On October 18, the senior high school department of the Shenzhen Foreign Languages School (SFLS) welcomed parents of the 10th graders to attend lectures, observe social club activities and have classes with their children in order to enhance home-school connections and inform parents of the changes to National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) policies. The Parents Committee of the 10th Graders was officially established on opening day and committee members were presented with letters of appointment. The Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy and International Academy organized lectures on topics of “l(fā)earning career planning” and “home-school cooperation and students’ core competitiveness,” sharing insights and advice on how to make subject choices. “I’ve always admired SFLS since I was a child; I get very excited every time I enter the campus,” said Yu Tinghui, a parent told the reporter. Yu added that she was pleased to hear that her child is having a great time at the school. A student surnamed Kang said, “Although I’ve only been here for one month, I can feel that teachers care about us and are very helpful.” According to SFLS’s Vice Principal Zhang Chuanping, SFLS holds its school open day every October and invites parents to the campus and classrooms to encourage them to learn more about students’ school life and help them have a smooth transition between junior high and senior high. In addition, parents can have a better understanding of the new curriculum and new textbooks. In response to the new NCEE and for the sake of students’ growth, SFLS has long been committed to relating explorations and innovations. For example, the 11th and 12th graders are participating in the Optional Class System, which means that each student and teacher follows individualized class schedules. Since 2016, the school has been teaching students in accordance with their aptitudes and categorized training from the perspectives of new curriculum reforms and new NCEE. Based on students’ personal interests, subject strengths and future development directions, the school has taken the lead in constructing and practicing new modern academic education mechanisms among middle schools across the country. At present, four academies of innovation, foreign languages, international and liberal arts and sciences have been established in the high school department and have achieved fruitful results. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of SFLS. At present, SFLS is striving to become a pioneer in subject teaching by implementing a comprehensive design and plan in the school’s eight grades. (Yang Mei) | 