April 13, 2018 ISSUE 11 1

SUIS ‘EARTH DAY’ NEWSLETTERShanghai United International School Hongqiao – Gubei Campus

From the Principals

Hello Parents and welcome to our very first featured Earth Day Newsletter. We havedecided to share with you all of the wonderful things that happen here to help ourstudents take action. Through the units of inquiry, students have been inquiring into howto protect the environment, how to take care of what nature provides and well asmaking changes to improve our world.

On Saturday 24th March it was Earth Hour. All around the globe people stopped andthought of ways to use zero electricity, think of innovative ways to do things withoutharming the environment. We asked our students to do something differently in theEarth hour and send in their ideas. Well what great action – we saw reading in the darkusing candles, a shadow puppet show at night, brushing teeth with only a small candlefor light, a earth day music concert and even restaurant meals with no lights! Fantasticeffort by many, well done. Ms Sahi even had a glow in the dark Easter Egg hunt.

We would also like to thank all of you who came into school for our Curriculum openMornings. It's always great to welcome our families in to see learning take place andsee students at their best.

On Friday 20th April we will be celebrating Earth Day with a special picnic - please finddetails inside.

Ms Jenny Chen & Ms Kim SahiVice Principals

What is action in the PYP?

Through taking individual and collective action, students will come to understand the responsibilities associated with being internationally minded and appreciate the benefits of working with others for a shared purpose. When students see tangible actions that they can choose to take to make a difference, they see themselves as competent, capable and active agents of change (Oxfam 2015).

When teachers are planning units of inquiry they plan with anticipation that students will be motivated to take action. With this in mind, we decided to share with you how students have taken action in relation to environmental issues this school year.

Primary reception was inquiring into: Understanding the properties of materials helps us decide how to use them.A student was concerned that after celebrating a birthday the teacher threw out the boy's paper plate. He took it out and told the teacher we could save it and put it into the paper recycling bin. To class discussed not using paper plates for subsequent birthday parties.

We gave a student a post-it to write an idea on. He returned HALF a post-it.When questioned he said he was "reducing".

DURING A LESSON THE TEACHER’S MARKER DIED SO SHE TOSSED IT INTO THE GARBAGE. SUDDENLY ONE L IT TLE GIRL THREW HER HAND UP TO COMPLAIN THAT IT WASN’ T SAVED TO MAKE A CRAFT.

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Ryan Qiu

Marcia Ma AFTER CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAYTHE TEACHER THREW OUT A BOY’SPAPER PLATE. HE TOOK IT OUT ANDTOLD THE TEACHER WE COULDSAVE IT IN THE PAPER BIN.

Gavin Zhu

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Grade 1 were inquiring into Reducing, reusing and recycling help us to be

responsible for the environment

Grade 1 students decided to make use of various recyclable materials, such as Yakult bottles, bottle caps, and

cardboard boxes to create a variety of games for their own class.

1B class students took things further by making their own multi-purpose cleaning product which they stored in

plastic water bottles and plastic spray bottles.

1G has been hard at work saving our planet. Our students have been finding recyclable material at home and at

school for recycling. We have identified four primary recyclables – paper, glass, metal and plastic. Thereafter, we

place boxes at the front of the class where we collect our recyclables. Finally, our Captain Planets, sort through

the waste, and leave it in the recycling bins at the foot of the stairs.

Let’s save the planet, one class at a time

Grade 2 were inquiring into Weather patterns cause life on Earth to change.

Student action was taken by several students in our 2G class as they participated in Earth Hour on March 24th,

2018. Students in 2G went without electricity for an hour. One of the students even felt compelled to make a

PPT and share it with his classmates to raise awareness.

Some other actions taken were to: Catch their shower water with a bucket and use that to water the plants or to

flush the toilet; Record their time spent in the shower and reduce it; Create an invention on how to purify their

water; Reduce their meat consumption in order to lower their carbon footprint (Global warming).

Sylas in 2F has become a champion of the environment after studying plastic pollution and water waste. His

mom took pictures and made a PowerPoint to show how dedicated Sylas has become -- changing his habits to

conserve water at home, and picking up bags of plastic trash on the beach while on vacation in Malaysia!

Grade 3 students were inquiring into All life is dependent on the oceans. Students

took action on plastic waste.

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Grade 4 students started taking environmental action from the first week of school by

taking charge of their classroom environments:

4B has several students who are Eco-monitors. The entire class has taken action by

recycling paper and using both sides of paper and display boards since the first week of

school. Students also turn off lights and computers when not in use.

In 4C there are jobs connected to the environment: Environment Protectors and the

Recyclers. Environment Protectors check that class room is in good order (not too messy)

and that lights are turned off when we leave the class, doors are closed and use of AC is

only when needed. Recyclers are responsible for keeping the used paper that can be used

again tidily in a box and saving old markers and felt tips for recycling.

Annabelle and Nikki supporting Earth Hour at home.

The Beautiful Earth

By Hanhan Zhu

The stars are shining,

Electricity is off,

Earth is the best place.

I hope in this hour, the Earth

can be a better/greener place

than usual.

G5 students inquired into: The

environment can be affected

by the choices humans make.

A grade 5 student wrote a letter to

the vice principals to stop using

plastic covers on the PYP journals.

She included statistics on how

much waste was created from this.

We have now decided to stop

printing journals with plastic covers.

Beca Xu

During our Sustainable choices unit,

5B elected to reduce the use of

heating in the class to be more

sustainable in our energy use. There

were many days when we did not

turn on the heating at all. Students

chose to wear jumpers to keep warm.

Green Organizations within our School:

BaoSquared:

An organization that aims to support children in schools around China to access

good quality clothing packed into bundles just for them. It also takes in other fibers

to upcycle, downcycle and recycle.

Terracycle:

An innovative recycling organization whose aim is to reduce waste and find ways

to use the waste that we produce. Our school currently collects empty shampoo

bottles, toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes. A wonderful (and easy) way to

recycle items that are often very difficult to find places to take them.

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What can parents do to support eco action at home?

Teach your child the importance of the “R’s” to support sustainable practices: recycle,

reuse/repair, rot, refuse, reduce, reinvent/rethink, repair, rebuy/replace

Donate items to be reused, recycled or upcycled. Let your child be a part of the process

Find out what items our school is accepting and send in items (example: items for crafts,

clothing for Baosquared, shampoo bottles and toothbrushes/paste etc).

Show children ways to extend use of food (freezing, making into something different) and

reduce food waste

Eliminate the use of plastic straws when going out.

For delivery, make sure you opt out of receiving plastic cutlery

Compost at home!

Buy less and talk about that decision with your child

Grow fresh herbs, plant a small garden

Messages from our Teachers

Ms Charlotte Xia

One of my favorite times of year is coming soon, that is Earth

Day! Like every year, our eco monitors are busy thinking and

working creatively and collaboratively for this upcoming

event. I am very happy to see students are showing love to

our mother Earth by taking lots of action. As a teacher

organizing Earth Day for several years, I also feel myself

learning more about our earth and enjoying songs

about how beautiful our planet is. The love of our earth has

had a positive impact on me as now I walk more than before

and buy less useless things than before as well. Wishing

everyone a happy Earth Day!

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In August 2017 during our 1st Unit of Inquiry , oceans, we explored how all life is dependent on

the oceans. With each step through the cycle of inquiry I realised how I’ve lost my connection

with the earth and the reality of what damage consumerism is having on our planet.

During our last line of inquiry, understanding that humans have a responsibility to preserve

ocean ecosystems, I came to the realization that I was not doing my part as a global

citizen. I just wasn’t sure where to start. Through sharing ideas with my husband we

decided to allow the change to happen slowly and try to make it fun for all of us. Our

first goal was refusing plastic bags, so we each carried a re-usable bag. A month later

we switched to refillable house cleaning products and slowly but surely we changed

our habits of ordering everything online and decided to support local markets instead.

Not only has this been a better choice for the planet, but it’s given back the human

connection of consumption and made our whole family feel closer to the community.

These days I look forward to my little walk to the wet market where I buy my fruit from

a tall man who always greets me with enthusiasm and our vegetables from a kind-

hearted woman who makes sure I pick the freshest ones while she smiles from cheek

to cheek.

“You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;”

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Ms Elsie and her husband

ZERO WASTE PRODUCTS COMING TO SUIS

Dinah, Yoyo, Jason, George, Gary

These days, the Grade 5 students are preparing for their Exhibition. Our topic is Zero Waste

Lifestyle

Before, during and after Exhibition, we will be creating a shop, in which we will sell

handmade soap, bamboo toothbrushes, fabric bags and reusable straws.

To decorate our shop, we will use recycle material and display tips to work towards a zero

waste lifestyle. You will learn a lot in this shop. You will come out feeling very strongly about

trash around world——how it will affect our life on Earth in the future. Actually, it is already

influencing our life. We will also introduce to you the 6Rs which you may have never heard of.

Don’t forget to visit. The shop will be inside the small house outside the library. Hope to see

you there.

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Are you worried about over packaging?

Hi! We are over packaging exhibition group from 5E.Over packaging means that using too much packaging ononly one thing, like a pen wrapped with a paper box,then a piece of plastic, then foam and at last anotherlayer of delivery box. But if we recycle them and thenchange it into another thing or another box, that wouldreduce the waste.You can help by bringing in delivery boxes. We need tocollect some delivery packaging. If you return one smalldelivery box you will get 3 house points. If you returnone big box you’ll get 5 house points. We appreciateany delivery boxes you bring. You can put the deliverybox in the dot house/Chinese house outside of MsKelly’s office.Did you know that on 11/11, a massive amount ofpackaging is used? The tape used on that ONE day canapproximately go from the Earth to the Moon. The tapeused in 2016 - 2017 equals to 1000 equators. Also,delivery packaging takes a lot of time to decompose.Paper boxes take 2-3 years to decompose, while thetape taking hundreds of years.It is also a big waste of materials, cardboard is made from trees, and every 20 boxes we save can save one tree. All of the packaging we collect will be donated to a company called 废品哥, who recycle all the delivery boxes.

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To celebrate Earth Day, the SUIS Eco Committee ActionClub will organize a series of activities on Friday, April20th. First, the students will be invited to bring their ownlunch to school, in eco-friendly reusable containers.They will be reminded not to bring single use plasticwrappers on juice boxes. Weather permitting, studentswill eat lunch outdoors with their classmates, in afriendly picnic atmosphere. The weather getting hotter,students could perhaps bring a hat and perhaps somesunscreen. Finally, students are encouraged to bring outthe plant they have been growing over the past weeks.We’re sure they would enjoy eating lunch together!

During the lunch break, There will be tables were thecommittee members will sell a variety of seeds andplants, will do face painting, and will showcase and sellcrafts and games made from reused materials. Theseactivities are organized by the students, with the aim toeducate fellow school mates in ways to act responsiblyfor the environment. The money gathered will bedonated to The Million Tree Project.

After lunch break, students will take part in classroomactivities. They might decorate their own flower potsand plant seeds to bring back home, or they coulddecorate their own reusable shopping bag. or they evencould make their own bowl out of paper maché.

One thing for sure; this will be a Day to Remember!

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SUIS Gubei News

SUIS Gubei proudly present Zhuolu

April brings us yet another historical epic stage production that pulls together the best of Eastern and Western cultural traditions. Based upon the tragic story of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus we journey back to ancient China and through the eyes of Confucius explore the ill-fated General Chou Ma, the Battle of Zhuolu and his clash with the legendary Chi-You. In a celebration of the schools East meets West philosophy the story is told in both Chinese and the original Shakespearean language. It encapsulates and celebrates traditional aspects of classical Shi’Jing poetry, dance and music whilst exploring the nature of power and the concept of Dao through Confucian thought and the twist of Shakespearean language. We are very proud that the entire production has been created in house and on site by the multi talented students and staff of SUIS Gubei. Most of the production elements, small scene direction, publicity and acting were created directly the talented students of the LAMDA Drama course. All music has been arranged, composed and will be performed live by solo artists and ensembles. Thursday 19th & Friday 20th April will be open to all students and audience. Saturday 21st will be our first red carpet gala night for adults only. Tickets will be available from both SUIS Gubei & HongQiao compuses after the Qing Ming Festival.