Campus News
Welcome back for Semester 2
Over the past five weeks, our students and staff have been enjoying the winter holidays with their families. With the opening up of China and the easing of pandemic restrictions, international staff have taken the opportunity to travel around the country and abroad to celebrate Chinese New Year. For our bilingual staff, the holidays were a time to return to their hometown to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Staff returned from the winter break a day earlier than students to take part in professional learning programs to prepare them for the start of Semester 2. During this time, I addressed the key leaders across the School who are involved in our international program and spoke about the key tasks ahead and how collaboration will play an important part in achieving these tasks.
We also discussed the clear expectations for all school leaders — every decision made is in the best interests of Haileybury, to always do their best, and there should always be implicit trust between the leaders.
I also addressed the Junior School English staff and all the Senior School staff. I spoke about our expectations for all departments and how we need to keep ensuring effective learning for all students. I reminded them of our core values: academic excellence, student welfare, professional learning and development, and an international outlook, and I addressed the key priorities that we will focus on in Semester 2.
Monday saw the return of students and we had a heart-warming opening ceremony to celebrate our return after the New Year. It was interesting to hear Haileybury leaders speak about the virtues of the rabbit: longevity, peace and prosperity.
Highlights of the opening ceremony were poem readings from staff and students and the singing of the school song.
Yanni Galanis
International Principal, Haileybury International School, Tianjin
