Recently, YWIES Yantai hosted a parents’ night for the parents of our Secondary students. The aim was to give information about the courses we offer at the school as well as provide details about class activities, homework and subject material. Another important reason for the night was to meet the teachers of all the subjects being taught, and for the new teachers, this was an opportunity to meet our students’ parents for the first time.

The evening was divided into two time frames: the earlier session from 5–6.15 p.m. was devoted to parents of students in the Lower Secondary while the later session from 6.30–8 p.m. was scheduled for parents with students in the Upper Secondary. This latter group was also offered a short presentation about university entrance requirements and the services offered by the University Guidance Officers at our school. The environment was warm and relaxed with a lot of parents making the most out of this occasion not only to meet new teachers, but also make contact with other parents. A room set aside for hot drinks and snacks was also a welcome part of the evening as it served as an ideal venue for parent-teacher discussions and meeting new and old friends.

Subject teachers presented material about the courses they teach with PowerPoint slides and photos as well as translations offered as handouts in English, Chinese and Korean so that each parent could follow the presentations. Student volunteers also assisted the teachers with translations in the parents’ native languages so that they could follow the points being made by the teachers. Naturally, this proved to be a very big help for us.

We would like to extend our thanks to all the parents who attended this subject presentation evening. We appreciate the time and interest you have given to the education of your sons and daughters. Of course, our teachers and student translators also gave valuable input into our parents’ night. See you all again at our next parent-teacher evening!

Chris Denher
Head of Secondary
Academics