秋意渐浓，月满中秋。

一轮明月，寄托着中国人关于团圆、思念与美好的文化记忆；一纸丹红，也可以成为今天的学生走近传统文化的一扇窗口。

2026年中秋佳节之际，深圳曼彻斯通城堡学校为学生搭建了一次与传统文化真实互动的平台。

同学们从中秋文化与传统意象出发，亲手体验拓印技艺，让玉兔、明月、桂花与祥云跃然纸上，在观察、实践与创造中感受中华文化之美。

对曼校而言，节日活动不仅是一次庆祝，更是教育发生的另一种方式。

识中秋：从文化符号读懂节日

为什么中秋总与明月相连？玉兔、桂花、祥云背后，又寄托着怎样的文化想象？

从熟悉的节日符号出发，学生在观察与交流中重新认识中秋，也逐渐理解：传统节日所承载的不仅是习俗，更包含一个民族对家庭、情感与生活的理解。

真正的国际视野，并不是远离自己的文化，而是在认识自身文化的基础上，学会理解差异、欣赏多元。

这也是曼校所倡导的价值观------培养国际视野、探究精神与尊重意识。曼校希望学生既能够理解自己从哪里来，也能够以更加开放的眼光认识世界。

拓中秋：让学习发生在亲手实践中

了解中秋文化之后，同学们开始亲手完成属于自己的中秋拓印作品。

面对玉兔、圆月、桂花、祥云、亭台等不同纹样，学生首先自主挑选自己喜欢的拓印模板，再将红色宣纸平整铺好，小心固定模板。看似简单的第一步，其实已经需要足够的耐心----宣纸是否平整、模板是否贴合，都会直接影响最后纹样的清晰程度。

准备就绪后，同学们用海绵刷从墨碟中轻轻蘸取金色颜料。老师提醒大家，拓印并不是颜料越多越好：少量蘸取、均匀上色、反复叠加，才能让细小的图案保持清楚。于是，学生们先在墨碟边缘轻轻调整海绵刷上的颜料，再从较大的图案开始，一点一点进行拓印。

与平时用画笔涂色不同，拓印更讲究力度和方法。

一只手轻轻按住模板，另一只手握着海绵刷，在镂空的纹样上轻点、轻拍、垂直按压。玉兔的耳朵、月亮的轮廓、祥云的线条以及“中秋快乐”的文字，就在一次次细致的按压中逐渐呈现在红色宣纸上。

力度太轻，颜色不够饱满；颜料太多，又可能让边缘变得模糊。面对这些小小的“意外”，学生需要不断观察自己的作品，及时调整颜料多少、按压力度和拓印位置。

完成第一遍拓印后，同学们没有急着揭开模板，而是认真检查哪些位置颜色偏浅、哪些细节还不够完整，再用少量颜料进行补色。

这是一个不断观察—尝试—调整—完善的过程。

直到确认图案基本完成，学生才从模板一角开始，小心而缓慢地将其揭起。

也是这一刻，最令人期待的画面出现了——原本藏在模板下的金色纹样完整呈现出来：有玉兔望月，有祥云绕月，也有“中秋快乐”的节日祝福。

从选择图案，到控制颜料；从第一次尝试，到发现问题后重新调整，一幅作品的完成，需要的不只是动手能力，更需要专注、耐心和坚持。

这种“做中学”的过程，也让曼校的教育价值自然发生在真实的学习情境中。学生需要主动探究合适的方法，需要根据结果不断调整，也需要耐心面对并不完美的第一次尝试。探究性、适应性与坚韧，不再只是写在学校价值观中的词语，而成为学生亲身经历的一次学习过程。

从一张红纸，走向更大的世界

深圳曼校始终致力于通过创新而全面的教育，培养学生的个人卓越与坚韧品格，并帮助他们获得作为全球公民成长所需要的知识、理解与能力。

而全球公民的成长，也始于对自身文化的认识。

一次中秋拓印，也许很小，却让学生在亲手实践中认识传统、表达文化；在理解自身文化的同时，逐渐形成尊重差异、欣赏多元的国际视野。

从文化中认识自己，在世界中理解彼此。

这正是曼校希望为学生创造的学习：

有知识，也有体验；

有文化根基，也有世界眼光；

有个人表达，也有面向未来的品格与能力。

月满中秋，情满曼校。

愿这一轮由孩子们亲手“拓”出的明月，留住节日的温度，也照亮他们认识文化、理解世界的成长旅程。

祝大家中秋快乐，花好月圆！

As autumn deepens, the Mid-Autumn Festival returns beneath a full moon.

For generations, the moon has carried Chinese cultural memories of reunion, longing and hope. A simple sheet of crimson paper, too, can become a window through which today’s students encounter tradition.

To celebrate the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival, MIS created an opportunity for students to engage meaningfully with traditional Chinese culture. Beginning with the stories and symbols of the festival, students explored traditional stencil printmaking, bringing jade rabbits, full moons, osmanthus blossoms and auspicious clouds to life on red xuan paper.

Through observation, hands-on practice and creativity, they discovered the beauty of Chinese culture in a tangible and memorable way.

At MIS, a festival is more than a celebration. It is also another way for meaningful learning to take place.

Discover Mid-Autumn : Reading a Festival Through Cultural Symbols

Why has the full moon become such an enduring symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival? What do the jade rabbit, osmanthus blossoms and auspicious clouds reveal about Chinese cultural imagination?

Starting with these familiar images, students were encouraged to observe, question and exchange ideas. In doing so, they came to understand that traditional festivals are more than a collection of customs: they also reflect a culture’s understanding of family, relationships and life itself.

Being internationally minded does not mean stepping away from one’s own culture. It begins with understanding where we come from, before learning to appreciate difference and embrace diversity.

This reflects several of the MIS Values — Internationally Minded, Enquiring and Respectful. At Merchiston, we hope students develop a strong sense of their own cultural roots while approaching the wider world with openness, curiosity and respect.

Print Mid-Autumn: Learning Through Hands-on Experience

With a deeper understanding of the festival, students began creating their own Mid-Autumn prints.

They first chose from a variety of designs featuring jade rabbits, full moons, osmanthus blossoms, auspicious clouds and traditional pavilions. Each student then carefully laid out a sheet of red xuan paper and secured the stencil in place. What appeared to be a simple first step already required patience and precision: even a slight movement of the paper or stencil could affect the clarity of the final image.

Next came the gold paint. Using sponge brushes, students lightly picked up a small amount of paint from the palette. They soon discovered that more paint did not necessarily produce a better result. To keep the finer details crisp, they needed to work gradually — using a little paint at a time, building up the colour evenly, and adding further layers when needed.

With one hand holding the stencil firmly in place, students used the other to gently “dab, tap and press” the sponge brush straight down through the cut-out patterns. Rather than sweeping the brush from side to side, they worked carefully across each section.

Little by little, the ears of the jade rabbit appeared; the curve of the moon took shape; lines of auspicious clouds emerged; and the Chinese characters for “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival” gradually came to life against the red paper.

Too little pressure left the colour faint, too much paint could blur the edges. Each small challenge required students to stop, observe and make adjustments — changing the amount of paint, the pressure of the brush or the area that needed further attention.

After the first layer was complete, no one rushed to lift the stencil. Students carefully checked their work, identifying lighter areas and incomplete details before adding the final touches.

It was a continuous process of observing, trying, adjusting and refining.

And then came the most anticipated moment.

Starting from one corner, students slowly lifted their stencils to reveal the finished designs beneath: jade rabbits gazing at the moon, clouds curling around golden circles, and festive wishes shining against the crimson paper.

From choosing a design and controlling the paint to reviewing a first attempt and making improvements, creating each piece required much more than practical skill. It called for concentration, patience and perseverance.

Through this process of learning by doing, the MIS Values became visible in a genuine learning experience. Students were enquiring as they explored the most effective technique, adaptable as they responded to unexpected results, and “Resilient” as they refined work that did not turn out perfectly the first time.

From a Sheet of Red Paper to the Wider World

At Merchiston International School, we believe that education should extend beyond the classroom and beyond academic knowledge alone.

Our mission is to inspire“personal excellence and strength of character” through an innovative, integral education, while equipping students with the “skills, understanding and knowledge to thrive as global citizens.”

Becoming a global citizen begins, in part, with understanding one’s own cultural heritage.

A Mid-Autumn print may seem like a small creation, yet the experience allows students to encounter tradition through their own hands and express culture in their own way. As they develop a deeper understanding of where they come from, they also learn to respect difference, appreciate diversity and see the world through a broader lens.

To understand ourselves through culture, and to understand one another through the world.

This is the kind of learning we hope to create at MIS:

Knowledge enriched by experience.

Cultural roots accompanied by a global outlook.

Individual expression strengthened by the character and capabilities needed for the future.

Under the Mid-Autumn moon, a golden impression remains on paper — and, we hope, a lasting cultural memory remains with every student.

May the moon they have brought to life with their own hands preserve the warmth of this festival and illuminate their journey towards a deeper understanding of culture, community and the wider world.

Wishing everyone a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival, filled with happiness, togetherness and the beauty of a full moon.