Welcome 2022-2023! We are Ready for a Great Year Together!

With both new and returning teachers settled in Shanghai and finishing up their start of year induction processes, the buzz on campus is palpable. We are back, we are ready, and we absolutely cannot wait to see our student’s fresh faces back in class next Thursday. 

Last academic year Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi saw a 94% retention rate among teachers, meaning that the vast majority of our staff are already well-established members of the Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi community. With many new expatriate teachers and more new staff joining us for the 2022-2023 academic year, we are well placed for growth and adding a range of new and exciting subjects, Co-Curricular Activities and other opportunities for our students. 

The past week has been filled with welcomes and induction processes as our new team members become familiar with Shanghai, get settled into the community and put in those final preparations before the start of the new year. 

Welcome to the Community!
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On Tuesday, 23 August all new staff, the College Leadership Team, extended leaders throughout the College, Friends of Dulwich committee members and other community members gathered at the Amanyangyun Resort for a welcome celebration. We reflected on our unique context within Shanghai, celebrated key members of the community and expressed our optimism for the year to come. 

We were joined by Mr Andrew McAllister, Deputy Consul-General at British Consulate-General in Shanghai who shared his reflections and best wishes for the year to come. Other guests from our extended community included representatives from the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and The Expat Centre, all of whom strongly support Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi. We were also joined by colleagues from Education in Motion, in particular those whose key efforts were integral in ensuring the safe and timely return of staff from abroad.

Inductions and Training
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Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi is known for its academically rigorous programme, world-class holistic provision, and highly-qualified teaching staff who are passionate and dedicated to delivering the Dulwich Difference to the students in our care. The College Leadership Team dedicate significant time, energy and resources to ensure that the teachers who join our community are hand-picked among the best in the world. These past few weeks our new teachers have been undergoing their induction processes; aligning with our College values, vision and mission. They are excited about meeting the students next week and working with them to help them Live Worldwise, equipped with the skills and motivation to make a positive difference in the world. 

We caught up with some of our newest teachers to reflect on their experience with Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi so far; 

Leah Brougham / Year 6 Class Teacher

The welcome I have received from the Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi Community has been incredibly warm, and through meeting friendly colleagues I instantly feel like a member of the school’s community. Having never been to Shanghai before, I have been amazed at the beauty and the culture that is embedded within the city. The views, the people, and the lifestyle of Shanghai displayed the values which I had been searching for. Throughout my first few weeks in the city I have enjoyed trying the local cuisine, meeting welcoming colleagues, and whilst completing a walking city tour with members of the school team I gained an instant snapshot of the city which has made me want to experience more. I am looking forward to beginning the academic year with the children in my class, being able to share my passion for teaching and taking the next step in their learning journey.

Stephanie Bell / Modern Foreign Languages teacher

I have been bowled over by the welcome from colleagues since joining the community in recent weeks. Such generous thought and effort has gone into ensuring that we have been informed, hosted, trained and entertained. Although it is still early days, I can already really feel an authentic sense of warmth from the Dulwich Puxi community and am certain that the arrival of the students back to campus next week will be the cherry on top.

Adam Delicate / Senior School EAL Teacher and High School Pastoral Care Lead

I have been really impressed with the generous and warm welcome from the Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi community so far. The College Leadership Team in particular were very present and involved, which I think is unique and sets that community feel from the top from day one. As a new member of staff, English Teacher and HS Pastoral lead, I can tell that Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi is a place that has amazingly high standards and expectations and, as a result, I look forward to driving students to be the best they can be and driving our school's ethos.

Ben Oliver-Robinson / Senior School Humanities Teacher

The College Leadership Team and wider school community were incredible with our welcome. To say I was apprehensive would be an understatement, but the empathetic approach deployed helped ease the transition to a new school, a new country, and a new continent.

At no point in the 4-5 weeks I have been here, have I missed home. There is far too much to experience on any given day of the week. The induction process has introduced me to some amazing pockets of culture and in this short period of time I have experienced everything from experimental restaurants, world-class galleries and resorts and even a range of musical performances from different countries. 

My favourite memory from my induction so far has been the welcome event at the Aman resort. It really solidified why I took the leap to move join this community. It frames the journey so far perfectly and really reaffirms the hard work we have all put in to get to this stage and what further effort can lead to.

I would like to express my sheer joy to the wider community that I can share my passion for learning with you all. I hope to get to know each and every one of you in the coming weeks.

Parent Tips for Preparing for the New Academic Year
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We are fully staffed and ready to commence on-campus teaching and learning from Thursday, 1 September. As we put together the final touches and move towards our orientations and curriculum presentations on Wednesday, 31 August, parents are beginning the task of helping their children once again prepare for the start of a new school year. After many weeks with changed routines and expectations, this can be a difficult process. The extended period of online learning on Term 3 of the previous academic year will inevitably make this process more challenging this year. Below, Founding Head of College, Mr Ingram, shares the following tips to assist parents in this "Back to School" process. 

Remember to Pace Yourselves
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We are so excited about welcoming everyone back to campus after the challenges of lockdown and the last six months.  It will be so good to reconnect with friends and teachers and get back to face to face learning.  At the same time, there will be a period of readjustment as we all get used to those early morning get-ups, traveling to and from school and homework. To help support this process we would encourage our families to take the following steps to help September go well;

• Learning requires lots and lots of energy.  Getting back into healthy habits ensures that your child set up for success.  Shanghai is hot and humid at this time of year so it’s important that your child starts the day with a glass a water to help him/her stay hydrated.  Stable bedtime routines are really beneficial to your child and his/her learning.  Multiple studies highlight the importance of sleep for children’s learning.  Quality sleep supports learning because it enhances memory recall, behaviour and focus.  Lack of sleep can make children more distracted and even aggressive.  This has an impact on their learning.  This is as true for teenagers as it is for Toddlers.  
• Once school starts, prepare your children’s favourite snacks to give them a boost at the end of a day full of active learning.
• Build in downtime over your weekends.  Learning requires effort and energy so it is important that children have time to rest and recharge ready for the week ahead.
• Plan something to look forward to for the National Day Holiday.Whether it’s a nice meal or a family outing, it will be helpful to have something special in the pipeline.

Join Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi
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Our growing staff body enables admissions places across the College. If you are interested in joining Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, contact our Admissions Department for a personalised consultation.