This is Ms. Zhou, the middle school Mandarin teacher at Poly. My students from 8th 8th-grade class did a group self-introduction in Mandarin. It is short, but we will know more about each other in the future!! We are so excited to connect with you guys! Let's have a fun year!

同学们好，我是周宸伊老师，很高兴认识你们！

I am Ms. Shi, and these are my students from Guanghua Academy in Shanghai. We are so happy to say hello to all of you at Poly Prep! Together, my students prepared self-introductions and a school tour to share our campus with you — from our classrooms to the cafeteria, coffee shop, and playground. We’re really excited to learn more about your school and get to know you guys! ✨😊🌍✌️

The posters are all about my favorite movies and TV shows (I really love movies, so if you have any favorites, I'd love to hear your recommendations!). Chaplin's monologue at the end of The Great Dictator is fantastic, but it's a shame he didn't catch on with talkies. Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump was quite lucky, and while our lives may never be as fortunate as his (perhaps minus the war scene), it's always good to have a dream. Taxi Driver is also a good film if you can handle the extreme violence. After all, that's American culture. Citizen Kane, written 10-20 years after Chaplin, is still quite old-fashioned, but at least it's good. There are three other American TV shows I really enjoy: Silicon Valley, The Big Bang Theory, and Breaking Bad. I loved sitcoms for a while, and the first two series still bring me to tears.

Yeah... that's pretty much it. I don't know what movies/TV series are trending in the US right now, or if videos longer than five minutes are simply being dismissed, given that TikTok is taking over the world. I'd love some ideas!

2. Why did you choose these specific elements or this story to represent Chinese culture? Or what inspired you to create it? Which part do you find most personally relevant to you and your own culture and personal experience?

3. Where did you learn about them (school, family, friends, media such as TikTok, YouTube, daily life)?

4. What main message or idea did you want your audience to understand from your poster?

5. What feedback or reaction would you like to receive from Chinese students about your project?

6. How did this project help you understand culture differently compared to textbook learning?

2. Why did you choose this specific topic or story to represent Qin Dynasty culture?

3. What inspired your group to create it?

4. What cultural or historical aspects of the Qin Dynasty did you find most meaningful or relevant to today?

5. Which part do you find most personally relevant to you and your own culture?

6. How did you decide on the perspective or tone (e.g., historical, humorous, dramatic) of your story? How did your design choices (language, visuals, music, etc.) help communicate meaning?

7. What main message or idea did you want your audience to understand from your video? What feedback or reaction would you like to receive from Chinese students about your project?

8. What new insights or perspectives did you gain about Chinese history or culture after making this project? How did this project help you understand culture differently compared to textbook learning?

9. If you could remake the video, what would you change and why? What challenges or discoveries did you have during production?

I have seen most of their songs or movies. Like red, 22, the cure, Always remember us this way, Shallow, thank u, next and so on. I like the cheerful and bright songs. Also from the movie aspect, I like Inception, The Great Gatsby, Black Widow, etc.

2. I also like Nolan, one of the greatest director in America. I like the Interstellar travel, The Creed, Oppenheimer, etc.

In Chinese philosophy, Chi (气, qì) is believed to flow through everything — people, animals, and nature.

When Po learns to control his Chi, it’s not about becoming more powerful; it’s about finding balance and inner peace.

This reflects the real Chinese belief that health and strength come from harmony — not just physical strength, but emotional and spiritual balance too.

The world of Kung Fu Panda is all about balance — between light and dark, strength and softness, action and peace.

This idea comes from the ancient Chinese concept of Yin and Yang (阴阳).

Yin represents calm, dark, and feminine energy; Yang represents active, bright, and masculine energy.

Together, they show that everything in life needs both sides to be complete.

Po’s journey — learning to be both a peaceful panda and a powerful Dragon Warrior — is a perfect example of Yin and Yang in action.Through Kung Fu Panda, we see that Chinese culture is more than kung fu moves — it’s about harmony, family, balance, and inner strength. Whether it’s Chi, noodles, dumplings, Yin and Yang, Chinese New Year, or the Lantern Festival, each part teaches us something about life:that peace, kindness, and self-knowledge are the greatest powers of all.I was seven when I first watched Kung Fu Panda, and I immediately loved how different and fascinating Chinese culture seemed. I was amazed by the colorful temples, glowing lanterns, and peaceful mountains — everything felt so magical compared to my everyday life. I noticed the importance of family, like Po and his dad sharing noodles, and how food could represent love and tradition.

I was inspired by the dumpling training, which showed me that practice, patience, and focus were valued in Chinese culture. The movie also introduced me to ideas like Chi and Yin and Yang, teaching me that balance and inner strength were just as important as physical skill. Watching Po’s journey helped me understand that heroes didn’t have to be perfect — that learning, growth, and harmony mattered most.

Whenever I watch the movie, I imagine the Lantern Festival and the celebrations of Chinese New Year, full of light, hope, and family togetherness. Over time, I realized that the movie wasn’t just funny — it taught me to appreciate a culture rich in tradition, wisdom, and joy.

说一说你们的寒假。

用一张或者一些photos

Prompt：

你的寒假是什么时候？

你喜欢你的寒假吗？为什么？

你寒假喜欢做什么？

这个寒假你做了什么？吃了什么？去了哪里？和谁一起？

你的寒假开心吗？高兴吗？还是伤心？

Our English teacher made some chocolate for us on Christmas and we watched a movie together！

I did prepared a lot! But my bad presentation skill limited what i want to say.

P2 I’m doing my presentation! 😎

P3 I made noodles by myself! A bit spicy but delicious! 🤤

P4 My photo that took at the Bund in Shanghai! (I like it ❤️❤️❤️）

There’s a tower in Istanbul called Galata Tower. It was cloudy when we were there, so we didn’t go up to see the view. The area around it is full of alleyways with shops, restaurants, and cafes. The most famous one is the restaurant opened by Salt Bae (the meme), but I heard the food isn’t that good. A popular dessert there is chocolate cheesecake, basically a Basque cheesecake drizzled with chocolate sauce. Sweet, but actually pretty tasty, and you could probably make it at home.

Turkish restaurants usually bring out a basket of bread before the meal, along with olives (which I really dislike), so you end up kind of full before the main dish even arrives… I just don’t understand it. But before we got on the boat crossing Galata Brigde, we packed the bread in a plastic bag and took it with us—turns out it’s perfect for feeding the seagulls. That was so much fun!

The most famous landmark in Istanbul is the Blue Mosque—it’s called that because of its blue domes (though they look more grayish). You have to take off your shoes before going in. Inside, there are colorful stained-glass windows, and the overall color scheme is mostly blue. If you’re into history and culture, it’s definitely a place you must visit!

I also made some desserts during the holiday (as shown in the first picture), went to Nanjing, played badminton and celebrated my grandpa's 85th birthday with my family(p6).

This winter break was warm and memorable.

The best part was watching the sunrise at West Lake with my friend. We waited in the cold, and when the sun rose, its golden light painted the calm water pink and orange. The bare branches looked like delicate silhouettes against the sky, making the lake incredibly beautiful and peaceful.

On Valentine’s Day, my dad bought me a lovely pink heart-shaped cake as a sweet little gift. It was decorated with pearls and tiny hearts, and it tasted really good.

You can choose "add new friend"( the purple circle), and paste my account in the orange circle to search my wechat. My wechat ID is "****". Can't wait to meet you!

topic：A day at school, school food, lunch, school culture & outfits, community