The Week Ahead 11th September 2020

Dear parents

I am so pleased to see the school settle into a familiar routine so quickly this term. Children of all ages are back in their classrooms and working hard, and as of this week, we have relaunched the full range of our after-school activities (ASA). One of the most frustrating aspects of the impact of the coronavirus were the restrictions imposed on our sport and ASA programmes. Initially, social distancing requirements meant that most of our PE and sports programme was revised to accommodate pupils and staff safely, but it did mean that pupils could not enjoy some of their favourite activities such as swimming, football and basketball. Competitive fixtures with our friends in the other ISCOT schools inevitably came to a sudden halt. The nature of our ASA programme, encouraging pupils to work with peers from other year groups, meant that it too was suspended as a result of our cautious reopening plans in the summer term.

A school like Wellington, with its strong emphasis on educating the whole child, holds its extra-curricular programmes very dear. The capacity within a school day to set aside time for activities which offer genuine enrichment to the lives of pupils is a central tenet of our educational philosophy. Engaging in sporting, cultural and academic extra-curricular activities helps children to learn new skills as well as work with pupils from other classes and year groups. The ASA programme deliberately sets out to give pupils access to a wide range of meaningful courses, broadening their experience and providing the chance to find inspiration in something new. Pupils from the Nest onwards have the chance to try music, dance, art, reading, robotics, debating, presentation skills, charitable projects, as well as a full range of sports and extra academic classes.

The importance of offering such a range of ASA was brought home to me in the past few days. I have been lucky enough to work with some of the year 13 pupils applying for the world's elite universities. We have 12 pupils in the process of applying to Oxbridge and Ivy League schools this year, and each one of them faces fierce rivalry for places at these elite institutions. The global pandemic, as well as the examination debacles in the UK which impacted IB and A level grades, and the disruption to TOEFL, IELTS and SAT preparation across the world, have meant that competition for university places is even tougher than in previous years as more students have the grades required to gain admission or have chosen to defer entry to a (hopefully) post-COVID world in 2021. The result is that many institutions have limited places available for 2021 as many have been allocated to pupils deferring entry from this year. Our most able pupils will need to stand out from this crowded field of applicants if they are to reach their dream destinations. One way they can do this effectively is to reflect in their personal statements on the breadth of their wider experience that programmes such as the ASA have had on their development as thoughtful, insightful young people. The key to writing a good personal statement is to show how an applicant's wider educational exposure makes them a more attractive prospect for undergraduate admission: it is not simply a chance to show off the sheer number of activities. Universities want bright, articulate young people, capable of both growing as learners as well as demonstrating the ability to write fluently about the way an ASA or sport has changed their lives. It comes as no surprise to me to find that those pupils with a life rich in meaningful wider learning are the ones most likely to attract the best universities.

I used the word enrichment earlier quite deliberately. The programme of extra-curricular learning is an integral part of a holistic education. Pupils who embrace the chance to explore new things or hone their skills are genuinely enriching both their current schooling but also their long-term prospects for a fulfilled life at university and beyond.

If you would like to find out more about the range of ASA, as well as the courses available in our Saturday Activity Programme (SAP), please contact the coordinator of these programmes: Mr Eelco van Kuilenburg

(activityprogram.tianjin@wellingtoncollege.cn).

Best wishes

Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

Online Meeting
1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday
17th September

This week's Meet the Master slot is open to all parents, but particularly those of pupils in years 7 to 11. If you would like to attend, please confirm via email with Ms Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday 16th September.

Online Meeting
0900hrs-1015hrs, Wednesday
16th September

Parent briefings are held on Wednesday mornings usually from 0900hrs -1015hrs.  Parents will have the chance to engage with the school in sessions that cover all aspects of your child's education, from the Early Years to A levels and university admissions.

This briefing will consist of information about the current maths and numeracy curriculum in the Junior School. By attending, you will gain an insight into the methods we use to teach and assess maths as well as how we track pupils to make sure that they are challenged and supported. Sessions will be recorded, and a link to the meeting will be shared.

Online Meeting
0900hrs-1000hrs, Wednesday
16th September

Bilingual education is at the heart of our teaching and learning strategies in the Nest. 

Our WCC Director of Academics for Early Years, Fiona Carter, will share the ways in which we support bilingualism in young children as well as explaining how they develop language at an early age. We will also talk about the ways in which you can help at home.

The session will be live so that you can send in any questions or comments which can be discussed at the same time. Sessions will be recorded, and a link to the meeting will be shared.

Senior School parents' evening: Year 11 Induction group Open House
Atrium
1700hrs-1830hrs, Tuesday
15th September

Parents' evening for parents of pupils in year 11 Induction group will be held on Tuesday 15th September from 1700-1830hrs. Pastoral care at Wellington plays a crucial role in developing every child to his or her full potential, but it is often a part of the school that is unfamiliar to many parents. If you would like to meet your child's tutor and Housemaster, please use this opportunity to do so. The meeting point is in the Atrium at 1700hrs where, after introductions to our teachers, you will have an opportunity to ask questions about the House system, have a tour around your child's House and talk to his/her tutor and Housemaster.

Please note that you will need to fill in the visitor's form prior to entering the school. Miss Jiao Jiao will send the form to you via our T-chat platform. Please follow the instructions on how to fill in the form.

Parent briefing for parents of pupils in year 12 - university applications and summer schools
Online Meeting
1730hrs-1830hrs, Thursday
17th September

There will be a parent briefing on Thursday 17th September on university applications and summer schools. An email will be sent out to all parents of pupils in year 12 beforehand. The meeting will take place online in the Senior School Team. This meeting is for both parents and pupils.

Online University Fair

Due to travel restrictions this year, our University Fair will take on a different format. We are pleased to be offering a series of online presentations (three each week) from universities across the world. Next week we will have three UK universities presenting – the University of Exeter, London Metropolitan University and University College London (UCL). The presentations will take place in the Sixth Form Seminar room and pupils from years 10-13 are all welcome to attend. All presentations will start at 1320hrs and early lunch can be arranged. Pupils will need to contact a member of the university guidance team if they wish to attend.
 
Tuesday 15th September 1320hrs – University of Exeter

Wednesday 16th September 1320hrs – London Metropolitan University

Thursday 17th September 1320hrs – University College London (UCL)

Year 8 spooky performance poetry

On Friday 4th September, Halloween arrived early in the English department, as year 8 pupils all took part in a spooky poetry performance. The pupils performed a variety of poems, from William Shakespeare's 'Puck's song' to Jack Prelutsky's 'The Bogeyman'. This performance was part of the year 8 unit of work on classical voices in literature and also focused on the whole school's oracy drive drive in the 'Year of the Spoken Word'.

The pupils evidenced physical, linguistic and social oracy skills as they worked together in pairs and small groups to produce a dramatic reading of their poem, with the aim to create a spooky atmosphere through voice, movement and language. The end result was a superb show with all of the English department left feeling that the bogeyman is 'waiting, just waiting to get [us]…'

Archaeological Dig

Junior School pupils have been taking it in turns to enjoy their new archaeological digging site which was constructed during the summer holidays. They can enjoy excavating through the soil to find dinosaur bones and pre-historic eggs. Our pupils are thoroughly engaged in this activity and are heard to be exclaiming “look what I have found!” quite regularly.

Junior School Garden

Similarly, there has been a lot of interest in the Junior School garden and pupils are deciding what they would like to grow as a year group. Some year 6 pupils have planted vegetables already and some year three and four pupils have been weeding in preparation. If you have any spare seeds that you would like to donate to our garden, please send them in.

The following days have been allocated to the different year groups:

Monday - year 2
Tuesday - year 3
Wednesday - year 4
Thursday - years 5 and 6
Friday - Any pupil (no more than 20 at a time)

We have put mats in place for children to clean their shoes, however, we would encourage them to bring wellington boots or crocs into school to use in these areas to keep their school shoes clean.

Year 3 lions and unicorns were delighted to welcome some very special guests to their classrooms this week. Mr Jeffrey, Dr Yang, Mrs Ji, Ms Shi and Ms Feng joined the students as part of a celebration of learning for their current Brainwave IPC module. The Wellington staff shared information about their own experiences of education and learning, after which they answered the pupils' questions. The children have since enjoyed recording what they learnt using mind maps in their new Leonardo Da Vinci books!