July 26, Munich

Life is pretty amazing! A week ago, we were on the other side of the world, visiting places we had only seen online or in books. Now, we are home and those places are memories. But we didn't just do sightseeing; we had "tasks" to do as well. We were helping Dad and Mum decide whether or not to move to Shenyang, China. Moving to another continent is not a small decision. Even though as a family we like to see the world, we still have to think about it carefully. That is why we had a formal family discussion after dinner today, and, no surprise, schooling was the main part.

Dad led the discussion and gave each of us – Mum, Maxi, and I – a piece of paper before starting. First, he asked us to list the 3 most attractive things about each school, 3 advantages and, finally, 3 weaknesses. Once we all finished, Dad began to ask questions.

Maxi was the first to answer because he is the youngest. Dad didn't want my ideas to influence his or Mum's opinions to influence either of us. But, even though we did not discuss it, some of our points were identical! For instance, we both feel that studying in a German environment is more comfortable and that the IB curriculum was fresh and interesting. We also both love the phrase "Success breeds success". A level and BTEC programmes are very attractive for me as well.

After we went through all the points, Dad started to ask deeper questions, such as "Which school is the best fit for Maxi and me?", "Should we put both kids in one school or each go to their best fit?", "What is our family's best fit and why?", "What is best for now and for the future?". He helped us think logically, not just about the positives of each school, but what we really want, as this will play a big part in the decision.

Eventually, Maxi and I agreed that we should choose the same system school instead of a different one. Going to a different school would double our parent’s workload as they would need to shift between 2 systems. Another challenge they will not need!

After some time, we all decided that the German School is the best fit for our family. It will help us transition smoothly between Germany and China. Eventually, Maxi and I will be back in Germany for school and university, for sure.

July 26, Munich

After supper today, we had a family meeting to talk about the schools we visited in Shenyang last week. It was good as it helped me remember the new things I saw and learned. The German school has many similar things to my school in Munich, as well as new ones, such as a school bus, learning Chinese, and various after-school activities. I was surprised that the German curriculum is available outside Germany!

The Canadian School and OCIS had a dorm, which is not an option in my current school, and they both outside the city with beautiful views. The QSI School sounds like it has “group work” and “individual work” rather than classes. In fact, you have a “project team” rather than classmates. Learning by doing sounds more interesting than sitting and reading.

I could fit into any of the schools and I like each school’s activities. But they are quite different from each other. All have their strengths and different ways of learning they could teach me.

The Canadian school could show me American culture and I could do many activities that are not normal for German kids or even look similar. I’m curious to try the Chinese curriculum with authentic Chinese and math classes from OCIS. I like QSI because of its non-traditional approach to learning. But the German school offers much more than a typical German public school could, including the amazing music and art department.

Because my dream is to be in a band, I would vote for the German school. Maybe one day I can have my concert?! The German school will also be good for Lara because she needs to think about her university application and going back to study in Germany.