NOVEMBER & DECEMBER LETTER
From Principal December, 2016.

 
Dear parents,
 
What an amazing time of year!  Our campus is dressed up in red, green, silver and white. All the colours of the Christmas season! Green trees, plants and bushes wearing red ribbons! White flower pots with red sashes! Real pine trees in every class that children and you helped to decorate. The lobby and canteen is stocked full of Christmas Hearts hand made by our wonderful teachers and holiday music is playing in the morning and afternoon. At the entrance videos featuring children's class photos, teachers wishes and song medley is on display! Further, our amazing and talented teacher Ms. Yoyo decorated the glass-wall at the library hallway to depict the 3 wise men carrying presents to the newly born child on the very first of Christmas eve's. They were guided by the bright Christmas star and angels above. This is where the tradition of putting a star/angel on top of the Christmas tree comes from and the concept of giving and celebrating birth originates. Love, care, giving and forgiving is the true spirit of Christmas, a message worth following for people of all beliefs.
 
Given the seasonal timing, I decided to combine the November & December letter as I wanted to include a little bit more information from our first 2 Christmas events, which took place on December 1st and 2nd. For those of you who have upcoming events on the 15th and 16th, I can tell you that you have a wonderful experience in store.
 
Pre-Nursery & Nursery classes read a story about "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" with soft background music and interactive elements. Followed by a cute art project completed with parents, before visiting father Christmas himself in his Santa room on the B-level and watching the 2016 Christmas special in the theater, where teachers sing, make wishes for their students and with a unique photo story per level.

In the afternoon from 15:30 - 17:15 K1 & K2 families were invited to share delicious home-cooked seasonal food, while children big and small got to visit Santa and make wishes. After eating the glorious feast, parents entered the Hui Xin theater for a small video presentation incl. teachers wishes, caroling and a photo story while K1 students all in white dresses and white shirts with dark pants got ready outside to do the traditional Saint Lucia walk of light. Lights were dimmed down low when children walked ceremonial inside the theater, carrying candle lights. Following the children's walk of light they did an amazing performance of "When Christmas Comes to Town - Wishing On A Star" where children made Christmas wishes, performed and sang along to the beautiful song. Finally the children caroled the classic "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", before classes proceeded to their individual class-rooms for more dancing around the trees, games with parents, parents & children caroling together and receiving presents from under the trees.

It was fantastic start of the Christmas month and with a sense of magic all around. Thanks goes out to all the parents who joined in and are going to join the remaining parties on the 15th and 16th.
 
On Friday, November 25th parents and grandparents were invited to join the class-rooms in preparing and making Christmas decorations for the seasonal celebrations. It was a fun and festive day. All classes had between 3-10 parents joining in and what a difference you guys made! In a jiffy our classrooms were transformed to something out of "Polar Express". It's such a wonderful feeling when both our children and parents feel at home in the class-rooms and I wish to thank everyone for being such a wonderful and contributing part of the Hui Xin family.
 
It is easy to focus this letter on just the Holiday Cheer, but as customary I wish to mention new features/improvements at campus as well as reminders.
 
The December meal menu has been online for a few weeks already and I am proud to say that we have
taken all our knowledge from the past months, reviewed dishes, improved ways to serve and included the teachers in the decision making along with Ms. Anna our campus nurse who is in charge of nutrition. The meal has variety, choices, all major food-groups represented and is served to preserve the recognition of the ingredient used. Such as blanched baby carrots, broccoli, steamed cauliflower etc. served on the plate together with slices of sausage, bread and milk for breakfast or yoghurt served with choice of dried/fresh fruit and raisins. At lunch children have 2 side-dish options, a soup and mixed salad served at teachers discretion. At snack a juice or warm-drink is served with the meal. All visible, educational, healthy and choice based. Finally as a cooking enthusiast myself, I urge parents with experience or interest in cooking to share recipe and food advice with us directly by sending mail to our nutritionist Ms. Anna on nurse-hxj@internewton.com.
 
Our nurse, Ms. Anna is sending out an important 2nd reminder to parents concerning health awareness, entrance health check, pollution PM2.5 measurement policy.  I strongly urge everyone to read the notice closely and to observe.
 
Upcoming reminders:
- The foreign section closes for Christmas holiday from to/including December 24th - December 30th.
- All sections close for New Year holiday from to/including December 31st - January 2nd.
- All sections, first school day of 2017 will be on Tuesday, January 3rd.
- January 13th, Charity Drive at campus. This is an event day, no regular school services, no school bus. The school will transform into a market, with vendors, performances and fun! all money raised and donations received will go to the Newton Charity Fund.
- January 20th, Friday last day of the semester
- All sections close for Chinese New Year Holiday, from to/including January 21st - February 5th.
- First day of the 2nd semester will be on Monday, February 6th.
 
Finally, as I am finishing this letter I kindly ask parents to pay extra attention to the Charity Drive which is coming up on January 13th. As every year, we raise money with the aim to help children in need and we need your help! Please let us know or talk with your teachers, if you are aware of good causes that need financial support, families or children in need! Orphanage children who need help with medical bills! We prefer to donate locally, but have in the past donated to the international red-cross relief effort in Nepal, Sichuan, Japan and helped cover a handful of children from the Suzhou orphanage in need of medical procedures.
 
At the end, I thank all of you, our wonderful children and amazing parents. Our fantastic teachers and staff at Hui Xin campus for an amazing year of 2016! May all your Christmas wishes come true! and may you have a wonderful New Year of 2017!

Ho Ho Ho,

Anders S Christensen, principal
and the Hui Xin team!

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