Sino Bright School (SBS) was started by the owners, Yufang Sun and Quan Ouyang, in the fall of 2005. It started offering a BC Curriculum but of course was not a certified school. In the spring of 2006, SBS applied for and was granted “Candidate Status” in February.
This was just the beginning of a journey that the owners had dreamed of – “a School in Beijing - one that looked like a BC School, sounded like a BC School and even smelled like a BC School”.
The owners entered into a partnership with Beijing Public School #25, which is located on Dengshukou Street, at the north end of Wangfujin Street (The Shopping Street). This partnership provided SBS #25 with the “hardware” it needed to provide the education the owners had envisioned for its Chinese students. SBS started out in an old and small but renovated building. Building #8 was the original building that housed Beijing #25 in the mid 1800s. I believe the building was built by American Jesuit Missionaries but of course the Chinese took over the building in the early 1900s.
Sino Bright School had approximately 100 students that first year. The students were taught the BC curriculum (English, Business Education and Mathematics) but were also taught English as a Second Language courses in hopes of improving their English skills throughout the entire school year.
In the spring of 2006 the Ministry of Education (MOE) sent two representatives to Beijing to “inspect” SBS. The inspection is done annually by the MOE as a way of ensuring that the teaching, the leadership, the facilities, the BC Curriculum and the general philosophy of the BCMOE Graduation Program is maintained.
Having earned BC Certification in May of 2006 meant the school was required to follow the mandate of the BC Off Shore Agreement and the Graduation Program of BC. The annual inspection is a very vigorous introspection by the school and the school authority and a rigorous inspection by the MOE.
In the summer of 2006 I became Principal of SBS and along with a newly invigorated staff of BC Certified Teachers welcomed about 160 students to “a new and shining future” as SBS entered into its first full year as a Certified BC Off-Shore Program.
Not only had the owners and their Chinese partners (Beijing #25) renovated and expanded the facilities both parties agreed to meet weekly to work together and collaborate on this new venture. Both parties working together on a task ensured both MOE representatives were impressed with SBS and the progress it had made in such a short time. With the certification inspection of the SBS Graduation Program complete the SBS owners started plans to put a BC Winter Study Session in place. Students from SBS would be given the opportunity to attend 3 weeks of academic and social activities in Coquitlam, BC.
SBS entered into a partnership with the International Education Program of SD #43, Coquitlam. Under the leadership of Ms. Patty Gartland, the District Principal responsible for International Programs in the Coquitlam School District, students from SBS #25 were taught BC Courses and earned credits towards the completion of their graduation program. They were also taken on several social and physical activity events. The students lived with “Home Stay” families in Coquitlam and were provided with opportunities to improve academically, physically, socially as well as improve their language skills. All of this would also have a long term benefit as all the SBS students hope to attend University or College in Canada or the USA and these activities would assist them acclimatizing to the “western way”.
By the end of the first semester (January 30th, 2007) many of the students had already taken and received credit for ESL courses, English 10, science 10, math 10 and 11, Business Education 10 and many would also write their first provincial assessments for Science 10 and Math 10. By the end of the school year (June 30th, 2007) many of the students had earned further credits for Chemistry 11 and 12, mathematics 12, socials 10 and they had already written their first e-exams. And by all accounts the SBS students had done very well.
By the spring of 2007 the owners of SBS #25 had already started plans to initiate another partnership. This time they partnered with Beijing #8 at YiHai. This school is only 8-10 years old, it has approximately 30,000 residents in a semi-gated community. The school, considered one of the best on Beijing, is located approximately 75 minutes south west of Beijing City Centre. This is quite a contrast to the older and more traditional city centre location of Beijing #25.
The owners had also started conversation with groups in Shanghai and Nanjing to start a school in that area.
Growth is imminent and China’s Shining Future is just around the corner as more Chinese students have an opportunity to attend a fine school in almost any country in the world.
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