YCIS-SV Community Connection

Spring is a season of both reflection and anticipation. As families make decisions about the year ahead, we are deeply grateful to those who have chosen to continue their journey with YCIS Silicon Valley.

We are excited to welcome new families as well, with over 80 new students receiving offers for the 2026–27 school year. It is so inspiring to see our community continue to strengthen and expand.

A new spring also brings growth for our students. Beyond the visible changes, like sudden growth spurts and outgrown uniforms, it is a time we see progress in their learning and development when skills strengthen, confidence rises, and young scholars begin to recognize themselves as capable learners and compassionate human beings.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. It is a privilege to lead this school and to work alongside such a caring community.

Warm Regards,

Vivian & Kevin

Since our inception in 2002, our campus has stood proud as the only YCIS school outside Asia. However, we are also part of an unrivaled educational network—the YCYW (Yew Chung Yew Wah) family of schools spanning 20 cities and educating over 12,000 students across Hong Kong, China, in the US. Being part of this community enhances our teaching, enriches our students’ experiences, and distinguishes us as one of the most prestigious international schools in Silicon Valley.

Here are a few recent highlights:

• Grade 5 International Trip: Tomorrow, our 5th grade students will depart for Beijing and Xi’an. During their tour, they will stop to visit the Beijing YCIS school, further strengthening ties within our network.
• Leadership Collaboration: Our staff continues to benefit from our connection to the YCYW organization. Our K8 coordinators, Ho Laoshi and Ms. Pham were honored as guest presenters at the YCIS Bilingual Conference in Guangzhou. Our Co-Principal, Ms. Vivian and ECE Director, Ms Carolyn are in Beijing this week for the YCYW Early Childhood Conference where they will collaborate with fellow ECE educators across the network.
• Professional Growth: We are proud to share that over 10 of our ECE teachers and staff are actively participating in bi-weekly classes through the YCYW organization to earn additional ECE certifications, further enhancing the quality of teaching in our classrooms.
• Student Representation: Our 5th Grader, Avalyn Peh proudly represented YCIS Silicon Valley and showcased her musical talents in Beijing at the Foundation’s Seeds of Hope musical concert.
• Middle School Exchange: This past November, our Grade 7 and 8 students spent a week at YCIS Tongxiang fostering connections and deepening their bicultural education.

Avalyn (Grade 5) came back from the Seeds of Hope program inspired by the orchestra, and with technique and musicianship improved to another level. She joined selected students from all over the YCYW schools for 3 days of intensive rehearsals and a concert in Beijing. They played Western symphonic masterpieces as well as an original orchestral composition about the school's core values. There were also solo singers, choirs, and a lot of different instruments. Avalyn said her favorite part was hearing the orchestra tune and blend their sound together. While in China they also found time to go sightseeing at Beijing's Forbidden City and Great Wall.

Next year's Seeds of Hope will take place in Qingdao in mid-March 2027

We are delighted to share that Ms. Li has been honored with the Best Presentation Award at the CLTAC professional conference. This recognition highlights her dedication and commitment to excellence in teaching.

Her presentation, “Teaching with AI, Learning with Humility: Using AI-Generated Images to Improve Grade 3 Chinese Descriptive Writing,” showcased an innovative lesson where students use AI-generated images to strengthen descriptive writing. By comparing AI-created images with their real appearances, students learn to use precise language while also developing critical thinking about the strengths and limitations of AI.

This approach not only enhances writing skills but also encourages thoughtful and responsible use of technology, reminding us that AI can serve as a powerful tool for reflection in learning.

Congratulations again to Ms. Li on this outstanding achievement!

The starfish classroom was buzzing with curiosity as the children explored a special new observation station set up by Ms. Yang Laoshi. Inspired by recent peer conversations about Easter, we provided a hands-on (but eyes-only!) display featuring:

• Woven bunnies and carrots
• Easter eggs
• A natural tree log
• Our butterfly habitat

It was wonderful to see the children practicing their observation skills and gently reminding one another of the rule in this area: "Look with your eyes."

The area sparked some fantastic dialogue! While some children practiced their math skills by counting the bunnies, others were focused on our science project. We heard many great questions about where our caterpillars went, leading to peer-led discussions about the transition into cocoons (chrysalises).

It’s clear the Starfish students are becoming quite the little scientists!

Jellyfish children explored different math concepts by rolling toy cars down a guided slope. As they watched the cars move, they talked about high and low, long and short, and fast and slow. They tried using different toy cars, placing the cars at different starting points and observed how the distance and speed changed. They also tried to use the tape ruler to measure distance was well. The activity gave them a chance to explore and understand these ideas through hands-on play.

This week, some of our students took part in a Young Entrepreneurs workshop, where they explored how to turn creative ideas into real business plans. Through hands-on activities, they learned about budgeting, marketing, and product design.

We were especially fortunate to have our Head of Marketing, Peter Huang, lead students through the marketing aspects of building a business, sharing valuable real-world insights. Students are now preparing to pitch their ideas at the upcoming Business Fair—we are excited to see their ideas come to life!

For students in grades 3–8 who signed up for the Business Fair but were unable to join this Thursday’s session, we will be hosting another workshop next Tuesday 3/24.

Our middle school recently came together for a memorable movie night, marking the first time the entire middle school attended a film as a group. Students enjoyed watching Hoppers while sharing laughs, snacks, and quality time with their peers. The evening was filled with excitement and connection, and it was clear that students had a wonderful time.

Events like our movie night provide valuable opportunities for students to build and strengthen friendships outside the classroom. By gathering in a relaxed and fun setting, students develop a stronger sense of belonging within the school community. These shared experiences also support social-emotional learning, encouraging empathy, cooperation, and respectful behavior. It was a fantastic night that highlighted the importance of coming together and creating positive memories as a school community.

Learning in YALP is always fun, creative, and full of discovery!

Kindergarten class: Liu Laoshi took her students outdoors to search for signs of spring. With curious eyes and big smiles, the children explored nature and enjoyed the fresh air. Jaya had fun blowing dandelions and recorded her discoveries in her journal. Yukee and Ana collected branches from the field, colored them, and transformed them into beautiful pieces of art.

First Grade class: students learned the Chinese idiom “Yan Er Dao Ling” (掩耳盗铃), which means “covering one’s ears while stealing a bell,” a story about ignoring the truth. The students wrote their own play scripts, created costumes and props, and proudly performed their play for the entire YALP community.

Second Grade class: students made a traditional Chinese snack called You Dun Zi (油墩子) from scratch. They sliced daikon and carrots, prepared the batter, and pan-fried the snack themselves. This class has been learning many cooking skills and enjoying hands-on experiences in the kitchen.

Class 4, students studied the Chinese text “Spring” and illustrated their own visions of the season. Luna’s artwork featured swallows flying through the sky and willow trees swaying in the breeze—beautiful signs of springtime.

Upper Grade class has been exploring science and environmental protection. Students ground tissue paper, added chia seeds, and used the mixture to create "seeded globes". Amy is watering her “Earth” and waiting for it to grow, symbolizing a greener and healthier planet.

At YALP, every day is filled with curiosity, creativity, and meaningful learning experiences. We are proud of our students’ enthusiasm and look forward to many more exciting discoveries together.

Visit our summer camp page to learn more

Volunteer here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VEYcSbvGg3yUU3QU6nzLOfvSiJ97hvfs43qPrmUdWLc/edit?usp=sharing

📸 3/23: Spring Picture Day for K-8 Campus

🤖 3/31: Ground Speaker Series - AI & Democracy

🌷4/3 - 4/10: Spring Break

🌈 4/7 - 4/10: ECE Mini Camp

Professor Nate Persily

AI and Democracy

Tues, March 31; 7pm-8:15pm

In-person at Menlo School, Spieker Center, 50 Valparaiso, Atherton

We are witnessing in real time how AI is changing the way we connect, collaborate, grow and learn. For all of the problems linked to social media around child safety, mental health and democracy, AI has been described as “social media on steroids.” With social cooperation at the heart of democracy, if our youngest citizens fill a social void with AI what impact will that have on our democracy going forward? Stanford Law Professor Nate Persily will share his thoughts on how AI will impact democracy.

Register Now!