The First Chinese Visiting Author for SAS is Coming soon!

尊敬的家长们：
我们很荣幸地邀请您参加中国著名儿童作家杨红樱于4月16日在上海美国学校浦西校区举行的一系列活动。作为中国第一畅销儿童文学作家，她的书深受广大青少年的喜爱。同时，她也是一位儿童教育专家。
届时，杨红樱将在本校举办两场精彩的演讲：
上午9:15-10:15 (LMC－高中演讲厅)
下午1：15—2：15 （PAC学校剧场）
上午活动中杨红樱将接受学生的采访，并且与学生、家长们分享她的写作经验。
下午主题为分享她的畅销书《马小跳》和《笑猫日
记》背后的故事。讲座后，还会举行签名售书活动。
我们诚邀您参加此次讲座。
此致
敬礼！
上海美国学校中文部

Dear Parents,
It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in the presentation of the famous children’s author: Yang Hongying on April 16 at Shanghai American School, Puxi Campus. There will be a series of activities held on that day. As China’s best-selling author in children’s literature, her books are popular among children. Yang Hongying will hold two lectures for MS students and parents at 9：15－10：15 in LMC, 1:15—2:15 in the PAC about her best sellers, which include: Ma Xiaotiao—the Naughty Boy and The Smiling Cat Diary. She will share the stories behind her books. Before the lecture, between 12:00 and 1:00 you can purchase her books in the cafeteria. If you are interested in this event, we hope you will join us.

Best Regards,

SAS Chinese Department
April 9, 2013

杨红樱作品集

Book Title (Chinese) Book Title (English) Price
(RMB/set) Price
(RMB/book)
杨红樱注音童书系列(一套24本) Pinyin Story of Yang Hong Ying
（24 books/set) 149.00 17.00
淘气包马小跳(一套20本) Ma Xiaotiao– the Naughty Boy series
（20 books/set) 276.00 15.00
瞧，这帮淘小子 Books For Boys 20.00 20.00
瞧，这帮俏丫头 Books For Girls 20.00 15.00
笑猫日记(一套16本) The smiling cat diary （16 books/set) 225.00 15.00
杨红樱非常系列（1套8本） Special edition about Yang Hong Ying（8 books/set) 70.00 14.00
杨红樱画本校园童话套装(12本) Campus Tales （12books/set)
105.00 18.00

For more information, please visit Yang Hongying’s Websites:

http://www.yanghongying.com/

http://www.womenofchina.cn/html/node/112458-1.htm

Dear Parents,

I want to personally thank those parents who have already taken the time to fill out my annual parent-to-teacher survey. Those of you who have not had a chance to complete the survey yet have until March 18, 2013 to do so.

As you know the survey is an important part of the SAS Performance Evaluation Program, which annually engages me, with my supervisor, in a meaningful, respectful, and reflective process that supports the continuing professional development of our faculty.

This year, based on a review of the teacher evaluation program, we have made a few changes to the survey process based on feedback from our parent and teacher communities. These changes are designed to enhance follow-up, reflection, and confidentiality, while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.

Follow-up and Reflection
One key change to the survey process this year is that feedback provided by the parent community will be forwarded directly to my supervising administrator. I have in the past shared this information with my administrators, but this now is more formalized.

Professionalism and Confidentiality
I want to assure you that I am professionally committed to ensuring complete confidentiality for all parties. The SAS standard related to professionalism requires that all of our employees adhere to professional ethical standards, communicate effectively, and foster positive relationships with the community. Please be assured I will, as a member of the SAS professional community, will process the feedback with a high degree of professionalism and respect the confidentiality of the survey.

Taking the Survey
To take the survey, go to the Power School log in page at: http://powerschool.saschina.org/ and sign onto your parent portal.

Click on this icon on the left side of the homepage to begin the process. Please take the time to complete a survey for each one of your children’s teachers.

The survey will be open from February 22, 2013 to March 18, 2013.

Thank you in advance for your feedback and your assistance in helping me improve as an educator and professional.

Sincerely,

Serena Xia

THINGS THAT STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW

ABOUT HOMEWORK
1. Students are responsible for checking Moodle, and email on a regular basis. Assignments should be completed the night they are assigned so that technical problems that may occur can be remedied and the assignment can be completed.
2. Students are responsible for seeking assistance for technical problems through the Mac Care Center. Technical problems cannot be used as excuse for incomplete or missing assignments.
3. The homework is not limited to written work, it can also be reading, online work, research or oral practice, etc.
4. If a student is absent, he/she will have as many as days to make up the work he/she missed (you missed one Chinese class, you have one extra Chinese class to show me the work). It is student’s responsibility to see teachers for the work he/she has missed.
5. For homework that needed to print out, do print them at home or during your breaks before class starts.
6. Although homework will not account as part of your final grade, but will effect your SLP if homework turned late or unfinished.
7. Parents will be contacted once you have more than three unfinished or late homework for each trimester.

ABOUT POPQUIZ / QUIZ / REQUIZ / TEST
1. Quizzes will reflect what you have learned in class and how well you have practiced at home.
2. Students should expect to have quiz every week. Some quizzes are related to homework, some are related to class learning.
3. Students will have both announced and unannounced quizzes through the year. It is the student’s responsibility to be prepared for unannounced quizzes.
4. UNIT TEST will be announced at least two weeks ahead, and will give at least one class time for review and question if needed.
5. There is NO RE-TEST.
6. When you come to make an appointment for your re-quiz, please bring all your corrections, extra practice worksheets if there is any, as well as finished homework that you missed before. Without the papers mentioned above, you will not able to make an appointment for your re-quiz.
7. Students will have only 5 re-quizzes per trimester and all re-quizzes must be done two weeks before each trimester ends.
ABOUT EXTRA HELP
1. Students are encouraged to communicate with their teachers regarding their homework progress. They can also find a homework buddy to help them brainstorm ideas for homework.
2. If there are more than 5 grades on the powerschool grade book, and your average is below 70%, students are suggested to arrange a tutoring session with a Chinese teacher after school for each week until grade moves above to 70%.
3. Students are welcome to ask for any extra help during their lunchtime, or after school.

ABOUT EMAILS
1. email for students: ms.xia@sasstudent.org
2. email for parents: serena.xia@saschina.org
3. Each student is responsible to check email daily for any announcements, and also responsible to work out technical problems if they occur, and these should not be used as an excuse.

ABOUT GRADES (Powerschool)

Speaking and Listening – answer questions in class, daily conversation, acting out, retell story, listen to story and answer questions, pronunciation and intonation, finish the dialogue, presentation, debate, etc.

Writing – making sentences, writing story, make story more detailed, rewrite story, summarizing the story, essay, report, etc.

Reading – read passages, questions and answer, multiple choices, change phrases, fill in the blank, put sentences in order, etc

Foundations – recognize characters, memorize characters, Pinyin, measure words, making phrases, distinguishing Homophone, meaning of radical, etc

Test and Project – poster, book report, imovie, research, etc.

Grading Policy

Listening and speaking 15%
Reading 20%
Writing 20%
Characters, vocabulary and sentence 25%
Tests & projects 20%

CL1 Course Overview:
This course is designed to students who have successfully completed Chinese Literature level 0 course or have reached the equivalent intermediate skill level. The topics will cover Family, Friends, Chinese festivals celebrations and Healthy eating. At the end of school year, students are able to handle variety of communicative tasks with ease and confidence. They are able to participate in conversations and give short presentations on learned topics. They can understand main ideas, facts and many supporting details of convectional narrative and descriptive texts. They will develop their writing skills by constructing well-composed sentences, and learn to write descriptive essays and stories to enhance their creativity and skills in composition related to everyday events and situations. Students will also be able to demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the intercultural elements related to the topics learned.

CL0 Course Overview:
This course is designed to assist students to have a smoother transition from learning Chinese as a foreign language to improving their Chinese literacy skills. The topics will cover School events, Food, Festivals, Neighborhood and Travelling. At the end of the school year, the students are able to handle successfully a variety of uncomplicated tasks and social situations requiring an exchange of basic information related to learned topic. They can narrate a story and describe in all tenses using connected discourse of paragraph length, but not all the time. They are able to understand fully and with ease non-complex texts that convey basic information with learned topics. Additionally, they can write compositions and simple summaries and describe in different time frames about everyday events and situations. Students will also be able to demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the intercultural elements related to the topics learned.

WELCOME TO THE 2012~2013 SCHOOL YEAR AT SHANGHAI AMERICAN SCHOOL. MY NAME IS SERENA. THIS IS MY SEVENTH YEAR IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. I’D LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BUSY AND PRODUCTIVE YEAR, FILLED WITH EXCITING LEARNING ACTIVITIES, SCHOOL EVENTS AND MORE. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR I WILL HELP EACH OF YOU TO MAKE PROGRESS IN CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO WORK WITH YOU THIS YEAR.
IN CHINESE CLASS, EVERYBODY IS EXPECTED TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THEMSELVES, OTHERS, TIME AND SCHOOL PROPERTY AT ALL TIMES TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR BEST EFFORT IN COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS, PARTICIPATING IN DISCUSSIONS AND ACTIVITIES, AND PERFORMING TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITIES. ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL RULES DESCRIBED IN THE STUDENT AGENDA BOOK APPLY IN THE CLASSROOM.
STUDENT SHOULD EXPECT TO HAVE CHINESE HOMEWORK AFTER EACH CHINESE CLASS. THE HOMEWORK IS NOT LIMITED TO WRITTEN WORK; IT CAN ALSO BE LISTENING AND SPEAKING PRACTICE, AND SOMETIMES READING OR SINGING. IT IS EXPECTED THAT HOMEWORK BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT CHINESE CLASS. STUDENTS ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE TO WORK OUT TECHNICAL PROBLEMS IF THEY OCCUR, AND THESE SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR NOT FINISHING ASSIGNMENTS.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL AT SERENA.XIA@SASCHINA.ORG (FOR PARENTS) OR MS.XIA@SASSTUDENT.ORG (FOR STUDENTS). YOU CAN ALSO COME TO SEE ME IN ROOM 132 AT YOUR CONVENIENCE.

Chinese Department – Learning Experiences Beyond the Classroom

SAS considers homework necessary for the development of successful independent learning behaviors. Homework is intended to support and extend in-school instruction and will not be used as an end in itself or for punishment.

We believe that time management is essential for long-term projects. Students should be discouraged from leaving work until the last minute. Students are encouraged to communicate with their teachers regarding their homework progress. They can also find a homework buddy to help them brainstorm ideas for homework.

The SAMS agenda states “When you do miss school, it is your responsibility to meet with the teachers of your missed classes to determine what work needs to be made up. You will be allowed the number of days you were absent, plus one more day, to make up the missed work. Be sure your parents call, or write a note, so that your absence is excused.”

We are here to support each student and we understand that extenuating circumstances may exist resulting in students being unable to complete their homework. In such circumstances, it is important for students to have their parents call or write a note of explanation and make-up assignments later.

Students are expected to have practice assignments to reinforce learning for each Chinese class. The practice assignments are not limited to written work; they can also be reading, online work, research or oral practice. Most of the practice assignments will not be graded for inclusion in the final grade, but the practice they provide is essential for student learning.

Students will have both announced and unannounced quizzes through the year. It is the student’s responsibility to be prepared for unannounced quizzes. Quizzes will reflect what you have learned in class and how well you have practiced at home. Grades will also include assignments that are finished independently in class as well as unit tests and a final exam at the end of each semester.

Students are responsible for checking their teacher’s blog on a regular basis. Assignments should be completed the night they are assigned so that technical problems that may occur can be remedied and the assignment can be completed. Students are responsible for seeking assistance for technical problems through the Mac Care Center. Technical problems cannot be used as an excuse for incomplete or missing assignments.

Important: extra credit will not be offered.