In case you missed it: November 2024
Here’s to 10 Years of Wellington
What an incredible celebration it was!
Remembrance Day
At 11:00am on 11 November, our pupils and teachers donned red poppies and gathered on the College esplanade for a few moments of solemn reflection in honour of Remembrance Day. Pupil musicians performed a stirring rendition of the hymn ‘Abide With Me’. Then, as is tradition, there was a recitation of an excerpt from Lawrence Binyon's poem, ‘For the Fallen’. A trumpet call of ‘Last Post’ signalled the beginning of two minutes of silence followed by ‘Reveille’ and a recitation of the Kohima Epitaph. A long-held tradition at Wellington, the annual ceremony was an opportunity to take pause and think about all the people affected by war, in particular children and families, both in the past and in the present. It allows us to consider the suffering of those impacted by conflicts around the world and underscores the importance of working towards peace and international friendship. This day reaffirms our hope to build bridges across countries and cultures, making the advent of conflict and war less likely.
Focus Week
During Focus Week, pupils in years 7-9 embarked on immersive educational tours around the world. The Chinese and Geography departments led a trip to Guilin and Yangshuo, where they explored stunning karst landscapes, learned how the region's rivers and geography shape local culture and traditional practices and used critical thinking to analyse the complex relationship between people and environment. The English department took pupils on a tour of London, visiting renowned venues like the Globe Theatre, learning from industry professionals, and developing literary analysis skills while cultivating a greater appreciation for the arts. The History department guided an exploration of Germany and Poland, where pupils bore witness to historical sites and legacies like the Berlin Wall and Holocaust memorials, fostering a deeper comprehension of global citizenship and the lasting impact of the past. These transformative initiatives exemplify Wellington's commitment to experiential learning, empowering our children to develop essential real-world skills by engaging directly with the world beyond the classroom.
Fellows Award Night
On 19 November, we celebrated our brightest young minds at the annual Fellows Award Night. Over 150 pupils were recognised for their remarkable achievements and immense potential as part of our prestigious Fellowship Programme. These awards reflect not only academic, artistic and sporting excellence but also the exceptional character embodied by Wellington's core values of courage, kindness, respect, integrity and responsibility.
Odd Socks Day at the Early Years Centre
Odd Socks Day at the Early Years Centre was a celebration of diversity and individuality. The children arrived wearing mismatched socks, eager to showcase what made them unique. Throughout the day, the teachers led thoughtful discussions, guiding the young learners to appreciate the beauty in their differences. By embracing their uniqueness, our pupils learned to celebrate the wonderful ways they each stood out from the crowd.
A swimming accolade for a Wellington Aqualion
Year 9 pupil Shannon was honoured at the Star of the East 2024 Yangtze River Delta Youth Sports Series Challenge with the ‘Best Breakthrough Award’. The award ceremony was the culmination of an intense and competitive sports series that brought together promising young athletes from the region. Winning the ‘Best Breakthrough Award’ is just the latest in a growing collection of achievements for Shannon. Most recently, she competed in the Swimming World Cup, where she made it to the finals. She will soon be representing Malaysia at the Southeast Asian Age Group Championships in Bangkok. We are confident that Shannon will continue to go from strength to strength.
Sports news
November was jam-packed with sporting achievements in volleyball, equestrian, football, swimming and tennis. Many of our pupils travelled overseas and won domestic conference titles in ACAMIS, FOBISIA, Shanghai Swim League and Sport Ed ITAA Tennis (UTR) competitions. We hosted our inaugural U19 volleyball tournament with five attending schools and saw our girls team through to the finals. Wellington pupils also attended the inaugural Wellington College China competitive football invitational which saw four out of five Wellington China schools compete for the Wellington Cup in years 4-6. Additionally, we have seen our affiliated Under 7&8 football team (TPA Lions) achieve an undefeated status in the Y-League thus far.
Have2Dance competition and eMotion dance showcase
November is always peak dance season at Wellington. This presents our pupils with the opportunity to practise resilience and teamwork as they summon the courage to perform before their peers. It kicked off with our annual Have2Dance competition. Pupils from across the College gave it their all, performing a stunning array of genres and styles — traditional Chinese, K-pop, jazz and so much more. Competition winners later joined our Arts Fellows and Aspirants in dance for our third annual autumn dance showcase, now aptly titled ‘eMotion’.
Year 5 showcase: The Arrival
Our year 5 pupils delivered a captivating stage adaptation of The Arrival, Shaun Tan's wordless graphic novel that tells the story of a man who migrates to a strange new land. Through skilled physical storytelling and evocative visuals, the students brought to life this poignant tale, inspiring deep empathy and understanding of the immigrant experience. The production was widely praised for its emotional impact, as it sensitively conveyed the challenges and triumphs faced by those seeking a better life in a foreign country.
House happenings
As ever, November was packed full of house happenings. Our Secondary School Spellington Bee saw Lynedoch emerge victorious. Our house debating championships saw pupils delivering powerful arguments about whether it is okay to break the rules. Our pupils cited powerful examples for (like Rosa Parks) and against (like the 2008 financial crash). Orange House reigned supreme. Complementing these lively forensic showdowns were our challenging general knowledge quizzes organised by the College’s pupil-led academic committee.
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