以终为始，是Helena的信条。对生物和化学的格外关注，源自她为自己定下的目标。

为对未来的行业和方向有立体的了解，Helena早在初中时就开始收集自己感兴趣领域的社会角色、工作内容以及从业者的生活方式信息。约2年前，美国海洋生物学家伊迪丝·威德进入了她的视野。

在伊迪丝·威德撰写的《深海有光》一书中，Helena读到了作者奇幻般的科考经历，她也被这位学者无数次潜入千米水深下那无畏的探究历程所吸引着。

Starting with the end in mind is Helena's motto. Her focus on Biology and Chemistry stems from setting clear goals for herself.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of future industries and directions, Helena started actively collecting information related to her areas of interest during her Middle School years. 

About two years ago, American marine biologist Edith Widder came into her view. In Edith Widder 's book "Below the Edge of Darkness," Helena read about the author's fantastic research experiences. She was captivated by the countless, fearless explorations into the depths of a kilometre underwater.

这为Helena打开了一扇门。

在接下来的一年中，她从Nature、Britannica、Google Scholar等全球科学期刊和论文中搜集了大量关于海洋生态和“生物发光”的信息。随着研究的深入，她发现自己的兴趣愈加浓厚，这门探寻生命与地球的自然科学悄然地成为了她的向往。

“在看到生物和化学老师的简介后，我毅然决定选择FCG。”

学期伊始，Helena便启动了她的IPQ学术论文，选题为“水体富营养化对海洋酸化的影响”，主题正是她目前最热衷的生态领域。与此同时，她开始深入研读BBO（英国生物奥林匹克竞赛British Biology Olympiad）推荐的大部头书籍。不论在教室里还是教师办公室，我们经常能看到Helena捧着各样的读物和资料，积极地与老师们进行深入的讨论。

It opened a door for Helena.

Over the next year, she collected lots of information on marine ecology and "bioluminescence" from global scientific journals and papers such as Nature, Britannica, and Google Scholar. As her research delved more profoundly, her interest grew more substantial, and this natural science of exploring life and the Earth became her aspiration.

"After looking at the introduction of the biology and chemistry teachers, I decided to choose FCG."

At the beginning of the semester, Helena initiated her IPQ academic paper titled "To what extends do pollutants from fertilisers cause eutrophication? ," focusing on her current passion for ecology. Simultaneously, she started an in-depth study of relevant literature recommended by the British Biology Olympiad (BBO). In the classroom or the teachers' office, we often see Helena with various materials, actively engaging in discussions with her teachers.

11年级的生物老师Jennifer这样描述Helena：

“Helena对学科的感知力很强。她习惯于思考和总结细小知识点之间的内在联系。她要的从来不是一个‘解’，她更想要一个获取‘解’的方法。她与自然科学学者有共性 —— 对事物本质的纯粹追求。”

“对于她来说，学习不是急功近利的过程，她愿意花时间深入研读BBO推荐的书籍和教材，这更有助于她建立坚实的知识框架。”

11th-grade Biology teacher Jennifer described Helena as follows:

"Helena has a strong perception of the subject. She's accustomed to thinking and summarising the underlying connections between minor pieces of knowledge. She doesn't just want 'answers'; she seeks the method to obtain those 'answers.' She shares a commonality with natural scientists – a pure pursuit of the essence of things. For her, learning is not a rush; she's willing to delve into the books and materials recommended by IBO, which helps her build a solid knowledge framework."

Jennifer老师毕业于伦敦大学学院，曾教授多届AS和A-level学生，其中不乏成功拿下QS TOP10院校offer的学子。

根据Helena的学习模式，Jennifer老师采用了个性化的辅导方式。

在授课时，Jeniffer老师通常不会直接给出答案。Jennifer老师总是仔细聆听Helena的解题思路，鼓励她运用目前所学解答新的问题，针对她的回答，Jennifer老师再抛出更深入的问题。在串联知识点的过程中遇到的难点，Jeniffer老师会带着她逐一突破。

Jennifer, who graduated from University College London, has taught several AS and A-level students, many of whom successfully secured offers from QS TOP 10 universities—based on Helena's learning style, Jennifer adopted a personalised tutoring approach.

During lessons, Jennifer typically doesn't provide direct answers. Instead, she carefully listens to Helena's problem-solving process, encourages her to apply her current knowledge to answer new questions, and poses more profound questions based on her responses. When they encounter challenging points in connecting knowledge, Jennifer guides her through each.

“在这里，对我来说，授课和练习有一个特别好的平衡。无论是生物老师 Jennifer、化学老师Jiaxue、数学老师Jason、进阶数学老师Jim及我接触过的其他老师，他们都特别随和、耐心。”

Helena对自己的学习状态给出了极高的评价。

 “这两个月以来，我发觉学习进度非常快，效率也很高。”

"Now, teaching and practice strike a perfect balance for me. My Biology teacher Jennifer, Chemistry teacher Jiaxue, Mathematics teacher Jason, further Mathematics teacher Jim, and other teachers I've interacted with are all very accommodating and patient." 

Helena gave her learning experience high praise. 

"In the past two months, I've noticed significant progress in my studies, and my efficiency has improved."

与同道者共勉

Helena对待事物的纯粹，不仅是在学术上。

谈及入学后的第一印象，她对同学们之间“各自忙碌、彼此在意”的相处模式感到很惊喜。

11年级的班级位于走廊的最尽头。在上课时间外，奋力的书写声、忙碌的键盘敲击声、此起彼伏的细语讨论声，组成了这间教室的主旋律。

Mutual Encouragement

Helena's pursuit of purity extends beyond academics.

When asked about her initial impressions after joining the school, she was pleasantly surprised by the independent and mutually supportive atmosphere among her classmates. The 11th-grade classroom is located at the end of the corridor. Outside of class hours, the prevailing atmosphere typically revolves around intense note-taking, the rhythmic clatter of keyboards, and tranquil discussions.

“我遇到了我的同类人，平日里大家都在各自忙着要做的事情，因为我们都有各自明确的目标，大家都在铆足了劲向上。我无须刻意做什么去维持同学之间的关系，大家的相处自然而然、融洽自如。”

在十月的语言文化节上，11年级精彩呈现了备受全球高中生欢迎的音乐剧《汉密尔顿》中的经典曲目 "My Shot"，而Helena则是出演者之一。

"I've connected with like-minded souls here; everyone's got their own goals, so there's no need for me to deliberately build relationships with my classmates." 

During the Language and Culture Festival in October, the 11th grade presented a remarkable rendition of the classic song "My Shot" from the popular musical "Hamilton," with Helena being one of the performers.

剧目"My Shot"之所以在高中生群体里被广泛传唱 ，是因为它打破传统音乐剧的嘻哈元素。整首曲目的歌唱和对白巧妙交织，节奏紧凑，极富感染力。

因此，它要求所有的表演者有极好的台词功底，彼此之间高度配合。

“唱词我们各自攻克，聚在一起的时候我们一块研究走位。为了舞台效果，我们特地在排练时反复调试了灯光。”

当天，7位表演者充满热情的说唱和默契的舞蹈成功地诠释了剧目中角色们的决心，极富张力的表演点燃了全场。这场高度默契的合作表演结束后，伙伴们仍然陶醉在剧情之中，Helena和好友甚至将自己的昵称都改成了剧中角色的名字。

My Shot" has become popular among high school students because it breaks traditional musical norms by incorporating hip-hop elements. The song cleverly weaves singing and dialogue, maintaining a tight and engaging rhythm. Consequently, it requires exceptional acting and coordination among all performers.

"We each mastered our respective lyrics, and when we gathered, we collectively fine-tuned our stage movements. In pursuit of the perfect stage effects, we repeatedly adjusted the lighting during rehearsals."

On the performance day, the seven performers delivered enthusiastic rap performances and well-coordinated dance moves, successfully showing the determination of the musical's characters and igniting the entire audience. After this remarkably collaborative performance, Helena and her friends remained deeply immersed in the storyline; they even adopted the names of the musical's characters as their media profile names.

入芝兰之室，久而不闻其香，既与之化矣。

正如剧中汉密尔顿与拉法叶爵士、劳伦斯，志同，道合，共勉，共进。

Just as in the musical, Hamilton and his companions, such as Lafayette and Laurens, share common goals and ideals and serve as mutual sources of inspiration and support for each other.

教学的延伸区

“我在看到宿舍格局的第一眼，我就爱上了。床在地上，也有足够的收纳空间。我有许多书需要随时翻阅。我看过许多学校，我们的宿舍是唯一有书架的，这样的格局正是我想要的。”

Extension Areas for Learning

When she first encountered the dormitory layout, she fell in love with it. Beds on the ground and ample storage space were what she wanted. She has many books that she needs to access at any time. Helena noted, "I've looked at many schools, and our dormitory is the only one with bookshelves, which I was looking for."

FCG的生活与教学区并没有明显的界限，宿舍即是教学的延伸区，舍监老师同样也担任教学职务，他们与班主任之间保持信息同步。

他们全力为学生提供情感支持，关注他们的学习和生活，倾听他们的需求，洞察他们的情绪。

针对高年级的学习需求，宿舍特地安排了学习区域、延后了熄灯时间。二楼的公共区域，也是Helena与伙伴们小组讨论和学习的常驻地。

There are no distinct boundaries between the life and teaching areas. Dormitories are an extension of teaching, and houseparents are also teachers. They keep the information updated with each homeroom tutor. They provide emotional support to students, pay attention to their learning and lives, listen to their needs, and understand their emotions.

To cater to the requirements of our older students, we have established designated study zones and extended the time for lights-out. The second-floor communal space has become a constant hub for Helena and her friends to convene, engage in group discussions, and hit the books.

FCG会为每位新同学安排一位老生作为School Buddy，带着新同学迅速熟悉学校和生活环境。中学部舍监Carrie老师说：

“同学们之间的情感连接是我们老师特别关注的，这也是我们人文关怀中重要的一环。我们会更加留意新生们在学习和生活上获得的成果，回到宿舍，他们也能从我们这里获得掌声和鼓励。两周前开始，我们很开心地看到Helena开始打开自己，与老师们和其他同学熟络起来。”

FCG assigns a School Buddy for each new student to help them quickly become familiar with the school and living environment. 

Carrie, a Secondary houseparent, said, "The emotional connection between students is something we teachers' pay special attention to, and it's an important part of our human care. We will pay even more attention to the achievements that new students gain in their studies and lives. When they return to the dormitory, they can receive applause and encouragement from us. Starting two weeks ago, we're happy that Helena has started to open up and become familiar with teachers and other students."

著名生态学家巴里·康芒纳提出的生态法则中写到：“每一种事物都与别的事物相关；一切事物都必然要有去向。”

东方哲学说，橘生淮南则为橘。

优秀的个体，更需要相宜的土壤和空气。

“每项我所做的事情，我都了解它的目的和意义，因此我充满了动力。”

Helena与FCG的故事刚刚开始，我们迎风向上，不负时光。

“Everything is connected to everything else.”——The First Law of Ecology

East Asian philosophy says, "The tangerine grows in Huainan. Therefore, it's called a tangerine."

Exceptional individuals require an appropriate environment and ambience.

"In everything I do, I understand its purpose and significance, so I am motivated." 

Helena's story with FCG has just begun, and we move forward with the wind, making the most of our time.