After the long silence of summer vacation, the campus is beginning to come back to life. SHSIDers are now ready for the new semester with full energy and enthusiasm.

On the afternoon of August 31st, the opening ceremony for juniors and seniors took place at the Grand Auditorium. The director of the Student Affairs Center, Ms. Liu Qin hosted the opening ceremony.

Principal Ma gave a speech with the title “The Four Pillars of Education”. He summarized the last half year’s achievements, and expressed expectations for students in the next semester: keeping the enthusiasm of studying, improving critical thinking, developing interests and learning to work together better. “Dare to think, dare to do” is his ardent hope for the students.

Next, the director of Grade 11, Ms. Yu Zhen gave a speech to the juniors. Ms. Yu first reviewed the difficulties and challenges encountered with last semester's online and offline learning. At the same time, she also mentioned that, in the new semester, juniors will face more challenges. Students not only need to complete more challenging courses, but also think about their future direction of life. Ms. Yu hopes that students can keep their feet on the ground, develop their interests, and prepare for colleges while actively participating in school activities. Following Ms. Yu, the director of Grade 12, Ms. Zhang Yueyue, first praised the seniors for overcoming the challenges in last semester. She then stated that seniors should work harder in the following semester. Students need to have a clear plan and think clearly about two questions: What is your ideal future life like? How do you prove yourself to different universities? At the same time, Ms. Zhang also reminded students that the school has many resources to support students along with experienced and helpful teachers who will work with all the seniors to help them complete the tasks.

Later on, four student representatives spoke in turn, sharing what they had learned in the past school years and expressing their expectations for the new semester. After the students finished speaking, Director Liu Qin put forward the new requirements for the students in the new semester: more exercise, more communication, more deep thinking, fewer complaints, and fewer comments about others. At the same time, Director Liu reminded students that they still need to comply with the requirements of epidemic prevention and control in the new semester. Theopening ceremony concluded by Ms. Yu Zhen and Ms. Zhang Yueyue awarding the students social activity awards, academic awards and principal's list awards.

On the morning of September 1st, 2020, high school freshman and sophomores gathered at the Grand Auditorium of SHSID to attend the annual opening ceremony. The students first enjoyed a flashback video of the past year. High School Vice Principal Liu Min opened the ceremony by expressing her gratitude towards the people who helped out during COVID-19. High School Principal Ma then continued with flashbacks to students’ achievements in community service under the impact of COVID-19. He emphasized the lessons that students should learn to use their time wisely, be responsible for their actions, and be kind to one another, especially during this digital age. Most importantly, SHSID students should learn to balance school and life, and try to find their own paths in this world. The director of Grade 9, Ms. Gu, then welcomed the new high schoolers and expressed her excitement towards the new challenges, but also the tremendous enjoyment of high school life that are distinctly different from middle school. Max, the Grade 9 student representative, made a speech about his personal excitement towards facing high school for the first time, but also the various strategies that would help other new high schoolers maximize the beauty of their high school life. The director of Grade 10 Ms. Wu then welcomed the new 10th graders and described the various achievements students had accomplished the past year. Mimi, the Grade 10 student representative, next made a speech about her personal experiences and struggles during her past year, as well as the valuable achievements she had earned and lessons she had learned such as how doing things with passion and prioritizing are essential skills to have not only in high school but also adulthood. Last but not least, Ms. Chen from the Teaching Affairs Office (TAO) introduced the usefulness of Teacher Advisors in high school life and how faculty is always here to help if students ever feel lonely or stressed. After awarding the annual social scholarship, good study, and excellent study awards for Grades 9 and 10 as well as the principal’s list award for Grade 10, the opening ceremony of the 2020 school year officially ended with a warm closure from High School Vice Principal Liu.

As the new semester began, many arrangements had still been preserved in response toCOVID-19situation. These included a temperature-measuring camera at the entrance of the Zhentao and Xianmian Buildings, the ubiquitous antibacterial hand gel and the requirement for students and teachers to wear masks at all times. The 9th graders returned to their lovely campus. In front of the Zhentao Building, the teachers greeted them warmly. Freshmen washed their hands before entering the building, and after the infrared temperature measurements, they were filled with excitement as they walked into their classrooms. Teachers informed parents and students about the daily schedules, epidemic prevention methods, and emergency procedures. For students’ better understanding of the campus security requirements, SHSID teachers made a guidance video to demonstrate correct procedures. Although it is somewhat complicated, all kinds of measures and details like these are for the school to ensure that students have a safe and reliable learning environment. The students have now fully adapted to the situation and are very considerate of the school's meticulous safety measures.

In this semester, SHSID will hold various activities such as the Sports Meet, the English Speech Competition, the Science Fair, the Art Festival, and so on. Through these activities, SHSID students will develop their individual talents, broaden their global mindedness, enhance their understanding of multiculturalism, and learn about frontier knowledge. All the students are prepared for the new semester, including freshmen who are just about to experience high school life, and seniors who are about to apply to colleges. Best wishes to all students and teachers in the coming school year!

(Written by: Anita Luo, Jiayan Tang, Hazel Gu, Cheer Zhang Pictures by：Hao Sun, Haige Zhang Supervised by Jialong Liu, Sijia He）