ACZS is often referred to as a micro-city with a nurturing environment for children's growth over 15 years, offering a vibrant and future education for them. Behind the irrigation, care and encouragement of every seed, we as parents can't help but wonder how this micro-city operates on a normal day.
In this article, we will take you into the "micro-city" through the eyes of a child, and into a day in the life of a normal student in ACZS.
*The timetable in this article is for reference only
Not very different from the unusual school time setting, my quest to start the day at school also began at 8am. But there is something else about those 30 minutes. In the Primary School, for example, I prefer the name 'Homeroom Pastoral Care' to the common name of 'Morning Study'.
This is a time for class teachers and children to share what they have seen and heard about the world. The class teacher is always there to guide us when we are confused about growth journey. Over time a bond has grown between the teacher and us, and we have an additional channel to share our thoughts and opinions.
Chinese, Maths, English, Science, Morality, Calligraphy, Performing Arts, Visual Arts ...... Although there are differences in the specific curriculum of each school div, students will be able to find their own areas of passion in the different programmes.
But for me, it's the atmosphere and the teaching style that the teachers use that really keeps us focused. Whether it is Primary, Middle or International High School, teachers often use different teaching styles, such as bilingual teaching, inquiry-based teaching, project-based teaching, thematic teaching, interdisciplinary teaching, and so on, which are different from what we have encountered in the past. With the collision of these approaches, our love of learning is instantly inspired by the exploration of a unit or even a point of knowledge.
Of course parents are also concerned about the academic knowledge of us, which is a crucial part in shaping our future. The Primary School adopts the Chinese National Curriculum along with the benefits of international education to enhance our academic capabilities in terms of depth and breadth.
Similarly, the Middle School places the Chinese National Curriculum at the forefront and employs the innovative A+B+ dual-track teaching technique to establish a robust and comprehensive academic foundation, which prepares us to pursue diverse career paths both domestically and internationally upon entering high school.
At the International High School, senior students are diligently honing their knowledge and skills across various subjects, under the guidance of their school tutors. This is in preparation for the more challenging academic goals they will face in the future.
As meal time approaches, the cafeteria located on the ground floor fully carries our lunch break. The large dining space avoids the feeling of being crowded, perhaps thanks to the teachers' rules of "peak-time staggering". The Lower School students were the first to arrive at the cafeteria, followed by the Middle School, and finally by the senior students of the IHS.
In the daily meal, listening to our homeroom teacher's introduction, the school also continued the advantages of ACZS(Kindergarten)'s setup. These include a star-rated catering team, a nutrition team, a supply chain made up of many leading domestic agricultural and livestock enterprises, and a healthy experience based on the principles of "less oil and salt, sugar and fat control, and nutritional diversity".
In the afternoon, we usually visit a number of venues on campus to learn more about the unknown world. I'd like to start with my favourite, the World Ready course, which is one of the most unique in Ardingly's education. Located on the ground floor of the Maker Space, the design and layout of the World Ready classroom is very different from a regular setting. According to Mr. William, who is in charge of the Primary School's World Ready Programme, this unique room has a special mission, as it serves as an important part of the development of lifelong learners and global awareness.
As for the World Ready Programme itself, it has embedded in our growth journey, where we have been engaged in a variety of challenging activities, and have been tasked by our teachers to complete different topics or scenarios in a variety of ways, through real-life contexts and project-based learning to achieve the learning objectives. Thanks to this programme, which has its roots in the educational genes of ACUK, we think we will also truly be World Ready in the future.
As we continue to explore, a passionate journey of performing arts awaits us. Music, dance, and even drama, which have rich human dimension, will be performed in the professional performing arts classrooms as well as in the black box classrooms. The long-awaited theatre, soon to be completed, will also provide us with more opportunities for public performances.
In the end, I would say that no child would turn down a sports centre that fulfills all our fantasies of physical exercise! The basketball court built according to the NBA standard, the plastic suspension track that surrounds it, the indoor physical exercise space, and a separate badminton court, volleyball court ...... Teachers can always find our bodies and minds relaxed after exercise in this centre.
As the school day draws to a close, it seems that the energy is still there. A school's holistic approach to education is best demonstrated through a wide range of co-curricular activities, and at our school, every student is encouraged to participate actively in a variety of after-school challenges that include academics, physical fitness, arts and creativity, science and technology, performing arts, and social-emotional activities.
I believe that many parents have problems with homework, but in our school, the exclusive learning support system can solve our problems and the worries of Mums and Dads at the same time. Every day before school, teachers will solve the day's "problems" for us in the open after-school learning platform, where we can develop the habit of writing homework, which in turn fosters self-management skills, as well as reviewing and previewing with classmates through group discussions.
ACZS prefers to diversify and personalise the flow of the day as opposed to over-standardising and solidifying academic life. In addition to the "micro-city" campus, which gives children the freedom to explore and a unique platform for communication, the teachers act as guides to brighten the future possibilities of children, but also give them the opportunity and ability to make their own choices.
A day in the life is a lesson, and education happens everywhere.