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School's efforts go beyond campus
By Shi Xiaohan |
June 9, 2011, Thursday
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WITH some 260 students from 30 countries, Hangzhou International School (HIS) is a small but active expat community, adding to Hangzhou's diversified society. Teachers and students from HIS have been exploring ways to go beyond campus, filling the school calendar with sports, science and art events.
Last month, Hangzhou International School organized their fourth annual Dragon Race. The event welcomed interested locals to join for fun, health and friendship.
More than 150 runners from some 30 nationalities gathered in front of the school on the morning of May 28 to take part in the race.
Looping near the Qiantang River, the scenic course attracted people of nearly all ages.
While adults and high-school students gathered to compete in the main 5-kilometer-long race, toddlers, supervised by their parents, started a 1-kilometer "out and back" fun run. Among the participants was a family of six, encompassing three generations.
"It's a big event for our school," said principal Robert van der Eyken. "Families attending the event bring the community closer together."
This year, the first runner to cross the finishing line was the star of the school - a robot made by HIS robotics club last November. The "Hangzhoubot," as club members affectionately call their creation, features a strong gear-driven arm and a range of sensors which allowed the robot to successfully traverse obstacles on the field.
By taking part in the fun run, the robot was showing its award-winning skills to the neighborhood.
Earlier last month, the robot competed in the First Tech Challenge robotics tournament in Shanghai, a contest pitting robots made by teams from international schools against each other. The Hangzhoubot won its creators the second-place prize for innovative design.
The tournament will be expanded next year to include Chinese schools and have tournaments in multiple locations around China.
HIS, cooperating with its neighboring No. 2 Middle School, will be competing to host the 2012 First Tech Challenge event in China.
"Everyone likes the robot," said Evan Weinberg, director of the robotics club. "It's a perfect way to reach out to the local community."
"With the large number of companies, universities and excellent schools here in Hangzhou, there is real potential to start many new local teams and hold a great event here in 2012," he added.
Art, as another means of communication, is especially effective when it comes to expressing deep thoughts, feelings and concerns. Last month, art exhibitions featuring students' works were held in the school and a local studio.
The more than 400 pieces of student art on display demonstrated not only the students' excellent painting skills, but also a strong urge of communication.
Fourth-grade students made stunning totem poles with three painted boxes to represent their past, present and future. Seventh-graders expressed personal emotions such as fear and anger by carving their own faces out of wood.
Some high school students have already started to express their awareness of social and historical issues such as HIV/AIDS and World War II. "They look fantastic and actually could communicate more than one issue," said Rebecca Tilley, the school's art teacher.
With the awareness come actions. Earlier last month, Tilley led the school's Habitat for Humanity team to southwest China's Yunnan Province to help the construction of affordable housing in less-developed communities.
"Our team worked hard on site helping to build the foundation for the house," said Tilley. "It's not easy as we need to raise funds by ourselves to cover the trip expenses as well as the donations to complete the construction project."
Last month, Hangzhou International School organized their fourth annual Dragon Race. The event welcomed interested locals to join for fun, health and friendship.
More than 150 runners from some 30 nationalities gathered in front of the school on the morning of May 28 to take part in the race.
Looping near the Qiantang River, the scenic course attracted people of nearly all ages.
While adults and high-school students gathered to compete in the main 5-kilometer-long race, toddlers, supervised by their parents, started a 1-kilometer "out and back" fun run. Among the participants was a family of six, encompassing three generations.
"It's a big event for our school," said principal Robert van der Eyken. "Families attending the event bring the community closer together."
This year, the first runner to cross the finishing line was the star of the school - a robot made by HIS robotics club last November. The "Hangzhoubot," as club members affectionately call their creation, features a strong gear-driven arm and a range of sensors which allowed the robot to successfully traverse obstacles on the field.
By taking part in the fun run, the robot was showing its award-winning skills to the neighborhood.
Earlier last month, the robot competed in the First Tech Challenge robotics tournament in Shanghai, a contest pitting robots made by teams from international schools against each other. The Hangzhoubot won its creators the second-place prize for innovative design.
The tournament will be expanded next year to include Chinese schools and have tournaments in multiple locations around China.
HIS, cooperating with its neighboring No. 2 Middle School, will be competing to host the 2012 First Tech Challenge event in China.
"Everyone likes the robot," said Evan Weinberg, director of the robotics club. "It's a perfect way to reach out to the local community."
"With the large number of companies, universities and excellent schools here in Hangzhou, there is real potential to start many new local teams and hold a great event here in 2012," he added.
Art, as another means of communication, is especially effective when it comes to expressing deep thoughts, feelings and concerns. Last month, art exhibitions featuring students' works were held in the school and a local studio.
The more than 400 pieces of student art on display demonstrated not only the students' excellent painting skills, but also a strong urge of communication.
Fourth-grade students made stunning totem poles with three painted boxes to represent their past, present and future. Seventh-graders expressed personal emotions such as fear and anger by carving their own faces out of wood.
Some high school students have already started to express their awareness of social and historical issues such as HIV/AIDS and World War II. "They look fantastic and actually could communicate more than one issue," said Rebecca Tilley, the school's art teacher.
With the awareness come actions. Earlier last month, Tilley led the school's Habitat for Humanity team to southwest China's Yunnan Province to help the construction of affordable housing in less-developed communities.
"Our team worked hard on site helping to build the foundation for the house," said Tilley. "It's not easy as we need to raise funds by ourselves to cover the trip expenses as well as the donations to complete the construction project."
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