Do you remember your first year of experience,

whether in studying, living or working？

Have you ever felt anxious, excited, uncomfortable, or thrilled...?

It's not easy for many people to enter a completely new environment. Whether it's starting a new job, joining a new school or social circle, we may feel nervous, lonely, lost, anxious or excited. These emotions are very normal and reflect our fear of the unknown and the challenges of coping with change. At the end of this school year, we interviewed representatives of new students, new teachers and the new Western Co-Principal at YWIES Beijing. Let's take a look at how they spent their first year at YWIES.

New Students: Nervousness and Excitement in the Beginning at YWIES

For many students, coming to YWIES Beijing is their first time entering a bilingual environment. Initially, they not only face new classmates and teachers but also may need to adapt to the teaching mode in both Chinese and English. However, during this process, students have gained a lot as well.

Willis is a child in K3. At the end of this year, Willis's parents said with emotion: "We gradually turned from worries and concerns to trust, conviction, and admiration for YWIES. We trusted the safety of the school, thanks to the careful protection provided by the school's daily pick-up and drop-off management at the school gate; we were convinced of the teachers' professionalism, thanks to their carefully designed courses based on children's interests every day, as well as the learning stories which are full of discoveries, encouragement, love and emotions towards the children; we admired the school's vision, breaking away from conventional stiffness and triviality, creating a lively and free environment, fully unleashing children's naturally active and playful nature. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that our child has become more focused, better at thinking and expressing his thoughts, and especially more compassionate. Once he said to his grandmother, 'We need to respect the grass. It has life,' which moved us deeply."

Ms Penny and Ms Aisha, Willis's homeroom teachers, also talked about him and said with emotion: "Willis had grown a lot since he entered school. He liked to explore things that interest him actively and maintains good concentration. In this year, Willis made many good friends and established a good trust relationship with the teachers. He often took the initiative to help and took care of small lives around him, giving care to his classmates and teachers. Keep up the good work, cheerful and lovely big boy!"

Hanlin and Yilin, as new students who have just entered Primary, said: "We were very scared when we first came. But after the teachers and classmates welcomed us in a friendly way, we felt very happy. We could learn knowledge and made new friends every day at school." Their parents also said: "By studying at YWIES, our children had stronger acceptance ability towards the environment, and their academic performance had improved in all subjects. The anxiety caused by zero foundation before enrolment had been soothed through multiple communications with the teachers, and we as parents were very pleased about that. One time when we went to school, we saw Hanlin crying. When Ms Rose hugged him, we were deeply moved as parents. We felt relieved that our children were studying at YWIES Beijing."

Ms Rose and Mr Matthew, Hanlin and Yilin's homeroom teachers, love both of them very much. They said: "This year was a very proud growth journey! They had made rapid progress in just one year, which fully proved their hard work and self-discipline in learning. From being timid and shy in English class and never daring to raise their hands to ask questions, to speaking confidently and actively; from not being able to write to writing neat regular script, they showed extraordinary potential in every student. They always cared for and tolerate others, and were the most popular twin best friends in the class."

Macro is a transfer student from Canada who is in G5. When talking about this year, he said: "My Chinese has made rapid progress. And I thought the teachers at YWIES are very knowledgeable. They had taught me many things beyond textbooks. At the beginning, my Chinese was not ideal, but Mr Well often helped me better understand the text by various methods and encouraged me to participate in Chinese writing competitions. With his help, I won the championship in the non-native group. I was too excited when I learned of the award! This year, I also achieved the goal of becoming a member of the student council. I looked forward to helping the school and students grow together. I hoped that YWIES Beijing would be a great place and more students would join us."

Mr Well and Ms Shannon, Marco's homeroom teachers, recalled: "We still remembered the first time meeting him, he shyly greeted us in his unfamiliar Chinese. We could clearly see sincerity and kindness from his eyes. He frequently raised his hand to ask questions in English class, clarified doubts for his classmates in Theme classes, actively organized activities in the student council, and showed confidence and brilliance on stage... Countless beautiful moments and touching moments happened in this year. Thank you for bringing us joy this year. May his life be like a poem flowing with clouds and water, full of poetic charm, shining through the long years."

Ava is from South Korea and joined YWIES Beijing in G7. She happily recalls the bits and pieces of this year: "Everything was new, I was very nervous in an unfamiliar environment, but my friends and teachers helped me a lot. The teachers always thought about which direction I could go further and proposed solutions. My friends kindly helped me with my studies and tried their best to communicate with me. Comparing to my schools in South Korea, YWIES also values Literature and Art, in addition to Maths and Science."

Ms Joyce and Mr DeWet, Ava's homeroom teachers, think she is adorable and said: "Her progress was admirable. She overcame language barriers and improved her Chinese and English levels. Despite facing challenges, she remained kind, sympathetic, and respectful to everyone around her. One of her remarkable achievements was finding a loving group through her friendship with Miu Miu. Her sincere and considerate personality had also won her many classmates and teachers' favour. We were grateful for the happiness and positive energy Ava brought us. We sincerely hoped that she can continue to explore and achieve more academic success at YWIES!"

New Teachers: Growing Together with Students

For teachers, teaching at YWIES means adapting to a completely new teaching mode. However, this has also become an opportunity for teachers to discover and tap into student potential. Teachers deeply feel the open, inclusive, innovative, and enterprising atmosphere at Yew Wah. In such an environment, they can help students unleash their full potential.

Representing Western new teachers, Ms Katie and Ms Daphne felt the growth they have had with their students over the past year. They recalled the most rewarding thing for them was creating a classroom environment that is both rule-based and inclusive. They worked hard to create a safe space where each student felt valued and supported. By adjusting teaching methods and customizing content to meet individual needs, they ensured that every student had the opportunity to achieve expected learning outcomes. They also placed importance on establishing personal connections with students. By understanding their unique personalities, preferences and interests at a deeper level, they tailored their teaching style and content to capture their attention and cultivate a genuine passion for learning.

When discussing the differences between YWIES and other schools, they said, "YWIES stands out among other schools for its emphasis on holistic education. The school not only cultivates students' academic skills but also their social, emotional, and physical development. YWIES's small class sizes allow for more personalized attention, creating a supportive and engaging learning environment. Teachers can invest more time and effort to address each student's specific needs and concerns. Furthermore, by investing in state-of-the-art resources and maintaining up-to-date equipment, students are able to effectively explore and surpass their academic pursuits. In addition, the school encourages strong partnerships between teachers, parents, and the community, creating a collaborative and supportive learning environment."

Ms Katie and Ms Daphne believe that the most important values in teaching include patience, empathy, respect, integrity, adaptability, and lifelong learning. They lead students to practice becoming resilient learners who can self-motivate, independently explore, and think critically. At the same time, they are passionate about integrating more artificial intelligence and technology into teaching. By integrating AI applications and technology, their goal is to create dynamic and interactive learning experiences to enhance students' interest in learning.

New Principal: Pursuing the Mission of Excellence

For principals, providing students with the best educational resources and the highest quality educational services is the goal they always strive for. Mr Harrison, the Western Co-Principal of YWIES Beijing, said, "We believe that by providing students with the most suitable educational and teaching resources, we can cultivate world citizens with creativity, leadership, and social responsibility." He has many feelings about this important first year.

Under the joint leadership of Mr Harrison and Ms Ye, the Chinese Co-Principal, the school has undergone some changes and improvements, but the school still focuses on the all-round development of students. Through communication and cooperation with teachers and students, Mr Harrison has established a good relationship of trust and let everyone feel his enthusiasm and professionalism. At the same time, the new Wester Co-Principal actively encourages faculty and staff to participate in more curriculum design, activity planning, and other work to improve the overall quality and level of the school. It is believed that under the leadership of the new Western Co-Principal, YWIES Beijing will become more open, inclusive, and vibrant, and become a trustworthy high-quality education institution for students and parents.

A year has passed, and new students, new teachers, and a new principal have joined YWIES Beijing, where they have received warmth and help. New students may feel nervous and uncomfortable at first, but as time goes by, they get familiar with campus life and class atmosphere, and make new friends. New teachers need to adapt to the new teaching environment, get to know new colleagues and students, and grasp the school's rules and culture. After a year of hard work, new teachers become important members of the campus, making positive contributions to education, establishing close connections with students and parents. The new principal strengthened communication with faculty, parents, and the community in the first year, focusing on enhancing faculty strength and improving teaching methods, encouraging innovative and experimental educational methods. Although a year is short, everyone in the YWIES family has gained friendship, growth, and beautiful memories. We look forward to the future and believe that with the joint efforts of new students, new teachers, and a new principal, YWIES Beijing will continue to create a better educational environment and provide more and better opportunities for each student's growth