We had a fantastic few weeks welcoming our Chinese students Iris, Teresa and Hao Hao to WHP and they were a pleasure to have in the boarding house. Whilst they enjoyed immersing themselves into the WHP boarding routines and learnt lots of new games whilst joining in the evening's entertaining activities. The boarding staff were impressed and touched by the kindness, guidance and support the WHP boarders showed throughout their guests' stay and we know that new friendships and lasting memories were made by all! 

On their last day, Iris, Teresa and Hao Hao stood up in front of the entire school and delivered a speech about their time which we would love to share with you all below - written entirely by themselves! 

Iris:

Hello everyone. This is my last day studying here. In the past two weeks, I have had a very pleasant time in West Hill Park. I really enjoy the time of being here.

The education here is very different from that of China. It makes me realise that learning can also be interesting, rather than just boring problem-solving.

Teachers here are very kind. They selflessly helped me overcome the difficulties I met in my studies. We have got many subjects. I personally participated in the class and became a part of it.

The number of the students here is much smaller than the one in China. There are only 15 students in the class. The students have a deep understanding of each other and have also built on deep friendships. They are all friendly and helpful. I also took many activities after class. I learned outdoor survival skills. I played games to relax myself. did sports with other students here. We played netball together. It's very fun and I like it.

And this is my first time boarding. I have many lovely and passionate roommates. With their help, I gradually adapted to the surroundings here. The schedule here makes sure that students have enough sleep, and get into the habit of going to bed and waking up early. All in all, I have had a very happy time here. Thank you all for taking care of me during this period. This experience is very meaningful to me. I will remember this experience forever.

Teresa:

Hello everybody, I am Teresa, I am nine years old, I like drawing and dancing. I come from China Suzhou. I love this school, it’s fun and very beautiful! My Favourite lesson is Math! It’s fun. My good friend is Lisa she is very kind. We play games together. I like food in this school, I like this school chicken. I like England London. This School is nice, I like this school. Thank you everybody!

Hao Hao:

Dear teachers and students, good morning everyone. I am honoured to have a speech here about my two-week life in West Hill Park School. First of all, I would like to show my great thanks to all of my teachers, classmates, and the school. My life here is really enjoyable and I had a really good time. I come from Shanghai, China. My greatest feeling staying here for two weeks is that everything here is very different from the ones in China. For instance, when I first arrived here on Sunday night, to my surprise, I had two roommates who were both very friendly. They helped me a lot, such as making my bed, telling me where I should go and so on. The teaching style here is also very different. There are more than 40 students in my class in China while there are only 15 here. In addition, the students here are able to choose which class to attend on their own. The most unforgettable lesson to me is that we went to the forest behind our school this Wednesday afternoon. As a matter of fact, I wasn't willing to

take part in it at first on account of I was not experienced at all. I applied not to take part in, but I was refused. We tried to make our outdoor shelters by ourselves. During that afternoon, I learned how to use tools, how to build a shelter and how to make fire in different ways. We put tree leaves on the support, which is made of the branches of the trees, so that the shelter is capable of preventing us from getting wet. At the end of the class, our teacher asked some of the students to get into the shelter and the others poured a bucket of water above the shelter to imitate the situation when it rains. In my opinion, I think the activities are really fun and meaningful because it makes us have the ability to keep alive in a harsh environment for a long time. The teachers and the students get along well here. My most unforgettable teacher is Mr. K. He is really kind and patient. In the Design Technology classes, he let us use some very brilliant woods, which is £6000 per cubic metre. He is quite humorous. Something that is not very useful will possibly become 'rubbish' in his evaluation. Honestly, I have learned a lot of knowledge that I have previously known nothing about before under his words and deeds.

In conclusion, please allow me to show my highest respect and thanks once again, to everyone I have met during the two weeks and the school. I really had a great time here. I hope to see you again in the future. My speech ends here. Thank you everyone.