This year, we adopted a new slogan, 'Be You. Be More.', and already it has become a guiding principle in all that our pupils, parents and teachers do. At our United Nations Day and International Food Festival, we celebrated diversity, inclusion and tolerance while we expanded our horizons with new flavours.

We celebrated excellence in academics, sports and the arts at our Fellows Award Night. The Wellington Festival of the Arts resumed once more, kicking off with pupils from across the entire group joining us to learn, share and create together. Throughout the week, the College was pulsing with creative energy. Our pupils took part in impromptu art workshops and competitions. We were treated to live jazz, dance and theatre performances. And we even did 'The Timewarp'!

With COVID closures behind us, we are even seeing our pupils once again travel outside of Shanghai to Thailand for sports events, Hong Kong for drama workshops and in 2024, we are even sending a contingent to Kenya! These excursions are such an important and enriching part of our offering here at Wellington, and I am so thrilled that they are happening once again.

As ever, pupils across all year groups are giving it their all, from debating to dance to volleyball in our house competitions. Wellingtonians spread. cheer across campus with our annual tree lighting in the esplanade and our cracking perfromance of Treasure Island: the Pantomime as well as an astonishing number of caroling concerts at the city's hotels.

 

 

And so, I want my Christmas message this year to focus on that: your children. Whether you recognise the true meaning of Christmas or not, we all feel a sense of warmth and togetherness at Christmas time. It is a time for families and friends to reconnect, a time for letting go of the troubles of the past, and a time to reflect on the important things in our lives. I know you will all enjoy the holiday time with your children, and we will look forward to having them back in their classrooms in January.

Being a Wellingtonian is special, it symbolises a belonging to something bigger than ourselves, something that values the collective. Your children live this every day in school, where they are reminded about the value of friendships, the value of understanding and empathy and the value of forgiveness and kindness. A good education is wasted on someone with poor intentions. So, we value the building of strong character over all else here at Wellington.

At Christmas time, we all have an opportunity to remember each other, to practice kindness and forgiveness and to find ways to ease the burden on those around us – to make each other’s lives better.

With all that is going on in the world right now, let’s take some time this holiday to feel grateful that, together, we get to positively influence the lives of our pupils, your children, in this way. To help shape them as leaders of the future. Enjoy your time with them.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year, and a restful holiday.