In 2007, on the first day of school at the Primary School, Founder and Professor Anna Sohmen Pao urged the first cohort of 100 parents to organise and truly learn what it means to be a parent. Thus, the Primary School PTA came into being. Professor Anna Sohmen Pao personally selected the Chinese name of the PTA as the "Parent-School Cooperation Association," hoping that parents could become strong supporters of the growth of their children and advocates for the school.
The PTA is not only a platform for communication between parents but also a bridge between parents and the school. Within Chinese culture, great importance is placed on the value of education, which is seen in the respect given to teachers. Therefore, students and parents hope to express their gratitude to teachers for their hard work on Teachers' Day. This sentiment is also advocated by Founder Philip Sohmen, who has emphasised that parents should help to facilitate the growth of the teaching team.
According to former PTA chairman Julia Liu, in 2008, the second year after the establishment of the school, the PTA proposed the idea of holding a banquet on behalf of parents to show appreciation for Pao School teachers. Once the idea was put forward, it was met with enthusiastic support. Parents of various nationalities whipped up some of their signature dishes, carefully arranging an elaborate feast that drew upon both Chinese and Western culinary traditions. At lunchtime, the teachers then feasted on a delicious array of home-cooked dishes from parents in a celebratory atmosphere. This type of potluck event at Pao School came to be known affectionately as the Hundred Families Banquet and is similar to traditional folk activities that originated in the Northern Song Dynasty in China.
First Hundred Families Banquet in 2008
Since then, the Hundred Families Banquet has become a Pao School tradition, and with the active participation of parents has become increasingly distinctive. Further, the banquet is now held on each Pao School campus in relation to the school’s growth. After the Songjiang campus opened, parents began to organise a banquet just for the Middle and High Schools. They chose Confucius’s birthday as the date of the feast because of his reputation as the greatest teacher in Chinese culture, and because Pao School has always been dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese culture. Both parents and the school hope to integrate traditional Chinese culture into all aspects of school life so that students may immerse themselves in a culturally rich environment. Additionally, the WeeStudios Student Association also specially designed the logo of the Hundred Families Banquet.
WeeStudio logo for the Hundred Families Banquet
In 2019, Pao School took sole possession of the Hongqiao campus. In the spacious and bright new cafeteria, the Hongqiao campus PTA organised its first Hundred Families Banquet with the theme of “Autumn at Hongqiao.” Since the season was autumn, golden branches and red leaves adorned the banquet site, with the red decorations representing good fortune in traditional Chinese culture.
At present, the Hundred Families Banquet is one of the “can’t miss” Pao School activities for teachers. Zhuang Qin, director of Middle School Academics, who has been working at Hongqiao since the campus was established, said, “I was very honoured to participate in the first Hundred Families Banquet on the Hongqiao campus. Chinese and foreign teachers alike could feel that Chinese culture has a deep respect for teachers from this event, and that teachers’ virtues are apparent at Pao School. Parents are deeply grateful to the teachers, and we as teachers are moved by their generosity in preparing this elaborate feast.”
The PTA of each campus plans carefully for the Hundred Families Banquet each year, to ensure labour is clearly divided and that every detail is arranged in a thoughtful manner. At this year’s Hundred Families Banquet at Songjiang campus, 116 families prepared nearly 130 dishes for teachers, including meat dishes and seafood prepared by Year 9; staple dishes prepared by Year 10; Western food and cold dishes prepared by Year 11; and various drinks and fruits prepared by Year 12. There was a wide variety of food, from traditional Chinese dishes, to grilled beef and lamb chops, to vegetarian food.
At the same time, parents carefully count the number of teachers to ensure the correct portions of food are prepared and that there is no waste. In addition, since there is a strict limit on the number of people allowed on campus, most parents do not attend the event in person, but rather prepare the dishes at home and then deliver them to the school on the day of the event. Nevertheless, the parents are still enthusiastic because they want to express their gratitude to the teachers in this way.
“What has impressed us most in the past two years is the dedication of the teachers at Pao School to the school and students."
——Tanya & Robert, Y3 Parents, 2018
“As a parent of a transfer student, it was the first time I participated in Pao School’s traditional Hundred Families Banquet
and I wanted to prepare something special and easy to share. The teachers of Pao School do a phenomenal job of
edifying and guiding the children. It makes us feel that our daughter is really enjoying her learning journey here. As parents,
we look forward to her coming home every day and telling us what she has learned at school, and about the new friends
she has made. Thanks to her great teachers, she has quickly adapted to this new environment. Thank you, teachers!"
——Y4C Nora's Mom (USA), 2019
At the Hundred Families Banquet, Tan Fuyun, Co-founder and Deputy Chairman of Pao School, expressed her gratitude to the parents on behalf of the faculty and staff of the school.
“The journey to establish a new school is full of challenges, and we owe our success to everyone involved in our school. We are grateful for the perseverance and patriotism of the three generations of the Pao family and deeply touched by the parents and teachers who chose us and followed us from the beginning. Finally, thanks to the efforts of parents and teachers who have developed fine character in the children.”
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