March is Women’s History Month, and March 8th is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is celebrated and observed around the world as a day to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. At BASIS International Schools, it is also an opportunity to recognize the contributions of the many women in our school communities, including staff members, teachers, and school leaders.
Women from faculty and staff at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour received small gifts from students in honor of International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day is also a wonderful opportunity to encourage students to learn more about current challenges facing women’s rights, and to gain inspiration from reading about important women in history. At BASIS International School Hangzhou, the school librarians collected a list of books for students to check out, ranging from self-growth and memoirs, to equal rights and achievements.
International Women’s Day at BASIS International School Guangzhou
In honor of International Women’s Day on Monday, March 8th English teacher Jasmine Cochran and Head of Lower School Martina Gamez worked together to plan an evening to celebrate the Grade 12 senior girls and help prepare them for university. With the help of teachers and parents alike, they were able to pull off a fantastic event full of cheer, joy, laughter, and tears.
As part of a panel hosted by mostly upper school teachers, girls learned more about being a woman in university. They had the opportunity to learn about managing time, social relationships, networking, and safety. These skills are key to being successful in assimilating into university life academically, socially, and emotionally.
On top of this wonderful information our teachers shared, students were presented with gifts. One of these gifts stood out among the others: words of encouragement from the most important women in their lives–their mothers. These letters were included with pens and a journal so the girls can carry these thoughts with them and know their mothers are always there to cheer them on.
In the end, these girls left with hearts filled, knowing that they are loved and supported. More so, they knew that they had a network of teachers who are always available to give advice and guidance–even after they leave their BASIS International Schools campus.
From Martina Gamez, Head of Lower School, BASIS International School Guangzhou
Why did we decide to host the International Women’s Day event for Grade 12 female students?
Jasmine Cochran and I decided to host this event because we recognized that as our girls were getting accepted into some of the best universities in the world, they had never really lived so far from home without family. Most of our Senior students are boarders on campus, therefore they understood being at school alone, but we wanted to discuss it more in-depth of being away from home and not with family or friends for months on end. In addition, we wanted to use International Women’s Day to not only discuss university life, but also about being a woman in the west.
With that, we took this time to talk to the girls about getting involved on campus, building friendships, networking, and safety. The girls were very open to knowing what lies ahead. They asked many interesting questions regarding their concerns and fears in university, and was able to get honest feedback from their teachers.
All in all, the girls left knowing that the BASIS International Schools community is still there to support them after they finish high school. They will forever be a part of the BASIS International Schools family and could email or message with anything they needed help with.
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