Weekly Bulletin
Learn more about our inclusive learning community and what's going on at NIS.
All School
All School Weekly Bulletin | September 17, 2021
Key Event Date Changes
Please see the changes to impacted event dates due to COVID related factors below:
- The Grade 4 Soccer Trip to Shanghai on September 22 -23 has been cancelled.
- The NIS Volleyball Invitational on September 25 has been cancelled.
- Grade 3-10 MAP Testing will now take place on October 18-29
- NIS Book Week will now take place November 22-25
- Semester One will now finish on January 14, 2022
- Semester Two will now begin on January 17, 2022
- The Secondary Production of “Wizard of Oz” will now take place February 24-25, 2022
- Grade 6-11 Discover China: TBD
Additional date changes will be communicated in October via an updated NIS calendar.
NIS Attendance Notification Procedures for Parents/Guardians
What do you do if your child is absent, late, or needs an early dismissal?
NIS Attendance Notification Procedures 中文 | 한국어
Next Week's AdenEdge Lunch Menus
(September 20-24)
Click here for information and instructions for the AdenEdge WeChat mini-program, which can be used to review meal card consumption and refill your balance. The meal card chip ID number has been shared with each parent by the catering team via email. If you have any questions regarding catering offerings, please contact the site catering team by email at aden@nanjing-school.com.
All balanced money left on Chartwell cards will be transferred onto the new AdenEdge lunch cards.
Additional information about AdenEdge can be found on their website.
Returning Summer Library Books
Parents can return summer library books either to the guards or by putting a few books at a time in your child’s backpack. Please email Mrs. Romero at angelaromero@nanjing-school.com with any questions.
School Year 2021/2022 Front Office Schedule
With additional responsibilities and changed layout, please see the revised School Year 2021/2022 Front Office Work Schedule and Procedures.
Operating Hours
School Weeks:
The Centre Front Desk:
- Monday to Friday: 7:30am-6:30pm
- Saturday: 8am-4pm
Main Building Reception:
- Tuesday to Friday 2-4pm
Photocopying and Printing:
- Submitted work will be completed in 5 working days.
Mail & Packages:
1:30-2pm daily, delivery to the Mail Room
Holiday Weeks:
The Centre Front Desk:
- Monday to Friday: 8am-4pm
Information Updates in Veracross
Please ensure that your family's passport and contact information is up to date in Veracross. For guides on how to check and update this information in Veracross, please refer to the links below:
For more information on Veracross, please visit this page, or contact it-help@nanjing-school.com.
How to Use Sora for E-books and Audiobooks
Sora is a reading and listening app from Overdrive. It can be used on computers, tablets, and phones. Take a look at how to use this great resource and start reading!
Please note: Sora currently needs a VPN to login, search, and download a book.
NIS Library
Vidigami at NIS
All of our NIS school photos are available on our sharing system, Vidigami. Vidigami is a world-leading private social platform exclusively designed for schools.
For new parents and those who need a refresher on the system, please watch the videos below. New parents will get their logins emailed to them in the coming weeks. If you do not see an invitation in inbox by the end of the month, please check your spam folder. If you have not received an email, please contact wickychen@nanjing-school.com.
About Vidigami and Getting Started
Using Vidigami Training
Primary School
Primary School Weekly Bulletin | September 17, 2021
From our Primary School Principal
Dear Parents,
What a difference a week makes! Our first week on campus, and the smiles, joy, and playfulness of students is special to be around. Thank you for having all the necessary documentation ready for entrance on Monday and throughout the week for those students who still had to wait a few days for their arrival.
This morning we celebrated our week back on campus with a Primary Assembly in the theatre. Ms. Heidi brought us together with our usual sing-alongs, and a piano performance from one of our K2 students. Lion showed up on stage as well to help Mr. Lee raise our school spirit and announce the start of next week’s House Challenge.
Next Wednesday the 22nd at 9:00 am we will host a Primary Parent Forum. Topics on the agenda will include understanding approaches to supporting student learning needs and looking ahead to 3-Way Conferences. Please click here on Wednesday morning to access the forum.
During this morning’s assembly We also took some time to recognize the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival through the story, Thanking the Moon by Grace Lin. You can ask your child to share more about Lion’s interest in the story. The book offers poetic insight into family togetherness and the serenity of simply things we can be grateful for. The theme is timely as we are appreciating our togetherness at school.
海上升明月，天涯共此时。
Family members near and far enjoy their time together sharing the moonrise over the sea.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you and your family!
Adam Dodge
Primary Principal
Primary School Variety Show
Friday, October 15, 2021
8:10am
NIS Theatre
Performing Arts Centre
This event will be livestreamed.
A huge well done to all of the students who auditioned for the Primary School Variety Show.
The Primary audition committee were very impressed with the confidence and creativity shown in the audition videos submitted during online learning and would like to congratulate all of you for being such fantastic risk-takers.
All students that have auditioned found out today, Friday, September 17, whether or not they have got into the Variety Show. The running order will be posted in the upcoming week on the Performing Arts edublog here.
TumbleBooks: E-books for E-kids!
TumbleBooks has over 250 animated, talking picture books, as well as read-along chapter books and nonfiction books. Most of the books are in English, but there are a few in Spanish and French.
Download the app or click here to access Tumblebooks.
Login: nanjing
Password: books
Contact nislibrary@nanjing-school.com with any questions.
Secondary School
Secondary School Weekly Bulletin | September 17, 2021
From our Secondary Principal
Students and teachers in Secondary have been adapting to the benefits of the new schedule this week. Students now arrive in school and go directly to their block one classes. The teachers in those classes take the attendance at 8am and then starts their class. This new way of beginning school has given us a crisp start to the day and an immediate focus on the learning in the classrooms. Advisory is now placed in the centre of the day, giving this keystone programme protected time each day. Students are supported to make meaningful connections with each other, develop relationships with their teachers and feel welcome and comfortable at school. This emphasis on wellbeing gives students the confidence to learn effectively in their classes.
The second of our series of talks called “Secondary Presents” is on Thursday, September 23, at 9am. Grade 6-10 parents are invited to join me as I introduce the MYP, including the principles behind the framework, the methods of teaching and learning and the approach to assessment.
Have a great week!
Ruth Clarke
Secondary Principal
Grade 10 Personal Project Information Session for Parents Recording Available!
Learn what the MYP Personal Project in Grade 10 is and how you can support your child in this exciting and extended process.
See our Grade 10 Student Personal Project Goals
Parent Resources from the IB
Activities
Activities Weekly Bulletin | September 17, 2021
Student Activities
Sign-ups for Cycle 2 activities has been changed to October 11.
Cycle 2 activities will begin on October 18.
Please check Veracross regularly for updates in our Student Activities Program.
Please Update Your Student Travel Documentation on Veracross
The Activities Office is currently planning for 2021 Discover China Week for all students in Grades 5-12. In order to plan these trips, it is essential to have the students’ current travel information soonest possible. We have the documentation from previous years. If a new passport, visa or ID card has been issued since May 28, 2021, please send us photos and if needed, please update Veracross. Please note our emails are limited to 5 MB attachments; you may send them to us privately via WeChat.
Please click here for a step-by-step guide on updating your travel documentation.
Sports Teams News
We had two new sports teams start up their practices this week. On Tuesday, our older students picked up their Table Tennis bats again for the first time for over a year to begin their preparation for their SISAC tournament in Shanghai and their ACAMIS tournament in Beijing. Meanwhile, despite the start of the Senior CISSA football being delayed one week due to the vaccination roll out on Wednesday afternoon.
Our Junior CISSA footballers took to the field in large numbers to start their season on Wednesday. It was great to see so many of our younger student-athletes joining the football teams this year and we hope sincerely that they will be able to travel to Shanghai or Suzhou in November for their final CISSA tournament.
If you would like to sign up for any of these sports, you still have time – just go to the sign up page on Veracross and meet the team at the next practice.
Swimming News: Back in the Pool
NIS Sea Lions were delighted to be back in the pool swimming!
We would like to welcome Alessandro, Paolo, Agatha, Leonie, and Claire into the NIS Swim team.
Coach Beck had her first appearance today on the pool deck. We are happy to have her support our swim team!
Swimming lessons are also back on schedule.
Our students worked on body position and body balance as a start of the lesson.
Music News: Chinese Drumming Update
We've had a great start to the drumming season. The mirrored wall in the Music Ensemble Room is fantastic when checking hand positions for our choreography. Soon you can keep an eye out for us at hosted events, assemblies, and (of course), Lunar New Year!
The Wizard of Oz: Auditions in September!
This year's Secondary School Production, The Wizard of Oz, has been postponed until February 24 and 25. Auditions begin on September 22!