Communication is the beginning of understanding,
Trust is the expression of enduring affection,
Progress is the ongoing narrative.
Just as a fruit needs sunlight and moisture to thrive, a child’s growth and development depend on a combination of factors. The school and the family play crucial roles in this process.
The school recently organized a Boarding Programme Open Day to help parents better understand their children’s boarding life and strengthen the connection between home and school. We believe that this type of initiative can be very beneficial for both parents and students.
26 parents of boarders from our primary, middle and high schools attended the first Boarding Programme Open Day on 25 October.
“Initial impression: Placing a premium on health while savouring delectable flavours.”
Upon completing their registration, parents arrived at the canteen in groups under the guidance of boarding programme teachers, in order to experience a typical ‘abundance or simplicity is up to the individual’ boarding dinner with their children. Parents praised both the diversity of dishes and the school’s student-centered dietary selection.
While dining, CPC Branch Secretary Ms. Cindy Zhang took a moment to personally present the distinctive “Delicacy Cuisine” to the parents, earning their unanimous acclaim.
Boarding travel – A well-equipped and comfortable ‘second home’.
After a satisfying meal, under the leadership of each boarding floor’s coordinator, the parents visited the areas where their children’s dormitory rooms are located. The parents expressed their admiration for the thoughtfully crafted study space provided for their children.
The parents displayed great enthusiasm for the dormitory facilities, continuously taking photos while expressing amazement at the abundant, clean and comfortable conditions of the boarding amenities. They were particularly impressed by the dedicated areas for both recreation and study.
Listening – Experiencing the rich life of boarding
Following their departure from the dormitories, all the parents assembled in the Sunken Theatre, where they collectively gained a comprehensive understanding of the entire boarding system. Ms. Cindy began by conveying her gratitude for the parents’ visit. She proceeded to provide a comprehensive overview of the enhancements in this year’s boarding system, emphasizing the well-considered alterations aimed at fostering students’ holistic growth. These modifications included the introduction of a ‘personal choice of abundance or simplicity’ for dinner and late-night snacks in the canteen, collaborative teacher initiatives to monitor students’ evening self-study time, and adjustments to the accommodation setup designed to promote the cultivation of positive habits among students.
Later, the Housemaster of Zhuque House, Ms. Alan Xu, introduced the club activities, describing the composition of the clubs from several angles, including academic, social and diversity. She particularly emphasized the importance of clubs for students’ all-round development.
Finally, the Housemaster of Xuanwu House, Ms. Anqi Jiang, informed parents about the background of the 4 houses and the history and development of our boarding programme’s house system. She particularly emphasized the national characteristics found within the combination of Chinese and Western elements in our boarding system.
The parents nodded frequently during the presentation, gaining much useful information.
Learn —- A quiet and autonomous study space
Evening self-study is the main venue for evening learning. At the sound of the ring of the evening self-study bell, parents walked through the self-study classrooms to observe the children’s evening learning environment.
Looking at their children focusing on their own studies, parents were pleasantly surprised by the positive attitude towards homework.
Middle school students were using the English reading platform MyOn under the supervision of the duty teacher, ensuring that no part of their learning tasks nor obligations were missed.
After the evening self-study time, parents followed the students’ rhythm and experienced yummy snacks in the canteen, all while students helped to answer parents’ questions.
The end – Rich extracurricular life
At the final stop, parents visited together the Clubs & Society activities. From indoor to outdoor, from sports to art appreciation, parents were surprised and pleased by the natural concentration shown by their children in the activities. Meanwhile, many parents humorously sighed, wishing they themselves could return to school and enjoy such an environment.
This Boarding Programme Open Day aimed to invite parents to step into their children’s evening life, to experience SUIS Qingpu’s high-quality education at a close distance, and to assess the school’s boarding provision, all serving to form a higher educational synergy.
In September, our daughter started her boarding life. As this was the first time she would be living independently away from home, besides her studies, what we cared about most were the after-school study arrangements and her diet. When we learned about the Boarding Life Parents’ Open Day, I set up my alarm clock, determined to attend.
On the day of the event, we first went to the school canteen. The dishes and the tastes were of excellent quality. In addition, the seasonal fruits were fresh. You can also preorder dishes like steak and squab, truly achieving excellence in nutrition while allowing people to choose depending on their preferences. The after-school study time was productive, and club activities were plentiful. The silence in the homework self-study room and the free and lively atmosphere in the interest courses after formed a sharp and appreciated contrast. There were teachers present who were responsible for supervision and guidance in every classroom for every time period.
During the tour, whenever we ran into our daughter, although we did not have much time to talk with her, witnessing her busy but happy demeanour allowed our hearts to settle and have peace.
returning student
As a mother who can only spend weekends with my child, I was really looking forward to understanding his daily life at school. I am very grateful to the teachers for organizing this open day for boarding students.
The school provides very safe and delicious food and comfortable living conditions, mainly offering a wide variety of extracurricular activities. These activities not only enrich the children’s extracurricular life but also develop their comprehensive abilities and interests. I particularly like the diverse clubs. The students are encouraged (and guided) to independently organize themselves, fostering the children’s team spirit, and developing their professional skills, independent thinking and innovative ability. There are also various activities like swimming, football, and basketball, allowing the children to find suitable development directions and discover and develop their own strengths. The whole process of visiting and understanding the boarding programme made me have a more comprehensive understanding of the school and the children’s campus life, and changed my feeling from worry to envy, providing me with much reassurance about my boarding child.
