Planning For The School Anniversary

On Monday, the first class was the regular class meeting. After entering the classroom, the teacher glanced at the students and then picked up a piece of chalk and turned to write the topic of today's class meeting on the blackboard.

Chu Lian, upon seeing the scenery outside the window, was momentarily lost in thought, her mind wandering until the teacher put down the chalk and lightly clapped her hands, snapping her back to reality.

She turned her head just in time to see the teacher smiling at her and then gently saying, "Alright, students, today's class meeting topic is 'Art and the Individual.'"

The teacher placed her hands on both corners of the podium, her glasses-clad eyes glancing down, seemingly assessing their expressions, before continuing, "This week is the last week of April and the arrival of the next short holiday, May Day. As a school that emphasizes cultivating personal interests and guiding students to develop their preferred interests, 'free teaching and opportunities for self-expression' has always been our core principle."

"Of course, I'm not saying this to boast about our school. I believe everyone, except for the few new transfer students, has been here for almost a year, right? Our school's educational direction has never changed. The school has always played a guiding role in helping everyone develop their interests. During certain holidays, the school organizes unique cultural evenings to allow everyone to fully showcase their interests."

"The May Day cultural evening was originally going to be the same as usual, but the beginning of May coincides with the tenth anniversary of the school's founding, so the school administration decided to hold a celebration different from any previous cultural evening," the teacher explained, adjusting her glasses on her nose. It seemed she accidentally inhaled some chalk dust, causing her delicate nose to wrinkle, and then she raised her hand to cover her mouth as she coughed lightly.

Her actions were not entirely unintentional; she took this opportunity to discreetly observe the students' expressions.

She was pleased to see that most students looked very interested, and although a few whose talents did not lie in this area seemed indifferent, she was still very satisfied with the overall response.

Of course, she was most pleased with the interest shown by the few well-known transfer students, Cai Ya, Wang Tingsi, and Chu Lian.

Since taking over this class, she had been under tremendous pressure because, like many other schools, this school concentrated most of its best talents into one class. And the class she taught, Class 1, was precisely such a class.

As a newly graduated rookie teacher, she had undergone numerous tests to join this prestigious private school.

Moreover, for some reason, she became the homeroom teacher of Class 1 in her third month at the school. If it weren't for the encouragement from the school administration, she might have resigned from the position due to the overwhelming pressure or left because of the sarcastic remarks from other teachers.

This situation became even more apparent after Chu Lian, Cai Ya, and Wang Tingsi, three of the most outstanding students of their age, joined this class.

Although it had only been three days since they joined, many teachers wanted to be the homeroom teacher of this promising group of students.

If this class didn't dazzle at the upcoming tenth anniversary celebration under her leadership, the school might no longer keep her as their homeroom teacher.

Seeing that the three of them didn't show any signs of rejection, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued with her speech.

"'Ten Years in a Dream, Where Am I?' is the theme for this year's school anniversary celebration. The requirement is simple: when you think back on this moment ten years from now, what feelings will you have? Will you sigh and wonder, 'Where am I now?'"

"This is a very open theme, merely a guideline. Each class can choose whether to align their program with this theme and then submit a group performance title and type. After the group performances, there will be time for individual performances."

"The celebration will be held on Saturday, from 8 AM to 9 PM. All students, unless there is a significant reason, must arrive before 7:30 AM."

"The school will arrange for hotel chefs to provide delicious food throughout the day. Snacks, drinks, and various treats will be available for free. The class performances will start at 8 AM in the square, and from noon onwards, it will be time for self-expression."

"Some teachers will lead groups to set up small stages around the school during the morning performances, giving students the opportunity to showcase their talents. On that day..." She paused deliberately, smiling as she looked at the students below.

After a while, seeing the eager yet restrained expressions on their faces, knowing she had piqued their interest, she continued.

"On that day, the school will be open to the public and will invite some notable guests. You can also invite your parents and relatives. Of course, if you have friends or childhood friends studying at other schools, you can invite them too."

"Whoever comes to the school that day will be treated as a guest and can enjoy the same amenities we provide. So make sure to notify those you care about. Moreover, at the end, the school will award a mysterious prize to the few students who perform the best."

"Furthermore, the best-performing classes will have the chance to go on a fully-funded two-week study trip around the world..."

"Therefore, even if it's not for the mysterious prize, don't you all want to take this opportunity to see the world?" Before she finished speaking, someone below said, "The world is so big, I want to see it."

Hearing this, her eyes lit up. What a poetic sentiment! She turned her body slightly and saw it was Chu Lian, smiling slightly and looking at her. The other students' eyes were also focused on Chu Lian.

The teacher couldn't help but turn to the blackboard and write down this sentence. Clapping her hands, she said, "Exactly, the world is so big, don't you all want to see it?"

"A half-month study trip: we can go to Tokyo, Japan, to see the night view; visit Hollywood's history in Los Angeles, USA; see how they study in the Ivy League; experience the romance of Paris, France; feel the nostalgia of Xu Zhimo at Cambridge University; listen to sacred music in Vienna, the music capital."

"Even if you're not interested in foreign countries, don't you want to see sights that can't be found domestically?"

"Yes, we do..."

"The world is so big, I want to see it! Teacher, I'll definitely help our class win first place!"

"I want to see this world and find out if it's as beautiful as they say..."

"It's rare to have such a challenging opportunity. Yes, I'm interested..."

"Such a once-in-a-decade opportunity, how could we not cherish it?"

After she finished speaking, the classroom was instantly filled with voices of agreement.

They are still young, but that does not mean they lack a restless heart.

For those who can, in addition to studying, voluntarily take out most of their rest time to diligently learn their interested skills, how could they not have a passion that is difficult for ordinary people to imagine?

Ever since they entered this school, they understood that they are like fledgling eagles. As long as they gain enough strength here to support their flight, they will soar under this blue sky.

The teacher only taught for half a class; the remaining half was left for the students to discuss. They did not have to worry about disturbing other classes because, most likely, many classes were in the same situation. Perhaps, every class was like this.

Not to mention, this is a highly free discussion period. Even in regular subjects like Chinese and mathematics, if some students have different opinions on a certain issue, they might argue. The school not only does not prohibit this but also encourages it.

Most of the time, the teachers join the discussions because they find that in this atmosphere, students' learning, understanding, and acceptance of textbook knowledge are often stronger than with rigid teaching methods.

The students taught in this way are outstanding top students, so the teachers even enjoy seeing the students this engaged. After all, these self-disciplined and highly capable students rarely encounter issues with learning or lack of motivation. Moreover, they do not deliberately disrupt the class or cause trouble.

However, Chu Lian did not join in the discussions with others. Even if someone approached her, she would politely refuse with a gentle smile, saying, "I'm thinking about what I should perform at the school celebration..."

In fact, the reason was that after the teacher finished speaking, the system popped up with a side quest, capturing her attention completely...