Dear Fellow Students,

    For my last letter I will be discussing the importance of keeping close communication with the school in order to gain access to more benefits. Please do share this letter with your parents. I believe they may find this topic interesting.

    Because your parents are paying such high tuition fees to your private school here, you and your parents should be aware of the various benefits you can have. By keeping close communication with the school, you can maximize these benefits.

    To my understanding, the relationship between school and student in England is very different to that in China. In China, the school has far more authority, and sometimes the teacher-student relationship is stern.

    But at a private boarding school here in the United Kingdom, every student is nurtured and encouraged to follow their own path. Teachers and administrators respect you as an individual.

    If you violate the rules listed in the school handbook, they have the right to expel you after evaluating the nature and consequences of your offense. If you make a minor mistake, they would talk to you personally and let your know what they expect of your behavior.

    Generally, teachers and administrators are quite lenient, as they know you are a teenager, thus inevitably will be naughty sometimes. Of course, you do not take advantage of such a good system — by doing this you are not respectful to your teachers. I have noticed that a few students are extremely naughty in my year, and sometimes they humiliate their teachers. This is certainly not accepted.

    Your parents receive your school reports three times a year at the end of each term. Your parents can call, write to the school or to a specific teacher if there are any questions or concerns over the reports, regarding your academic performance or discipline. Usually an answer is received within a day or two.

    There is a parents’ meeting once a year. Your parents can better understand how you are doing at school by meeting your teachers and tutor face to face. However, I understand the parents of many overseas students, especially from China, cannot attend the parents’ meeting.

    I would suggest that your parents write e-mails to them with some questions to prompt their answers from which they can then understand more about your performance in different subjects or social areas. Your parents can even request a phone appointment with each teacher.

    Yours fondly,

    Susan M B Chen

    A Year 13 Student, Downe House School, England