Pao Highlights

This year's Math Week, themed "The Romance of Mathematics," aimed to illustrate the poetic nature of formulas and the essence of geometry. Students explored the abacus's historical evolution, gaining practical experience with bead calculations at the Chinese Abacus Exhibition. They also completed projects using Geograph and Desmos software to create model curves representing individuals and objects from the school. On March 14, coinciding with Pi Day, students conducted experiments, including "Buffon's Needle," to estimate the value of pi.

In February, the Chinese Four Course Department hosted educational and cultural activities that linked Chinese festivals with contemporary global issues. During the Lantern Festival, students immersed themselves in Chinese culture through lantern riddles, lacquer fan-making, and bookmark creation. The event also featured an exhibition of student works and a display area for recommended books to encourage the exchange of ideas.

Pao School students and staff participated in Teen Mental Health First Aid training in February. As part of the school’s continuous promotion of students’ growth and wellbeing, the program focuses on increasing awareness about the topic. Pao School is the first school in China to take such a proactive and peer-to-peer support approach to teach teens how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health challenges among their friends and peers.

The "Aureate Harmony" New Year Chinese Music Concert, held on January 16 at the Songjiang Campus, was an extraordinary success. A total of 22 students and two guest teachers participated in the performance, interpreting 11 traditional pieces related to the New Year. The concert kicked off with the Chinese ensemble performing the traditional piece "Bring in the New Year." This was followed by a Liuqin solo titled "Spring to the Yi River," a fusion of Guqin ensemble and opera, a Pipa trio, and other captivating performances. Led by the student conductor, the concert concluded with the cheerful melody of the "Radetzky March."

The Middle School held its annual Chinese Poetry Competition this week, a major three-day cultural event hosted by the Chinese Department, with student involvement in organization and logistics. In this year’s competition, the top winners were Annie Zhuge from Year 8, Mubarak Ma from Year 7, and the two third-place winners, Tiger Huang from Year 8 and Hugo Guo from Year 7. Poetry is a treasure of Chinese culture and serves as a bridge connecting the present time to traditional heritage. Through daily recitations, selection rounds, and the final competition, students gain a deeper understanding of linguistic beauty and its cultural significance.

The Hongqiao campus hosted an exciting intramural volleyball match on Thursday, with the Pao Middle School girls' team facing the Pao High School varsity team in the SSSA U19 tournament. The formidable Middle School team had already defeated several strong High School teams. The Pao High School team took the first set, but the Middle School players rallied to win two sets in a row, ultimately clinching the match 2:1. Both teams expressed enthusiasm for a rematch in the finals.  

The Hongqiao campus held the kickoff meeting for the Changning district-level key project ‘Global Citizen with a Chinese Heart - Research and Practice on the Development of Intercultural Literacy’. Attendees included Pao School’s leadership, and education experts from around Shanghai. Dai Shenwei, a researcher from the Changning District Education Institute, presided over the meeting, with opening reports presented by Jane Hu, Head of the Humanities Department, and Chinese teacher Julie Wang. The project marks significant advancement in educational research at the Middle School.

Middle School students delivered an outstanding performance of Wendy and Peter Pan in January. Whether as actors or backstage help, all the students contributed through costume designs, prop creations, and backstage setups. The three days of performances showed off their talent, perseverance, and teamwork.

The Transition Programme was created to prepare Year 5 students for their move to Middle School the following year. During the first week of March, as part of this programme, students spent a day at the Hongqiao campus to familiarize themselves with their future environment. The students participated in various activities including PE and art, met key staff members, and were introduced to the facilities through guided tours. They ended the day with a Q&A session hosted by Year 6 and Year 7 students already based on the campus, who were able to provide valuable insights about the Year 5’s coming transition, based on their own experiences.

Renowned artist Qin Feng was welcomed onto the Wuding campus on February 27. With previous experience teaching at the Berlin University of the Arts, Qin Feng is dedicated to promoting Sino-German cultural exchange. He delivered an engaging lecture for Upper Primary students, sharing his creative philosophy and artistic journey. His visit served as a clear inspiration to students and notably advanced arts education at the school.

Artworks created by Primary School students inspired by Qin Feng's works