On October 31st, the long-awaited open day of THIS was in full swing as numerous parents arrived on campus. Nearly two hundred parents participated in various activities such as lecture sessions, campus tours, simulated classes, and Q&A sessions, allowing them to experience the teaching environment of the international school up close and gain a deeper understanding of admission requirements, curriculum, and student life. The event was divided into primary school and secondary school sessions, with well-organized and informative content that provided abundant rewards for the attending parents.
The Admission Teachers Welcome the Arrival of Parents
The campus in the early morning was filled with a warm and anticipatory atmosphere. The parents eagerly flocked to the school auditorium and sat neatly in their seats.
Principal Li Wenping began her speech with an affectionate tone, smiling as she greeted and welcomed all the parents. She highlighted the school’s educational philosophy of “
Integration of Chinese and Western Education, International Quality, Chinese Root, Tsinghua Characteristics,” emphasizing the school’s focus on laying the foundation and empowering students to become international leaders. She emphasized that as a school for foreign children, THIS attaches equal importance to students’ bilingual education in both Chinese and English, creating more possibilities for their future.
Principal Li used vivid examples and captivating stories to review the school’s development history and the achievements and honors that students have attained in areas such as public service teaching, various sports and academic competitions, and research mentorship programs. She mentioned that the school is committed to cultivating students with physical and mental health, integrity and responsibility, respect and inclusivity, unity and cooperation, leadership qualities, and a core value of exploration and innovation. The parents nodded frequently, actively taking photos and recording the meeting, showing high attention and agreement with the educational philosophy of the international department.
Subsequently, Ms. Maxine Klimasara, the Academic Principal of THIS, and Ms. Bai Wenting, the Chinese Vice Principal, provided detailed explanations on topics of concern to parents, such as faculty, teaching methods, curriculum, and Chinese language instruction. Ms. Klimasara emphasized that THIS strives for a bilingual teaching approach in both Chinese and English, placing importance on inquiry-based learning in Western-style curriculum. The department also supports and helps students explore their interests and passions while excelling academically.
Afterwards, Ms. Bai Wenting, the Chinese Vice Principal, gave a comprehensive interpretation of the distinctive educational feature of “Chinese Foundation.” She highlighted that Chinese language is a core compulsory course in THIS. The school offers distinctive courses on Chinese history, Eastern art, and organizes activities such as exploring and experiencing Chinese culture, as well as Chinese cultural theme days, to deepen students’ understanding of Chinese culture. Through these efforts, the aim is to nurture responsible, proactive, and globally-minded citizens who have a sense of purpose and vision. The parents alternated between focused expressions and thoughtful moments, deepening their understanding and agreement with the educational characteristics of THIS.
Later on, student representatives Tina Cui and Oscar Tsui, who have been studying in THIS for 10 and 8 years respectively, took the stage to share their learning and activity experiences from primary school to high school in influent Chinese and English. The two students presented a unique and lively student life sharing through a series of photos depicting various activities. Their sharing included participation in clubs since primary school, volunteering in summer teaching programs for multiple years, collaborating with mentors on social science research projects, and heartwarming moments such as homeroom teachers buying them cakes at the beginning of each school year. They inspiringly emphasized that the school is committed to empowering every student with top-notch resources and warmth, aiming to ignite their potential and creativity. This not only enhances students’ personal abilities and competitiveness but also creates broader opportunities and possibilities for them. The students’ passionate and charismatic words deeply inspired and moved all the parents in the audience.
Next, the Secondary School and Primary School each held an independent curriculum introduction session for parents of different age groups.
In the Secondary School curriculum introduction session, the Secondary School Director, Mr. Scott Paré, and the Associate Curriculum Director, Ms. Benita Sumita, explained the characteristics of the curriculum and educational philosophy. The translation was provided by Ms. Weiky, the Secondary School Vice Director. Mr. Scott primarily emphasized the educational philosophy of THIS, which centers around students’ interests and focuses on cultivating their critical thinking, creativity, and research abilities. He also highlighted the importance of extracurricular activities such as laboratory sessions, club activities, and cultural experiences, which provide students with not only rich knowledge and skills but also a comprehensive growth and development experience. Ms. Benita mainly introduced the diverse curriculum offerings in the secondary school, aiming to develop students into 21st-century global talents with unique learning abilities, care for others, and a sense of collective responsibility within a multicultural learning and activity environment.
Ms. Zou Pei, College Counseling Coordinator, provided a comprehensive explanation on the topic of college applications, addressing the concerns of parents. She reviewed the impressive admission achievements of previous THIS graduates, such as admissions to top universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, and explained how she assists students in applying to suitable colleges. The college counseling team at THIS conducts one-on-one interviews with students, tailoring their advice based on each student’s academic performance and extracurricular activities, providing them with strong and professional application guidance. Additionally, THIS organizes events such as college admissions officer consultations, parent lectures, and student presentations to offer comprehensive guidance on college applications, inspiring and encouraging students to pursue their dreams and goals.
Finally, Ms. Jin Yali, a parent representative, shared the unique features of THIS compared to other schools she had experienced. She mentioned that THIS is a small yet excellent community, relying on Tsinghua University to provide equal and high-quality educational resources and platforms for each student. Meanwhile, the school places great emphasis on cultivating students’ leadership skills by offering diverse activities such as clubs, scientific research, and team building, nurturing almost every interest. Additionally, she highly praised the efficient work efficiency of THIS. Here, the connection between home and school and the co-education are particularly valued. The school regularly organizes various lectures such as principal breakfast meetings, parent committees, and psychology to support parents. She felt the warmth and professionalism of THIS family, and also gained more understanding and confidence in her child’s growth through working closely with the school.
The simulated curriculum intruduction of primary school was hosted by the Primary School Director, Mrs. Rachel Rudisaile, with translation provided by the Primary School Vice Director, Ms. Helen Luo. The two principals provided a comprehensive and in-depth introduction to the primary school, covering aspects such as curriculum design, extracurricular activities, team building, social-emotional learning, and the development of behavioral habits.
Mrs. R showcased each subject taught in the primary school through videos, offering parents a detailed glimpse into the teaching characteristics of the school. Features such as small class sizes, responsive classrooms, and differentiated instruction were highlighted. Parents were able to experience the charm of the primary school’s curriculum and teaching methods through examples of group learning and collaboration among students, as well as interactive guidance and support from teachers. Throughout the presentation, parents gained a multidimensional understanding of the curriculum and teaching approach of the primary school, leaving them with a deeper appreciation for its educational appeal.
Ms. Bai Wenting, the Chinese Vice Principal and Chinese Department Head also introduced the Chinese language curriculum of the primary school to parents. She mentioned that our Chinese native language class uses the same Ministry of Education-approved Chinese language textbooks as public schools. Additionally, we organize diverse Chinese language subject activities every semester to ensure that students achieve native-level proficiency in Chinese and establish a solid foundation of Chinese culture in their hearts.tion rooted in Chinese culture within their hearts.
The highlight of this open day was the campus tour led by “student ambassadors” from grade 3 to 5, allowing parents to explore the campus. As they walked through the teaching buildings and campus, the young guides passionately and proudly introduced every classroom, teacher, and the delightful aspects of the campus to the parents. The parents were deeply touched by the sincere and “professional” attitude of the children, and the student ambassadors made every effort to answer the parents’ questions to the best of their abilities.
Afterwards, the parents of the primary school were divided into two groups based on the grade levels and participated in workshops specially prepared by the teachers. The workshops for lower and upper grades were led by teachers Kelsey and Alise respectively. Both teachers put in a lot of effort to prepare teaching materials and content for these workshops. In the reading and mathematics workshops, accompanied by the “teaching assistants” who are elementary school students, parents immersed themselves in the immersive experience of the daily classes at the THIS’s primary achool, gaining a real understanding of the teaching methods and classroom scenes.
During the campus tour, parents stopped at the cozy and bright classrooms, unique class culture walls, and spacious modern gymnasiums under the guidance of the leading teachers. They envisioned the colorful learning and sports life their children would have after entering THIS. While touring, parents learned, observed, took pictures, and communicated with the leading teachers in detail to obtain more information.
After the campus tour, the school specially prepared a Q&A session for parents. School leaders, teachers from curriculum department and admissions were on-site to answer questions and patiently address the many key and hot issues that parents had about enrollment, school curriculum features, and other related topics.
As noon approached, the open day event came to a successful end. THIS fully demonstrated all the fruitful results that the teachers have achieved in education over the past 14 years. At the same time, the integrated Chinese and Western education features, the student-centered teaching philosophy, and remarkable teaching achievements also received positive affirmation and high recognition from parents. Choosing THIS is choosing future success and happiness.
Welcome to join THIS FAMILY.
We are waiting for the next meet with you!
文字 Writing | Fontaine Yang, Mercy Xu
排版 Editing | Fontaine Yang
图片 Pictures | Fontaine Yang, Mercy Xu
审核 Auditing | Scott Paré, Toni Dong, Wenping Li
本篇文章来源于微信公众号: 清华附中国际部
