Dear Faculty Members and Students,
September 28th is a special and important day as we hold the first flag raising ceremony of the semester, which is a meaningful event attended by all staff and students.
Today is the birthday of Confucius, the great thinker and educator of ancient China. Today also happens to be Teacher’s Day for some countries and regions. I would like to take this opportunity to say “Happy Teacher’s Day” to each staff member at OCAC.
Confucius, after whom Confucianism was named, was revered as a sage and is known today as one of the world’s greatest thinkers. With an emphasis on five virtues (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity), his teachings guide the future direction for mankind. Confucius said: Gentlemen seek harmony but not uniformity. In today's highly globalized world, peoples of different countries are faced with global challenges such as environmental pollution, aging population, plague and pandemic, and conflicting interests and disputes. Although countries share different cultures and histories, we still need to build an inclusive community of shared destiny where we work together to tackle complicated global issues, study, tolerate and understand different cultures and seek harmony in the difference. This is why OCAC Suzhou boasts an inclusive and harmonious school culture.
So to study and better understand cultural differences, let me ask you the first question: Why are people in so many countries reluctant to wear masks in public despite the global pandemic?
Learn with a constant perseverance and application. Quietly absorb knowledge, learn and yet never grow weary, teach and yet never become tired.
Confucius taught us how to learn from others. He said: When three men are walking together, there is one who can be my teacher. On the one hand, we should learn from our peers, parents and teachers. One the other hand, we should learn from the masters by reading the classics.
We need to read the books and read beyond the books.
I hope that every member of the OCAC community, whether a teacher or a student, values the importance of extensive reading. Instead of chatting, mind-wandering or doing meaningless things, you are encouraged to spend the time wisely on reading. This could be an attracting scene on campus. However, some people might say that the greatest pursuit in life is to live happily and survey shows that fishermen who fish all day are the happiest. So here is the second question for you: Do those happy fishermen still need to read and learn?
Confucius valued the importance of teaching tirelessly and patiently without discrimination. His pedagogic theories, which are adopted by many of our teachers, particularly stress that everyone can be educated, and everyone can grow into a gentleman. Then what makes a gentleman? A gentleman must have the ability to reflect, have strong self-discipline and be committed to putting the family and the nation in order.
We encourage every OCAC student to have this vision and be a person with a broadened mindset.
For OCAC students, what makes a gentleman in your context? In September, 315 top universities in the United States, including Harvard, announced the following five admissions criteria for the new school year:
1. Self-care
2. Academic work
3. Service and contributions to others
4. Family contributions
5. Extracurricular and summer activities
Apart from academic performance and extracurricular activities, the five criteria focus the ability to manage and cultivate yourself, especially to contribute to your family and to others. This is the gentleman that you are going to be.
Speaking of family, I have to tell you that your parents are the world’s greatest parents. When all people are seeking quick success and benefits, they choose OCAC, an international school that values freedom, openness and humanity. This will be the best present for your future life.
In three days, we will celebrate Mid-autumn festival, a festival for family reunion. So my third question for you: do we still need to eat moon cakes for Mid-autumn festival?
This semester we are expecting many new changes: full capacity of students in each division K-12, improved school facilities, upcoming student clubs and competitions on weekend, concerts, Temple Fair, a more enriched boarding life. The list goes on. In 2020-21 school year, our fifth year, we hope OCAC Suzhou continues to build on its philosophy “Chinese Origins, Global Originality” and achieves further improvement.
In three short days, we will celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and enjoy the Nation Day Holiday. Wish you all a happy National Day Holiday and a happy Mid-autumn Festival! Best wishes to our G12 graduation cohort. Hope all of you can get into your dream universities.
Thank you!
