The October break is in some ways symbolic of change, with the demise of summer and move to a cooler Chongqing as we approach the end of Semester 1. Over this October Break, we have also had some leadership change and we are pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Jessie Xiao to the position of Vice Principal, who joins the YCIS Chongqing SLT.

We at YCIS Chongqing believe that learning is a lifelong activity and, as such, in addition to developing the students to be independent thinkers and resolute learners, we think it equally important that our staff engage in professional development, exposing them to contemporary pedagogy. On October 8 and 9 (Monday and Tuesday), staff returned to work for two days of training prior to the students return on Wednesday.

The Primary Team took this opportunity to participate in a Philosophy for Children (P4C) workshop, led by Stephen Walsh, the Co-Director of Fortune Kindergarten. P4C is an approach to learning and teaching, where children are taught how to create their own philosophical questions. The teacher, as facilitator, supports the children in their thinking, reasoning and questioning, as well as the way the children speak and listen to each other in the dialogue.

In Secondary school, our PD began by turning our attention back to what is happening in our classrooms and how we can ensure the best learning experience for our students. Teachers spent time discussing the research conducted by John Hattie on "Visible Learning" and the influences and effect sizes related to student achievement. We then moved to assessment strategies, cultural differences in our learning community, and academic honesty that aids students in life beyond school.

Led by Sarah-Jane, the Head of Student Support Department (SSD), the whole SSD team embarked upon a two-day team outing in Chongqing’s suburban area, where staff explored how best to support our students with special educational needs (SEN) and how to improve their report writing skills.

Overall, a very productive two day was had by all!