I am very honoured to greet everyone at Jiaxing BCOS to a new school year. This is a year that will likely be etched in many peoples mind for their entire life, as it greets us with many changes. Remember though the traditions of quality education, expanding opportunities and innovative methods that are associated with the name of Jiaxing BCOS are not amongst the things that have changed this year. There are many new faces, including my own, however the spirit of this school is as strong as before and what is new is rapidly embracing the ethos of the past and enriching it with their own spirit and experience.
We are continuing our English immersion program in Speak Up. It is a proud school tradition that means that students gain their speaking and listening skills far more rapidly. We are continuing to intergrate the core competencies of communication, thinking and personal and social responsibility into our practice because we know it is important for school to teach good citizenship as well as academics. We might not be able to have a sports completion this year but we still will train and practice as if we were, because physical health and activity lets students learn better. We are using inquiry to expand the course options for students, because we know that student driven interest is a great learning tool. We are expanding our use of technology responsibly because we know students both need to be able to utilizes it’s advantages without letting technology control them.
We have several new staff this year. I am Mr O’Ryan, the new principal and math teacher, transferring from Jiaxing’s sister school in Wenzhou. Mr. Haack is our new socials teacher, also transferring from Wenzhou. We are also welcoming Mr and Mrs Wynnychuk, our Biology teacher and our academic advisor with their wealth of previous experience, and Mr Lee our new English teacher.
The world changes and so does the school, staff and students, but at this school there are strong core values that will never waver. The teachers are highly professional, committed to their job and the well-being of the students. The school believes that for an education to be a quality education that the students need active roles in their learning, a strong sense of community and a level of pride in their school. There is a proud tradition of quality outcomes at Jiaxing, to all the students, parents and staff, I expect that tradition will never be let down.