Gold Apple Bilingual School

This is the School where we teach and live in the Pudong (east of the river) district of Shanghai China. The school is currently divided into two campuses. Lower School for grades 1 through 5, and Middle School (what in the US is called Jr. and Sr. High) for grades 6 through 12. it Seems that SARS has reduced enrollment significantly from what had been projected, so next term all grades will be located on the new futuramic High School campus.

Lower School (Xiao Xue)

Here is a picture of the front entrance of the Lower School

The gate at the High School is much more impressive, but I don't have a picture of it.

Every morning (weather permitting) before classes, all the kids fall out on the soccer field for an inspirational talk by the headmaster, one of the senior teachers, or a special speaker.

Here are some of my 3rd graders on the first class of the term last fall (2002)

Here are some 4th Graders in the middle of term 2

Every Student gets "IT" class something like 10 hours a week. Here is a 1st Grade class programming "turtles" to run around the floor in "LOGO" (a very simple programming language).

This is the Teacher's Cafeteria. It's a much nicer place to eat than the students'. The Student Cafeteria is newer, and better appointed perhaps, but it is NOISY (also the food is often better for the teachers - though the kids get special treats occasionally, and we don't).

Here's Max looking at the very crowded bicycle shelter (we tend to arrive late, and it's often difficult for us to squeeze our bikes in.)

High (or middle) School (Zhong Xue)

Here is a composite picture taken from my wife's office window

Left to right, you see Classroom Buildings "B" and "C" then in the center, the elevated walkway, and the (round) Conference Center. In the rear is the 15 story teacher's apartment building. To the right is the gymnasium/cafeteria building.

Here is a picture of Carol in front of the Conference Center

I don't have pictures of the (very nice) gardens at the front of the High School campus, or of the soccer field, track and basketball and volleyball courts. Or indeed of the (very large - and noisy) cafeteria, or any of the classrooms here (I don't teach on this campus after all.) Maybe over the summer I'll get some up.

Our apartment is in a fabulous looking building. We're on the 11th floor (of 15), and have a good view of the campus (and the GM plant) out our front window, and of the luxury villas currently under construction out the back.

I have a couple of images of our apartment from before we moved in. This is our balcony. The sun shines very brightly out there.

This is the inside of the apartment before anything was moved in. The school is a little stingy with handing things out, but by now we have a couple of tables, some desks, and some chairs. a big (and rather good) Chinese television, and some basic cooking facilities and of course there are air conditioners in each of the rooms (well, not the bathrooms). We bought our own couch and DVD player (and LOTS of english language movies), and some decorations for the walls. We were actually given two apartments because we are a family of four. We use the one pictured here as our living and dining space, and the one next door (which is somewhat smaller) as bedrooms.