Given that these are 13 and 14-year-old children and we only have 50 minutes of class time with a few minutes of hands-on practice, I do not expect many to really master basic first aid and using an AED. But I hope that the experience inspires the students to learn first-aid skills in the future. One day, somewhere far from here, one of them will courageously step forward to put into practice the lessons learned today. That person will be a hero.
Y8F Leo's father remarked with these inspiring words at the Middle School’s Parent Career Sharing Day. He has worked for more than a decade in international hospitals. As he began preparing what to share with students, he considered talking about the differences between Chinese and foreign medical care or the sense of achievement in treating patients and saving people, but then realised such issues are not relevant to the everyday lives of middle school students. It was then that he decided on the topic of his presentation: he would discuss several successful and failed cases of AED first aid that recently appeared online. By sharing these stories, he hoped it would help the students learn a life-saving skill and get a sense for themselves of what it means to save a life. Leo’s father thus named his presentation "Practical Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automatic External Defibrillation.” This presentation aimed to provide students with a deeper understanding of first aid, focusing on explaining the common causes of cardiac arrest, why and how to implement cardiopulmonary resuscitation, how to use an automatic external defibrillator, and how to perform abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver).
Workshop - Are you prepared to save a life?
Y8F Leo's father
Year 8’s career sharing activity is a favourite of both students and parents. Y8F Charlie’s father, who is a veteran of the financial services sector, offers his views on why the activity is so popular. “On the one hand, the activity offers participants a chance to contribute to the school and their families and is a positive affirmation of the school’s culture. On the other, it is a very good opportunity for parents to communicate with their children, who at this age are unlikely to listen to their mothers and fathers discuss their feelings about their careers with them at home. The school provides an ideal sharing platform.”
Workshop - Facing the future in an uncertain world
Y8F Charlie's father
The two-day career sharing forum at the middle school covered a wide range of fields and featured a wealth of content, but faced certain limitations given the students’ young age and limited life experience. Y8B Tina's father, who has worked as a dentist for many years, has participated in many professional experience activities for high school students. In comparison to middle school students, the high school students have more knowledge and clearer study plans, so he usually talks about how he became a dentist and some of the challenges he overcame along the way. However, he says, “Middle school students’ lives are less complicated than their older classmates, so I think the purpose of this event is not to prompt them to decide what they want to be in the future but to introduce them to some career possibilities. It is like we plant many small seeds in their hearts and at the right time, one or two can eventually sprout and slowly grow.”
Workshop - Dentistry in China and the US:
Characteristics and pathways
Y8B Tina's father
Parents talked about the world from their point of view, from human psychology to the unpredictability of the future, introducing us to things we might not usually be exposed to. Presentations from our parents have helped me to broaden my horizons by learn more about future career options.
—Y8B Joey
I asked myself a question: How do I want my child to go about learning and pursuing knowledge? The answer I came up with was that I wanted my child to focus on his interests, to be driven from within, curious about the future, and able to keep pace with a fast-changing world. I hope that by talking about VR, the metaverse, and other advanced technologies, I can help these students develop a vision for technology and the future; so that it will then inspire their intellectual curiosity and boost their motivation to learn.
Workshop - VR and the metaverse
Y8D Jerry's mother
Similarly, in the sharing session entitled "You too can change the world,” Y8E Leo's father, a manager in an IT company, introduced the stories of Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Ren Zhengfei, and other tech celebrities who have used technology to change the world. Through these stories, he hoped to inspire the children’s interest in the topic "Technology changes the development of human civilisation.” Leo’s father hopes that by introducing areas such as the metaverse, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence to the students, he can encourage them to pursue their interests in advanced technology.
Workshop - Are you ready to change the world?
Y8E Leo’s father
Leo's father was particularly impressed by students’ response to the question “what do you need to learn if you want to master cutting-edge technology?” Almost every group of students had an interesting response. Not only did they mention learning maths, physics, and computer science as important for mastering advanced technology, but they also said it is important to become knowledgeable about art, philosophy, humanities, and law.
"It is easy to understand that one must study science and engineering to become a technology expert. Yet the real science and technology masters are almost all philosophy and art buffs, showing that the humanities and arts are also integral to the study and research of science and technology. The children recognised this, showing that their thinking is deeper than perhaps some of us had previously realised.” Says Leo’s father.
Technological development has not only allowed us to make exponential progress in our everyday lives but also has upended some traditional industries. Artificial intelligence will even replace humans in some industries in the future, Y8F Charlie’s father added. He, therefore, also shared the important things he has learned over his long professional career with the students: Be curious about the world, always try to think a few steps ahead, candidly reflect on oneself, develop good study habits, and be resilient. These character traits also mirror the ethos and educational approach of Pao School.
The most important thing I've learned from this activity is that we should not be afraid to pursue a career that interests us, even if we are afraid of failure. We must be brave enough to take on any challenge.”
——Y8A Miranda
Every year, Pao School organises a variety of fun and edifying off-campus activities that give students an opportunity to explore and learn outside the classroom. These include activities such as the Primary School’s camping trip, the Middle and High School’s “Zhixing China” and an annual Activity Week. Further, the Primary and Middle schools have the annual Special Course Day that aims to enrich campus life, broaden students’ horizons and encourage them to pursue their interests in different fields.
The Primary School has designed a variety of themes across all year levels: Year 1 features environmental protection through topics such as how to classify waste and make their own rubbish bins; Year 2 students focus the successful launch of the Shenzhou 13 space mission, allowing students to learn about outer space, the work of astronauts and how to design their own spacesuits; Year 3 students learn about resource-saving, recycling and how to turn recycled junk into useful everyday items; Year 4 students enhance their international perspective for better understanding the cultures of different countries; Year 5 returns to environmental protection, with students producing their own eco-friendly bags and watching videos showcasing environmentally friendly ideas.
Primary School
At the Middle School, Year 6 students learn about seven types of important Chinese cultural heritage (also known as “intangible cultural heritage”) in a hands-on manner, including paper cutting, frog fasteners, decorative lanterns, dough sculptures, willow weaving, tai chi calligraphy, and paper quilling.
For their part, Year 7 students participate in courses that help cultivate various technical skills – such as those used in mechanical manufacturing, carpentry, and textiles – at the Changning District Labour Technology Centre.
In Year 8, parents take part in a career-sharing activity, giving students the opportunity to learn about different industries. There is also a "career forum" activity at the High School which allows parents and students to interact and provides students with yet another way to explore possible career paths.
Middle School
