BSB Community came together for 'Happy School' charity event helping children with leukaemia!

Please click to watch the above video for some highlights of the day!

On Saturday 15th June, members of The British School of Beijing, (BSB) Shunyi school community, parents, staff and students alike, came together to host an event for children with leukaemia in collaboration with the ‘Happy School’ foundation.

The day was fun filled, with our school running workshops organised by both our teachers and students. With Art, Music, Library and Sports sessions, our young visitors had the opportunity to experience a day at school, possibly for the first time. At the end of the day, everyone gathered in the theatre to watch some music performances from three students who volunteered to perform. Gifts from BSB were handed out, organised by our Secondary Student Leadership Team, to the children we were hosting; it was certainly a meaningful and enriching day for all.

Organised in collaboration with our Parents’ and Teachers’ Association (PTA), the event not only offered a day filled with memories for our visitors, but also offered students a firsthand experience in volunteering. Community outreach and social impact are greatly valued here at BSB, which offers students the opportunity to become involved in events such as this, and many more.

(The above summary is wrritten by Year 9 Jai Coffey)

Read about what our BSB students who volunteered learnt from this experience:

Carolina Pan- It is heartbreaking knowing how much these children have been through but seeing the smile on their faces made the whole day worth it.

Sophie Fahner- They are one of the happiest kids I ever seen, when they came in the school their smiles on their faces were heartwarming. They were happy for something we take for granted. At the end of the day I really hope that I can see them again hopefully fully recovered.

Rui-Chen Yuan- Volunteering for Happy School was a huge learning experience for me. It helped me realize I was taking so many things for granted and it has definitely helped me in trying to appreciate those things more.

Aubrey Caudill- I found that it was the little things that mattered most to them. I found that even a smile or a wave could light up their faces. It’s refreshing for me to realize that it’s the smallest things that make you happy. We go day in and day out focusing on what we don’t have and what we want, yet these kids go through so much and they still find happiness and joy. These kids undergo these hard trials and they deserve happiness probably even more than I do and I’m so happy that I was able to make them happy even if was just for a couple hours.

Emilia Thorp- I loved seeing all the smiles on the children’s faces and how excited and happy they were to interact with us especially when we played basketball and the horse game with them.

Maria Mathew- Volunteering for Happy School was an amazingly heart-warming experience. I was truly inspired by the children's joy, hope, gratefulness and their determination to never give up.

Trayton Zhao- I found it very meaningful and at the end of the day, I think that is what matters the most.

Jiyoo Sun- It was very enjoyable helping the children. They look happy even if they are going through the painful cancer treatment. Being with them, I feel as if I’m in primary school again.

Keting Li- It’s a new and rare chance for me personally, I have learnt how to instantly fix and react if any emergency happened, I'm also happy to train my English to Chinese translation. It was a satisfying and remarkable experience!       

Charlie Macaulay- It has been such a privilege to volunteer in this event. It has given me a practical experience for volunteering again in the future.

Emma Van Dillen- I really enjoyed being with the kids and knowing that I was able to make them happy! To see how excited they were really made my day better. Not only did it make the kids happy, it also taught me to be grateful with my life and teach me many other lessons. Overall this experience was very memorable and I definitely recommend volunteering!

Tzu-Chun Wang-  It was enjoyable teaching the happy school kids and being next to individuals with such optimistic attitudes and a way of going about life. It certainly was an enlightening experience.

Pauline Ostermann- These kids have been through things no one should have to go through, and yet it could happen to anyone anytime. I really hope it brings them comfort, knowing that we support them during this hard time, just like it would bring me comfort to be surrounded by people that care. This event was a great opportunity to show support and put a smile on all these kids’ faces; their grateful faces. Each and every one of those kids is happy to be alive, which is something we tend to take for granted. I hope we will get more opportunities to show these children that we care.

Reagan Caudill- It was heartwarming to know that every kid there, was just happy to be there. They focused on the little things in which we tend to overlook.

At BSB Shunyi, we believe everyone can make a difference. With our commitment to community engagement, our students develop social consciousness as an essential part of school life. Click here to read more.