Principal’s Monthly Letter In February 2025

Principal’s Monthly Letter

1^st March, 2025

Dear colleagues,

       February, though still chilly, is brimming with vitality and energy on campus. With the new semester underway, the school has made steady progress in all areas, as both teachers and students embrace new challenges and opportunities with enthusiasm. From innovative student activities to steady advancements in teaching research, every step forward reflects the collective effort and potential for continuous growth. Let’s now take a moment to look back on this month’s achievements and look forward to greater possibilities ahead.

TEACHING AND LEARNING：

         Primary School: This month, both pastoral care and teaching progressed smoothly. A well-planned orientation day have helped students transition seamlessly into the new semester. The school calendar has been further refined, with activities such as the sports carnival during break times, applications for district-level class meeting demonstrations, and primary-to-middle school transition initiatives all advancing orderly. In terms of teaching, lesson plan checks and classroom observation feedback have been completed. Online teaching records have facilitated resource sharing among teachers, while the establishment of student academic and personal growth profiles has continuously improved teaching quality and helped students deepen their thinking on a solid subject foundation.

        Middle School: In pastoral care, activities such as first-day lesson and winter vacation highlights centered around the themes of “details, precision, and atmosphere,” helping students reconnect with school life and feel the warmth and strength of growth. Academically, the teaching research groups have launched a series of classroom quality improvement initiatives, emphasizing the “three-dimensional drive” approach and the practicality and interest of knowledge. Scientific classroom evaluation mechanisms have been introduced to analyze teaching methods, enhance classroom teaching quality and integrate local and international teachers, broadening the global perspective of both teachers and students. Additionally, subject-characteristic events such as the Math Festival and physics teaching design competitions are ready to inject new vitality into subject development and sparking students’ interest in diverse learning experiences, laying a solid foundation for future academic exploration.

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT：

       The new semester has seen further optimization of the school’s organizational and management structure, driving high-quality development. The house system in primary school has advanced smoothly, with the first cross-grade house activity successfully held, promoting deeper integration across different stages of learning. The primary school’s English group has been upgraded to foreign languages group, focusing on both English and second foreign languages development. The CCA curriculum has been further optimized to enrich learning experiences and support students’ holistic development. Additionally, the Development Center has established a Learning Center, jointly managed by local and international teachers, focusing on key development areas of ESL English, local and international curricula integration, and Cambridge International programs, laying a solid foundation for strengthening the school’s bilingual characteristics.

STUDENTS DEVELOPMENT：

       In February, a variety of student activities have provided rich platforms for student growth. The Development Center’s collaboration in music, sports, and art brought a spectacular performance to the opening ceremony. Three teams from both primary and middle schools for the Youth Trekking Competition 3 are ready to embark on their journey. Primary School’s “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Happy Farm” projects have integrated cross-disciplinary knowledge to inspire students’ curiosity and practical skills. Middle School’s club recruitment and “Youth Unconventional Path” activities have enabled students to showcase themselves and develop leadership skills. The Trivium program has launched personalized morning learning activities, fully cultivating students’ independent learning abilities. Meanwhile, grade-level groups and teaching research groups are working collaboratively for the further development of nine-year-through curriculum and students’ progressive growth profiles, tracking the growth trajectories of students, providing strong support for personalized education and fully implementing the school’s holistic education philosophy centered on academics. We look forward to students achieving honors in various competitions this semester, continuously challenging and improving themselves.

TEACHERS DEVELOPMENT：

       This month, teachers development has advanced steadily, focusing on the integration of holistic education, top-notch innovative talent cultivation, and the school’s key research projects. Teaching research groups have collected outstanding teaching cases, solidifying experiences to guide teachers in reflecting on their teaching styles for future breakthroughs. Congratulations to Ms. Guo Ziwei for her participation in the Minhang District unit design sharing, earning district-level recognition. Congratulations to Ms. Wang Jingwen for being recognized as an outstanding municipal-level instructor for guiding students in the ESDP2025 English Speech and Debate Shanghai Finals. The school will continue to provide a broad platform for teacher development, supporting every teacher in their professional journey and collectively driving the overall improvement of teaching quality. We look forward to more achievements from teachers on various platforms this semester.

NEW CAMPUS：

       Construction of the Lanxiang Lake Campus has entered a critical phase. Construction resumed promptly after the New Year holiday, and with the removal of scaffolding, the grand appearance of the new campus now stands impressively by Lanxiang Lake. Exterior wall panels, floor tiles, exterior windows, and elevators have been completed. Interior finishing of the bilingual teaching building and dormitory is over halfway done, while work on the art center, sports center, and activity center continues steadily. In the near future, the school will organize visits for teacher representatives to witness the growth and changes of the new campus.

        Dear colleagues, as we move forward in the new semester, let us continue to break down barriers between subjects through project-based integrated learning, fully promote cultural trips and community research activities to bridge practical experiences across fields, and strive for excellence in academic quality, subject development, curriculum integration, bilingual education, project-based inquiry, and international collaboration. Let us work together to “cross boundaries and innovate,” providing students with even more diverse opportunities for growth. Let’s now look ahead to the main plans for March:

Warm regards,

Leo GE

Principal