湘西风凰木里学区发展策略倡议书 Strategic Plan for the development of Mu Li

16 June 2016 

The third on site support trip to Mu Li Xue Qu was fruitful. 

Beautiful Xiang Xi 

On 26 May, I arrived at Mu Li Primary School by myself. My job was to train the selected students for the English performances at the International Children's Day celebration. I found the school had already staged the rehearsals two days before, and the drama coached by Ms Ai was acceptable. Then I focused on the Grade 6 team. They were doing a simple verse prepared by their teacher, 'We like our school".

 The celebration was held one day earlier so as to avoid the forecast rain. Parents in traditional Miao clothes came to see their grand children perform. Performance teams from the feeder schools, especially the Mu Li kindergarten kids' Miao dance were brilliant. The village representative, a kung fu master, demonstrated a Miao kung fu show. Four representatives from the Feng Huang Education Department came and Ms Long, senior executive, expressed appreciation of the bilingual reading program by Reading Dreams and wished further development in bilingual reading in the coming year.   I made a speech in English and Ms Li translated into Chinese. I dearly hoped that in the coming year, there will be more English shows and performances about other countries and cultures. 

What was most encouraging to me was to find out from Ms Long that there was a full set of materials and resources on the conservation of Miao culture developed by the Education Department. The package also included inviting teams of Miao culture experts to teach students Miao dances, drum shows, handicrafts and art. However, the project was suspended due to the shortage of fund. The master copies of the teaching materials were ready for print, and she dearly hoped that financial support could be secured for the continuation of the project. 

A feeder school with a very pretty blackboard drawing in once of the classrooms

Mu Li Kindergarten offers K1-3 programs 

for 80 or more children

On 8 June, my friends who served as volunteers for the Tin Ka Ping Foundation came to Mu Li. They were very impressed by the bilingual reading program, and urged me to continue the project. After visiting Hillgo, the eco farm which raised pigs with 'zero pollution', they finally understood what I had been talking about again and again -- 'sustainable development education' for the community. With no reservation, they supported the farm, and suggested that they apply for the Tin Ka Ping Fund to establish an SD education centre in the farm. 

Here is the strategic plan I have come up with. The objectives are to raise the education effectiveness of the cluster of Mu Li schools, conserve the natural environment, the Miao culture, and enable villagers to have a good livelihood through eco friendly agriculture, and tourism. The project will also benefit students, teachers and visitors from Hong Kong and other parts of the world. 

Speech at the International Children's Day Opening Ceremony;

Good morning, Principal Long, Parents, Honorable Guests, Teachers, and Students, 

Today I am very happy to jin the International Children’s Day Celebration in Mu Li Primary School. 

Let me introduce myself first. I am Ms Dorothy Pang. I am from Hong Kong, a seaside city in southern China. 

This is the fourth time I came to Mu Li Wn Xiao since last September. 

Why did I come to Mu Li Primary School again and again? 

Because I find Mu Li a very natural beautiful place. 

Because I find the students, teachers and principals of Mu Li Primary School full of love, hope and energy. 

I hope that my knowledge and experience can help the school to become a model of natural, beautiful and modern village school. 

In my four visits to Mu Li School, I see the school getting better and better. 

The classrooms are brighter and cleaner. 

The desks are tidier. 

The students read many more books. 

The students have many more enjoyable activities. 

And the trees have grown taller and greener. 

Teachers and students have tried to use computers and internet to learn English. 

We have difficulties in using Internet. 

But I am sure we shall overcome the difficulties. 

Today is International Children’s Day. 

We are going to have wonderful performances on this stage. 

We shall have 34 performances, and 2 of them are in English. 

This is a very good beginning. 

Next year, we shall have more performances in English, and performances about different countries and cultures. 

I wish you great success today. 

I wish you a very happy day!

Thank you.