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The Principal's Newsletter

Hanova celebrates International Day of Peace

By Francesco Masetti-Placci

Dear Parents and friends,

We hope you had an excellent short holiday last week. Hereafter the news and the activities information related to this school week.

Student Leaders.  Hanova highly values the students’ voice and promotes student leadership throughout the school. In that regard, in addition to the House Leaders, the previous team of Head Boy and Head Girl this year has been expanded with two new equally valued roles of Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl. Several of our amazing students wrote enthusiastic application letters and also performed extremely well in their interviews. We are delighted to announce our new incoming student leadership team:

  • Head Boy – Kevin Qu
  • Head Girl – Amee Trull
  • Deputy Head Boy – Jimmy Li
  • Deputy Head Girl – Emily Che

We look forward to a seamless handover from our fabulous outgoing Head Boy, Collins, and Head Girl, DK. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their work and dedication as ambassadors for our school. We now look forward to a very rewarding and exciting year ahead and the worthwhile work and events this new team will lead and co-ordinate. Many congratulations to Jimmy, Kevin, Emily & Amee and also Collins and DK – well done to all!

Student Leadership Weekend.  On Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th, all the elected House and school student leaders will spend the weekend developing their cooperation and leadership skills. This will be a great opportunity for them to participate in a variety of team-based challenges from nighttime orienteering to daytime teamwork challenges. Each activity is designed to build trust, cooperation and problem solving skills, so that students will become more familiar with each other as individuals and leaders. They will lay the groundwork for how they will organize themselves to make formal decisions as an elected body as well as well as select events that they will oversee. Many thanks again to all teachers who contributed to make this event such fun and to Mr. Givens, Mr. Collins, Mr. Gallerno and Mrs. Smith who will supervise the entire event.

The International Day of Peace.  The International Day of Peace, also known as Peace Day, was established by two United Nations Resolutions in 1981 and 2001. Each year, hundreds of students take part in a student observance of Peace Day at the United Nations. The Day’s theme for 2016 is “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.” It aims to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. They are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success. Hanova students have also participated this year, taking part in various “peace activities”. PYP teachers and students at Hanova shared ‘Peace’ stories, books and thoughts. Students participated to an art activity to mark the event by drawing around their hands on white paper, cutting their hand shapes out and then decorated their hands, with pictures, symbols and messages of Peace. Our PYP art teacher Mr. Dylan helped string the hands together to create a Peace String that now hangs in our entrance and lower corridor. Also beautiful origami Peace Cranes were made during Chinese classes and then handed out as a symbol of Peace. If you would like to know more about other peace events you can look up Jeremy Gilley, the filmmaker who started the movement for an international peace day, explains on the Peace One Day web-site www.peaceoneday.com: “As far as I’m concerned, the key to humanity’s survival is intercultural cooperation. More than anything, we must work together to bring about a world in which peace is a realistic possibility.” Our IB philosophy support international mindedness, so we are confident that Peace Day initiatives will develop more and more at Hanova.

Secondary Visual Art Activities.  In Year 11 Visual Arts, Catherine has been exploring abstract art, and this week – after learning about the American action painter Jackson Pollock – she produced her own action painting. Her artwork is now on display in the main staircase between secondary levels. The other Year Groups have been exploring art through Landscapes in Year 8, Portrait in Year 9, Time in Year 10 and Culture in Year 12. Year 7 students are learning the elements and principles of art and design in Visual Arts and about typography in Design. All year groups are now working towards producing artworks in different materials based on what they have learned, which will be displayed later in the school year.

ECAs & Clubs.  Our first block of ECAs has started this Wednesday, September 21st. Parents, please remember that buses will leave school at 4:30pm every Wednesday during ECAs. If your children will not participate in an ECA, you must arrange transportation for them to leave at 3:30pm otherwise they will have to join one activity.

Yours,

Francesco Masetti-Placci


About the Author


Francesco Masetti-Placci

Former School Principal

Dr. Masetti-Placci was a former school Principal of Xi'an Hanova International School from 2015-2018. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from University of Bologna and a Master in Information Technology from Polytechnic of Milan, with studies also in France (University of Rennes) and the USA (Washington University). Before joining Hanova, he previously has taught in secondary schools and universities in Italy, France, USA and China.


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