This is a short speech at the opening ceremony speech in the ECNUAS high school.
Dear students and colleagues (both in this room and online),
Welcome back to school!
I can feel the excitement in this hall. I also felt the excitement when I walked through corridors in the building this morning. It is the excitement of the first day of school.
COVID still sticks with us and continues making us many unpleasant troubles. We experienced the cancellation of part of the final exams last semester, now we have some students and teachers being quarantined at home due to a sudden COVID outbreak in Suzhou. However, these uncertainties and adversities have made us stronger and more resilient, we have learned good attitudes and strategies so we are able to better manage sudden and interruptive changes. The school is now open as scheduled, teaching and learning will be happening as usual even though some people will have to work online, many high-stake tests and exams are still waiting for us throughout this semester, our Grade 12 students will continue receiving university offers and will still graduate in June, and many new Grade 9 and Grade 10 students will still join us in the fall.
The second semester of each academic year is always the busiest one. I call this season the time of assessment. The attention of our students and teachers should shift to academic study and performance as the result of it will define students’ future. 9th Graders will face middle school graduation exams, some 10th Graders will take selected IGCSE exams, A-Level students will sit for AS exams or A-Level final global exams, IBDP students will complete their programme study and take the global examinations.
Therefore, each should set a higher goal for yourself as you must understand any effort and progress you make will lend you more advantage when you continue your study and career in future. You should also understand that you are not only working for yourself but also earning prides for your family, your teachers, as well as the school. Your parents, grandparents, your teachers, and I will be very proud of you if you prove yourself to be an excellent learner by the end of this season of academic performance.
To this end, the teachers in this room will support you wholeheartedly by giving you refined teaching in classrooms, more focused practice materials, and more individualized support if needed. Our teachers have the responsibility to help students achieve better academic results and we will hold teachers accountable on this. So, students must not be shy to reach out to teachers, to ask questions, or require more learning or practicing instructions. Our teachers should not reject any requests of this kind. I promise on behalf of the teachers who I trust will agree with me. If you want to learn, we will support.
There are a few new changes in relation to your study in the school. To being, the new Homework Policy describes responsibilities of teachers, students, and parents, outlines consequences of homework non-submission. The Vice Principal and Assistant Principal-Academic are leading its implementation. Evening study arrangement is changed too. Simply speaking Grade 11 and 12 will study in the main campus, while Grade 9 and 10 will stay in the high school. Students are required to study individually during the evening study, while team work should be finished between 4:30-6:00pm. The school bus schedule for boarding students is changed too. The Assistant Principal-Pastoral is on the top of these changes.
For the students in the beginning grade, you will see big change in the curriculum. Simply speaking, this grade will be re-grouped according to two different curriculum streams. Especially, for the one of the class, more internationalized courses will be added. We plan to start this change on two weeks after the beginning of the semester. Before it, we will have a students’ meeting and parents’ meeting to formally announce these changes. I am working on this agenda in collaboration with many teachers.
You will start using new lockers today, and rules of using the lockers have been circulated by the homeroom teachers. Also, you will also see 6 more upgraded classrooms with advanced technology installed. You must be excited because of these new changes.
Before I talk about the theme of February, I want to praise one exemplar student in Grade 11. This student continuously makes efforts in extra-curriculum academic study and contests, she earns a range of prizes for herself and for the school. Chuting (Tina) Qiu from G11X was successfully promoted in the highly competitive International Economics Olympic (IEO). She will continue her journey in this competition. Let us expect her further progress.
The theme of February is Balanced and Social Skills.
Balanced.
You understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for yourself and others.
In other words, you should strive to grow all aspects of you by taking all kinds of learning opportunities that the school provides.
Social skills.
You work collaboratively and effectively with others.
You learn and demonstrate a variety of skills such as listening skills, negotiation skills, leadership skills, conflict resolution skills, when you work with others.
Often, you will have to work with others, either in academic course work or in CAS clubs. Please be advised that you not only apply these skills but also develop them in team work. So, participation in more of these group activities can make you better.
Students, a new semester begins today and it is going to be a very busy and exciting semester. You should set up your mind and make a plan so that the time you spend during the semester will be more purposeful and productive.
I wish you all the best!
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