Top news in China from Wellington School

The Week Ahead in China 

Whole school matters in China 

Young Musician of the Year 2018 ! (in China) 

Following over 100 auditions, the college had the opportunity this week to enjoy the final of the annual 'Young Musician of the Year' competition at Wellington. Celebrating the hard work of all of the musicians at the college, the final saw twelve musicians from four different categories competing to win the overall title of Young Musician of the Year 2018. Congratulations to all the pupils who entered the competition this year, and especially to our winners:



And particularly to our overall winner, and holder of the title of Young Musician of the Year 2018, insert name here
 

Sam Mulliner, Head of Music

Senior school matters in China

This week, the public examination season began, with our year 11 artists being the first exam group to step up to the plate. In addition, this week has seen coursework submissions finalised in a range of subjects, including design and technology. The work created by our pupils in art and DT is now subject to consideration by external examiners and so cannot be commented on in detail. What I can say is that, having been given access to view the work, the imagination, skill, and patience in developing concepts that I’ve seen demonstrated in both subjects is enormously impressive. What particularly struck me is that, among the many distinct and powerful educational experiences that both art and DT make available to pupils, it’s that need for patience that is so valuable – perhaps especially so in a world that only ever seems to demand crudely-clear results, more and more immediately.

Pupils may be given a starting point for an art work or a design brief, but they have to take time to explore, experiment with approaches and materials, evaluate, reiterate, encounter new problems, refashion, and plough on without always knowing exactly where the journey will take them. During one DT lesson I visited recently Mrs Philo, our Head of DT, asked the class to suggest how many prototypes of the game-changing Dyson bagless vacuum cleaner had to be devised before the production stage was finally possible. What would your answer be? The class proved nowhere near correct and the actual answer brought home why subjects like art and DT require not just technical skills and knowledge but also considerable personal qualities of perseverance, forensic attention to detail, and fidelity to a vision. I hope the presence of all these behind the art and design work of our pupils and staff will, in due course, be fully recognised.


Similar qualities were on display in the theatre on Tuesday evening, through the performances offered in our Spring Concert. There was a final opportunity to hear some of our outrageously talented, stalwart jazz players from year 13, who now hand on custodianship of the Jazz group and Latin band to the younger peers they have done so much to inspire. Not only did the concert showcase a truly international repertoire of musical styles, it also brought home for the audience the extraordinary journey taken by young musicians during their time at Wellington. 5,127 prototypes were created before the vacuum cleaner was ready to be launched as a product. How close was your guess?
 

Joseph McKee, Head of Senior School

This week I am very pleased to bring you news of some outstanding Prep pupil achievements which really encapsulate what it is to be a Wellingtonian.  These two children have challenged themselves in different ways with outstanding results coming from their hard work.  ‘Passion’ is a somewhat overused word these days but I think that it truly applies here.  The two girls have clearly found their passion and in doing so have created great experiences to share for those around them.

Celine from 4MH was awarded 1st place in the 2018 Shanghai Junior Figure Skating Championships (Pre-Novice Girls division) this week.   It was a very competitive field but Celine had devoted most of her end-of-term holiday to practising her outstanding freestyle routine and performed flawlessly to take home the Gold medal in her division.

Valentina in 3JE is a talented photographer and her inaugural exhibition opened in the Dr Joanna Seldon Library on Monday. There are thoughtful and creative images from a range of inspirations.  Describing her prints, Valentina said,

“My photographs don’t have names and I like to share them with people.
 I started off using an ipad and photographed many things – anything!”

 Many congratulations to both Celine and Valentina – we are very proud of you!
 

Andrew Willis, Head of Prep School in China

Aloha! There’s only been one big story in the FOW world this week – preparation for Saturday’s fabulous annual Wellington Summer Festival! Aloha Hawaii!! The beautiful weather this week has only increased the excitement with pupils, teachers, staff and parents rushing about getting ready.

  

Prep School in China Primary School in Shanghai 

The FOW events team, led by our inspirational Maya Tarabay-Schisano have put together a quite incredible lineup for the day: Oahu Fun Island, Volcano Art Zone, Maui Adventure Island, Mermaids, and so, so much more! The Tikki Lounge area will be providing food and drinks through the day and the fun all starts at 11am.

Advanced ticket sales have exceeded expectation, and many of you already have your special festival t-shirts and wrist band tickets delivered. You can buy entry tickets on the day for RMB 20 for adults, and RMB 100 for children over 2 years old. After that, pretty much all the activities and entertainments are FREE!

A few points to note: we’re going to be super-busy, so if you’re bringing your car, please park responsibly – use the several local car parks, or better still, come by Metro. Food and beverages can be purchased only with the green festival tokens on sale at the entrance and besides the Tikki Lounge, but you can use cash and WeChat at the Hawaiian Marketplace. There’s a fun Tombola to win instant prizes, and don’t miss out on the fantastic Raffle which has some REALLY BIG PRIZES!!! All proceeds will be supporting this year’s featured charity, the He Haven rescue dogs home.

So – pick up your free flower leis at the entrance, grab your hula skirts, and we’ll see you on Saturday!
  Read also https://iworkinchina.wordpress.com/2018/05/06/understanding-and-mastering-the-power-of-language-in-china/

Melissa Blissett, on behalf of Sophie Squillacioti,
Chair of the Friends of Wellington