Rooted in Love, United in Diversity: Building a Warm and Inclusive XLIS Community
Welcome back to our beautiful campus. I hope each of you enjoyed a wonderful and restful summer break.
Guided by our school vision: To lead education through innovation and student centered community driven approach, I gained plenty of insights during my summer break. At this fresh starting point, I would like to share takeaways from my Central European cultural travels with every member of our XLIS family and lay out my aspirations for the upcoming school year.
This summer, I traveled across Central Europe alongside my family. We began our journey in Vienna and Salzburg of Austria, then headed north into Germany, traveling sequentially through Munich, Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Cologne, Bonn, Hannover, Hamburg, and finally to Berlin. As we wandered through museums, art galleries, and concert halls across these culturally rich cities, I was captivated not only by stunning scenery, but also by the genuine kindness and courtesy shared among people from all walks of life.
Over the two week trip, countless heartwarming scenes of parental companionship unfolded before me: in breakfast cafeterias, museum halls, art galleries, and concert halls, parents from across the globe set aside busy work schedules to devote quality time to their children. They turned travel into classrooms, nurturing kids’ inner minds with profound culture and heritage. Scrolling through social media posts shared within our school community, I was delighted to witness numerous parents prioritizing their children throughout the vacation. Beyond travel experiences, I observed plenty of families involving children in household chores, empowering kids to master practical life skills and cultivate independence through daily responsibilities. Regardless of how each family spent the summer break, every child was gifted a memorable holiday. I hope all our students achieve holistic growth with sound physical and mental health, broadened horizons, enriched reading experience and precious life adventures.
On my flight back to Xi’an from Vienna, I watched The Unbreakable Boy, a feature film released in February 2025. Written and directed by Jon Gunn, the movie is adapted from a true story and based on the memoir penned by father Scott LeRette. It depicts Austin, a boy living with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) alongside autism, who inspires his family and everyone around him with relentless optimism and fortitude. Free from exaggerated melodrama, this heartfelt film explores family hardships, individual differences and acceptance. It is available for rent or purchase on YouTube Movies and other digital platforms. I wholeheartedly recommend all teachers, parents and students within our community to watch this film at the start of the semester, as it provokes profound reflection and brings heartfelt warmth to all viewers. This motion picture makes me rethink the true essence of education: students ought to empathize with peers and embrace individual differences; parents need to accept each child’s unique developmental pace; educators must uphold unconditional care to understand, encourage and support every single student under our guidance.
XLIS stands as a diverse international institution rooted in Chinese soil yet oriented toward the wider world, bringing together families and educators from dozens of nations and regions. Cultural diversity constitutes our most invaluable asset, while respecting, appreciating and learning from varied cultures forms the cornerstone of our school community.
For the new academic year, I urge our faculty to nurture every student with compassion and professional expertise. I hope schools and families build trust based, efficient partnerships. I encourage all community members to respect disparities, embrace diversity and thrive through cultural exchange. Furthermore, I sincerely invite international families stationed here to immerse themselves in local Chinese culture and attain personal and academic development within our nurturing campus environment.
Additionally, as we kick off the new semester, I invite all our families to engage in regular shared reading at home. Many of our students still need to strengthen their reading skills. Daily family reading will effectively elevate our students’ reading levels.
Wishing everyone a fruitful and fulfilling new school year!
Sincerely,
Lily Liu
Head of School
August 18th, 2026
