Sailing into the New Journey in Autumn — The CISS 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony Concluded Successfully

On the afternoon of August 16, 2025, after the rain had cleared and a gentle breeze was blowing, the CISS 2025-2026 academic year's opening ceremony was grandly held in the picturesque Ziyue Villa in Shenyang. The ceremony was filled with a warm and solemn atmosphere. Madam Yun'a Duan , the Executive Director of CISS, Ms. Josephine, the Vice Chairperson, and Mr. Gordon, the Principal, led all the faculty and staff of CISS to warmly welcome students and parents from all over the world, jointly opening a new chapter of the academic year. This event, which combined a sense of ceremony with educational warmth, not only demonstrated CISS's strength as the only international school in Liaoning Province with full IB accreditation but also conveyed its firm belief in holistic education.

A Heartwarming Prelude: Immersive Experiences Foster Home-School Partnership

Starting at 1 p.m., the signature wall gradually filled with the tender handwriting and warm signatures of parents and children, who left their expectations for the new academic year in a unique way. In the subsequent "Starbucks Junior Barista" experience activity, children learned coffee-making skills under professional guidance, understanding the spirit of craftsmanship in grinding and brewing; in the flower arrangement experience area, parents and children created floral art pieces together, cultivating aesthetic sentiments with the beauty of nature; and the kindergarten children freely expressed their creativity in the watercolor face-painting activity, with their innocent smiles becoming the most beautiful scenery at the venue. These immersive experiences practiced CISS's educational philosophy of "learning through practice," allowing home-school partnership to occur naturally through interaction.

Student-Centered: Vision Guides the Blueprint of Growth

Before the official start of the opening ceremony, Madam Yun'a Duan , the Executive Director of CISS, delivered a speech. She first extended a warm welcome to the new teachers joining the CISS family and highly praised the rich achievements of the CISS summer camp. She emphasized that these accomplishments were the result of the consistent teamwork and educational enthusiasm of the CISS faculty and staff. She encouraged all faculty and staff to continue to carry forward the spirit of collaboration and progress in the new academic year and jointly write a new chapter in the school's development!

At 2 p.m., the CISS 2025-2026 academic year's opening ceremony officially began under the joint hosting of Vice Chairperson Josephine and Grade 1 homeroom teacher Lewis. A video showcasing the school's development was played on the large screen, vividly demonstrating CISS's outstanding achievements in implementing IB programs and promoting cross-cultural integration as a benchmark school filling the gap of high-level international education in Liaoning.

Subsequently, Dr. Peng Jianhua, the Chairman based in Canada, sent a video message for the opening ceremony. He sincerely wished all students to gain knowledge and grow in the new academic year and particularly emphasized that in today's world where artificial intelligence is reshaping everything, education must embrace technological innovation while upholding its core mission of nurturing people. This viewpoint fully embodies the advanced concept of "coordinated development of technology and humanity," highlighting the forward-looking nature of CISS's education.

Ms. Josephine, the Vice Chairperson of CISS, systematically introduced the school's core advantages: as the 34th school in China and the only one in Liaoning with full PYP/MYP/DP IB accreditation, CISS students can obtain dual diplomas from Canada's New Brunswick and IB, maintaining a 100% university admission rate for many years. She emphasized, "CISS's education not only aims to equip students with the competitiveness to enter world-renowned universities but also to cultivate them into responsible global citizens!"

Mr. Gordon, the Principal of CISS, further elaborated on CISS's educational mission of "immersion, inspiration, and empowerment," which means stimulating potential through immersive learning, enlightening wisdom with multiculturalism, and empowering growth through personalized education. He also shared his insights on the transition from being a student to a "cool teacher": the most respected teachers, whether strict or amiable, all focus on creating an environment that "values learning and is positive and safe", building meaningful teacher-student relationships, and motivating students to keep making progress. This is precisely the selection criterion for CISS teachers. In the new academic year, the school will continue to build a "growth-oriented campus culture"!

Curriculum Synergy: Building an Education System through Segmentation

During the session on sharing educational philosophies, four CISS education experts respectively expounded on CISS's educational philosophy and characteristics from different segments and perspectives:

PYP Coordinator Oxana focused on inquiry-based learning, emphasizing that "curiosity is the starting point, and students should actively construct knowledge in real-world contexts." She introduced that in the new academic year, STEAM interdisciplinary inquiry units will be added to cultivate students' scientific thinking and innovative awareness. She also stressed that PYP aims to foster "lifelong learners" and encourages students to ask questions and enjoy the joy of finding answers.

MYP Coordinator Jon Wright used the letters of "STUDENT" to interpret the core concepts of the Middle Years Programme: Supportive (Supporting student needs), Trained (Professional teaching), Understanding (Comprehension and care), Driven (Motivated classroom), Educational (Fun learning), Nurturing (Holistic care), and Tasks (Helpful assignments). He emphasized that by designing real-world problem-solving tasks, students can develop independent thinking skills through analysis and argumentation, which is the core competence for facing the challenges of the AI era.

DP Coordinator Marwa solemnly promised to provide 11th and 12th grade students with a three-in-one education of "academic excellence, personal growth, and global competence." She proudly announced that CISS's 2024-2025 graduates have successfully been admitted to top universities such as New York University and the University of New South Wales, proving the success of the IB and Canadian NB curriculum integration model. She emphasized that the goal of the DP stage is to cultivate "future leaders with a global perspective, a sense of responsibility, and the ability to change the world."

Chinese subject head Guo Chen passionately expounded on the educational philosophy of the Chinese language discipline. He analyzed the profound value of Chinese as the carrier of five thousand years of Chinese wisdom and culture, and emphasized that in IB Chinese education, studying ancient literature is to better consider the practical significance of ancient wisdom in today's global context; savoring modern and contemporary literature is to understand the common emotions of all humanity through diverse narrative methods. In the new academic year, he will lead students to follow the IB philosophy and inherit culture in the exploration of language and literature, cultivating "more qualified global citizens."

Subsequently, all CISS teachers took the stage to introduce themselves, showcasing the school's diverse and professional teaching force. Educators from around the world won rounds of applause with their sincere educational commitments. Among them were experts with decades of experience in IB education as well as young talents proficient in cutting-edge educational technologies, together forming CISS's international educational community.

Sailing Together: A Warm Conclusion to Continue the Educational Warmth

The group photo at the end of the ceremony captured the joy and anticipation of the moment forever. The subsequent tea and snack exchange allowed for in-depth communication between the school and parents in a relaxed atmosphere. Many parents expressed that they had a clearer understanding of the school's educational philosophy through the opening ceremony and were full of confidence in their children's future development. At the end of the event, the school arranged special campus tours for parents who wanted to know more. The modern teaching facilities and green activity spaces allowed parents and students to directly experience CISS's "safe, comfortable, and professional" learning environment.

This opening ceremony was not only a grand ceremony but also a vivid presentation of CISS's educational philosophy. From educational reflections in the AI era to a comprehensive curriculum system for all-round development, from the integration and coexistence of diverse cultures to the collaborative educational force of home and school, CISS is leveraging professionalism and warmth to help every student "unleash individual potential and master their future". In the new academic year, this international school with full IB accreditation will surely continue to uphold its educational mission and spare no effort in cultivating future talents with both global vision and humanistic sentiments!