[PARENT ORGANISATION] Meet Our Western Co-President

We believe that a caring, close-knit community is an important piece of any healthy and supportive school environment. The Parent’s Organization, or PO for short, plays no small role in the cultivation of the school’s familial community. We spoke with Western Co-President Eike Westerholt on the value of the PO at YCIS Beijing and how it enriches the Beijing experience of students and their families.

Please introduce your family!

"My name is Eike Westerholt. I’m from Germany and have two children here at YCIS Beijing, Anna in Year 6 and Paula in Year 1. They’re starting their third year at YCIS Beijing and have been with the school since we moved here!

While this is the only city we’ve lived in in China, we’re not new to Asia; I’ve lived in Japan and Hong Kong in the past. We love Beijing, especially riding our bikes around the city and visiting the sites!"

What made you choose YCIS Beijing initially?

"When we first came to Beijing, we were looking for a school with a strong bilingual program. This was the major reason we chose YCIS Beijing; other schools only offer maybe an hour or two a week and their programmes aren’t very intensive. Since we’re guests here in the country, we thought it would be nice to be able to communicate in the local language! Not many schools have the level of involvement and commitment to Chinese language learning that YCIS Beijing does. The location of the school and where we live also gives us more of an opportunity to have a more authentic Beijing experience rather than living in an expat community outside of the city."

Why do you think the PO is so important? What can it offer to YCIS Beijing parents?

"The PO is a very important part of the school community because it’s a community within the school! It’s a valuable support network for all parents, especially newcomers to the city or the school. There are lots of social networks; no matter your personality type, you’ll instantly feel at home!

We also set up events and such for kids too which are nice, including ice cream for kids, the Christmas bazaar, and staff appreciation. It’s the cherry on top of the YCIS Beijing cake!"

To read more of our interview with Eike, please press "read more".