Wellington Today Wellington Today 2018 en | Page 25

2018 EDUCATION FOR LIFE WELLINGTON COLLEGE CHINA COMMUNITY A NEW YEAR WITH A NEW START - CELEBRATING THE WELLINGTON COLLEGE CHINA COMMUNITY NEW LUNAR YEAR COCKTAIL RECEPTION The day before the Chinese Lantern Festival, over 120 guests from all over the world gathered at Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai to celebrate the first cocktail reception held by Wellington College China Community. The attendees included representative parents from member schools, school leadership teams, teachers and as well as guests from our sister school at Berkshire, UK. Mr Murray Lindo, Head of Wellington Community joined the event and brought the best wishes for this special occasion from Wellington College. In fact, the community of Wellington College China has existed for a while, but it is the first time that the group has been officiall y announced as a cross-school organisation, supported by the Wellington community in the UK. With a long-respected history, the Wellington Community serves as a platform where all members are invited to meet up, build friendships, rediscover old friendships, share ideas, make contacts and create business opportunities. As Murray Lindo, Head of Wellington Community explained, ‘You all represent an extraordinary pool of talent and experience - and in many ways, you can see my work as being rather like a match-maker – to match interests, passion and skills to the areas where Wellington needs support. To harness the talents of the Wellington Community we have created a number of programmes where we feel members of the Community can get involved in and benefit from a wide range of programmes / services such as educational pastoral support, careers, business, social, cultural and philanthropic.’ Within just eight years, Wellington College China has grown rapidly, with over 1500 pupils and 600 staff across the group. Recognised as a leading international and bilingual education provider in China, Wellington College China is perceived as a brand of quality and progressive education. In addition to the academic excellence, tradition and prestigious reputation, what makes Wellington College China truly proud is the strong and active community formed by our Wellington pupils, parents, teachers and staff, as well as old Wellingtonians. As Ms Joy Qiao, Chair of Governors of Wellington College China said,‘The Wellington values of Courage, Respect, Integrity, Kindness and Responsibility apply not only to the education we offer, but also to who we are and what we represent as a community. The Wellington community is also a special one because it is a truly international one, closely and deeply linked to Speech by Ms Joy Qiao, Chair of Governors, Wellington College China 47 the Wellington community in the UK. The thousands of pupils and parents of Wellington College China are now part of a global network formed by tens of thousands of current and former pupils and parents of The Wellington College, with its 158 years of history. That is a prestigious and powerful network!’ Speech by Mr Murray Lindo, Head of Wellington Community The Wellington College China community aspires to be a caring community that imbues the Wellington values and identity. Dr Ahmed Hussain, Director of Schools of Wellington College China introduced Wellington College Bilingual Hangzhou, which is the latest addition to the Wellington College family of schools in China. It is planned to open in 2018. As he said, ‘The Wellington College China Community will be enhanced through the introduction of our latest member which is Wellington Speech by Dr Ahmed Hussain, Director of Schools, Wellington College China College Bilingual Hangzhou, that will build on the success of the International schools in Tianjin and Shanghai and also the launch of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai.’ Launched in Shanghai, Wellington College China community is expected to create a diverse and vibrant environment with multiple opportunities and challenges as it develops. As the Executive Master of Wellington College Shanghai, Gerard MacMahon gave his special wishes to the future of this new community. ‘Already, after just two and a half years, Wellington College International Shanghai is being talked of as one of the best international schools in the city. Those of you who are close to the college will be aware of the very many ways in which we wish to continue to improve, but we already have a community to which people are proud to belong.’ He also welcomed OWs in Shanghai, and visiting Shanghai, to the College to take advantage of the College’s outstanding facilities to host a meeting, a charitable function, a sports event, or a performance. Chinese Lantern Festival symbolises the end of the Lunar New Year holiday and a brand new start of another prosperous year. The cocktail reception resulted in a forging of friendship across the representatives of the Wellington College China Schools. Speech by Mr Gerard MacMahon, the Executive Master of Wellington College Shanghai 48