Pinky Kids
The Pinky Kids Campaign is an important part of the Pao School Primary School service-learning initiative. It was started by Primary School students in 2013 to give students the opportunity to give back to the community. As part of the initiative, the students use CCA time to weave bracelets, keychains, and origami stars, which they then sell on campus. The proceeds are then donated to breast cancer patients to support their medical expenses and daily care. This year, the Primary School PTA also planned a DIY bracelet workshop for parents based on this theme. In the end, more than 220 bracelets were produced for students to sell at the school. In addition, the PTA is planning to also hold a parent-child charity bike ride to raise money for the Pinky Kids campaign.
Students making colourful paper stars
Students use their break time to make hand-made items
Parent DIY Bracelet Workshop organised by the PTA
Three Pillars Day
On September 29th, students from Hongqiao Campus participated in Three Pillars Day. The annual event aims to guide students to learn, experience, and practice the core values of the school in action, and guide students' character development.
This year, students from Year 6 went to Yexie Town in Songjiang to learn about the environmental impact of invasive species. They first learned to identify invasive plants and animals and their hazards, alongside how to manage them. Through the activities, the students enhanced their compassion in terms of caring for the environment, cultivated an awareness that everyone should be responsible for the environment, and better understood how to keep balance in nature.
The Year 7s travelled to Changxing Island for community beautification activities. Through the pre-trip discussion, the students learned about the positive impact of changes in the community environment on local residents. Students then used their talents to create fine art around the community. By helping the villagers improve their living standards with practical actions they learned about compassion; through contributing to the community without asking for anything in return, integrity; and, in looking at urban and rural life from different angles, balance.
The Year 8s went to Oriental Land to take part in various activities related to helping the visually impaired. Before the trip, the students experienced walking without their vision. At Oriental Land, from the perspective of compassion, they took part in interactive interviews with visually impaired people, to deeply understand the challenges and inconveniences they face during everyday life. Then, thinking about integrity, the groups began thinking about solutions to these problems. Finally, the students demonstrated and shared their solutions. The activities guided students to understand the world from the perspective of different groups of people, broadened their cognitive horizons, and embodied the virtue of balance.
Xueyuan house activities
Xueyuan house activities have always been one of the hallmarks of life at Pao School. They play an important role in strengthening the relationship between different year groups and allow students to earn points for their houses through healthy competition. On the Hongqiao campus, there are large-scale activities such as spelling competitions and sports matches, as well as smaller-scale activities during morning assembly. Every Wednesday, teachers and students are encouraged to wear their special xueyuan uniforms. Recently, there have been a number of wonderful activities, including tug-of-war, chess, dances, painting and more.
Love of Reading Week
In October, the Middle School celebrated all things books with the library’s annual Love of Reading Week. Love of Reading Week featured special activities during homeroom periods and in the library during lunchtime. In their homerooms, students decorated bookmarks they then used for D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) during one homeroom period. They also competed in a special online Kahoot! literature quiz to win prizes. Every day the students could also take part in a library scavenger hunt, with mini-prizes awarded. On Book Character Dress-Up Day, students dressed up as their favourite literary characters. On the day, they had their photos taken and printed in a special photo booth, alongside the chance to win special prizes for the best outfits.
Global Conference on International Education (GLOBE)
Participating in one of the series of BNU 120 anniversary celebration events, the 2nd Global Conference on International Education (GLOBE), hosted by Beijing Normal University.
In July, Head of High School Mathematics Ms. Jianping Yang represented the department as an expert in the field of international education at one of the series of events held for Beijing National University’s (BNU) 120th anniversary celebration – the 2nd Global Conference on International Education (GLOBE). She delivered a speech on "Development of Students' Mathematical Academic Ability Based on IBTL.”
Cambridge University International Education Online Forum
On September 24th, Mr. Li Yingkai from the High School Mathematics Department participated in the 6th Cambridge University International Education Online Forum. Focusing on the theme of AI+STEAM future education exploration, he conducted a session on PBL/STEAM practice in Chinese high schools alongside Professor Ding of Tongji University. During the forum, Mr. Li shared a practical example of how the Pao School Mathematics Department practices project-based teaching: how to use function curves to draw works of art.
Heart on Fire Charity Concert
On 14th September, the annual “Heart on Fire” charity concert took place at the High School. The event was organised by the student-led Field Study team, who worked hard with professionalism and enthusiasm. The event was well received, with performances by singers, instrumentalists, and dancers – all of whom performed with great talent and skill.
Achievements
Congratulations to the following students, who have achieved awards and recognition for their accomplishments across several fields:
Ann (Y8) won First Prize in the 37th Shanghai Adolescents’ Science and Technology Innovation Contest.
In the 18th Future Engineer Competition, Izzy (Y8) won the First Prize for Architecture and Mark (Y8) won the Third Prize for Aerospace.
Eason (Y7) won Perfect Score in the Junior Division of the 2021-2022 American Computer Science League.
In the final round of the 2022 You Be The Chemist Challenge, students from Hongqiao and Songjiang took away several prizes:
· Gold Prize: Ethan, Jerry, Michael, and Kevin (all Y8)
· Silver Prize: Yuki, Julia, Emily, and Tony (all Y9)
· Silver Prize: Miranda (Y9), Heidi (Y8), Samuel (Y7), and Suzy (Y7)
Last year, the Songjiang USAD (US Academic Decathlon) team qualified for the global final, impressively in the final YK Pao School was the highest-ranked team in China and came 5th in the overall global competition. There were also some excellent individual performances including:
· Sophia (Y11) – Overall Gold and Gold in music, social sciences, and art
· Taylen (Y10) – Overall Gold and Gold in social science, literature, and the essay competition
· Caco (Y10) – Gold in science
· Peter (Y11) – Gold in both the speech competition and interview.
Frank (Y10) competed in several golf competitions across China during the summer and won both the U19 PGA Junior Golf series competition and a National HSBC Junior Competition.
Ariel (Y10) won two Platinum 1st Place in the Full Out Production International Dance Competition. Her two dances also won 4th place and 6th place in the Starbound National Talent Competition.
Sally (Y10) won the National High School debate league varsity division competition. In addition, she participated in the 2022 Peer Potential Mock Trial competition, receiving first place and the outstanding witness prize.
At the HOSA National Bio and Health Future Leaders Challenge, several students won recognition across various events, eventually winning 34 national medals and three global medals:
In the ACT (Academic Testing Center) competitive events:
· Peter (Y11) – First in China and sixth in the international round
· Paris (Y11) – Third in China
· Emma (Y10) – Fourth in the international round
· Yawen (Y12) – Eighth in the international Biology competition
In the BCE (Beneficial Competitive Events) competitive events:
· In the health education team event Selina (Y12), Arwen (Y11), Eve (Y11) and Stella (Y12) won second place in China.
· In the public service team event announcement, Spring (Y11), Wendy (Y12) and Taya (Y12) won second place in China.
Whilst in the CCE (Career-Oriented Competitive Events) events:
· Arwen (Y11) and Selina (Y12) – Third in China in the CPR/First Aid competition
· Peter (Y11) – First in China in the Nutrition competition.
The YK Pao School floorball team won first place in the National High School division of the 2022 National Youth U-Series Floorball Championship. Over 30 teams from all over China competed at the championship, which was held in Yudu, Jiangxi. Congratulations to all the team and to Andre (Y12) and Anna (Y12) who were both awarded with the MVP.
Ruoan (Y10) reached the final of the NHSDLC Open National Debating Championships Seed 1 and was awarded 2nd prize for top speaker in the NHSDLC Harvard Debate Council Online Invitational Tournament Varsity Division Seed 1.
This summer, the High School FTC Robotics team achieved three awards in the China Qualifiers (region 3) competition winning the Inspire Award (top award), the Control Award Sponsored by ARM (award for outstanding programming and control module) and were the top-ranked runner ups. In the China National Championship, they were placed on the Dean’s List Award, came in the Top 6 and were awarded the silver medal. Many congratulations to the team led by Ernest (Y12) and consisting of Angela, Kevin (Y12); Bruce, Bobby, Jimmy, and Simon (Y11) and Kaikai, Chris, and Tyler (Y10).
In the Global Final of the Asdan Business Simulation at the World Youth Economic Forum (WYEF), Kaikai (Y10) and Judy (Y10) led their team to win the Top Road-Show Award, the Best Entrepreneurship Award, and 4 other special awards including the Global Entrepreneurship Award (for best global expansion strategy), Partnership Excellence Award (for the best company merger plan), Mobility Innovator Award (for the best product prototype) and Outstanding Booth Design Award (for the best exhibition booth design).
Steven (Y12) won 1st Place in both the Individual Engineering and Best Engineering Team competitions in the DJI Drone Innovation Challenge of Engineering.
Jerry (Y9), an outstanding Erhu player, was awarded 3rd prize in the Chinese folk music competition of 2022 Shanghai International Music Festival and was shortlisted for the finals.
Kaikai (Y10) entered the 2022 China National Final on behalf of the East China Region (Regional No.1) in the Amazon DeepRacing competition, and his programming efficiency achieved 22nd place in the national final.
Lisa (Y10) finished in the top 30 students in the global student AI innovation competition, hosted by Microsoft Education.
In the Maths AMC 10 and AMC 12 competitions, a number of students received special recognition for their hard work:
· Honor Roll of Distinction (AMC 10) – Bruce, Brian, Eric and Tina (all Y11)
· Distinction (AMC 10) – Daniel (Y11), Victor, Albert, and Alan (all Y10)
· Honor Roll of Distinction (AMC 12) – Daniel (Y11)
· Distinction (AMC 12) – Brian, Eric, Jack (all Y11) and Cyrus (Y12)
