Pao Highlights

With the beginning of the new year, music once again fills the halls of Pao School. Pao Primary School performed its 'New Year Concert,' featuring 'Farewell My Concubine,' a 'Medley of Chinese and Foreign Classics,' and a new addition, the 'Chinese Opera.' Pao High School performed its annual 'Winter Concert,' which included 'Jumpin' at the Woodside,' Vivaldi's 'Summer,' and concluded with Movements I and IV of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.

Primary School held a 'Special Learning Day' themed 'Journey of a Pao-er' to encourage students to embrace the school's values of empathy, integrity and balance. The teachers organised handicraft classes, game challenges and story-team sessions, and a safety talk delivered by firefighters. 

Middle school’s special learning programme featured hands-on cultural, creative and technical workshops, from traditional crafts and martial arts to performing arts, robotics and advanced woodwork, allowing each year group to pick immersive experiences suited to their interests.

With the approach of the Chinese New Year, the Primary School held Chinese Culture Week, lasting from January 28 to February 6. Primary Years 1 to 5 completed practical, themed programmes on Traditional Chinese Festivals, including 'The Most Stylish Ethnic Group'; 'The 24 Solar Terms'; 'The Eight Culinary Traditions of China'; and 'The Beauty of Chinese Characters' all of which culminated in formal presentations.

On February 6, the Middle School hosted the Chinese Poetry Competition finals, during a day of rotations through Traditional Performing Arts, subject-led workshops across art, language, humanities, science, technology and PE. This also included an interactive cultural fair featuring nearly 20 intangible cultural heritage activities, supported by the PTA.

At the Songjiang High School campus students attended a variety of Chinese themed activities, including a Chinese New Year disco on February 4. On February 6 they took part in a gala that involved a traditional food preparation of candied haws and glutinous rice balls; a gym funfair of interactive games; and a closing talent show.

The Story Telling team staged their latest production, captivating the lower primary school students. The performance was the result of hours of preparation and dedication, reflecting the depth of commitment Pao parents have to the school and their partnership in enabling the student's character strengths to flourish. This year's production emphasized the values of balance and confidence.

Year 3 completed the interdisciplinary unit 'Books That Record Time,' and experts from the Shanghai Dalai Time Museum were invited to explore the astronomical cycles of the Earth with the students, explaining day and night, and the changing seasons. The activities incorporated the cultural meaning of the traditional Chinese '24 solar terms' and included multisensory art, along with PE activities, and station-based investigations with an interactive Q&A. Finally, the students wrote 'a letter to the future' to grasp the meaning of time, develop integrated thinking, and deepen cultural identity.

On 23 January, over 30 parents joined Year 5 for an Ancient Greece showcase. Students presented project boards that linked ancient foundations, such as coinage and architecture, to modern-day digital wallets and skyscrapers. One parent commented, "As a parent, I didn't feel like a judge but rather like a student, learning so much from these rich humanities projects. It was a wonderful example of how teaching and learning grow together, a valuable opportunity for mutual development that supports the growth of the whole family."

Half of the Year 1 cohort brought the forest to life in a delightful adaptation of 'The Gruffalo'. After weeks of rehearsals, they learned their lines, designed simple sets, and performed with growing confidence, charming the audience as the Mouse, the Fox, the Owl, and the Gruffalo. At the same time, the Theatre CCA, with students from Years 3 to 5, presented ‘Matilda: The Musical’ following twice weekly rehearsals. This involved acting, dancing, singing, directing and costume and prop design. The students’ evident enthusiasm and dedication delighted parents and classmates.

The 'Innovart' Art Show featured visual art students from Years 6 to 8 showcasing their semester of work across a wide range of media and creative approaches. Led by a student curatorial team, the exhibition put students in charge of everything from artwork presentation to the design of the visitor experience.

After months of rehearsals, the Drama Department staged its winter musical production of Hadestown. Based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice the production explored the cost of hope, the danger of doubt, and the power of storytelling.

On December 13, Young Pioneer Coordinator Ms. Yaping Hu led Young Pioneers to the Changning District Youth Science and Technology. Students learned about the history of China's aerospace industry and the basic science of plankton and satellites, then built wooden microscopes and solar powered satellite models.

The school held its CCA Fair, where seventy co-curricular activities were put on show across the gymnasium and outdoor areas, spanning sports, the arts, student leadership, and service learning. Through display boards, student presentations, and face-to-face conversations, each CCA team explained the activity in its own way, including advice on how to participate, along with the expected time commitment. CCAs challenge students to develop time management, energy allocation, and self-adjustment.

The First Middle School–High School Cross‑Campus Student Council Joint Forum brought together 24 student leaders from the SJ and HQ campuses to discuss cross‑campus collaboration and leadership development. After icebreakers and presentations on each council's structure and activities, mixed workshops produced proposals including joint sports competitions, cross‑campus peer mentoring, and collaborative community service, and a closing student panel reflected on the YK Pao School Student Council spirit and hopes for future cooperation.

'This Much Is True' was the Year 10 to 12 Drama and Theatre Showcase. Students presented verbatim material shaped by Gecko-style physical composition and symbolic design. The Encore Theatre group presented two showcases featuring a cast directed by Year 11 students Alice Pan and Annie Li, who performed an adapted one-hour staging of Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton' with an intermission.

As part of the Pao Seminar, students Joyce Zhang of Year 10 and Eli He of Year 11 introduced new and intriguing topics. Joyce explained animal foraging, examining why koalas consume toxic eucalyptus and how some dogs locate medicinal plants, ina presentation that emphasized the roles of instinct and social learning. Eli traced the evolution of facial expression, showing how survival signals developed into complex social tools and revealing the biological and psychological foundations of human expressive behavior.

Dr. Liu Su, a researcher from Chenshan Botanical Garden, led a scientific analysis of climate‑change skepticism, emphasizing that human greenhouse‑gas emissions have driven recent warming and worsened climate impacts. Associate Professor Li Zhoulong of the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University delivered a lecture on 'Robotic Intelligent Manufacturing Technology.' He explained core technologies, including hardware architectures and intelligent control systems.

During Arts Day, participants chose from five locations, each presenting different visual and performing arts, including a student work gallery walk in the IB Arts Center and a dragon dance accompanied by Chinese percussion in the gym. Students also enjoyed a documentary theatre piece in the Black Box; standout solo performances in the Oxygen Bar; and small-group performances in the Auditorium.

On January 8, the Year 11 cohort participated in the 'YK Pao School Amazing Race,' an off campus experiential learning event held at Pan Long Tian Di. In a fast paced series of challenges, students engaged with the local community, explored elements of Chinese culture, and made strategic decisions under time pressure, thereby actively developing key IB Approaches to Learning, particularly communication, collaboration, and thinking skills.

Vicky Liu , a 2016 alumna of Pao School's primary division, has combined her jewelry design practice with work in intangible cultural heritage preservation and entrepreneurship. At a recent primary school assembly she shared her experiences and guided younger students in a hands-on filigree activity, creating a 'little red flower' from pipe cleaners.

The Parents' Choir, made up of parents from across the school's campuses, has long been an active presence on Pao School's stages. This year, they produced a music video, "Dear You" (《亲爱的你啊》), dedicated to teachers and students and extending warm wishes for the future.