Dear parents
I have been so pleased this week to see that groups of parents are gradually being admitted to the school estate once more. Whilst we are limiting numbers at this stage to 20 parents for any single briefing or meeting, the measure marks another step in the normalisation of practice in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the next two months, we will gradually ease restrictions further. As long as the school maintains its excellent health and safety record and there is no influenza outbreak to compound the risk of a second wave of coronavirus, the school will be able to accommodate ever greater numbers of parents at our events.
There is little doubt that we as a community have missed the daily personal interaction with our families and that the coronavirus has created an artificial barrier between us. As a result, parents new to the school have rarely been able to see how the school operates and how their child’s classes are conducted. Longer-standing parents have missed out on the regular opportunities to meet with staff and to catch up with one another through the FOW. Whilst our written communications between school and home have grown over the past nine months, I know how much we all value the connections we make through in-person meetings and discussions. They have been an invaluable part of raising mutual understanding, particularly in terms of communicating the often-complex school practices and curriculum information. Explaining a child’s pathway through learning in each year group is more engaging and accessible to parents if they can physically be in school.
As we open up to more parents, the food committees, Meet the Master sessions, parent briefings and university admissions’ sessions are all once again in-person events (although please note that prior registration for attendance is still required at least 24hrs in advance). One of the first events that will see parents here is our annual ‘bring your mother to school’ day for pupils in year 7 on Thursday 29th. Mums of this year group should register with Ms Shen (sophia.shen@wellingtoncollege.cn) if they wish to attend. The day will involve shadowing your child in lessons, as well as participating in class, having lunch, doing ASAs and PE and meeting Mrs Popovic and Ms Shen at the end of day. It is a great way to learn more about the education we offer here at Wellington and provides an invaluable insight into the busy nature of a typical day in school for your child.
There will still need to be some events online – most obviously, as a result of the numbers involved, our parents' evenings continue to be on Teams – but the aim in all our communications is to provide parents with more information about the school and its practices. We want to be as open and transparent as possible in sharing details of our programmes of study, pedagogy and expectations of each child, so if you do have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best wishes
Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

In School Meeting
1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday
29th October

This week’s Meet the Master slot is open to parents of pupils in the years 2 to 6. If you would like to attend, please confirm via email with Ms Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday 28th October.

Online Meeting
0900hrs - 1015hrs, Wednesday
28th October

Parent briefings are held on Wednesday mornings usually from 0900hrs -1015hrs. 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.
This briefing is about the Mandarin programme for non-native speakers at Wellington, including the Nest, the Junior School and the Senior School. By attending, you will gain an insight into the Mandarin curriculum (key courses, extended activities and Chinese Culture events) of whole school and how we apply it to pupils, as well as an explanation of exam options for pupils at Key Stage 4 and 5. Sessions will be recorded, and a link to the meeting will be shared.

Online University Fair

Due to travel restrictions this year, our University Fair will take on a different format. We are pleased to be offering a series of online presentations (three per week) from universities from all over the world. Over 200 universities from all over the world will be in attendance so this is a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to gain information first-hand.

Next week, there will be three presentations on applying to Korean universities. On Tuesday, there will be a presentation for students – how to apply to Korean universities. On Wednesday and Thursday, there will be presentations from Yonsei university and Korea university – these two sessions are for Korean pupils only and are pre-recorded. All pupils from years 10-13 are all welcome to attend the first one in the Sixth Form Seminar room. They will all start at 1320hrs, and early lunch is available. Pupils will need to contact a member of the university team if they wish to attend.

• Tuesday 27th October 1320hrs – How to Apply to Korean Universities for International pupils (English)

• Wednesday 28th October 1320hrs – Yonsei University (Korean)

• Thursday 29th October 1320hrs – Korea University (Korean)

Digital Parenting Week 2020

Last year’s e-learning period that spanned the Lent term was a difficult time for all of us. There was considerable stress and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 outbreak which presented a significant obstacle to the teaching and learning process. Our teachers’ and pupils’ desire to continue teaching and learning effectively throughout the e-learning period would not have resulted in such a success without the support of a group of people involved in this process, and a key stakeholder - our pupils’ parents. They did a tremendous job of supporting their children throughout e-learning, both by assisting them through the learning process and by supporting them emotionally when the burden of separation from peers, teachers, and friends, as well as increased screen time began taking its toll on our pupils’ wellbeing. We would like to offer gratitude to all parents by marking their enormous contribution to the e-teaching and e-learning process through a Digital Parenting Week which will present our pupils with the opportunity to express their appreciation to their parents through assemblies, thank-you cards, and kind words of gratitude.
Happy Digital Parenting Week 2020!

Halloween parade and fancy-dress day
Friday, 30th October

All pupils are welcome to dress up for the whole day in their Halloween costumes.
There will be a Halloween Parade led by the Junior School at 10:35. The Senior School will be joined by Milepost 3 in the Theatre at 1500hrs for the “Halloween’s Best Dressed Competition”.
Pupils are expected to donate 10RMB to dress up and class teachers and housemasters will collect on the day. Money will be donated to a local charity. Happy Halloween!

Year 12 Art trip to Beijing

Wednesday, 28th October
On Wednesday, our year 12 artists will be travelling to Beijing for their first trip of the A Level Art course. Gallery visits are an important part of their study as they open up ideas of unlimited creative possibility. The trip will take in galleries at the world-renowned 798 Art district, starting with an exhibition of work by American portrait artist Liz Peyton at the UCCA during the morning and a selection of smaller contemporary exhibitions in the afternoon. We will be travelling to Beijing by train and full details are in the letter given to pupils.

Readers of the week

The English department are delighted to announce that this week’s reader of the week is:Johnny in year 8, who was nominated by Ms Chapman for his commitment to independent reading and finishing all of the books on the reading list.
A huge congratulations to Johnny — what an impressive achievement!