Principal’s Message

Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends of WIS,

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

As we move into the Year of the Monkey, I would like to wish everyone a very happy Chinese New Year, good health and happiness. The Year of the Monkey, according to some Feng Shui masters, is one of sociability and a time to recommit to personal relationships. I do hope the holiday will give you time to do just that as you relax and rejuvenate.

This week, we held our annual Chinese New Year assembly where students from all nationalities joined to celebrate the Chinese culture. This year we were treated by our students to lion dances, Chinese dances and songs, a Mandarin poetry recital, Kung Fu fighters, the WIS Chinese orchestra and speeches using Mandarin. One highlight for the students was the Languages faculty comprising of Chinese, Spanish and French teachers taking to the floor for the ‘Little Apple Dance’. Finally, during the assembly students practiced calligraphy and presented me with three wonderful calligraphy pieces for my office.  It was streamed live for the first time to the outside world too via our very own WIS YouTube channel. It was a dynamic and fun morning of which I felt very proud. My sincere thanks to all the students, the Languages Faculty and Music department for their involvement and energy.

The end of the week also saw the Chinese New Year Art exhibition where students from IB, BTEC and GCSE classes exhibited works created this year. A wonderful mix of styles and ideas from graphics inspired pieces to fine art and photography. The inspiration of the Art Faculty was much in evidence.

Yours,
Jane Foxcroft