Founders Day is not intended to celebrate the Founders of YK Pao School as individuals. Its purpose is to remember the spirit of our namesake Mr YK Pao and also the vision with which our school was founded.
——Philip Sohmen, Founder and Executive Deputy Chairman
November 10, marking the birthday of Mr. YK Pao, serves as Founder's Day for YK Pao School. To celebrate Founder’s Day this year, Pao School organized a cross-campus event under the theme of ‘Exercise Persistently.’ Hongqiao campus also celebrated the completion of its new building with a ‘Founder's Day - Hongqiao Community Celebration,’ inviting students, teachers, and parents to come together and partake in the festivities.
The Founder’s Day swimming competition commenced at 8:30 AM, featuring participants from all three campuses divided into five teams. Each team was composed of a mix of students from each campus, competing in 3 different rounds, including “Team Medley”, “Anything But Swimming”, and a relay.
Mr. YK Pao swimming in the Suez Canal. He was passionate about swimming, a healthy exercise habit that the younger generations of his family have taken up.
The highlight of the swimming competition is the Founder’s Challenge. Philip Sohmen, Executive Deputy Chairman, raced in both the 50-meter and 100-meter events alongside the middle and high school students. An accomplished swimmer, he previously competed for Hong Kong on both the swimming and water polo teams, participating in international competitions across four continents. The Founder’s Challenge was established over ten years ago when the Songjiang campus opened. Mr. Sohmen noted the remarkable progress that he has seen in the students’ performance over the years. “It was quite tough to swim against all of you,” Mr. Sohmen later remarked. “But I truly enjoy the opportunity to swim with you.”
Following the swimming competition, students, families and faculty gathered in the gym for a rope skipping contest. Jump rope was one of Mr. YK Pao's favorite activities.
Five teams competed in ‘figure-eight jumps’ and ‘synchronized jumps.’ The teams were composed of students, school leaders, parents, and faculty, working in combination to demonstrate the power of unity.
The closing ceremony featured a special Zhoushan Drums performance by faculty,. Students from all three campuses displayed the diverse talents of the YK Pao community, and the parent-led Pao School Community Choir delighted the audience with their performance. President Xu Yongchu and Executive Headmaster Iain Kilpatrick presented awards to the top three teams in the swimming and jump rope competitions, and Executive Deputy Chairman Philip Sohmen presented awards to participants in the Founder’s Challenge.
As someone who has witnessed history, I have seen the establishment and growth of Pao School, along with the success of the Pao School community. Today, I want to express my feelings of gratitude, emotion, appreciation, and respect to everyone here.
Dedicated and innovative for eighteen years, while steadfast in our mission.
New ideas emerge from the times, while practice shapes our true principles.
Education is a national priority and the foundation for future generations, with talent at its heart.
Cultivating virtue shapes great individuals, while quality builds a strong foundation.
Skills lay the groundwork for thriving businesses, as we come together to nurture the Pao School community.
We are committed to creating a century-old institution, determined to strengthen our nation through education.
——Tan Fuyun, Deputy Chairman
President Xu Yongchu awarded certificates to the winning teams of the swimming competition.
Executive Headmaster Iain Kilpatrick awarded certificates to the winning teams of the rope skipping competition.
The event concluded with a closing speech by Philip Sohmen, who emphasized that the Founders Day celebration is devoted to remembering Mr. Pao's innovative spirit, open-minded thinking, inclusive attitude, enterprising approach, and charitable contributions. In his speech, he encouraged students, parents and teachers, to cherish this legacy. He pointed out the importance of reflecting on the past while looking toward the future, noting that there is still a long way to go.
Executive Deputy Chairman Philip Sohmen awarded certificates to the participants of the 'Founder's Challenge'.
The celebration at the Hongqiao campus brought together students, parents, staff, and their families to mark this special occasion. The event was a collaborative effort, involving the Hongqiao campus Parent Committee, the school’s CCA team, as well as the drama, music, sports, and arts groups, along with the student council, and Young Pioneers. Together, they organised a wide range of activities, including various interactive stalls; a talent show; competitive sports events; intangible cultural heritage experiences; fun sports activities; and performances by students and parents.
The Talent Show drew a large crowd, while competitive sports such as badminton, table tennis, football, and basketball sparked enthusiasm among parents and students alike. Numerous charity stalls, including Bear Paw Coffee, public service initiatives by secondary school students, and promotions of Peking opera and Kunqu culture, were met with great enthusiasm, particularly for the various intangible cultural heritage experiences.
Swipe for more photos
