开学典礼 | 保持热爱，保持链接，开启非同凡响的新学年！

9月1日，清华附中国际部2023-24学年开学典礼隆重举行。同学们、老师们和家长们欢聚在大礼堂中，以激动的心情和满满的能量，共同迎接新学年的开始！清华附中国际部执行校长李文平女士、教务主任Jeanne Corker、行政主任董文博女士、中学部主任Scott Pare和小学部主任Rachel Rudisaile等出席了开学典礼，仪式由中方副校长白文婷女士主持。

首先，李文平校长热烈欢迎新同学和家长的加入，以及各年级的同学们再次返回校园。李校长提到，暑假期间，校园发生了很多新变化，升级改造后的教室、体育馆等将更好地保障教学。国际部的同学们在暑假也不断挑战自己，戈壁挑战赛、学科竞赛、中文辩论、环海航行、公益支教……自强不息，向上向善的同学们让老师们感到骄傲。

李文平校长将今年的年度关键词确立为“链接”，希望在这一年中，我们能够加强师生间、同伴间、教师间的链接，以及一届届毕业生精神传承的链接、家校的链接、校内资源与校外资源的链接，在链接中彼此赋能，汲取力量，在链接中学习和成长。

对此，李文平校长还提出三点期待：在链接中保持身心健康，保持运动和阅读的习惯，动时身姿矫健、顽强拼搏，静时沐浴书海，腹有诗书气自华；在链接中找到热爱的力量，因热爱而链接，因链接而更加热爱；在链接中找到个人价值，从小我走向大我，成为积极担当的新时代学子。

随后，新任小学部主任Mrs. R上台发表致辞。Mrs. R拥有着丰富的教育和领导经验，对新学年信心满满。她讲到，学校不仅仅是一个学习知识的地方，而且是一个建立友谊、培养人才和品格的大集体。她鼓励同学们不要害怕提问，尽情分享自己的想法，挑战自我。“每个人都有独特的视角，国际部大家庭因你们而丰富多元。希望我们携手合作，使国际部成为一个让我们每个人都感到被珍视和激励的地方，来充分发挥我们无限的潜能。”

随着小学主任的介绍和同学们的热烈欢迎，小学生代表包佳禾同学上台做演讲，她讲到：我们都说“无论东西（方），这里最好”，而我们之所以最好，是因为我们关注探索创新和团结合作，老师们总是鼓励我们提问，鼓励我们有独立的思考和观点，而不是直接告诉我们答案；这里最好还因为我们强调身心健康，老师们关注我们的学习状态和情绪，所有的老师都敞开心扉地与我们交流，帮助我们；这里最好还因为我们强调多元发展和中西合璧，我们学习中文和英文同样重要，每个人都有跨文化沟通和理解的能力，在两种文化间游刃有余……包佳禾同学对国际部特色和核心价值观的独特解读与分享让在场的每一个听众都感到认同与感动，正是这些特质让我们成为了清华附中国际部，也更加期待着新学期更多精彩的发生！

新任中学部主任Mr. Scott Pare上台与同学们热情地打招呼，并表示非常期待与大家一起度过激动人心的新学年。他在致辞中分享了他为何选择来到国际部的故事。他对国际部的初印象来自于他在天津一所国际学校任职篮球教练时，在国际学校大联盟的锦标赛上，国际部的女子篮球队的10个女孩以出色表现拿到了冠军。他从这些女孩身上不仅看到了一流的技术，更是钦佩她们表现出的运动员精神。重视体育、团队合作和享受运动的精神在她们身上体现得淋漓尽致，而这些精神的背后也代表着国际部的文化。在迎来国际部15周年的这一年，也是Mr. Pare在中国工作的第15年，他期待在这不同寻常的新学年与同学们一起创造更多精彩，建立更多链接与交流！

随着中学部主任Mr. Pare的介绍，中学生代表崔桐同学上台发表演讲。“世界上最强大的力量是隐喻的力量。”崔桐同学富有文学性的开场白吸引了听众们的注意。她在演讲中与同学们分享了John Green《The Fault in Our Stars》中的隐喻：“我的思绪就是我无法描绘成星座的星星。” 在学术或学习生活中，地点、课程、老师、社团、同伴……这些都是我们的星星，我们可以自己选择如何链接这些星星，绘制属于自己的星座。在演讲的最后，她说到，“不管这是你在这里的第一年还是第十年，你都会找到新的朋友、新的兴趣和自己的新面貌。拥抱它，去探索，新学年不就是一个寻找将你的星星连接在一起的最佳方式的冒险吗？还有什么地方比THIS更适合做这件事呢？”

在典礼上，同学们还观看了由各教研组和各部门老师们精心拍摄和编辑的创意视频，老师们以富有趣味和心意的方式向同学们介绍自己和学科，拉近师生间的距离，激发同学们的兴趣。一个个或有趣或有爱的视频引得同学们发出阵阵笑声，同学们看到自己熟悉和喜爱的老师或学科，纷纷发出热烈的掌声和欢呼声！除此之外，英语文学组和中文组的老师们还带来了现场的表演！演出精彩纷呈，亮点不断，在场的同学和家长们得以一睹老师们的风采！

On September 1, Tsinghua International school held its Opening Ceremony for the 2023-24 school year. Students, teachers and parents gathered in the auditorium to welcome the beginning of the new school year with excitement and lots of energy! Ms. Li Wenping, Executive Principal of THIS, Jeanne Corker, Dean of Faculty, Ms. Dong Wenbo, Director of Administration, Scott Pare, Director of Secondary, and Rachel Rudisaile, Director of Primary, attended the Opening Ceremony. Ms. Wenting Bai, Chinese Vice-Principal hosted the ceremony.

First of all, Principal Li Wenping warmly welcomed the new students and parents, as well as the students from all grades back to campus again. Principal Li mentioned that the campus has undergone many new renovations during the summer vacation, and the upgraded classrooms and gymnasium will better support teaching and learning. The students also continued to challenge themselves during the summer vacation, with the Gobi Challenge, academic competitions, Chinese debates, sailing around the sea, and volunteer teaching. The self-improvement and positive self-motivation of the students made the teachers feel proud of them.

Principal Li Wenping established this year’s keyword as “connection”, hoping that in this year, we can strengthen the connection between teachers and students, peers and teachers, as well as the connections of the heritage of graduates, home and school and resources from inside and outside school. We will empower each other and learn and grow in the links. We look forward to seeing students linking with others and creating more excitement in the new school year!

Ms. Li also proposed three expectations for the students. First, maintain physical and mental health through connections. Exercise and reading are essential for physical and mental health.

Secondly, find the power of passion through connections. Lastly, find personal value through connections.

The new Primary Director, Mrs. R, then took to the stage to deliver a speech. Mrs. R, who has a wealth of experience in education and leadership, was full of confidence for the new school year. She spoke about how school is not just a place to learn facts, but also a place to build friendships, talents and character. She encouraged students not to be afraid to ask questions, to share their ideas and to challenge themselves. “Everyone has a unique perspective and the THIS family is rich and diverse because of you. May we work together to make the school a place where each of us feels cherished and inspired to realize our unlimited potential.”

With the introduction of the Primary School Director and the warm welcome from the students, the Primary School representative, Belinda Bao, came to the stage to make a speech. She said: “We say “East or West, THIS is the best”, and THIS is the best because we focus on, innovation and collaboration, and our teachers always encourage us to ask questions and think critically and have our own opinions rather than telling us the answers directly. We are also the best because we emphasize on wellbeing. Teachers pay attention to our learning and emotions, all teachers are open to communicate with us and help us; we are also the best because we emphasize on the diversified development and integration of Chinese and Western cultures, it is important for us to learn Chinese as well as English, and each of us has the ability of cross-cultural communication and understanding, and can adapt well in two cultures. Belinda’s unique interpretation and sharing of the characteristics and core values of THIS made everyone in the audience feel identified and touched, and it is these qualities that make us THIS, and we are more than looking forward to more exciting happenings in the new semester!

Mr. Scott Pare, the new Director of Secondary, took the stage to greet the students warmly and said that he was looking forward to an exciting new school year with all of them. In his speech, he shared the story of why he chose to come to THIS. His first impression came when he was working as a basketball coach at an international school in Tianjin, and 10 girls from THIS girls’ basketball team won the championship of the ISAC tournament with their outstanding performance. He saw in these girls not only top-notch skills, but also the sportsmanship they displayed. The spirit of valuing sports, teamwork and enjoying sports is reflected in them, and behind this spirit is the culture of the school. As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of THIS and Mr. Pare’s 15th year working in China, he looks forward to creating more excitement and building more connections with the students in this extraordinary new school year!

With the introduction of Mr. Pare, Tina Cui, a representative of secondary division, deliverd her speech. “The strongest force in the world is the force of metaphor.” TIna’s literary opening captured the audience’s attention. In her speech, she shared with the students the metaphor from John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, “my thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations.” Location, classes, teachers, clubs, people. Those are our stars. and it is up to us to choose how we want to link these stars and draw our own constellations. At the end of her talk, she said, “Whether it’s your first year here or your tenth, you’re bound to find new friends, new interest, and new sides of yourself. Embrace that. Explore. What’s a school year but an adventure to uncover the best way to tie your stars together? What better place to do that than here?”

At the ceremony, students also watched creative videos carefully created by teachers from different departments. Teachers introduced themselves and their subjects to students in a fun and heartfelt way to bring teachers and students closer and stimulate their interest. One by one, the funny or loving videos drew laughter from the students, who applauded and cheered when they saw their familiar and favorite teachers or subjects! Apart from that, teachers from the English Language Arts and Chinese Department also brought live performances! The performances were exciting and full of highlights, and the students and parents present were able to get a glimpse of the teachers!