五年二班  阮晨轩家长

提起与天津泰达枫叶国际学校的缘分，那是一次偶然的机会，我开车从枫叶学校门口经过，身边的朋友跟我说：“我要把我家小侄子送到这所学校，这是最好的国际学校。”我不禁对这所家旁边的学校产生了好奇，回家便上网搜索学校的相关信息。优美的校园环境，优秀的教师队伍，先进的教学理念深深地吸引了我，从那天起，我就做了让我家孩子在枫叶学校上幼儿园的决定。

但是好学校的学位是需要抢的，事先没做好思想准备，我失落了好久，但是功夫不负有心人，几个月之后终于有学位了。记得第一天去学校报到，我带着孩子逛了一遍校园，幼儿园园区多姿多彩，教室走廊贴满各种英语卡片、手工涂鸦、活动照片。我们一下子喜欢上这所学校。看着孩子肆意地在枫叶学校偌大的校园里奔跑，那一刻我相信自己做了对的选择。

孩子很快适应了枫叶幼儿园，短短的两年小一预备班的学习生活，留下很多美好的回忆。枫叶课程体系新颖，玩中学、学中玩的教学新模式，孩子们通过玩获得学。我自己也跟着孩子一起参加过万圣节亲子走秀、亲子运动会、感恩节义卖等活动。

转眼就到了幼升小阶段，我们原本打算搬家到另一个地方上我们看中的公立小学，但是真的要到分别的时候，我犹豫了，两年的相处，枫叶学校给我留下的美好印象让我怀疑自己的决定。枫叶学校坚持“中西教育优化结合”的办学理念，以身心健康、习惯良好、文化基础知识为培养目标，在我看来，成绩并不是评判孩子的唯一标准，我们更希望自己的孩子开朗自信，最终我们决定了继续留在枫叶上小学。很快又再次证明我们的选择是正确的。

小学开学后的第一周学校便组织了家长会，由校长亲自主持，给我们一年级的全部家长放了一个感人的视频，爱其实就是放手，培养一个独立自主、身心健康的孩子远比培养一个只会学习的孩子重要多了。我们家孩子是一位出生于八月底的小男生，六周岁生日刚过没几天便上一年级了，作为家长自然担心他会有各种不适应，开学后没多久，老师的反馈以及孩子的表现让我放下了心中的大石头。我们的班主任王老师是一位笑起来眼睛月牙一般的美女老师，接触一段时间后，我十分佩服她。我们在家对付一个孩子尚且觉得棘手，她可以让全班30个孩子都对她又爱又怕。上课时王老师要求严格，一个眼神就能让班上的孩子们安静下来，休息时老师便会带着孩子们玩，跟孩子们打成一片，经常拿起相机给孩子们拍照记录美好时刻。在上班时，看看班级群里老师分享的照片，孩子们在操场上奔跑、玩游戏，或是坐在草地上开怀大笑，都能让我忘却疲劳。孩子会经常跟我分享学校的趣事，到了秋冬季节，为了预防孩子们感冒，老师甚至在下课时间盯着每个孩子喝水。正是老师对孩子们无微不至的关心，孩子们从心里喜欢老师，对老师产生深深的依恋，回家最经常挂在嘴边的便是“我们王老师……”

说到枫叶的教学，就得提到特色的英语课程，每周十二节的英文课，中外教互相配合，从英语的听、说、写、阅读全方面着手，迅速提高学生的英语水平。枫叶学校从幼儿园开始就提供双语环境，我们家孩子熏陶两年进入小学阶段后，我惊喜地发现孩子背英语单词、背课文一点都不吃力，在掌握单词读音后便能拼写出单词，英语口语、阅读能力都比较好，三年级的英语分级考试取得了好成绩，跳级到了4+班学习。双语老师注重语法、阅读等语言基础，外教老师注重口语以及英语能力拓展。课程设计让我大开眼界，比如几人一组做项目拓展，孩子们自己写项目报告，动手做模型到最后项目成果展示，在这过程中，孩子们不仅学到了英语，还懂得如何团队协作，自主学习能力加强，这不正是我们家长一直追求的最好的教育模式吗？这也是让孩子赢在起跑线上的真实例子啊。

回首几年的枫叶生活，我惊喜地看到孩子的变化，从最初的腼腆不敢大声说话，到现在能积极参加班级中英文演讲，我曾经问他，公开课上老师和同学们都看着你演讲，你害怕吗？他看了我一眼反问道：“我只是分享我的感想而已，有什么好害怕的呢？”我想这应该就是枫叶学子的自信吧！希望枫叶学子们学好国内基础教育内容的同时，掌握好英语，带着这份自信走向国际一流大学，走向世界。

My Story with Maple Leaf School

Parent of Chenxuan Ruan, Class 2, Grade 5

Many years ago, my friend told me, "I would like to send my nephew to this school, the best international school” when I was driving past Maple Leaf school. I couldn't help being curious about the school, so I searched the Internet for the information of the school. I was deeply attracted by the beautiful campus, excellent teachers, and advanced teaching ideas. Then I made up my mind  to my child to Maple Leaf Kindergarten.

However, it was hard to get in a popular school. Luckily, there was an opening a few months later . I still remember the first day my son Gary and I went to school for the orientation. The classroom and corridors were covered with all kinds of English cards, hand-painted drawings and activity photos. We loved the place at once. Watching the children running around in the big campus, I believed I have made the right choice.

Gary quickly adapted to the new school life. The short two-year study and life left a lot of good memories. The curriculum system enables children to learn through play. I also participated in Halloween parent-child show and games, Thanksgiving bazaar and other activities with my child.

For elementary school, we had planned to move to another place to go to the public school we liked, but when it was the time to leave, I hesitated. After two years’ time, the good memories in Maple Leaf school made me doubt my decision. The school adheres to the educational philosophy of "Blending the Best Education of China and the west" and aims to nurture students with sound physical and mental health, good habits and cultural foundation. In my opinion, achievement is not the only standard to judge children. We want our child to be cheerful and confident. Finally, we decided to stay in Maple Leaf school. It soon proved to be a right choice once again.

In the first week, the school organized a parents' meeting where the headmistress shared a touching video with first-grade parents. The theme was love is letting go. Cultivating an independent and healthy child is much more important than cultivating a child who can only study. As a parent, I was worried that he would encounter all kinds of difficulties since he was younger than his classmates. Their homeroom teacher, Miss Wang, is a beautiful teacher with smiling eyes. After several communications, I admire her very much. Ms. Wang is strict in class, while she often shares pictures of children running, playing or sitting on the ground laughing after class. My son often shares interesting stories at the school with me. In autumn and winter, the teacher reminds the children to drink water after class. The children like the teacher from the heart and have a deep attachment to the teacher.

When it comes to Maple Leaf teaching, we must mention English courses. There are 12 English classes every week. Chinese and foreign teachers work together to improve students' English abilities in listening, speaking, writing, and reading. Maple leaf school has offered a bilingual environment since kindergarten. After mastering the pronunciation of words, my son can spell words and his oral English and reading ability are good. He achieved good results in G3 English placement test and jumped to class 4 +. The curriculum design is brand new. For example, students often work together on a project. They write the project report, make the model and finally show the project results to the class. In this process, they have learned English, as well as know how to be a team player and independent learner.

After all these years’ learning at Maple Leaf school, Gary changed from being shy and afraid to speak aloud at first, to being able to actively participate in class and different competitions. I once asked him if he is afraid to speak in public ? He looked at me and said, "I'm just sharing my feelings. What's to be afraid of?" I think this should be what a Maple Leaf student looks like! I hope Maple Leaf students will go to world-class universities and the world with confidence.