One of the most important parts of my job is to develop the community at our school. School’s are all about people. Effective schools are those where teachers, students, parents, and members of the wider community come together to support the growth of our young people. Last Friday we celebrated Zhongshi Festival, a whole day event that includes fund raising, games, competitions, and the popular Zhongshi Festival Show. It is always great fun and everyone is encouraged to take part and enjoy themselves.

I was particularly impressed by our team of Grade 12 students who managed the event during the day. They sold coupons, welcomed visitors, organised the talent show, controlled the flow of people, and broadcast throughout the day using our sound system. For me they embodied our mission as a school to produce ‘servant leaders’. They took on their responsibility and were willing to sacrifice participation in many of the activities to support the enjoyment of others.

The highlight for me is always the Zhongshi Festival Show. This year we saw a range of performances from Chinese Fan Dancing to an Acapella group. Each group spent a significant amount of time practicing and the acts were without exception, excellent. Interestingly our International School seemed to specialise in more traditional classical performances, whereas the Korean School focused on more contemporary group dance performances. Our music teachers have done a fantastic job building our students confidence and preparing them to perform in front of large audiences. No longer do talented students hide away, anxious that they may under-perform. This was exemplified by one of our grade 5 students who played a solo clarinet piece during the talent show. Despite his nerves he played beautifully, willed on by an encouraging and supportive audience.

I want to say a big thank you to all those involved in this year’s festival. It was a great success and a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a community to celebrate our school and the young people that we serve. We hope to see even more people next year!

 

These are my views only and do not reflect the official views of Zhongshi International School or any of its affiliates.