When the Canadian friend, Michael, who is a primary school teacher in Halifax and is also the host family of the Chinese teacher of D2 English Immersion Group in Canada, appeared on the screen, all the students greeted him excitedly. Michael, who has been in Beijing in 2006, is very interested in Chinese education and anticipated to have a video exchange with our students.

Fist of all, he shared with our students a funny story about hokey to introduce the history of the Canadian national sport. Then our students had a free interaction with him. They asked a lot questions such as ‘ What do Canadian students do after school?’，‘How to improve English?’, ‘The World Cup began. Which team do you support?’ and so on.  Michael also asked the feature of our Chinese teaching. With his humorous answers and easy-going manners, he made the atmosphere happy and the class full of laughers, almost everyone forgetting that it was nearly 10pm in Canada. 

The kind Canadian teacher, the relaxed and enjoyable communication in English, the forty-minute video exchange has left the students a deep impression. Without going abroad, our students can have a face-to face communication with foreigners and know the western culture. We all expect to have another exchange in the future!

      ——A visit of Mr. Shen Benling, the chief editor of Pupils’ Math

On March 26, we were very honored to have Mr. Shen Benling, the chief editor of Pupils’ Mathematics and the other two editors to attend the 2^nd  Math and Science Festival of our school. They had a close interaction with the students and made them further experience the unlimited charm of Math.

While Mr. Shen walked into the meeting room accompanied by Principal Ms. Wu and Vice-principal Mr. Xu, all the students stood up spontaneously and used their applause to show their warm welcome. After Mr. Xu’s introduction, Mr. Shen brought the kids a wonderful Math feast. Fist of all he introduced the outstanding contributions to Science, Culture and to our society made by some famous mathematician in our country.  Then by a great amount of vivid examples, he presented them the charm and fun of Math. In addition, he also had a discussion with the students about how to learn Math well, how to develop interests in Math, how to read textbook etc. Finally, Mr. Shen answered the confusions put forward by those little readers and helped them solve the problems in their learning.

After the speech, Principal Ms. Wu also expressed her hope for our students, which was to experience the beauty of Math by reading more to broaden the eyesight and writing more Math diaries and simple thesis so that the Math culture of D2 would be more colorful.

After the one-hour speech, Mr. Shen had a photo with the students and signed for them. The students not only had a great fun but also gained a lot from the chief editor.

------ The opening ceremony of the second Mathematics • Science Festival

Our constant pursuit of school festival is to create school festival culture, to create first-class international school, to broaden students’ international perspective, and to increase modern knowledge in the characteristic activities. 

In March 22, Mathematics • Science Festival was coming which was expected by the children of D2 for a long time. Festival atmosphere was permeated in the school. The second Mathematics • Science Festival has begun in high holding slogans, loud motto and happy smiles.

The theme of this festival is "Mathematics enlightens wisdom, Science accomplishes dreams". The slogan of this activity is "happy Mathematics wonderful Science ". 

At the opening ceremony, the arrangement of the activity was introduced by our vice-principle Mr. Xu .During the school activities, exquisite mathematical tabloid and papers, popular science knowledge will be displayed on "Display Panel". "Watching Aeromodelling Show" will make the children experience the special charm of science and technology . "Low-carbon from me, the environmental protection of all"  hand-crafted activity will make the children understand "Low Carbon" and do it themselves. Also, it will make the children realize that the waste which is carefully designed will become a useful stuff or exquisite art. It will cultivate the consciousness of concerning about the environment and protection of the nature.

There will be grades activities，such as "Little Parachutes" "Eyesight Competition” of Grade One , "Memory Test" " The Auction""Watching Popular Science Film" of Grade Two， "Memory Competition" "Gone With The Wind Paper "" Riddle Guess" of Grade Three，"24-point Games" " Mathematics Contest" "Gone with the Wind Paper " of Grade Four，"Kite Culture" " Math Riddles " of Grade Five，"Math Application Competition""Balloon Power Car" of Grade Six. 

The opening ceremony reached a climax when the students waved the slogans and chanted the slogan of this event "Happy Mathematics wonderful technology",  

The annual " Mathematics • Science Festival" has become a beautiful scenic line in D2 .During the festival of one week, the children of D2 will approach the international celebrities, experience the mathematics culture, understand scientific and technical information with an open vision.

Mathematics • Science Festival will make science and technology seed thrive  in the heart of D2 children invisibly!

The first performance was taken by D2 orchestra.The beautiful melody of the violin and flute kicked off the evening party,winning a high praise from the audience. Subsequently,director Ding gave an evening speech for the party,expressing his sincere thanks to the teachers and students from Canada. He hoped that the  Sino-Canadian friendship could be longstanding, and there can be more communication between the two. Mrs Wu Chenyun,the principal of D2 ,also expressed her sincere blessing to all.

To welcome our foreign friends,the reception schools prepared various programs. Yu Qiuyi and You yutong from D2, presented the song “Sweety” lively and joyfully, as well as teacher Zhang’ singing, full of folk falvor. The performance of cucurbit flute by Wang Linchuan and the Kongfu Show by Yan Yongdai also hit the audience at the very beginning, which was deeply attracted by our foreigner friends about our traditional Chinese culture. Besides,students from Xinghai School took us a dance performance,The elegance of Taihu lake; the Piano solo-- River flows in you by Chen Jian from Xinggang School,etc. The balloon game and “Copy the Same”finally took the party to a climax, filling with hilarious laughter.

Accompanied by the music"Auld Lang Syne" melody, Chinese and foreign friends talked,laughed and took photos together.Although the party lasted only for a short time,our friendship is eternal and lasting. Aa we are sharing the happiness with our foreigner friends, we believe that the communcation between us will be more frequent, and our friendship will also go further.

In the December 20, the 12 large school teams of Suzhou City gathered at SIP Youth Activity Center, opening the curtain of the Primary School Students Text Play Contest 2009 Suzhou .The event is organized by the Education Bureau of Suzhou City, Suzhou New oriental English language training school contractors, Suzhou audio-visual museum sponsors. Schools are selected through the preliminaries in a highly competitive.

On behalf of Suzhou Industrial Park, SIP NO. 2 Experimental Primary School repertoire is: "Alibaba and the Sishitaidao". Through teachers’ wonderful Compiling, the story is fascinating. In the live performances, Children were highly devoted to the play so that the characters one by one were played live, and the fluent spoken and active atmosphere infected with all the judges and audience. Thieves’ performs got their warm applause and laughter; enchanting "Little Witch" spoke English fluently and dance beautifully;Humorous little donkey "Ma Yun" has become a star,loved by all the chiildren; As "Alibaba" shouted "Open Sesame", all the audience can't help crying along with him: " Open Sesame "! It made the atmosphere of the whole field into a climax! We D2 people, D2 students demonstrated superb teamwork and excellent stage presence! Finally won the Silver Award in this competition!

It was a whole month's time that we received a proposition from the competition to the performance,but our performance team paid a lot of efforts. From the development of entire programs, to script writing, to the daily non-stop rehearsals, to the sound stage art props in place, all the people in the team dedicated sincerely.The principal's office also attached great importance to this play. Xu Bin, Vice President, personally lead the team well into the preliminaries and the final! In the seventh bilingual festival of SIP,we performed to the other schools and the SIP leadership,who praised us so much.

Results obtained can not do without the guidance of school leaders, the hard pay of teachers and children, as well as the support of parents! We D2 will continue to focus on cultivating students’ overall quality, training students’ spoken English, developing students’ variety of expertise. What we all do is to provide the more and broader arena for the child's growth!

With the approaching of Christmas, the very time of the sixth Bilingual Festival of SIP. NO.2 Experimental Primary School, the school looks more and more festive with classrooms decorated with beautiful photos of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Christmas stockings etc. People who are surrounded by the festival atmosphere are eager to have a carnival time!

In the afternoon of December 24, six teachers of New oriental Pop kids English came into the six classes of Grade five. Along with the fifth-grade English teachers, they carried out the International Understanding Education curricular of the Christmas experiencing activity. The forms of activity were mainly games and the interactions between teachers and students and students and students. By the activities such as passing “ the Bottle of Love," telling the Christmas story "Love and Return" and dressing up the "Caring Christmas Tree", children learned that people should be mutual understanding and respect each other, which can make a common development and link us together.

What "International understanding" pursuits is not to teach students the answers of questions, but to teach them the methods of solving problems, and to develop the quality and attitude of  the " Global Citizenship ", which are the concerning of the fate of mankind and the caring for the Earth Sustainable development. And that’s the very goal that our D2 team is pursuing, which are  to enable students to build on the attitude of tolerance and understanding about human diversities and differences, to eliminate prejudice between people and to develop an impartial manner.

D2 International Understanding Education is a wonderful and ecological one!

                  ------ The opening ceremony of the sixth Bilingual Festival

Dec.21^st,2009,it’s an ordinary day for the others, but it’s a special day for D2, for we welcomed the opening of our sixth Bilingual Festival. It’s a traditional festival in D2, and  students and teachers are full of passion to see it. Besides, our English version of school website has been open.

The opening of this Bilingual Festival was announced by our principle Mrs.Wu, and then our vice-principle Mr. Xu read the arrangement about the activities that all the grade will take .That morning, pupils waved the cards and signs which were made by themselves, saying our slogan loudly and merrily ---“Love English, speak English!”

 Aiming for developing a broad vision for our children, and cutting the International spirit into our education, our school set the idea “Sunny English   International D2” for this festival. With this theme, a series of activities will be carried out soon:Grading Test of Campus English, Blackboard design for English festival, International understanding education,so on and so forth.

“Sunny English   International D2”, let all of us make efforts to learn English, speak English and love English!It is a long and happy way!

In Dulwich

On the 24^th November, thirty students of Grade Five in D2 went to Suzhou Dulwich British International School which provides high-quality education service especially foreign students for half-day immersion.

Once the students walked into the school, they were deeply attracted by surroundings of the neat and comfortable classrooms with quotes and students’ creative works like pictures and other artistic works, all of which show the willingness to participate and the happy process of experience.

The students were divided into three classes to have Maths, Science and Computer Technology with their kids. At the Maths lesson, they exchanged different mathematical units of weight and length and discussed their English way of reading with students from Korea, Britain and America. At the Science lesson, the kids learned the knowledge about stars and the leap year. At the Computer Technology, the kids learnt to use the software to lip-synch the songs for cartoons and so on. By experiencing these, our students not only developed their English ability but also learn how to communicate with others and to express themselves confidently.

By the half-day immersion, our students experienced the foreign way of teaching and learn to study actively and openly. We believe our students’ vision will be broadened by attending the activities and both schools will gain more from it!

Welcome to D2:

November 25, the sun was shining, D2 ushered in a small group of special guests - from the Dulwich College's fifth-grade students. Under the leadership of their teachers, dressed in school uniforms, every child has great enthusiasm, for they will be integrated into our Chinese children to begin a half-day of immersion learning.

D2 provides a variety of courses for those younger guests:  in the pottery classroom, students are enjoying the fun of making plasticine models.Foreign students are  divided into several groups with the Chineses students.After listening to the teacher’s explanation,they shape their own mud into different animals through their mutual help, like pandas, elephants , parrots, pigs……What a lively animal world!

In the Art class, children are appreciating the masks of Beijing Opera , learning Chinese culture as well.Except that, they also have the chance to creat a personalized mask,designed by their own. Accompanied with the the sweet music, children are spured as if they were great painters, plotting with beautiful motifs .

In the Music lesson, children are enjoying the New Year song with Chinese characteristics---"Long Thunk Qiang", accompanied by an upbeat music with a festive atmosphere, full of gongs and drums.They are really high as if they were welcoming Christmas, singing "Gingle Bell" together,happilyand joyfully.

It’s also crowded in the playground.Those foreign students are learning our traditional Kongfu couriously. Look, they are just learning the basic skills about the fist,palm and hook. After that, they learn the skill we call “Mabu”in China, mainly with the help of the legs and feet.It’s not so easy for foreign children to learn, but it is full of laughter all the way.

The half-day of immersion learning is impressed the foreign teachers and students deeply.Proundly gaining their beautiful masks , colorful mud works, exquisite handmade "Blue and White Porcelain" ... students are excited to show their collections to each other.

This is a special experience for the foreign students to know about Chinese study, and we are seeking more opportunities for them to come to D2, to experience more about Chinese culture and life style.

 By Shen Juqin

On Nov. 14^th the representatives of twenty-six schools all over the city came to the Suzhou Library together to kick off the Contest of Primary School Students Text Play 2009 Suzhou which was sponsored by Suzhou Spiritual Civilization Development Steering Commission, Suzhou Education Bureau, and Suzhou Municipal Administration of Culture (TV).  Due to the number of the contestants, the extent content of the play and the abundant forms of performance, the competition was very fierce.

As one of the teams participated in the competition, SIP NO. 2 Experimental Primary School did have an excellent performance.  The little actors by indulging themselves in the play gave a full expression of the story Wang Erxiao, which deeply moved the audience. Even the judges were misty-eyed.

After scoring on the spot by the judges,our play"The Little Hero---Wang Er'xiao"

was awarded as the second prize of all the teams in competition,honourably  named as the "Gold Award";and our school was awarded as the "Excellent organization Award" at the same time.

Teachers in our school always attach great importance to the overall quality of students, trying to develop them in a variety of aspects. Take this competition for example, students can challenge themselves in this play,through which they can learn some oral communcation skills as well as the ability of stage performance.Except that, this is a good way for them to "read" the classics and to know the excellence  of all the wits. This is a great experience for the children, for they made a success through their own efforts.It is a success of the repeated rehearsals, a success of the teachers' support and guidance, a success of the sincere collaboration in music and art team.It is a success belong to us all.

An introduction to school features of SIP. NO 2 Experimental Primary School

by Liu Shouhua

Preface

Out of the beautiful downtown, beside the enchanting Jinji Lake, S.I.P. NO. 2 Experimental Primary School like a kenzo flower and a just-starting sail has gradually become the focus of society because of its unique charm.

This is a school of modernization.

This is a school of international vision.

This is a school of humanities.

This is a school of quality.

    The advanced education philosophy, the international vision and the harmonious living idea lead to the quality of S.I.P. NO 2 Experimental Primary School.  All the staff of D2 take the idea that let the students enjoy the quality education and lay the foundation of their life as a goal. We keep the school teaching convention in mind which is innocence for innocence, love for love , wisdom for wisdom, virtuous character for virtuous character and heart to heart. And we are determined to develop the students who can have extensive content, streamline what is learnt and practice diligently and courageously. It is the permanent pursuit of high educational quality that wins the student’s love, the parents’ gratitude, the admiration of counterpart schools and the high praise of the leading department.

Character of school

The school looks graceful and quiet. In the school, there are three gardens. They are Chess Garden, which has big stone-made pieces of chess and a chess board, the Plant Garden, which has various kinds of plants and Harmony Garden which is for students to play. The three gardens have become an important part of students’ studying life. They do all kinds of activities in them such as playing chess, reading, playing the instrument, grow plants themselves and so on.

The layout of the school and naming of the school buildings are full of cultural meanings. The names of the four main school buildings, Listening Building, Knowing Building, Discussing Building and Practicing Building, tell the students that the procedure of learning knowledge and the importance of thinking and proving. The Culture Wall which is full of masters’ photographs like the writer Fan Xiaoqing, the painter Zhang Jixin, the calligrapher Tan Yiwen etc. make the students know more about masters and their achievements. The D2 Picture Wall is full of students’ photos. They are writing the history of our school and leave their names on the school history and in the future the school will be proud of them.

Despite those, there are four clubs in our school which are the PE Club which has a climbing wall, the Literature Club which is for students reading and sharing ideas, the Science Club which is for students to observe, search, calculate and practice and the Bilingual Club which is for them to communicate and perform.

D2 is not only a place for students to study and play but also a family.

    We pay attention to students’ living comfort. In the dormitory they have mother-teacher who cares their living and relative-like roommates who live together and study together. The dormitory is a place for them to have the living education. It is also a place for them to show their individualities.

    According to the School style that is a school of thinking with a learning team, we have edited The D2 Essence and The D2 Scholars for teachers, The D2 books and The D2 Essays for parents and The D2 Views and The D2 Home-school Cooperation to the society. Now the school has already formed a certain cultural environment and spiritual atmosphere.

    The school administrators has endeavored to build an international school by opening vision, learning advanced international education theory and strengthening international cooperation. The school has conduct activities like sending students and teachers abroad to study and receiving international students. We also have deep friendship with renowned schools in Singapore, Canada, Korea, Japan and so on.

Character of teaching

Excellent teaching staff and high-quality service

The quality of education actually is the education of love, the one of developing people of benevolence. In D2, we advocate to face the life by smiles and to appreciate others for their merits. And the teachers love the students everywhere and every time.

The school quality is determined by the teachers’ quality. The school environment is decided by the teachers’behaviour. The school atmosphere is composed by the teacher’s mind and the school culture is from teachers’ accomplishment. With the above idea, our school has recruit teachers all over the country. We have special-grade teachers, teaching leaders of the city and the district, excellent teachers and so on. We have formed a teaching staff of leading by the renowned teachers, supporting by excellent ones and joining by young ones.

In order to develop the young teachers, the school has established the Expert Teacher office for the more experienced teacher to analyze and discuss the teaching ways. It has also erected the apprenticeship system in which a young teacher can have one or more masters and one master can have one and one more apprentices.

Teachers study on how to give good lessons,so they will work hard to compete with other teachers, some excellent teachers also give lessons for the others,showing their good method in teaching.Such kind of activities may lead the teachers to be post-talents, and improve their skills both on teaching and research. Other activities like education salon, Reading in D2,D2-forum,are making it more as a thinking school. It is truly believed that this is a vigorous school--- the "young teachers are teaching for ideal, the experienced teachers are teaching for proficiency , and the expert teachers are teaching for human."

   SIP No.2 Experimental Primary School is now holding nearly 20 topics on research.Every staff is involved in the research,which is taken fortnightly here.Teachers are researching from the teaching reality, holding problems to discuss, studying both on theory and practice, all of which are contributed to the formation of  a highly-working school, with a orderly and efficient working style.

    It is well known here,in D2, "Attitude is everything, and details demonstrate quality."Every detail is a kind of responsibility:parents are informed everything about their children: their safety, their activity, their performance, their behavior... ...These are all delivered to the gate, passed to the streets, and making D2 a good reputation.

Character cultivation

    In order to make the children enjoy an infinite life-long education, our school

fully exploits its advantages on facility resources, providing various courses for the pupils, so that they may enjoy a colorful and harmony life in school, learning to become more confident as a result of these interest clubs.

    By means of the ritual drama,as well as the traditional Chinese virtues like

"propriety", "filial piety", and "sincerity" ,our school forms an unique culture of etiquette, emphasizing on hospitality etiquette, after-class etiquette, traffic etiquette, dining etiquette, learning etiquette, practice etiquette and publicity etiquette. Furthermore, we have a daily competition named "Little dolphin's daily conduct", trying to cultivate pupils' good behavior.Through the competition, we'll honor the winner classes or students as "Etiquette Classes" or "Etiquette Star", so as to set good examples for the others.At the same time,our school is contributing to a curriculum called "D2 etiquette", intent to educate the students soundly . And the activity named "Holiday Eagles " even take this civility into the families and communities.

Each semester,our school will invite two celebrities to give lectures for the children.By doing so,children can read their success,know better about their life, and implant it closely in the hearts. Each celebrity is like a window, through which, children get to know the art and culture, and are impacted by their life-stories and wisdom.

Every one in D2 knows that ,there are five great "Festivals", which is unique and attractive.

Reading Festival---Students read  the classic, make  the notes, share the thoughts, enjoying the happiness of reading.

Bilingual Festival---Songs and rhymes, stories and plays,pupils taste them and enjoy them, tasting the western flavour, expanding their horizons.

Arts Festival---Students are cultivated in the fragrance of aesthetic atmosphere, shaped to be perfect among the fancy thinking; win applause in the performance of "Very Celebrities, Meeting in D2";show their talents,display their beauty in the activities of “ the Top ten little singers" and “the Top Ten little performers".

Physical & Psychological Festival--- Pupils join in the Sports competition, listen to Health lectures,enjoying the kind of competition spirit, tasting failure and success.

Science& Mathematics Festival--- Math contests, science models, all of which are designed to enhance the ability of scientific inquiry.

Epilogue:

Together with the support and guidance of the higher leadership , teachers and students in SIP NO.2 Experimental Primary School  make great effort to earn honors for this school in nearly 50 items:such as Model Site of moral education and General Management, School of  Education Modernization, Civilized School, which are in the city-level honor.In the provincial-level, the school wins the honor like “Green School”“Standardization School of natural Qualified laboratory”. With these honors, SIP NO.2 Experimental Primary School becomes the “Education Research Advanced School of  Interim  Summary in Chineses Education Society,” “Member of Education and Research Forum”,etc. Chen Xiaoya, the vice Minister of  Education Ministry described it as a world-class school,which is rarely seen here in China! The director of Education Department in Jiangsu province was impressed by the school culture and inscribed that, “Success originates from accumulation, perseverance brings victory.” It is also praised by the international education experts “It’s an ideal combination of the educational philosophy and practice.It’s a modern primary  school,full of cultural atmosphere. It’s a young school without any history, but writes a new history for itself by heart.”

“Quality education”， a key phrase put forward by D2，is idealy hoped to fully exploit puipls’ability, to improve their various levels of quality,and to lay a foundation for their near future. That is to say, the chracter cultivation of a person should be achieved by the chracter of of a school and his teachers. We firmly believe that, SIP No.2 Experimental Primary School is and will continue to work for its “quality”, to teach for a real need of fostering high-quality talents, to provide a higher and better education for the people!