Thea

Dear teachers and parents, dear students, 

Hello everyone. I am Thea from Class Two Grade Ten.

With desire and expectation, with passion and dreams, a new semester begins. I believe that everyone's winter vacation was happy and fulfilling, and now we must regroup, work harder, engage with the present, and push ahead for the future.

Last semester, I joined the SHBS community, strangers became friends, and other students supported me in many ways. This semester, there are also new students joining us. As a relatively experienced student, I happily extend a warm welcome to those joining us and offer to help as I was helped, to allow you to integrate into our community as soon as possible.

Results can represent the past, but also point to the future. High-achieving people should guard against arrogance, while others can use the new term to catch up. And this semester we have to take on bigger challenges, to achieve our primary goals.

After the work of the past semester and our rest during the holiday, I believe that we have refined our own learning habits and are ready to go. Do you remember the goals you set last semester, including your target language score, ideal university, or healthy lifestyle?

This semester, some students will take AP exams, and some students will prepare for IELTS and TOEFL tests this summer. “Thought is the forerunner of action,” and since we have set our ambitions, we should not just be “giants in thought, dwarfs in action.” Rather and only by effectively transforming plans into actions can we turn ideals into reality. In order to better achieve our goals, we should consciously make short-term and long-term plans, so that we remain grounded in our work. At the same time, it is also necessary to set challenges for ourselves and to promote growth. Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared, and the earlier people work hard, the faster they succeed. So, focus and do your best, now.

Here, I hope that everyone believes that “God rewards the diligent.” Keep working hard, and we will eventually realize our dreams. Finally, I hope all students will be empowered by spring and gain from the opportunities of our good fortune.

Ella

Hi everyone,

I’m Ella. It is my pleasure to speak here today on behalf of Grade 11.

Since September of last year, when we gathered here for our first assembly, we’ve experienced a lot. We’ve celebrated holidays—Halloween, Christmas, and the New Year—we’ve celebrated Art, music, song and dance. We even founded our own coffee shop, although sometimes our baristas overslept and neglected their orders. We weathered a semester of homework, midterm and the final exams, and a semester of cafeteria food.

All of this made me realize that change is difficult but possible. People had opinions about the cafeteria food, so we put up QR codes on canteen tables for everyone to voice their feedback. Lexie reads those surveys, and if you have any further considerations, please reach out to her. Chances are, a lot of people probably have opinions similar to yours.

I felt the power of change, too, when I led members of HalloWorld, a nonprofit organization, to Chongqing and Guizhou to engage with the students there, and to find out how we can help their communities.

But back to our own school. With the start of this semester, we have a lot of exciting opportunities on the horizon. In the next few weeks, we will be announcing our new clubs, from sports, to drama, to community service and many different academic interests. Make sure to engage with these great opportunities!

And last but not least, I want to thank our lovely teachers. You guys are more than we could ever ask for. So, to my fellow students, be kind to your teachers and to yourselves, and best of luck in May—with AP exams and final college offers—and beyond.  

Pamela

Dear principals, teachers, and dear students, 

Good afternoon, I am Pamela.

It is a great pleasure to see you all here again. Today, I stand here not only as a representative of the 12th grade students, but also as an explorer who stumbled on the "unusual" path of studying in international school. I hope that it will provide some inspiration and encouragement for you as you look out ahead to your college applications.

I remember when I first came to this school, I was full of curiosity and longing for the future, but more so confused and uneasy. It's not easy to fit into a new environment. Language barriers and social collisions have made me feel lonely and challenged. I kept asking myself, "Do I really fit in here?" "Can I adapt to this new environment?"

When I looked up to the senior students at that time, I had no idea what major I liked and what kind of person I wanted to be in the future. I had been in the comfort zone of art for a long time, and I didn't want to try various subjects that I hadn’t liked before. What makes me feel even more confused is that later I did not persist in my love for art.

Back then, I often looked at my past, and I would think of the "bad student" label that I carried all the way from primary school to junior high school. The teachers said that I was rebellious, undisciplined, and lazy. But despite the new environment at SHBS, which was full of encouragement and tolerance, it still very difficult to tear off this label and become my own self.

Fortunately, I met many teachers who inspired me and gave me motivation to learn new things, such as Tony, Lynn, and Marie. They even helped me to break through barriers that I once thought were indestructible, such as giving speeches on stage.

The process of exploration is painful, I needed to touch my limits again and again, to go through the stages of apathy, emotional turmoil, and anxiety. I used to hate the hands that pushed me forward, but without those hands, I wouldn't be standing here.

Time passed and I became an 11th grade student. The pressure of this year made me feel sick. The academic challenges, the participation in extracurricular activities—they all required a lot of time and energy. I didn't get perfect grades. There were various emotional and social challenges in my life. I also joined the student union. Yet, the confidence I had worked so hard to build seemed to be completely shattered.

The most challenging stage was actually the application season last semester. I was overwhelmed by writing personal essays, the selection of an ideal university, and the scores I had yet to meet. Many nights of writing crushed me. When choosing a school, I was also faced with a lot of practical problems: grades are not good enough, activities are not good enough, interviews I did are not good enough and so on.  There was a chaotic regimental battle. I kept spinning amongst my own, institutional, and parental opinions. I wanted to give up several times. But the hands behind me lifted me up. Luckily, I finally reached my target score and completed the process.

Now, when I look back on the past, I realize that what I thought was a huge mountain was actually just a small slope, it does not determine where I will go for the entirety of my life. These small slopes will eventually become the steps I’ve climbed. No matter how bad or how good the outcome, I must keep my eyes firmly on the next page that is about to open, where there are still infinite possibilities.

Finally, I would like to say that everyone's journey is unique, don't be afraid to have your own way. I wish you all to be the person you want to be in the days ahead.

Thank you all!