My Home Away From Home... Away From Home.

We're nearing the end of another year at Shekou International School, and just like many schools, things are starting to get busy. Last weekend was a particularly busy weekend at SIS.

On Friday, after a normal week of classes, after school activities, athletics, and tutoring, the school was hopping with activities.  First floor: Student Council were decorating for the middle school spring fling dance that would begin in a few short hours. Second floor: Thirty-some sixth, seventh and eighth graders were finishing last minute preparations, guided by their high school chairs, for the upcoming Model United Nations conference. Third floor: The 6 Fire B advisory group was sponsoring a "Minecraft Hungergames" activity for middle school students. Fourth floor: Students were meticulously putting last touches on the school yearbook in yearbook club.

There was a palpable buzz in the school.  Excitement. Anxiety. Nervousness. Pride.  

Even after a tiring week of teaching, and with an exhausting night at the dance ahead, I can honestly say there was no place I'd rather have been. 

Living abroad, I have come to realize the important role a school plays in an expat community.  It is so much more than just a place where kids go to learn things.  It truly acts as a community center.  A place for students, parents and even teachers to meet and do cool things.

In general, our students really like our school. They often tell me after holidays that they are happy to be back, because they get to see their friends and they're "not bored." And truly, our kids are not bored. They stay after school most days with after school activities (ASAs) and athletics, though it's a bit different than most North American schools. We offer ASAs varying from knitting to aerial silks. Our students play sports from basketball to touch rugby. Our co-curriculars, some of the most popular activities, range from Model United Nations to Knowledge Bowl. And our kids participate... in everything they can.

Just last weekend, I sponsored the MUNchkin Press, an online newspaper covering the activity of our middle school Model United Nations conference.
It was completely voluntary.
On a weekend... 
Involving writing...
About middle school MUN...
For no credit, awards or recognition.

And I was blessed with the most amazing group of 8th, 9th and 12th grade reporters you could ever ask for.  They were thoughtful, collaborative, gracious and positive, not to mention great writers, photographers and filmmakers.

And they did it because they wanted to.

Maybe they wanted to become better writers. Maybe they wanted to support their classmates who were running the conference.  Maybe they wanted to learn more about MUN... Maybe they just wanted to hang out. Who cares why they were there; they chose to be there.  On a Saturday and Sunday.


Before the MUN weekend, I told my sixth graders that I would be at school "all weekend."  I invited them, if they wanted, to come and work at school on the weekend.  I opened my classroom as a quiet place with fast internet to work on homework. And I'll be darned if two of my kids didn't take up the offer. They came in, sat themselves down and got to work.  Not a game of Minecraft or a Snapchat insight.  Just focused work.  On a weekend.  At school. 

It's not rare for us to have to kick kids out of the school for studying unattended after school hours.  Or playing Minecraft... Either way, I'm pretty sure they'd hang out until bedtime if we fed them dinner. *(Actually, if I'm honest, some would probably just order delivery to the school and curl up on a couch.)

It's not just the students who take advantage of the open community feel of our school. Many teachers use the space for professional as well as personal development. There is a growing contingency of teachers who are learning aerial silks. There was a serious Insanity workout challenge going on for a couple of months. At the elementary school, there is a teachers only art class and in the secondary school, a writing group. On some afternoons, we are treated to the sounds of our faculty band jamming out in the band room.

Basically, within the hours of the school day.  It's all about learning, all business.  But outside of school hours, our school becomes, for many, a home away from home... away from home.