Dear parents

This week’s heavy rains inevitably reminded me of life back in England, a country prone to all-too-regular downpours of the kind we experienced over the weekend. Unpredictable weather is a cornerstone of conversational etiquette in Britain, and even the man in whose honour our sister school was founded, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, is not immune. The Wellington boot, the ubiquitous waterproof footwear so beloved in the UK, was popularised by the Great Duke and now forms a staple part of any outdoor clothing.

Of course, the culture of a nation consists of more than just an obsession with umbrellas and dry feet. Britain has a rich cultural heritage that goes far deeper than complaints about the weather. Culture, language and history are profound elements of any nation, and they should form part of any school curriculum. As an international school, we celebrate these proud aspects of all our nationalities. We have over 30 different ones represented in the school, but as a community of learners, we come together most often to celebrate the heritage and culture of China, our host country. Next week sees the first of our annual landmark celebrations, with events marking the Mid-Autumn festival. 

Pupils from across the school will be immersed in the language, mythology, costumes and stories surrounding this ancient festival. The aim is more than simply to highlight a key event in the lunar calendar. By retelling these legends, children can learn about the stories from their own cultures, too; the Moon Festival is not a uniquely Chinese event, and it has deep resonance across Asia. In this way, by revisiting the story of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, for example, pupils can begin to understand more about the importance of their own heritage and how such legends have a resonance and relevance to this day. The tradition of coming together in families and giving thanks is both a profoundly important part of Chinese culture and a global phenomenon. In this way, and through such practices as those surrounding the Mid-Autumn festival, people and cultures from across the world can learn more about one another, inevitably strengthening the bonds of mutual respect and understanding that link humanity.

I was, of course, unfairly flippant about the conversational monopoly that the weather has on British culture, but it is nevertheless a deeply rooted part of the national psyche. That should not be a surprise. Our ancestors’ lives were often at the mercy of the elements and the caprice of nature. Every ancient culture marked the harvest as a crucial time of any year, as good harvests were bountiful, whilst dearth almost invariably had devastating consequences for their communities. Stories that offer hope and tales of abundance, of family renewal and rebirth with the new moon, thus became central to people's traditions around the world. In this way, by learning more deeply about the culture and practices of one nation, we also learn a great deal more about ourselves.

Julian Jeffrey
EXECUTIVE MASTER

Duke of Wellington Room (MB109)
1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday
30th September

This week's Meet the Master and Bursar slot is open to parents of pupils from the Nest to the Senior School. If you would like to attend, please confirm via e-mail with Ms Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday, 29th September.

How to set up a Family Agreement for Using the Internet

In my last article I presented five principles to help support you in managing your child’s screen time and device usage. One important factor I mentioned was the need to get ‘buy in’ from your child around the expectations and consequences of their (and your) online behaviour. I suggested investing time in making a family agreement and furthermore, that for it to work, all members of the family need to be involved in the construction of the agreement. Making a family agreement is a wonderful process that will support you in open, meaningful and impactful conversations and lead to a real sense of family ownership around the very important issue of internet safety. Underpinned by your child having a real voice in their internet usage (and yours) and based on your own family values, I highly recommend that you read this week’s article: “How to set up a Family Agreement” 

Chinese Culture Week: Mid-Autumn Festival
27th-30th September

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Mandarin Department has organized a Chinese culture week from 27th-30th September. A variety of Chinese cultural activities will be held during this week.

Further details are available from the poster below.

AL Induction Parent Briefing: Pupil performance and tracking system
Theatre
1600hrs-1645hrs, Thursday
30th September

There will be a parent briefing for the parents and pupils in the A Level induction group at 1600hrs on Thursday, 30th September. The briefing is mainly a summary of pupil performance and provides some important dates and events of the term and an outline of what we have done to support and track pupils. Parents will also have a chance to ask any questions about the academic programmes, university application process and school communication. I hope to see many of you there!