Pao Highlights

Pao Scool offers various ‘Parent Workshops’ to deepen the involvement of parents in their children’s education, while  providing them with insights into how their children learn at the school, along with ideas for better supporting that learning at home. A recent workshop, entitled ‘Cultivating Curiosity: Enquiry-Based Learning,’ was led by Mr. Jonathan Burnhill, a Primary teacher and Primary Head of the Exploratory Unit (EU), alongside fellow Primary teacher and  Assistant Head of the EU Ms. Ellie Bledsoe. This workshop taught parents how to encourage their children to ask questions and develop their own answers, fostering critical thinking. 

Another session, the ‘AI Parent Session,’ conducted by Mr. Conor Barnes, an ICT teacher and Primary Head of the ICT department, focused on the use of AI in classrooms, discussing how parents can promote its use and how students are being taught to navigate it safely. In the ‘Adapting to the New School Year’ Parent Workshop, Ms. Iris Fan, the Primary Counsellor, addressed the challenges students face at the beginning of the school year, using specific examples, and sharing support strategies for both home and school to help children adjust more smoothly to their new environment.

On September 25th, the Pao School Young Pioneers committee visited Changning Special Education School for the Special Olympics integration event, in order to gain a deeper understanding of related activities. This event seeks to empower adolescents, both with and without intellectual disabilities, to make a positive impact in the world through sports, fostering social inclusivity through physical activity. Students gain the opportunity to broaden their range of friendships while enhancing their social and emotional skills. Participation in the sports integration activities cultivates essential values, such as mutual respect, inclusion, and collaboration, which will positively influence their future growth and development.

On October 9th, the lower primary students attended a Wellness Activity designed to enhance their overall wellbeing. During the event, the children examined, recorded, and described the emotional changes they were going through as well as their coping strategies they used by creating an ‘emotion scale’ on which to assemble their own ‘emotional toolbox.’ They noted the things that brought them positivity on grapefruit cards and attached these to the ‘Class Positive Tree.’ They  incorporated calming colors, soft textures, and interactive elements to create a sensory tool for managing stress and enhancing their emotional wellbeing.

On September 19, students from Year 6, 7, and 8 participated in a series of Fun House Activities that aimed to promote teamwork, friendly competition, and house spirit. Year 6 engaged in a Skipping Rope Challenge, while Year 7 took on the Crossing the River Challenge, testing their skills of strategy and cooperation. Year 8 competed in a Round Robin House Tug of War. After intense competition, Summer House won the Year 6 challenge, Winter House topped Year 7, and Summer House also triumphed in Year 8. These activities strengthened bonds across year levels and enhanced the sense of pride and belonging within all the houses.

In mid-September, the first Counsellor Parent Coffee Morning of the year, themed ‘Back to School, Connection, and Growth,’ was held in the Ningbo Room. The event was a collaboration with ‘MindWeavers,’ who employed ‘Playback Theatre’ to create a safe space in which parents could share their various parenting experiences among themselves. Participants expressed complex emotions, on issues ranging from navigating boundaries to personal growth. Actors then interpreted these stories through movement and spontaneous performances. The room transitioned from quiet listening to heartfelt engagement, transforming strangers into a community that felt seen and understood. Each story, whether spoken or unspoken, was honored, in order to reinforce the belief that education is a journey of parents growing together with their children.

In a festive celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival and traditional Chinese culture, the Middle School partnered with the school cafeteria to host a unique dining event. This celebration featured a variety of engaging activities, including lantern riddle guessing and interactive games with 嫦娥 (Chang'e). Professional chefs were invited to guide students in making mooncakes by hand. Through these experiences, students were immersed in the holiday spirit and gained a deeper appreciation for the cultural richness of Chinese traditions.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival Break, the teachers of Pao Middle School were deeply moved to be hosted at the Teachers’ Appreciation Lunch, prepared by their students’ parents. While the sound of a guzheng echoed through the room, parents grilled steaks out in the sun, among beautifully presented desserts that were laid out on the tables. The PTA was also able to announce that this year’s fundraising had reached a new record. The parents’ trust and encouragement of Pao School’s teachers inspires them to keep moving forward.

On October 10th, the Primary School hosted its annual 'Hundred Families Banquet.' This event, organized by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and executed by dedicated volunteer parents, provided teachers with a delightful buffet. The occasion was further enhanced by a heartfelt thank-you video prepared by the students. The teachers expressed their delight not only at the exquisite meal but also at the genuine expressions of gratitude, which reflected the profound appreciation and understanding that parents hold for the school.

On September 15th, Ms. Tao Min, a sign language teacher and counsellor, presented a lecture entitled Voices from the Fingertips: Communication Without Barriers as part of the ‘PaoVision’ lecture series. Leveraging her dual expertise in education and volunteer service, Ms. Tao examined sign language from various perspectives, including its linguistic structure, cultural significance, and role in social inclusion. Through interactive activities, she helped students appreciate the richness and warmth of non-verbal communication.

On September 22nd, Mr. Wang Qiu, an esteemed guest speaker in the ‘PaoVision’ lecture series, delivered a thought-provoking address entitled Emotion as a Special Form of Perception in the auditorium. His lecture systematically explored the two foundational schools of contemporary emotion theory—cognitivism and non-cognitivism—while also introducing two emerging approaches from recent decades: the perceptual theory of emotion and the generative theory of emotion. Mr. Wang emphasized that emotions represent both the emergence of affordance and a unique form of perception. He argued that these new theories are not mutually exclusive; rather, they can coexist and complement one another.

The University Counselling Office (UCO) had a busy September hosting a wide range of visiting universities from across the US. These included major research institutions such as the University of Chicago and NYU, liberal arts colleges such as Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College, and Ivy League schools such as Dartmouth College. Beyond the US, the UCO was also delighted to host King’s College London from the UK, along with a virtual session featuring Northwestern and Georgetown in Qatar.

In September, the Philosophy Department introduced an AI chatbot in the library called ‘The Philosophical Roundtable’ as part of the ‘Philosophy in the Spotlight’ program. Students could ask the chatbot philosophical questions and receive responses from four distinct philosophers. The chatbot selects philosophers with differing views and responds to the questions using language reflective of the time periods in which they lived. Other activities included a guest lecture from a professor at Fudan University, student-led philosophy seminars, a philosophy book display in the library, a slideshow of philosophical quotes in the cafeteria, humorous philosophical memes outside the philosophy room, quotes featured in the week-ahead bulletin, and a wall hanging of the fresco "School of Athens" in the North Building hallway.

Robotics Team 19600 Treeman won the Champion title at the 2025 FTC World Premier Event in Lexington, Kentucky, on June 28th. They also received the Control Award (a specialty award) for their outstanding robot field performance, and for their impressive innovations in programming and control modules. This marks the first world-level competition championship won by a team from China.

The Firefly Fusion Ensemble won the Gold Award in the Chamber Music (Amateur) category at the Italian Music League International Youth Competition held in Chengdu during the summer vacation. Established in 2023, the ensemble consists of six students: Iris (Cello), Aileen (Cello), Ethan (Pipa), Venus (Flute), Cindy (Piano), and Audrey (Vocal). In this competition, they gave exceptional performances of the classic Chinese pieces ‘Yi Zu Dance’ and ‘Ambush from All Sides,’ earning high praise from the judges. The Firefly Fusion Ensemble began at Pao School’s Hongqiao Campus and has since flourished at the Songjiang Campus, exemplifying the school's ‘East-meets-West’ academic atmosphere.