尊敬的AP老师们、在一起三年的AP家长们：
Dear AP teachers and parents,
大家好！我是6班郭子立同学的家长。今天非常荣幸作为家长代表和AP大家庭共享喜悦和成果。
Good afternoon. I am the mother of Billy Guo from Class 6. I am honored to share the achievement and joy with you all as parent representative.
回想这三年来孩子的成长，身为父母的我们倍感幸运、幸福。三年前， 我们全家面临着一个选择：读普高还是来AP?最终是儿子确定了美国大学的梦想，让我们走入AP中心。清晰记得第一次到成老师的办公室，她一见儿子就说这孩子怎么又瘦又小，其他事情先不做，先开始游泳，提高体能才能有以后的战斗力！进入宁外，孩子的快速适应离不开班主任，生辅老师，外教和升学指导老师的快速和全面介入，最快最明显的变化是儿子身体和个性都茁壮了，活泼了，并且什么都和我们点点滴滴的分享。为了能更全面渗透，在高一的夏天，在学校提供的一系列项目中，我们选择参加耶鲁的SIG营地。心如所愿，儿子在大部分是美国学生的两周的营地后，他的口语能力飙升，他的团队和领导力更加国际化，还惊喜的捧回"美国队长"（TEAM CAPITIAN） 奖杯。
We, as parents, feel so fortune and blessed to witness the growth of my son in the AP center during the past three years. Three years ago, my family was encountered with two options: to be enrolled into AP or go to the normal senior high school. Finally Billy decided for his dream to go abroad to US for his undergraduate studies. I remember clearly how Della teased Billy the first time in her office: "You are physically too tiny and weak. Forget about all the other academic goals, go swimming and be strong." After coming into AP center, Billy was amazingly orientated into all the new system due to the support and help from all the faculties like head teachers, dorm teachers, AP teachers and counselors. Billy was more open and strong, specially sharing all of his life with us all the time. In the summer of Year 1, we chose SIG program in Yale. After being immersed into the typical American life for two weeks, Billy’s oral English is enhanced dramatically as well as his teamwork and leadership skills. Surprisingly he was awarded as " Team Capitan".
我和他爸爸都在外贸行业，耳濡目染的儿子也喜欢上了商科。经过升学指导李老师和成老师的一次次潜能挖掘，一次次鼓励和头脑风暴，在准高二儿子创立了商业风暴社：从社团招募，团队整合，到结合自身所学的精算课程亲自给社团授课，都让我们看到了他对兴趣的追求和坚持。更出人意料的是，瘦小的儿子胆儿越来越大，带领社团参加杭外的商赛、上海的全国赛、芝加哥的国际赛，参与成就蜕变，一步又一步的夯实了儿子的梦想。众多的学术竞赛中，宁外丰富的AP课程和中方课程，真正帮助儿子武装了足够强大的学术能力。
Both his father and I are in the business field for many years, which also influenced Billy to be interested in business. After many brainstorming and talks with counselors, Billy was encouraged to set up the first business club named "Biz Storm". Recruitment, training, team building, we see his grit in this passion. He is also more and more brave and initiative to lead the team to compete in Hangwai, Shanghai and Chicago for all the different levels of business competitions. This builds up more of his future plan. Thanks to the spanerse and rigor of AP& Chinese curriculum, Billy is armed academically competitive.
在高二的家长面谈中， 升学指导老师建议暑假期间我们带儿子去拜访下想申请的美国大学，并精心筛选了学校列表。足够疯狂的是，我们家真的去了。在美十天从波士顿到南卡拜访了十所学校，每次造访的家庭中只有我们一个中国家庭，而且所有学校都知道宁外AP,认识我们的升学指导团队，招生官们对于我们尤为关注和耐心，而我们选校和申请就不再是纸上谈兵，不再是仅用排名为依据。高三申请季，周围很多亲友都建议我们选择外面的中介，这样才能"包装",才能"放心",才能"申的好".而成老师和我们见到的招生官都一直强调诚信申请，强调这个过程孩子的自我认识和成长。为此我们和儿子进行了长谈，儿子很坚决，说学校里这么多大学来访的接触，他已经深知文书内容一定要自己写，真实诚信是他想体现的重要价值观。最后，我们选择相信儿子，相信学校，相信成老师。值得一提的事，申请过程中，儿子一直抓住和招生官刷脸的机会，尽享了很多AP的平台和资源。因为有透明的申请过程，直接的推荐和三方的合力，儿子接连拿到10所大学的录取和很多奖学金。
During the parents’ talk in year 2, counselors suggest we’d better do some campus visit and also helped to make a fit school list. Crazily, as a family we actually did it. From Boston to South Carolina, we visited ten colleges in ten days. We were amazed how connected Ningwai counseling office is with the admission officers. After this visit, the school list of Billy’s application is never based on the ranking numbers. In year 3, lots of my friends suggest we should find another agent for "better application" for Billy, but Billy and we all value the integrity in the process which is also promoted by AP center and counseling team. Billy took advantage of all the resources and opportunities offered by AP center and achieved a lot: finally with ten offers and lots of scholarship.
如果说郭子立的AP三年是成功的，作为家长，我最大的体会就是：信任。国际教育中有很多是我们作为家长不懂的，但在身边会有很多声音都会干扰和介入。但我们家一直有个原则，就是无论是不懂还是纠结，是焦虑还是选择，我们家都无条件的信任宁外，信任升学指导团队给予我们的意见。而经过这三年一起的共同努力，这种信任带来结果都是良性，积极的，儿子也取得了长足的进步和丰硕的成果。而我作为家长，对于学校的一系列安排，无论是正式的家长会还是非正式的家长沙龙，无论是统一的集会还是一对一面谈，无论是学术的还是课外活动的安排，我的参与度都极高，这样也进不一步提升了我对学校的信任和对孩子的认识。
The best summary from Billy’s story I would like to share is:Trust. This is a frustrating process with lots of unknown and confusing facts. But as a family we always choose to trust AP, the school and the guidance by counselors unconditionally. After these three years, with the trust we gain positivity and Billy’s well-rounded development. I am intensively involved with everything AP offers, either for parents meeting or parents salon, or the one-one-one talk, academically or for extra-curriculum. This all helps me to understand and trust AP more.
最后祝福宁外AP大家庭蒸蒸日上，每个孩子都能快乐幸福地成长！
Wish all the best for AP family and all the AP students. Tomorrow is yours.
谢谢大家 !
Thanks.
