Contributed by:
Chen Minhua, Alumni parent (Louis's mother, admitted in 2011, joined Pao School
in Year 7, graduated from Pao School High School in 2017, Syracuse University, USA)
I first learned about Pao School when its Founder Professor Anna Sohmen Pao visited Ningbo to recruit the school’s first middle school students. Her words left a deep impression on us, particularly her words about whole-person education and the role it plays in building an outstanding bilingual school that combines Chinese and Western cultures.
In 2011, Chen Minhua takes her son Lu Yizhou to
visit the school and Thames Town for the first time
My son, Lu Yizhou, was both in the first cohort of middle school and high school graduates of Pao School. When I visited the Songjiang campus for the first time, the school was still under construction, and the architecture reflected the style of the surrounding Thames Town. When I first entered the school, the facilities were only partially open, with only one class for the first year of middle school. But we did not hesitate to enrol my son. Given the founder's educational philosophy, family background, and educational experience, as well as the strong qualifications of the principal and teachers, we had confidence that Pao School would become an outstanding school.
Since, at the time, students began boarding in their middle school years, they strengthened their independence and social skills at an early age. They also had the opportunity to cultivate an interest in different sports, such as basketball and ultimate Frisbee, and made friends whom they will have for life. No wonder the children of the Pao School community are so proud of the school, and that remains the case when they graduate. Wherever they are in the world, they still feel they are part of the Pao School community and greet fellow alumni warmly.
As parents, thanks to Pao School, we gained a greater awareness and understanding of our responsibility to grow and learn with our children. I still remember participating in a Run-A-Way (RAW) activity with my son for ten days. We cycled more than 1,000 kilometres together . It was not just a cycling experience but also a journey of growth. As a parent, it gave me the opportunity to feel the joy of watching my child grow and I could more deeply appreciate the meaning of companionship.
Pao School is like a big tree, with the students, parents and teachers acting as the three fruits – all of which are indispensable. And, as the children enter this school and begin to flourish, the parents' perspectives and understanding grow with them.
Run-A-Way club ride (riding from the Primary School in Changning
District to the Middle School on the Songjiang campus)
In 2015, parents and students from Pao School visit Mr. YK Pao’s
former residence in Ningbo and the Ningbo Gang Museum
Louis and his family take a group photo in front of the
commemorative bronze plaque when he graduated in 2017
Group photo of Pao School's first Year 12 PTA and the two principals
Pao School holds an ultimate Frisbee competition
with students from University of Nottingham Ningbo
Group photos of the first cohort of high school graduates of Pao School in 2017
The former residence of Mr. YK Pao in Ningbo
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