FEATURE
CONNECTIONS Magazine of the Chinese American International School
Winter/Spring 2014
积进人生，创新世界 Life changing. World changing. PAGE
i • CAIS CONNECTIONS WINTER/SPRING 2014
888 CAMPUS Page 2
PRE-K PARTNERS, Page 4
Founded in 1981 and recognized as the first of its kind in the nation, CAIS is an independent Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade co-ed Chinese-English dual language immersion school. It is located in the Civic Center/Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco and spans
SEL CURRICULUM, Page 6
two campuses. Known as the Waller Street Campus, the Pre-K facility accommodates three and four-year-olds and is a 10 minute walk from the main Oak Street Campus, which houses Kindergarten through eighth grade classes. School Mission: ShowCAIS SHOWCASE, Page 14
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT, Page 8
心怀中华 精益求精 立足世界 Embrace Chinese Become your best self Create your place in the world YEAR OF THE HORSE, Page 20
ALUMNI COME HOME, Page 22
MOORE’s BOOKSHELF, Page 23
CAIS Connections is a semi-annual magazine for the Chinese American International School. Questions/comments, please email news@cais.org.
INBOUND PROGRAM, Page 5
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT, Page 10
TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT, Page 12
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Susan Cheng*, Chair Gilman Louie, Vice Chair Paul Kocher, Treasurer Kim Kwok, Secretary Jeff Bissell, ex officio Kevin Chessen Ernest Chow Megan Conley (1995)** Chris Foley Ramona Fung* Ronald Martell Fred Molfino Benjamin Ng Stasia Obremskey Mary Powell Jane Su *Alumnus parent **Alumna
STRATEGIC VISION, Page 16
STUDENT NOTABLES, Page 18
ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Jeff Bissell, Head of School Pamela E. Winthrop, Director of Advancement Lee Heublein-Hsu, Communications Director Joyce Ashizawa-Yee, Gift Processing Manager Jennifer Mullen, Advancement Officer James Toy, Advancement Associate
STUDENTS’ READING, Page 21 LIKE US! fb.com/caissf FOLLOW US! @cais_sf SUBSCRIBE! youtube.com/caissf PAGE
FROM “THE DRAGON,” Page 24
“OUR SECOND HOME,” Page 25
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FEATURE
888校区：中美扩展蓝图 888 CAMPUS: CAIS’S EXPANSION PLANS New Home for the Middle School
SEPTEMBER 2012 The CAIS Board of Trustees, after having approved a new school mission, shifts its focus to the establishment of a long-term strategic vision with facilities expansion at the center. The board forms the campus planning and possibilities (CPP) task force, comprised of trustees and staff to search for appropriate facilities in the Hayes Valley and Civic Center neighborhoods.
NOVEMBER 2012
MAY 2013
CAIS staff begins the self-study process for school re-accreditation. The CAIS staff immediately identifies facilities as the school’s number one issue.
Strategic vision steering team presents draft of strategic vision to the CAIS Board of Trustees, facilities are featured prominently in the plan. The board instructs the school to operationalize the plan and present it again in the fall.
OCTOBER 2012–FEBRUARY 2013 The CAIS Board of Trustees engages architects Leddy Maytum Stacy (LMS) to assist in evaluating potential sites. LMS’s school clients in the Bay Area include Nueva School, The Bay School, San Francisco Day School, Waldorf School and Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton. CPP begins identifying and visiting potential sites. Strategic vision task force is formed and begins to engage community in strategic visioning process. PAGE
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MARCH 2013
JULY 2013
The CPP identifies properties at 888 and 868 Turk Street and 930 Gough Street in Hayes Valley as possible site for campus expansion, begins negotiation with owner, and due diligence process begins. Owing the auspiciousness of the number “8” in Chinese numerology, the term “888 Campus” enters the CAIS vernacular.
CAIS retains Adam Phillips from Adam Phillips Development as project manager for 888 Campus. Adam’s school architectural and construction management experience in the Bay Area includes Town School for Boys and the St Paul’s Episcopal School.
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In 1997, CAIS made the historic move from the school’s former location in the Presidio — which the school had outgrown — to the campus at 150 Oak Street. CAIS was joined in the move by the French American International School. At that time the move was considered tremendously risky — CAIS schooled just 200 students;
FAIS enrolled 500. The question both schools asked was, “How will we ever fill all this space?” Yet 10 years later, with an enrollment near 400, CAIS had already outgrown the space at Oak, and the decision was made to search for more space. In August 2009, four classes of the school’s youngest students moved from the main Oak
SEPTEMBER 2013
NOVEMBER 2013
Head of school signs lease for the 888 Campus for a 15-year term beginning upon occupation of the facilities at the start of the 2015–2016 school year.
School announces decision to move middle school to new 888 Campus. Architects and project manager hold a series of workshops with 888 working group to formulate concept design for 888 Campus based on school visits.
SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER 2013 888 Campus working group is formed, comprised of staff, architects, project manager and one trustee representative. Working group visits several Bay Area schools with recent construction experience to learn about their design experience.
Street campus to the current early childhood campus on Waller Street. Today, just five years later and with an enrollment of 520 students, CAIS is poised for another historic move. In August 2015, CAIS will open the doors to a new middle school site, the 888 Campus, at the intersection of Turk and Gough Streets.
FEBRUARY 2014 Architects and project manager hold a series of workshops with middle school staff and specialists to refine the design of specific spaces at the 888 Campus such as science labs, the design lab, the learning hub, the music/dance/PE studio and outdoor spaces.
JANUARY 2014
MARCH 2014
Head of school presents concept design to CAIS administrative council and middle school staff. CAIS rolls out strategic vision document to the community. It is accompanied by the video “Meet Madison,” featuring Madison, an imaginary CAIS student of the future whose education reflects all aspects of the strategic vision. In it, Madison collaborates with her classmates in the school’s new design lab at the new campus to create an application for asynchronous video chatting between CAIS students and their friends in western China.
CAIS hosts a community wide meeting to report on the state of the 888 Campus project, answer questions and take on feedback. The 888 middle school campus webpage is launched as a resource center for information and a place for the community to ask questions and provide input to the school on the facilities project.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD
中美幼儿园与湾区学校建立合作关系 CAIS PRE-K FORMS PARTNERSHIPS WITH BAY AREA SCHOOLS Photos left to right: Left: Pre-K students play during free choice time. Right: Early Childhood Division Director Britta Pells watches a student making art in class.
A good teacher is always becoming a better teacher, and one of the most powerful ways to do this is to learn from others. Often the biggest challenge to visiting other classrooms and programs is time: securing coverage for work, coordinating schedules and communicating to the colleagues “back home.” In response, Early Childhood Division Director Britta Pells designed a program for the Pre-K faculty and teaching associates to visit Bay Area Pre-K early childhood development programs in a systematic, organized way that optimizes everyone’s time. The idea of a visit program was born out of a desire on Britta’s part to learn more about the landscape of early childhood development (ECD) programs in the Bay Area— especially those that share similar characteristics to CAIS’s immersion, Montessori-inspired approaches. “When I came into my position at the beginning of the 2012–2013 school year, I was new to the world of San Francisco independent schools. I PAGE
wanted to see what set us apart. Once I started visiting a few, I realized there was a great deal I could learn from them and them from us,” Britta explains. “I consulted with Chinese Program Director Kevin Chang and he helped me put together a list of schools that the entire Pre-K faculty and teaching associates could visit,” she continues. Since the fall of 2012, Britta, Kevin and the Pre-K faculty and teaching associates have visited many area schools. Britta believes that speaking to peers and observing classroom work at other schools will help build deep partnerships to share knowledge and resources. “As a result of reaching out to schools to schedule visits and classroom observations, we found that many schools were interested in seeing our program in action,” Britta says. “Visiting immersion schools has also allowed me to see the different approaches to immersion,” Britta continues. “For example, at many of
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the schools we visited, I saw really great outdoor spaces that were an extension of the indoor classrooms. This led to discussions with my faculty about the use of space on our playground and ways that we can enhance outdoor play. Something I observed in regard to curriculum at schools we visited was the high integration of art in many programs,” Britta says. Her observation led to discussions with art specialist Lisa Ostapinski about how to better integrate open-ended art experiences in the Pre-K program. As a result, Lisa has been leading a series of art workshops throughout the year with Pre-K teachers, introducing them to new materials and activities. Teachers have then applied this learning to their classrooms. “I have seen nothing but positive outcomes from what we’ve been doing. I hope my team and I will continue to learn from our new partners throughout the Bay Area,” Britta says.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
接待交换学生，实践办学宗旨 MODELING THE CAIS MISSION THROUGH HOSTING CAIS Summer Inbound Program gives families of all grades the opportunity to embrace Chinese and forge lifelong relationships.
(Top) CAIS middle school students (second and third from left) Joey K. and Erik C. enjoyed an afternoon at Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake with their inbound buddies. (Bottom) CAIS lower school student (left) AnaSofia G. took inbound student Ruofan Z. to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
CAIS has developed a robust array of international programs to meet all three components of our mission: “Embrace Chinese. Become your best self. Create your place in the world.” While CAIS outbound international programs are organized for fifth, seventh and eighth grade students, CAIS summer inbound programs allow students and families of all grades to benefit from the promise of the school’s mission. “By hosting a Chinese student, CAIS families can truly ‘embrace Chinese.’ They can learn more about Chinese language and culture, and build strong connections with Chinese students and families,” explains Jonas Crimm, CAIS International Programs Coordinator. “CAIS families have the opportunity to become more aware of their place in the world by learning about and from their exchange students. Additionally, students gain confidence in their abilities to navigate diverse cultures as responsible, thoughtful and actively engaged global citizens.” CAIS lower school parent Stephen Kraus and his family greatly enjoyed their hosting experience last summer. “My son Ethan can go to China in a few years, and he’s got a friend there,” shares Stephen. “We’ve got a friend in China. Any time he comes, he can stay with us.” Having hosted a handful of students in the past, CAIS middle school parent Tien Bui also shares the joy in keeping an open mind about enjoying cultural differences. “One of the buddies is still contacting us [today]. The mom still emails me every month and sends me pictures of [the exchange student]. They speak so fondly of his stay here and how they want to welcome us to Beijing,” shares Tien. “These are lifelong relationships that one can build from such an experience.” PAGE
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LOWER SCHOOL
社交与情感课程——终身受用 SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CURRICULUM: EDUCATING CAIS STUDENTS FOR LIFE In September 2012, CAIS introduced The Toolbox Project, a formal social-emotional learning (SEL) program, into the lower school. The Lower School Faculty-Student Welfare Committee, under the guidance of Lower School Counselor Linda Mackay, chose the Toolbox after much research and review of alternatives. The program allows for skill building in three core SEL competency areas: self awareness and self management, social awareness and relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The simplicity and elegance of the curriculum has allowed CAIS to develop a common SEL language throughout the lower school — in both English and Chinese classes, in specialist classes, and at lunch and recess — to guide CAIS students in learning to better understand themselves and to become better at empathizing
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with and getting along with their peers. These SEL competencies have been identified as being equally important to life success as academic skills. Through the Toolbox, CAIS lower school is working to help students fulfill the school mission of becoming their best selves and creating their places in the world. BUILDING UPON TOOLBOX CAIS’s main focus in this second year of using the Toolbox is to deepen students’ SEL skills. Monthly grade level assemblies have focused on embracing the use of the tools in students’ daily lives. In the assemblies, students have been describing ways in which the SEL tools help them work through everyday situations at school and at home. This dovetails with a school-wide introduction of a conflict resolution strategy called “talk it out,” which taps into the tools of listening, empathy, using our words, apology and forgiveness. In her work with students on conflict resolution, Linda has already noticed a difference in students’ behavior. When she and students strategize together about how an argument or conflict might be resolved, students often name the garbage can tool (“I let the little things go”) as a helpful strategy. “Strategizing together prompts students to ask themselves, ‘Is this a big problem that needs to be solved?’ In which case we use ‘talk it out.’ ‘Or a small thing I can let go of so the situation does not escalate?’ In which case we visualize throwing it in the garbage can,” Linda explains.
LOWER SCHOOL
SEL ON THE PLAYGROUND A significant addition to CAIS’s SEL program this year is the lower school’s management of playgrounds. With the help of Playworks, the internationally recognized authority in the area of proactive playground management, CAIS is creating a supportive recess environment that increases physical activity, helps students feel safe, and promotes a positive school climate. “With a program like Playworks in place, we’re empowering our teachers to be involved in recess and reinforcing the five SEL competencies through play,” Lower School Director Peter Moore says. “It’s wonderful to see the changes on the playground as well as in the classroom.” Teachers employ games of the week, play strategies and group management techniques to teach students how to play well together - and see the consequent sharing, conflict resolution and development of leadership skills as positive outcomes of the Playworks program. “There’s joy in seeing kids working together on the playground,” says Peter, “and we’ve seen a large shift in behavior.” A FOCUSED APPROACH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM The Toolbox curriculum is formally introduced in kindergarten through authentic dialogues, role playing activities and puppet shows. In year two of introducing students to the curriculum, Kindergarten teachers are enthusiastic about the program. “It needs to be learned just like reading and writing,” says Kindergarten and first grade teacher McKenzie Morgan. “Some of the tools, such as empathy, are abstract for a five-year-old. In Kindergarten we’re establishing the foundation that will take them through not just lower school, but their whole life.”
“which is really great to see. Recently I observed a child crying during recess, and instead of intervening, I watched as a classmate consoled the student and advised her to use the breathing tool (I can take a breath; I calm myself) and within a minute the crying student was back to playing with her friends.” Kindergarten and first grade students are introduced to a new Toolbox concept twice a month using read-aloud books selected by Linda. Children are also introduced to the tool through puppet skits. “We ask our students how they would use the tool and ask them to come up with examples about how and when they could use the tool,” says Kindergarten teacher Kimberly Reid. “Students always come up with great examples, many of which show the creative minds that children possess,” Kimberly continues. In first grade, teachers have delved deeper into the courage tool (“I have the courage to do the “right” thing”), discussing historical events in which a range of people — such as immigrants from China — have shown courage. In Chinese class, students are read books to help illustrate, in an age-appropriate way, how immigrants have shown courage. “We try to connect the dots for children so the tools are relatable,” says McKenzie, “and we illustrate how, even over a hundred years ago, people used these tools.” IT’S NOT JUST FOR STUDENTS “One of my favorite stories this year came from a parent about how her child is teaching her how to incorporate Toolbox into her life,” Kimberly says. “The parent, who one day was stuck in SF traffic, was getting visibly upset at a driver who had cut her off when a voice from the back seat said ‘Mom, you should use your breathing tool to calm down.’ The parent didn’t realize she was exhibiting such anger, and her child’s response both opened her eyes to her own emotions and also pleased her that what her child is learning about SEL in school is translating to everyday life.” “A colleague recently said to me, ‘I think using Toolbox is helping me be my best self because when I refer to the tools with students, it challenges me to be using them myself,’” says Linda. “I agree. I feel the same challenge, and I often reflect upon what a difference it would have made if I had learned these tools when I was a child.”
“I’ve noticed many of the tools being used not just in class, but on the playground,” continues McKenzie, PAGE
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FEATURE
The new vision for CAIS is not mere blue-sky thinking. It is grounded in the real stories and accomplishments of CAIS faculty, students and alumni. A prime example is Larissa Hsia-Wong (1999), who feels she blossomed while at CAIS and learned how to build a life in which she can thrive and help others do the same. Whether it is in her own academic achievements, in service to others or even in baking the perfect pastry, Larissa has cracked the code. In helping others to grow and find self-fulfillment, she shows determination and an openness to new ideas - all while making sure to balance work with fun, just as Chou Laoshi taught her! Now a fourth and fifth grade ESL teacher at Taipei American School, Larissa looks back on her years at CAIS as formative of her identity and values today. FINDING STRENGTHS Reflecting on her preparation for the rigors of University High School and Georgetown University, Larissa recalls lessons learned from competitions at CAIS.
“I learned, early on, not to equate my performance in a competition with my self-worth.” “I learned, early on, not to equate my performance in a competition with my self-worth,” she says. “These competitions also taught me how to be a reflective ‘loser’ and graceful ‘winner.’”
校友聚光灯: 陆迢燕 ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT: LARISSA HSIA-WONG A Life Changing, World Changing Recipe
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At CAIS, Larissa also discovered a passion for the study of language. “CAIS inspired in me a deep interest in learning other languages,” she says. “And also, I firmly believe, facilitated an aptitude in acquiring foreign languages. In high school, I studied Spanish through the AP literature level. In college, I studied Japanese and Chinese and spent a year studying at Nanjing University where I directly enrolled as a student and took regular courses in Chinese.” EXPLORING INTERESTS Upon matriculating at Georgetown University, Larissa decided to take her academic explorations a step further. “I entered college with the mindset that there was so much in academia that I didn’t know about, and it was important to explore before deciding upon a major,” she remembers. “I also knew that demonstrating an aptitude in a certain subject did not necessarily correlate to a genuine personal interest in said subject.” Though she had always been good in math, she realized in college that she wasn’t genuinely interested in it. “As I was exposed
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to new fields and theories and discourses, I became acutely aware that I found both psychology and Classical Chinese fascinating and challenging.” Larissa ultimately completed a double major in Psychology and Chinese, graduating in 2007. MARRYING PASSIONS Larissa’s professional life has blended her linguistic expertise with her commitment to making a difference.
1998
“After graduating from college, I served in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa, where I learned French and Kabye (a local dialect),” she says. “I taught Chinese to several high school students in my village who were interested in learning it. It was quite an experience teaching Chinese via French (which I had just started learning myself)!” Later, in the Human Development and Psychology program at Harvard Graduate School of Education, Larissa conducted research using the latest findings in the field of neuropsychology to analyze and create developmentally appropriate methods of literacy instruction. Today she puts her studies into practice in her work at Taipei American School, where she finds teaching extremely rewarding. “In addition to knowing that at least one of my students is certain to make me laugh that day, what makes me get up every day is a personal challenge I set to myself: to ensure that each of my students learns at least one thing/skill or gains a deeper understanding of something they already knew. I also love how as a teacher, I truly am learning along with my students.” TASTING SWEET SUCCESS In addition to her prodigious language achievements, Larissa rounds out her repertoire by expanding her “culinary vocabulary” as well. She scored a triumph with specialty cupcakes she baked for a recent ShowCAIS auction (“dark chocolate cakettes with a jasmine-infused creme fraiche topping and a framboise center”). Another of Larissa’s personal goals is “to become better at working with pâte à choux and learn how to make chocolate custard eclairs.” With her CAIS experience a foundation for her future endeavors, it’s clear that whatever goals Larissa decides to accomplish, the world is surely a better (and tastier) place as a result.
2014 “One memory that will always stick with me, and that I think also embodies what the CAIS experience is like, is how my second grade Chinese teacher, Mr. Wang, would tell us these elaborate stories about a tiger and a not-so-bright man. I distinctly remember the feeling of anticipation when I knew he was about to start a story. As Wang Laoshi would tell us these “sagas,” he’d draw each scene on the chalkboard and act out the man, the tiger, and the narrator. Each story would be different, but usually, the man would end up nearly escaping from being eaten by the tiger. Looking back, and especially through the lens as a teacher now myself, I’m pretty sure he was using specific vocabulary/sentence patterns that we had just learned in his stories. What I remember clearly though is how our whole class would just be DYING with laughter throughout the tale. It really made us love Chinese so much and we would always beg him to tell us another story.” —Larissa Hsia-Wong (1999) PAGE
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教师聚光灯：张琼文 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: CHIUNGWEN CHANG Language Support Teacher Advances Chinese Learning On any given day at CAIS, you might see resident dynamo Chang Laoshi rushing to and from classrooms, working in small groups with students, observing classes and developing strategies to support her students. Wen, as her colleagues refer to her, is CAIS’s Chinese Language Support Teacher, an all-encompassing position within the student support team which involves orchestrating the schedules of many students and faculty as well as developing tools and materials to help strengthen and develop students’ Chinese language skills. CONNECTING LANGUAGE TO LIFE…AND FUN Approximately 90% of CAIS students do not speak Chinese at home; Wen and part-time Chinese Language Support Teacher Xiu Geng provide the additional language development outside of students’ regular classroom time that is often the key to success. Wen focuses on making learning Chinese fun and providing support without increasing her students’ work load. “I never assign homework, and I integrate technology into the Chinese language support (CLS) sessions not only to make it interesting and fun for my students, but also to provide multi-sensory teaching to stimulate their Chinese learning,” she says. One of the tools Wen uses in her small group classes is Quizlet, an app with teacher-created flashcard sets that enable students to match Chinese characters with their meanings. The app keeps track of the characters students know and retests only the characters that they don’t. “Students really like this app,” says Wen, “because they immediately see what they don’t know and it’s a game, so it’s fun for them.”
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CRAFTING NEW TOOLS TO SUPPORT TIME-TESTED TECHNIQUES Wen is one of very few Chinese Language Support teachers in the United States. “My position definitely doesn’t exist in China or Taiwan,” she says. “There are a few people in my position at other immersion schools in the U.S., but not too many.” Wen is recognized as a pioneer in the field of Chinese language support for developing her own strategies by repurposing existing tools and adapting them to the needs of her students. For example, she has modified Great Leaps, a specialized supplemental oral reading fluency program, to work with character recognition and tones in Chinese. “I like being creative and thinking about tools that may work for my students,” Wen says. “Not every tool may have success, so I am constantly evaluating and trying to figure out what will work best for an individual student’s needs.” When she sees a particular need without an existing tool that addresses it, she develops her own. In her work, Wen has found that students often identify writing as the most difficult part of learning Chinese. On homework assignments, students can find it difficult to internalize teachers’ corrections and feedback. This can lead to repetition of common mistakes, such as clause order, punctuation, and conjunction misuse. To help students overcome these common challenges, Wen worked with Educational Technology Coordinator Xiaoqing Chen to develop a homework feedback tool in Google Docs that includes in-line notes and voice comments. She uses a color coding system to highlight students’ mistakes according to the type of error. Additionally, Wen provides online voice comments in the Google Doc.
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Striking the balance between hand-holding and simply giving students instructions, the tool guides students through a process of discovery, realization and ultimately self-correction. It keeps track of all revisions and the history of collaboration between students and teachers. When aggregated, this data can provide both students and teachers with valuable insights into their progress. Wen explains, “I like this tool because we are taking a regular homework assignment that students are already working on and I provide ‘hints’ about how to improve the Chinese writing without revealing the answers. Students have to think about what it is I’m commenting on and apply it through their writing. It helps increase the limited time I have with students and doesn’t contribute to additional homework. It’s collaborative and efficient. We’ve been using it for six months, and it has a lot of potential and room for expansion.”
“It’s important to collaborate and share what works in our field so we can help one another and strengthen our students’ Chinese language skills.” A NATIONAL STAGE FOR HOME-GROWN BEST PRACTICES In April, Wen and Xiaoqing will present at the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL) conference in Chicago. They will share details of the online collaboration support tool they developed together. Wen thrills at the chance “to share a tool we’ve been using at CAIS as another way to teach writing in Chinese. Because the Chinese support community is so small, I think it’s important to collaborate and share what works in our field so we can help one another and strengthen our students’ Chinese language skills.”
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quality of our alums as well as the validation from the accreditation process we just completed. Another part is being taught how to be thoughtful about your actions and appreciate diversity.
理事会焦点 BOARD OF TRUSTEES SPOTLIGHT: FRED MOLFINO Co-Chair, CAIS Annual Fund First Fred, the CAIS Board of Trustees’ newest member, joined the board in the fall. He serves on the assets committee, and like all board members, volunteers his time and resources to help set the strategic direction of the school. Recently, Fred and Director of Advancement Pam Winthrop took a break from their busy schedules to talk in-depth about Fred’s history with CAIS and the passion for the school that underlies the philanthropy of the Molfino family and of so many others from the CAIS community.
Pam Winthrop: How did you and Michelle choose CAIS for your children? Fred Molfino: Quite literally, our “pursuit” of CAIS began before our first-born, Teddy (third grade) was born. My wife’s family is from Hong Kong and she had researched the school, initially drawn to it for its immersion curriculum. That was the start, and then as time progressed, and our thoughts on how we want to educate the boys evolved, it became evident that CAIS was our top choice. When the time came for choosing a school, we did have an option to go a more “traditional” route of a private all-boys school but were (and remain) convinced the curriculum and life experience of a CAIS education will have a longer lasting effect on our children. PW: When you think of CAIS, what word first comes to mind? FM: Partner. We have “partnered” with CAIS to educate our children and prepare them for their next steps in life. Part of that preparation is with a mind toward high school. Compare our curriculum and faculty with that of other independent schools and we are at the top. The proof is in the
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You won’t always agree with your partner, but if you have chosen your partner well, you will trust that they are still on the same mission/ path as yourself. I am not referring to a marriage partner—for that I do what I am told. But from a business perspective, when you partner with someone there should be an initial commonality of purpose and then a strong trust. Otherwise, there can be detritus that gets in the way of accomplishing the common goal. PW: Talk about the different ways that you and Michelle have volunteered for CAIS. FM: From the beginning, both Michelle and I have volunteered and been involved with CAIS. Believing in a partnership with the school, we want to help the teachers and faculty in their goal of teaching our boys. Also, we want to have the boys see us involved so we develop a sense that we are all in this together. The school is a special place where the whole family is comfortable and contributing. Michelle has been a room parent a number of times as well as a class captain for the annual fund. I have been active with the annual fund as both a class captain and the past two years as fund chair. When Teddy was in first grade, I volunteered to be a stagehand for Spring Sing. I thought it would be fun to be up on stage and help with
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the kids, so I volunteered. I did not realize that my role required I also show up for mid-week rehearsal. I tried to explain to Zhu Laoshi that I had to work and could only be at the performance and not the rehearsals. I thought we were all squared away on commitment as Jean (Zhu Laoshi) listened to my explanation. Then, after I finished with my explanation, Jean said she would see me at rehearsal! I had to be there to make sure the production went smoothly and everyone knew their roles (including parent volunteers). By the way, I had a blast doing it! PW: What keeps you busy outside of CAIS? FM: My partners (there is that word again) and I founded our own wealth management firm a few years ago. Our office is in Menlo Park and the families we work with tend to be younger and more entrepreneurial in focus. Outside of work, I sit on the board for the Pomeroy Center, which is a nonprofit organization providing services to the mentally and physically handicapped. The boys are involved in numerous sports and activities, so I am also their little league coach as well as a den leader for their cub scout troop. Michelle is an active fundraiser for local nonprofits Family House and the San Francisco Zoo. PW: Why were you interested in joining the CAIS Board of Trustees? FM: I love my kids and I want to do all I can to make sure they have a great education and experience at the school we have chosen for them. I also want them to see me heavily involved in something (school) that is a big part of their young lives. A
friend of mine, who I think highly of, suggested that I consider joining the board. At that point, and measuring other outside time commitments, I agreed joining the board would be a great way to contribute to the school and its mission. PW: What are you most excited about working on as a board member? FM: There are a number of things, but foremost, is the new middle school project with 888 Turk. That building, once complete, will position CAIS to be in better control of its destiny as a school and allow for flexibility in how the school manages its growth and student population. As I have learned in conversations, our reputation as a Chinese immersion school affords us a position to potentially be transformative in how the Chinese language and culture is taught. As of now, high school curriculums are not as strong of a continuation in Chinese as with other languages. CAIS could change that and that could be widely beneficial to both CAIS students and others. PW: What Board committees are you serving on? FM: I am “cutting my teeth” on the assets committee. This has been an especially busy time for the Board with the recent accreditation process and the beginning planning stages of the Turk Street campus. I am impressed with the quality of my fellow board members. We all share the common goal of wanting to make sure CAIS can “be its best self.” There is genuine commitment to understand the mission of the school and to work to ensure that the school remains true to it.
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PW: What does it mean to support CAIS? FM: Michelle and I feel we have embarked the family on a unique journey. The boys’ learning is unparalleled to anything we experienced at their age. It is unparalleled to anything most students, still, will experience. I would hope that other CAIS families take a step back, once in a while, and get some perspective on what a gift the CAIS education is for their children. PW: When you are encouraging parents to give to the Annual Fund, you often say, “It’s for the kids.” How so? FM: CAIS is about educating the students. Period. There is the classroom education and there is the life education. As parents, we have signed on and committed to have CAIS educate our children and a critical part of that commitment is participation in the Annual Fund First. Every family should participate according to their means because this philanthropy supports something nearest and dearest to their hearts— their own children. Some of our most heartfelt gifts come from families on financial assistance who send a strong message by contributing to the annual fund. The belief and support for the mission of educating our students and children are palpable. We look for 100% parent participation in the Annual Fund First, in addition to the other efforts and opportunities families look to support at the school.
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现场拍卖品——重温中美辉煌之夜 LIVE AUCTION “SHOWCASE” FROM LAST YEAR’S SHOWCAIS Over 400 people attended ShowCAIS 2013, which raised nearly $700,000 — a new record for the beloved annual auction gala. The live auction raised $163,000 from the sale of 13 items which included Pre-K artistic creations and an exclusive dinner with former Mayor Willie Brown. CAIS is extremely grateful for the generosity of its community, particularly the families listed on page 15 who won live auction items. A big thank you to all of the ShowCAIS 2013 live auction winners, as well as everyone who supported the event last year. Stay tuned for more exciting and fun auction items available at ShowCAIS 2014!
Stasia Obremskey bids for the Insider Twitter tour. Julia Wong raises her bid number. Carol Ruth Silver grabs a partner and takes to the dance floor. Alonso Wong discusses bidding strategy with Cecilia Chiang. Wendy Soone-Broder and Stephanie Reynaga pose in front of Pre-K artwork. Janine O’Neill bids on a live auction item. Adriane Iann and Christian Stolz enjoy the festivities.
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LIVE AUCTION WINNER RECAP
TASTE OF THE TWEET LIFE
• Roger Kuo and Julia Wong, as well as Thomas Knudsen and Stephanie Reynaga, won artwork created by Pre-K students.
A member of CAIS’s robust community of parent professionals, Adam Messinger, Twitter Chief Technology Officer, donated a tour of the Twitter offices to the ShowCAIS 2013 live auction. Winner Stasia Obremskey brought her three children, Grace (seventh grade), Peter (Class of 2013) and Will, for an informative day at the social media giant’s headquarters.
• Andreas Schulmeyer and Wen Li, as well as Peter Ragone and Janine O’Neill, purchased tasty desserts prepared by Ms. Susan Sherman and Ms. Susan Kennedy; each dessert was paired with wine or port. • Bill Plautz bid high to ensure he could Whine over Wine with Head of School Jeff Bissell. • Christian Stolz and Adriane Iann were the lucky winners of the Quintessential San Francisco Dinner Party with special guest, the Honorable Willie Brown. • James and Linda Kim won breakfast at the Fairmont in Nob Hill with Mayor Ed Lee. • Tien Tzuo bought the Exclusive NYC Fashion Week Experience for his wife, Mariana. In New York, Mariana enjoyed exclusive fashion week shows and visited with stylists. Upon her return to San Francisco, Mariana also received a $1,000 VIP shopping trip at Bloomingdale’s.
Their day began with a tour of the Twitter offices where they were treated to a rare glimpse of the Twitter dashboard/war room. They also saw the outdoor play area, from which they could almost get a glimpse of the CAIS campus! For lunch, they dined in the cafeteria and were amazed at the plethora of complimentary healthy foods which Twitter provides for their employees on a daily basis. They finished their tour with a chat in Adam’s office, where he regaled them with stories about the company. Stasia was very excited to share this experience with her children and hopes that they were inspired to see the number of successful young employees working for the company.
• Paul and Helene Kocher purchased the Seven-Day Healdsburg Getaway that also included wine tastings, a case of Virginia Marie Lambrix wine, and dinner at Cocina Latina. • Jack Wu and Audrey Schweizer won the luxurious Night of 1930s Shanghai experience, which featured a 30+ course meal for up to 20 people cooked by Chef Nei Chia Ji of Jai Yun restaurant. • Thomas Gieselmann and Bo Huot were the lucky winners of dinner for 10 cooked by the incomparable Cecilia Chiang. • Stasia Obremskey and Dan Carroll won the Insider Tour of Twitter and were able to give their children a behind the scenes look at the successful tech company. • Chris and Lisa Babel, Joey English and My-Nghi Lo and Edward Han and Ariana Chung-Han purchased a Weekend Getaway at Ripe Peak Winery in Napa.
Joey English, My-Nghi Lo, Edward Han, Ariana ChungHan, Lisa Babel and Chris Babel all enjoy their weekend of wine tasting while relaxing with friends. Ripe Peak Winery donated a two-night stay at their four-bedroom property, which features spectacular views of the surrounding Napa Valley countryside. The package included an exclusive tour of the winery cave as well as a hot tub for relaxing after a long day of wine tasting. Winner Ariana Chung-Han said she really enjoyed the food, wine, scenery and quiet, all in support of CAIS!
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中美远程战略：科技化教学，沉浸式课程设计，真实的国际学习经验 CAIS’S STRATEGIC VISION: EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, IMMERSION CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, AUTHENTIC INTERNATIONAL LEARNING
3 In each issue, Connections will highlight an area of the CAIS strategic vision with real world examples of how we are bringing the vision to life. By CAIS Head of School Jeff Bissell I am sitting at my desk, laptop open, mid-day on a Thursday, staring at adolescent postings on a social media site. A kid named Connor, whose profile picture is a pixelated monster face, has posted, “I can’t wait to see everyone’s videos!” Kai C. (profile picture: Human Rights Campaign logo) posts, “Hey everyone, when are we going to post our thing?” Jaxon (anime character with an oversized sword) chimes in, “3.1415926583 is pie.” (I love the non sequitur. I also note that Jaxon must be hungry, and “pi” just won’t satisfy his craving.) Are these youngsters abusing “screen time” privileges that their parents dole out sparingly like precious puppy treats? Shouldn’t the kids be focusing on their homework (or violin or piano or figure skating or chess) rather than socializing online? In fact, these blossoming netizens are Ron Morris’s fifth graders, and they are participating in a unit of study that is part of CAIS’s “integrated” and “mission consistent” curriculum. In mid February, Ron profiled this unit for the CAIS faculty as part of three days of professional development. During these three full workdays, teams of CAIS teachers collaborated to create guaranteed and viable units of study that deliberately integrate various disciplines such as math and social studies, Chinese and English, technology, the world outside of school, and the students’ own lives.
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So how does this all relate to 10 and 11-year-old students chatting online? This all began in 2012 when CAIS’s Chinese Language Technology Coordinator Xiaoqing Chen attended the annual Computer Using Educators (CUE) conference in southern California. There she met a handful of teachers from the Tsai Hsing School in Taipei, Taiwan (fun fact: Tsai Hsing is the alma mater of second and third grade teacher Teresa Shyu). Together Xiaoqing and teachers from Tsai Hsing hatched a plan for a collaborative project using Edmodo, a social learning platform website for teachers, students and parents. Through Edmodo, CAIS and Tsai Hsing students could learn from each other asynchronously across 16 time zones. When Xiaoqing returned to CAIS, she piloted the program in the sixth grade tech class she was teaching at the time. At the beginning of this school year, Xiaoqing approached Ron Morris with the Edmodo plan. “Originally we conceived of our collaboration as a social studies project,” Ron explains. “We thought that through collaborating with Tsai Hsing, kids from both schools could do some interesting cultural comparisons—I was especially interested in this aspect because so many fifth grade kids are going to Taiwan this spring on our school exchange.” Ron, Xiaoqing and the Tsai Hsing teachers
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set to work developing survey questions to administer to their students so that they could learn about each others’ lifestyles.
yield confusing or useless data, and we had interesting discussions about the best way to treat outliers in our data set.”
As Ron was developing the questions with his Tsai Hsing colleagues, he began to think about the way in which his fifth graders would display and analyze the information. “We were studying statistical landmarks in math, and I began to see this project as an excellent way to apply some of the math concepts to this project; concepts like mean, median, range maximum, minimum and so on,” Ron explains. “These are concepts from our Everyday Mathematics program.” (Developed by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project.) Ron also liked the Edmodo platform as a way to apply technology to a real life situation, “rather than simply practicing some tech skill in a vacuum,” he says. “CAIS and Tsai Hsing students share and discuss their information through a closed Edmodo group with 80 participants from the two schools,” Ron continues.
CAIS and Tsai Hsing fifth graders are now in the process of introducing their respective schools to one another through student-produced videos which will be uploaded to Edmodo. “The kids brainstormed aspects of the school that we wanted to introduce to Tsai Hsing,” explains Ron, “and then the kids went to work together in small project teams to create storyboards and ultimately produce and post the videos.”
Before Ron displayed the survey data to his fifth graders, he asked them to make predictions about the results based on their understanding of Taiwanese culture. “There were some surprises,” Ron says. “Our kids were not aware that Taiwanese kids spent so much time in after school “cram classes” (bŭxí bān 补习班), and they were envious of their Tsai Hsing peers’ opportunity to nap each day after lunch.” In her post, Io (profile pic: a stack of books) summed it up like this: “We study more than them! They have more class time! We have more transportation time, and we sleep about the same. I envy their nap time, though!” For our students, learning about culture directly from their same-age peers in Taiwan felt more interesting, engaging and ultimately meaningful than the less rigorous, “food, flags and festivals” approach favored by many American schools attempting to create so-called “global citizens.” In looking at the data about themselves, CAIS students concluded that they have less “family time” than they had previously thought. “We also learned a lot about how to use statistics and data,” Ron says. “We learned that bad questions sometimes
Of course it’s not all work—kids wouldn’t be kids if they didn’t figure out how to mix in a little fun. In addition to analyzing statistics, posting educational videos and chatting about pi (or pie), the Edmodo group has chat threads about bubble tea, stinky tofu, horseback riding and pet cats. As innocent at these fifth grade conversations may seem, they constitute the beginning of real friendships developed across the Pacific, made possible through technology. During our February professional development days, Ron and his Chinese language teaching partner Michael Hsu worked together on tighter integration between Chinese and English on the Tsai Hsing project. “I’d like for our kids to have the chance to meet the Tsai Hsing students when they travel to Taiwan in the spring,” Michael says, “and I would like to work with Ron and the students to produce Chinese language videos introducing San Francisco to the Taiwan students.” Ron and Michael’s work on curriculum is exemplary, but it is also representative of the work all CAIS teachers have been doing since December 2011 when we kicked off our curriculum planning and improvement initiative. And, as fifth grader Connor’s post puts it, “Wow, this is awesome!”
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STUDENT LIFE
中美 “小名人”
STUDENT NOTABLES
In addition to their busy school schedule, CAIS students have racked up an impressive range of extracurricular accomplishments this year. CAIS students participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, both on and off campus, as they embody the CAIS mission to embrace Chinese, become their best selves, and create their places in the world. Here is a roundup of a few of the many accomplishments CAIS students achieved during the first six months of the 2013-2014 school year. SEVENTH GRADER PERFORMS IN MEPHISTOPHELES
FIFTH GRADER LAUNCHES AND DONATES TOYS TO ORGANIZATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
In September, seventh grade student Ellie M., a member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus, sang in the choir of the production of Mephistopheles at the San Francisco Opera. Ellie, along with other members of the Chorus, performed at the beginning and end of the opera during its eight-night run at the War Memorial Opera House.
Last spring, Cassie E. launched a toy drive in her fourth grade class to benefit the Philippine Toy Library in Bayanijuan, Philippines. The Philippine Toy Library is an organization that establishes libraries and educational centers in very poor and often remote areas in the Philippines. With the help of her teacher, Cassie presented the project to her class and enlisted her classmates’ help to donate their toys to the drive. With her classmates’ donations, Cassie added three more boxes of toys and books to the four boxes she had already cleaned out from her own collection. Cassie and her parents boxed and shipped all of the toys and books to the Philippines. During the summer, Cassie and her family traveled to the Philippines, met the shipment and delivered the donations so she could see firsthand how her toys and books would impact others.
FOURTH GRADERS EARN HONORS IN WRITING CONTEST A group of CAIS students participated in a Bay Area time travel writing contest sponsored by Shu-Hsien Ho and Royd Hatta, both of whom teach after school writing classes through the CAIS after school enrichment program. Sixty-nine children participated in the contest, and CAIS students were well represented among the winners. Fourth graders Alyssa Y. placed first, Sophia H. placed second, and Brooke G., Jace B. and Madison H. all earned honorable mentions. All winning stories will be published in a 2014 anthology which will be available for sale on Amazon.
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STUDENT LIFE
EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS PERFORM IN CHINA NATIONAL DAY EVENT In celebration of China National Day, eighth graders Karina K. and Rachel Z. performed a traditional Chinese cultural dance in Chinatown for a large crowd, including Consul General Yuan Nansheng. China National Day is celebrated annually on October 1 throughout mainland China with a variety of governmentorganized festivities.
THIRD GRADE STUDENT ROCKS THE SLOPES Third grade student and rock star skier Seti C. not only placed first in her age group at the Far West North Series Ski Cross at Lake Tahoe in January, but she also gained her first sponsor. The company PubNub signed on as Seti’s sponsor for the 2014 season. She’ll wear the PubNub logo for races throughout the rest of the season. Seti has been dominating competitions this year, with results including first (14th overall) and third (17th overall) place finishes in her age group.
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS RAISE MONEY WHILE TRICK OR TREATING The sixth grade class, along with a handful of fifth and seventh grade students, participated in a Halloween trick or treat drive which netted a total of $583.32 for UNICEF. The money raised will help provide children around the world with clean water, medicine and immunizations. Sixth grade students Fiona C. and Zoe Y. led the effort, organized the drive and counted the money during their recess time.
JV GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM WINS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP In February, the Firedragon JV girls basketball squad defeated Katherine Delmar Burke School 19-13 for the SFAL league championship title. The team, comprised of sixth and seventh grade students, entered post-season play undefeated. The girls swept the playoffs and semi-finals and now have the honor of having their team’s name on the SFAL league trophy. Way to go, Firedragons!
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“骏马弛万里，奔腾贺 春喜”—— 中美与您同 贺新春 CAIS CELEBRATES YEAR OF THE HORSE (Clockwise from top left) 1. Sixth grade Chinese teacher Ya-Ching Hsu 许老师 passes out dumplings that students made in class. 2. Lion dancers visit classrooms to chase away bad spirits. 3. Fourth grade after school dance group performs Phoenix Dance during Mass Greeting. 4. A spring drum roll kicks off the Mass Greeting performances. 5. Art students create horse paintings to decorate the halls. 6. Third grade students sing and dance to 捕 鱼歌 “Fishing.” 7. Chinese chorus sings 茉莉 花 “Jasmine Flower.” 8. Kindergarten student Kieran C. shows off his firecracker craft during Chinese class. 9. Head of School Jeff Bissell joins grandparents and special elders at a luncheon reception after Mass Greeting. 10. Seventh grade Chinese teacher Jiun Chou Young 周老师 hosts Mass Greeting with middle school student government president Jade B. and vice president Andrew C.
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FROM THE LIBRARY
学生读物 WHAT ARE STUDENTS READING? CAIS students love to read. It’s rare to get through a day without seeing at least one student, book in hand, reading while walking through the hall between classes. With the help of CAIS Librarian/Media Specialist Warren Wright, we found out what books are flying off the shelves of the school library.
“Wonder” is about a boy named August (Auggie) Pullman who was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start fifth grade at Beecher Prep. Auggie is just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. This warm, uplifting story will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions, lively school scenes and short chapters, “Wonder” is appropriate for readers of all levels. Age range: 8 and up.
我的中文小故事1 “My Chinese Short Story” This series has a collection of interesting Chinese stories including children’s daily life at home and school. The author tells funny tales through very simple words. Illustrations complement the story and help strengthen children’s Chinese language learning. Age range: 7–9.
我的第一本动物科普故事 “My Animal Friends” is a series containing 10 fairy tale books that illustrate the lives of animals. These stories will inspire young children to understand animals and nature and foster their curiosity. The beautiful pictures and small cartoon images that include information about animals are different from traditional children's books. Each book in the series includes a maze game, which encourages young children to learn about the animal while having fun. Age range: 4–8. “Lexi the Firefly Fairy” is the second book of seven in the Rainbow Magic Night Fairies series by the group of authors who go by the pseudonym Daisy Meadows. While the stories follow a simple formula, they are entertaining for children who are starting to read chapter books. The stories center around nighttime adventures, summer camp trips and adventures with fairy friends. Age range: 7–10.
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ALUMNI
校友回来中美大家庭 ALUMNI COME HOME TO CAIS
中美校友谢师恩 TEACHERS RECEIVE THANK YOU GRAMS FROM ALUMNI
Over a hundred guests reconnected at the Second Annual Alumni Thanksgiving Luncheon in November. CAIS’s most recent graduates from the class of 2013 had a near perfect attendance. Alumni families were also invited to join the festivities. As CAIS grows its alumni program, we ask “Why do alumni come home to CAIS?”
As a new initiative this school year, CAIS introduced Thank You Grams as a way for alumni to honor their teachers with a donation to the Annual Fund. Ms. Reimer and Ms. Kennedy were among the recipients of Thank You Grams from Thanksgiving and Chinese New Year season. Visit www.cais.org/alumni to send a graduation themed Thank You Gram before the school year is over!
“Going back for the annual Thanksgiving is really important because it means being in touch with the friends and teachers I grew up with and how they made an impact on my life.” —Jonathan Bow, class of 2013
“It was a huge honor to receive my Thank You gram! To know you made a positive impact and are remembered for it, even after a student has left CAIS, is a wonderful feeling.” Seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher, Kelly Reimer
“We have been a part of the CAIS family for 15 years and have made so many dear, lifelong friends with classmates, parents, teachers and staff.” —Laurence Huang, alumni parent of Colin Huang (2009) and Peter Huang (2012)
“I feel honored when the students stop by to visit me, write me a note and ask for professional or artistic advice after they leave CAIS.” Arts Program Director, Susan Kennedy
Save the Date! Third Annual Alumni Thanksgiving Luncheon Wednesday, November 26, 2014 PAGE
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FROM THE FACULTY BOOKSHELF
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e all make hundreds of decisions on a daily basis. While some are mundane and have little effect on our future, others impact our lives and the lives of others in innumerable ways. Though most of us set out to make wise decisions, there are times when events resulting from our decisions fail to unfold the way we had initially hoped or intended. In their new book, “Decisive,” Chip and Dan Heath use recent research to unravel the mystery of human decision-making.
莫彼德好书分享 FROM PETER MOORE’S BOOKSHELF Lower School Director Peter Moore recommends “Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
I finished “Decisive” in a matter of days. The research into decisionmaking is fascinating. Psychology research has revealed that our decisions are disrupted by an array of biases and irrationalities. We seek out information that supports us and downplay information that doesn’t. We get distracted by short-term emotions. When it comes to making choices, it seems, our brains are flawed instruments. Some of the book’s suggestions for better decision-making include being aware of our tendency to limit our choices, ensuring that we gather as much information as possible from both obvious and less-thanobvious sources, and gaining distance and perspective before making decisions. In “Decisive,” the Heath brothers also describe the work of Suzy Welch and her popular “10/10/10 rule,” which has been helpful in my decision making since I finished the book. Welch’s “10/10/10” helps a decision-maker quickly gain perspective when faced with a choice. Welch suggests we consider decisions using different time frames: how will we feel about this decision in 10 minutes from now, 10 months from now and 10 years from now? This reframing has helped me put urgent yet unimportant decisions in perspective and helped me focus more on decisions that will have a positive impact in 10 months or 10 years’ time. Overall, I found “Decisive” to be a fascinating read and would highly recommend it to anyone who hopes to make decisions that have a deeper and more positive impact on their own lives and the lives of those around them. PAGE
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CAIS JOURNALISM CLUB
中美学生杂志 《龙刊》 FROM “THE DRAGON”
Under the leadership of fifth grade teacher Ron Morris, the after school journalism club is comprised of aspiring journalists who write, photograph, edit and design the student magazine, The Dragon.
Book Fair vs Holiday Fair By Colby Condon and Yu Xin Berson
The book fair is great because you can buy books and small toys, the holiday is great because you can make gingerbread houses… what do you think? We interviewed some students at CAIS and here is what they said: Rosa M said: “I like the book fair because it is less expensive and there are more fun things for kids.” Jamie W said: “I like the holiday fair better because its more fun.” Vinnie F said: “I like the holiday fair better because there’s more stuff to do.”
Yu Xin likes the holiday fair Alyssa Y said: “Holiday fair! You can make stuff and you can buy more because she loves making gingerbread houses! stuff.” Colby likes the book fair and the holiSophia H said: “Holiday. I don’t know day evenly. She likes the book fair because you can buy really good books Mien K said: “Book fair! Because why” and she likes the holiday fair because there are lots of books and you can buy erasers.” Mckayla L said: “Holiday fair. Be- you can do fun activities! So obviously most people like cause, I’ve never been there, but peothe Holiday Fair for, but there are Devon C said: “Holiday fair! Because ple tell me that it’s very nice.” some students who like the book fair. you get to do activities and there are jumpy houses and rock climbing.” AnaSofia G said: “ I like both equally because they are both fairs and they raise money for the school.”
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中美，我的第二个家
The Alvarez family shares why it’s important for them to give to CAIS every year.
“CAIS IS OUR FAMILY’S SECOND HOME”
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CAIS is our family’s second home; the place we chose for our kids to begin their journey into a wider future. We cherish the opportunity to be part of a school that is willing to embrace culture and traditions while constantly questioning, evaluating and improving itself. As an independent educational institution, CAIS has the freedom to chart its own future; as a community, we have the responsibility to preserve that freedom. CAIS is different. We believe in its leadership, its faculty and the direction in which our program is going. We also know that attracting top-notch leaders, faculty and involved families while improving the leading Mandarin immersion program in the nation has a cost — a cost which, as active community members, we are committed to sharing.
The Alvarez family Parents Mauricio and Ximena Matias, second grade Valentina and Victoria, third grade
By donating to the CAIS Annual Fund we are reaffirming our commitment to an international education and our support to the community that makes CAIS so special. CAIS has become an integral part of our family’s journey of growing up. PAGE
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FEATURE Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit # 2319 Oakland, CA
SAVE THE DATE MAY 10, 2014 SHOWCAIS 2014