House System Launches in Journey Academy

Spring Yuan Green, Summer Heng Red, Autumn Li Yellow, Winter Zheng Blue. These four-color names embodied with traditional Chinese poetic features represent the four Houses of Journey Academy (JA).

This year, JA students are assigned to their own houses. In the House, they stay with students and teachers from other grades and classes. This is a new community where one can strive and contribute to the house which he or she belongs to. This is also a place where they feel like home, laugh, and work together to overcome challenges and share pride. Most of all, they will compete with the other houses for internal competitions at school. We believe the House System in JA will cultivate students’ wellbeing, and develop them to become unique global citizens and lifelong learners.

In the House System, students’ leadership skills will be nurtured and developed. We hope our students can possess happiness in their future life journey; and understand that happiness can be found in helping others with kindness, dedicating to work, devoting to society, and being loyal to the neighborhood. JA is committed to provide the best environment and opportunities for children to excel. Launching House System at school can motivate our future leaders in their childhood.

JA Houses Integrate Chinese and Western Culture 

House System is widely used in British schools and schools that model themselves after the British system. Over the years, schools in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Singapore have also adopted the system. In this system, students are divided into groups, thus creating smaller communities within the wider community. Senior students of each house can motivate younger house members in activities, competitions, and challenges. This environment is essential for the development of a children's activeness, open-mindedness, and thoughtfulness, and create a deep bonding between staff and students.

As a high-quality international education institution, JA has inherited the spirit of House System. At the same time, we are committed to reveal the excellence of traditional Chinese culture, and its compatibility with the universal values in the modern world. Therefore, the Western House System in JA is a new concept that carries innovative integration of Chinese cultures and values.

JA named the four houses after the traditional Chinese culture “Ren, Yi, Li, Zheng”, meaning Benevolence, Courteous, Righteousness, and Honesty. Yuan means beginning of everything, Heng is the prosperity of growth, Li is about successfulness and Zheng suggests completion. In other words, “Yuan, Heng, Li, Zheng” lie the meanings of “Ren, Yi, Li, Zheng”. We wish our children to have the vision of creation, the prosperity of well-being, the wholesome to progress, and an honest inner self. This suggests JA’s philosophy of cultivating children with Chinese culture and identity in an international perspective, beholding the high moral standards and sentiments.

Chinese Calligrapher, Mr. Zou Shizhi, work on the names of JA Houses

Zou Shizhi, WhiteStone disciples. Named Mo (ink), master of Siqicao Hall, also the disciple of Qi Binghui, the granddaughter of Qi Baishi. She is currently the deputy secretary of Chinese National Painting and Calligraphy Institute, First Class Artist, Director of the Chinese Academy of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Association, and the Frist Class Calligrapher.

In the start of the school year, JA students are sorted into the four houses of Spring Yuan Green, SummerHeng Red, Autumn Li Yellow, and Winter Zheng Blue. They will participate in exciting house activities throughout the school year, including the Sports Day, Charity Celebration, Music Competition, and Football Matches. We hope our students can have a strong sense of belongings for their houses, progress with each other, helping each other to develop to a better self. These moments will probably be one of the sweetest memory after their graduation. We believe an inclusive, explorative, and caring environment will best preserve our children's aspirations, empower their curiosity, and inspire their passion to boundless discoveries.

School Visit can be registered through scanning the QR code on the poster below.

Photos: Courtesy of Journey Academy 

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