Pao Highlights

The Primary School PTA hosted the Spring Fair on the Wuding Campus, April 25, with more than 1,600 children and adults attending. The event included student performances, interactive activities, delicious snacks, and unique vendor stalls, making the day unforgettable. The success of the fair would not have been possible without the full commitment of student volunteers, faculty and staff, and the school leadership team, as well as the PTA core team, parent representatives, and many parent volunteers.

Year 1 students and their English teachers celebrated an important learning milestone in May, with the successful completion of their 100th MultiLit lesson. Introduced this year, the MultiLit programme reflects YK Pao School's ongoing commitment to putting the science of reading into practice. The programme has yielded positive results, with children making significant progress in English literacy, as they grow increasingly confident in their reading and writing abilities. YK Pao School will continue to dedicate itself to research-based reading instruction, helping students build a solid foundation for early literacy.

Primary school bus driver Kong Jianjun was returing home after completing his duties for the day of May 11, when he saw an elderly person by the roadside, holding a three-year-old child, and frantically calling for help. He immediately stopped his car, rushed over, and without hesitation drove the child to a nearby hospital. Thanks to the this action and the resulting prompt medical attention, the child, who was diagnosed with febrile convulsions, has since made a full recovery. Afterwards, the child's family sent Mr Kong a thank-you letter and a silk banner, expressing their gratitude for his compassionate act, as well as for the effective first aid awareness training provided by the school and bus company .

On May 23rd, Primary PTA held a diversity event “Bike Craft Day”. Nearly 40 students and parents came together for a morning of hands-on learning, creativity, and fun. They explored sustainable development through inventive activities, including transforming bicycle wheels into unique tables, crafting comfortable stools from old bicycle tires, disassembling bicycles using a variety of tools, creating artistic jewelry from bicycle chains, and riding century-old bicycles. The highlight of the day was the championship game played on a pinball machine built entirely from bicycle parts.

On May 27, the YK Pao Primary School held a Young Pioneers induction ceremony for all its Chinese Year 2 students. The students were honoured to join the Young Pioneers of China and received their bright red scarves. During the ceremony, witnessed by teachers and school leadership, the new members took their solemn oath and were presented with their Young Pioneers membership certificates, marking a proud life milestone. The Pao School Young Pioneers Headquarters extends its warm congratulations to all new members. We thank the teachers and parents for their joint efforts in nurturing the children, and look forward to seeing our students, inspired by the red scarf, continue to grow into responsible and committed members of the Pao School community.

Children's Day was also the annual House Day for YK Pao Primary School students. This was an opportunity to reflect on the many varied and energetic house events that have taken place throughout the academic year. These have ranged the Art Competition to Sports Days for each year level. In the final tally, Winter House claimed victory in the Y5 Volleyball, Y2 and Y3 Sports Day; Summer House shone brightly in the Art Competition and Y1 Sports Day; Spring House demonstrated their strength with wins in the Readathon and Y5 Sports Day; and Autumn House powered through to take the Y4 Sports Day crown.

The final Middle School Counsellor Parent Coffee Morning of this school year was held on May 15. Led by Dr. Fengyi Kuo, the workshop was themed 'Parenting Wisdom in the Age of AI – Digital Behaviour and Brain Development.' Dr. Kuo drew on neuroscience to help parents understand that the length of time children spend on screens matters less than the way screens are shaping their brains, emotions, and relationships. She provided parents with a new way of thinking, based on the American Academy of Pediatrics '5 Cs of Media Use' framework, which focuses on developmental stages, content selection, and emotional regulation. The key to effective regulation of digital media usage lies in relationships, not in control. Only when trust and emotional connection are built can rules be properly internalised.

Students from all houses have been actively participating and striving for house honours, ultimate frisbee in Year 6, volleyball in  Year 7, and basketball in Year 8. During Friday's tutor time, Winter House completed a team-focused relay challenge, setting the new round of house assemblies off to a great start with an outstanding 1,273 points.

The Middle School Summer Concert took place in May, with separate sessions for students and parents. Young musicians presented moving melodies, making a wonderful experience for everyone.  The heartfelt performances were underpinned by dedicated student preparation, and by the support and encouragement from parents and teachers.

The Middle School held its first Campus Ambassador Completion Ceremony on May 27. The Campus Ambassador Program aims to build a team that can confidently and professionally present the culture of YK Pao School and share its stories. Since its launch at the end of March, a total of 16 students from Year 6 and Year 7 have received professional training in etiquette, vocal delivery, script writing, and other skills, and then successfully passed assessment. At the ceremony, these campus ambassadors displayed the results of their training in both Chinese and English to parents and campus leadership. They will go on to provide campus tours during events such as dignitary visits and Founder's Day.

The Middle School held a Children's Day Charity Sale on June 1, themed 'Across Mountains and Sea: Childlike Love for Yunnan.' The event featured booths offering intangible cultural heritage experiences; charity sales; auctions; and games. The event offered students the opportunity to appreciate the spirit of craftsmanship while spreading kindness. Funds raised from the event will be used to purchase sports equipment for children at Banli Village Primary School in Lancang County of Yunnan Province.

The high school math department held its annual Mathematics Spotlight Month event in May, which it calls 'Math Playground.' It aims to spark student interest in mathematics. This year they took part in a stamp-collecting challenge; submitted their birthdays to test the 'probability paradox';  competed in the 'smallest unique integer' game; participated in a ring-toss game infused with mathematical elements; and took the ultimate focus test, which involves writing the numbers from 1 to 233 in order within five minutes, with zero errors and no erasures.

May's 'Business and Economics Spotlight Month' series of activities sought to broaden student understanding of business and economics, while stimulating their interest in these fields. It included six fascinating events: an Alumni Sharing Session;  the YKPS Business Competition to design a Duolingo product;  the macroeconomics-focused Egon Sohmen Competition; a food-truck-based Business Simulation Game Challenge; a Dotplot Competition forecasting US Federal Reserve interest rates; and an Urban Plan Competition built around Singapore's Pasir Panjang Terminal.

Sienna Xu, ESG Project Director of BrainCo, has been invited to deliver the PaoVision lecture, entitled "The Era Revolution of Brain-Computer Interface: From Technological Breakthroughs to the Future of Education." The talk promises to provide a systematic introduction to the development path and latest advancements of brain-computer interface technology, exploring its transition from cutting-edge technological breakthroughs to practical applications.

The inaugural 'Pickle for Heart' charity pickleball tournament held on the High School campus brought together students, parents, staff, and community members in a friendly atmosphere, while also demonstrating a high level of play. The Division A final was particularly exciting, with the parent pairing of Henry and Antonio narrowly defeating the student team of Angelo and Potter in a match close to professional standards. The event raised funds and community awareness for Heart to Heart Shanghai, which helps children with heart disease.

The High School invited Ms. Jennifer, an official RISD Alumni Admissions Representative, to campus for an information exchange, during which she drew upon her twenty years of professional experience to engage in an in‑depth discussion of career pathways for art students. She discussed career pathways, and provided a detailed introduction to RISD's campus; academic programs; faculty; and application process, with special mention of the university's fifty‑plus academic buildings, its museum's rich collections, and the dual‑degree program offered in partnership with Brown University. During the portfolio review session, she examined each student's work individually, offering constructive feedback from concept to presentation.

Professional development training for teachers was simultaneously held across all three campuses on May 29. Teachers engaged in group discussions on educational topics, ensuring they remain abreast of professional trends. Subject groups held meetings to develop curriculum overviews, assessment plans, and other tasks for the new semester. The school also organized sports‑related wellness activities to help teachers stretch, relax, and relieve stress after their intense work.