As part of the extracurricular clubs offered to secondary students, the Chinese Club, founded and led by Mr Bourgeois, mathematics teacher, provides a unique gateway into one of the world’s oldest and richest cultures. Like other secondary school initiatives such as Maths en Jeans, these clubs encourage students to deepen their interests, explore new fields and nurture their intellectual curiosity beyond the formal curriculum.
Exploring China in Its Full Diversity
Throughout the year, students in the Chinese Club embark on a journey through China’s history, geography, traditional festivals and cultural customs. Each session offers a new perspective on a civilisation whose depth and diversity continue to inspire curiosity.
Language learning lies at the heart of this immersion. Students practise spoken Mandarin through short everyday dialogues while gradually discovering how to read and write Chinese characters. These first steps into a new linguistic world take place in a supportive and welcoming environment that fosters confidence and curiosity.
The club meets every Friday during the lunch break and currently brings together around ten middle school students, most of whom are beginners. This makes for an inclusive and encouraging atmosphere where everyone can progress at their own pace.
A Calligraphy Workshop Before the Winter Break
In the last week before the winter holidays, students experienced a particularly memorable session: a Chinese calligraphy workshop held on Friday, 19 December.
On this occasion, Ms Guo Lin, a parent, shared her expertise and passion. She introduced students to Chinese characters in both their ancient and modern forms before guiding them through an authentic calligraphy practice.
Equipped with brushes, rice paper and diluted Chinese ink, students spent about 45 minutes carefully reproducing the characters. The workshop helped them understand the fundamental strokes that shape Chinese writing while discovering its artistic and expressive dimension.
The session was widely appreciated for its cultural richness and the quality of the exchanges it fostered. The school hopes to welcome Ms Guo Lin again in 2026 to further extend this inspiring experience.
Through the Chinese Club — as with all secondary school clubs — the school reaffirms its commitment to providing dynamic learning spaces that open students to the world and complement classroom teaching.
