Home Away From Home
D
uring my childhood growing up in a boarding
school in New England, USA, long before the
age of DVDs and movies-on-demand, The Wizard
of Oz was shown on national television once a year.
The movie is based on a series of books written
by L. Frank Baum – an American classic. It is a
tale about Dorothy, a young farm girl from rural
America, who experiences a sensational dream
journey after she is swept away from her home
in a giant tornado and plunked down in a strange
place, far, far from the farmlands of Kansas. It is
an adventure about creating community where
you find yourself plopped, about overcoming
challenges in the pursuit of your dreams and
relying on the kindness of others to help find your
way. Dorothy knew she needed the support of
others to find her way home, and she encouraged
friends along the Yellow Brick Road to join her in
her travels. Her travel companions included, The
Scarecrow, The Tin Man and The Cowardly Lion.
Her journey back home is a perilous one full of new
people and situations that challenge her thinking
and teach her important life lessons. The line that
struck me most was “There’s no place like home,”
the chant which Dorothy recites at the end of the
film as she clicks her ruby-slippered heels together
on her final attempt to get back to Auntie Em and
Uncle Henry.
Upon arrival at Keystone I am sure some of the
teachers and students felt they too had been
dropped in a strange place, far, far from home
and might have even thought, “There’s no place
like home.” For some of us it is also our first time
living in China, and for our students, perhaps
the first time living away from home. With this in
mind, we set straight away to the task of making
our “home away from home” a place where
students, parents and teachers feel welcome.
Head of School, Malcolm McKenzie, noted in
his speech at the Matriculation Ceremony that,
“Induction happens when you lead someone
into a new place, or space.” Well, your children
are certainly being led into new places and
spaces on a daily basis, and they are creating and
experiencing unique opportunities and traditions.
And I am confident that your children are meeting
a cast of beloved characters right her in Shunyi
– teachers, advisors and friends, and our “new
place” is beginning to feel a little less like a daily
adventure, and more like a way of life.
58
The Keystone Magazine
A New Life, A New Student
This new way of life in the Keystone residences is
already taking shape in the form of a brotherhood
and sisterhood. Friend groups that are sure to
last a lifetime are being forged. I’ve seen such
friendships before, boarding school connections
that stand the test of time. To date I receive
wedding photos of my past students. And I
chuckle every time to see young men who, 10 years
or more ago, lived with me in the dorm when they
were in grade 10, gathered around the groom with
their receding hairlines and fuller bellies. In my
mind they are still 15 years old, crowded around a
table in the dorm lounge over a math book trying
to figure out the next day’s homework, laughing
about some inside joke or trying to teach each
other how to properly use the microwave. These
kids are creating memories, and in some cases
finding soulmates.
Take some of our boys for instance. They have
created the first Keystone band, and gave their
first performance at the Halloween party. On
a nightly basis our dorm hallways echo with
the rhythm and melody of violins, guitars and
traditional Chinese instruments. Everyone here
is seeking and finding that network of support,
friendship and trust, gathering more characters
on their journey through life just as Dorothy did
in The Wizard of Oz. I have been awed by our
students’ abilities to navigate having a roommate
and in some cases