“During the past three years at Wahaha Bilingual School, I felt fulfilled and enjoyed a sense of freedom. The content we learned was twice that of our peers elsewhere. This meant more tasks to complete, and at the same time, increased knowledge and different ways of learning. Classroom teaching at WBS was different, too. Other schools, including public schools, may emphasize tasks and exercises, but we acquired knowledge by more diversified means. Sometimes we worked on presentations to summarize our work, and we also wrote essays. In various ways, our teachers tried to familiarize us with high school life where writing essays is an important component. In class we had a wide variety of activities and at times of festivals, we celebrated events and activities such as galas, making jiaozi or moon cakes, and more. Unlike in elementary school, we no longer had things readily prepared for us by teachers, but students were encouraged to take initiative. A lot of events and activities were designed by students themselves, and we contributed by offering suggestions which teachers thoughtfully considered. In addition to events and activities on campus, we usually took monthly field trips. The field trips were more than picnics as we visited museums and other places where we learned about things related to classroom learning. This gave us a better understanding of the knowledge we acquired in class.

In addition to academic works, the school promoted social undertakings for public welfare. Once we worked with our neighbor, Yanglingzi School, in a charity event where we donated clothing to an underprivileged region in the western part of the country. At the school, every day there were new things, and every day I had something to hope for. If you’re interested in extracurricular learning, you could take a few after-school courses. Science, drama, sports... we had a wide range of them. And in case you found none to your liking, you could design a new one!

In Middle School we were allowed more freedom. At recess, we engaged in activities we liked, independent of our teachers and we launched many projects on our own. When designing these projects, we learned a lot and our abilities were enhanced through drafting plans or discussing with teachers. We were seen as adults by teachers there, with the freedom to choose, and, of course, that came with greater responsibilities. If we worked on a project and it wasn’t coming off as well as we had hoped, everyone took responsibility for their part and we delivered the project to the best of our ability.

The school is still young and imperfect in many ways, but as we tried, we were tempered and improved. This also meant that we were builders of a growing school and we contributed to its best development. Welcome future fellow students - come join our big family.”

“Why choose WBS? As a middle-year student of the school I want to share what I think.

First of all, if you plan to study abroad or in an international school, the most fundamental prerequisite is English. Your English proficiency, to a large degree, determines if you can be accepted by a good or ideal school. In a bilingual environment our English improves rapidly. People might say, by taking extra courses in a learning center, students of public schools can learn English as well and score as high in IELTS or TOEFL. But our greatest advantage is speaking. After spending three years with our international teachers, we are able to speak in a manner that would really fit into a native English-speaking environment. Study diligently, digest the lessons, and speak English daily and you will be confident in your ability to communicate. In such an environment, as it were, rigorous English training was part of the daily routine..

Our class size was small. Teachers were there to support and guide us through any problems, and as a result, our thinking ability improved and we developed a clearer vision for the future. At many schools, daily homework is a heavy burden, and given the circumstances, students and parents often just go with the tide and apply for whichever school they are told is good. But at WBS, every graduating student had a fixed target for the future, and they focused on that goal. For their target universities, they chose suitable high schools and study plans. Every person was different and special. The best school was the right school for each student.

The other aspect was personality. I feel that, compared with our peers, students at our school performed better in emotional well-being. We were more outgoing. At other schools, some students who have a quiet temperament tend to keep things to themselves, and gradually they grow more introverted. But everyone at WBS was outgoing, and we had a lot of interactions in class. All these made good friendships happen between classmates. One doesn’t usually see such optimistic and cheerful inclinations among Chinese students. But this is the kind of personalities that would often win you the favor of admission officers abroad when your academic performance is on the same level as others. Therefore, a good personality is an advantage. And this happens not only in admission interviews but in our future engagements with people and the world. An expressive personality makes life better.

The three things I mentioned above are some of the aspects I feel most strongly about when I think of the school, and there were also other reasons why I chose WBS. In addition to academic study, students’ emotional well-being is also worth parents’ concern. After all, nothing is as important as their being happy.”