Welcome to school

Welcome to school and campus! It is with great pleasure that we hold this welcome assembly in person!

For returning students, it has been a long while since we have been here on campus together and maybe you have forgotten a bit about the school and being a part of the Otters community. For our newest members, it’s your first time in one of the Otters assemblies. We are a family, a community that tries to provide support and welcome everyone. You will learn with foreign teachers, study in English, do amazing projects, and likely join a variety of athletics and clubs.

——Ms. Wereschuk

Back to school is always a special time for teachers, and 2022 was even more special than usual. The long period of online teaching that started in March had given way to Summer, and so back to school marked the end of this long period away from campus and the energy of young people all learning and growing together in a busy classroom. 

So, it was no surprise that the teachers in the BC program were ready and raring to go, with a week of in-house and virtual professional development opportunities, set to ensure teachers got a head start on the new school year and students got the best experience that the BC Program, along with Xiehe’s East Meets West philosophy, had to offer. 

There were workshops on technology in the classroom, as well as on technology outside of the classroom, which would help teachers and students make the most of their learning opportunities whether on- or off-line. There was a workshop on Student Self-Assessment, which would allow students to become more reflective and self-directed in their learning. The culmination of the Pro-D week was a workshop held virtually by assessment legend Ken O’Connor. This was organized by the BC Ministry of Education and had over 170 participants, both groups and individuals, from all around the world, learning and contributing in real time on the topic of Assessment & Grading for Learning. Teachers enjoyed lively discussion and were able to sharpen their skills together, after which they couldn’t wait to get back into the classroom and put all their newfound pedagogy to the test. 

Back to school is always exciting, and 2022 at Jiaoke BC Campus is definitely no exception.