On the afternoon of March 5, 2025, ninth-grade students once again welcomed the CAS course, with this event themed around the final presentation of the Freshman Project. From September 2024 to March 2025, under the guidance of their House Mentors, the ninth-grade students engaged in four months of discussions, research, and revisions, ultimately completing their high school freshman projects and presenting them collectively this afternoon.

The theme of this year's Freshman Project continued to explore "Who Are We at SHSID," aiming to delve into students' identities and values within the school community. Prior to this, ninth-grade students voted to select the top twenty projects, which advanced to the final evaluation stage. Today, these twenty groups confidently and calmly presented their project outcomes at their respective "booths" in the B1 hall of the Zhongxing Building. The hall was bustling with activity, creating an atmosphere of academic and creative exchange.

The Creative Writing Group vividly depicted the story of a freshman through various media forms. They crafted not only poetry and scripts but also meticulously illustrated picture books and produced animations, showcasing their rich artistic expression. The Easy A-Skincare group conducted a survey on students' skincare habits and developed a hand cream, reflecting a blend of science and practicality. The Nutrition Essentials for High Schoolers and Sample Meals conducted an in-depth investigation into the nutritional content of students’ lunches. They created two models: one simulating a healthy eating pyramid and the other exemplifying a balanced meal, offering valuable insights into campus dietary health.

The Impact of Music on SHSID Students group demonstrated unique insights into the role of music in students' lives. By distributing questionnaires, they explored the frequency, scenarios, and happiness derived from listening to music, revealing the significant effect of music on students' daily experiences.

Some groups leveraged the school's current conditions and their strengths to propose constructive solutions. For instance, one group suggested optimizing the meal-ordering system by advocating for online pre-ordering to save time and effort. Another group developed a WeChat mini-program that calculates the shortest routes across campus, providing convenience for students' daily commutes. Additionally, one group focused on the campus cats, documenting their living conditions in detail and proposing improvements to their environment. Another group directed their attention to the diverse bird population on campus. After surveying students' interest in bird feeding, they crafted two bird feeders and educated others on the types of bird food and feeders, showcasing their love for nature.

Other groups pursued creative projects aligned with their personal interests. For example, the "历史上的戏精们" group investigated and shared insights on controversial historical figures, offering fresh perspectives on understanding these individuals. The "Charm of Poems" group adopted an innovative approach by having each member contribute a pinyin syllable, collectively creating poems that adhered to traditional tonal patterns. This interactive "poetry feast" culminated in a heartfelt collection of campus poetry, reflecting their genuine appreciation for high school life. Meanwhile, students skilled in programming developed a time-management tool—a program that automatically limits screen time—providing technical support for self-discipline.

Finally, after enthusiastic voting by the audience, ten groups were awarded the Best Project Award. This year's Freshman Project not only helped students recognize their ability to contribute to the school's development and fostered a sense of belonging but also awakened their aspirations for personal growth and deepened their understanding of the importance of teamwork. More importantly, it gave everyone a more concrete and profound understanding of the theme "Who Are We at SHSID," adding a vibrant chapter to their high school journey.

Student Sharing 1

As a group from the house focusing on applied math, we developed a means of efficiently navigating the campus through a mini-program. Our house mentor, Ms.Zhu, provided valuable insights and shared many of her thoughts with us about our freshman project. By consulting with our mentor and finding sources on the internet, we combined all this useful information with our own ideas and successfully developed and optimized a path-finding algorithm that can determine the shortest route between two arbitrary points on campus. In this project, we learned how to develop path-finding algorithms, as well as cartography and mini-program development. Our group was greatly inspired by winning the top prizes and is planning to further refine our project to compete in science and innovation competitions. The freshman project truly serves as a perfect starting point.

9（8）Emily R, 9（7）Hank

Student Sharing 2

Participating in the Freshman Project themed around adolescent skincare, our group, Easy A-Skincare, embarked on a journey filled with challenges and surprises. Under the professional guidance of Ms. Chen, we smoothly advanced the project from exploring and defining the research direction to designing the questionnaire and preparing for product production; now, the product is gradually taking shape. We hope that the product we developed can play a significant role in helping adolescents recognize the importance of skin health management.

9（6）Amy Hong

House Mentor Sharing 1

During the course of this project, my students and I gained valuable insights. At the beginning, we set clear goals and divided the tasks, preventing confusion later on. Throughout the project, I provided them with trust and the space to explore their ideas. This approach helped students build confidence and responsibility through independent exploration.

Ms. Chen Shijia

House Mentor Sharing 2

This year, the students in my house are full of ideas, action, enthusiasm, and a sense of responsibility. At the beginning, the students proposed four initial topic ideas. I offered suggestions based on feasibility and interest. Then, the students actively participated in voting and explained their reasons. In the end, the theme of sports and the brain was chosen. During winter vacation, the group leaders in charge continuously arranged tasks and followed up on the work. Ultimately, a remarkable magazine was produced, which surprised me and made me very happy for their efforts. We hope everyone will recognize the positive impact of sports on the brain and health, and integrate their favorite sports into their daily lives, so they can work and study efficiently while growing and living in a healthy and happy way.

Ms. Li Yongchi

House Mentor Sharing 3

I have been a House Program Mentor for the freshman project for the past two years, and during this time, I have helped students write, act, and produce seven haunting and thought-provoking radio plays. As a House Mentor, I break down the creative process of producing radio plays into manageable steps for our busy students. Some students wish to take on multiple roles and will write our scripts or contribute to the audio editing process by providing sound effects. The students find encouragement in the enjoyment they have while acting and through the satisfaction of seeing their art become a finished product. By breaking down each step of the creative process, I make it tangible and clear for each student what part they must play.

Mr. Devin Wisniewski

House Mentor Sharing 4

For the freshman project, they are invited to brainstorm ideas for engineering practices, narrow down their chosen topic, and explore online resources that spark their interest. I suggest they select the appropriate tools or methods to learn something from a zero background. I guide them through project planning, including timelines, tasks, data validation setup, and documentation, such as recording the experimental log, writing task descriptions, and finally, designing posters and developing presentation skills.

Mr. He Tianzhou

(Written by 9（9）Emma, 9（8） Joy,  9（6） Arianna    Pictures by 9（1）Annie, 9（10） Xinwei, 9(10) Jason    Supervised by Yu Lijia, Chen Lin   Reviewed by Gu Ying, Shen Chenli)