The Week Ahead 22 May 2020

From the Master 来自校长 마스터

Dear parents It was so heartening to hear that all our pupils will finally be readmitted to the school in early June. I cannot imagine that there are many of us who predicted that the closure of the school on 3rd February would stretch to four months. This extended period of e-learning has tested the dedication and resilience of all, so to be reunited at this stage of the school year is a real thrill. The pupils I meet are unanimous in their enthusiasm to return to their school. Unsurprisingly, they have missed their friends and teachers, as well as the opportunities offered by the school’s resources. I am looking forward now to hearing our first post-Covid-19 concert, seeing the Shakespeare workshops towards the end of term, working on a number of exciting service projects for those who have completed their IGCSE programmes and, of course, being part of the graduation ceremony for Year 13 on 3rd June. These and many more projects will keep our school very busy over the coming weeks. I have written before of my determination to celebrate pupil achievement as fully this year as we would in any other. Our IGCSE, AS and A Level pupils are nearing the end of the assessment period as I write. They have worked so diligently throughout their examination courses and richly deserve some outstanding grades in the summer. In addition, there will shortly be an announcement of Senior School scholarship awards for 2020/21, with a number of our pupils being recognised for their potential in the classroom, as well as in music, sport, art and design. At the end of term, prizes will be awarded for effort and attainment, as well as awards across the Junior School and Nest for outstanding contributions in a range of subjects. No pupil should feel disadvantaged in any way by the extended break from physical schooling. I hope that you have had the chance to read my recent letter on the 2020 Annual Review and our academic focus areas for the coming year. My colleagues and I are already at work launching some of these, as well as giving a priority to the planning and preparation for any future disruption caused by a revival of the coronavirus. We continue to work with our pupils, parents and staff from across Wellington College China as we look to build a sustainable e-learning platform to promote genuinely engaging learning for all age groups. This year’s hiatus may have been unprecedented, but that will not be true in the future, so we are determined to learn the lessons of Covid-19 as we work to make our school ever better for your child. Best wishes Julian Jeffrey MASTER MEET THE MASTER Online Meeting 1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday 28th May   This week’s Meet the Master slot is held online and is open to parents of pupils in the Nest. If you would like to attend, please confirm via email with Ms. Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday 27th May. As ever, parents of children in other year groups are welcome to join the meeting. FROM THE NURSERY YEAR GROUP LEADER Glimpses of e-learning in Nursery – art and mark making   Our dauntless Nursery children have shown us that they are determined to make steady progress through their new platform of learning via Microsoft Teams. The children have engaged enthusiastically in various topics done through e-learning and produced evidence of their understanding of the world and people around them as well as improved their mark making skills and knowledge of numbers. Nursery children have drawn beautiful self-portraits and family members along with their favourite things and as they studied the topic ‘All about me.’ The budding artists of the Nursery displayed their love for art by experimenting with mixing colours, while developing increased control over hand-held tools. Their mark making examples displayed a developing pencil grip and correct body posture, using their non-writing hand to brace and balance while writing. They explored various media as they drew and coloured with crayons, paints or coloured pens and tried hard to stay within the borders of the pictures and, as a result, became more successful with successive tries. Their understanding of the use of colour and various topics they covered during this period were expressed through their artwork. They have developed their knowledge of numbers by demonstrating an interest in, identifying, representing and writing numbers. As we see samples of their drawings, paintings, writing their names and numbers we can see how proficient they are becoming with their writing skills as well as artistic creativity. Nursery children, you have made us proud. Mandarin Book Design Competition

Year 5 SuHui

Year 1 Ella

FROM THE HEAD OF ENGLISH Reader of the Week   The English Department is delighted to announce that this week’s Readers of the Week are: Kira in Year 7, who has finished reading Who was William Shakespeare by Celeste Davidson Mannis and The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. Jasmine in Year 7, who has been reading Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl. Kelly in Year 9, who has been independently reading Justice: What's the right thing to do? Katie in Year 9, who independently read a collection of short stories called Magical Tales from the South Seas.