Dear parents

One of the most challenging aspects of the past 18 months for us in schools has been the absence of school trips. As travel has contracted, so have the windows to the world which provide such invaluable learning opportunities for children.

Our Nest team has begun to explore the infinite variety and promise of outdoor learning over the past year. Come rain or shine, children have been exploring the natural environment. Next year will see an expansion of outdoor education as we open a new learning space on the site of the old tennis court. The exciting plans for that will be shared with all parents in my end of term letter, but it promises to be an excellent addition to the learning resources of our youngest pupils.

Not all our pupils have the luxury of outdoor learning facilities on their doorstep, though. For them, the most impactful way to learn without walls is through school trips. The good news is that these trips are gradually beginning to open up. Many children have already been out exploring Tianjin this term, from our geographers undertaking fieldwork to Mandarin pupils discovering more about the history and culture of this great city.

Thus far, we have concentrated on day trips simply because of our caution in not exposing our community to unnecessary risks. However, we are now looking to run residential trips too. Our International Duke of Edinburgh bronze and silver award participants will be out on expeditions between 25-28th June. Their overnight trips will, of course, be safe and fully supported by our staff and experts from the travel company, but the challenge of hiking, camping and cooking in the great outdoors will still pose challenges to them all. Experiences such as these enrich lives and provide profound learning opportunities for young people. They are central to our philosophy of educating the whole child, learning life skills like collaboration, teamwork and developing resilience.

As travel restrictions gradually ease, more and more trips are being planned for 2021/22. Children in all parts of the school will have the chance to explore the world around them, learning about others as well as themselves.

Best wishes

Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

Duke of Wellington Room (MB109)
1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday
17th June

This week's Meet the Master slot is open to parents of pupils in years 12 and 13. If you would like to attend, please confirm via e-mail with Ms Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday, 16th June. Parents of other year groups are, of course, more than welcome to attend.

Year 6 Transition Days & Taster Days in the Senior School
Tuesday and Wednesday
15th and 16th June

Next week marks two crucial days in the year 6 calendar. Our graduates will join the Senior School for a taste of what life will be like next year. For both mornings, the pupils will register in their classes as usual, and then they will have a short assembly to meet with the leadership team of the Senior School in the old Common Room. Please make sure that your child has the correct timetable, a pencil case with pens and pencils, and of course, the right mood to explore new horizons.

Year 6 Graduation
Theatre
1600hrs, Wednesday
16th June

As the year comes to a close, it is time to celebrate the year 6 children's final year in the Junior School. This event ends a learning journey where the children have flourished and overcome huge boundaries through an online learning period. During the graduation, there will be a collection of speeches, videos and performances, all reflecting on the year. On the day of the event, you can pick your children up at 1530hrs in preparation for a start at 1600hrs in the Seldon Theatre. Please ensure children are dressed formally, not in school uniform. A maximum of three people per family for each child in year 6. R.S.V.P. by Monday 13th June to confirm attendance to Ms Lily Lian at lily.lian@wellingtoncollege.cn

Art Summer Exhibition
Black Box Foyer
17th-28th June

It's that time of year again where we celebrate all the creative achievements of the year with the Art department's Summer exhibition. Held in the Black Box foyer, the drawings, paintings and sculptures of key stage 3 will be hung alongside the excellent final pieces of our G.C.S.E. classes and our current year 10 and A.L. Induction year. Year 12 will also be under the spotlight, so come and see the joyful array of artwork, all on display until the end of this term. See you there!

Chinese Drama Show 'Thunderstorm'
Theatre
1505hrs-1645hrs, Thursday
17th June

The Chinese Drama A.S.A. annual show "Thunderstorm" will be on 17th June in the Seldon Theatre. This is the first time that pupils have put this classic work on the stage. Set against the background of Chinese society around 1925, the play depicts the tragedy of a bourgeois family with a strong feudal nature. Whether it is family secrets or life experience secrets, all conflicts erupt on the night of thunderstorms. The play describes the contradictions and disputes in the family, condemns the feudal family's corruption and stubbornness, and reflects deeper social and contemporary issues.

Pupils adapted the original work carefully. Except for the performance, all other tasks, such as publicity, lighting technology, stage props, etc., are also undertaken by the pupils from Chinese drama A.S.A. This is also a charity performance, and the collected funds will be donated to the school's charity project.

Online Presentation: Seoul National University Admission
1230hrs-1330hrs, Monday
14th June

There will be an online meeting with an Admissions Officer from Seoul National University. It will be a national holiday in China, so we recommend you join at home via Zoom. As the country's first national institution for higher education, Seoul National University paved the way and is now a world-class university that proudly represents the Republic of Korea. If you would like to join, please contact Ms Hannah Kim via e-mail by 13th June. (Hannah.kim@wellingtoncollege.cn)

Higher Education Workshop for Year 12

Tuesday and Wednesday

15th and 16th June

The University Guidance team will hold the annual Higher Education Days next Tuesday, 15th June and Wednesday, 16th June. The programme is a two-day university application course specifically designed for our year 12 pupils to do their final university research and start writing their personal statement (U.K. applicants) and college essays (U.S. applicants) under university counsellors' guidance. We expect our year 12 pupils will be fully ready for their university application by the beginning of their year 13 studies.    

Parent Briefing: Getting ready for applications to elite universities

1700hrs, Thursday

17th June

There will be a parent briefing in the Old Common Room (room 214) about getting ready for applications to elite universities. We will be talking through the processes involved in preparing our pupils to go to their dream universities. There will also be a Q and A session. Parents of pupils in all year groups are most welcome to attend.    

Nursery Boat Trip
Friday, 18th June

To support their new theme of 'Transport' the nursery classes will be going on an educational visit on Friday 18th June. Nursery children will be going on a boat trip on the river. Please watch out for further details and information from the class teachers. We know the children will enjoy this experience, and it will give them lots of opportunities for learning about boats and travel on water.

Readers of the week

The English and E.L.A. department is delighted to announce that this week's Readers of the Week are:

Jason, in year 8, nominated by Ms Xu for his detailed review on 'Stuart Little' and initiative to share in class.

Jack and Michael, in year 9, nominated by Mr Furse for reading 'Strays', 'To Wake the Dead', and 'Zombie Winter' (Jack) and 'Aircraft' (Michael).

Huge congratulations to Jason, Jack and Michael – what impressive achievements!

Updates from the Extended Project Qualification
Louise Chapman, E.P.Q. coordinator

It is with great pleasure that I announce the completion of our first 'fast-track' E.P.Q. candidates, Kaiser and Frank in year 12. These two pupils undertook the challenge of completing the entire extended project qualification in only ten months. The qualification requires pupils to design and carry out an independent research project that extends beyond the A-level curriculum scope. The outcome of the qualification is a detailed production log, 5000-word dissertation and a presentation of their findings.

The presentations were held on Friday 4th June in front of an audience of parents, subject specialist teachers and visitors. The audience also contained past and present Wellington E.P.Q. pupils. Both Kaiser and Frank engagingly presented their very complex topics, showing great expertise and depth of subject knowledge.

The remaining six year 12 E.P.Q. pupils will be completing their projects in the first term of year 13. I would like to add that it has been a pleasure working with the year 12 E.P.Q. cohort, and I wish the pupils and Mr Dentico the very best with finishing their projects next academic year.

Year 12 E.P.Q. pupils: Kaiser, Frank, James, Jassim, Nicole, Tayeebah, Coco and Catherine with E.P.Q. coordinator Ms Chapman

Finally, here is a message from Mr Dentico, who is taking over as E.P.Q. Coordinator from next academic year:

A reminder to year 11 and A.L. Induction pupils and parents that the deadline for applying for next year's Extended Project Qualification (E.P.Q.) is Tuesday, 15th June. Please remember to include your full name and house in your application letter and e-mail it to Mr Dentico at gianpaolo.dentico@wellingtoncollege.cn

Successful candidates will be invited to interview before the end of term. If you have any questions about the application process or the qualification, please contact Mr Dentico directly.