THIS 2024-25 First Day of Semester and Opening Ceremony

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Opening Remarks of the Executive Principal Ms. Renee Zhu：

Dear teachers, students and parents,

Welcome back to school after a summer of breakthroughs and cheers from the Olympics. Let us embrace the Olympic spirit of “Faster, Higher, Stronger” as we embark on our new academic year together! First, let us give a warm round of applause to our new teachers, students, and parents. We are thrilled to have you join the THIS family! Your arrival has infused our campus with new energy and vibrancy.

Although there are breaks between semesters, progress never stops. I am deeply pleased to see that many students have demonstrated their commitment and dedication during the summer break through their actions. They actively participated in voluntary teaching in Inner Mongolia, Henan, and Yunnan, using their passionate youth to brighten the lives of those in need. Chinese debate students, guided by teacher Mr. Qian Chao, shone in debate competitions in Jiangxi, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Students who love space settlement design brought home the gold and silver medals from the global finals. Additionally, many students have been active in summer schools or camps around the world, deeply exploring their passions.

Each year, the school takes advantage of the summer break to renovate and optimize the campus environment, striving to create a better learning atmosphere for everyone. This includes improvements such as redoing the roof waterproofing, resurfacing the roads in front of and behind our building, upgrading the lighting system, refurbishing the floor of the STEAM center, and purchasing new desks, chairs, changing room lockers, and iPad carts, as well as various repairs and maintenance throughout the building. To better start the new year, in addition to hardware upgrades, our leadership team and administrative staff have already been planning all aspects of the new school year. Our faculty have been actively participating in domestic and international training during the break to continuously improve their professional skills. Dear students, are you, like the school, fully prepared for the new year?

Looking back on the past year, THIS has undergone comprehensive improvements driven by the annual keyword “Connection”. This year, we have chosen “Action” as the keyword for 2024-2025, hoping that everyone will link dreams with action, and on the path of growth, not only gaze at the stars but also keep their feet on the ground! Here are three expectations I have for everyone in the new academic year.

Through Action, Explore Tsinghua Spirit

As members of Tsinghua University, we know that its motto is “Action speakers louder than words.” Principal Fang has highlighted in the educational philosophy of Fuzhong that we should be “Guided by the Era, Centered on Education, Prioritizing Action”. As Tsinghua people, we need the courage and resolve for such “action,” the decisiveness and perseverance it requires. When confused, read; when agitated, exercise; when alone, accumulate strength; when active, immerse. As one of my favorite quotes says, “The most powerful people in the world are those who get up when they say they will, do what they say they will, play when they say they will, and focus when they say they will. They can pick things up and put them down. Doing things you’ve never done before is called growth, doing things you don’t want to do is called change, and doing things you’re afraid to do is called breakthrough. The most terrifying thing is doing nothing all day and always leaving things for tomorrow.” Therefore, I hope that in the new year, everyone will take action—immediate action—to explore Tsinghua spirit and experience the strength and confidence it brings to us!

Through Action, Find the True Meaning of Passion

In THIS, we are always dedicated to creating various platforms and finding resources to help you find your passion. When I see the brilliance and creativity you bring to your capstone projects, the charm and skill you exhibit at the Art Festival and Winter Concert, the confidence and fluency in your public speeches at Tedx and Student Council elections, and the spirit and mutual encouragement you show in sports tournaments, I am proud of the passion flowing through your actions! I hope you will continue to act with passion and find its essence, feeling the value and intrinsic motivation that comes from doing what you love.

Through Action, Understand the Significance of Persistence

As the saying goes, ” The last mile is the hardest,” so finding one’s passion is not enough; what’s more important is to persist in action. Persistence requires unwavering determination and the courage to face difficulties. I see the persistence of many students here. Despite the tough living conditions of summer teaching, some students have participated for four consecutive years and have been deeply involved; despite losing many times, some students never give up and finally welcome their moments of glory in debates; despite carrying injuries and pain, some students always sweat on the field and move forward side by side with everyone; despite the busy high school life, many students always adhere to their passion, so we have seen the blooming of ethnic dance, appreciated the beauty of the folk music, and felt the heat of Hamilton… Wang Anshi once said in his Travel Notes of Mount Baochan, “When the road is flat and the spot is close, there are many visitors; when it is dangerous and far, there are few who arrive. And the world’s wonders and marvels, extraordinary sights, are usually in the dangerous and distant places which are rarely visited by people, so only those with aspirations can reach them.” I hope everyone will be the person with aspirations, find the meaning of persistence in action, see the scenery in the end, and reach the other side of your dreams!

Finally, in the new academic year, let us “break through the wind and move towards the light” together. Breaking through the wind needs the courage to go against the current, and moving towards the light is to stay on the right path. May all of us run forward together, breaking the wind for each other. May you each become a light, shoulder to shoulder, illuminating each other’s path forward.

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Opening Remarks of the Principal Ms. Yan Fang：

Dear parents, teachers, and students,

First, I warmly welcome the students and parents who are joining our big THIS family this year. Today, each of us stands at a new starting point because of the new school year. Whether we view this as a moment of competition and rivalry or as an opportunity to define our journey and enrich our lives with unique experiences is a choice, but also a direction.

In ancient China, there was a remarkable figure named Wang Yangming. During a time of great danger, he pondered deeply and ultimately realized that within each person lies a powerful inner force, not determined by external factors. A person’s life should aim to unleash this energy to face difficulties and solve problems. This is the essence of what you often hear at the school about cultivating a “rich inner self.” Indeed, this is what I mean by choice and direction.

You have a unique advantage, which is often referred to as having an “international perspective.” This does not mean that you will be dazzled and confused by a broader view. Instead, it means that on a wider “track,” you will see more possibilities, think about more possibilities, and find choices and directions that enrich your inner self.

Competition and rivalry can narrow one’s focus and make one neglect or even forget their own strength. Some may say, “No matter what, I must get into an ideal university abroad!” This is not wrong, but it is the result, not the purpose or the means. It does not mean that if a friend does not succeed, you will have more opportunities.

Moreover, we call ourselves THIS family. There is no reason for brothers and sisters not to love and help each other. A person who can love and help others is undoubtedly someone with immense inner strength. The weak do not possess such emotional power.

Currently, Tsinghua International School’s reputation is very high, thanks to the efforts of our teachers, parents, and the hard work of each of you students. However, in Chinese cultural tradition, there is a cautious attitude towards fame. The greater the fame, the higher the expectations from others, and often those who gain fame become prone to arrogance.

Today, I have observed you carefully, and I am confident that you are not easily arrogant individuals. As your principal, I am reassured and wish you continual self-improvement and progress in the new school year!

Additionally, I am honored to announce some significant role adjustments starting this school year: Mr. Scott Pare will take on the role of Academic Principal, Ms. Toni Dong will become the Vice Principal of Operations, Ms. Weiky Liu will take the position of Head of Secondary, Mr. Noor Abraham will be the IT Director, and Ms. Rita Yuan will be the Associate Director of Human Resources. Please join me in giving them a warm round of applause as they come to the stage.

Let us once again congratulate them with a warm round of applause! I hope that they will continue to achieve even greater successes. Thank you, everyone.

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Opening Remarks of the Student Representative Albert Xiong：

Dear Students, Teachers, and Parents, a very warm welcome back to THIS for another exciting school year! Hopefully everyone has been well recharged over the summer and I am sure everyone’s happy to be back in school to meet their friends. My name is Albert Xiong, a current senior in 12L, and I am here today as your student speaker on behalf of the THIS 24-25 School Year Opening Ceremony.

Time really flies… In a blink of an eye, our summer vacation is gone, and in two blinks of an eye 5 years of my time at THIS has already flown by. It was as if yesterday that I stepped into this school, into this new community, into THIS; And woah this is already my final year! Coming into THIS as a frivolous and lost student not knowing how to suit into a new environment in a new country at the time, coupled with the fact that it was the first year of COVID-19, I was quite lost at the time, and my middle school years dawdled away leaving a still clueless me behind.

Before I even knew it, high school came along. Together with it was a huge mix in classes and once again I was put into this new environment. However, it was also at this point where I started getting opportunities to participate in different new clubs and activities which brought me an esteemed chance to explore new interests. But just joining these clubs was not enough when it comes to  pursuing them. It was the actions that I had to take me  outside of my comfort zone. To meet new people, learn how to communicate, and to have the patience to pick up new skills in order to be able to better pursue my interests and to better perform in clubs, competitions, or even in class. It was also those actions that I took which introduced me to new social circles and to many new lessons in life. Although it was tough and much away from what my comfort zone used to be then, I am happy to say that looking back at the middle school me, those decisions were probably the best ones I have made throughout my high school career.

What I’m trying to share with everyone here, is that you should never fear taking up actions in life. If you ever feel lost just like the middle school me, do not feel afraid or stressed, but instead take that one step outside of your comfort zone, be it meeting new people and friends, speaking up to teachers about something you’re not sure about, or trying new things in school like subjects or clubs you may love. Because, often times taking up that responsibility and action offers us things out of the blue, things that brings us value far beyond one can imagine. Never be afraid to step out of our comfort zones, to take risks, to take actions, and to seize opportunities that come our way. Let us be a community that values action, that celebrates effort and perseverance. Thank you very much, and have a wonderful school year ahead.