The Week Ahead

The Arts

"Things without all remedy should be without regard: what’s done, is done."

- Lady Macbeth

This week, we enjoyed the Senior School production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, presented to us as a modern (and mildly terrifying!) progressive interpretation of the play. The production had the audience members moving all over our wonderful Senior School building after dark; the witches infesting the Science Lab and the Kings Banquet in the atrium were my favourite scenes. Educators have long been aware of the importance of creative and artistic opportunities for personal growth and skill development in schools, and this production has been the perfect illustration. All week our learning spaces have been adorned with blood-red banners, theatrical daggers and gloomy Shakespearean quotes, and the pupils have loved it.

I truly believe that the Arts support human development. Music, drama and other artistic pursuits grow our ability to understand and interact with each other. People with creative leanings are often the best problem solvers because they see things from alternative perspectives. Studying the Arts uses different parts of the human brain, enabling us to think differently about complex concepts making them easier to understand. The Arts also bring pleasure and enjoyment, adding colour and detail to the world around us.

We should not forget the courage that being in a play requires. Every one of our pupil actors this week has been pushed to excel outside of their comfort zone, be it in speaking, dancing or acting in front of an audience. However daunting they may have found it, each actor has overcome their fears and demonstrated supreme confidence. Group activities like this support the development of collaborative skills, teamwork and good communication, which will help prepare for life in the real world later on.

An education which blends academic excellence with artistic and creative endeavour is the one which will help our pupils be best prepared for the world of the future. This is the world-class style of education that we are proud to offer at Wellington College International Hangzhou. I want to thank Ms Coralie Moon and her production team for leading such an outstanding piece of work and all of our actors - bravo! 

Art helps with human development in terms of learning and understanding difficult concepts, as it accesses different parts of the human brain. It allows people to problem-solve and make more complex concepts easier to understand by providing a visual format instead of just words or numbers. Other areas that art assists learners in (ranging from children to adults) are the development of motor skills, critical thinking, creativity, social skills, and the ability to think from different perspectives. 

Drama and the Arts play a huge and important part in education, and it has been truly wonderful this week to see our community come alive with a shared passion for theatre. 

Stewart Brown

Head of Senior School

When it comes to applying for university, there is often one question on parents' and pupils' minds: "How much do extra-curricular activities count in my application?"  

To keep this article to a reasonable length, I will focus mainly on UK and US applications. However, similarities and differences between both areas' application systems are outlined below:

Applicants will include their extra-curricular activities (ECAs) within their personal statements in UK applications, where there will be a section within the Common App to list the ECAs.  

Admissions officers in the US take a more holistic approach to their selection process, looking for 'well-rounded' applicants than their UK counterparts, where academic performance is the primary benchmark. However, by looking at the survey results below, we can gain insight into the mind of an admissions officer.

This shows the results of a survey conducted by the National Association for College Admission Counselling (NACAC) in 2017. They asked admissions officers from over 600 US institutions to determine the weight of various application criteria from that of "considerable importance' to 'no importance".

This chart shows the results of a review conducted by World Challenge, where UK admissions officers were asked to choose two of their most important factors when deciding whether to make an offer to an applicant.  

Looking at the outcomes of both surveys, there is a common theme where academic performance scores as one of the most important factors when an admissions officer is looking at an application. 

So back to the $1 million question, "how much do ECAs count in an application?" When an admissions officer is faced with deciding between students with a similar grade profile, the ECAs could be a deciding factor. If the ECAs are super curricular activities and demonstrate their interest in the subject, then even better.  

Put yourself in the place of an admissions tutor. You want to fill your courses with students who will enrich the learning environment. They will be individuals who intellectually stimulate one another and might run a research project for your university one day. In addition, you are looking for students who will succeed in the course and positively represent your institution in years to come. Whom would you choose if you had applications for two students with different profiles and letters of recommendation sitting on your desk and only one place left to fill?

If you had applications for two students with similar grade profiles and letters of recommendations sitting on your desk and only one place left to fill, now whom would you choose?   

Student A has the stronger Application in both scenarios. In the first, she has a more competitive grade profile, and in the second, she has ECAs that demonstrate a genuine interest in the subject.

Think about a university application as a cupcake. Academic performance in high school constitutes the cake portion of the cupcake. Admissions test scores are the frosting. All the rest: essays, recommendations, ECAs, demonstrated interest and interviews are the sprinkles. Admissions officers expect you to have delicious cake and frosting at selective institutions, so your sprinkles help you stand out in the box.

Hatty Leung

Head of Sixth Form

Senior school pupils performed “Macbeth” by Shakespeare on Wednesday 27 April. We were all in awe of their outstanding performance in this unique immersive theatre style. 

Our pupils screamed at the end of the performance with happiness and excitement. Their smiles leaving the school were the signs of success for their achievements.

Unfortunately, some pupils were absent from the performance due to the epidemic situation. However, Ms Moon, pupils and the team kept the show going. Some pupils and teachers stepped in at the last minute to play more characters and support — what a fantastic example of responsibility and courage. 

During curriculum time and rehearsals, Ms Moon (drama teacher and director of the play) worked relentlessly with our pupils to practice the drama skills necessary to deliver this outstanding performance. As a result, we were fortunate to witness their journey to success. 

We would like to sincerely thank Ms Moon for her passion, efforts and dedication to our pupils’ love for drama and the school. Her direction in this play was evident and outstanding. Ms Moon brought together this project with exceptional and unconditional support from Mr Tucker and Mrs Edwards from the English department, Ms Li from the Arts department, Mr Perkinton from the Music department and Mr Kenny from the Science department. The support from other departments, staff members, and Mr Brown was also essential to the success of “Macbeth”.

Alejandro Montoya

Director of Performing Arts

This week the lower primary school pupils have worked on their football skills. Football is an excellent way of developing coordination, reaction time and balance in our younger pupils. They learn the game’s basic rules while practising new ways of dribbling and passing the ball, leading to playing the actual game. Our upper primary pupils developed their hand-eye coordination, reaction time and balance while learning the forehand and backhand tennis strokes. 

Many of the pupils can now confidently rally balls with a partner and participate in small games. The senior school pupils practised the skills they learned in primary school in volleyball, cricket and basketball. Many of these pupils choose to play these same sports in our school activities program, enabling them to succeed in teams competing against other schools. 

Timothy Schulze

Head of PE

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