10th November marks Founders Day, an occasion upon which Pao School has its annual celebration of its founders. For the 15th anniversary of Pao School, Professor Anna Sohmen Pao, Executive Deputy Chairman Philip Sohmen and Deputy Chairman Tan Fuyun have all sent messages to share with the Pao School community. In honour of this special day, the three founders have reflected on memorable moments from the years since the school’s founding, thanked those who have accompanied Pao School for the past 15 years, shared their hopes for teachers and students, and looked towards Pao School’s bright future.
“This year marks the 15th anniversary of Pao School. Looking back to 2007, the school was just a dream of how to build a school for tomorrow’s China. Fifteen years later, this dream has come to fruition. There are now six cohorts of Pao School graduates who have graduated to join world-renowned universities. Through this, Philip and I have taken the first steps towards my father's belief in strengthening the nation through education.”
—— Professor Anna Sohmen Pao
Outside the classroom
On Founders Day, all students and teachers learn more about YK Pao’s extraordinary life and spirit, alongside his patriotism and passion for education, through viewing exhibitions, reading, and appreciating art.
Deputy Chairman Madam Tan Fuyun visited primary campus to share words of encouragement for the future, hoping that students will seize every opportunity to share their talents and pursue their dreams:
“Dear students, you are lucky to live in Shanghai, a city that has created miracles. In the future, I hope you use your education and talents to strengthen the country. Act as representatives for China, winning glory on the world stage. Always remember to show gratitude when you receive help, and take responsibility when needed.”
—— Madam Tan Fuyun, Deputy Chairman
This year, Pao School hopes to focus on and promote sustainable development, following the principle "reduce, reuse, recycle", as a way to commemorate YK Pao’s philosophy of "Exercise persistently, work diligently, use sparingly”. As part of this initiative, Pao School has arranged a wide variety of activities for students – both on and off campus – to better help them understand how they can make a difference in combating climate change and boosting environmental awareness.
For example, at the Primary School, Year 3 students learned about installation art – the art of transforming existing objects into artwork that expresses inner thoughts and creativity. The students admired the works of many installation artists, discussed the damage to the environment caused by waste, and then transformed and recycled rubbish from home into brand-new artwork. In addition, the Year 5s took part in a book exchange to promote reusing and recycling. Each student brought 1-2 books that they have already read to school, which allowed them to obtain book vouchers to exchange for second-hand books to read.
Year 3 students learned about installation art
Year 1 students learned about YK Pao in various activities
Year 5 students at the book swap event
At the Middle School, the student council organised a special event called the Founders Day Amazing Race. During the race, students needed to complete a series of tasks, such as watching a video on YK Pao’s life, completing a quiz on YK Pao, borrowing books from the library about his life, and playing games related to the school’s core values.
At the end of the activity, Student President Tom (Y8), shared: In the first session, a video Q&A activity, we learned about Mr. YK Pao’s life. In the second activity session, we helped students find their belongings, practising the value of compassion. We then played bingo and learned about different aspects of the word integrity. The Frisbee activity reminded us of the importance of balance, and at the same time allowed us to recognise YK Pao’s value of "exercise persistently”. In the last part of the activity, we returned to our original start point, Ningbo Hall, with a mind of honouring the hopes and values of the founders, Mr. YK Pao, and truly developing Pao School into a school in tomorrow's China.
Each year on Founders Day, each campus also hosts an exhibition featuring books and storyboards about YK Pao’s life. This annual tradition provides inspiration to the students and teaches them more about the namesake of their school.
The students watched videos on YK Pao's life story, the history of Pao School, and messages from the three founders
Exhibitions on YK Pao’s life
Library Book Fair
The library also prepared books for students and teachers, so that they could learn more about the story of YK Pao and his family.
Wuding Campus
Hongqiao Campus
Songjiang Campus
“There is indeed much to acknowledge and celebrate over the last 15 years but there is no denying that there is still much to be done if we are to fulfil the ambitious vision and mission set by our Founders when they established the school. As you know their vision for the school is “To build a world-class school for tomorrow’s China, educating global citizens and future leaders on a foundation of academic excellence and strong values.”
—— Mark Bishop, Executive Headmaster
Beyond celebration during the week, Pao School has organized a wide variety of activities throughout the school year for students – both on and off campus – to better help them understand how they can make a difference in combating climate change and boosting environmental awareness.
As part of the curriculum, Primary School Exploratory Unit (EU) classes help younger students learn about ecosystems and environmental protection in detail, introducing them to the importance of sustainability and balance. In the classes, teachers guide students to learn about how to be more eco-friendly in their everyday lives through learning about topics such as renewable and non-renewable resources, water saving tips, recycling, energy saving, green travel, and how to save electricity. In the classes, the students made posters that showcased their knowledge about environmental protection.
Outside the classroom, last year a handful of Primary School students were elected as eco warriors, who took charge of sustainable development efforts on campus. As part of the initiative, in December last school year, the Primary School organised the "Eco Warriors Energy Conservation Competition" to reduce the school's energy consumption as much as possible. At the end of each day, the eco warrior selected by each class, together with the volunteer teachers, checked whether the lights, air conditioners, projectors, and various electronic devices in the classroom were turned off. This project also gained cooperation with the school's administrative departments, who work hard to support the students in promoting sustainability on campus.
At the Middle School, students learn about the environment in more depth through science classes, allowing them to understand the interdependence of all living things, and explore the consequences of increasing or decreasing the population of different species. At the same time, teachers guide students to think about their individual role in creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world.
Off campus, the students explored the impact of invasive species on the environment, with an emphasis on the ecosystem. Through identifying invasive species, understanding the dangers they pose, and how to safely remove them, students become more in tune with the concept of environment protection.
Three Pillars' Day
In addition, Middle School students launched the Clear Your Plate campaign. Not only did each year have volunteers to make posters and presentations, but students were also recruited to form a group of "Clear Your Plate ambassadors" who worked to guide students to reduce food waste. During the last days of the project, these ambassadors awarded points to teachers and students who met the food waste reduction goals.
The efforts of the Clear Your Plate campaign have been wildly successful, with the Head of the Middle School cafeteria reporting that, in the past four weeks, daily kitchen waste has been reduced by a third. Teacher Julie Wang, who supervised the activity, said: "I found that when the students selected their food for meals, they now ask for a smaller portion. Further, the students realised that even the small actions of individuals can add up to enact positive change in the world.”
Name board for the Clear Your Plate campaign
There are also a number of eco-initiatives at the High School, many of which are helmed by the student-led Green Origins club. The club allows students to start their own projects, focused on sustainability projects that they have chosen to take part in themselves. So far this year, the students have been active in a variety of different projects, including adding plants to dormitories, organising a second-hand clothing swap, increasing recycling around school, and pushing for meat alternatives in the cafeteria. This week also sees the return of Clean Plate Week to the High School, where Xueyuan houses compete over four days to see how can return the most clean dishes, with the goal of promoting a reduction in food waste across the campus.
Songjiang Campus during Clean Plate Week
Alongside students, staff across the school are active in promoting sustainability, particularly in areas such as facilities and equipment management. Through working together, the school aims to continuously move towards the goal of creating a green campus that is energy-saving and environmentally friendly. At the moment, there are various ongoing initiatives across all campuses, that have been enacted to move towards this goal.
Reducing Paper Waste
In order to reduce paper waste, teachers are encouraged to print on both sides of the paper. A recycling paper box has also been placed next to each printer to make full use of recyclable single-sided paper. In addition, the school also advocates the use of one paper towel for hand drying to save resources and avoid waste.
Reminders on paper waste reduction were created by students on the Songjiang campus
Reducing Single-use Items
YK Pao School endeavours to minimise the use of single-use items, which contributes to a lot of waste. For instance, bottled water and disposable paper cups are not provided on campus, and reusable water cups are provided in the staff lounge.
Energy-efficient Lighting
Recently, light bulbs in classrooms and public areas of each campus have been upgraded to LED bulbs – which are brighter, use less energy and are less easily damaged than other types.
Promoting Accountability
In order to promote reasonable energy use, the school encourages faculty and staff to turn off lighting, projectors, air conditioners, air purifiers, and other equipment at the end of the day. In order to promote accountability and awareness, a weekly summary is shared with all faculty and staff.
Conservation from Construction
As a large boarding campus, the High School requires complicated energy-saving and emission-reduction measures. For instance, air conditioners across campus have been set on a timer, and solar lighting has been added to the Tree House and in some corridors. In addition, Building Management Systems, which control electronics such as air conditioners and lighting, have been installed in student dormitories and the gymnasium to control energy usage. On this basis, to find energy-saving opportunities, the operations team also tracks energy consumption trends to manage water, electricity, and gas usage.
Stickers on A/C control panels remind everyone
to adjust the temperature responsibly
As the school matures, we need to continue to maintain a learning attitude and a can-do culture. Those were key parts of Sir. YK Pao’s spirit and what allowed him to be so successful. From the leadership, to teachers, and to all staff, we need to continually invest back in building the culture of the school, staying open to new approaches and always being willing to make things happen.
—— Philip Sohmen
Executive Deputy Chairman
