When the summer heat has subsided and the golden fall’s morning sunshine covers the ground again, we meet at Kaiwen Academy (Haidian) to pursue our dreams.

This is the best encounter, the one that can only happen at Kaiwen.

China, the United States, Britain, Canada.... We come from all across the world and we have different skin colors. To compose the most beautiful music out of our students’ youth, we have come together. We have a common name: Kaiweners.

We are not a dream factory, but we hope that Kaiwen is where our students’ dreams begin. We are one.

At the August 28 opening ceremony, Zhou Zhaoyu, executive principal of Kaiwen Academy (Haidian) extended her warm welcome to Kaiwen students and teachers, old and new. She introduced Kaiwen’s core culture in her speech. She encouraged Kaiwen teachers and students to jointly create their own campus culture and integrate the culture into their daily study, lives, and work. She hopes that everyone will have a new starting point, set new goals, start a new journey, and make new achievements in the new school year.

The number of students at Kaiwen has doubled in the new school year. Principal Zhou encouraged students to establish great aspirations. She hopes Kaiwen students will use their wisdom and contribute to society, the country, and the rest of the world when they grow up. She hopes Kaiwen students, while developing morally, intellectually, physically, and aesthetically, can realize their potential and find the most suitable development paths for themselves. She hopes Kaiwen students will conduct themselves and handle things in accordance with Kaiwen’s core values—“open-minded, persistent, honest, diligent, cooperative, and innovative.” Principal Zhou told Kaiwen teachers and students to bear in mind that we are a big family, a team, and a school. We Are One!

Academic Principal Wang Shi, Deputy Academic Principal Donald Miller, Kaiwen Primary School Head Michael Shimshak, and Kaiwen Secondary School Head Rufus Samkin also delivered speeches at the ceremony. Academic Principal Wang Shi emphasized that we have brains, eyes, ears, a mouth, hands, and feet, which means we should think, observe, listen, express ourselves, create things, and take action. We should strive to become future leaders of the world!

Deputy Academic Principal Donald hopes that Kaiwen students will make greater progress in their studies and lives, live up to their parents’ expectations, and become even better in the new school year.

The heads of Kaiwen’s primary and secondary schools both stressed the spirit of the demoiselle crane in their speeches. They said that Kaiwen has an excellent team of teachers and a rich and interesting academic atmosphere. Kaiwen is like a big family. They hope that Kaiwen students can learn and live happily in the new school year.

The class advisers of each class have long been waiting for students in the classroom. Classrooms have been made to look warm and lively so that the students can quickly settle down and start to study. Old students were busy exchanging what they had seen and heard in the summer vacation while freshmen became acquainted with each other quickly with no sign of shyness. Pretty soon, they acted as if they were already the little owners of the school.

The first day of the new semester began as students came to school in the morning sun, wearing beautiful school uniforms and carrying brand new schoolbags. Children will pass each of their days at Kaiwen with a brilliant smile on their faces.

 “The class is particularly interesting and the teacher is very gentle. I feel very happy to study here,” said Lisa, a primary student, commenting on her first day at school. “As the new school year has begun, I met my good friends again, which made me particularly excited. How wonderful it would be if Kaiwen had no holiday breaks,” Kevin, a secondary school student, felt a little bit frustrated when school was over for the day.

On the first day of school, you can see smiling faces everywhere at the campus. “Happy”, “great”, and “exciting” have become pet phrases of the students.

Jing Qiaoqiao was such a shy little girl that she dared not speak to her class adviser at the beginning of her first school day. However, at the end of the day, we found her helping the adviser maintain order, holding the teacher’s hand in one hand and her classmate’s hand in another. “I think the school is warm, like home,” Jing Qiaoqiao said.

The knowledge that a person can learn during his lifetime is limited, but good habits will accompany him all his life. We hope that every child can defy hardships and press forward as bravely as the demoiselle crane.

Set sail from Kaiwen! We are one!

After the first day of school was over, Teacher Zhang and Mr. Curtis, the Chinese and foreign class advisers of a primary school class, received thanks from students’ parents. As a Kaiwener and a front-line educator, we will take the thanks as the driving force and continue to work hard. We will teach Kaiwen students wholeheartedly, care about them sincerely, and encourage them firmly.