The YCIS Beijing Summer Camp is officially underway and our Primary school students are immersed in an array of activities designed to not only entertain them, but also encourage them to explore new interests, learn in detail about specific topics and give them a chance to mingle with students in different year levels and interact with teachers they do not frequently come in contact with.

Mr Devreaux Poole, our Lower Primary Learning and Teaching Coordinator, explained that “the Summer Programme was borne from the need to offer our students in Beijing and abroad, whom were unable to travel to their usual vacation destinations, the opportunity to engage in exciting and diverse activities both on-campus and online.”  Unfortunately, with some students still being across the world and unable to return to Beijing, the school was prompted to propose an alternative way to cater to all students, hence the Summer Programme shifting to being hosted exclusively online as opposed to being on campus.

Despite distance being somewhat of a drawback, plans to offer interactive and engaging sessions were put in motion and teachers who are in Beijing and abroad set out to begin the Summer Programme journey by making the best use of resources at their disposal.

These sessions, which began on Monday, August 3^rd and will last until August 21^st, are offered to newly registered Primary students and returning YCIS Beijing students. Not only the above-mentioned students are eligible, but also those who recently moved to other cities and countries from the capital can still sign up.

During each 50-minute session, students can discover, dissect and be engrossed in the topics being introduced through a range of stimulating activities designed by teachers. There over 30 activities students can choose from, with each student encouraged to participate in at least three activities a week to enjoy the full experience.

A few students have opted for interests they’ve already developed and the wide-ranging nature of topics covered allows for that. For example, students who are more inclined to taking part in the arts can participate in activities such as paper cutting, cooking, finger painting and creative art. For those who gravitate towards language and literature, the English book club, Chinese poetry, or the Chinese book club could be ideal options for them.

However, it was suggested for students to go beyond their comfort zone“We encourage students to challenge themselves and explore unfamiliar territory by registering for different sessions each week,” said Mr Poole.

Since activities are not limited to the arts and language related subjects, joining a Logic Games club, Minecraft Design club, or igniting the explorer in your child by encouraging them to take part in a scavenger hunt, could very well suffice. The goal is to enhance their skillset whilst having fun. Other classes to choose from include yoga, magic tricks, writer’s workshop, exploring mathematics, science experiments and project-based learning, amongst many others.

All sessions are guided by an eager, knowledgeable, diverse and versatile cohort of YCIS Beijing teachers who are currently stationed in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and China.

There are two more weeks to go until the end of the summer camp and Mr Poole reiterates that with this programme “our objective is for our students to have fun, develop a growth-mindset, cultivate friendships across year levels and discover attributes which will accompany them on their learning journey.”  These all being qualities which are embedded in our principles and values.

To learn more about the YCIS Beijing Summer Programme, contact our School Office.