Message from Emma Bi, a Chinese International Student from a few years past:
Hello everyone, my name is Emma. I studied at Craighead for three and a half years, and I am currently attending university in Vancouver, Canada. I can say that no matter where I go, I am very grateful that my parents chose this school for me. When I first arrived at the school, my English was very poor; I could only understand simple greetings and the like. The teachers were very kind and specifically found an international student who had arrived before me to look after me.
Because Craighead is in Timaru, a place where there aren’t many Chinese speaking people, my English really improved quickly. In less than half a year, I could understand most things related to school and daily life. Compared to most public high schools, the students here are friendlier, and there were almost no misunderstandings due to cultural differences at the school.
Although I am no longer in New Zealand, I still keep in touch with many of my former classmates, and because I was there, I made friends from Japan, Korea, Thailand, New Zealand, and many other places. Due to the good study environment, the students around me all have clear plans for their future lives. Therefore, international students at Craighead study very hard while also enjoying the life here.
Since coming to Vancouver, a city with a large Chinese population, I deeply realize the significant role a good language environment plays in the linguistic progress of students like us. The school buildings are also very beautiful. I remember those large trees that three or four people couldn’t wrap their arms around, and sitting on the lawn talking with friends when the sun was shining. I can say that my time at Craighead was truly happy and carefree. The school helped us solve many issues related to life and academics.
When I was applying to Canadian universities, I was very worried that they wouldn’t recognize the New Zealand education system, but that worry was unnecessary. My results from Craighead were arguably higher than most international students, and they did not cause any trouble when applying to universities outside of New Zealand.
Timaru is a very beautiful city, where I saw the bluest sky and the most beautiful starry night sky I have ever seen. I think if I had to choose again, I would still be willing to come back to this school to spend my entire high school career!
