Last week, students at Yew Chung International School of Beijing celebrated the end of the academic year through our annual Enrichment Weeks.

This year’s activities and games kickstarted with students from Years 6-8 partaking in House Spirit Activities where teams competed in House games to promote team spirit and collaboration,  core principles of YCIS Beijing.

Students were also challenged to take risks and explore activities never tried before by signing up to Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) which included Board Games, Cross Stitch, Chess, Dissection Fun and Volleyball for boys.

Some students took part in a special programme of activities, such as G100 Carnival, which year 6-8 students were entrusted with designing and eventually hosting at the end of the second Enrichment Week. Obviously a student favourite, Year 6-8 students created for the carnival a variety of fun and challenging games for Year 1-5 students to take part in on our school’s main Playground. This year’s G100 theme differs from the preceding year’s G100 Talent Showcase where students had to showcase their talents and new skills before their peers.

The Great Wall Clean Up was another activity incorporating collaboration which forms part of our ethos and also aligns with the school’s Green Campus initiative which seeks to promote a “greener YCIS Beijing”. During Enrichment weeks, this was depicted through YCISBJ’s Lower Secondary students’ collaboration with The Beijing Hikers to clean up a portion of the Wild Great Wall. This initiative was guided by members of the Beijing hikers who led 94 students and nine teachers around two stretches of the Gubeikou Great Wall, where they gathered trash that had been left behind by others.

As every student’s participation was crucial in the success of Enrichment Week, our senior students from year 11 and 12 opted to get valuable work experience on their CVs, by completing a week-long internship of their choice, at a local business and complete a Group 4 Science Project in small teams, respectively.

The Year 12 project was themed around sustainability and the environment to fit the school’s definition of Global Citizenship under CARES;• Critically explores local and global issues• Acts for and believes in a better world• Respects and values all with compassion• Ensures equality, peace and sustainability• Senses a belonging to humankind

Students were spoiled for choice when it came to activities and games to take part in as Enrichment Week was bursting with activities.

Our inaugural Enrichment Week kicked off only last year, but YCIS Beijing students’ performance surpassed the preceding year’s based on our observation and according to Alana Martin, Y6-8 Learning Community Leader as she enthusiastically commented “The kids worked really hard on the carnival. I was really impressed. This year’s games were even better than last year.”

We hope all of our Secondary students enjoyed the last few weeks of the academic year. We look forward to celebrating their achievements in the end of year awards assemblies, and for our students to return to us after a relaxing summer break.