Back to school for day of fun

The beginning of September marks a return or a brand new journey to the house of knowledge for school students and kindergarten children.

Students and teachers in Songjiang held various activities as their “First Lesson in the New Semester” on September 3.

First graders from Songjiang No. 2 Experimental Primary School received a letter from the headmaster and a sunflower seed as a gift. A seedling hung with bookmarks with signatures and wishes from teachers was shown to students who stood on tiptoe and fetched the bookmarks down.

Students from Zhongshan No. 2 Primary School sent flowers to teachers, security guards and canteen staff and sang a song to them to express their gratitude on their first day at school.

At Jiuting No.5 Primary School, a digital evaluation system called “Mobao Magic School” was launched with students playing the role of “little magicians.” Students gain points in the digital system when they perform well and their “magician level” rises accordingly.

At Minle School, a brass band and a dancing team performed to celebrate the new semester.

Students from Xinqiao School recalled and shared their summer holiday adventures at the new semester opening ceremony. They told stories about their root-seeking activities, their voluntary work at a nursing home and their participation in the Special Olympics as volunteers.

At Songjiang Experimental School affiliated with Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, students wore Shanghai-style school uniforms designed by professional designers from Donghua University. The uniforms, with grey, blue and red as the major colors, are characteristic of Songjiang as an ancient city, a G60 High-Tech Corridor initiating city and a cultural city.

On the same day, more than 10,000 kindergarten children in Songjiang started school.

“My child performed quite well today with no crying or playing tantrums,” said a parent surnamed Cai.

The market regulation bureau of Songjiang is launching an inspection on school canteens from late August to the end of September.

A senior student (right) at Songjiang No. 2 Experimental Primary School acts as the volunteer, helping a first grader to find his classroom. — Chen Yanwen and Yue Cheng

A boy shows off his toy car on his first day at Songjiang’s Wenxiang Kindergarten. — Cai Bin