SJA 每周新闻（September 1, 2017）--我们的路，刚刚启程

September 1, 2017

We Have Just Begun

我们的路，刚刚启程

It was early Sunday morning after a busy week of Orientation, and I was in my office taking care of loose ends before heading to church. Through the window, I heard singing, and as the song got louder and the words became clearer, I realized that someone was singing the Alma Mater. In fact, four young women from China were not simply singing; they were belting out a joyous rendition of our school song, complete with hand motions. They were all new students who were returning from an ESL placement test, and they had just learned the song two days before as we traveled to our annual overnight trip with new boarding students. The fact that they were singing our school song, singing it so early in the morning with such gusto, singing it after taking a test and after a long weekend, was a clear indication that we were off to a great start to the school year.

结束了为期一周繁忙的Orientation之后，周日早上我出发去教堂前正在办公室里整理一些零碎材料。透过窗外我听到有人在唱歌，随着歌声越来越响、歌词越来越清晰，我反应过来是有人在唱Alma Mater。事实上是四位来自中国的姑娘，她们挥动着手欢快地唱着我们的校歌。她们都是刚参加完ESL测试的新同学，两天前才学会这首歌，那时我们带着所有的寄宿学生参加一年一度的夜间旅行活动。其实她们在考试后的周日清晨如此欢乐地唱着我们的校歌，也预示着我们将要开启一个美好的新学年。

Our Alma Mater contains the verse "Face the world and make it better/We have just begun", and we have taken the second half of that line as our motto for the year: "We have just begun". The motto has fit us perfectly again and again as the school year has gotten underway.

我们的校歌Alma Mater包含了一句诗“面对这个世界，让她变得更好，我们才刚启程”，我们把后半句作为我们新学年的校训：“我们的路，刚刚起程”。这句校训非常完美地契合了我们即将到来的新学年。

Many of us, like the four Sunday singers, have just begun Academy careers. We welcomed a handful of new faculty, a few new staff, about 235 freshmen, and about 130 other new students. From what I have observed in their first few weeks, the new faculty and staff are a multi-talented, diverse, and thoughtful group, each of whom is enthusiastic about developing meaningful relationships with the young people they serve. Likewise, the new students have embraced our school culture as the returning members of our community—in particular student leaders—have gone out of their way to welcome them.

我们中的很多人，就像周日唱歌的四个姑娘一样，都是刚刚开始在圣约翰学院的旅程。我们迎来了一批新教职工、新员工、大约235位新生以及130位其他新学生。从我第一周对他们的观察来看，新教职工和员工是一个多才多艺、有想法的群体，每个人都非常热情地跟他们所服务的学生建立一种有意义的关系。同样，新生在老生们的热烈欢迎中接纳了我们的校园文化。

We have also begun some important discussions about diversity, learning how to have conversations about difficult issues and learning how to understand those who are different than we are. Given the tensions around the world regarding race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic class, and gender, we started planning for these discussions last year under the leadership of English teacher Molly Shepley and Dean of International Students Florian Rexhepi. This year we will put those plans into action. We realize this work will take considerable time, but it is through dialogue that we can start to make the world more understanding, compassionate, and peaceful.

我们也开始讨论一些关于多样性的话题，学习如何看待难题、如何理解与我们不同的人。基于全世界都较为敏感的话题，如种族、宗教、种族渊源、社会阶级以及性别，我们去年在英语老师Molly Shepley和国际学生主任Florian Rexhepi的带领下，开展了对这些话题的讨论。今年我们会将那些计划变成现实。我们知道这项工作会花费大量时间，但是它就是通过对话才能让这个世界多一点理解、多一点怜悯、多一点和平。

We have launched two new academic programs this fall that are aimed at helping students understand and care for the natural world. Our science curriculum has been revised to eventually offer a course in field research to all juniors, and we have launched a new freshman course this year to begin that transition. Likewise, we have begun a new environmental studies immersion program at the Dussault Center in Danville, allowing a dozen students to spend their whole day working in the field for the fall semester under the leadership of Jessica Bakowski. We plan to increase our commitment to place-based learning, to alternative learning environments, and innovative programming.

今年秋季我们推出了两个新的学术项目，目的在于帮助学生理解和关注自然世界。我们的科学课程已经修订完成，作为所有十一年级学生的实地研究课程，而且我们今年推出了一个针对九年级学生的新课程。同时，我们在丹维尔Dussault Center启动了一项新的环境研究项目，由Jessica Bakowski带领十几个学生在这个秋季学期花费一整天的时间做研究。我们计划加大对研究基地、学习环境以及创新编程的投入。

As I have said before, I love our Alma Mater. In borrowing this year's motto from its lyrics, I think we have all become more aware of how "we have just begun" new relationships, new experiences, and new opportunities. In doing so, we have undertaken the first steps toward attempting to make this school and this world a better place.

就像我前面提到的，我热爱我们的校歌Alma Mater。借用歌词作为本学年校训，我想我们都更加理解“我们刚启程”这句话，就是建立新的关系、增加新的体验、获得新的机会。在这种情况下，我们在尝试将学校和世界变得更好这条路上，已经迈出了第一步。

CONTINUE READING

New freshmen received their schedules and headed over to Streeter for lunch.

新生获取了日程安排表后前往Streeter吃午饭。

Students passed in front of the Mayo Center during Orientation.

学生在Orientation期间从Mayo Center前面经过。

Student leaders and new boarding students visited a ropes course as part of their orientation. More photos are here.

学生干部和寄宿新生参观了一系列课程作为他们orientation的一部分。

Students overcame their fears and had a great experience.

学生们克服恐惧心理并且成为一次非常棒的体验。

Watch the video of orientation for our new boarding students!

寄宿新生orientation视频！

Mr. Weiss and the Outing Club had a lot of interest at the Club and Activities Fair on Monday.

Mr. Weiss和郊游俱乐部对周一的俱乐部和活动会非常感兴趣。

Taking advantage of the nice weather, Mrs. Darling's photography class shot outside,

Mrs. Darling带着摄影班级学生充分利用难得的好天气，记录下户外的一草一木。

Electricity students worked in Brantview as part of the renovation team.

学电子的学生在做Brantview翻新项目。

More photos of the Brantview renovation are here.

更多Brantview翻新工程的照片请点击这里。

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