My primary objective of attending Hammarskjold was to improve my English level was well as to get prepared for going to University in Canada. So far, this is my second ear of high school education at Hammarskjold, and I find that I have learned and experienced a lot, and I am really enjoying my stay at Hammarskjold, Thunder Bay.
An overall recollection of several interesting courses I tool last year, they were all really interesting to learn and helpful in many ways. Some of them were fairly practical in real life for instance, the “food and nutrition” class. When I first came here, this class helped me a lot with acknowledging Canadian food and resources, as well as to pursue a more healthy way of living in Canada as an international student. More importantly, as an international student, my written English level is a bit lower than local students, but my English teacher Mrs. Kraft-Wilson helped encourage me a lot, which I really appreciated. She made English class so much more interesting and joyful! The art class I had last semester was really interesting and fun. I got to learn so many different painting and drawing techniques, we learned basic proportions of human head and body; we learned about how to write art critics, we used conte, propene paints; we also did print making, after all, our works even got exhibited at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Furthermore, Hammarskjold’s academic courses such as science, history, chemistry, physics, biology etc that I have taken are also really interesting and din to learn while I have had to work hard to prepare my won study notes too. The teachers that taught me these subjects are really well organized, have high teaching qualities and skills, which help me understand the tough parts easier and obtain higher grades in future academic studies.
There are a lot of people that I want to say thank you to. I really appreciate my English teacher which I have mentioned earlier. She encouraged me when I did not feel confident about my spoken English. I am also really thankful that Hammarskjold High School student activities because they enriched my life with so many meaningful and fun events. I have been involved with the Cross Country Skiing Club, the Badminton Team, the Tennis Club etc. I had a lot of fun doing Cross Country Skiing last year. I experienced this real Canadian sport and feel this conflict and harmony of both snowy freezing and sweating heat. I also joined our badminton team and had a wonderful time while it was too cold to go outside and I even participated in the SSSAA Senior Badminton Championship and got the fifth place in Senior Girl Singles. My experience with the mental health club so far is awesome. In this club, people care about our students’ mental wellness, and think about ways to reduce stress and stigma, we’re planning to do yoga sessions to help release stress because it is getting close to the final exams, as well as the foundation of poppy room.
Even though the education system in my hometown is way more different than at Hammarskjold in Thunder Bay; I feel like it’s a good difference. In Beijing, we had 8 courses per day, and school starts at 8 in the morning, and finishes at 4:30 in the afternoon, and sometimes tests after school. There is a final test like SAT in the States, which is overwhelmingly stressful and difficult. But in here, school starts at 9:30 am and ends at 3:35 pm, we still work hard bit by bit every day and the gradual result is impressive and pleasant. I feel that I like the way the Canadian school system works, because it gives you more free time and the freedom to think about what your long term goals are, such as where you are heading after high school; university, college, or workplace – what kind of career path you might be choosing etc. Take your time, do your work and think about your future.
I think Hammarskjold High School in Thunder Bay is a great place to get my high school education! Again, thanks to all school staff that have been really supportive to me, and I hope I could continue to enjoy the rest of my high school experience at Hammarskjold! Go Vikings!!