The SHSID campus is looking beautiful this September as Autumn’s cool breeze blows through it. As the higher temperatures in Shanghai come to an end, a brand new journey of SHSID students begins.

Puxi Campus G1-3

G1-G3 students have made their long-awaited return to school life as the new term starts and they add another brand-new chapter to their learning journey.

In order to maintain a safe distance from others during the pandemic, each grade of the primary section has held their own unique and joyous opening ceremony on the morning of September 1st.

These opening ceremonies kicked off in the grand auditorium of the primary section building with some cheerful music and lots of excited faces. First, each grade of students watched a video prepared by our talented team of teachers that summarized the major events of the previous term. This video showcased each moment of growth the students experienced last semester by looking back at the special, blended online-offline learning environment of the previous term. Afterwards, two student representatives from G2, Catherine and Jason, as well as two from G3, Jeffrey and Althea, took the stage in their respective opening ceremonies to share their experiences and reflections on their learning at SHSID.

The Principal, Mr. Liu, the Vice-Principal, Ms. Bao, and the Director, Ms. Zhang, joined the ceremony to welcome our students back to school and to each express their messages of hope for the new term. Even while confronting changes, these leaders expect every student to stay optimistic and think positively, to find ways to be a hero no matter what, to continue to strive towards progress day by day, and to always take comfort in the unwavering love and warmth with which their school and teachers surround them. During this unusual school term, we have added to the SHSID mantra, “Stay safe, form good habits, smile often, explore new interests, and pursue dreams.” Throughout these exemplary messages, students listened attentively and responded actively, each aiming to put their best foot forward this new school year.

At last, the opening ceremonies closed with the presentations of the "10 Star Awards" that honor the student accomplishments of last year. Waves of cheering and applause resounded throughout the auditorium during these awards as radiant smiles shone with the hope for both better selves and a better future.

A new school year means both new challenges and a new journey. Let's all stand hand in hand, put our feet firmly on the ground, and push forward with happiness!

Puxi Campus G4&G5: New Semester, New Starting Point, New Journey

Autumn is coming, and a new semester is just beginning. At 1:10 pm on September 1, the fourth and fifth grades held the 2020 school year opening ceremony in the grand auditorium. Although every student wore a mask, it still couldn't hide the bright smiles on their cheerful faces.

First, the students were shown a video of the highlights from all major student activities of the previous semester. Though most of these activities were held online, these special circumstances did not even slightly diminish the enthusiasm of the students. Looking back, every moment has been highly precious.

We invited three outstanding student representatives to come to the stage to share their experiences with everyone. Ella from class 4(2) believes that learning is not about grades, but about attitude. She reminded her classmates that attitude towards learning is very important, especially during online education. Stanley from Class 5 (2) has made his fifth grade study plan early. Like a young adult, he is thinking about how to maximize learning efficiency with limited time and how to be more independent, mature, and organized. He believes it's also necessary to work hard to overcome procrastination. Lastly, Winson from Class 5 (5) described to everyone why the fourth grade was a turning point in his life. He explained this is not only because he came to study at SHSID in the fourth grade and got a lot of support from teachers and classmates, but also because online learning from that time has made him a more efficient and self-disciplined person.

School leaders also delivered speeches at the ceremony, encouraging students to overcome difficulties and build their dreams during the new school year. Mr. Liu Lian, SHSID Middle and Primary School Principal, talked to the students about how to set a goal and work hard to achieve it. In this process, they should individually clear away obstacles that hinder their persistence and then find ways to remove any obstructions in their path. Ms. Bao Guohong, SHSID Middle and Primary School Vice Principal, focused on the theme “Changes Make Us Grow.” She directed students to think about how the pandemic has brought about changes in everyone’s lives, and how we have all grown from these changes. Ms. Zhu Dan, SHSID G4-5 Director, summarized the fruitful results of the past year and affirmed the courage of the students in facing the challenges involved with e-learning. Looking ahead to the new school year, the teachers introduced to students the core development values of “GROW” and “GRADUATE” for fourth grade and fifth grade, respectively. Ms. Zhu also expressed her many positive expectations for the students.

Finally, the school leaders and teachers awarded the academic excellence scholarships, the star of e-learning awards, the star of blended learning awards, the semester star awards, and other outstanding student awards from the previous school year.

The whole opening ceremony proceeded in good order and the students were full of energy and confidence. Let’s welcome the brand new school year together!

Pudong Campus

With a farewell to our colorful summer vacation, the new semester has begun. The teachers and students of the SHSID Pudong campus assembled in the auditorium on Sept. 1st, 2020 to attend the Grand Opening Ceremony. The ceremony was exhilarating and inspiring. Although grades 1-3 and grades 4-5 held the ceremony in different periods because of the pandemic, the atmosphere of excitement was uninfluenced.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Ms Miao, from the Puxi campus, expressed her hopes that students would make smart choices. Ms. Liu, the director of the Pudong campus, extended sweet greetings to all students and teachers, which received a warm response from all the students in attendance. After that, Doreen from grade two, Chris from grade three, Colin from grade four, and Alvin from grade five gave speeches to express their aspirations and objectives for the new semester. All the talented representatives did a great job and impressed everyone! The following activity was the special lucky draw game. The kids wrote down their aspirations for this year and put them into the draw box. Those who got the lucky draws from teachers were invited to the stage to share their wishes for the new semester. After the lucky draw section came the climax of the ceremony: the awards presentation. Students stepped onto the stage and won not only prizes but also the respect of everyone in the auditorium.

Puxi Campus G6-8: The “First Lesson” of the Brand New Semester

On September 1st, students from the middle school returned to the campus and enjoyed their “first lesson” of the next semester. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 8th graders were online spectators of this momentous event.

The ceremony opened with three student representatives sharing their experiences of learning online and expressing their ambitions for the semester. Firstly, fifth grade graduate Sara shared excellent tips about balancing learning and entertainment. Next, Robin from 7(2) gave us a deeply resonant speech about the serious reflection she had after failing in an exam. She encouraged everyone to improve themselves and become better in the coming school year. Rich from class 8(2) then shared with fellow students what he’s learned from the pandemic and gave his answer to the question,“How we can become independent learners and global citizens?” In addition, he expressed his wish to help people by joining a service learning group.

After that, the Principal of SHSID Primary and Middle Section, Mr. Liu, and the Director of the Primary Section, Mr. Shen, shared their best wishes and expectations for every middle school student. Mr. Shen reminded students of the importance of pandemic prevention, and commended the amazing growth shown by middle school students during the online learning period. Subsequently, Mr. Liu asked students three questions, “What do I like best?”, “What is my goal in that area?” and “How can I achieve it?” He then concluded by expressing hope that students can make the best arrangements for their school life.

The final highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of the winners of “Ten Star Awards”and the “Academic Excellence Awards.” These outstanding students are shining role models that will be beacons for their peers and younger students alike in the year to come.

The opening ceremony was a great start to our new semester, and we hope that our students keep working hard and enjoy their time this school year.

（Written by Jenny Zhang, Jingfeng Shen, Yuchen Xie, Yingying Pan, Haoruo Li, Yan Deng, Jingyang Gu, Xinyu Ma Pictures by Ginger, Teachers at Pudong Campus）