After welcoming the Year 11 and Year 13 students as the first cohort to return to campus since the school closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we welcomed all students from Year 4 to Year 13 back to school from the 27^th April. Our students embraced this opportunity, greeting their peers and teachers with beaming smiles, eagerly engaging in the wonderful learning opportunities for which they have yearned, on campus and with their friends.

There is no doubt our students were very happy to be back at school, face masks for all, interacting with their peers and teachers. It was a bonus to have the sun shining and temperatures approaching the 30s, which should be the ‘norm’ as we head into May.

As a school, we aim to optimize learning opportunities by continuing to offer an education that caters for different student needs. In the e-learning period, YCIS staff worked extremely hard, using different digital platforms and resources to support students’ learning. Now that the campus has re-opened, our teachers are supporting students in Chongqing and abroad using a range of learning tools. New health and safety requirements have meant our staff have completed a great deal of work to make sure the campus is safe and clean, so that the programme could operate smoothly, adhering to social distancing guidelines that are overseen by all staff across the campus.

As they enjoy the classroom teaching and learning, students have been thrilled to sample the campus lunches after such a long break. They have also relished the additional space on campus to utilize their energy on the playground and walking into the enticing atmosphere of the library where they can find their favorite books! Our students have longed for the normality of the school routines, engaged in tasks not available at home, which they have sorely missed over the past 12 weeks.

We look forward to meeting all students from Year 1 to Year 3 after May day holiday in order to celebrate the final months of the school year with everyone at YCIS Chongqing!