Pao Highlights

As the year approached its end, Pao School held its festive winter concerts on its primary and middle school campuses. Choral and orchestral music, jazz, and rock and roll, were among the various musical genres performed, once again demonstrating the abundance of musical talent, dedication and teamwork to be found among the school's student body.

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During Anti‑Bullying Week, the primary students participated in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, which centred on the theme 'Power of Good.' Students explored the theme through selected texts, reflected on its relevance to their own lives, and made commitments to stand up against bullying. The activities also included Odd Socks Day, for which students and faculty wore brightly coloured, mismatched socks to celebrate individual differences, and Unity Day, for which all students wore their house shirts to testify to the unity of the school and its houses.

Middle School observed Odd Socks Day to promote understanding and respect for individual differences. Recognising that hurtful actions among adolescents often arise from misunderstanding rather than malice, the event invited students to wear mismatched socks as a visible expression of diversity. The initiative aimed to reinforce a respectful, inclusive school culture in which all students feel safe and welcomed.

Several guest lecturers visited Pao School this semester to enrich the Primary School programme. Sydney Smith, a Canadian author and Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration recipient, delighted Year 4 students in an immersive session that encouraged creative expression through illustration.

Year 2 welcomed parents David Wang and his wife Candy for a presentation which explored the surprising variety of materials used in bicycle manufacturing. Bamboo bicycles were a special focus, and students were engaged in a hands‑on activity constructing bicycle frames.

The Year 4 EU team hosted Mr Hong Zhiyong, Director of the Shanghai Superconducting Materials and Systems Engineering Technology Research Centre, for a talk entitled 'The Ultimate Dream of Human Energy — Controlled Nuclear Fusion and High‑Temperature Superconducting Material' that included a demonstration of a levitated high‑temperature superconductor gliding along a magnetic rail.

During the Pinky Kids charity event, parents joined the PTA's DIY bracelet‑weaving workshop, and students made bracelets during CCA and recess. The bracelets were sold at the campus charity sale, with proceeds directed to supporting breast cancer patients at the Shanghai Angel Care Center. The Year 4 and Year 5 students visited a nearby Elderly Care Centre to mark the Double Ninth festival, presenting musical performances and good-will messages to residents. In this year's Special Olympics partnership with Changning Special Education School, Service Learning CCA members and Young Pioneer leaders interacted through sports, guiding and encouraging each other throughout the activities.

The 'Canvas Collage' parent workshop provided an art lesson for families, supported by video and still images. While creating their individual canvases, participants learnt the meaning of essential art vocabulary and techniques such as cutting, tearing, gluing and painting. The school also presented 'Journey into Joyful Reading: Parent‑Child Shared Reading for Happy Growth,' which offered practical strategies to foster primary students' interest in reading, and establish good reading habits. It also offered demonstrations of techniques to promote parent‑child discussion, comprehension, and critical thinking.

The Community Service CCA conducted various activities at a local nursing home, including a Double Ninth Festival concert, tambourine classes, and handicraft. As part of the Downlight Programme, Zoey and Chelsea, Year 8 students, visited Shanghai Fudan Children's Hospital to deliver care packages to pediatric cancer patients. The packages were prepared by the Downlight Programme, a charitable club established last semester, that has organised charity sales to raise funds, produced care packages, and conducted multiple hospital visits to engage patients in activities to lift their spirits.

The campus held its final house assembly of 2025, featuring an intense dodgeball championship between Summer House and Winter House. Winter House emerged as the champion. The assembly concluded the house competition season, and appreciation was expressed to all participating students for their performances.

The Middle School hosted its highly anticipated Winter Festival on December 19. The event featured a dance in the auditorium and, in the cafeteria, special snacks, a house shop, game stations, and a board-game area. As one of the highlights of student life during the school year, the festival provided opportunities for community building and student engagement.

Outside the classroom, Pao School students participate in many activities, including STEAM competitions. Student Eric Chen (Y6) won the Divisional Champion Award and the Teamwork Overall Champion Award at the 2025 16th VEX Asia Robotics Championship China Qualifier, East China Regional (VEX IQ Elementary Division). Daniel Zhou (Y8) won the Provincial First Prize in the China region and the Second Prize at the National Finals, in the 2024–2025 season of the Global Invention Convention, with his project “Xiaofan Classmate • Accessible Reading Companion”.

At the 2025 National Youth Canoe/Kayak U-Series League Finals, Elisa Han (Y8) excelled in the U15 women's group, winning 5 golds and 1 bronze to secure the overall championship. Additionally, Midas Wen (Y7) achieved a gold-medal sweep at the 2025 Hong Kong Swimming Championships, earning eight golds across individual and relay events.

This year the high school campus revived the Pao Student Seminar, where students share their interests with peers beyond the classroom. Topics range from scientific subjects such as food systems, terpenoids and gut microbiota, and hydrogel materials to humanities and social sciences topics including perspectives on death in ancient China, multiculturalism explored through gaming, the spirit of resistance in poetry, and broader issues like anti‑drug education.

This December, the English and Humanities Departments organized a variety of activities, including the Geo Doctor Competition, the House Kahoot Competition, and a student seminar in the library on sustainable living and the food system. Dr. Liu Su of Chenshan Botanical Garden gave a lecture titled "Analyzing Common Misconceptions about Climate Change."

The High School celebrated Spirit Week, a demonstration of the school's unity and values. The school community raised funds for the Roots & Shoots Million Trees Project, ensuring that an entire forest will be planted. Xue Yuan Houses expressed support for the week by proudly wearing their colours, as they competed in a record number of inter‑house events. The celebrations culminated on Thursday in a Spirit Week Disco.

Pao High School held its first Health Week in November. The event was organized by the student‑led Heart‑to‑Heart Club in collaboration with the Health Regimen Club, TCM Club, Asclepius Medical Club, and Field Study. The week‑long program featured Mental Health Day, wellness workshops, first aid training, health lectures, and the annual Charity Run and Bazaar raising funds for children with congenital heart disease.

The Phuket King's Cup Regatta is a major international sailing event held in Phuket, Thailand, which brings together hundreds of competitors across multiple classes for competitive fleet racing. This year, the 37th iteration of the event, saw Pao School's Edison Xu, representing the School and China in the Optimist class, secure overall runner‑up position, the highest finish ever recorded by a Chinese youth sailor in the entire history of the regatta. On 6 December he attended the Royal Awards Ceremony to receive his trophy from Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand.

Pao School's alumni community convened in two recent gatherings. The UK Reunion in London was attended by more than 60 graduates and was joined by other former Pao School staff now residing in the UK. The Winter Homecoming Reunion on the high school campus saw over 70 alumni return to reconnect with friends and former teachers before the winter holidays.

At the second annual 'My Ideal Teacher' awards, organised by the Shanghai Association of Private Primary and Secondary Schools, three teachers from Pao School were honoured as Exemplary Educators: Irene Gong of the primary school, Sharpay Cao of the middle school, and Sophia Lu of the high school.