From the Master

Friday, 2nd September 2011

Dear Parents,

Welcome to our first edition of „The Wellingtonian‟, the College newsletter,

which will now appear weekly, with alternate editions for the Senior and

Junior schools. On special occasions, such as this, our inaugural edition, we

will adopt an all-school approach. What a fortnight! This is my third new

school and it has easily been the smoothest and the most problem-free.

There have admittedly been the odd hiccups: one school bus broke down

and the gas has still not arrived in the Science laboratories, but generally a

great deal has gone very well. Wellington is firmly up and running in Tianjin.

The First Parents‟ Assembly, held last Friday, was a great success, with the

College Theatre nearly full. The Director of Music, Steve Griffiths

performed miracles to get the various musical performances up to such a

standard in only five days, though pride of place has to go to Ms Georgina

Chakos, our Drama teacher, who earned a deserved ovation for her singing

of a piece from Puccini‟s „Tosca‟.

Contents this week:-

From the Master 1

Family Ties 2

All aboard at the Junior School 4

Great Expectations: English Classes in Wellington,

Weeks I and II 6

Music at Wellington College 7

Head‟s Tales No. 1 8

Proverb for the Week 8

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I am delighted to announce that our next Parents‟

Assembly is a week away, Friday, 9th September,

when Dr. Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington

College in the UK, will be joining us for the first

time since the College was opened. The

Assembly will again last an hour and you are all

cordially invited to what will be another very

special occasion. I look forward to seeing you all

there. The school buses will again be leaving the

College at around 4.15pm.

This Monday, 5th September, the Wellington

activity programme will commence, with activities

for all your children every day, except Friday. I

hope you agree with me that, for a relatively

small school, we have come up with a very good

selection of activities.

Certainly, my children did not find it easy making their choices. Our

thoughts are now turning to the Wellington Weekend Activity, which

I remember talking to many of you about, when you first visited the

College earlier in the year. I will be sending you details of the

programme in due course, in addition to the relevant charges , but I

can confirm that we will be offering courses on Saturday morning in

English, Mandarin, the performing arts, and the major sports, amongst

others. We are currently seeking specialist coaches for some of these

disciplines, though many of our teachers, including myself, will be

involved. Our aim is to get the programme started after the October

holiday. We also hope the Wellington café will be open by then, so

allowing you to have a relaxing cup of coffee or tea, while your

children pursue their various interests.

All this is looking forward, so returning to the events of the last

fortnight, I would like to finish with the words of A.C. Benson, the

son of Wellington UK‟s Founding Headmaster, Edward White

Benson, which I read out to those of you who were in the First

Parents‟ Assembly, last Friday. He wrote: I am sure it is one's duty as a

teacher to try to show his pupils that no opinions, no tastes, no emotions

are worth much unless they are your own. Such is the central core of a

Wellington education and this is what we have now begun to do in

Tianjin.

Best wishes,

David Cook

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Family Ties

From the Second Master

It is often said that it is the little things that

matter most. Take the Wellington College tie –

mainly black, with thin stripes of orange, light

blue and yellow crossing diagonally. It‟s

distinctive and classy. As new members of the

Wellington family, we wanted to echo this, but

also make our own mark, much as we have

with the buildings themselves: definitively

Wellington, but definitely 21st century.

Not content with just a single redesign, we have three new ties: for Juniors, Seniors and Sixth Formers. All share that

traditional combination of colours, but with the stripes gradually thickening as pupils progress up the school. As you will

have seen on your sons and daughters, it is a bold and confident identity, reflecting the school‟s outlook, at the same time

as acknowledging our proud 152 year history.

This sense of clear deliberation and purpose is shared in our other ties - those that bind us closely to Wellington College

and Eagle House in the UK, and about which I wrote in February‟s newsletter (still available on the College‟s website).

Since then over half our teaching staff have attended a three day induction course, based at both schools in the UK, where

they were able to immerse themselves in what it is that makes

both institutions tick, and make some of the initial contacts that

will keep our ties strong and lasting.

At the end of our first week of term, as many of you will have

seen for yourselves, we hosted two of our UK Governors, Mr.

Paul Cabrelli and Mr. Howard Veary, at the Parents‟ Assembly.

They were enormously impressed with what they saw. Fast on the

heels of that visit comes the arrival of Dr Anthony Seldon, Master

of Wellington UK, on September 9th, for our next Parents‟

Assembly. Later in the term we will be visited by Mr David

Wilson, recently appointed as International Liaison Coordinator at

Wellington UK, accompanied by his opposite number from Eagle

House, on the first of what we aim to be termly visits. And as if all

that is not enough in itself, and clear evidence of our intent and

determination, we are already planning for the visit in February

2012 of a delegation of Wellington UK staff.

Our term here in Tianjin started some three weeks before that of

the two UK schools, but with the academic year about to resume

there too, some of my colleagues have already been in touch with

their opposite numbers to arrange collaborative work, and we

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plan to give our staff here full access to the teaching resources available on

the Wellington UK intranet site. There is much excitement about the

prospect of video-links, to allow joint assemblies or shared lessons, or even

some one to one tuition help in subjects that we don‟t yet teach here in

Tianjin, but in which some of our students are interested.

We have opened with a Nursery building named The Nest, just as at Eagle

House – it even has a replica sign on the wall! Four of the seventeen Houses

that exist at Wellington UK are the founding houses here – the Stanley,

Blucher, Wellesley and Orange – and are the basis of the pastoral care

system. We will be linking the China and UK houses once term has started

over there, initially with an exchange of House photos, but many more

opportunities will be there for the taking as time goes on.

Perhaps the most exciting benefit of our close family ties is the chance for

our senior pupils (Year 8 upwards) to visit Eagle House or Wellington UK. I

was delighted to be approached the other day by three smiling Year 10 girls,

keen to know what they needed to do to stand a chance of going on such a

visit – I assured them that we will be running the first of these during this

academic year, at which point their smiles got wider still! Clearly, minds are

already opening up to the possibilities, and our pupils are thinking big.

For the musicians and performers amongst the pupils (of whom we have

many, as our recent Assembly showed), it is hard to think of anything bigger

than being on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where we will be

taking a small group in April 2012, in a celebration of the growing Wellington

family.

Pupils from Wellington College UK, The Wellington Academy UK, and

Wellington College International Tianjin will all be there - united by history,

united by name, united by ambition…..and by those wonderful ties!

Murray Fowler

From the Head of the Junior

School

All Aboard !

It was indeed a truly proud moment to

see our wonderful team of Junior School

teachers take the stage shortly before our

opening on Monday 22nd August. Within

a very short time classrooms have been

established and learning has flourished.

For each of us working at Wellington we

all share a deep sense of commitment and

determination to making the College the

very best place for the students it can be.

A school where the Eight Aptitudes is

clearly visible in the children‟s daily life

both in and out of the classroom.

As well as settling the children in over the

last two weeks, teachers have been busy

assessing their students in English,

Mathematics and Mandarin so as to gear

the curriculum appropriately towards

personalized learning for all. Literacy at all

levels will be a big focus for the year, and

children are being encouraged and

supported to read regularly and enjoy

books. We very much look forward to

working ever in closer partnership with

parents in this regard.

Establishing good routines is at the heart

of a successful and happy school, where

children understand the boundaries and

develop awareness of the expectations

placed on them, Good behaviour supports

happy relationships, themes we will be

exploring at upcoming assemblies.

In the Junior School we have already held

two weekly assemblies. Children from

each class have shared their hopes for the

year ahead as well as presented their own

selected work. From the outset, this

sharing is vital to establishing the culture

of learning and the pursuit of high

standards across the curriculum. The

students are to be commended for the

work they have already produced. As the

term progresses, students‟ progress and

achievement will be recognized and

rewarded with merits and certificates.

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Equally, it is important for children across the

Junior School to become familiar with presenting

their work to others and gain confidence in public

speaking. When considering that some of our

children are relatively new to English, it is indeed

deeply rewarding to see these students take their

first steps to communicate in English in front of an

audience. Such skills will surely and valuably serve

throughout their lifetimes. Class assemblies, led by

each Year group and starting with Year 6, will begin

from the end of this month.

Please do refer to the information on the College

website regarding the Junior School curriculum:

h t t p : / / w w w . w e l l i n g t o n c o l l e g e i n t l . c n /

junior_school.html. As well as the curriculum

summaries and timetables, there are also useful

links to educational websites with many great age-

appropriate activities online. The Mandarin section

now contains the Junior School curriculum in detail

and the Library section has a wide range of

information too. Happy reading !

There have been many successes during these last

two weeks. Of course school is about learning, and

sometimes from mistakes. Overall, as good

routines are established, I firmly believe Wellington

College will be truly happy and fulfilling place for

children to learn, for which these photographs are

testament to some of the many wonderful

moments already experienced at our school.

Finally, thank you to our parent community for

their support as we get the year underway. Your

comments and suggestions are always welcome and

I very much look forward to seeing everyone at our

next Parents‟ Assembly on Friday 9th September.

John Zermani

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Great Expectations: English Classes in Wellington,

Weeks I and II

Dr Steve Jacobi, Director of Studies

This week I seem to have talked a lot about Charles Dickens‟

novel „Great Expectations‟. There is at least one perfectly good

reason for doing so, as the book is on the A Level syllabus.

Another more pragmatic one is a need to discuss with all classes

how stories are put together, and the importance of showing

narrative in action.

As a number of my resources are still en route from England, and

the opening scenes of David Lean‟s film of „Great Expectations‟

are one of the few things I can readily access on my computer,

Dickens has become a frequent visitor to many of my classes.

I have heard that Dickens is much liked in the East, and

particularly in Japan, where the England he describes – that is, a

mixture of doll-like women, grubby London streets, wicked

villains, flawed heroes, strange customs, awful food, copious

drink, epic sideburns, and big hats – is viewed as reassuringly

quaint.

Not that Lean‟s film, made more than sixty years ago, cut much

ice with the lot to whom I showed it. „Too black,‟ one girl told

me. „Too old,‟ said another. „Is that a problem?‟ I asked. „Too old

and therefore of no interest,‟ added a boy with extremely shiny

and, with luck, uncomfortable shoes. „Well, I‟m old,‟ I said, „so am

I also of no interest?‟ „Exactly,‟ said the first girl, with no hint of

irony or, indeed, anything else to suggest she considered it worth

How can the opening of „Great Expectations‟, either in book

form and on celluloid, not captivate? Pip alone on the Kent

marshes, out to visit his dead parents in the cemetery. Pip

meeting the escaped convict, Magwitch, who literally turns his life

upside down. Pip stealing his sister‟s pork pie and brandy, having

promised Magwitch – on pain of having his heart and liver torn

from him – that he would bring him food and drink. Pip being

thrashed by his sister for being late home. Pip‟s youthful agony at

being caught between honouring a promise and dishonourably

becoming a thief. Pip excitedly joining the soldiers on the hunt for

the fleeing prisoners.

All good. But, of course, literature works in other, more

puzzingly indirect ways, too. Having great expectations, the sense

of being a pip and growing from seed, joining in, and being turned

upside down; present circumstances at Wellington strike the

same chords. Perhaps that‟s what drew me to so immediately and

impulsively to Dickens. Or, miles from home, maybe I just craved

reassuring images of England, no matter how old or hackneyed?

At any rate, and while we‟re all here and starting up a new

school, „What larks we‟ll have…‟ as Pip‟s brother-in-law says.

„What larks!‟

Dr. Steve Jacobi

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Music at Wellington College

Mr. Steve Griffiths, Director of Music, outlines his

plans for Music in the College.

We hope to encourage all pupils at Wellington College to

participate in some form of music-making and music

appreciation, whether it be in the classroom as part of the

music curriculum or as an element of an extra-curricular

activity.

Classroom music-making will involve singing, ear-training,

learning to read music notation, listening to different styles

of music and the appreciation of sounds in general. Lesson

content will also focus on composing either at the

keyboard or on percussion instruments, and will include

improvisation and performing.

During these music periods within the timetable, we hope

to make music-making and learning about music a fun

experience and to nurture a love of music in all our

students.

Aside from music within the timetable, we shall be offering

a number of optional musical activities outside the

classroom. These will include a Senior choir (for pupils in

years 7 to 11), Junior Choir (for pupils in years 5 and 6),

Wind band, String Group, and eventually a small chamber

orchestra when we feel the time is right. There may also

be other smaller ensembles. All students who play an

orchestral instrument are encouraged to join one of the

instrumental groups, and all musicians (as well as non-

instrumentalists) are encouraged to join one of the choirs.

We also hope within the first term to form a lower

In terms of performances , we hope to give students in both the choirs and the instrumental groups an opportunity to

perform throughout the year, whether in public concerts, informal lunch time recitals or school and house assemblies.

Individual instrumentalists and singers will also have the opportunity to perform as soloists if the appropriate high standard

has been reached.

During this first academic year, the music and drama department hope to stage a full length musical production in our

theatre auditorium involving both senior and junior pupils. Auditions for this major performing arts event will be

announced during the first term.

Finally, I would like to draw parents „and pupils‟ attention to the programme of individual instrumental lessons we intend

to offer and operate after half term - starting October 8th. This will involve students who either wish to begin learning a

new instrument or those who already play one opting to continue taking lessons at Wellington during school time. These

one–to-one individual lessons will last for one school period of 40 minutes and will be charged termly and in advance. The

fee structure will be announced shortly in a separate letter from the Music Department.

We hope to provide teachers for the following instruments: piano, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, recorder, guitar, trumpet,

trombone, saxophone, oboe and bassoon. All individual instrumental lessons will take place in the music department at

Wellington College on a once-weekly basis, with pupils being withdrawn from a different subject lesson each week.

A letter containing more details will be sent out to parents of those students interested in pursuing instrumental lessons during school time will be distributed shortly.

Steve Griffiths

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Head’s Tales No. 1

Every now and again in „The Wellingtonian‟, I will pen for you a Head‟s Tale, on some or other subject of a general or personal

interest, which I hope will interest you too.

Just over two years ago, a historic milestone, which, I suspect, none of you were aware of, was passed. This milestone

concerns something which we all know, or should know, and which is at least 1,500 years old. A few of you might now

have guessed what it is, but for those who have not, it is the English language. The milestone is that in June 2009 the

language acquired its millionth word.

What you might ask was the millionth word? Take a deep breath. It was „Web 2.0‟, which I would immediately question

as being a proper word. It is apparently an internet term, or word, signifying, and here I take an even deeper breath, “the

next generation of web products and services, coming soon to a browser near you!” There were some rivals, such as „Jai

ho‟, an English word, or words surely, drawn from Hindi, which means a major success, and „slumdog‟, definitely a word,

if popularized at the time by the Oscar-laden film, Slumdog Millionaire.

Nevertheless, the achievement of a million words, or neo-words, is a remarkable achievement, particularly as experts

now say there are ten English words for every single French word. Truly is English now the undisputed lingua franca (a

French term I might add) of the world. Today an estimated 1.5 billion speak English, as a primary, secondary or business

language. Some 300 million are believed to be studying the language in China alone.

The number of new English words is estimated to be around a thousand a year, which can be compared with the great

English playwright, William Shakespeare, who, in his remarkable body of work, is only credited with adding fifty words to

the language. But the Bard did not live in a period with so many technological innovations, the vast majority of which

originate in English-speaking countries, and when his native language was spreading so rapidly around the globe. So now

you all know why you must take every opportunity to practise your English speaking and writing skills. Jai ho!

Proverb for the Week

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

(Oscar Wilde, „The Picture of Dorian Gray‟, 1891)

David Cook

(Master)