YCIS-SV Community Connection

Dear YCIS-SV Families,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! As your co-principals, we are truly delighted to begin this new chapter together with you. Whether you are a returning family or new to YCIS-SV, we are so glad you are part of our community. Each new year brings fresh opportunities for growth, connection, and joyful learning, and we are excited to walk this journey with you and your children.

Over the past few days, we have seen our campuses come alive with the energy of students settling in and building new routines. At the ECE Campus, our youngest learners have already shown incredible resilience and confidence. Many who started the year with first-day jitters now arrive with smiles, ready to explore and learn—without tears. Their joyful energy reminds us of the beauty of beginnings.

On the K–8 Campus, students are getting to know their new teachers, making friends in their classes, and already thriving in their learning. We see curiosity, enthusiasm, and kindness blooming as they dive into new subjects, projects, and experiences. It is inspiring to watch them embrace challenges and show the values of compassion, respect, and a love for learning.

This year, we are excited to continue sharing highlights with you through Community Connection, our biweekly school-wide newsletter. Each edition will celebrate stories from ECE, K–4, and Middle School, while also providing important information and updates. Our hope is that Community Connection will help you feel informed, connected, and proud of the incredible learning and growth happening across our YCIS community.

Thank you for your trust, support, and partnership. Together, we will make this school year meaningful, joyful, and filled with opportunities for every child to shine.

Here’s to a year of discovery, growth, and joy!

With warmest regards,
Kevin & Vivian
Co-Principals, YCIS Silicon Valley

Fall Pictures will be taken next week! Please use the link to access important information on what day/time your child will take their photo. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SCo_6-c93sJfmBEI3PK9WcMPK9obdcDd/view?usp=sharing

As the new school year begins, we want to let you know that our teachers are dedicated to building strong, positive connections with your children right from the start. We believe that when teachers take the time to truly get to know each student as an individual, it creates a classroom where every child feels safe, valued, and understood. This focused effort helps students settle in and adjust to new routines, classmates, and a new environment much more quickly. By fostering this sense of belonging from day one, we're setting the stage for a successful and engaging year of learning for everyone. We are excited for the year ahead and we’re off to a strong start!

We're thrilled to share that over the short break, our playground received some fantastic upgrades that our students have been loving! The new large turf area has quickly become a favorite spot for games and activities, and we've also added a dirt pit for digging and construction, sparking lots of creative play. To further enhance the space, we've brought in new plants, an art easel, and a large shade covering, making the playground even more inviting. We can't wait for the many days of fun and learning that these new additions will bring to our children.

We are happy to share that YCIS is offering a range of lunchtime enrichment opportunities this year. These programs give students the chance to explore interests, build new skills, and connect with peers—all during the school day. Since participation requires giving up a lunch recess, we encourage students to join only if they are self-motivated and committed.

• Tuesdays: Math Olympiad (Grades 3 and up) *Math Olympiad Sign-Up Form
  11:55–12:25, Rm. 46 with Mrs. Punjabi
  Students who sign up will become part of the YCIS Math Olympiad team and represent our school in the official MOEMS competitions. The Olympiad consists of five monthly contests (November–March), each with five challenging problems designed to build problem-solving skills and creative mathematical thinking. This is a full-year commitment, and students are expected to participate in all five contests.

• Wednesdays: Art Club
  11:55–12:25, Rm. 16 with Yang Laoshi
  Open to all students interested in creative expression through drawing, painting, and other art projects. (Limit to 12 students per session)

• Thursdays: Book Clubs (Grades 3, 4, and Middle School)
  Meets every 3 weeks with Ms. Waring
  First meetings will focus on book selection:
  • 3rd Grade — Thursday, Aug. 28
  • 4th Grade — Thursday, Sept. 4
  • Middle School — Thursday, Sept. 11

• Fridays: Orchestra
  11:55–12:25, Music Room with Mr. Moalem
  Open to all student musicians. Students performing at the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival on Sept. 7 (Open to Grade 2+) are required to attend rehearsals until that date. Afterward, participation becomes optional.

Side Note: Our lunchtime orchestra is already off to a great start! This week, they had an enthusiastic Kindergarten audience who cheered them on during rehearsal.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mNYzee8MbZilzKPFh2ZPMSu7dGHZ5LOK/view?usp=sharing

or

https://youtu.be/pikIcwfa-tI

At our school, learning is filled with joy, support, and teamwork. Through co-teaching, two teachers share the classroom, getting to know every student closely and working together to meet individual needs. This approach not only strengthens academic growth but also nurtures positive daily habits and a genuine love for learning.

With two teachers guiding the class, students benefit from extra support, fresh ideas, and caring encouragement. Even during pre-assessment week, our classrooms are full of energy. Children are reminded that assessments are just one part of their learning journey, and they approach challenges with confidence, responsibility, and smiles.

We are so excited to introduce this year’s Middle School ASB officers! Over the summer, our team participated in a three-day leadership workshop that included team-building activities, communication skill development, and even mentorship from the Palo Alto High School ASB President and Vice President, Katie Hong and Emily Tang. This experience gave them a strong foundation to begin the school year with energy, vision, and purpose.

At our Back-to-School Assembly, the ASB officers proudly introduced themselves to the student body, led us in a spirited cheer, and shared their goals for the year. Already, they’ve begun putting their leadership into action—like Naomi, our Student Outreach & Inclusion Officer, who has been joining students during playtime to build connections across grade levels.

The team is also making efforts to strengthen our school community by creating a rotating schedule of officers to join Ms. Vivian and Mr. Reimer at morning drop-off to greet students and families. They’ve set a goal to get to know every student on campus, helping ensure everyone feels welcomed and included.

Our ASB team would now like to formally introduce themselves to the whole community. Below, you’ll find their introductions. We’re so proud of their leadership and can’t wait to see all they accomplish this year!

Our YALP students are off to a wonderful beginning, filled with fun activities and games to get to know each other, build friendships, and grow together as one big family. Each class also worked with teachers to create their own classroom agreements and expectations, setting the stage for a year of respect, teamwork, and striving!

Class1 students made YALP picture frames and took a big family picture in the frames

Andrew made a paper fan with class expectations and share it in class

Class 2 built a "class agreement tree", adding hands with their expectations written in Chinese.

Class 3 students showcased their unique skills and talents, can you guess what Gemma is demonstrating?

Class4 students connected through a fun “Guess the Length of the Great Wall” game.

Class5 students introduced themselves by playing a “True or False” game.

Students paired across grades for a teamwork activity that brought the entire YALP community together as one family.

Enjoy yummy food, hang out with your family & friends. AND help us fundraise for the school!

📸 *K-8 Picture Day (Aug. 26)

📸 *K-8 Picture Day (Aug. 27)

📸 *ECE Picture Day (Aug. 28) Sea turtle, Starfish, Sea Horse

📸 *ECE Picture Day (Aug. 29) Octopus, Dolphin, Jellyfish

****See flyer and/or email for additional details

☕ Coffee w/ YCIS SLT (Sep. 5th, @Clock Tower, 8:30-10:00am)

🚸 Back to School Night

• K-8: Sep. 4th (View Flyer below)
• ECE: Sep.11th (Flyer to come)

🥮 Moon Festival (Sep. 27)

Uniforms are looking great, please keep up the good work. For those of you who'd like some guidance on what is acceptable, you can check out the uniform slide here.

Just a gentle reminder to please make sure students arrive on time for class. Drop-off time is between 8:00am-8:10am. All students should be in their classrooms ready to learn no later than 8:15am. Thank you for assistance.