Last week, Yew Chung International School of Beijing’s Parent Organisation held a Welcome Tea for new and returning parents. We speak to PO Secretary Wiwin Ng about the tea, the role of the PO – and a bit about herself too!

Please introduce yourself

I am Wiwin Ng. I’m originally from Indonesia but I have also lived in Singapore, the United States and most recently, Beijing. I’ve been in Beijing on and off for 10 years now, where my husband is a consultant.

We have three children – Avery in Year 2, Arya in Year 1 and two-year-old Aidan who isn’t at school yet. Avery and Arya both joined YCIS Beijing at the beginning of last school year, and I became PO Secretary in February this year.

Please explain the purpose of the PO Welcome Tea that happened last week

Last week the PO put on a morning tea in the auditorium for all YCIS Beijing parents. The event had a few purposes:

Firstly, we wanted to connect old and new parents with each other – especially with so many new families joining this year. Other parents are one of the most valuable sources of information for families moving here for the first time.

Secondly, we wanted to introduce the school’s student support team, including the new school counsellor Ms Rachel George. It’s good for parents to understand the support that’s on offer for their children – and feel that they can approach these members of staff too.

Thirdly, we wanted to clarify the various communication channels that are available to parents and explain the best ways for them to get in touch with the school depending on the nature of their query or concern.

And finally, we wanted to introduce the PO, our members, explain our role in the school and encourage parents to sign up and get involved with our activities and events!

What does the PO at YCIS Beijing do?

Our role is quite varied but can be split into a few main categories. A key focus of the PO is community. We bring parents closer together through regular lunches (at restaurants, at school or cooked by us), community events such as Global Community Day, and activities such as the upcoming mooncake-making class, painting classes, calligraphy classes and parent workshops.

Another important role of the PO is charity. We strive to raise money for Seeds of Hope through annual events such as the PO Charity Gala and the Christmas Bazaar.

We also assist the school and teachers. This might be by organising on the Zero Waste Month to compliment the “Sustainability and the Environment” topic. We sometimes step in to offer teaching support and class support (a few of our members are qualified teachers and linguists). We are also present at events such as Sports Day and Tuesday’s Cross Country – helping with organisation and handing out snacks to hungry students!

Why did you decide to join the PO as Secretary?

My first PO event was the mooncake-making class this time last year. I loved the class and meeting the other parents. After that, I found myself being more and more involved with other PO activities and, in January, I was asked if I would like to be secretary. I’m glad I said yes!

What is your favourite thing about being part of the PO?

The best thing has got to be the friendship and camaraderie. We are a very supportive group. I also really love the way that we help other families out. Parents come to us with all sorts of questions, from summer holiday entertainment to restaurant recommendations. We’re a real support network.

How can other parents get involved?

We have an active PO WeChat group that everyone is welcome to join. Here we post upcoming events and invite parents to get involved. If you want to help out at just one event during the year that’s absolutely fine. Equally, some parents want to be involved every time. Any amount of help is appreciated!

Tonight (Friday 14^th September) we will be at the Welcome BBQ with a PO stand. Please come and chat to us then if you would like more information on how to be involved. It’s going to be an exciting year with many new faces and an ever-expanding PO body!

For more info and to join the PO WeChat group, please add Wiwin on WeChat (Wiwin_Ng).