ENQUIRE NOW
On Saturday 23rd June, parents and team members gathered at Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai to bid a fond farewell to the current early years setting. After a rather gloomy morning, the sun made its way out to bathe the gardens in a wonderfully warm glow as people chatted together. It seemed as if even Mother Nature understood the significance of the occasion. This was not a sad occasion, instead it was a very happy one as we looked forward rather than back. The time had come to say goodbye and we were ready. The theme for the celebration was based on a traditional afternoon tea, albeit with a twist. Aden produced a remarkable tea with delicate sandwiches, pastries and cakes with bubbles, wine, fresh juices, iced tea and coffee. A veritable feast was had by all! Speeches by Yuki and I kicked off the formalities as we thanked the many people involved in the history and evolution of the setting; the academic and non-academic teams for their tremendous commitment, the parents and families for their faith and trust in our shared vision, our colleagues in Central Office for their expertise and guidance, Mr Gerard MacMahon (Executive Master) for his exceptional leadership and Joy Qiao (Chair of Governors) for her inspirational vision and perpetual pledge to change the educational landscape for many rather than a few. As a little surprise for the parents, the marvellous marketing team supported the teachers, as they highlighted their favourite things about Wellington in a video. Each teacher shared a memory or a comparison to something they like. Whilst this provided many sentimental ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, the laughter came from the bloopers at the end. Mr Nikko Xing, father of an EY2 pupil spoke about his experiences with Wellington, “We got used to tie our life to a name, which is Wellington, for almost everyday activities, from dressing, eating, napping, pooping, to language study, fun day, PE, picnic, carnival, music, parent lectures, photographing, Tapestry, volunteering works, so many more than I can illustrate. We built trust and even took Wellington the 2nd home besides our own. We made friends here, not only other families, but also teachers and other members of the team. We were surprised to see the cognition and discipline that inked in our daughter, and the courtesy, kindness, and love that she demonstrated through her daily life.” He went on to conclude, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am standing here today because my family have to say goodbye and head to another piece of our life. Unlike this place which is going to be dismantled along with the move, we are leaving but with memory remains. Wellington is the starting point of Kate’s intellectual life, and our best wishes send to Wellington for the brighter future to nurture the best young generation, for the glory of not only individual people, but also the country, the society, and the globe.” Ms Xiao Jun Ma, mother of an EY4 pupil making the transition to Grade 1 in the bilingual school followed with her account of life here at Wellington, “Emma joined Wellington in EY2 Kitten class and then moved up from EY3 Flamingo class to EY4 Monkey class. From day to day, she learns the Wellington values of courage, integrity, kindness, respect and responsibility and she believes that when you have the other four values, you can be called a man of integrity. This independent and critical thinking skill is just what she will need to solve the problems she will encounter as she grows up. Emma speaks a good level of English as she was immersed in a bilingual environment provided by a professional team of early years’ educators. She made good friends at Wellington and developed many lifelong abilities and skills. Seeing Emma becoming more confident about herself over the past two and a half years, I feel reassured that I’ve made the right choice for her. My family shares the same vision with Wellington because we all want the children to be proud of their own culture while growing up as successful global citizens. I am certain that Wellington has a very bright future to embrace.” To round up the formalities, Joy Qiao was invited to cut a wonderful cake which had been made by Aden, our caterers. The cake was in the shape of book to reference the move to our forever home as the next chapter of our story. Here, our story is not a sad one, but an exceptionally happy one. We are moving towards our future and as we move, we bring a wonderful community with us. As we leave this amazing building, we move in to an even more amazing one. With us, we take all the ideas, inspiration, enthusiasm and energy that has grown and blossomed over the last two and a half years. The new building is ready for us and we are ready to make it ours. We assume our bilingual identity as Huili Nursery after the summer and will once again bring the early years’ setting to life by creating a nursery that will facilitate each individual child’s development, growth and learning in an environment specifically designed to meet their needs. Our afternoon tea party proved testament to the partnerships that we have formed. And as we mingled and chatted together, we raised a glass and made a toast to the journey that we have shared thus far. We then raised another one to the future, a future which is as bright as the sunshine that bathed us all on a glorious Saturday afternoon.
