Lisa's Diary - GIA Evaluations - Part Four

2023-06-12From : 管理员Click : 838

项目评估

GIA Evaluation

'Yearning for their own story'. Tom, a grade 10 student of ZWIE World Academy (ZWA), delivered these words in his speech at the opening ceremony of my final evaluation. I thought about this phrase throughout my time there and it will stay with me for a long time to come.

After a long train journey from Hefei via Wuhan for a transfer, I finally arrived at my final stop, Guangzhou. On arrival at the school the next morning, I was welcomed into the meeting room where all of the GIA students and teachers had gathered. A banner adorned the stage welcoming Griggs China to the school. Two students, David and Carina, proudly hosted the assembly, giving time for Principal Peggy Zhai to welcome everyone. I then followed with a thank you message. Tom and Gorden from grade 10 then talked about their community service work supporting students in Yunnan. This was the moment Tom spoke the words 'yearning for their own story'. In his speech he talked about students in rural communities striving for self-expression. Not all students in schools have this opportunity yet children develop a sense of themselves by expression through writing, art or any other creative way. Giving students these opportunities allows them to grow with a sense of self, belonging, and a greater appreciation for the world around them. This is what ZWA and all GIA schools offer our students. It was a fantastic start to the final evaluation.

There are some big and very positive changes happening for the GIA program at ZWA with a move to a new campus. New and exciting facilities await the students. They all seemed excited about the move, apart from grade 12 as they graduate this year and will miss out on the new facilities. They were of course excited for their peers.

My visit to ZWA was meticulously planned and I was able to appreciate how the support of leadership and the stability of the very experienced teaching team has allowed the program to grow and flourish. Students are given many opportunities for student leadership, community service, trips, and support with their wellbeing and future plans. Teachers excel in their delivery of lessons and truly understand constructivism and the role of learners in engaging in their own education.

The leadership of Principal Peggy Zhai, Vice Principal Teresa Yang, and Head of Secondary / Academic Director Bo Archbald has allowed space for the program to develop into a place that acknowledges the individual, allows discussion for growth, and provides the opportunities for students to truly write their own story.

I cannot end here without mentioning the hospitality shown by leadership at ZWA. I definitely didn't leave Guangzhou hungry and was treated to delicious dim sum. The dessert was a thing of beauty!

Thank you to all for the warm welcome at ZWA and I am excited to return in the future to see where the story goes next...

I left ZWA on Thursday 1st June around 5pm and headed towards the airport. My trip wasn't quite finished though. Our dear Managing Director Harry Lee met me for dinner alongside VEDU CEO Ms. Pauline Zhou. We enjoyed a delightful meal and talked about my trip and our exciting plans for Griggs China. Despite having worked with Harry for nearly three years, this was only the second time we had met. It was great to see him in person. Ms. Zhou just happened to be traveling to Guangzhou for her PhD final exam so we were able to finally meet in person. It was a lovely end to a brilliant trip.

I arrived home safely on Friday 2nd June after an incredibly rewarding trip to China. The personal connections made by being there in person cannot be underestimated. As we move towards the next academic year, I feel incredibly positive about the future of our schools and I am truly grateful for the leadership and support of all the staff who work so tirelessly to support our students.

Thank you all!

Author: Lisa Kerr

Designer: Leila Qiu

Approver: Harry Lee