Hao Xiao Xi 21 Sept 2012

Independent Endeavor * Kindness/Politeness * Aesthetic Appreciation * Trustworthiness * Concern For Others * Responsibility * Group Interaction

QSI International School of Chengdu September 19, 2012

QSI Swim Meet a Splashing Success by Mrs DeRosario

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

SEPTEMBER 2012

22 Chengdu International Schools Association Chess Competition 26 Chengdu International Schools Association Swim Meet

OCTOBER 2012

1-5 Chinese National Holiday (no school) 11 Parent Support Group (PSG) meeting, 11am 12 CISA Soccer Tournament 17 PSAT exam (open to 13YO, Sec 1-2) 19 End of Quintile 1 19 Fall Festival - Preschool & Elementary 6-8pm, Upper School 7-10pm

The first QSI swim meet kicked off with a splash on September 7. There was excitement in the air as students swam to the loud encouragement and cheers of their friends and families. The event organizers did an excel-lent job, and swimmers participated in over 50 races in record time. Students swam in general age and stroke categories, and new school records were set in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

Student photographers from the high school photography class snapped photos between races, and great shots were uploaded to Facebook pages before the weekend was out!

The success of every competitor was reflected in the medals which were handed out to all swimmers at the end of the meet. Training now continues for over 50 students who are going on to represent the school at the CISA (Chengdu International Schools Association) swim meet on September 26.

Go Chilis!

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A Note from the Nurse’s Office by Mrs StokerWe are excited to see all the smiling faces back at school this year! Now that school has started up again, we wanted to remind all parents of the importance of keeping your kids home when they are sick. When a child is truly sick, they need to stay home in the care of an adult to get well and to prevent spreading illness to others. Here are some guidelines for deciding whether your child should come to school or not:

1. A child with heavy cold symptoms such as deep or uncontrollable coughing or significant lack of energy belongs at home even without a fever.

2. Any child with a fever of 100°F/38°C or higher should not attend school and should not return until they have been fever free for 24 hours. Please do not give your child fever reducing medicine and then send them to school. The medicine will wear off, the fever will probably return and you would need to pick them up anyway. 3. Children who have vomited or had diarrhea should be kept at home and should return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.

By following these guidelines, we can prevent spreading germs to others, which will lead to happy kids!

QSI Chengdu’s New School NurseHello to all teachers, parents and students of QSI! My name is Mrs. Marlies Bennasar and I will be the nurse at QSI school on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (Mrs Stoker will work on Wednesdays and Friday). Please feel free to contact me if needed: [email protected]. I’ll be pleased to discuss any ques-tions or concerns about your child`s health with you. Besides English, we can communicate in French, Dutch or German if you wish.

For the past eight years I`ve been working as a surgery operating nurse in France where my family and I lived before coming to China. Before that I studied and worked in a children's hospital in the Netherlands, my home country, and experienced a large number of births and took care of many newborn babies during the time I was a private nurse. I’m also a mother of an eight year old daughter, Luna, who is in Mr Honeycutt’s class. We have lived in China for the past two years, in Chengdu since the start of the school year, and we are enjoying discovering Chengdu.

Sincerely, Marlies BENNASAR

Mrs. Jenni’s Three Year Old Class by Mrs KnutsonAs the new school year begins, we are learning to share, play, help each other, and even go on a bear hunt each week!


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Let the challenge begin! by the Martins The 11 Year Old class has been tasked with building the most amazing inventions of our time. Every second Friday, the 11 Year Old classes collaborate to participate in an inventor’s challenge. The students are sepa-rated into five groups, given a variety of random odd supplies, and are challenged to construct a functioning mechanism. Students must brainstorm within their groups for up to ten minutes before construction, draw a simple yet reconstructable replica, use all the materials provided, and spend the remaining time constructing. During this week’s challenge each group received 1 rubber band, 2 sticks, a role of tape, 2 pieces of rubber tubing, 1 plastic ring, a piece of cellophane, 1 clothes pin and a box full of wood and styrofoam.

The students find the task both exhilarating and challenging. This gives artistic, logistic, and kinesthetic learners the ability to use their strengths to construct amazing inventions. The 11 Year Old classes are cur-rently taking donations from parents, students, and teachers. We accept items such as wood scraps, card-board, plastic bottles, etc. Please visit http://kidblog.org/MartinsMarvelousInventors/ to view monthly inven-tion photos as well as student reflections, or simply visit the 11 Year Old hallway (3rd floor, New Building) to get a first-hand look. Different inventions will be on display throughout the school year.

CIWC Christmas Bazaar, 19 November, 10am - 4pmThis year Chengdu’s 7th annual Christmas Bazaar will be on Saturday November 17 from 10am to 4pm, run by the Chengdu International Women’s Club (CIWC) to raise money for local charities. This fun family day out is a great way to share Christmas traditions with friends in Chengdu and give back to the community we live in. It’s a chance to shop for Christmas and holiday gifts and enjoy seasonal food and entertainment. The CIWC bazaar has games for the kids, entertainment by children from Chengdu’s international schools, a pop-ular silent auction with great prizes such as hotel stay packages, restaurant and spa vouchers, and of course a chance to take a photograph with Mrs. and Mrs. Santa Claus themselves. There will be many vendors selling arts, crafts, and gifts as well as homemade baked goods, Glühwein (hot spiced wine) from the German Con-sulate, and food from local vendors.

All money raised goes to carefully selected charities that benefit local people in need. This year we will focus on four charities: Hopeful Hearts to provide life-saving cardiac surgery for underprivileged children suf-fering from congenital heart disease, IDEAS to sponsor school children in Liangshan Prefecture, Chengdu Welfare Foundation for the Disabled for a wheelchair project and tuition for disabled college students, and a Jiuzhaigou orphanage, which will receive a new water system.

Where: QSI International School, American Gardens,#188 3rd Ring Road. When: Saturday, November 17th Time: 10am - 4pm

If you need more information please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

Homework Hints – How to start the new school year right!Why homework? 1. Homework is one of the first ways that children develop a sense of responsibility for completing their own work. 2. Homework also teaches students essential skills they need to succeed in school and future employment such as: • learning how to read and follow directions independently • managing and budgeting time (for long-term assignments like book reports) • completing work neatly 3. To develop organizational skills 4. To review skills 5. To practice skills learned in school

Doing the Homework

Space: the kitchen or dining room table is a popular workspace for younger children; they often feel more comfortable being near a parent or caregiver for help and encouragement. Older children may prefer to re-treat to their rooms but you may still want to check in periodically and review your child's homework when it's completed. Wherever your child chooses to do his or her homework, it's important to make sure that the workspace is well-lit; quiet and free from distractions; comfortably stocked with school supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, stapler, calculator, ruler, etc., as well as resources, such as a dictionary and thesaurus.

Time: Establish a daily homework time—earlier is better. Because of various activities, it may be helpful to sit down with your child at the beginning of the week and plan in writing on a calendar the study times for each day of the coming week.

Organization: Use a planner or assignment book. Have necessary supplies and materials to hand.

Things to Avoid • Participating in too many outside activiies. • Watching television or listening to distracting music when working. • Using the telephone/computer/internet. • Getting too comfortable while studying. Helpful Hints • Playing with friends instead of studying. • Study more difficult subjects first. • If the child is uncertain of the homework, have him/her

call a friend. • Study for tests for at least two or three nights before. • Show an interest by looking at your child’s work and providing positive feedback. • Offer encouragement when your child is frustrated. • Show a positive attitude toward your child’s school and teachers – it does make a difference. • If your child never has homework, contact the teacher. • If you feel your child is spending too much time on homework, contact the teacher/school. The amount of time spent on homework will vary from day to day and will depend on the age and skills of your child.


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Hao Xiao Xi 21 Sept 2012