We are Wellington, we are a community of heroes

Amid the COVID-19 resurgence, The Wellington College China Community has shown solidarity and strength. Thanks to our dedicated teachers, outstanding pupils, supportive parents and committed staff, we have been able to take care of our pupils and ensure that learning continues. Moreover, the community has secured daily supplies for the faculty and staff and ensured the wellbeing of all community members. In such trying times, Wellington College China Community has become closer and more united.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, each Wellington College China school has developed a plan for supporting online teaching with a variety of educational technology tools. With the cooperation of teachers, pupils and supporting departments including IT, Wellington College Tianjin, Wellington College International Shanghai, and Hiba Academy Shanghai have once again moved seamlessly to distance learning. Wellington College Tianjin has even moved many of its activities online, such as "Poetry & Music" to showcase its pupils’ many talents.

Wellington College International Shanghai designed its online course offerings to reduce the burden on parents, make learning fun and encourage pupil engagement. Early Years pupils have been starting their day with a fun-filled ‘wake up, shake up’ activity programme. The sessions are fun and provide parents with an opportunity to get involved too. The school was also praised for the quality of its online teaching at a recent conference for international schools organised by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission.

Hiba School’s Senior Leadership Team holds daily online meetings to provide support for teachers and pupils. Teachers in the same subject department or house also share their experiences and ideas and discuss best practices. Although physically isolated from their social circles, pupils can still participate in the learning process and interact with each other, providing mutual social support. Also, Hiba Academy Shanghai’s parent-teacher partnership is just as strong in its regularly occurring Parent Information Sessions.

Engagement would not be possible without a strong foundation of mental wellbeing. As such, Wellington College International Shanghai and Hiba Academy Shanghai have moved their weekly wellbeing classes online. Hiba Academy Shanghai’s grade 9 pupils have also set up a DAPESH team to ask questions and get help and advice as well.

Additionally, Wellington College China invited renowned author Ben Aldridge to provide an online seminar session for Senior School pupils and their families at its Tianjin, Shanghai and Hangzhou campuses. Mr Aldrige shared strategies for maintaining mental health and facing adversity.

As always, Wellington College China continues to provide a 24-7 hotline even during this lockdown period, ensuring that all staff have access to one-on-one counselling.

In efforts to slow transmission of the virus, all districts in Shanghai have supported protection policies and are making every effort possible to supply residents with daily necessities. Wellington College China also has a strong logistics support team that has been helping teachers and staff buy groceries and ensure teaching continuity as well.

Shanghai’s Hiba and Wellington Communities have coordinated resources and distributed supplies to all faculty and staff. Hiba Academy Shanghai began deliveries long before the lockdown and has fulfilled more than 700 deliveries to more than 300 residential compounds throughout the city. It has also set up an online shop to accommodate more individual needs.

Wellington College International Shanghai also quickly set up a support team to work with FOW and the parent community to distribute provisions to more than 300 staff across Shanghai. The Wellington support team also moved swiftly to create a community WeChat group to connect community committees and provide language support for expat employees.

To stay prepared, Wellington College Hangzhou recently conducted a pandemic exercise that included early warning and nucleic acid testing drills. The whole school cooperated, and the exercise was a success.

The Wellington College China Community is also doing its part in the national fight against the pandemic.

To relieve the pressure on the supply of pandemic prevention and control supplies, Wellington College Tianjin has donated 5,000 N95 masks to the Red Cross Society of Hongqiao District, where the school is located. The Shanghai United Foundation FOH Charitable Special Fund joined the Shanghai Pandemic Relief Actions and donated 200,000 RMB to provide much-needed supplies for the frontline pandemic prevention workers.

Many staff and parents in the Wellington College China Community have become volunteers. Some have been working with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Pudong New Area. Others have worked in their own communities, offering language support for their expat neighbours or making sure they know how to pull up their QR codes before testing. One parent even volunteered to help construct a temporary hospital. She threw herself into the daunting task despite the tight schedule, heavy workload and tough conditions.

Despite the COVID-19 resurgence and the challenges it brings, the Wellington College China Community remains committed to its Values of Courage, Respect, Integrity, Kindness and Responsibility. We are truly grateful for the support and assistance from government departments and the unity of the Wellington College China Community.

In closing, Wellington College China Founder and Chairman Joy Qiao offers some words of encouragement: 

 “There is a well-known Taoist saying that I think is fitting to our current situation: ‘High winds do not last all morning, heavy rain does not last all day. What’s intensive will not last long.’ Therefore, let’s all have confidence that this too will soon pass.”