"Gardenia in blossom
We are entering a new stage of life
The moment arrived sooner than we expected
Time moves like a flowing river
The days and nights of our youth swiftly pass
We will carry fond memories of these years forever in our hearts"
Lush greenery covers Pao School's Wuding campus in June. The time has come for another cohort of Year 5 students to graduate. Looking back on a resplendent five years, the students realize they not only deepened their academic knowledge; they also made many close friends, who made this journey with them together.
Video: http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMzYzOTQyOTg3Ng==/v.swf
Acting Deputy Principal of Primary School, Mr. Shane notes that this year's cohort of Year 5 students is the first that studied character education from Year 1. Mr. Shane said:
"I still remember that Candy and Raina initiated a project to provide help to children in need, and also clearly recall that Zoe during Year 2 emailed her detailed proposal to me stating why she believed the school needed a mascot. - All of these memories remain vivid."
Year 5 students have a lot of to say about character education. Y5D student William says that recalling and reflecting can help us to learn from our past mistakes so that we can improve ourselves; this is quite beneficial to each and every one of us. Year 5 student representative Enoch, speaking on behalf of all Year 5 students, thanked the Story Team and The Characters for all of their contributions during the past years.
As a member of the Story Team, mother of Leo (Y5D), reviewed the past and said:
"Reading with our children makes us feel their growth, and also problems, such as less emphasis on the value of life, impatience with those vulnerable groups in cooperation and complaints when facing setbacks. Facing with problems and guiding our children properly is the meaning of our Story Team. Thanks to the platform set up by Pao School and we wish our children live a happy life!"
Given that this year marks the 100th anniversary of Sir YK Pao's birth, Pao School co-founder Philip Sohmen shared an interesting story in his childhood about his grandfather with the students. Then he encouraged students to lead upright lives and take responsibility for their decisions. Philip Sohmen lastly shared one of Sir YK Pao's favorite sayings: 'Exercise persistently, use sparingly', and said that he hoped the graduates would apply Pao School's core values of compassion, balance and integrity in their own lives.
To express their appreciation to the school, Year 5 parents collected photos of every graduate, in total of 262 photos, to make a puzzle out of Sir YK Pao's portrait, which they then presented to the school as a gift.
Graduates with the certificates
Remember your roots as you embark on a new journey
Graduates took to the stage to perform the Chinese song 'Moss', written by Yuan Mei of Qing Dynasty and Liang Jun, a volunteer teacher in Guizhou:
Moss
Even though the moss grows in places
Where the sun is not shining
As tiny as a rice grain
It blooms like a Rock's peony
Rivers become oceans
Dreams become mountains
The wind blows
The flowers bloom
Follow your dreams
They will be your guiding light
All darkness gives way to dawn
The future awaits you
My brave children
You and I are the essential pieces of the puzzle
The world is pure white
The future is full of colorful dreams
Name the colors with your names
The call of the geese can still be heard
From our youth long ago
We can still hear that sound in our ears
Like the wind warms our hearts
We hope that this song can inspire each Pao School graduate. We cannot always choose how we start out, but over the course of life's journey, we can decide which paths to take in pursuit of our dreams.
