Dear Parents and Friends of MIS
For our MISsive this week we decided to have a special edition that will focus on the school’s official opening.
Saturday 13th October was a very special day in the history of Merchiston International School. The school marked its official opening with, as all of us who were there would agree, a truly memorable day. In the morning there was a variety of sporting activities organised by Mr Nowak and his skilled and dedicated team of PE teachers (Ms Evison and Mr Pounds). This included a carousel of badminton for Seniors and an obstacle course for Juniors. The morning finished off with a tug of war for all students. There was even a Teachers V Parents tug of war. Unfortunately, the parents won this time. The teachers are now training hard, ready for next year’s rematch.
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The ceremony itself had representatives from China and Scotland in attendance. Pipers from Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, opened the ceremony. There were speeches from members of the MIS Board of Governors, Mr Lynn and the Longhua Education Bureau.
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Visiting Pipers from Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh
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Chairman of the Board – Mr Vincent Chen
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CEO - Mr Jianjun Lyu
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Director of Longhua District Educational Bureau - Mr Wang Yu Xi
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MIS was officially opened by Mr Frank Ross, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
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Throughout the ceremony, music was superbly provided by MIS Seniors and Juniors choirs, augmented by a choir from Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh. Mr Wright is to be commended for his hard work in organising this.
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The visiting choir from Merchiston Castle School Edinburgh.
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Personally, the highlight of the day for me was the spectacular Lion Dance that concluded the ceremony. The two lions entertained guests in the Colinton Atrium. The acrobatic skills of the lions and the grace and balance they displayed were mesmerizing.
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Following Chinese tradition, Mr Chen, Mr Lyu, Mr Ross and Mr Wang dotted the Lions’eyes.
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After the ceremony there was an outside event, with a garden-party feel. There were a variety of stalls organized by the school and staff. Students had the opportunity to pitch their football skills in a “beat the goalie/teacher” activity and a selection of other stalls, including bean bag tossing ,a coconut shy, kite painting and many other activities.
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MIS Outreach & Service were out in full force at the opening ceremony outdoor fair on Saturday, 13 October. We were proud to have one of our local charity partners, Promised Land, join us on this auspicious day and were very happy to welcome a handful of their residents to join in the afternoon’s festivities.
At our stall were also a variety of games and activities with prizes to be won – with all proceeds going to charity. A popular favourite was the marble challenge, in which players had to pick glass marbles submerged in a bowl of water using chopsticks. We were thoroughly impressed with some of the skill put on display by our parents!
A big thank you to all who supported our programmes and activities at the fair. MIS Outreach & Service are glad to announce that we raised a total of CN¥1,009 over the afternoon, with an additional ¥2,156 raised through the MIS Lucky Draw. Also, a huge word of thanks to all our lucky draw prize sponsors and contributors.
Mr Ang
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Music onstage was enthusiastically provided by a teacher’s band called the “Merchis-tones.” The band members were – Mr Joe Reeves (lead guitar and vocals), Mr Adam Yates (bass guitar), Mr John Ang (keyboards) and Mr Pete “stix” Knapp (drums). There was also a vocal performance by Miss Donna-Marie Mitchell.
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After the performance the results for the Lucky Draw were announced. There were over 80 prizes in total. These were donated by a selection of parents and friends of Merchiston International School. We would like to thank our sponsors below, who very generously donated gifts for our lucky draw.
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At this point a special thanks must be made to Mr Jon Ang who professionally acted as Master of Ceremony for the garden party. He ensured a smooth running of the afternoon.
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The school governors have now decreed that October 13th shall forever be celebrated at MIS as “Founders Day”. This shall be a celebration of the school and of all it has achieved.
Many thanks,
Philip McParland
(Teacher of Geography)
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Whilst this edition of the MISsive is celebrating the school’s official opening, there are several events being organized by teachers over the upcoming week for both parents and students.
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I am writing to invite you to attend the first of our termly MAD evenings in Castle Hall from 16.05 – 17.00 on Thursday 25 October 2018. You do not need to reply or register; please just sign in with the security officers in the usual way and try to be seated by 16.00.
‘MAD’ stands for ‘Music And Drama’. Both senior and junior students have a great deal of choice and control over the performances they choose to give, so I’m sure that the word ‘mad’ will also apply as an adjective at more than one point in the afternoon. Right now, the emphasis is on fun and on building confidence as performers, so I am keen to make the event as informal and friendly as possible. We will hear from soloists, whole classes, and from small groups.
I look forward to seeing you there,
Best wishes,
John Wright (Director of Performing Arts)
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Autumn Reading Club 2018
Hot on the heels of the first ever book fair at Merchiston International School, the Library Department is delighted to announce the launch of its first Reading Club. The reading club will run from the 15th October until the 31st October 2018.
During these two weeks, students will be provided with brochures that will detail the books that are available. If you wish, you may select books for purchasing. Once purchased these books become the personal property of the student and they can be shipped to either the student’s home or the boarding houses.
While making the online payment, please indicate which address you want the books to be shipped to. For students living in the boarding houses, it may be best to have the books shipped directly to the school.
Research supports that the ownership of books and reading at home are the foundations for promoting a culture of literacy and lifelong learning. This is especially true for Students attempting to learn English as a second language. It is a wonderful opportunity to improve their English Language skills.
Mr Michael O’ Sullivan (Librarian)
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Date for your Diary
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Friday 19 October 14:00
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MISPA meeting
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Friday 19 October 15:30
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MIS Outreach Bake Sale
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Friday 19 October 15:40-16:00
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MIS Juniors Teatime Showcase
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Wednesday 7 November 08:45
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Open House With ALT
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Saturday 1 December 17:00
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MIS Christmas Winter Market
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