During this challenging time, YCIS Shanghai has offered support not just to students, but also to the many parents around the world that are spending time at home with their children. The Parent Relations teams of both YCIS Shanghai Puxi and Pudong campuses have been very active in making sure families can easily communicate with teachers and staff, have access to all important materials, as well as in helping them with any challenges they may face during the quarantine and e-Learning periods.

At YCIS Puxi, the Parent Relations and Wellness teams recently hosted a ‘Wellness Week’ for families, during which they shared daily activities for parents to connect with their children and vice-versa. Activities included starting a family gratitude journal, taking a walk with the family, planting a seed and watching it grow, and holding a weekly family meeting, among others. During the entire week, families were also encouraged to share photos of their activities with one another, and many uplifting stories have brought a positive mood to the school community.

Parent Relations have collaborated with Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Primary Wellness teams to create a weekly newsletter for all families with tips on how to maintain balance and family wellness. The newsletter proposes a vast array of suggestions, from healthy recipes and home workouts to arts and crafts ideas and fun family activities. The teams also host a weekly e-workshop for parents on various topics related to the challenges posed by the current situation. Next week, the guest speaker, Dr Daniel Chan, Sr General Practitioner at Delta Health Clinic, will present facts and dispel myths about COVID-19 (e.g. asymptomatic carriers, masks, social distancing), provide basic guidance on care and prevention in daily lives, and answer any questions parents may have. Parent Relations and the school’s Leadership Team are organising Coffee Meetings on Zoom to keep ECE, Primary, and Secondary families informed about the school’s constant efforts to improve and solidify e-Learning, as well as the chance to answer any parents’ questions.

Finally, next week ECE teachers will host an online training session on basic Zoom and Seesaw usage targeted at family caregivers. “As parents are starting to go back to work, 'ayis' and grandparents will start to assist young children with e-Learning,” said Ms Allie Lo, Parent Relations Officer at YCIS Shanghai Puxi. “It is of utmost importance that the caregivers can access the most relevant school tools to best assist the students and ensure a smooth continuation of their learning. This will also help to maintain open communication and dialogue between families and the school,” added Ms Lo.

Over at YCIS Pudong, Parent Relations are taking a similar approach to continuously keeping families informed and supporting them during the e-Learning period. They have been sharing news from the school with parents, as well as activities and stories from the community.

At the beginning of the e-Learning period, Parent Relations and school Counsellors worked together to publish an e-Learning guide for YCIS Pudong families. They later organised workshops and online support groups for parents of every year level, to discuss a variety of topics related to e-Learning, prevention tips, wellness, and more. Parent Relations also helped organise a virtual meeting for ‘Parent Class Representatives’ to connect with the ECE and Primary Vice Principal. "The aim of the meeting was to officially thank the Parent Class Representatives for their tremendous support during e-Learning and catch up on the on-going email and WeChat communication,” said Ms Roseline Yang, Parent Relations Officer at YCIS Pudong. “The meeting was also a great opportunity for the participating parents to share their feedback and ask questions directly to the school leader,” continued Ms Yang.

Finally, YCIS Pudong Parent Relations also supported an ‘Upper Secondary Parent Info’ meeting to share important information regarding the school’s decisions on the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula.

As the school prepares to reopen its doors as soon as the date is confirmed, YCIS Shanghai Parent Relations teams continue to support the school in keeping families informed, while providing them with the tools to best support their children during e-Learning. More online meetings and events are being planned for the days to come, so stay tuned!