The wind of August carries with it the traces of summer warmth, brushing softly against the layers of greenery shading the campus of SCIE. Sunlight, like molten amber, filters through the leaves, scattering golden fragments across the stone paths.
The steady roll of suitcases echoes like a metronome of time, opening the overture to a long-awaited encounter.
The breeze brings laughter from the distant sports field, weaving through the air and settling gently into the dappled light. Standing on the shaded avenue, the patches of sunlight fall like keys of a piano, and you—our new students—stand on the very first note, ready to begin your own youthful symphony.
From the moment you stepped onto campus, members of the Student Leadership Body have been walking alongside you.
The mix of nervousness and anticipation you feel is something every SCIE student has once carried.
Years ago, we too stood here, with dreams in our hearts and uncertainty in our eyes.
But do not worry—your journey here is yet to began.
This is your very first meeting with this school.
Welcome to where your own story begins.
First Encounters
I still remember the day I first arrived: excitement and pride entangled with nerves and hesitation.
For you, perhaps your heart skipped when you saw seniors lined up to greet you, or you felt a twinge of unease despite all the preparation you had made. In truth, for us organizers, the emotions ran just as deep.
On August 10, the campus was bathed in gentle breezes and soft light. Families walked through the corridors, cameras in hand, capturing those first precious moments with SCIE—snapshots that will someday grow more valuable than you imagine.
In the afternoon, the theater lit up for the Parents’ Reception.
The principal’s warm yet powerful voice filled the hall, assuring every parent that each child would be seen and every dream safeguarded.
Later that night, boarding students gathered in circles, stories and lives beginning to intertwine. From then on, you were no longer visitors—you had become pieces of the SCIE family puzzle.
Even before you arrived, you had glimpsed the New Student Guide crafted by the Peer Support Division.
What looked like a polished guide was born from countless hours of rewriting and discussion, the same way one struggles over the first email to a teacher in English—clumsy but sincere.
Thanks to MUSE, our art society, and the CM Division, those fifty pages of text became a true gift: visually alive, warm in design, and genuinely yours.
The Boarding Day
Morning light spilled through the dormitory windows, carrying whispers of early autumn. In the boarding houses, new students helped each other unpack.
The rustle of luggage and bursts of laughter filled the halls.
There were shy greetings and cheerful introductions. Some offered hugs to strangers who would soon become friends, others quietly measured the new world around them.
That afternoon, you received your student IDs. Cold to the touch yet burning with meaning, these cards marked your official beginning. They are not just passes; they are promises—that you will grow here, and that you belong.
Later, when we seniors spoke on stage, there were no long lectures.
At SCIE, the greatest treasure is not achievement alone, but the chain of kindness passed down year after year. Here, no one is alone—every student is both a guide and one who is guided.
As night fell, the square filled with the smoke and glow of a barbecue. Flames crackled, laughter rose, and whatever distance had remained between strangers dissolved into the summer night.
Academic Exploration
The morning of Academic Day brought the day students onto campus. Cameras caught the traces of nervous smiles—your first look into the future that awaited you. During the course selection briefing, the possibilities ahead stretched wide and endless.
The sparkle in your eyes was unmistakable.
What defines SCIE is precisely this: the abundance of choices, and the trust placed in every student to chart their own path.
In the afternoon, campus became a playground of discovery.
You explored corridors and courtyards through games, uncovering secrets hidden in every corner. Sunlight poured through the trees, draping you in golden light.
These scenes repeat every year, yet each time they feel entirely new, because the faces are different, the stories fresh.
From the lecture halls to the gymnasium, knowledge called out. This was your very first lesson in independence and self-directed learning.
The Weight of Pastoral Care
Among all the days, Pastoral Day carries special weight. SCIE has always insisted that academic brilliance must be matched by Wellbeing. “Speak Out and Stay Safe” is not just a slogan—it is a commitment.
Your safety is the school’s first priority, embodied in fire drills, safety training, counseling sessions, and daily care. Every measure speaks of one value: students come first.
Equally memorable was the university counseling session. Each of you will receive personalized guidance, a level of care that forms the backbone of SCIE’s excellence.
Here, academic strength matters, but more importantly, the school encourages you to find your own rhythm, to become the best version of yourself—not someone else’s replica.
Challenges and Growth
Examination Day brought a quiet sense of gravity. You prepared your materials, and then faced the CAT4 assessment, designed not to judge but to reveal potential.
SCIE’s testing system is less about difficulty and more about discovery. Teachers often remind us: “Exams are not to defeat you, but to help you grow.” Over time, this truth becomes clearer.
From “I” to “We”
Then came Team-Building Day, a crucible for transformation. Boundaries between individuals melted, and “I” slowly became “we.” You learned to trust the person behind you and discovered strengths you never realized you had.
This is the heart of SCIE: guiding each of us from independence toward community.
As you rotated through foundation classes and met student groups—from societies to the Global Citizenship Award, from the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award to countless clubs—your map of SCIE widened.
As seniors, this is the moment we love most: watching you grow from cautious to confident, from standing alone to walking together. That transformation is always deeply moving.
A Final Word to You
And so, welcome once again.
From the moment you arrived, every challenge became a gift, every test a step forward.
As you go forward, please remember, you are never alone. Behind you stand teachers who care, seniors who guide, and families who support. SCIE is a community, where each person thrives because of one another.
What SCIE gives us is not only knowledge but also a strength—strength to walk forward with confidence at any stage of life.
Its beauty lies not only in the campus itself, but in the sense of belonging it creates for everyone who joins. Its excellence lies not in comparison, but in the discovery it allows each student to be themselves.
So let us give thanks—to all the teachers, to the Student Leadership Body and all the student helpers, and most importantly, to you, the new students who have joined us.
May you dare to try and not fear mistakes; may you make friends sincerely without weighing gains and losses; may you discover yourselves without borders nor limits.
May your youth here be the brightest years of your life.
- Article / Katherine Zhang
- Pictures / Admissions, Albert, Alice, Karen, Lorris, Niko
