Pao Highlights

Just before the Golden Week break, Pao School held the first ever Pao Film Festival. The films submitted were all of a high caliber, as well as varied in content and style. They ranged from some remarkable aerial shots of Shanghai taken from a drone, to some stunningly beautiful scenes of a traditional rural village in China to a wonderfully inventive cartoon. Many congratulations to all those who took part and particularly to the following winners:

On October 16, the Middle School organized the annual "Three Pillars Day." This year, under the leadership of Middle School Head of Character Education Shane Xin, students experienced a rich variety of activities.

Year 6 students visited an organic farm to learn the cultivation of rice, and how tractors prepare soil. They also studied the role soil plays in plant growth, as well as how to make straw ropes and pick taro. At the end of the day, everyone planted a pot of green peppers and took the pots home for safekeeping.

Year 7 students explored the Wendao Garden, known for its preservation of ancient Huizhou culture. Some of its outstanding features include the Calligraphy and Painting Art House, House of Rare Stones, The Bagua Lotus Pond, Shanggong Wood Workshop. Visiting the garden and completing tasks in groups allowed students to get a sense of the ingenuity of ancient Chinese culture.

Year 8 students explored Guangfulin Park, where 5,000 years of Chinese civilization can be seen in temples, Huizhou architecture, memorial halls, museums, and pastoral scenery. 

In October, Year 1 students were happy to invite parents to the school to participate in fun-filled activities. Parents had the opportunity to try out simple games and activities that they could then play with their children at home.

On October 30th, the Young Pioneers at YK Pao School Primary School were treated to a colorful performance of Shanghai Opera led by the eminent actor Chen Suping, who heads the Changning Shanghai Opera Troupe. Mrs. Chen vividly explained to students the origins of the Shanghai dialect, and led them through exercises that taught them some basics of the language, including rhymes for children. At the end of the event, Mrs. Chen sang a short Shanghai Opera piece. It was the first time for many of the students to see a performance of Shanghai Opera and gain insights into this unique aspect of Shanghainese culture.

Recently, Ms. Carol Zhang and Ms. Lucy Wang, Pao School Young Pioneer coordinators, organized another young pioneers book donation. The  "Floating Library" charity donation is initiated by the "Yili Seed" , a program created by Youth Public Welfare Development Centre in Changning. As with last semester, young pioneers worked to donate Pao School books to impoverished Honghe area of Yunnan Province. Compassion and contribution to social causes are the best ways to demonstrate Pao School's core values.

Pao School celebrated Unity Day with an anti-bullying campaign on Oct. 28-29. Students had guidance lessons in Homerooms and participated in productive conversations on anti-bullying issues and how to build a supportive school community model for all. Students came to school on Oct. 29 wearing an odd pair of socks (any color or print, and a different sock on each foot), for ‘Odd Socks Day’. This day allows the students to express their individuality and to embrace individual differences. Additionally, all students signed a pledge to: support others who have been hurt or harmed, treat others with kindness, be more accepting of people’s differences, and help include those who are left out.

The Middle School held its first ever Latitude and Longitude Day on Nov. 11, providing students with a chance to use geography in their everyday lives in a manner that was both practical and creative. On this day, teachers and students wore striped or checkered clothes to represent the latitude and longitude lines. During the morning reading, an exciting latitude and longitude knowledge contest was also held.

On 18th November, Songjiang Campus saw the opening of the new IB Visual Arts Centre. The event provided younger students and staff with the opportunity to explore the school’s specialised Visual Arts facilities, hopefully inspiring the younger students to take IB Visual Arts in the future. Year 11 and 12 students displayed and discussed their artwork, some of which had never been seen before.

Kimberly East, Head of High School Art, explains: “This sharing and opportunity to engage are invaluable experiences for any artist. Feedback from others helps them to reflect, review and refine and ultimately move forward and develop.”

The YKPS Advanced Robotic Teams had another fantastic year.

• - Ernest (Y10), Ashley, Max, Eric, Leon, Grace, Helena (Y11), Bill and Thomas (Y12) won the 2nd prize in the “National Motivation Award” and in the “Inspire Award." Currently, their total points see them ranked as the number one team in China.

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• - Bruce, Elina, Mark, Jimmy, Gavin, Michael from Y9 and Angela from Y10 who won the “National Second Prize” in the online round and 3rd Prize in the off-line round and are currently placed in the top 30 teams in China.

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Recently, the novel "Doctor and Cafe and Letters" written by Zoe He from the Executive Office, was published. The novel tells the story of a psychologist who opens a special cafe. 

Talking about the reason for writing the novel, Zoe said, "When writing this novel, I was at a low point in my life. When we are grieving, we need affirmation. I hope to pass this feeling to others who are trying to pick themselves up or need care. You don't necessarily need to be successful to be worthy of praise. Ordinary people who work just to get by are also amazing."