PAL Workshops
BCIS holds regular workshops known as Parents as Learners (PAL) Workshops on topics of general interest to parents. The sessions are led either by BCIS faculty members or guest experts.
Supporting Learning at Home - Karl Mejia, Petra Zerovnik, and Denise Sullivan
Date: January 15th
Time: 08:15-10:00
Venue: SS Library
Open to: SS Parents
Countless studies have shown that children who receive consistent, caring attention from their parents perform better in school and lead happier lives than those who don’t. Parents are children’s most influential teachers, role models, and guides. This presentation will advise the parents to stay involved with their children in positive ways through school, family activities, and daily conversation. Parents will also get tips on how to help their children organize their learning spaces and how to help them with organizational skills.
Parents as Language Partners - Eowyn Crisfield
Date: January 17th
Time: 08:30-09:30
Venue: ECC 4th floor
Open to: ECC Parents
Learn from our visiting expert on translanguaging, Eowyn Crisfield, on what it means to become bilingual, what are the challenges for your child and what you as a parent can do to support them along the way.
Parenting using Positive Discipline - Debra Cota
Date: February 5th
Time: 08:30-09:30
Venue: ECC 4th floor
Open to: ECC Parents
This session is a follow-up from the session on Parenting in the 21st Century. This workshop will allow you as a parent to dive deeper into understanding how to recognize your child’s coded messages and what you as a parent can do to support behavioral change in your child.
Mathematics: Empathy to Impact - Sara Glenn and Jane Farrelly
Date: February 13th
Time: 08:15-10:00
Venue: SS Library
Open to: Grade 6 to 8 Parents
Communicating mathematical reasoning to approach problem solving in order to support our passions, big ideas, and the things we truly care about. How do we support the learning process and our student’s social emotional learning, as they delve into complex issues and share their feelings about things that matter?
Book Brief on Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids, by Susan Cain - Kelly Flanagan
Date: February 27th
Time: 08:15-10:00
Venue: SS Library
Open to: All Parents
Learn how to support your introverted child (someone who gets their energy from within themselves, not their surrounding environment) as they use their strengths to grow and succeed.
Be Happy - Reed Rhodes and Jack Zu
Date: March 5th
Time: 08:30-09:30
Venue: ECC 4th floor
Open to: ECC & ES Parents
The new field of Positive Psychology has shown us that there are many ways to be happy and to enhance our well-being. First, we can increase our positive emotions about the past by reflecting on good things that happen each day. Next, we can increase our positive emotions about the present by savoring positive experiences and by practicing daily mindfulness. After that, we can use our signature strengths to become fully engaged in activities, as well as to achieve goals we have set. Lastly, we can enhance our relationships by practicing active and constructive responding when someone shares good news with us.
MacBook 101 – learn how to use the tools your child uses at school - Ashley Heath and Alex Davies
Date: March 6th
Time: 09:50 -10:30
Venue: MakerSpace
Open to: G3-5 Parents
Introduction to MYP Individuals and Societies - Elaine Chen (Bi-lingual Presentation)
Date: March 12th
Time: 08:15-10:00
Venue: SS Library
Open to: Grade 5 to 10 Parents
What is the Individuals and Societies in the Middle Years Programme? What are some differences in this class to subjects like history and geography in the Chinese local school system? What are some concepts and topics we study in this subject at BCIS? How is learning assessed?
Chinese Learning in the ECC - Dan Zhu and Cathy Chen
Date: March 18th
Time: 08:30-09:30
Venue: ECC 4th floor
Open to: ECC Parents
Learning about how Chinese language skills and awareness of Chinese culture are developed at the ECC, through the IBPYP units of inquiry and the integration of different subjects, such as music, movement, visual arts, etc.
Why are specialist classes so important to your child’s education? - ES Specialist Teachers
Date: March 18th
Time: 08:45 -10:30
Venue: ID Gallery
Open to: ES Parents
Education Symbiosis: Concepts and Projects - Catlin Adams and Jeff Alvarez
Date: March 24th
Time: 08:15-10:00
Venue: SS Library
Open to: Grade 5 to 10 Parents
Concepts and projects run parallel in the MYP classroom learning model here at BCIS. Understanding big concepts is strengthened through the lens of a project and similarly the project is improved through the underlying concepts of a unit. This topic will be discussed through the lens of Science and Humanities and how they run projects within the classroom.
Pre-writing skills: The physical journey of a mark maker to writing readiness - Hannah Douglas
Date: April 8th
Time: 08:30-09:30
Venue: ECC 4th floor
Open to: ECC Parents
Pre-writing skills are fundamental for children to develop before they can write. In this workshop, we’ll follow the physical journey looking at how children use their body to aid early mark making with a sequence of muscle movements tracking from birth to 6 years. Focusing on gross and fine motor movement development, with real classroom examples and activities to understand how your child is supported for these developments at the ECC and ideas for you to try at home, we will allow children to give meaning, life and color to their world in words and symbols!
International Mindedness – David Whitmarsh;
Date: April 23rd
Time: 08:40-10:15
Venue: ID Gallery
Open to: G3-5 Parents
Providing Healthy Routines for your Child - Kanako Hase
Date: May 6th
Time: 08:30-09:30
Venue: ECC 4th floor
Open to: ECC Parents
Feeding young children healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks whilst delivering suitable physical activities supports children’s growth and development. We all know this unfortunately these are rarely done on a regular basis. This workshop will help you to understand the importance of healthy eating and exercise for young children and how it can be achieved by parents.
The Science of Happiness and the Parent Connection - Elle Mei and Jane Farrelly
Date: May 7th
Time: 08:15-10:00
Venue: SS Library
Open to: SS Parents
“If we push our kids to be successful now, then they can go on to be happy.” Is this commonly held belief true or fundamentally flawed? Does happiness come before or after success? This workshop explores the most recent scientific research about happiness and wellbeing. How can we support happiness, so our children are empowered to lead healthy, balanced and truly successful lives?
Celebrating Secondary Success – ISA Results & More - Jane Farrelly and Tanya Farrol
Date: May 14th
Time: 08:15-10:00
Venue: SS Library
Open to: SS Parents
At BCIS, we believe student well-being and happiness is at the foundation of all learning and success. This workshop welcomes you to a celebration of our Wellness program, where we aim to empower our students to learn more about themselves, so they have the capacity to face challenges and build resilience in an ever-changing world. We also look forward to sharing our 2019-2020 ISA results.
ISAs – Understanding the ISA tests and how these help us to support the Elementary School students in Grades 3-5 - Jose Tapia
Date: May 15th
Time: 09:50-10:30
Venue: SS Library
Open to: G3-5 Parents
Please note that PAL workshops are only open to BCIS parents (unless stated otherwise).
To register for PAL workshops, please contact your child’s school division secretary: