In the time of ringing out the old year and ringing in the Chinese new year of the Ox, students of SHSID welcomed a brand-new spring semester in an energetic, passionate, and vigorous spirit. On Feb 22th, 2021, the first day after the winter break, middle and primary school opening ceremonies took place on SHSID campuses.

Puxi Campus G1-3

G1-G3 students of SHSID Puxi campus have returned to the familiar campus as they begin their new journey of learning during the new semester. Given the requirements for pandemic prevention and control, grades 1-3 held their own unique and meaningful opening ceremony respectively on the morning of February 22.

These opening ceremonies kicked off in the grand auditorium of the primary section building, accompanied by some cheerful music and excited faces. First of all, each grade of students watched a Big-Events-Video, made by the talented teachers, to review and praise the online-offline learning experiences of the previous semester, as well as showcase every single moment of students’ growth. Afterwards, student representatives Anna and Jason from G1, Hannah and Ethan from G2, and Kingsley and Lan from G3, took the stage in their respective opening ceremonies to share their experiences and reflections of their learning at SHSID.

Ms. Bao, the middle and primary school vice principal, Ms. Miao, the middle and primary school principal assistant, and Ms. Zhang, the director of grades 1-3, also sent encouraging messages to the students for the new semester. Ms. Bao first shared her three favorite quotes, hoping that students can keep smiling, maintaining a positive attitude, and grow up in a cheerful environment. Ms. Zhang encouraged students to continue to maintain curiosity in their study and daily life, to explore more, to set smart goals for themselves, and take actions to achieve as much as they can. The subsequent “Twelve Stars” award announcement pushed the ceremony to a climax. There was a continuous applause when teachers read out each winner’s name. Such positive encouragement will make every student more motivated and more expectant in the new semester! The whole opening ceremony was full of joy and hope.

Puxi Campus G4-5

The G4-G5 opening ceremony started at 9:40 a.m. with videos highlighting the major events and activities of the previous semester. Students gazed fixedly at the video and applauded for the great moments. The pictures and videos recorded the small and precious moments on campus and witnessed the growth of the students.

In the opening ceremony, each grade invited one student representative to deliver a speech. Brian from class 4(4) shared several effective learning methods based on his learning experience. In his opinion, learning should not be reading item by item from the text; instead, learners improve through playing and applying knowledge in real-life situations. He also emphasized on the importance of time management and alternating work and rest. As the new student joining SHSID from the previous semester, Victoria from class 5(3) shared the exciting moments of the last semester and her learning tips. She was also looking forward to graduating from the primary school with all the other fifth grade students and start a new milestone.

Mr. Liu, the middle and primary school principal, and Ms. Chris, the director of grades 4-5, sent their best wishes to the students in the ceremony. Mr. Liu firstly welcomed students back. Then, he asked the students two questions to help them start the new semester right. The first question is “What do you expect from yourself this year?” He encouraged the students to consider the question and set a goal for themselves. After this, he guided the students to create a clear plan in order to achieve the goals by thinking about the question “Do I know how to achieve the goal step by step?” Ms. Chris reviewed the key events of the previous semester and encouraged students to develop and demonstrate the core values—GROW and GRADUATE. In the meantime, it is a critical time for grade 4 and 5 students, for the fifth graders will graduate from primary school and fourth graders will move up to the highest grade in the primary school. Ms. Chris provided several specific suggestions for the students, encouraging students to plan ahead, set a healthy mindset, be perseverant, and be a contributor to our community. Also, it was very exciting to have 14 new students join us this semester, and they were welcomed with great applause.

To celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, students and parents from grades 4-5 also shared new year wishes and blessings. Let’s take a look!

In the warm atmosphere, the school leaders and teachers awarded the excellent star champions, semester stars, star of caring, star of reading, star of arts, and other awardings to encourage students’ progress and hard work.

Students flipped a new page in the opening ceremony and started a new journey with a positive spirit.

Pudong Campus

With the blessing of the Lunar New Year, students came back to school after their wonderful winter holiday. On the morning of Feb 22nd, all the teachers and students of SHSID Pudong campus gathered together in the auditorium to have their opening ceremony for the new semester.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Ms. Liu, the director of Pudong campus, expressed her New Year wishes and expectations to all the students, encouraging them to continue their efforts and move forward bravely. Then, the representatives from Grade 1 to Grade 5 were invited to share their school life of the previous semester and set new goals for the coming days. With these wonderful memories about the previous semester, Ms. Atkinson and Mr. Rory randomly invited some students to share their resolutions about this new semester. After this was the most exciting part of the ceremony—Awards Ceremony! Semester stars were awarded to those who demonstrated their potential and efforts last semester. Students came to the stage and won not only prizes but also the respect of all the people in the auditorium.

The opening ceremony ended with an enthusiastic and positive atmosphere.

Puxi Campus G6-8

On February 22nd, students from middle school returned to campus and enjoyed their “牛（niu）Year Opening Ceremony” of the new semester.

“牛” (niu) symbolizes “Great!” in Chinese culture, as well as “hardworking”, “determined” etc.

The ceremony opened with three student representatives sharing their experiences of how to be “Great”. Firstly, Paris from 6(3) provides us with some efficient learning and time management methods. Maintaining concentration, setting OKR goals, effectively manage time available, and ensuring a good rest were suggested. Then Jerry from class 7(3) talked about “Teamwork makes the dream work” with his authentic personal experience of USAP competition. Harrison from 8(7) summarized his feelings about G8 school life: fantastic, colorful, and aspiring. He inspired us with his strong faith in success that teamwork, diligence, and confidence are necessary tools for the journey of Grade 8 .

After that, Principal Liu and Mr. Shen, the Director of Grades 6-8 shared their best wishes and expectations for every middle school student. Mr. Shen spoke highly of students’ amazing performance in last semester and encouraged students to pursue more both academically and morally. Subsequently, Mr. Liu introduced the symbol of “牛” （Niu）in Chinese culture and he guided the students to think about setting goals in school life.

The awarding ceremony was an exciting moment for students. Star Class and Star Students were honored to get their awards from the teachers. The middle school opening ceremony was a great start to students’ journey of learning and exploring.

As we usher in the year of the Ox, let us get set, look ahead, and work hard to make it an awesome semester. We wish every student of SHSID make more progress and new memories, and most importantly, enjoy the process.

(Written by Yong Chen, Dolphy Wang, Jenny Zhang, Wu Yin, Gu Jingyang, Chen Fan Pictures by Ginger, Xie Yuchen, Li Siying, Kang Nina)