YCIS-SV Community Connection
October 18, 2024
Dear YCIS Community,
Thank you for being part of the YCIS family and celebrating Founder's Day with us! Our students had a wonderful time marking the school's 92nd anniversary with a parade on the ECE campus and a fun-filled Field Day at K-8. It was also a special moment for our YCIS-SV campus, as we celebrated our 22nd year. We are grateful to be here today and excited to continue growing with your support.
As our Open House approaches on November 2nd, we would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word to prospective families. We also encourage you to share your positive experiences at YCIS by leaving a Google review. Your feedback will help other families discover our school and learn about our community from a parent’s perspective. Thank you for your continued support!
For our Early Childhood Education (ECE) program:
Leave a review for the ECE program here
For our K-8 program:
Leave a review for the K-8 program here
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
October parent social was a delightful sensory play extravaganza, where parents and teachers alike explored the fascinating world of tactile experiences. The event focused on the benefits of sensory play, emphasizing its role in cognitive development, emotional regulation, and fine motor skills. Participants engaged in hands-on activities like creating colorful slime, kneading playdough, and erupting miniature volcanos, all while having a blast and learning valuable lessons about the power of sensory exploration. See the presentation HERE for some fun recipes and ideas to try with your children at home. We hope to see you at our next social on Thursday, November 21st!
Elementary School (Kindergarten - 4th Grade)
As educators, we strive to create authentic versus traditional learning environments with our students. This is the catalyst for our project-based learning methodology. Students are given “voice and choice” as they observe, inquire, personalize, interpret, and interconnect our curriculum with real life experiences. 1st grade 1st unit of study asks our students to consider the following two questions: How does where we live and the time we live in help us learn about who we are? Does the past change who we are now? This week, we had the privilege of gaining a deeper understanding for the history and evolution of milking and wool production through a hands-on field trip at Deer Hollow Farm. We are grateful for the outdoor classroom provided by the state preserve, volunteer farm docents, and educational program directors. Not only did our students taste and learn extra fun facts such as how goat’s milk is consumed around the world in larger quantities than cow’s milk, but they also witnessed and identified the process of weaved vs knitted clothing. Life-long learners are created through authentic learning experiences such as these.
Our 4th graders recently harvested lettuce and green onions from their class garden and turned them into delicious green onion pancakes with lettuce and ground meat. They sold these treats during recess for $4 each as part of a fundraiser. The students were excited to share their garden-to-table experience with the school, and all proceeds will go towards purchasing new materials to keep their garden growing!
Middle School (5th-7th Grade)
Over the past week at Walden West, our 5th-grade students fully immersed themselves in nature, exploring as young scientists. They hiked through the forest, observed wildlife, and deepened their understanding of the environment. From tasting acorns and chestnuts to hands-on activities like blind hiking and creating creatures to learn about adaptation, their curiosity and excitement were truly inspiring.
A major highlight was the night hike, where students relied on their senses to navigate the dark, conducted science experiments, and learned about constellations. Their time at Walden West was full of learning, adventure, and building strong connections with one another. In Monday’s assembly, our 5th graders proudly shared their experiences, returning with cherished memories, new friendships, and a greater sense of independence. 4th graders—your turn is next year!
Yew Chung Art & Language Program (YALP)
Autumn has arrived, and our Kinder students are diving deep into the world of leaves. They discovered various types of leaves, and created a beautiful “cloth” for their squirrel and hedgehog friends! Through fun science experiments, they explored chlorophyll, learning why leaves are green and change colors in the fall. Plus, they used leaves to rub the Chinese characters they’ve learned at YALP, even testing a middle school student—how fun!
Our 1st and 2nd graders transformed their classroom into a makerspace, where they marveled at non-Newtonian fluid experiments, built archers to explore the principles of motion and dynamics, and upcycled bottles into stunning decorations to brighten their classrooms.
Meanwhile, our upper-grade students were completely captivated by ancient Chinese mystery puzzles. The logical triangles and topological space challenges set their brains on fire, stretching their minds in exciting ways!
What an inspiring and creative season for our YALP students!
“Wow” Moments
On October 17th, students, staff, and visitors across both YCIS campuses took part in the annual CA ShakeOut drill, practicing "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" to ensure everyone knows how to stay safe during an earthquake. At 10:17 a.m., the entire campus community joined this nationwide preparedness exercise, gathering in designated safe zones after completing the drill. This important practice reinforces earthquake readiness, boosting confidence and preparedness while underscoring our commitment to the safety and well-being of our school community.
Friend Reminder & Upcoming Events
👕PO Uniform Sale (Oct 21) Save the Date!
📌PO Monthly Meeting (Oct 25)
👪Common Ground Speaker Series (Oct 29, See flyer below)
🎃Pumpkin Decorating Contest (Oct 30, More information to follow)
👻Imagination Day (Oct 31, More information to follow)
🍎Parent Education (Nov 12 & Nov 15, See flyer below)
What is Imagination Day at YCIS?
At YCIS, we celebrate Halloween as "Imagination Day." Our goal is to create a welcoming environment for all families, regardless of personal beliefs about Halloween. Imagination, for us, is about fostering creativity.
We encourage children to dress up as anything they like. To ensure a safe and inclusive atmosphere, we ask that costumes do not include weapons, scary masks, or face painting. We also encourage families to get creative by working with your child to make their costume using open-ended materials, just as we do in our classroom projects.We especially love when children dress up as their favorite book characters and bring the book along to share with their classmates. This not only promotes literacy but also supports social-emotional skills through meaningful conversations about their costumes.
Imagination Day is all about being creative and having fun, and we hope it will be a memorable experience for everyone!
For the Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Students will be asked to fill out a simple entry form upon submitting their pumpkins. Please see the Flyer below for additional rules and information.
Parent Education
BRIAN FONG,
FACING HISTORY & OURSELVES
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:
How to Talk About Controversial Issues in Polarized Times – An Interactive Workshop Tues, October 29, 2024; 7pm-8:15pm, in-person at Silicon Valley International School, 151 Laura Lane, Palo Alto
We are not always equipped for difficult conversations. How do we express our opinion while leaving room for someone else’s viewpoint? How do we ensure our discussions are rooted in reliable information and that we treat each other with dignity and respect? Engaging in civil discourse means bringing your mind, heart, and conscience to reflective conversations on topics that matter. Brian Fong, Program Director at Facing History & Ourselves, will teach us the skills we need to navigate highly-charged topics in this workshop-style* event.
*Seating is limited. Register early.
View the Fall 2024 speaker event schedule here. Sign up for the Common Ground newsletter to be informed of all our speaker events.
Come join us on Friday, November 15th for a CGSS Video Watch Party! Together, we will watch the conversation between Dr. David Yeager and Dr. Carol Dweck on the topic of Learning Mindsets. If you missed last month's Common Ground Speaker Series' sold-out live event, or just want to watch it again, this is a great opportunity to watch and discuss this topic with other like-minded YCIS parents and our principals. Light refreshments will be served.
YCIS Parent Organization (P.O.)
Visit ycissvpo.org and stay connected with our community!
Help Us Grow: Open House on November 2nd, 2024
Again, please take a few minutes to leave a positive review of YCIS and share your unique experience! These reviews will help prospective families learn more about YCIS and the experiences within our community. Thank you!
For our Early Childhood Education (ECE) program:
Leave a review for the ECE program here
For our K-8 program:
Leave a review for the K-8 program here