YCIS-SV Community Connection

Dear YCIS-SV Families,

Happy September! It has been wonderful to see the school year already in full swing—with students engaged in learning, reconnecting with friends, and building new routines. The energy on campus continues to be joyful and inspiring.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us for our K–8 Back-to-School Night this week. It was a pleasure to share the learning journey ahead and to connect with so many of you. Thank you as well to the parents who attended our Co-Principal Coffee this morning; we truly value the opportunity to listen, exchange ideas, and strengthen our partnership. We look forward to welcoming our ECE families next Thursday evening for their Back-to-School Night.

We also want to thank you for participating in the Hopes and Fears conferences. Your perspectives help us begin the year with understanding and shared purpose. Together, we will ease worries and support every child in reaching their fullest potential.

We are deeply appreciative of your continued trust and collaboration, and we are excited for all that lies ahead this school year.

With gratitude,

Kevin & Vivian
Co-Principals, YCIS Silicon Valley

We are thrilled to share that our talented YCIS students will be performing at the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival on Sunday, September 7, 2025, from 10:30–11:00 AM at 580 Castro Street, Mountain View. With more than 20 YCIS-SV young musicians showcasing their skills in violin and vocal performances, this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their hard work, creativity, and passion for music.

We warmly encourage our YCIS community—families, friends, and neighbors—to join us, cheer for our students, and show support for their musical journey. Let’s come together to celebrate the joy of music, our students’ achievements, and the vibrant spirit of our YCIS community!

The Moon Festival is coming soon, and it always brings our YCIS family closer together. This joyful celebration is filled with laughter, smiles, and the beauty of tradition. Children will dress in traditional attire, make crafts, and even try their hands at making mooncakes—filling the campus with festive spirit.

Last year, our staff delighted everyone with a special performance of a Moon Festival song. This year, we would love to invite our whole community to join us—not only in singing the song but also in moving and performing together. Please find the link here, and when you listen to the song, imagine us all united under the same moon, celebrating as one YCIS family.

Thank you so much to Mr. Eric for creating magic moments captured on camera. Picture day is always a treat to see since most students seem to really enjoy his jokes. Weather it's Mr. Eric bonking himself on the head with a ball or calling himself "Pizza Face", he always seems to get genuine laughs and smiles from our little ones and some older ones as well 🤣

By now you should all have received a link by email from Smug Mug of your child's school photos or how to purchase them. If you have not received a link, please check your spam and/or reach out to the photographer and owner, Eric Davis, directly eric@thebiggerpicturephoto.com

In the TK Jellyfish Class, a year of learning, growing, and exploration is just beginning! In these first few weeks, the classroom has been a vibrant hub of activity as they get to know each other. Through shared stories, collaborative play, and creative projects, our young learners are building a strong sense of belonging, team, and community. They’re laying the foundation for a fantastic year by focusing on kindness and empathy. By learning to listen to one another, share feelings, and work together, the Jellyfish class is preparing to problem-solve and create as one big, supportive team. They’re ready for a year filled with discovery and fun!

This fall, our Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers have begun to embark on a new professional development journey, starting a course taught by the Yew Chung Yew Wah ECE Director, Nicky Weir. Their active participation in this training demonstrates a strong commitment to their craft and a passion for lifelong learning. We're excited to see how this dedicated team will apply their new knowledge to enhance our program and better support our young students, ensuring they receive the highest quality education from educators who are constantly growing and improving.

This year, our art classroom is sure to be filled with creativity and a passion for learning. Mr. Yang’s art lessons have always been among the students’ favorites at Yew Chung. To kick off the year, the first art project is a school-wide “Self-Portrait” activity, where all students, teachers, and staff members take part. This time, the children will not only draw their self-portraits but also using clay to create this self-portraits

Through this project, students learn to observe and express their unique features, creating self-portraits that truly reflect who they are and can be instantly recognized. At the same time, by appreciating others’ work, they gain a new perspective—seeing themselves through the eyes of others, and discovering how that view may differ from their own.

As a whole-school initiative, this project not only nurtures students’ observation and empathy but also brings the entire campus together in a joyful and artistic atmosphere. We look forward to an inspiring year of learning and growth for all our students!

This month, we are focusing on Courage—helping children face challenges, try new things, and stand up for what is right. Courage gives students the confidence to take risks, overcome obstacles, and grow both in school and in life.

Take a few minutes and watch “Have Courage and Be Fearless” by RocketKids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1CxKPrK5GY In this episode of RocketKids, Vivian shares some of the things she is afraid of and how to have courage to face her fears. Throughout the video, she repeats the mantra, “Take that fear, get outta here, I got this.” Take some time with your family to practice this mantra, or come up with your own to help you remember to have courage in the face of fear.

The Big 3: Our school year is guided by three core principles:

• Treat Others Right – Encouraging kindness and respect.

• Make Smart Decisions – Helping children think through choices.




• Maximize Their Potential – Supporting kids to reach their best selves.

We encourage parents to talk with your child about courage and also to support the Big 3 at home by discussing what each principle means and how your child can practice them in everyday life

Next Friday, 9/12, we are excited to welcome the NED Assembly back to campus! Students will learn about resilience and how to be an upstander—standing up for themselves and others in positive ways. This ties directly to our character trait of courage, as it shows students how bravery is not just about facing personal challenges, but also about standing up for what is right.

The 7th grade Medieval World History class is currently creating a "Zero-Budget" documentary showcasing daily life in a typical Medieval European town. What started as a whirlwind of prop production, script writing, and stage directions quickly became a true collaborative effort. Students are working hard by drafting, revising, and refining their ideas. From writing the script (with a little bit of teacher guidance) to stepping into their roles as medieval townsfolk, they're channeling their artistic energy into bringing history to life on screen.

At YALP, our teachers design lesson plans that focus on students' holistic development, creating engaging activities to spark curiosity and encourage them to explore and grow.

Picture 1: Kindergarten students read the book "The Little Elf Who Loves to Get Angry." They discussed how to control and release negative emotions, then created a "bad emotion box." When they feel angry, sad, or upset, they can write or draw their feelings and put them in the monster's mouth to be "eaten up."

First graders are conducting a "rainbow rain" experiment, observing how oil droplets pass through different colored solutions to learn about the density of various liquids.

Every Tuesday, second graders enjoy their favorite logic and reasoning activities. These include math and logic puzzles designed to sharpen their brains and build teamwork.

Every week, upper grade students learn about and discuss current events in Chinese, which encourages them to pay attention to issues like climate change and AI ethics. It helps to improve their Chinese listening and expression skills, as well as their confidence in public speaking.

Cross-Grade Bonds. Every Friday, the whole YALP community comes together for teamwork activities on the field, bringing everyone together as one family. In this picture,they are doing Chinese Calisthenics （广播体操）

We are excited to announce that Admissions for the 2026–27 school year are now open at YCIS Silicon Valley, from Preschool through Grade 8! As part of our vibrant community, we invite you to help us spread the word to friends, family, neighbors, and groups who may be interested in joining. Our Mandarin-English Bilingual Program, Whole Child approach, and Project-Based Learning model equip students to become critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, and collaborative problem-solvers. At YCIS, students navigate the beauty and complexity of East meeting West, learning cultural humility and sensitivity along the way.

We encourage you to share your own YCIS story and refer like-minded families who would value and celebrate the strong sense of community we share. To refer a family, please feel free to call Alice at (650) 903-0986 ext.1014 or email aliceh@sv.ycef.com. As a token of our appreciation, you’ll also receive a YCIS swag gift for helping us grow our community.

Together, let’s continue building a learning environment rooted in excellence, global perspective, and connection.

🎶 YCIS Music Performance (Sep. 6) See flyer above for additional information

🚸 ECE Back to School Night (Sep. 11)

💪 K-8 NED Assembly (Sep. 12)

🥮 Mid Autumn Festival (Sep. 27)