Concordia Chronicle

At Concordia, we believe that balance is integral to academic and general life success. From a mental wellness perspective, our school counselors and teachers work hard to build resilience in our students so that they have confidence in their ability to adapt to changes, persevere in the face of challenges, and learn new skills. Read More

When is it appropriate for adults to insert themselves in play? Isn’t play time an opportunity for children to explore their own curiosities and inquiries? These are two of the most frequent and important questions I hear from teachers and parents alike at Concordia Shanghai. Read More

Being a successful learner goes beyond academics. Successful individuals have strong emotional, social, and executive functioning skills that contribute to their academic, career, and general life success. Read More

It is within the classroom that creative learning and its ally, the skill of creativity, are blended together to provide learning experiences designed to address the needs of students to become transformational change agents within the context of their world.  Read More

Each autumn, cultures across the globe set aside time to show gratitude for our many blessings. In October, China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival, while South Korea celebrates Chuseok, and in November the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving. Read More

College visits allow students to gain perspective on the type of environment that would best suit their academic and personal interests. However, with many countries still reeling from the COVID pandemic, in-person school tours have become difficult, if not impossible.  Read More

Promoting independence children in the early years need plenty of parental help, the early childhood experts agree that kids are typically able to do more than many of us think. Read More

Family meetings are a wonderful way for families to enhance relationships, promote unity, teach family values; such as: work ethic, perseverance, kindness, spirituality, and other values that are important in your family. Family meetings keep families connected, increase self-esteem for children, and create a happier and close-knit home.  Read More

College application season can be a daunting period for high school seniors. So, it never hurts to get advice from those who have gone through the experience and lived to tell the tale. For this week’s Applying to College post, we caught up with a few of our Concordia Class of 2020 graduates to get their take on the college application process and find out what their campus life has been like so far.   Read More

As a result of the COVID pandemic, high school seniors are facing an unprecedented college application season. The landscape of universities around the world has changed, as well as the plans of many high school graduates and their families.  Well laid plans of two years ago have perhaps been thrown into question in light of current circumstances, leaving families to ask themselves where their students should apply to university?  Is it... Read More

Applying to college is typically on the mind of most students as soon as they enter high school (and for their parents it's likely much, much earlier). For many the anticipation of the college application process incites a fair amount of uncertainty. Therefore, we have enlisted the help of Patrick Love, one of our seasoned high school counselors to answer some commonly asked questions in the hopes that we might smooth the path on our... Read More

As educators, we strive to foster the love of reading and writing with the students in the classroom and to instill in each one a desire to become confident readers and writers. However, we also believe that parents play a vital role in providing students with daily literary interactions that cannot be provided in the classroom setting. Read More

What exactly makes a good story? Is it the sincerity of the prose? The memorable characters facing incredible circumstances? Or a beguiling beginning and a heart-felt ending? In the case of Meet Lana, a story by Concordia alumna Kelly Wu, the answer is all of the above. In this recently published book, Kelly (Class of 20) tells Lana’s life-changing story of love, strength and compassion. And here’s the twist: Lana’s story has the potential to... Read More

When it comes to American vs Chinese curriculums, the approaches to learning are vastly different.  Read More

According to the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, 85 percent of brain development occurs by the time a child reaches 3 years. As children grow, they need to learn specific activities that are important for development. For example, very young children begin to scoot and crawl for movement and while these activities are part of eventually learning to walk, they are also essential for brain development. Additionally, patterned... Read More

While most Chinese parents are familiar with the standards found in a traditional Chinese school, the culture found in an American classroom can seem wildly different. Understanding this difference is key when it comes to deciding which international school is most beneficial for your children.  Read More

Living in Shanghai, you may be familiar with the Chinese educational style. A Chinese school is vastly different from what a parent might see in American schools, and while both offer advantages and disadvantages, the latter is designed to benefit students looking to study post-secondary in the U.S. Read More

On the surface, it can appear as though Chinese and American education systems are as different as can be; where one focuses on rigidity and strictness, the other focuses on creativity and holistic pedagogy.  Read More