Yew Chung International School of Beijing

Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing, simplified Chinese: 北京耀中国际学校; traditional Chinese: 北京耀中國際學校; pinyin: Běijīng Yàozhōng Guójì Xuéxiào) is an accredited K2-Year 13 international school for boys and girls in Chaoyang District, Beijing.^[1] The school’s international curriculum has been preparing students to become bilingually competent in English and Chinese and internationally minded for a competitive future since 1995.

Origins and History

Yew Chung International School of Beijing is accredited by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China for enrolling children of foreign nationals.^[2] The school is bilingual (English and Mandarin) and open to students ages 2 to 18 years old (K2 to Year 13) offering early childhood education or kindergarten, primary school education, and secondary school education.^[3] The international school is part of a network of schools under the name Yew Chung Foundation that includes campuses in Shanghai, Qingdao, Chongqing, Hong Kong, and Silicon Valley, United States.

Quick Facts

• YCIS Beijing is one of the oldest schools in Beijing with over 20 years of experience providing high-quality education to children of expatriate families.^[4]
• YCIS Beijing offers a curriculum based on the National Curriculum for England (NCE) with a bilingual focus on English and Chinese language acquisition.
• YCIS Beijing is located in the heart of Beijing adjacent to Honglingjin Park.^[5]
• Students at YCIS Beijing learn to read, write, and speak fluent Mandarin Chinese through curricula tailored for both native and non-native speakers.^[6]
• Secondary School students at YCIS Beijing study IGCSE and the IB Diploma Programme courses during their final four years of Secondary schooling.
• YCIS Beijing curriculum in Years 1-3 includes violin lessons aimed at both instilling a lifelong love of music as well as greater confidence onstage.^[7]

Timeline

• 1995 – YCIS Beijing is founded.
• 1997 – YCIS Beijing adopts its Co-Teaching Model.
• 2001 – The In-School Individual Instrumental Programme (IIIP) is introduced and YCIS Beijing becomes an exam centre for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
• 2003 – YCIS Beijing celebrates its first International Day and the new Secondary School library and computer labs are opened.
• 2006 – The school begins offering University Guidance and Student Counselling services and employs a Primary Curriculum Co-ordinator. Both the IBDP and IGCSE programmes are formally implemented.
• 2008 – YCIS Beijing raises relief donations for victims of the Sichuan earthquake, sparking the beginnings of the Seeds of Hope project.
• 2009 – YCIS Beijing is formally accredited by three separate academic accreditation organizations.
• 2015 – YCIS Beijing celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Educational Philosophy

Yew Chung's educational philosophy:

• A fully rounded and balanced education which nurtures the whole child: academically, socially and spiritually;
• An emphasis on academic excellence, dual language acquisition and the tools for success in a globalised world;
• A bilingual and multicultural learning environment which fosters respect for diversity;
• A supportive and nurturing school life which seeks to produce confident, balanced and socially responsible individuals.^[8]

Curriculum

Yew Chung International School of Beijing follows the National Curriculum for England combined with a Chinese language and culture programme (Mandarin). YCIS Beijing strives to unite the best elements of Eastern and Western traditions and practices in all aspects of its education model.

Chinese Programme

Students learn to read, write and speak fluent Mandarin Chinese through curricula tailored for both native and non-native speakers. The Chinese Language and Culture Programme runs from Kindergarten all the way through to graduation and help students attain a strong command of the Chinese language after two to three years. YCIS Beijing offers CFL (Chinese and a First Language) and CAL (Chinese as an Additional Language) classes, each with multiple levels, to ensure that students receive an appropriately challenging Chinese-language course.

Co-Teaching Model

Within each Kindergarten and Primary School classroom, two fully qualified Co-Teachers, one Western and one Chinese, work together and share all responsibilities relating to the care and education of students in class. They plan and work together to provide students with a variety of learning experiences and help students develop English and Chinese communication skills in a bicultural and fully immersive bilingual environment.

IGCSE

The academically challenging curriculum for Years 10-11 culminate in the International General Certificate for Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations. Designed to prepare students for the IB Diploma Programme in Years 12-13, these two years of study integrate core subjects with a variety of electives, community service work, and extracurricular activities.

IB Diploma Programme

The IB Diploma Programme at YCIS Beijing offers an exemplary international education that equips students to make informed choices and contributions as caring global citizens of the world.

Character Education

The aim of YCIS Beijing’s Character Education programme is to give students the practical knowledge and skills to help them face the ethical, moral, spiritual, social, and cultural issues of adulthood by reflecting on their experiences in real world situations. It helps them understand and responsibly manage a wider range of relationships as they mature, and teaches them the respect for diversity that is needed in today's "global village.” Beyond lesson time, students also find aspects of character education in assemblies, group activities, and across many charity events, which aims at helping them accomplish inner transformation.

Accreditation

• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
• Council of International Schools (CIS)
• National Center for School Curriculum and Textbook Development (NCCT)
• Cambridge International Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)
• The East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS)

Facilities

• Primary Library
• Secondary Library
• Auditorium
• Football and Athletics Fields in Honglingjin Park
• Olympic Length Swimming Pool
• 4 Apple Mac Labs
• Music Room
• Student Cafe
• IB Lounge
• School Cafeteria
• Roof-Top Golf Course
• Indoor and Outdoor Playgrounds
• Gymnasium
• Parent Room
• Art Rooms
• Dance Studio
• Presentation Rooms
• IQ Filters Equipped Classrooms
• HVAC IQ Air Filters in Larger Common Areas
• Violin Room
• One-on-One Music Tutoring Rooms
• Science Labs^[9]

International School Charity

In 2008 as a result of the Sichuan earthquake, Yew Chung International Schools started a charity called Seeds of Hope. Through a partnership with the China Youth Development Foundation, 'Hope Schools' are established in various parts of rural China. The funds for the charity are generated through charity driven projects and matched by local government organisations to build Seeds of Hope Schools.^[10]

Awards

In June 2012 Yew Chung International Schools received the “Cambridge Award for Excellence in Education”, the only international school in China to receive this award.^[11]

Further reading

"Bringing the world into the classroom." China Daily Education. April 16, 2013.

References

• Beijing Kids School Directory http://www.beijing-kids.com/directory/Yew-Chung-International-School-of-Beijing
• Austcham Directory http://www.austcham.org/members/Yew%20Chung%20International%20School%20of%20Beijing

Network of Schools

• Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong
• Yew Chung International School of Shanghai
• Yew Chung International School of Beijing
• Yew Chung International School of Chongqing
• Yew Chung International School of Qingdao
• Yew Chung International School of Silicon Valley

External links

• Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong
• Yew Chung International School of Shanghai
• Yew Chung International School of Beijing
• Yew Chung International School of Chongqing
• Yew Chung International School of Qingdao
• Yew Chung International School of Silicon Valley