YCIS-SV Community Connection

Dear YCIS-SV Community,

As we enter the final month of the year, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support and dedication to our school community. Together, we’ve made this semester a fruitful and inspiring journey of growth and learning for our students.

December is a time for celebration, reflection, and looking forward. We are excited to share several upcoming events with you:

• Friday, December 13: Join us as we showcase student learning across TK and K-8 during our Sharing the Learning event.
• Our ECE classrooms will host special class celebrations, creating warm and joyful moments for our youngest learners.
• Our K-8 Campus will conclude the season with our Winter Concert and Art Show.
• In addition, families will soon receive your child’s first report of the school year, highlighting their individual growth and achievements.

Looking ahead, we are delighted to announce that re-enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will open on December 16. We look forward to continuing this inspiring journey together and deepening our shared commitment to bilingual excellence, innovation, and global education.

As part of our expanding Middle School program, we invite parents of students in Grades 4 and up to join us for an information session on January 8th, from 4:30-5:30 PM. Stay tuned for more details!

Thank you for being an integral part of the YCIS family. Your continued support fosters a vibrant and thriving community where every student can excel.

We are thrilled to announce our next Open House on December 14, 2024! This is a wonderful opportunity for families to meet our teachers, tour our facilities, and explore the unique Mandarin-English bilingual education that YCIS offers. Current families are encouraged to attend or share this event with friends and family who may be interested.

Open House Details:

• Early Childhood Education (Preschool & TK): 9:30 - 11:30 am
  Location: 199 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View
• Kindergarten - Grade 8: 2:00 - 4:00 pm
  Location: 310 Easy Street, Mountain View

Making Bilingual Education Affordable and Accessible
At YCIS, we believe bilingual education should be accessible to a wide variety of families. To support this, we offer a 20% sibling discount for each additional child after the first is enrolled.

Current YCIS families have priority for sibling applications for the 2025-26 school year. To take advantage of this, please submit your application by January 4, 2025. Priority applications ensure that siblings can learn and grow together within our YCIS community.

For more information or to start the application process, visit the Admissions Portal at YCIS Silicon Valley Admissions or contact our Admissions Team at admissions@sv.ycef.com or 650-903-0986.

We look forward to welcoming more members of your family into our YCIS community!

The air is filled with excitement as the ECE Campus dives into the holiday spirit! To celebrate the diverse world we live in and gain a better understanding of the world around us, we have posted information in the hallway about different holidays celebrated in Winter around the world. The children are eagerly participating in holiday activities like crafting ornaments, baking, and singing songs. We are preparing for our Winter Celebrations and getting excited for our performances. The air is filled with the spirit of the season as the ECE Campus looks forward to celebrating together.

Our Kinder B class wants to thank everyone for supporting their snack sale to raise money to purchase items for those experiencing homelessness through Hope’s Corner. Here’s a video they put together to share their gratitude and show what they’ve been working on!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RGYncllbv8Tf2ufL0T3IknpknKizyKmv/view?usp=sharing

Our first graders recently stepped into the past to experience what life was like for children in the 1870s. At the Umbarger House, they got hands-on with old-fashioned chores like washing clothes using a vintage machine, milking a cow, gathering eggs, and grinding coffee beans.Their journey continued at the Santa Ana One-Room Schoolhouse, where they practiced writing on slates, read from a 19th-century schoolbook, and learned about the daily routines of students from long ago.This immersive experience brought history to life, offering a fun and interactive way for students to explore how much life has changed over time!

Our 3rd grade students have been exploring the rich history of the Ohlone People, gaining insights into their culture, traditions, and artifacts through engaging lessons and museum studies. As we continue our journey into local history, students will discover how life in the past differs from today. By comparing and contrasting the past and present, they will delve deeper into the essential question: "How do people use the past to guide their present?" Through this inquiry, students will develop a greater appreciation for our local heritage while connecting historical perspectives to their own lives.

This week, middle school students wrapped up their competitive math elective by solving challenging word problems. In their afterschool competition with Mrs. Punjabi, they applied systematic strategies to showcase their understanding in a clear and logical way, skillfully integrating prior knowledge to tackle the tasks with confidence. This experience not only strengthened their problem-solving skills but also emphasized the importance of critical thinking, perseverance, and effective communication in mathematics.

Fifth graders recently studied chemical reactions through a pancake-making demonstration. They observed how mixing ingredients like baking powder and liquid produced gas bubbles, causing the batter to rise. As the pancakes cooked, students analyzed changes in texture, color, and state, connecting these observations to concepts of physical and chemical changes. This hands-on activity provided a practical and engaging way to deepen their understanding of chemistry.

Engaging older students and sparking their interest can often be a challenge, but YALP has created a vibrant and supportive environment that keeps them excited and motivated. Here, they learn new skills, explore beyond academics, and expand their knowledge in meaningful ways.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the incredible activities they’ve been working on:

• Engineering Challenge: Fifth-grade boys Alex, Qingzhou, and others are working on designing and creating their own F-22 fighter jets. This hands-on project integrates engineering, math, and measurement skills, fostering curiosity and teamwork.
• Public Presentation: Austin built an impressive LEGO model and presented his creation and competition plan to the class, demonstrating design, strategy and public speaking skills.
• Culinary Fun: Stella and Yihan are experimenting with making smoked marshmallow mushrooms, combining creativity with culinary techniques.
• Thoughtful Gift: Lucie crafted pipe cleaner plants in a real pot, a beautiful and heartfelt Christmas gift for her mom.
• Origami Artistry: Naomie is perfecting her origami craft, creating an array of beautifully detailed paper birds.
• Handmade Accessories: Erica used her newly acquired shrink plastic skills to design and create a pair of earrings as a gift for her younger sister.

At YALP, our senior students not only participate but thrive. These unique activities help them to develop their talents, broaden their perspectives, and make the most of their after-school life.

We're excited to announce a new platform, ManageBac, to provide easy access to important information about your child's education. This system allows us to save paper and share report cards electronically.

By Friday, December 20th, you can expect to receive your child's report card through the ManageBac mobile app or web browser.

To gain access to the platform, please look out for a welcome email from ManageBac during the week of December 9th-13th. Once you receive the email, follow the instructions to activate your account.

If you do not receive a welcome email by the evening of December 13th, please contact our Technology Coordinator, Jayme Nakamura, at jaymen@sv.ycef.com.

We believe this new platform will provide a more convenient way to stay informed about your child's progress. As you explore the platform, you will notice additional features. We will send prompt communication as our community implements those new areas of ManageBac.

Thank you for your cooperation.

🍎K-8 - Friday, December 13 Sharing Our Learning 2:15pm-3:15pm

🌏ECE & K-8, December 16 YCIS Open House

🎤ECE - Monday-Thursday, December 16-19 Classroom Christmas Celebration

🎨🎶 K-8 - Friday, December 20 Holiday Concert and Art Exhibition 1:30pm-3pm

🥁Holiday Break (No School) Dec 23, 2024-Jan 3, 2025

Visit ycissvpo.org and stay connected with our community!

Sign-up for a Camping Spot NOW! 😆

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UDDIkXdiJpniRYCyrH6LnCg5fYd0jxlQLJac-2SAzTg/edit