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Week Ahead

The Week Ahead 24 August 2017

25 Aug 2017
Dear Parents I am delighted to welcome you all to the start of a new academic year. My colleagues – existing and those new to the team – share my excitement at the prospects for another great year. You will know by now of the record-breaking examination results achieved by our pupils this summer; their success has given an enormous boost to the whole Wellington community. I am sure that parents and friends of the school will join me in congratulating them all once again for their achievements. My aim for Wellington in Tianjin is quite straightforward. Pupil achievement, from the classroom to the stage and the sports’ pitch, lies at the heart of all that we do; I will not and cannot compromise on that goal. I am utterly determined to develop further the progress of the past six years, and to make this school the rival of any in the city, and indeed, China and the wider world. For this to be a success, hard work is required from us all - pupils and staff – as well as an unswerving commitment from across our community to abide by our shared values of courage, respect, integrity, responsibility and kindness. Communication in all its forms is another of my key targets for this year. I want our parents and grandparents to feel fully engaged and informed about events in the school. A new termly diary has gone out to all families, outlining a week-by-week programme of events for the Michaelmas Term, as well as giving key dates for the rest of the year. Parental engagement in teacher conferences, sports’ events, musical and dramatic productions, as well as art and design exhibitions, means so much to our pupils; this new publication seeks to keep parents informed well in advance of such opportunities to visit the school. I very much hope that you find the new diary a useful addition to our communications. In addition, those of you who came to one of our regular Meet the Master sessions last year will know that I have sought to open up the school to new ideas. The weekly slots will run as before, and I hope that as many of you as possible can find time to attend at least one across the year, but if you prefer another time for a meeting, please do not hesitate to contact my PA, Ms Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) to arrange one. I look forward to welcoming you to the school. In the meantime, I wish you all a very happy start to the new year. Best wishes Julian Jeffrey Master
MEET THE MASTER Master’s Office 1400hrs Thursday 31st August This week, the Meet the Master slot is aimed at parents of pupils in Nest. If you would like to attend, please confirm via email to Ms. Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday 30th August.
Parents’ Briefing 0900hrs Wednesday 30th August Every Wednesday morning from 0900-1030hrs, 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. The venue will vary according to the anticipated audience, and for next week’s meeting, parents will have an important briefing on Assessment and Reporting from Mrs Dragana Popovic, the Acting Head of Senior School and Mrs Yynda Thomas, the Head of Junior School. Please notice that the Senior School Briefing is in the Black Box, the Junior School Briefing is in the Common Room and parents from Eaglets to Reception should go to the Nest. The Parents’ Briefing on Assessment and Reporting in the Senior School will be held on Wednesday, 30th August in the Black Box with a 0900hrs start. If you would like to know more about this topic, please join us. Parents’ understanding of the data and reports we produce for each child is very important because it will provide information on where your child is and where we anticipate he/she will be at the end of the Key Stage. Also, it will provide information about current progress and areas for development and improvement identified by their teachers, which is crucial for a child’s academic performance and success. Chinese and Korean translations during the event will be provided. Parents from Year 1 to Year 6 should go to the Common Room to discuss Age Related Expectations, how they are used to plan and assess, and the grading used to assess children's progress and attainment expectations over the year. Parents of children from Eaglets to Reception should go to the Nest, where you will be shown how to use Tapestry, how Tapestry is used to inform planning and how children are assessed against Age Related Expectations.

What Is pastoral? I am often finding myself having to answer the question, “what is pastoral?” My initial response has been somewhat brief, that it is about creating a “happy” and “safe” school at Wellington College International Tianjin, for all the community. There is, however, so much more to pastoral care than these two words. I believe that a clear explanation can be found in: “WCIT Pastoral” Wellbeing and positive mental health Child protection and safeguarding Identities – Inspired, Intellectual, Inclusive, Individual, Independent Tutoring – a programme to develop emotional intelligence. Positive behaviour management Anti-Bullying SEAL – Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning Transition support planning Opportunities for pupil leadership Role model for all Access to the “world” local, national and international Learning and thinking skills – helping our pupils become: Independent enquirers, creative thinkers, reflective learners, team workers, self-managers and effective participators. In my regular Week Ahead articles this year I am going to focus on each of the aspects of “WCIT PASTORAL” and give you practical advice and guidance on how you can support your child in accessing and thriving in “pastoral” education at Wellington.

I would like to present the teachers in the Senior School who are joining us this academic year. They are all very experienced teachers, coming to Wellington from UK, South Africa and Kenya. Most of them have extensive experience in international education, and their main focus this year will be on the academic progress of your child, their wellbeing and the development of their social and emotional intelligence.
A warm welcome back to all our existing and new parents; I hope you all had a wonderful summer holiday, with lots of memories that have been made. All staff in the Junior School are very excited about starting our new term, with so many new faces joining the Wellington Family – we wish you all a great year. Our new Teaching staff starting at Wellington are: Huge congratulations to Ms. Gong, Ms. Li, Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhao for passing their HLTA qualification – an extremely prestigious UK qualification. All four colleagues worked exceptionally hard to complete this award. Also, welcome to Ms. Wang, who will be working in Nursery as an Early Years Assistant and Ms. Beatrice who will be working in Reception as a Teaching Assistant. Currently Ms. Beatrice is completing a diploma in Early Years' education. She will be employed until Lent term. Ms. Cai will rejoin the Nest team, as she is working in Year 3 to cover a Maternity leave. Ms. Cai has plenty of experiences working with Year 3, she was the classroom support assistant last year. The Junior School is very lucky to have a very experienced cover teacher, Joanne Redden. Ms. Redden will be covering Ms. Arbon’s class until October half term.  Ms. Arbon has had to have time off until October, but she has been in constant touch with both Ms. Yuan and Ms. Redden since July to ensure that everything is perfect for when the children start.
Stanley House Production: Ricefall Black Box 1300hrs Friday 1st September Opening up this year’s performing arts season is a Wellington first - a House production! 16 members of Stanley House (last year’s House Champions) will perform ‘Ricefall’ by CalArts (California Institution of Arts)’ professor, Michael Pisaro. ‘Ricefall’ is an evocative, conceptual, 20-minute work that explores the relationship between performers, rice, materials and performance location. Pupils, staff and parents are welcomed.
Year 6 China Games Trip Since its inception in 1959, the National Games of the People’s Republic of China has been the premier sports event and the pride of China, held once every four years. As I am sure you are aware, for the first time in its history, Tianjin is the proud host of the National Games. To celebrate this historic event, the Junior School PE department is honoured to offer Year 6 pupils the opportunity to attend three separate sporting events: football, athletics, and volleyball. The details and costs of each trip will be outlined in a letter that will go home shortly, so please look out for this. I hope that these trips will prove to be not only an inspiration for our Year 6 pupils, but will forge joyous memories for years to come.
Each week we will have workshops and lectures on various and colourful topics held by our school parents and friends. This is to enhance our bounds as a Wellington Community and we would love to welcome all of you to join us! Starting with new academic year, school parents Mrs. Daniela Stofkova opens the ‘Pilates’ session and Mrs. Ksenija Markovic holds “Art Class” for your mental relaxation and inspiration. In addition, we also have Professor Wei Wang from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to explain how TCM can help with your family’s daily diet.
Pilates Dance Studio 1100hrs-1200hrs Every Tuesday and Friday from 29th August  Pilates is a physical exercise system developed by Joseph Pilates. It is complete coordination of body, mind and spirit. Pilates focuses on core strength and balanced muscle development as well as flexibility and increased range of motion for the joints. As Joseph Pilates said: In 10 sessions, you'll feel the difference, in 20 sessions, you'll see the difference, and in 30 sessions, you'll have a new body. So don't hesitate, join our classes and feel better. You are warmly welcomed.
Art Class Junior Art Room 0830hrs-1100hrs Every Friday from 1st September It’s Friday! After a long week of taking care of your beloved children it's time to think of yourself as well. A little oasis from everyday noise, ART classes can give you much needed relaxation. An excellent way to cope with your everyday stress routine, and to prepare yourself for the upcoming busy weekend. Painting, sculpture, drawing, acrylics, aquarelle, crayons won't be a mystery to you anymore. All the things you always wanted to try but didn't have time for, now in the most convenient time and place for you - when your kids are at school. Each month we will be focusing on something new that you might like to try. Expressing yourself in an artistic way combined with relaxing, inspiring music and a glass of tea or coffee can help you find your new daily joy. Come and join ART classes every Friday as soon as you leave your little one(s) in school. JUNIOR ART ROOM will be open for you from 0830hrs to learn some new skills, chat with friends, and share your love of art. Looking forward to seeing you on September 1st for an introductory class!
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): Food Therapy WCA Room 0900hrs-1030hrs Every Tuesday from 29th September Professor Wang is the Director of Clinical Teaching and Training Department in Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Every Tuesday morning 9:00am to 10:30am, I will demonstrate how to find out you and your family’s health issues and how traditional Chinese medicine help with your family diet and the balance of vegetables and fruits. I will also show you how to diagnose your body by looking at the colour of the tongue and your face. In the last 15 minutes of the lesson, there will be a massage session which will be greatly helpful to maintain your health. The whole lesson is completely practical. Look forward to seeing you!
Monday 28 August 2017 All Day House Film Competition begins (JL) Tuesday 29 August 2017 0900hrs - 1030hrs WCA: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) 1100hrs - 1200hrs WCA: Pilates Wednesday 30 August 2017 0900hrs - 1000hrs Parent Briefing: Assessment (DP/YT) Thursday 31 August 2017 1325hrs - 1530hrs CAT4 Baseline Tests: Year 7 (EP) 1400hrs - 1515hrs Meet the Master: Nest Parents (ES) Friday 01 September 2017 0830hrs - 1100hrs WCA: Art Class (KM) 1100hrs - 1200hrs WCA: Pilates 1300hrs Stanley House Production: Ricefall Saturday 02 September 2017  0900hrs - 1300hrs ISCOT High School Senior Volleyball Tournament

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