Wu Tong Shu | A Special Opening Ceremony for the New Semester

Shoddy classrooms

Muddy roads in the village

Creaking desks in the classroom

12 years ago, Yangshan Primary School was a small run-down school in the middle of the mountains in Anhui. Since 2005, Shanghai Roots & Shoots Wu Tong Shu Program has been working with the school in an effort to improve the facilities. In addition, we recruited more than 100 volunteers to teach summer school and help the most impoverished families.

• In 2006, the new school building was completed;

• In 2007, Shanghai Roots  & Shoots’ environmental curricula were introduced to the school;

• In 2010, the new bathrooms, activity room and new playground were put into use…

On September 1 2017, 9 Wu Tong Shu volunteer alumni traveled for hours by train and by bus to Yangshan Primary School for a special kick-off ceremony of the new school year.

Former principle Mr. Qi, who had already  retired in June delivered a moving  welcome speech to the students and the volunteers. He  witnessed  the dramatic changes in the school over the past decade.

Yilin Yu, gave a speech on behalf of the volunteers. It had been 10 years since Yilin’s last visit to Yangshan. She spoke about the students she got to know when she first arrived at the school and what a wonderful thing it was for her to see the grow up and living a happy life.

• Two brand new glass display cases are installed.

• Volunteers put on the red scarves for the students’ necks.

•  Beautiful hand-knit winter caps  donated by the Shanghai Knitting Club.

• Volunteers gave a hygiene class and the hygiene kits to students.

Yangshan Primary School is  the only remaining primary school situated in the mountains in the area. All the other primary schools have all merged with schools located in town.  If you would like to find out how to help the school, please give us a call at 021-63523580.

We applaud the dedication of Mr. Qi and his colleagues for contributing tens of years of their lives to rural education in China. We believe that the students will grow into caring, responsible human beings who will give back to the community.