Dear Parents,
It is a bittersweet time, the last week of school before the summer break. The atmosphere is buzzing, and students and teachers are looking forward to a much-needed rest. Travel plans are in full effect, and the excitement is palpable.
What also comes with being a part of an international community is having to say goodbye to many cherished students, their families, and teachers. So, before I begin my final letter of this academic year, I would like to first extend my heartfelt gratitude to those families who will be leaving XLIS at the end of this semester. We are thankful that you trusted us with your children and that you were a part of our community, whether just for a year or for many years. I wish you well on your next chapter and hope that your child is taking many wonderful memories along with them.
In today’s email, I would like to highlight the importance of summer reading and offer a warning about a “toy squishy” that we hope you can avoid.
The Importance of Reading in the Summer
Of course, we understand that the summer holiday is a time for our students to rest and recharge, and to enjoy the days with a little less urgency to wake up early and adhere to a structured schedule like at school. As educators, we do see a difference in students who maintain reading habits throughout the summer and those who do not. Therefore, we highly encourage you to support your child in keeping up with reading over the summer holiday.
This can be challenging, as a mother of three children, I know! The screens, video games, movies, and ‘social media influencers’ are calling our children. How can we help them read without forcing them and resulting in them hating it?
If you are a parent of a student under P3, read together! Find some new books that your child is interested in and spend time together reading, talking about the story, and enjoying the time in each other’s company.
For older children, I encourage you to visit a bookstore together and for each family member (parents included!) choose 2 books that you would like to read this summer. Create a goal to finish your first book by a certain date, and then have a family book talk! What did you like about the book? Who was your favourite character and why? If you could change the ending, what would it be? The most important thing is to model for your children that reading can be fun, it can be a family experience, and it can bring you all together!
Squishy toy – Natasha Doll
Recently, there have been social media videos surfacing of a ‘stress reliever’ doll, called a “Natasha Doll” which influencers are videoing themselves being very violent against. Unlike your normal “squishy” toy, it is being punched, mutilated, and thrown against walls, etc. Although the toy is available in 4 ‘colours’, the dark-skinned one seems to be used the most in videos online. Due to the online promotion of violence against infants and possibly people of colour, we are strictly prohibiting students from bringing such toys to school. I don’t believe any of our students would think of using the toy in this way, or understand the ways it is being promoted online, but we do not want to contribute to its popularity.
I would appreciate it if parents could refrain from purchasing this toy for their child. If they already have one, please remind your child that they should not bring any toys to school, especially this particular doll. If a teacher sees a student with one, they will just keep it to the end of the day, return it to the child, and remind them to keep it at home.
Last Week of School!
This week, we are busy getting the final report cards ready to send to you on the last day of school. Several classes will have parties, and many will also have a “water play” time on the field. We hope to make many lasting memories for the students before we send them along for the holidays.
Our 2025-2026 XLIS Yearbook is also available for purchase this week. It is 100 RMB, and students may bring cash or use their student lunch card to purchase it. It is a beautiful representation of the XLIS community and all of the amazing things that happen within the school year.
So, on that note, I will wrap up my final letter of this year. I wish you all a wonderful holiday and safe travels for those of you who will venture off. I look forward to welcoming most of you back on Thursday, August 14th for our Community Day (when you get to find out your child’s new class!).
Please reach out to let me know how your child has enjoyed their year (and remember to include your child’s name so I know who I am communicating with).
Sincerely,
Marly Song
Primary Principal
Email: marly.song@xalis.com
WeChat: principal_marly
