Looking back on our 10th-anniversary festivities
As Wellington Shanghai celebrates its 10th anniversary, we are taking time to honour the incredible journey that has brought us to this milestone. Over the past decade, our school has grown into a vibrant, global community, thanks to the tireless efforts of our teachers, staff, pupils and families. In a series of events throughout the autumn, we have been recognising the contributions of those who have been with us since the very beginning, as well as showcasing the diversity and spirit that define the Wellington Shanghai experience.
Here’s to 10 Years of Wellington
What an incredible celebration it was
A tribute to our founding faculty and staff
We kicked off the 2024-25 academic year by honouring the teachers and staff who have been with us since the very beginning. Early this September, we treated our founding staff members to dinner at the J Hotel in the Shanghai Tower. This was our way of showing our heartfelt gratitude for a decade of dedicated service to our pupils, parents and the wider community.
Our message to the world
Then, a few weeks later on a bright and early September morning, we assembled on the grass field sporting our house colours. Teachers, staff and pupils from Reception to Sixth Form stood proudly in formation to spell out ‘WELLINGTON 10 上海’ for an awe-inspiring aerial photograph. This powerful display of unity and school spirit sent a celebratory message to the world: “We are 10 years strong!”
A global community in unity
For the 10th year in a row, we came together to celebrate the diversity that makes our community so vibrant and special. For our annual United Nations Day and International Food Festival, the Astroturf pitch was bristling with energy as our pupils proudly represented their home countries, waving the flags of over 45 nations and territories in a lively parade. After the parade, everyone made their way to the Dome, where we shared an incredible array of signature dishes, drinks and delicacies from around the world. From spicy curries to sweet pastries. This yearly tradition took on even deeper meaning as we celebrate 10 years of Building a Global Community.
Honoring our first families
Days later, we honoured those who have been with us since the very beginning, our founding families. The event, held at the elegant HYH Maison restaurant, brought together parents who have been part of the Wellington community for the past decade. Over a delicious dinner, our leadership team thanked these families for their unwavering support and commitment to building Wellington into the incredible global community that it is today and for believing in us over a decade ago.
‘Wellbeington’
The last four days of October saw the launch of our inaugural Wellbeing Festival launched as part of our 10 year celebrations. Our pupils and community members took part in workshops, talks and a host of other activities guided by themes, like Be Active, Be Learners, Be Connectors, Be Mindful and Be Changemakers. We explored topics like conflict management, healthy social media use, building resilience and self-confidence and so much more. This commitment to pupil wellbeing has long been a defining feature of the Wellington DNA. Its roots trace back to Wellington College in the UK, which in 2006 became the first school of its kind to enshrine pupil wellbeing in its mission, earning it the nickname ‘Wellbeington’.
A capstone celebration
Finally, on Friday 1 November, we held our capstone event in our Wellington College Theatre. We were joined by special guests, like Joy Qiao, Founder and Chairman of Wellington College China; Xu Erjin, Chairman of the Lujiazui Group; Cai Rong, General Manager of the Lujiazui Group; Matthew Burney, HM Consul-General, British Consulate-General Shanghai; Qinjian Zhou, Director of the International Exchange Office at the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission; Sir Anthony Seldon, Founding Director of Wellington College Education and other long-standing partners. The event featured speeches from our special guests who reflected on the power of strong partnerships to turn vision into reality. Wellingtonians past and present treated all in attendance to special music and dance performances as well.
Our big Wellington weekend
But this was only the start of an entire weekend of festivities. The following evening, our parents and teachers come together at the W Hotel on the Bund for our 10th-anniversary-themed annual ball.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, over 3,000 Wellington community members from 45+ nations and territories gathered on our grass pitch for a joyous evening concert. It was a spectacular showcase of rock bands, high-energy dance performances, acrobats and a magic show — because when the Wellington community comes together magic always happens, of course. The College’s director of performance music even composed an original piece of music specially for the show.
Illuminating our neighborhood:
Qiantan, Shanghai
As a special gift from our Qiantan community, our celebration message was featured as a supergraphic on Qiantan’s tallest building, Qiantan Centre on the week of 28 October, drawing awe from our neighbours, truly making a statement of locality solidarity.
And to cap off festivities, shortly after sunset on November 3, onlookers were treated to an incredible synchronised drone display that lit up the Qiantan sky which included digital ‘fireworks’ leaving the Wellington community filled with pride and wonder for what the next 10 years might bring.
Wellington lights up night sky with
spectacular drone display over Shanghai
As these special events have shown, Wellington Shanghai has grown into a remarkable global community over the past decade. With the dedication of our teachers, staff, pupils and families, we have built a vibrant, multicultural school that celebrates diversity and champions pupil wellbeing. The passion, energy and unity on display throughout these celebrations are a testament to the enduring spirit that makes our community so special. We reflect on the past decade with immense pride in our past and boundless optimism for the future. In short: We are just getting started!
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