Dear parents

I was talking to a colleague this week about the busy calendar of events between now and the end of term. Pupils and staff will be engaged in a hectic series of exams, trips, sports fixtures, drama activities, musical performances, and service-learning projects for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

One specific thing he said made me stop and think. He described this part of the year as the "time to harvest". It surprised me because it is autumn in most countries which is most often associated with the harvest season, not late spring and early summer. Of course, his point was more profound than simply a comment on the agricultural cycle. He meant, in his wisdom, that it is at this time of a school year in which the hard work of the previous nine months comes to fruition and thus ready for harvesting. Pupils have been working throughout the previous terms to reach this point in their learning journey. Our graduates are readying themselves to move on to universities across the globe. Public examination candidates are in the middle of their exams. Whatever their age groups, younger pupils know that soon they will be moving up into another year or class. There will be two more graduating classes this year, of course. Pupils in years 1 and 6 will leave the security of their current classes and enter the new and unfamiliar worlds of the Junior and Senior Schools, respectively.

In this way, for all our children and young people, June marks the harvest time of their year. It is a time to reflect on their individual and collective achievements, whether for university admission, winning an award, performing on stage or competing for a sports team. In the end, though, it may be simpler than all that. This month is the time to reflect on a year spent leading a life more aligned with the core values of kindness, integrity, responsibility, courage, and respect for all those in our Wellington community. Those characteristics will long outlast any individual year or award.

Best wishes

Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

Sweet Reads with Sora

I know that many of us are gearing up for the summer break. While summer presents an opportunity to relax and enjoy the sunshine, we want our pupils to continue to find ways to learn while away from the classroom.

From 5 May – 20 August, the Sora Sweet Reads programme offers a collection of Juvenile and Young Adult titles that will be prominently displayed in Sora for quick and easy unlimited access.

Please contact the College Librarian (lisa.wang@wellingtoncollege.cn) if you have any difficulties logging in to Sora.

2021 Sailing Trip to Beidaihe
Saturday, 29 May

A crew of 30 are leaving for Beidaihe for the annual sailing trip on Saturday, 29 May. Sons and daughters have given their parents information letters outlining the details of the trip, key contact numbers and addresses, and what to bring. If you have any questions about this, please drop me an e-mail: Toby.roundell@wellingtoncollege.cn.

Members of staff on the trip are Mr Roundell, Ms Summer Wang and Ms Victoria Han. If you need to contact a member of staff during the trip, please use this number: 182-0256-7847 or contact us on the Sailing Trip T-chat account. We are much looking forward to seeing the sailors at Wellington for our early departure at 0745hrs on Saturday, 29 May 2021