YCIS-SV Community Connection

Dear YCIS-SV Community,

We want to extend our thanks to all our families for your participation in last week’s Parent–Teacher Conferences. Your partnership, thoughtful conversations, and trust mean so much to us and truly strengthen the home–school connection that supports every child’s growth.

This has also been a wonderfully busy and energizing week across our campuses. We welcomed many visitors to our K–8 Open House events, as well as to last weekend’s ECE Open House. We are deeply grateful to our parent volunteers, student panelists, parent panel speakers, and our teachers — your presence, honesty, and enthusiasm helped us create a warm and authentic YCIS experience for every prospective family.

Across both campuses, visitors praised the strength of our co-teaching model, noting how English and Chinese teachers work side by side to support students in two languages. Families also commented on the way our teachers encourage students — creating a classroom culture where children feel confident to share ideas, ask questions, and take risks in their learning. Many highlighted the joy and enthusiasm they observed in our K–8 classrooms, noting how engaged and curious the students were. Parents also appreciate our thoughtful differentiated instruction, recognizing how teachers tailor support and challenges to meet each child’s individual needs.

These reflections reaffirm the heart of who we are at YCIS: a community where every child is known, supported, and inspired to learn.

Thank you again for your continued support of our programs, our teachers, and our mission. YCIS-SV is strong because of the relationships we build together — and we are grateful every day for this community.

Warm regards,

Kevin and Vivian

Helping Kids Thrive in the Age of AI

Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson, authors of The Disengaged Teen

Tues, Dec 2; 10am-11:15am PT, via Zoom, Please note special early start time

Our speakers study and write about generative AI’s role in education and observe how it is poised to replace human connection as more youth turn to it for learning, companionship and therapy. They will share recommendations that define and support engaged learning in the age of AI.

Rebecca Winthrop is a global authority on education, the director of the Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

Jenny Anderson is an award-winning journalist and author who writes about education and the science of learning.

Register here!

Link to RSVP to attend the YCIS Watch Party:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeaStsQOdkUdiEw-P32ND0Pl8boW8Mon1GKsLDGipWzQiyThg/viewform

Link to RSVP for watching virtually on your own:

https://luma.com/kqn10a5d

Our ECE staff had an incredibly productive Early Release Day, focusing on enhancing their ability to illuminate the rich thinking happening in your children's minds! We were thrilled to have Nicky Weir, ECE Director of YCYW, facilitate an engaging workshop on Making Thinking Visible. The afternoon was filled with collaborative, hands-on engagements, ensuring every staff member left with practical, powerful new tools to support and extend your child's learning journey in the classroom. We appreciate your support in prioritizing this essential professional learning, which allows us to continually elevate the educational experience for your children.

K-8 Thanksgiving Potluck! 11/21 @ 11:20-12:20

Check with your Room Parents for details.

Our 2nd graders are learning how understanding people in our community helps us appreciate diversity. During our visit to Animal Assisted Happiness (AAH), students spent time with the animals while learning how the organization supports community members with different needs and experiences. The trip also connected to their science unit on biodiversity. Students saw how AAH cares for a variety of animals, helping them relate the importance of diversity in nature to the importance of diversity in our community. This experience highlighted how every living being—animal or human—brings something unique to the world around us.

Our 4th graders visited the California Academy of Sciences to deepen their study of how living things are interconnected. As they explore plant and animal adaptations in science class, this trip allowed students to see real examples of how species rely on one another—and how harmony in ecosystems depends on these relationships. The visit also supported their driving question: How can understanding different perspectives and cultures help us create harmonious and symbiotic relationships? By observing rainforest ecosystems, ocean habitats, and scientific research displays, students saw how cooperation and balance in nature mirror the kind of relationships we strive to build in our communities.

To support their unit on appreciating diversity in our community, our 2nd graders welcomed Marlene Somsak, a volunteer with Jewish Family Services. She shared how she helps newly arrived refugees settle into their new homes, highlighting the importance of compassion and understanding when people come from different backgrounds and experiences. Her visit helped students see why learning about others’ needs matters: when we understand the diverse experiences within our community, we can better support one another and create a more welcoming environment for all.

Our first House Lunch of the 2025–26 season was filled with smiles, laughter, and teamwork. Students from every year group came together to share a meal, enjoy games, and build new friendships. It was wonderful to see our older students caring for and connecting with the younger ones—true House spirit in action! We can’t wait for more house lunches and activities to come this year.

Our 7th and 8th graders are off to a wonderful start on their learning adventure in China! After a smooth journey and a warm welcome from Tongxiang School, students quickly settled into campus life marveling at the size of the grounds and even getting a little lost between classes on their first day. They have been attending a full range of classes including Chinese, Information Science and Technology, Math, English, and P.E.—and experiencing differences in teaching styles, facilities, and daily schedules compared to their home school. Students also had the opportunity to present in Tongxiang’s Meta Classroom, a space equipped with a 180-degree screen designed for interactive learning. In their core subjects, they explored topics such as electrical circuits in science and the Three Gorges in geography. Across the week, teachers and students at Tongxiang have supported our group’s transition, helping them navigate the campus, participate confidently in lessons, and understand more about school life in China. As they adapt to new traditions, practice their Chinese language, and make new friendships, our students are truly growing as global learners approaching each day with open minds, resilience, and a spirit of discovery.

In our YALP 1st Grade class, Zeng Laoshi prepared a wide variety of engaging activities to support students’ ongoing academic growth and personal interests.

• Picture 1: Students learned about corn kernels and used them along with other materials to create unique art projects.

• Picture 2: Students conducted experiments observing how different vegetables react with iodine. They learned about starch, carbohydrate content, and how to make healthy food choices.

• Picture 3: Chinese character learning and writing practice.

• Picture 4: A friendly Chinese character recognition competition to boost confidence and motivation.

• Picture 5: Each week, students enjoy fun and active outdoor games planned specially for them.

These activities help our young learners grow academically, creatively, and socially in a joyful and supportive environment.

We are delighted to share the success of our K–G8 Open House events on November 11 and 14, where we welcomed many prospective families to YCIS Silicon Valley and proudly showcased our Mandarin–English bilingual programs, Whole Child approach, and our caring, lively community. From engaging classroom tours to inspiring student panels and heartfelt parent Q&A sessions, every moment reflected the warmth and excellence of our school. A huge thank-you to our incredible staff for their dedication and planning, our teachers for opening their classrooms with enthusiasm, our amazing students and student ambassadors for representing YCIS with confidence and pride, and our wonderful parent ambassadors for their sincerity and welcoming spirit. Together, we truly brought YCIS to life for visiting families and demonstrated the strong, connected community that defines our school.

Register Here: https://www.ycis-sv.com/en/admissions/enquiry-n-visit

We’re so happy to share that we’ve begun planning for our Chinese New Year Celebration! This is always one of our favorite events of the year, and we’re truly grateful for the support of our wonderful staff and parent volunteers who help bring it to life.

In the past, some of our families have also chosen to donate or sponsor items for our grand raffle, which has added so much excitement and joy to the celebration. Thanks to our community, we’ve been able to offer prizes like new iPhones and iPads, drones, electric scooters, PS5s, Disney tickets, weekend stays at family vacation homes, photography sessions, 3-D printers, wine tastings, signed sports memorabilia, Samsung TVs, ZUCA bags, Apple Watches, and so many other fun surprises.

If you or the company you work for might be interested in donating a raffle prize this year—big or small—we would be incredibly grateful. Your generosity truly helps make this event special for our children and our whole school community.

Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Cristy through Seesaw, Cristina Gallardo, or via email cristinag@sv.ycef.com. Thank you so much for your continued support!

🍗 K-8 Thanksgiving Potluck - 11/21 @11:20am-12:20pm

🧡 Thanksgiving Break 11/24 - 11/28, No School / YCIS Office Closed

🧠 Sharing Our Learning 12/12