The column "Upward Bound", a collection of outstanding students on the official WeChat account of Lucton School Chongqing, is presented to you again. It will share stories of all aspects of students at Lucton School Chongqing, including warm messages from the Founding Head, comments from teachers and personal sharing on life and interests, etc. In this issue, let’s take a look at Iris Marie H, a Year 10 student.

Iris Marie H is a model student and deserves this honour. She is the clay in the teacher's hand and she is willing to be moulded and shaped, according to her personality and strengths, of course, into whatever goodness the teacher is trying to take her toward. As a member of the Student Leadership Team, I have watched closely how she plans, works, and makes things happen with no fuss, and to know she is as reliable as they as come gives me great comfort. I am filled with pride that she is my student and I have the opportunity to talk with her, work with her, and witness her blossoming like a unique flower in the soil of Lucton. However, I will not have Lucton take all the credit her - Iris Marie H's good nature, cheerfulness, ever-ready smile, affable spirit, sense of responsibility, positive growth mindset, humility, and talents as a holistic person should be her glory alone, but it would be amiss of me not to mention and honour her parents who have helped create this well-mannered, and value centric young person who is going to go to every class, every room, every workplace, every stage, and people are going to ask,"Wow! Where did she come from?"


——Ms. Sarah Ezdani
Founding Head of Lucton School Chongqing

Mr. Simon Wejuli
Biology Teacher
“Iris Marie H is a self-motivated student with very high standard of discipline and respect for her teachers and peers. She is role model for fellow classmates and dedicated student with very strong positive attitude towards learning. She always takes initiative to complete all her tasks within the required time frame.
Iris Marie H has strong outstanding, and comprehension of the concepts relating to human and plant biology studied so far. She holds herself to a high standard, and it shows in all areas of her performance this term. She is always supportive and collaborates well with her classmates promoting a positive learning environment where nobody is left behind.”
During the Branding and Culture Department’s interview, Iris Marie H shared her hobbies, daily life, future goals, and her insights on personal growth, etc.

Iris Marie H's love of biology began in her first biology class at Lucton School Chongqing. Since then, she has aspired to make biology her future study direction. She said, "My learning experience at Lucton School Chongqing has given me a systematic understanding of the subject." She mentioned an unforgettable experience, dissecting a pig's heart with Mr. Wejuli. "It was the first time I met a teacher who used real organs as teaching aids, and he taught us to distinguish the left and right sides of the ventricles by the thickness of the muscles. The soft touch of the heart is something I still remember," she said excitedly. The experiment not only gave her a deeper understanding of biology, but also strengthened her love for the subject. Apart from biology, mathematics is also her favourite subject. She believes that although mathematics is challenging, she feels a sense of achievement whenever she succeeds in solving a problem.

Besides her studies, Iris Marie H has a wide range of hobbies and interests. Physical exercise is her main way to relax. She actively participates in yoga and aerobics in the CCA sessions. She believes, "Physical activity not only enhances physical fitness, but also improves mental health." In addition, Iris Marie H is a reading enthusiast. She is passionate about children's literature and philosophy books. The imagination of children's literature and the deep thinking of philosophy books bring her endless fun and inspiration.

Iris Marie H said that she has always been an introvert, afraid to express herself and not good at communicating with others. However, with the encouragement and help from her teachers, she gradually started to be brave enough to present herself and try to talk to people she didn't know. These little improvements are slowly accumulating, awaiting a step towards a qualitative leap.

For learning, Iris Marie H believes that interest is the best teacher. She shared her experience in the study of Business Studies, "Initially, I did not do well because of language and conceptual problems, but through continuous effort and perseverance, I eventually got good grades in the exams." She also mentioned that bright colours and drawings can be used to enhance memory when taking notes, which makes learning more interesting and enjoyable.

When talking about her future, Iris Marie H hopes to further her education in the US. She believes that the US is rich and authoritative in educational resources, and the rich biodiversity and natural resources are also important attractions. She hopes to study and research biology in such an open and tolerant environment and try to become a researcher in the future.

Lucton School Chongqing is committed to providing students with holistic education, so that every student can discover their own interests and potential, and achieve success with the support and guidance of their teachers. Iris Marie H's story is a microcosm of many Lucton students, and we believe that every student can find his or her own wonderful life here.