On Friday, June 14, 25 students atnd 2 teachers from the Guang Ai orphanage arrived at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) for a day of music, sports, art, and fun. The day, which was completely organized and led by year 12 DCB students, was a chance for Dulwich students to share experiences with the orphans. I was part of the organizing committee of Guang Ai Day; we have been visiting the Guang Ai orphanage for the past year and this was a chance for us to share a part of our lives and education with them.
In the morning, music teacher Mr. Dutton taught the Guang Ai students how to play djembes, communicating mainly through body language to overcome the language barrier. Afterwards, the student organizers led a workshop aimed at fostering the kids’ self expression through art, so the visiting Guang Ai students created collages. Finally, sports teacher Ms. Richards led a soccer event, in which the students played games involving elements of teamwork and dribbling and were given a chance to play a full game.
Throughout the years, we have been building a long-term relationship with the kids at Guang Ai. We wanted to capture this memory and give it to the kids as a keepsake, which is why we took Polaroid photos with each individual Guang Ai student and giving him or her the photo to keep, as a memento of their experiences at Dulwich.
We feel that Guang Ai is a great chance for children to reach their fullest potential and we were delighted to work with the students there. The comprehensive day truly owes its success to its organization and its unwavering support given to the students from the teachers of Dulwich.
Photos courtesy DCB
Michelle Jong is a 16-year-old Year 12 student at Dulwich College Beijing and has been attending Dulwich since Year 4. From China and the US, she has been living in Beijing her entire life. Her favorite subjects are English, History and Economics.
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