VBS News Net: On the morning of September 1, 2021, the first flag-raising assembly and the new semester opening ceremony were held in the school playground. 1201 students of VBS came to the beautiful campus, starting their new journey.

The national flag class undertook the flag-raising assembly. Yu Hanshu from 6C and Ren Yibai from 6D co-hosted the assembly. Principal Yang Fan made her first speech in the new semester. Ms. Hu Yuwen did the simultaneous interpretation.

VBS will have 14 new classes, 367 new students, and 73 new teaching staff this semester. All the new students in Grade 6 and Grade 7 gave teachers high fives.

Principal Yang gave a warm welcome to the new students and teachers. At the same time, she hoped that all students would set goals, work hard, not be afraid of failure, actively participate in PBL, clubs, and other activities carried out by the school. She hoped that all teachers and students adhere to the concept of lifelong growth and become the best themselves!

After the flag-raising assembly, the school held a warm welcome ceremony for the new Grade 6 and Grade 7 students in the theater. Principal Yang introduced the philosophy, curriculum, and goals of Vanke Bilingual School. She also played the school song written by one of our students and composed by a teacher. She mentioned that the school would open a window for students with multiple courses and encourage students to participate in the development and construction of VBS. She hoped that every student could grow happily in VBS, become a Chinese citizen who possesses good health, sound personality, academic excellence, international horizons, patriotism, and the courage to create a better future.

Principal Yang also presented a sunflower symbolizing hope and love to each new student and issued an admission notice. The students went to the center of the stage, spoke out their dreams, put the dream card into the mailbox, and mailed it to themselves when they graduated from junior high school.

Assistant principal Ms. Lin, responsible for the management of Grades 6-9, hoped that the students could learn two sports and study hard. Students should unite and care for their classmates, live a happy life, and realize their dreams.

Under the teachers' guidance, the children in Grade 1 started their new primary school life. The headteacher issued sunflowers and admission notices to the students. The children painted their dreams with different expressions.

In the new semester, VBS will give children the highest standard of education.

Principal Yang's speech was as follows.

Dear teachers and students,

Hello. I'm glad we meet again.

Last semester, 48 students graduated from our school. They got the excellent grade and entered their ideal high school. I believe that they will work hard and grow happily in the future. What they left for you is the spirit of setting up a goal, working hard, and never being afraid of failure. I hope you can learn from them. 

This semester, 367 new students and 73 new teachers and staff come here to study and work. New students and teachers, wave your hands, let's clap our hands, and give them a warm welcome. VBS is a place that people love and help each other. If you have any difficulties, please ask for help, and you will get help.

On the first day of September last year, we hailed for the return. Now the epidemic is controlled in our country, the outbreak is also effectively controlled, but the epidemic is still serious around the world. So you must wear masks on your way to school, wash your hands, report to your teachers if you feel sick.

This semester, the school will still provide abundant courses and activities, especially club activities. You must participate actively because there you can use your passion and develop your hobbies. If you have six people in your group, even you are not in one class, in one grade, you can establish your club. That means you have to go to other classes and other grades to recruit members. This semester, you can also design your club flag. The school will make the flags for you. At the same time, I hope those clubs that have done well last year can keep recruiting new members. For example, the music club from 1C, the dancing club from 2V, the chess club from 3D, the coding club from 4C, the pop club from 5C, badminton club, photography club, C++ club, LSP club. I hope you can make them better, like the well-known eagle club of Peking University.

Dear students, teachers, VBS is a place that students, teachers, and parents grow together. In the classroom, teachers will use differentiation to make every student learn happily and be the owner of their learning. Teachers are also studying. They are members of the academy of teacher professional development. And your parents will learn in the parents' development academy. Through learning, they will get along with you better and grow with you. Everyone in VBS should keep learning. Your teachers and parents are doing, so are you!

This semester, grades 1 to 8 will start new PBL projects. PBL is the short form of project-based learning. What is a project? It is a series of studies to solve a problem. For example, now the world is discussing environmental issues, as well as our school. How do we solve environmental problems? Except for saving water and electricity, we think of reducing wastes, so we have zero-waste projects. We reduce the production of trash and make full use of wastes. That's a big thing. This big thing was done by students, which was the PBL projects last year. Our topic included saving whiteboard markers, recycling paper, composting. You developed skills such as collecting information, writing, making speeches, and making experiments when you searched for information, made experiments, and wrote the thesis. PBL is not only a way of teaching but also a way of learning.

I hope all of you can attach importance to PBL, improve your learning and teaching ability via PBL, and use them in your own teaching and learning. Teachers will love teaching, and students will love learning. I wish one day in the future that all classes are taught in the way of PBL.

From this semester, grade 9 students will enter the final stretch. The high school entrance exam is not horrible because you have united and striving companions, high-level teachers, hard-working parents, and the experience of your fellow students. Relax！ But remember to set up a goal, work hard and never be afraid of failure. From now on, work hard to achieve your goals like climbing the rock, then make your dream come true. I hope all of you can make it possible.

This semester, we will have more fun and meaningful events. It is worth expecting.

I hope all students and teachers can live, work and study happily in the new semester.

Editor and Photographer: Linda

Translated by Reny   Ms. Hu Yuwen

The documents are provided by Ms. Sun Xiaomeng