Dear parents

In an age when the majority – the vast majority – of children have access to the internet, how much do parents and teachers really know about what they do online? How can we be sure that their messaging is confined to jokes, questions about homework and sharing funny TikTok videos? How harmless is an online presence these days? Are our children leading happy, fulfilling and positive lives online?

As a school, we have seen an increase in the number of cases involving peer-to-peer bullying of pupils, name-calling, and the sharing of inappropriate images on various social media platforms. Children write things online about other people that they would never say in person, so idle gossip often escalates into bitter unkindness and rancour. Given how easy it is to create groups online, it is hardly surprising that one common feature of cyberbullying is that the victim experiences extreme isolation as the group's pack mentality begins to form. What may start as little more than thoughtless 'humour', in other words, can soon grow to become a genuinely nasty echo chamber of abuse and insult.

When we have confronted some of the perpetrators of such behaviour online, a common thread emerges of a group of young people who felt secure enough online to behave in ways they would simply not countenance in person. The apparent freedom to say whatever you like, unchecked by societal expectations of adult oversight, gives members of online communities a sense of security which, in practice, is rarely as strong as they believe. Employers now routinely check for an applicant's online history, and it only takes a misstep in terms of password access or public posting for that history to be exposed. As even the American State Department has discovered recently, there is no absolute security and confidentiality online if someone is determined to breach your security.

We dealt with some young people last week who had become embroiled in an online chat platform that offered teenagers apparently secure places to interact. It soon became apparent that our pupils had no idea of the real identities of the online friends they had made, beyond how they presented themselves in the chat space. Simply because 'Laura', aged 11, claims to be from Chicago and wants to chat with children of her own age across the world, does not mean that this person is who she says she is. There are very real dangers lurking in the virtual world.

As we are in the midst of anti-bullying awareness week, part of the work done in school is to educate our pupils about the dangers of having an online presence. Password protection is just one step, but more fundamentally, it is designed to address the excesses of language and behaviour online which can come back to haunt the user. An unkindness of any sort is unacceptable in our community. As so often, the answer lies in improved education for young people rather than in punishments imposed after the offence has been committed. The first step for all of us concerned about the unseen lives our children may be leading online is to talk to them; to show them how to protect themselves and how to avoid being drawn into the online abuse of others.

The school has a robust cyberbullying and e-safety policy, as well as an e-safety coordinator on the staff. If you are concerned about your child's online activity and would like further advice or guidance, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can get support from Ms Angel Li, our e-safety coordinator (angel.li@wellingtoncollege.cn) or Mr Toby Roundell, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (toby.roundell@wellingtoncollege.cn). Safer Internet Week is coming up after the Spring Festival break. Mr Markovic will be offering parent briefings to help educate our wider community on the threats of an unchecked online presence.

Best wishes

Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

Online
0900hrs-1000hrs, Wednesday
27th January

Parent briefings are held on Wednesday mornings usually from 0900hrs -1015hrs. Parents will have the chance to engage with the school in sessions covering all aspects of your child's education, from the Early Years to A levels and university admissions.

This briefing will consist of information about the native Mandarin programme at Wellington Tianjin, including the Nest, Junior School and the Senior School. By attending, you will gain an insight into the native Mandarin curriculum (key courses, extended activities and Chinese culture events) of the whole school and how we apply it to pupils, as well as an explanation of exam options for pupils at Key Stages 4 and 5. Sessions will be recorded, and a link to the meeting will be shared.

IGCSE options parents' evening: Year 9
Online
1700hrs, Tuesday
26th January

There will be an online briefing for pupils in year 9 and their parents on Tuesday, 26th January. All parents and pupils will be sent a link to join the meeting. This is an opportunity to find out more about the IGCSE option choices offered here at Wellington, and there will be a Q and A session at the end. All pupils will be provided with an IGCSE information booklet (available in English, Chinese and Korean) before the event. Head of Senior School Mrs Popovic will lead the session and Key Stage 4 Coordinator Mr Ogando will be available to take questions.

*Notice - Wellington College UK Family Summer School 2021*
 

The Wellington College UK Family Summer School for 2021 planned to take place at Wellington College in England this summer has been cancelled. Wellington College has now started to plan for a Summer School in 2022. Our own Sumer Camp, here in Tianjin, is unaffected and will go ahead as planned in July.

Lunchtime Concert
Black Box
1325hrs-1355hrs, Friday
29th January

This week's concert offers a wide range of genres, from classical to popular music. If you are looking for some midday getaway, come to the Black Box at 1325hrs on Friday, 29th January to enjoy the music provided by our student musicians!

Due to the current COVID situation, the school cannot invite guests from outside the school. As a result, the concert will be recorded. If you wish to view it, please contact the Music Department at stella.sun@wellingtoncollege.cn.

We will have the Chinese Culture Week from 1st-5th February this year, celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year. Unfortunately, there will be no Spring Festival Temple Fair this year. Still, we will offer pupils various events and activities, give them as many chances as possible to enjoy the festival atmosphere, taste traditional culture, and have fun. The videos of the week will be shared with you online as well. For details, please see the posters below.

University application sessions
Lunchtime, Tuesday to Thursday
26th-28th January

The university guidance team will be running three university application sessions during lunchtimes next week. The purpose of these sessions will be to inform pupils how to prepare for their university applications and critical timelines. The sessions will be delivered by the current year 13 pupils. All year 9 pupils and above are welcome to join. Year 12 pupils are highly recommended to join these sessions!