The Week Ahead
Senior School Matters
Happiness and Gratitude
It has been seventeen weeks since we first welcomed children into our new state of the art school building at Wellington College International Hangzhou, and what a triumphant term it has been. Our world-class teaching team ensured that excellent teaching and learning was established immediately, pastoral care and well-being routines and systems were put in place, and minor teething issues were quickly ironed out. School support teams have worked tirelessly to ensure that your children are safe, well-fed and cared for, both on buses and around the school site. Sports, music and performing arts have arranged and delivered fantastic experiences, with many children revelling in the challenges on the sports field or the stage. Many parents have enjoyed our engaging school events, such as workshops and briefing sessions, with many more to come in the new year. And to top it all off, after a hugely positive and successful series of interview meetings, I hope to hear early in the new year that we have been admitted as members to FOBISIA. This is superb news for us as we secure our position as the international school of first choice in Hangzhou, and I cannot wait to share the vast range of world-class opportunities available to our pupils as a result.
Looking ahead to next term, we begin our journey to accreditation by COBIS – more on that to follow; we will continue working to establish a strong and enjoyable Friends of Wellington; school self-evaluation will be completed then leading to Annual Review by our peers, and most importantly, the countdown continues as we get closer to IGCSE exams for our early entry Year 10 mathematicians.
As I shared in the assembly this week, happiness is a personal driver for me in life. I am driven to build a school environment where each stakeholder can feel happy. Happiness means different things for different people, but an excellent study by Duke University in 2006 highlighted eight key factors in achieving happiness for all, including living in the moment, being connected, co-operating with life, and cultivating virtues such as loyalty, compassion, and humour. The list of happiness-inducing occurrences in and around our school has been endless in the past four months. A school is its people, and I want to express my enormous sense of gratitude to everyone who has been a part of this journey so far. As we take a short break for Christmas, I hope that each of our pupils looks back on this tumultuous yet wildly successful term with fondness and with a growing sense of excitement about what lies in store for the future at Wellington College International Hangzhou.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Stewart Brown
Head of Senior School
Sixth Form Matters
As the end of term arrives and the pupils and staff have a well-earned break, I would like to share the importance of sleep with you. Often I hear pupils are tired, which affects their ability to concentrate. Teenagers need more sleep because their bodies and minds are growing, and sleep helps fuel this growth. Scientific research suggests that teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours a night but often only sleep about 6.5-7.5 hours. A lack of sleep can cause pupils to:
Struggle in school
Have difficulties concentrating and remembering
Lack motivation
Feel Down
So what can teenagers do to help them sleep more?
01
Have a good bedtime routine
Try to go to bed at the same time every night. Keep bedrooms cool, dark and quiet during the evening and nighttime and flood the room with light when it is time to get up.
02
Restrict screen time
The blue light emitted by a phone or tablet restrains the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls the circadian rhythm (the sleep-wake cycle). When used extensively in the evening and nighttime, screen time can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
03
Exercise
Try to exercise every day during the day
04
Avoid caffeine
Avoid drinks such as coffee, tea, or energy drinks, especially in the afternoon.
05
Manage time effectively
Try not to do too much. Sometimes teenagers want to do everything for fear of missing out. This can lead to difficulties winding down, having too much on the mind of worry and stress.
So as we head into the winter break, I hope you all have a good rest and set positive sleep habits as your New Year’s Resolution!
Have a wonderful festive holiday!
Hatty Leung
Head of Sixth Form
Primary School Matters
Courage
Reflecting on this week, courage is at the forefront of my thoughts. Some pupils have stepped out of their immediate comfort zone to perform at the carol concerts in groups or even as soloists. Pupils as young as Year 1 are on stage in front of a live audience, with bright lights and an unfamiliar environment, confronting unknown experiences. Staff have led the way by modelling to the pupils at the start of the week, performing in the annual staff pantomime.
We know that courage is not about avoiding fear. It is about understanding it and moving forward in its presence. As educators, we try to create learning environments where joy, curiosity, courage, and trust are at the forefront of the pupil’s experience, clearing the path for pupils to be comfortable managing their fears.
The experiences we craft are not solely for large performances. We give our pupils autonomy by giving them agency and authority over their education, by giving them a choice. It is tempting to hover and fix things when you see your pupil failing and struggling as a teacher and parent. But that process is one of the essential parts of a pupil’s education that prepares them for the future. Pupils who have agency over their education develop a healthy sense of autonomy and become better learners. But when we give up this control, we enable pupils to tap into their courage and figure this out themselves.
It is not enough to create a school environment where our pupils are ‘not afraid.’ They deserve the opportunity to thrive and flourish in a school that encourages and emboldens them to believe in themselves and take risks. This cultivates courageous, unafraid pupils.
Matthew Coleman
Head of Primary School
Sport Matters
Senior school pupils have investigated the link between physical activity and academic performance. They discovered that physically active pupils tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance and classroom behaviours. In addition, higher physical activity and physical fitness levels are associated with improved pupils’ cognitive performance.
Primary school pupils have been practising dance and rhythmic gymnastics. Both of these disciplines require pupils to develop their coordination, balance and ability to follow a pattern of moves. Pupils have enjoyed these challenges and are beginning to create their routines.
Timothy Schulze
Head of PE
Performing Art Matters
Congratulations to all the pupils who performed in the Winter and Carol concerts this week. You were sensational and bought a wonderful festive cheer the the Grand Theatre.
Recordings of both performances will be available to parents, via our official Wechat, tomorrow.
Alejandro Montoya
Director of Performing Arts
Dukebox Matters
Please click here to tune into our Dukebox radio throughout the week to enjoy various shows, including “Marty James breakfast show”, “The big yellow bus show”, “Motown/Rock shows” among others.
Don’t worry if you missed any of the live shows as you can access them on our exclusive “Listen again” service here .
Please click here to have a look at some of the wonderful content available in our podcast section.
Here are the most recent podcasts created by our pupils and staff:
Martin Bailey
Dukebox Presenter
Service Matters
Today, Wellington College International Hangzhou is filled with a festive atmosphere, especially in the school cafeteria. During lunchtime, the school and Sodexo arranged a special Christmas-themed lunch for both pupils and teachers. The menu included traditional Christmas elements, including roast turkey with fresh cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, brussels sprouts, carrots and sweet peas, and ice-creams for dessert. For our international community, it was a real taste of home.
Service Team
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