A New School Year Begins

The gates may have stayed closed and the buses parked for one extra day, but the start of the 2026-2027 school year was not going to let a typhoon get in the way. If there is one thing Eagles know how to do, it is adapt. Our teachers were ready to shift gears to hold classes online, students were logging in, and the excitement of a new school year found its way from our campuses into homes across Shanghai.

Thankfully, one day later, the gates opened, the buses rolled in, and our campuses came back to life. The return to campus brought all the moments we look forward to each year: reunions at the gate, proud family photos, and warm classroom welcomes. Hallways filled, friends found one another, and after an unconventional first day, it finally felt like the start of school. For our youngest learners, it marked the beginning of an entirely new adventure, while for our seniors, it was the start of a final year filled with milestones, memories, and lots of last experiences.

This year, 3,044 students are beginning the school year, continuing a very strong trend in enrollment and reflecting the confidence families place in the SAS experience. Behind that number are thousands of individual stories, from students returning to friends and teachers they missed over the summer to new Eagles taking their first steps into a community that will soon feel like home.

While strong enrollment on our 114th year since founding is definitely worth celebrating, what makes SAS special cannot be measured in numbers alone. This week offered a pretty good reminder of that. It was there in teachers ready to move their classrooms online at a moment’s notice, students showing up with smiles on their screens, and a community taking an unexpected first day in stride. And when we returned to campus, it was seen in the smiles between old friends, the teacher greeting a student by name, the classmate offering directions, and the small acts of kindness that make our school feel like a second home.

So, yes, our first day may have looked a little different this year. But by day two, our campuses were once again filled with the curiosity, energy, and possibility that make the beginning of a new school year so special. If the first two days are any indication, our Eagles are already proving they are ready for whatever this school year sends their way!

Welcome back, Eagles! We cannot wait to see all the amazing things you accomplish this year!