With the passing of the recent typhoon comes a new dawn and the beginning of a new school year, bringing hope and a future full of promise for what lies ahead. On the morning of September 19, after a successful emergency evacuation practice, our entire school community joined together for our first Flag Raising Ceremony of the school year. The theme for this ceremony was “Connections, Commitment and Innovation”.
Full of spirit, we raised the national flag and played the national anthem.
For our students, we asked, what is “connections, commitment and innovation”? We learned during the ceremony that:
Connections
‘Connections’ refer to learning from each other, achieving together, building relationships between primary, middle and high school brothers and sisters, making links between different subjects, and creating a loving and warm school culture.
Commitment
‘Commitment’ means to dedicate yourself to the things you love and to doing your best.
Innovation
‘Innovation’ requires us to think of new ideas, to take risks, and to create. Innovating brings passion into our lives.
Our two Xieli Outstanding Teacher Award Winners, Ms. Sunny Shen and Ms. Jessica Tang, shared their stories with all attendees under a bright sun. Ms. Sunny Shen is the 3B Homeroom Teacher, a math teacher, and an active contributor in the Qingpu Primary School Maths Youth Learning Programme. Ms. Sunny Shen’s energetic teaching is infectious for every child in the class, and her meticulous management style is highly valued by parents. Ms. Jessica Tang is the 4E Homeroom Teacher and an English teacher. Ms. Tang manages her class with warmth and enthusiasm, and she is loved by both students and parents.
At the end of the ceremony, our high school music teacher, Mr. Michael Feigl, and several high school students (Cindy, Yvie, and Karis) gave a wonderful musical performance of “On the Sunny Side of the Street”. As the warm melody and beautiful harmonies from the performers reached our ears, we were reminded of the three key themes that have set us out on our wonderful journey this school year: “Connections, Commitment and Innovation”.