Week 4 Update Hi Everyone, For the past 10 days I have been in Jiangsu, China meeting a sister school and participating in an education forum. I have signed an agreement with Yancheng No 1 High School to become a sister school. There are some distinct differences between education in Western Australia and China. Chinese schools tend to be larger and class sizes are also bigger. For example Yancheng No 1 High School caters for students in the equivalent of Years 10, 11 and 12 and has a student population nearing 6,000. Most classes have 60 students, and in some cases more. Students commence classes at 7.30 am and finish at 5.50 pm every day, and then attend classes on Saturday as well! Yancheng No 1 High School rates in the top schools in Jiangsu. The school has a strong focus on teacher quality and innovative teaching practice. The teachers and students I met were very keen to learn more about our school and education system, perhaps through teacher exchange initially. While I was away, the first part of Joseph Banks Secondary College, the Reception building, was handed to us. Some furniture was delivered and installed and in the next few weeks we will make the formal move to the new school. Next week we have the Apple parent evenings and I look forward to seeing parents and students at those events. We will distribute information about the IPad pricing after Wednesdays parent evening. These are busy and exciting times for our school. Please let us know if you need any assistance with the transition of your child to high school. Regards, Eleanor
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 00:40:29 +0000