Our Year 4 families were invited into the girls’ French and Chinese lessons, something the girls had been looking forward to sharing.

From their earliest years at Meriden, the girls are introduced to another language. Through French and Chinese, they explore new sounds and words, begin to see how language works, and learn about the cultures these languages come from. This early exposure develops their curiosity, their ear for language, and an openness to other ways of seeing the world.

Visiting the Open Classrooms is an opportunity to see the girls learning and enjoying French and Chinese together. Day to day, our language teachers work with girls at very different stages, from those building their skills step by step to those who already speak the language at home. Mme Owen, Mme Parent, Miss Zhu, Miss Qiao, and Ms Liu are adept at meeting each girl where she is, so that everyone is both supported and challenged.

We are fortunate to have such a wonderfully diverse community, with so many languages spoken among our families. Keeping your background language alive at home supports your daughter in real ways. A strong home language supports her overall language development, including her English, and keeps her connected to her family and her heritage. For those students who speak another language at home, reading, talking, and sharing stories together in your mother tongue will support your daughter to flourish in both her languages.

Thank you to the Year 4 families who joined us this week. It was a pleasure to welcome you into the classrooms and to join the girls in their learning. I look forward to seeing their curiosity for language keep growing through the year.