YCIS-SV Community Connection

Dear YCIS-SV Community,

As we close out September and welcome October, we want to thank you for your support, participation, and contributions. Saturday’s Moon Festival celebration was a wonderful success, and we are grateful to everyone who joined and helped make it so special.

YCIS-SV Moon Festival video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn4aq7Z51gQ

This week is our Fall Break; however, Mini Camps will continue to run across campuses. Whether you choose to spend the week at school, at home, or traveling, we hope you enjoy a happy, safe, and relaxing break.

Looking ahead, Founders’ Day (Sports Day on K-8 campus) )will be celebrated on Friday, October 10. On the evening of Thursday, October 9, we will host a special event on campus and warmly welcome all families to join us if you are able. During this celebration, we will connect live with other YCYW schools in Hong Kong and Mainland China to honor the 93rd anniversary of our school network.

We are grateful that Mr. Martin Scott will remain with us for the next couple of weeks, continuing to provide his valuable support to our community. We are also delighted to welcome Ms. Nicky Weir, YCYW ECE Director, to visit our YCIS-SV campus. We look forward to her guidance and insights as we continue to strengthen our teaching practice.

We wish you all a restful break. Enjoy this time with your family and friends, and we look forward to seeing you back on campus next week!

Regards,

Kevin and Vivian

JOIN US FOR FOUNDER'S DAY ON THURSDAY, 10/9 @ 6:15pm-7:15pm in the MPR! We'll eat pizza and say hi to all the other schools together!

✨ Did you know?

YCIS Silicon Valley is part of a much broader global family—the Yew Chung Yew Wah (YCYW) Education Network. With 23 schools across 11 major cities worldwide ( https://www.ycef.com/en/school-network/ ), YCYW offers education from preschool all the way through to a Master’s degree program.

That means our children aren’t just part of a local school community—they’re connected to a global network of students, alumni, and educators. 🌎

Why does this matter for your child?

They’re learning within an education system with deep international roots and over 90 years of history.

It gives our school the ability to bring global best practices into our classrooms, keeping pace with the rapidly changing world.

Founder’s Day is a celebration of being part of this bigger, inspiring community. It’s not just another school event—it’s our chance to join families across the globe in honoring the vision that makes YCIS so unique.

RSVP to join us for this amazing YCIS community celebration: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VMe_dOCTO3boQI-5QtEefMYMH_mzj0HJgRI6XjxJUI0/edit?usp=sharing

Inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the Starfish class embarked on a delicious exploration of the world of fruit. With the generous support of their families who brought in fruit to share, the children not only learned the names of various fruits in both Chinese and English but also brought the experience to life. This became a truly multi-sensory experience that allowed them to make meaningful connections, bravely try new foods, and fully explore the textures, smells, and tastes of nature's bounty. They had discussions about where fruit grows (vines, trees, and bushes) and also took a little expedition to our school garden to see what kinds of fruits were growing there. What’s your favorite fruit?

Over the past two weeks, our Kindergarten students have been exploring their Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit: “How do individuals influence and affect others?”

To better understand this big question, the children have been learning about community helpers—the people who play important roles in keeping our communities safe, healthy, and connected.

As part of their learning journey:

• They visited a fire station, where firefighters showed them how they protect people and keep us safe.

• They welcomed a doctor into the classroom, who shared how doctors care for others and keep our community healthy.

Through these experiences, our students are beginning to see how each individual’s role contributes to the greater good. They are also learning that no matter how small, each of us can make a difference in the lives of others.

Last Saturday, our Moon Festival celebration was a wonderful success! Many families and alumni joined us, and the joy in the air reminded us all of what makes our YCIS community so special—our love, warmth, and togetherness.

Although the actual Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 6, our campus celebration was filled with beautiful traditions and creativity. Our Grade 2B class truly shone this year. Using their creative writing skills, the students composed original poems about the Moon Festival. They carefully wrote their poems on traditional Chinese 團扇 (round fans) and also created Moon Festival–themed artwork.

To make the occasion even more memorable, the students bravely presented their poems aloud during our school assembly. This project was a wonderful example of transdisciplinary learning—combining literature, writing, cultural studies, art, and public speaking. The students not only deepened their appreciation for poetry and culture but also developed valuable presentation skills by performing confidently on stage.

Their creativity and courage inspired us all, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.

Last week, our 5th graders had the incredible opportunity to attend Walden West where they were surrounded by one the most breathtaking natural environments in the redwood forest. This special habitat allowed our students to make a stronger connection to our natural world as they explored scenic trails, went on night hikes, observed the interactions between living things and their environment, collected data on diverse organisms, cared for rescued animals in the nature lab, and helped maintain the onsite garden. In addition to all the wonderful science, our 5th grade students also enjoyed classic camp traditions such as roasting marshmallows by the campfire, singing songs together, and sharing plenty of delicious meals.

To celebrate the Moon Festival, our YALP students took part in a wide range of engaging and meaningful activities that blended cultural traditions, enrichment learning and fun.

• Picuter1: Kindergarten students explored festival customs through stories and crafts, learning through play and creativity. Luca made his own mooncakes out of clay.
• Picture2: First Graders deepened their knowledge of space and science, crafted their own moons with tissue paper, and sparking curiosity and interest in exploration. Tracy is adding the finishing touch to her moon.
• Picture3: Second Graders connected with cultural tradition in a delicious way by cooking Suzhou-style meat mooncakes. Oscar and Issac stamped their creations with the words 小鲜肉, adding fun and authenticity.
• Picture4: Upper Graders went into a deeper study of lunar science, learning about the moon’s geology and surface features. They then designed crafts to demenstrate their understanding of the moon’s surface.
• Picture5: In addition to science, upper graders practiced Chinese calligraphy, learning the proper posture for holding a brush. Marco carefully copied the famous ancient poem about the moon, 水调歌头.

This celebration not only allowed students to honor the cultural significance of the Moon Festival but also connected tradition with science, creativity, and art. It was a wonderful opportunity for students of all grade levels to learn, explore, and celebrate together.

• Wear your house color (see YCIS House Roster).
• Please RSVP by Monday, October 6.

YCIS Silicon Valley has begun campus tour events this week. If you have friends or family members interested in touring our campuses (ECE: Preschool/TK and K–G8), please invite them to visit us. They are also welcome to attend our upcoming Open House events.

January 4, 2026 – Priority Application Deadline for Siblings of Currently Enrolled Students. We encourage you to submit your application early. At YCIS Silicon Valley, we believe bilingual education should be accessible to a wide variety of families. To support this, we offer a 20% sibling discount for each child after the first is enrolled.

🎂 Founder's Day Celebration - (Oct 9) 6:15pm-7:15pm

👪 Common Ground Speaker Series - (Oct 9)

🍁Fall Family Fun Day - (Oct 18)

Common Ground Speaker Series - October Event

The Parent Playbook: Improving Family Dialogue

Presenting Dr. Rona Hu’s theatrical vignettes

Thur, Oct 9; 7pm-8:15pm

In-person at Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso, Atherton

Parents, no matter how much we love and want to support our kids, we’re often at a loss as to how to truly communicate and guide them without inflicting more stress. Dr Rona Hu, inspired by her days as a resident at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where faculty members used theatrical vignettes to help young doctors learn how to interact with difficult patients, has created a theater troupe comprised of mental health professionals who write and perform skits to help parents and students navigate challenging emotions and relationships. Come watch, learn and have fun as Dr Hu and her troupe take you through some role-plays to demonstrate how we can have deeper and more impactful communication with our children.

Register here!

First 15 attendees will receive a copy of Jeff Selingo’s Dream School!

Sign up for the Common Ground newsletter to be informed of all our speaker events.