Principals' Pen

ECC & Elementary

Dear Parents,

Thank you so much to all who came out to cheer on our students at ISCOT soccer last week! It was such a joy to see the students playing hard, encouraging one another, and showing great teamwork.

We’re looking forward to a wonderfully full week ahead with Spirit Week, a special guest author visit, ECC Home Visits, and Student-led Conferences (SLC) for Elementary students. It’s been quite a few years since we’ve welcomed an author to our campus, so we’re especially excited to have Stephen Davies join us to share what it’s like to be a writer and storyteller.

As the weather turns colder, please help your child stay comfortable by dressing in layers. Our classrooms stay warm, but the outdoor chill is setting in. It’s also a good idea for students to keep a small bottle of lotion and some Chapstick in their backpacks as the air becomes drier.

Warmly,

Miss Barsalou

Secondary

Dear Parents,

Happy end of Quarter 1! What a way to celebrate, too, with our HS Boys' Volleyball team finishing first in the LifePlus tournament last week, and with our Girls' team taking second. We are so proud of our student athletes. They competed with heart, teamwork, and excellence on and off the court. Both teams will compete in ISCOT this weekend, and then, season 1 will be over.

Middle School is currently playing soccer at Yantai as we speak. I hope you can watch the livestreams, as I have. Both teams are playing fantastic. Thank you to all coaches and parents for making this a memorable season! Go Eagles!

Next week, as a culmination of our learning this quarter, we will have our Student-led Conferences (SLCs) on October 31 and November 1. SLCs are a time for students to have a 20-minute presentation with their parent and Advisory teacher. Students will talk about a challenging assignment and one that they enjoyed for each class. They will also evaluate themselves according to the LifePlus 9 Qualities to see how they are maturing in character. If you are unsure, please call the school if you need to know when and where your and your child’s 20-minute SLC will be.

In addition to these 20-minute presentations, parents, you will be able to see any teacher you would like to on Friday and Saturday. This is a perfect time to ask questions and receive feedback about how your child is performing in class. Teachers will be in their classrooms and will meet with as many parents as possible during these times. Parents are welcome to attend any and all of these times on Friday and Saturday.

Attending the "any teacher time conference" is not required and does not need to be scheduled. However, if there are certain teachers you want to guarantee to see, I recommend scheduling a specific time with them. To make those appointments, please get in touch with our liaisons.

The times to see any teacher are:

Friday: 9:40 a.m. — 10:25 a.m. & 1:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Saturday: 9:35 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. & 11:50 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Additionally, you are always welcome to set up an individual meeting with a teacher any day of the school week. We are excited to have all secondary students participating in these conferences. In addition to good educational practices, like reflecting on learning and goal-setting, students also get practice in giving presentations, a lifelong and necessary skill. I look forward to seeing you all here!

-- Mr. Way

School Wide Announcements

Student-led Conferences & ECC Home Visits

Parents, as a reminder, our school will hold Student-led Conferences next Friday, October 31, and Saturday, November 1. Please attend according to your child’s assigned time slot. ECC Home Visits will also take place.

Spirit Week

Spirit Week will take place from Monday, October 27 – Friday, October 31, and we invite everyone to join! Get in the school spirit and share class pride by dressing up for each day’s theme.

Upcoming Library Events

Author Visit

Book Fair

Fine Arts Celebration

Divisional News

ECC & Elementary

Doughnuts with Dad

ECC

Elementary

1st-5th Grades

Dear Parents,

As we shared last year, our school is now using a Mastery Report Card to show student learning. Beginning this year, grades will be given on a 1 to 4 scale every quarter. These grades show how well your child has mastered the skills and knowledge in each subject.

To give families a complete picture of learning, here is how reporting will work this year:

1. Quarter 1 and Quarter 3
   • Students will receive grades (1–4).
   • We will also hold Student-Led Conferences (SLCs).

-In each Student-led Conference, your child will share their learning, progress, and goals for 15 minutes with the teacher present.
-After that, there will be 10 minutes for parents and teachers to talk with each other.
-There will be no written comments as SLCs allow families to hear directly from their child and the teacher.

2. Quarter 2 (end of first semester) and Quarter 4 (end of year)
   • Students will receive grades (1–4) and written report comments.
   • These comments will provide a detailed explanation of your child’s growth and areas for improvement.

Behaviors that Support Learning

We are changing “Behavior Growth” to “Behaviors that Support Learning.” This section has undergone some changes, but the goal remains the same: to demonstrate that school is not only about academics, but also about how students participate, put forth effort, cooperate, and show respect in class.

New this year: Special subject teachers (such as Music, Art, and PE) will also report on these learning behaviors. This helps families see a more complete picture of their child's progress, both in what they are learning and how they are learning.

Together, the Mastery scale (1–4) and the change in 'Our Behavior' section make our report card stronger, clearer, and more meaningful. After two years of preparing for this change, we are excited that report cards now reflect our Mastery Learning system and provide families with richer information about student growth.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Please contact us if you have any questions about the Mastery Report Card or the Student-led Conferences.

Sincerely,

Miss Barsalou

Secondary

High School Mathematics Competitions

• 9th & 10th Grade Students: Thursday, November 6
• 11th & 12th Grade Students: Friday, November 14

*Registration details below:

Click here for 9th and 10th Grade Competition Practices
Click here for 11th and 12th Grade Competition Practices

Version A: Register by October 27th at 9:00 a.m.
Competition on Thursday, November 6th from 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. in Mr. Lundy's Room (B325) with Ms. Gilbert proctoring. Arrive no later than 4:40 p.m. You will need your computer for competing. As with SAT, you are responsible for returning home on your own (Didi / taxi / bicycle). There is no test from home option.

Version B: Register by November 4th at 9:00 a.m.
Competition on Friday, November 14th from 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. in Mrs. Witt's Room (A343) with Ms. Gilbert proctoring. Arrive no later than 4:40 p.m. You will need your computer for competing. As with SAT, you are responsible for returning home on your own (Didi / taxi / bicycle). There is no test from home option.
*Note: This date conflicts with TIANMUN.

Pepero Day

Pepero Day will take place on Tuesday, November 11. This year, preorders for Pepero will be taken, starting Monday, November 3. Students, if you’d like to place an order for Pepero before November 11, please go to the StuCo store for purchasing.

Guidance Counselor

Upcoming SAT Dates:

• Saturday, November 8 - Register by the end of today, October 24
• Saturday, December 6 - Register by November 21

Register for upcoming SATs here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines

AP Self-study Sign Up

An email has been sent to all students and parents regarding AP Self-study Sign Up. Please review this email with your student and complete all action steps before the deadline of November 14th.

Upcoming University Information Sessions

Athletics

• Thursday, October 23 - Saturday, October 25 - LifePlus MS Boys & Girls Soccer Tournament in Yantai
• Saturday, October 25 - ISCOT HS Volleyball. Boys @ IST / Girls @ TEDA.

Let's go, Eagles!

PTO

Health Office

Take Action, Prevent the Flu

Flu season is coming. Although not required, we highly recommend getting the flu vaccination to help protect your children and your family. The ideal time to get vaccinated is about a month before the flu epidemic begins. Since the epidemic period varies slightly from year to year, it is recommended to complete vaccination from approximately October to early November. When you get a flu vaccine, protective antibodies remain for about six months and then decrease. Since the symptoms of flu and other respiratory infections cannot be distinguished, and the flu shot also reduces the risk of multiple infections such as COVID-19 or mycoplasma infections, flu vaccination is a must. In addition, even during any respiratory infection outbreak or not, it is recommended not to delay vaccinations and to get vaccinated as timely as possible. Parents can refer to the following information to consider taking the flu shot.

Some hospitals and the local community health centers (社区卫生服务中心) are providing flu vaccinations on-site until the end of the year, depending on appointment availability and supply.

Tianjin United Family Hospital 天津和睦家医院
Address: No. 22, TianXiaoYuan, Tanjiang Road, Hexi District.
天津市河西区潭江道天潇园 22 号
Telephone 电话:+86 22 5856 8500
Website 网址: http://www.ufh.com.cn

New Century Women’s & Children’s Hospital 天津和平新世纪妇儿医院
Address: No. 33, Chifeng Road, Heping District.
天津市和平区赤峰道33号

Exclusive reservation QR code. Injection time: Wednesday-Sunday, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., specially opened for our school.

The hospital’s WeChat also provides reservation service in English and Chinese.

You can get more details about the local community health centers (社区卫生服务中心) at the WeChat official account 约苗(Yuemiao).

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