In case you missed it: June 2024
Year 1: Traveling through Time
Our Year 1 pupils stepped into a time machine for our June series of enriching and immersive Hook Days. Through hands-on activities, they had the opportunity to explore life in ancient China and Egypt as well as Medieval England. The children then set the time machine to the future to catch a glimpse of what tomorrow might hold.
Wellington’s first-ever Senior School Prom
Wellington held its inaugural prom, a pupil-initiated event to celebrate the end of the academic year. Organised by the prom committee, this event aimed to reward pupils for their hard work after exams and provide a memorable farewell for our Leavers. Approximately 200 Senior School pupils gathered on our cricket pitch under the enchanting ‘Starry Night' theme. The evening was filled with music, dancing and joy, creating a magical atmosphere that allowed pupils to unwind and create lasting memories. This event not only strengthened the bonds within our school community but also enabled pupils to show their talents through music performances.
Summer term concert: One Night on Broadway
Wellington musicians showcased their vocal and instrumental talents as well as their confidence and teamwork with an evening of stirring renditions of Broadway classics. Audiences were wowed with songs from shows like Hamilton, Grease, Wicked, Into the Woods and more!
Dragon Boat Festival
Our final traditional Chinese festival of the academic year brought our pupils together for fun competitions and enriching cultural immersion. Children and teachers in years 6-10 met on the track for our unique on-land Dragon Boat race. Our year 8-9 pupils built dragon boats to race across our pool. We also made traditional handicrafts like herb sachets and embroidery as well as that classic Dragon Boat Festival snack zongzi.
Year 4 showcase: Up and Down the Andes
Our year 4 showcase was a colourful celebration of Peruvian culture. The pupils brought the festival of Inti Raymi to life by singing, dancing and playing instruments from the Andes region. They performed songs in three languages—English, Spanish, and Quechua—and delighted the audience with their musical talents on recorders, xylophones, guitar, flute and cello. By telling the story and recreating music from the book used in class, year 4 put on a brilliant performance that showcased all they have learned. It was clear they worked incredibly hard to respectfully represent and immerse their audience in the traditions and customs of a fascinating culture.
House singing competition
The battle for the House Cup came to its thrilling conclusion with House Singing taking place throughout the school. In the Senior School and Upper Prep event, all houses thoroughly impressed the judges with their spirit and enthusiasm. Combermere and Hardinge were close third and second respectively, but Orange won the overall event. In the Lower Prep, Hopetoun were crowned winners in a closely fought contest.
Year 6-9 musical: Legally Blonde
Our performers in years 6-9 dazzled audiences with a lively production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. The cast and crew brought the hit movie-turned-Broadway-musical to life on stage through memorable songs, spectacular dance numbers and comedic acting. It was a hugely successful show that was both entertaining and empowering. Bravo!
Edventures 2024
This year, our Edventures programme returned in a major way. During our final weeks of the academic year, we provided transformative experiential learning opportunities for pupils across multiple year groups. Our year 10 pupils had the opportunity to interface with Miao and Dong peoples in Guizhou, while years 11-13 split between Huangshan and Guizhou for CAS projects supporting local schools. A select group travelled to Thailand near Phi Phi Island to earn diving certifications and contribute to marine conservation. Year 6 pupils explored nature through outdoor adventures in Zhejiang's Yaolin, and our year 7 pupils explored Anji's forests and rivers. Meanwhile, our year 8 participated in UNESCO's SandWatch programme in Ningbo. Year 9 undertook archaeological and environmental projects in the northwestern province of Ningxia. Additionally, our year 8 leaders experienced Guizhou's rich cultures, and select pupils even visited top US universities including Harvard and Yale.
Battle of the Bands
Four Wellington bands rocked the house at this year’s Battle of the Bands at the New Bund 31 Theatre. Jellypops wowed the crowd with their incredible skill and energy. These year 6 pupils proved they have what it takes to be the next big stars. Paper Mache and Punky Custard also took the stage by storm, earning thunderous applause. Anonymity also delivered an electrifying performance that earned them second place among 21 bands.
Inter-school chess tournament
Wellington had an impressive showing at the recent inter-school chess competitions. In the International Schools Online Chess League, we won the Greater China regional title and placed second in Asia overall. Additionally, our U12 team secured second place while our U18 teams finished second and fourth in their divisions at the face-to-face tournament. These strong results demonstrate the elite level of talent in our chess programme, which currently involves 126 dedicated players.
Bee You. Bee More! Nursery and Reception urban apiary field trip
As part of their "Growing" project, our Nursery and Reception pupils went on an excursion to an urban apiary. Marco the Beekeeper guided them in observing bees collecting pollen from lavender, seeing honeycomb, nectar and different stages of bee development. Some pupils bravely held hive frames so others could see. They sampled types of honey and helped plant bee-friendly flowers. Afterwards, pupils reflected on how to help declining bee populations, with some discussing becoming future beekeepers. The hands-on trip effectively taught the young learners about bees' crucial role through engaging experiences like watching bee activity and interacting with the keeper — reinforcing our emphasis on authentic project-based learning.
Eco-Garden harvest
Year 3-8 pupils in the Gardening CCA reaped the fruits of their hard work this month. They picked a bountiful harvest of cucumbers, watermelons, aubergines, courgettes, grapes, peaches, cherries and more. This presented our pupils with the opportunity to learn all about where our food comes from and the important work that goes into producing it. It was also a hands-on way to teach our pupils about sustainability and the importance of environmental stewardship.
FOW Golden Gratitude Trees
The FOW showed their appreciation for our teachers and parent volunteers with their Golden Gratitude Trees. Cards were given to all pupils to write notes of gratitude to their favourite teachers and attach them to the trees at both the main campus and the Early Years Centre. This was an opportunity for the pupils to thank the educators who supported and guided them throughout the school year.
Early Years Centre graduation
This June, 90 Reception pupils earned their wings! We celebrated their momentous growth and this milestone with a graduation ceremony in the Wellington College Theatre. Our Parrot, Eagle, Owl and Toucan pupils treated parents and special guests to a series of inspiring performances that culminated in a bilingual musical medley to showcase their dual language learning. Executive Head of Early Years Charlotte Knight-Benjafield and our Assistant Head, Natasha Steyn, offered heartfelt words of pride, hope and encouragement as they take flight to our main campus as fully-fledged year 1 pupils.
Awarding the House Cup
With house competitions completed and the scores tallied, we finally awarded the coveted House Cup with a ceremony in the Sports Hall. In third place were Hill, who had excelled this year in multiple events. Second for two years running were Combermere, who were incredibly close again to taking home the Cup. The ultimate winner was Orange House, the newest of the houses. Their performance in the Trashion Show, house charity stalls, Dragon Boat design contest and singing gave them the edge in the end. Congratulations to all staff and pupils who contributed to their victory.
Related Articles
