Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Story
By Lyu Weiyi
Jelena Vugdelija from Croatia is the Executive Principal of Wahaha International School Hangzhou. She was awarded the Qianjiang Friendship Ambassador on last year's Hangzhou Talent Day. As the highest honor for international experts working in Hangzhou, this award has recognized her significant contributions to the city.
Having engaged in secondary education in various countries, Jelena has abundant experience in fostering student development on an individual basis. Before her arrival in Hangzhou in 2020, where she met her like-minded partners -- the leaders of Wahaha Schools -- she had focused on international education for 17 years.
Pinning her curly brown hair behind her ears, Jelena talked about her partners with grace. "The leaders of the school really believe in education, which is my favorite part. They always want to find something innovative and provide targeted teaching methods for students with different backgrounds. A lot of freedom and opportunities are given to the teachers and leaders so that new ideas can be put out into practice. Moreover, teachers here take the same attitude towards developing the students' creative thinking."
Action-oriented as she is, Jelena has organized various interesting and meaningful activities. She came up with an idea of a Winter Show activity in 2022, where students in each class worked together and create a huge maze to present their in-depth thoughts on sustainable issues such as global warming, resource shortage, and animal protection with their original artwork.
During March 23-24, a unique car-dismantling event was held to help students delve into technology innovation and waste re-utilization. Apart from learning about theoretical knowledge like mechanical principles and automotive engineering, they were divided into groups to disassemble different car parts such as headlights, bolts on the hubs, and the trunk. Students got so interested that they even had a spontaneous match to see which group could finish their task faster. "I hope the teachers will prepare some ingredients and let us cook some food next time." A girl was already looking forward to the next event.
"I want their hands to get dirty!" Jelena laughed and helped students roll up their sleeves to keep their clothes from engine oil and dust, "I want students to gain knowledge outside of the classroom. This activity allows students to see what it looks like inside cars. Perhaps some of them will find their passion for making or fixing cars."
"Chinese students are so well-behaved and studious compared with those in other countries. I have never seen pupils and junior students discussing difficult topics in such a critical way before, which really amazes me. They often make extra efforts in digging into these disciplines rather than content themselves with good grades." Jelena cannot help acclaiming their talent and thirst for knowledge.
As for students at Wahaha International School, Jelena is more a friend or an elder sister than a principal. She pays close attention to them and is always ready to support their ponderings. Eddie, a grade-six boy, told us that his dream is to become a doctor as excellent as his mother. During the car-dismantling activity, he thought dismantling cars was like giving an operation on cars while the garage was like a hospital. He then asked the principal if she could take her students to the car hospital for a visit in the future. Bending down to his height, Jelena listened to him attentively and encouraged him to design a formal scheme, "Come to see me on Monday with your complete plan!" Eddie ran off excitedly after taking the assignment.
"She is such a China expert" is the remarks from one of Jelena's colleagues on her. "When facing differences between the Chinese and Western cultures, she was able to understand our concepts and became one of us very quickly."
Jelena wants her students to comprehend and respect such cultural differences, as the students are from all over the world and differences inevitably exist in their habits and mindsets. For instance, some students with special dietary customs prefer to bring their own lunch while others are used to having lunch at the cafeteria. In response to this, she has organized students to celebrate various festivals such as the Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, or the Indian Diwali Festival, where students have a chance to try different cuisines and understand the lifestyles of their classmates from other cultures. "In our school, children would dress up for the Halloween party or put on Indian costumes on Indian National Day. We include such activities into our campus life so that every student can take these differences as normal and natural." Jelena hopes that her students will become international ambassadors spreading and exchanging cultures in the future.