On August 31st, after a long summer vacation, Grade 9 students returned to the familiar teaching building with a new status: high-school student. In their new homerooms, they excitedly met with their homeroom teachers for the first time, who gave a brief introduction of high-school life to them.

In order to help the students get through the high-school transition smoothly, SHSID has prepared a rich set of launch lessons. From 14:50 to 15:50, all the Grade 9 students gathered in Xianmian Annex Auditorium for the 1-hour launch lesson. First, the head teacher of Grade 9, Ms. Zhang Yueyue, introduced the academic contents and colorful activities in high school. Every student could design a personal class schedule according to their own interests and strengths. Next, Ms. Chen Lin explained the Teacher Advisor House Program. After getting into high school, students may face all kinds of problems concerning interests development, mental health, personal growth, study strategies, and so on. Students can choose a specified TA to help them solve problems, exchange ideas, or learn particular skills. This year, a new psychology teacher, Ms. Sloan, joined the TA group. She also came to the stage as a TA representative to introduce herself. At last, Ms. Cui Mengdi elaborated on the Career & College Application Guidance policy.

High-school life is about to begin. The launch lesson helped set all the freshmen ready for their high-school careers. We believe they can explore their own interests and show diverse talents in the future.

(Written by Meijun Shi, Pictures by Wenqian Wu, Ruijie He Reviewed by Qian Zuo)