On Tuesday morning, Sancta Maria College welcomed a group of Chinese students who have come from Shanghai Jincai Experimental Junior Middle School. It is a school located in Pudong New District, Shanghai, China with a roll of approximately 1,300 students. From there, we have 31 students visiting who are a similar age to our Year 7 & 8 students, and who are going to stay at Sancta Maria College for 1 week.
This is the 5th time students from this school have visited Sancta Maria College. We have the opportunity to welcome people from a different culture who have unique perspectives that we can learn from. Ruth Benedict stated, “Each culture is a system of values which may well complement the values in another.” It is fortunate for our students to have an opportunity to share and discuss these values and perspectives with the Chinese group. At school, students might have gained knowledge from teachers, classmates, or school events. However, there are certain things that cannot be taught, such as a person’s system of values, standards, and what they want to see from themselves. These cannot be taught but can be absorbed through interaction with different people who hold different perspectives. Therefore, the arrival of the Chinese study group is a wonderful opportunity for our students, as they are able to see and listen to a different worldview through interaction with the Chinese group.
To all the staff and students from Shanghai, China, we wish you all a wonderful time in New Zealand. We warmly welcome you to this new and exciting experience with us.
Jolin Chen
