. However, exploration wasn’t just for Europeans. Long before Columbus set sail, there was legendary Chinese explorer Zheng He who sailed throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Africa during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In our social studies unit, we looked at exploration from a Chinese perspective.Ms. Annie, our Chinese integration specialist, was a huge advantage to our learning in our exploration unit. We were lucky to have Ms. Annie, because we were

the only Grade 5 class to work on this Chinese integration project. We would like to acknowledge and extend our warm thanks to Ms. Annie for the hard effort she put into our exploration unit. With her expertise, we learned a lot about the Chinese explorer Zheng He, whose real name was Ma He. This great explorer was an intelligent, brave admiral who was born in Yunnan Province. Emperor Zhu Di wanted Zheng He to go on an expedition not to conquer, but to show the power of China, bring prosperity, trade fairly, and to live peacefully with other countries. Zheng He’s seven voyages showed the world how exploration could bring peace, cultural exchange, and exposure to the wider world.Nevertheless, the most important lesson we learned throughout this unit was that as humanity continues to explore, we’re always challenging ourselves to seek new things, just as our ancestors did in the past. We seldom notice it, but we’re actually exploring every day as “admirals” of our own education.

Setting Sail into History with Explorer Zheng He By Shiny H and Sunny R, Grade 5

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The 2015 Spring Fair Committee and the PTA would like to thank everyone for helping make this year’s Spring Fair on May 16 another fantastic success. Firstly, we are extremely grateful to our generous sponsors for their support of this event. Within ISB there are a number of departments and partners whose help was crucial to the event, especially Chartwells and Sodexo along with the security, community relations, business, administration, and facilities offices. There were also hundreds of students and staff members who volunteered to operate games, sell tickets, staff the tombola stall, and contribute in countless other ways. The Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts tirelessly sold food and beverages. Special thanks to communications and community relations manager Beth Toole and Dragons’ Gate webmaster Rebecca Lei, whose patience and dedication were critical to our promoting our event; Zhang Xiumei, who was our unflappable facilities liaison; Jacob Alexander and Yvonne Liu, who were our magnificent Chartwells liaisons; and Karen Fidler, whose help in coordinating with our games committee was invaluable.

Collaborative Effort Seals ISB Spring Fair Success By Emily Chan, PTA Member / Photos by Abel Blanco

Last but by no means least, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the community. To those of you who spent hours on the Spring Fair Planning Committee, the many parents and teachers who volunteered to spend their Saturday supervising games, selling raffle and game tickets, and helping the Booster Club with our drinks and spirit wear sale, as well as everyone who came to Spring Fair to enjoy the day and support the PTA. Thank you for making our 2015 Spring Fair the best in our event’s proud history!

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Good Samaritan Ayi Returns Mom's Missing iPad By Bulletin Staff

When Wendy Muendler misplaced her iPad at ISB, she didn’t hold much hope it would show up again. The Dragons’ Den volunteer had left it on a chair one day while working in the PTA's shop on April 16, but didn’t realize it was missing until two weeks later.

She followed the school’s regular protocol of retrieving a missing item by visiting the Lost & Found section, where she was informed that more valuable items are often handed in to the Security Office. It was there that she received the good news: her iPad had been found and was waiting to be reclaimed.“When I collected it, I asked [security staff] to please thank the person who found my iPad for being so honest and having such integrity,” she said. “That was more important than the iPad to me; that we have good, honest people in our community.”Sodexo employee Li Ye had been working at ISB less than a month when she found the iPad while cleaning the corridor outside the Dragons’ Den. She was revealed by the Security Office to be the good Samaritan, allowing Ms. Muendler to show her appreciation by presenting Ms. Li with a 300 RMB Dragons’ Den gift voucher on May 4.“It’s refreshing and inspiring,” said the ISB mother-of-two. “It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, someone took it,’ and have no hope. But to know there are good people who not only treasure your items but are so willing to be honest is such a rarity.”

More than 20 alumni made the most of the opportunity to reminisce, reunite, and revisit treasured ISB memories at the Class of 2005 10-year reunion on May 28 and 29. The gathering kicked off with dinner at the Courtyard by Marriott, with alumni visiting the school the following day to admire its evolution over the past decade.“I was also excited to see many of my old teachers are still here. Catching up with them here in such a warm and welcoming community was great. I feel very much at home,” said Eugenie Chung, a Hong Kong-based trainee solicitor. Alumni shared memories about making the transition from ISB’s former Lido campus to Shunyi, while marveling at how far the school has come since they graduated. “ISB seems so much more homely now. It’s always been a really nice school, but now it feels warmer,” said Billy Algranti,

Class of 2005 Cherishes ISB Memories at Reunion By Bulletin Staff

who starred for the alumni team in their narrow 64-57 loss to the varsity basketball team. “It’s really cool to see where ISB has come from and where it’s going, especially with experiential learning. Seeing students take ownership of their learning is great.”Alumni were given a school tour by the admissions team before reconnecting with longtime teachers and administrators over lunch. They were also treated to performances by talented elementary school students, first with the Treblemaker Choir and then with Grade 5 production The Monkey King.Reflecting on ISB’s upcoming 35th anniversary, many alumni expressed their pride at having such a personal connection to the school’s proud history.“The 35th anniversary is a big milestone, and I’m glad I can share a part of this celebration because [ISB] has changed my life a lot,” said alumna Janie Leung, who works in the healthcare sector in Hong Kong.

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What do you imagine college life to be like? Do you think of small dorms, large lecture halls, and Greek life? For more than 600 college students who participated in the Semester At Sea (SAS) program, college life includes a voyage aboard the MV Explorer to 12 countries. The ship embarked from San Diego in early January and docked at London at the end of April, visiting 15 cities over 112 days. For four days in February, we had the privilege of boarding the ship as cultural ambassadors, or “inter-port students.” We joined the community of college students, professors, crew, and lifelong learners to introduce China as our shipmates traveled from Kobe, Japan to Shanghai. Our first vivid memory aboard the vessel was stargazing from the top deck. Without city lights, pollution, or traffic noise, the stars and moon shined brightly in the dark blue sky.Now, four days with a limited WiFi connection might seem frustrating or even horrifying, but it turned out to be a delight not to wake to new emails, Instagram photos, or Facebook posts. We instead woke to the ocean breeze in our hair and a balmy sun upon our faces. Our main role was to introduce Chinese culture and share travel tips. For many students, it was their first time visiting China. Two nights before our arrival at Shanghai, we delivered a 30-minute presentation on a range of topics including Chinese New Year customs, transportation fees, and Chinese food. Our meals were also booked with certain students or lifelong learners as they keenly questioned us about the cheapest way to travel from Shanghai to Beijing or where the best non-tourist sites were. Among the few hundred people we met, there are a few whom we fondly remember. Before the trip, we were unsure how they would treat us as high school girls from China. To our surprise, every student we met was filled with enthusiasm and made us feel at home. A Nepalese girl we met at the cafeteria even invited us to her cabin and introduced us to her roommates. While waiting in line for smoothies one day at the food counter, a Pakistani student asked us different questions related to China. We conversed about Sino-Pakistani relations and expressed our opinions about Chinese politics. Others were forthcoming in asking us questions, leading us to feel we had our companions for several years. In exchange of our stories from China, they told us about college and their experiences from the program. As seniors, we treasured their insights and advice about life after high school. They continued to post photos on Facebook and WeChat from Ho Chi Minh, Rangoon, Cape Town, and other cities they visited. It was a heartwarming reminder that our community is just a tiny piece in a vast puzzle of the world.

Semester At Sea: A Voyage of Global-Mindedness By Angela C and Wendy Y, Grade 12

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Over the course of this year, many students have found themselves at least once a week returning home later than usual because of their tutoring commitments. These tutors come from various backgrounds and participate in sports, social groups, and other extra-curricular activities. Balancing studies with a part-time job provides students with a valuable, rewarding real-world learning opportunity that instills key skills for life after school.

ResponsibilityHigh school is a time for students to explore their self-identity and passions, which can help in choosing their path after school. While being a part of a sports team or charity club can instill a sense of leadership and collaboration, a part-time job offers a valuable lesson in responsibility. After all, it’s much easier to skip practice or a charity event than pull out of a shift or tutoring session. My own tutoring experience has affirmed my commitment to education and ambition to become a teacher. Even high school counselor Mr. Mennick stated a positive trait of part-time work is “a growing sense of responsibility and ability to take care of one’s self.”

Leadership A part-time job, especially as a tutor, requires a special type of leadership. When it comes to tutoring, you must find your own resources to create lesson plans and make sure that it all works towards an end goal. In contrast to sports, leadership often has a clear objective of victory. Tutoring, however, cannot be simply defined. Goals can easily change from lesson to lesson. During one lesson, for example, a student might want to learn about rhyming. In their next lesson, the student might want to learn about analysis. The flexibility required to be an effective tutor helps students become excellent leaders.

Communication One of the most common benefits of part-time work cited by tutors I interviewed for this article was enhanced communication skills. Working as a tutor requires effective communication with different age groups.

How Part-Time Work Gives Students L21 Skills By César M, Grade 12

“I have to communicate with the mother of the child I tutor to ensure I am satisfying everything she expects,” explained ISB senior Elisha B. “At the same time, I have to make sure that I am communicating with my student and ensuring that I am teaching her things that she wants to learn.” Elisha’s experience highlights the importance of developing communication skills in her role as a tutor. In my experience, I have communicated with both parents and students to make sure that I fulfil learning targets set by students, parents, and myself. Having a part-time job can be incredibly beneficial. Based on my own and my peers’ experiences, tutoring can develop and enhance many characteristics and complement L21 skills at the core of ISB’s curriculum.

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From having only a couple students gather together in 2006 to now having more than 2,500 students show up at a Global Round, the World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) has made incredible progress over the years as an academic tournament. With their alpaca mascot leading the way, 45 ISB students competed in a regional round of the WSC at the British School of Beijing (BSB) on April 11 and 12. From the moment our team arrived, we were thrown into a frenzy. Name cards, team badges, and tournament schedules were all handed to us as everyone scrambled to get to the right place for the right event. As we surveyed all our rivals, we felt not only a desire to win but also the strong bonds of friendship. Other students were competitors and friends who we would learn and grow with over the weekend. The morning began with a heartfelt speech from BSB’s principal before juniors headed for their collaborative writing event and seniors enthusiastically headed towards their debate rooms. Throughout the rest of the day, both seniors and juniors completed three out of four events: debate, collaborative writing, and the prestigious Scholar’s Challenge. The ISB team returned on Sunday for the fourth and final event in the WSC: the Scholar’s Bowl. This team-oriented (albeit noisier) event consisted of a six-round multiple-choice knowledge bowl on all the subjects covered during the year.

ISB Team Triumphs at World Scholar’s Cup By Kathy L, Grade 8

As we hollered at each other over the noise in the theater and tried to take the clicker from each other, we realized that WSC isn’t just about competing and studying; it is also about all the work it took us to get here, coupled with the spirit of friendship and camaraderie. As the awards were handed out and the slideshow came to an end, we all realized that we had learned more than just textbook knowledge. As teams and as school, we had improved. We brought home many awards and honors, but that wasn’t the only thing that we gained. We gained understanding, passion, and respect for each other. We will always cherish our friendships made through the WSC. Thank you to Mr. Carter, Ms. Davidson, and Mr. Jiang for giving the ISB team an unforgettable and highly successful regional round!

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Students worldwide compete each year in regional science fairs from which the best win the opportunity to attend Intel ISEF. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition.Students from 13 International schools around China competed in the regional science fair held in March in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Three ISB Grade 11 students presented their projects and all received high honors. Ian H was awarded Best of Show, while Tommy M and Jason X received awards of excellence.Ian was also chosen as a finalist and attended the Intel ISEF competition in May in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he competed against approximately 1,700 high school students from over 75 countries and regions. Ian was also awarded $1,000 for his Computational Biology and Bioinformatics project.

As the school year draws to a close, students are once again experiencing the pressures of multiple projects, exams, and presentations weighing down at once. Nevertheless, stress was undoubtedly relieved at the annual High School Stress Fest, which was organized by the High School Peer Helpers.This year’s Stress Fest took place on April 20 and 24 during lunchtime, and marked yet another successful effort to help the student body by alleviating the anxieties of daily life. Students were showered with an assortment of stress-reducing activities including free massages, free DIY stress balls, arts and crafts, aromatherapy, jianbing (crepe pancakes), sumo wrestling, and cupcake decorating. The MS/HS Cafeteria was invigorated by an atmosphere of cheerfulness and festivity as students eagerly waited to create their own “stress balls” and enthusiastically gathered to design their own cupcakes. Similarly, both students and faculty alike welcomed the free massages as opportunities to unwind and release their physical tensions. Though lasting only two days, Stress Fest has reminded students that amid all their worrying over exams and grades, there are always laughter, smiles, and relaxation to be found. Thank you, Peer Helpers!

ISB Trio Awarded Top Prizes at Intel ISEF in Chengdu By Debra Monroe, HS Science Teacher

Peer Helpers Ease Year-End Tension with HS Stress Fest By Kevin W, Grade 11

Finalists are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research and compete for approximately $4 million in prizes. Congratulations to all for a job well done!

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On April 24, our environmental systems and societies (ESS) Standard Level 1 class embarked on a trip to the Jinglinggu Nature Reserve, an hour's bus ride away from campus in Miyun county. The trip, an integral part of the course curriculum, gave us the opportunity to conduct field research for our three final year one Internal Assessments. We gained valuable field experience, which gave us more in-depth knowledge of the practices of real environmental scientists and provided a strong foundation of skills needed for our independent field work labs for year two. Among the field work techniques we honed over the three day trip were macro-invertebrate sampling and identification and measuring forest density.As soon as we arrived at the Jinglinggu Nature Reserve, we immediately hiked towards our first data collection site: a small stream. Assisted by our teacher Mr. Smyth, we collected water data for close to three hours. Later in the day, we embarked on the first of many long hikes across the reserve to our main data collection site. "The experience built strength and character, and shows that when the going gets tough, the tough get going," said Gordon T. After another five hours of data collection, we hiked back to the bus stop and were driven to a nearby river that we had to cross by inflatable boat. Once across, a five minute hike brought us to the Western Academy of Beijing’s Miao Liang Environmental Educational Center. We were shown our yurts and the environmentally-sustainable washrooms. In the evening, we had the wonderful experience of stargazing and were able to see the moon and Saturn through telescopes.On our first full day, we again returned to the Jinglinggu Nature Reserve for a grueling eight hours of field work. Our ESS field trip was undoubtedly an enriching and unforgettable experience. We collectively learned to improve our teamwork and perseverance to achieve our tasks.

ESS Students Carry Out Field Work at Nature Reserve By Grade 11 ESS Students

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IB Art Exhibition Reflects Contemporary Creativity By Bulletin Staff

When Katrina C left ISB seven years ago, the surrounding area could hardly be more different than it looks today. The senior eventually returned to the school when her family moved back to Beijing, but urbanization had already taken its toll.“There used to be a village across from ISB, where there are now high-rise apartments. I used to go shopping there when it was a village, but I was distraught when I came back and saw it had been converted into apartments,” she said. However, China’s rapid transformation provided Katrina with a rich source of artistic inspiration as demonstrated at the weeklong IB Art Exhibition that opened on April 17.She paid tribute to “old Beijing” in Demolition, an artwork depicting a traditional hutong home using nails of various heights on a foam board. Katrina also explored the humanity of modern China with portraits of three people representing different classes. Each portrait was paired with a Chinese character, namely a coal miner with an (safety) in reference to the occupation’s hazards; a migrant worker with jia (family)

to capture their yearning for home; and an affluent young woman with xiao (prosperity) to reflect the rising middle class. China’s nouveau riche and their obsession with luxury also inspired Katrina’s Prosperous series of artworks, including what appears to be a traditional red tile pattern that, upon closer inspection, comprises the logos of Gucci, Rolex, Nike, Puma, and other brands. “It is more about technique than concept. I wanted to juxtapose the method of creating art with its components,” said Katrina, who next year will attend the University of Michigan's School of Art and Design.IB art teacher Kendra Farrell said this year’s exhibition reflected a diverse mix of styles, with more students “leaning toward contemporary art as a form of expression.”“This is my favorite time of year. It’s when everything comes together and you really see each student’s passion. That’s the most powerful thing about IB art; you work really hard and there are a lot of challenges, but in the end you see each one is distinct,” she said.Rena T wasn’t interested in creating art when she

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began the IB course, citing her initial desire to research artists and analyze their works. But her confidence and scale of artworks gradually grew as she received encouraging feedback from teachers and others in the ISB community.One of her influences this year was artist in residence Danny Gregory, whose own paintings on cardboard had a visible influence on Rena’s self-portrait.Another influence was Colombian artist Fernando Botero, whose drawing of plumper subjects motivated Rena to draw a girl admiring fat people as role models.In Take a Breath, she created a sculpture using a common Beijing accesory – pollution masks – juxtaposed with the Chinese character qing (clean). “My mom is always telling me to wear a mask because I have asthma, so this is my essential item when I go to school. When I was working on this project, the pollution was particularly severe,” she explained.Ancient and modern elements were juxtaposed in a separate sculpture of a Chinese imperial robe Rena created using old CDs bought at local markets. The shiny artwork now takes pride of place on a wall at the entrance of the high school art department.By contrast, Ethan C discovered his artistic calling a couple of years ago when he was “messing around” with spray paint. “I really enjoyed the way it felt, the things you could do with it, and the surfaces you could work on,” said Ethan, who recreated a graffiti artwork by Ron Harris using spray paint on. “It was probably one of my less original works, but it was fun to do,” he said.One of his most impressive works wasn’t to be found in the upper gallery, but at a demolished site nearby ISB where he converted rubble marked with the character chai (demolish) into a colorful graffiti mural. “No one really seemed to mind,” he said when asked if anyone objected to him painting the walls. “Some people came up and watched, but no one was bothered.”

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How do you build a strong, lifelong relationship with your teenager? Is there a “best” parenting style? What can you do to encourage your teenager to make responsible decisions? Adolescence can be a confusing time of change for teens and parents alike, but high school counselors Andy Mennick and Gina Cuthbert provided valuable guidance at their recent series of parenting classes in the Glass Box. Parents gathered for seven sessions to work through a renowned parenting skills textbook aimed at improving parenting and communication strategies. The workshops also aligned with ISB’s commitment to nurture the whole child by providing parents with a supportive network where they could collaboratively learn and share insight into caring for their children’s academic, physical, and social-emotional well-being.The classes aim to help parents form stronger relationships with their teenagers through using research-based parenting skills and supporting each other as we help adolescents become “independent, confident, and happy young adults,” said Mr. Mennick.“The parenting classes we held this year were part of a pilot program with a smaller group of parents to see if the program could be helpful. The feedback we received is very positive, so we are looking to both continue and expand the program next year,” he added.There are two guiding principles in the parenting skills used in classes. The first is that it’s impossible to change your child, but it is possible for parents to change their relationship with their child and in doing so have a positive influence on their choices. The second is that there are three main styles of parenting: giving orders, giving in, or giving choices. What helps teens the most is a positive relationship in which they are able to make good choices, since as adults much of their lives will be determined by the choices they make.

HS Parenting Classes Help Nurture Whole Child By Bulletin Staff

“One of the best aspects is having a group of people come together to support each other with a common purpose: finding the best way to support teens in their journeys to becoming adults,” said Ms. Cuthbert. “The energy we give each other during parenting classes is rewarding and sustaining, especially as we find out that we share so many common concerns. The classes are also beneficial for counselors, since it requires us to put ourselves in parents’ shoes, and in doing so it helps us improve our practice.” Parents form a vital part of the ISB community, and parenting is perhaps the most challenging job a person can have. All parents share the goal of providing the best possible experiences for their children, and getting counselors and parents together is just one way that we can strengthen our efforts by working together.If you’re a parent who could use some helpful strategies in raising your teenager, both counselors agree there is no substitute for effective communication.“Talking always helps! It’s the best first step to solving a problem, at least from a counselor’s point of view,” said Mr. Mennick. “Speaking with your child’s counselor, your partner, a close friend – these are all good steps for moving forward. And, of course, join the parenting group next school year!”

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We had the opportunity to read on March 20 for a great cause as part of the Read for Hope Readathon. I really loved the idea of reading for a cause. The event was sponsored by the United Foundation for China's Health, with money going toward providing medical services for migrant children in Beijing through their “Wheels for Life” program. ISB students raised 48,500 RMB ($7,814) in total – an amazing effort!My whole class loves reading, and we were all happy that we got to spend so much time reading. Normally, our schedule is packed tight so we don’t get much time. We learned from ISB Authors in Residence The

Students Prove a Little Reading Goes a Long Way By Alice T, Grade 5

READ FOR HOPE为希望阅读

Author and illustrator David LaRochelle led an engaging series of small groups with lower elementary school children in mid-April, despite nearly being upstaged by his colorful co-stars. A former elementary school teacher, Mr. LaRochelle was joined by puppets who starred in a stage adaptation of his book The Best Pet of All? (2004). One of the most popular puppets to entertain ISB youngsters was (appropriately enough) a dragon, which becomes the naughty pet of a young boy in the book. “Using puppets in my presentations is handy because they bring in some movement and encourage the kids to exercise. One thing I’ve learned is that kids can only sit for so long, and you need to incorporate movement and interactivity,” said Mr. LaRochelle, who has written and illustrated 25 books.The Minnesota native showed children drawings he made when he was their age to help “demystify the fact that authors are real people.” Working in small groups with PreK 3 to Grade 2 children, the author spoke about the importance of reading and the importance of the L21 skills innovation and creativity in his work as an author and illustrator.Mr. LaRochelle’s visit aligned with ISB Strategic Plan IV by increasing learning through an authentic, compelling global engagement (SI 1) and giving students access to expertise through collaborative

LES Author in Residence Pulls the Right Strings By Bulletin Staff

efforts beyond ISB (SI 5).“There is so much writing here, even at the kindergarten level. Walking down the hall and seeing students’ stories and art projects, it reinforces to them that they are artists and writers themselves,” he noted. “As an author and illustrator, I’m always working at home by myself. When I get the chance to visit schools, such as ISB, and meet children who have read my books, it’s immensely rewarding to know kids are enjoying my stories.”Another important lesson Mr. LaRochelle taught was the value of patience and persistence when writing a story or illustrating a picture.“Everyone wants things to come out perfect the first time, but I talk about how I make plenty of mistakes during the creative process, and how that’s OK,” he said.

Two Steves that people do better in school if they read more, so just by reading for a little bit we improved our learning. The readathon was so much fun that I wish we could do it every day!

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We strive continually to give our students the best learning opportunities at ISB. The school has sent a number of teachers on courses when they train to become trainers for workshops which they then run here at school. The aim is for them to teach our teachers how best they can support children who are learning English. The course is offered to teachers in different divisions of the school. Most recently two teachers became trainers in Bangkok and returned enthusiastic and ready to collaborate with teachers in the Lower Elementary School. A committed group of 16 teachers from kindergarten to Grade 2 recently completed the Teaching Young Children English in Multilingual Contexts course, a professional development program for teachers of young children. This highly practical course addresses the fundamental relationship between language and learning and provides teachers with successful strategies for improving the learning achievements of all young students. In addition to the 18 hours of instruction, teachers were able to apply and reflect on the course

content through a number of written assignments and classroom based language activities with their own students. Two English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers, myself and Kelly Sutton, presented this recently revised course. Feedback from teachers was overwhelmingly positive. Teachers commented that the course was "hands-on, relevant, and informative" with great value for kindergarten and beyond, and that the content was "immediately applicable and relevant to classroom practice." Although the course has ended, teachers continue to develop and apply the additional strategies learned, to further support all young students and equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful learners.

In the two weeks following the Chinese New Year break, students and teachers at international schools across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the US voted for their favorite Panda book. Over 40 schools participated in the event and over 3,100 students cast their votes online. The winning titles are: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt- Younger Readers (EC-grade 2); The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer- Middle Readers (grades 3-5); Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein- Older Readers (grades 6-8); and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - Mature Readers (grades 9-12)The Panda Reading Initiative is the responsibility of the Panda Steering Committee, which consists of

2014-15 Panda Book Awards Announced By Nadine Rosevear, MS Librarian

international librarians in China. These librarians have selected the reading lists for the 2015-16 school year, and will ensure that the Panda books will be available in the school libraries in the fall. Students will have the opportunity to explore an array of excellent reading choices that include fantasy fiction, graphic novels, and more classic options such as historical fiction. You can read more about the Panda Awards by clicking here.

Teaching in English in Multilingual Contexts By Sue Nilsson, Grade 2 EAL Teacher

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ISB honored the service of its dedicated staff at an assembly on May 6, with recognition and appreciation given to those who have been with the school for five, 10, 15, and even 20 years. A total of 18 staff members celebrated five years at ISB, including Head of School Tarek Razik and departing admissions officer Stacy Wang.More than 20 staff members celebrated their 10th anniversary at ISB, including faculty couples Rob and Sharlene McCormack, Travis and Cara Tebo, and Randy and Kim Williams. Bouquets were given to seven teachers who marked 15 years at the school, namely Jim and Karen Fidler, MS humanities and ES classroom teachers; Steve and Hway Anichowski, HS librarian and HS math teacher; Susan Chapman, ES EAL teacher; Li Yun, Chinese teacher; and Jutta Marquardt, ES classroom teacher.However, the biggest honors were reserved for Chinese teacher Jeannie McDonald and accounting manager Louisa Chen, who were both honored for their 20th anniversary at ISB. Although ISB has evolved in recent decades and our school community has grown, the dedication and commitment shown by the school’s passionate staff has remained unchanged and contributes to our vibrant learning community.

Staff Milestones Honored at Year-End Assembly By Bulletin Staff

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ISB entered two teams into the third annual ISB Invitational Junior Varsity (JV) Softball Tournament on April 3-5, with coaches Bruce Weir and Pim Aurora delivering ISB Blue and ISB Silver as the names for our two teams in the six-team field, mainly based on the uniform colors that were provided for the girls. As it turns out, the ISB Silver squad did indeed capture first place, providing me with the catchy title for this article. The tournament was far nicer that the mere turn of a phrase, however.As shared in the tournament program, the purpose of the annual ISB JV Invitational is to provide a culminating experience and tournament for JV softball players whose only other tournament opportunity is often China Cup – a meeting that sometimes occurs very close to the beginning of the season. Near the time of our varsity teams competing in APAC completion, the ISB Invitational was a fantastic event that took place at ISB. Visiting schools to the tournament were: Brent International School Manila, Shanghai American School (Pudong and Puxi), and Western Academy of Beijing. The competition could not have been any better, with all teams winning at least one game in the tournament

ISB Silver Turns to Gold at JV Softball Invitational By Jeff Johanson, Director of Student Activities

and round-robin play resulting in a three-way tie for first place between Brent, ISB Blue, and ISB Silver. All teams finished with identical 4-1 records going into the final games on Easter Sunday.With the tie-breakers of lowest runs allowed being applied, the home crowd was treated to an all-ISB championship game in which ISB Silver prevailed over ISB Blue by a score of 7-2. Taking the gold was celebrated after the tournament, over a nice meal shared by all of the players before visitors had to make their way to the airport. The next ISB Invitational JV Softball Tournament is tentatively scheduled for April 8-10, 2016.PLAY BALL!

ISB’s network of external partnerships soared to new heights on June 5 when Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming visited the school to train youngsters aspiring to follow in his giant footsteps. The towering superstar led drills with around 60 boys and girls in the NBA Yao School, an after-school activity launched at ISB earlier this year. Following the training session, the former Houston Rockets center toured ISB and participated in a dialogue led by three of the school’s own stars from the boys and girls varsity basketball teams: Alexei M, Billy Z, and Sabrina T.As ISB’s seniors prepare to take the next step of their lives, Yao encouraged them, along with all students, to always believe in the giant within.

NBA Legend Yao Holds Court at ASA, Dialogue By Bulletin Staff

“Confidence comes from your own experiences at school and in future. Confidence can go up and down, but with principles, courage, and heart, your confidence will guide to wherever you want to go in life,” he said.

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The ISB Swim Team completed the spring season of competition with the same success the team members demonstrated during the fall and winter seasons.The last home meet of the 2014-15 season was the ISAC Invitational held in March. This competition was open to swimmers 11 and under from any school in the greater Beijing area. More than 250 swimmers from 13 schools attended the two-day meet, with a staggering 91 percent of ISB swimmers recording best times.In April, our Dragons traveled to Hong Kong for the Mantas Invitational Swim Meet. ISB entered the meet as defending champions. Victory proved elusive this year, though, with ISB finishing a close second out of 30 teams from five countries and regions. A mere 14 points separated first and second place, and we will surely be gunning to regain the top trophy next year. Four of our swimmers received high-point achievement awards at the meet. Nine swimmers dropped more than 15 seconds off of their best times in one or more events, and 93 percent of our swimmers achieved new personal bests.The last travel meet of the season was the Flying Fish Invitational in Phuket, Thailand. Our swim team placed first among travel teams and second overall. A total of

2,000 PB Times, 60 Venue Records Cap Off Amazing Year for ISB Swimmers By Kathleen Heinemann, Aquatics TA

30 teams from Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, China, and Malaysia attended the three-day meet. Thirteen swimmers received top performance awards and 88 percent of ISB swimmers recorded personal best times.ISB Dragons participated in and/or hosted 21 meets in 2014-15. They won numerous competitions, placed in the top three consistently, and recorded over 2,000 best times. They also broke more than 60 school, pool, and meet records. Congratulations to all our swimmers and their dedicated coaches!As this season draws to a close, our coaching staff would like to thank all the swim team parents who supported the team by collectively volunteering more than 1,000 hours of their time. We would also like to thank Sodexo and ISB’s Facilities Office for preparing our pool and Gym 3 for our home meets. A big thanks to Director of Student Activities Mr. Johanson for all his support and advice during his tenure at ISB.Finally, this is the last ISB Bulletin article from the desk of swim team coach Kerry Kertes. Coach K will be moving back to Maine to enjoy the fresh air and a fresh start back on US soil. All the best to Kerry and his wife and thanks for your tenure here in the ISB Dragons’ “AquaCave!”

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Ready, Set, Go! LES and UES Track & Field Day Photos by Abel Blanco

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May 16, 2015

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