Dear Pao School Students, Alumni, Parents, and Staff,
Fifteen years ago, in 2007, Pao School saw humble beginnings in several classrooms based at Shanghai No. 3 Girls High School – giving birth to the vision of “A School for Tomorrow's China.” Since then, the school has evolved in many ways, anchored in the tireless efforts of the founders Anna Sohmen Pao, Philip Sohmen, and Tan Fuyun, as well as the support and trust of students, parents, and the wider Pao School community.
Over time, Pao School has grown into a school with three campuses and with more than 1,600 students. Pao Students have not only been recognised for their impressive academic skills and good character, but have also received accolades for their accomplishments in science, sports, music, the arts, and other fields.
In recent years, some of the school’s first graduates have returned to China after completing their university education and begun to emerge in their respective industries. Many have expressed gratitude for all that Pao School has done for them, as they now begin to give back to society.
All of this well illustrates the defining attributes of Pao School: the pursuit of academic excellence, an emphasis on character education, a commitment to whole-person education, dedication to passing on traditions of Chinese culture, and cultivation of students' sense of social and civic responsibility. The Pao School journey has been a colourful one over these past 15 years. Each individual student, parent and staff member has contributed to the rich collective experience that continues to evolve. With that in mind, to celebrate our 15th anniversary, we invite you to share your Pao School story with us.
Some stories may seem ordinary, yet they are all exceptional in that they illustrate what makes Pao School meaningful to us all. All types of stories are welcome, no matter whether they are stories of personal growth, an item related to Pao School that holds special meaning, a particularly memorable experience, anecdotes about friendships between classmates, or reflections on the meaning of Pao School’s values. In addition, we would love to see your photos of special memories, with a caption to share the story behind the photo and what it means to you.
We will read every submission with great interest and publish excerpts on the Pao School 15th Anniversary website. All of the submissions will be archived electronically to preserve the school’s history. All alumni and parents are welcome to forward this letter of invitation and invite those you know in the Pao School community to submit their stories too.
We are looking forward to reading your story!
2007 The three Founders on the first day of school.
2008 The founding of the YK Pao Primary School mentor team.
2009 The first cohort of Primary School graduates outside June 1st Building.
2010 Wuding Campus was opened as the new Primary School campus.
2011 The founding of the YK Pao High School mentor team.
2012 The learning center at Songjiang Campus was named after and opened by Professor Yang Zhen Ning.
2013 The four Pao sisters donated the Huang Sue Ing Memorial Library, named after their mother.
2014 The first cohort of Y9 students celebrate their Middle School graduation.
2015 Secondary students and teachers celebrate the school receiving IB accreditation.
2016 Professor Anna Sohmen Pao’s book YK Pao: My Father launches in Beijing.
2017 The school’s first graduating class in Songjiang.
2018 YK Pao's centenary is celebrated.
2019 The first "Pao Pioneers" successfully completed their 12-year studies at YK Pao School.
2020 Pao School becomes one of the experimental schools for Shanghai's three-year action plan to utilise project-based learning in compulsory education.
2021 The four-year renovation of the Hongqiao campus's main teaching building is completed over the summer holidays.
