作为一所双语学校，我们十分重视英语教学质量和浸润式环境的营造。在国家义务教育教材基础之上引入西方课程理念，但又不拘泥于教材与书本，也未限定于单词和语法，而是利用形式多样的思维性课堂，中外教师合作教学，以分级阅读、主题活动、英语戏剧、项目式学习等为抓手，将语言还原到应用之中，在提升学生英语语言素养的同时，提升东西方文化兼容并济的人文素养。  

4月2日，我们迎来了WBS英语开放日。活动伊始，娃哈哈学校顾问、国际教育专家Jennifer Hyde Sachs女士为家长们带来了主题讲座：国际学校对于孩子英语学习能力的需求。拥有28年教育经验的她从教学方法、调整预期、海外入学等方面做了分享。

Jennifer女士通过身边的案例，指出很多中国高材生在美国寄宿学校读书时都经历过一段很艰难的时间。她强调从小就要注重让孩子进行自我选择与探索，培养他们独立思考和处理问题的能力，提高表达与沟通的能力，那么未来无论是在国内或国外升学的过程中，都能更顺利地过渡。

Jennifer女士也建议家长们多多与孩子沟通交流，千万别给孩子太多压力，家长单向施加给孩子的各种补课往往容易导致教育的失败。她的一个个引人深思的问题和对于教育的看法让在场的所有人感触颇深，收获良多。

接着，杭州娃哈哈学校创始人杜建英女士与家长们就“家庭如何助力孩子的英语学习”进行了交流。首先，杜女士从核心问题“为什么要让孩子学好英语？”出发，来了解英语学习的重要性。英语是现阶段的世界语言，当你的孩子掌握了世界语言的时候，就像开启了一扇通往世界的大门，通过这扇门去探索世界的奥秘。 

作为家长如何帮助孩子学好英语呢？杜女士围绕以下三个方面进行了详细的阐述：1. 建立孩子的英语学习兴趣和内在动力；2. 为孩子提供浸润式英语学习和应用环境；3. 阅读时增加词汇量、提高写作能力的最有效方法。同时，她也从自身和所了解到的情况，总结了家长最容易走入的误区，比如让孩子死记硬背，急于让孩子表现等。 

杜女士给家长们很多切实的建议，比如经常带孩子去英语为主要交流形式的场所；多看、多听有趣的英文电视节目、歌曲、视频等；大一点的孩子可以带他们参观国外学校，使孩子有到这样的学校学习的渴望，以认识到英语的重要性；重视家庭英语环境的营造，让孩子随时可以接触到英语。相信家长们一定能在干货满满的分享中，寻找到属于自己家庭的方法。

短暂的茶歇后，家长们观看了长达半小时的英语课堂实录视频，视频生动而真实地呈现了每个年级开展的形式多样、难易不同的英语教学，配合主持人马一帆老师的解说，家长们对WBS英语教学的全貌有了更深入的了解。

在论坛环节中，专家Jennifer、WBS沈保如校长和初中部董衍华副校长就家长们提出的问题一一进行了探讨交流。Jennifer女士建议家长和孩子多多谈论一些与哲学相关或深层次的问题，给予孩子思考的平台和提升思维的环境。沈保如校长就关键词“成功”与家长进行交流，她表示激发孩子的学习内驱力，从被动变主动，渐渐让孩子意识到学习是完完全全为了自己才是最重要的。董校长就初中部开设的课程做了简单介绍，并结合自身经历谈论初中阶段对于学术的重视，让我们的孩子为未来升学做好准备。WBS初中阶段设置专门的学术英语预备（EAP）和英语语言文学（English Literature）课程，帮助学生掌握批判性思考和分析能力。

WBS学生参与全国英语辩论联赛，锻炼口语表达、逻辑分析和批判性思维能力。

The 2019 Wahaha Bilingual School Parents Open Day was held in the main auditorium with about 200 parents in attendance.  May Ma was the master of ceremonies for the event. After a brief introduction, Jennifer Hyde Sachs, an international education expert from Beijing, gave a presentation about preparing children for overseas education. Her major topic was navigating expectations.  While English is important for overseas education, it is also imperative to help children a sense of independence and self-mastery. Parents need to provide opportunities for their children to make their own choices whether it is what they want to wear or eat.  Then when they are older, they will have the confidence to make other more important decisions such as which school they prefer and what career path they want. Having a sense of self-guidance also helps to adapt to different conditions as is common when students study abroad.

The second speaker was Jane Du, the founder of Wahaha Schools.  Her remarks focused on how parents can promote English learning in the home. She suggested placing vocabulary cards around the house to increase the amount of English exposure at home.  She also advised providing more access to English-language media such as television programs, movies, and music.  While children can quickly become involved in online activity, it is also important that parents regulate their child’s activities. She also reinforced the idea that English is a door to opening more opportunitiesin the future.  As our children have a better grasp of English, they have more choices to make in their future. At the conclusion of Jane Du’s remarks, light refreshments were offered while the parents could speak with the presenters and the English teachers.

After the rest, Ms. Ma presented an overview of the English curriculum.  This was followed by video presentations of class activities in each grade level, providing a glimpse into class involvement. Activities included phonics awareness, guided reading, educational movement, listening and speaking, and project based learning.  Ms Ma then recounted that each of these activities are available at each level depending upon the students’ language ability.

The final activity was an open forum where parents could pose questions to a panel.  The panel consisted of Jack Dong, Principal of WBS Middle School; Jennifer Hyde Sachs, and Baoru Shen, Executive Principal of WBS Primary School.  In response to various questions, Principal Dong briefly introduced the courses offered at the middle school and his own personal insight how to be prepared for study abroad.  Ms. Sachs encouraged parents to ask their children deep questions to foster deep modes of thinking.  Principal Shen offered different opinions concerning success and asked all to reconsider how we view success in our homes.  All who attended this Open Day learned much about the English program at Wahaha in addition to new ways for parents to encourage English study.