The College Magazine Winter 2019

Winter 2019
Dulwich College Beijing Celebrates...
A World Record
Mindfulness in Early Years
Cross-Curricular Learning in Junior School
Memorable Service Trips to Yunnan and Laos

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PARENT ASSOCIATION
Moonlight Madness kicked off the new academic
year to welcome seasoned parents as well as new
families during an evening filled with fun and
amazing performances from our students.
Combined with the bake and drinks sales
on JS and SS Sports Days, this year’s
Welcome Back Party raised a total of
19,119 RMB to support worthy causes.
Our 2019/2020 new parents had the opportunity to
mingle and exchange tips about life in Beijing and
DCB during the first Newcomers’ Lunch at Legend
Heights restaurant.
Shortly after, they had another opportunity to
meet even more friends at our first Culture Club
outing and lunch at Yanqi Lake followed by an
exclusive visit of the APEC Conference Centre.
Our Connection Lunch team then
helped us adjust to the autumn weather
with a traditional hotpot experience in
Wudaoying Hutong.
Autumn finally closed on another brilliant Spider and
Pumpkin production from our multi-talented Early
Years mums, ...
…leaving the scene to fencing and Dongbei’s
special stewed fish to welcome the cold.
JOIN THE
FRIENDS OF DULWICH!
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Beginner Chinese class • Chinese New Year
performance and activities • Coffee mornings •
International Food Festival • More trips and lunches
Check the DCB newsletters and Wechat!
Contact your class rep or Kalyana: FoDChair@dulwich-beijing.cn, Suzy: Secretary@dulwich-beijing.cn
beijing.dulwich.org

C O N T E N T S
From the Headmaster’s Desk
Art
Sports
Alumni
Around DCI
Snapshots
Moonlight Madness
Sustainability Photo Competition
JS & SS Sports Days
EY Mooncake Making
Spider & Pumpkin Show
JS House Events
EY Winter Celebration
News
Largest Environmental Sustainability Lesson
Worldwise Academy Launch
Bird Feeders in Early Years
World Kindness Day
JS Student Council
JS Karting ECA
Yunnan Service Trip
IGCSE Learner Awards
Dulwich Festival of Music
Enterprise Fair
Zongheng Cup
Laos Service Trip
Shakespeare Festival
Spotlight
Cover: Kiki W and Alina L, Early Years
Editor, Design & Layout: Harmony Liau Mueller
Editorial Support: Florence Zhang, Julie Pankratz, Kasia Baran
Contributors: Liam Benjamin, Ann Carmichael, Robert Castle, Jacob Dong, Nina Haynes,
Emily Hennessy, Helen Herbert, Simon Herbert, Stephen Hurworth, Jennifer Knowles,
Kalyana Maréchal, Joseph Stewart, Nicholas T (Y11 intern), Alexander Tew, Iyabo Tinubu,
our colleagues across the DCI network, and our wonderful students and alumni
Graphic Design: Faye Zhang
Photography: Kidsphoto, Faye Zhang, and DCB students, teachers and parents
The College Magazine (Beijing)
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Interview with d’Arcy Lunn ................................................... 8
Mindfulness in Early Years ................................................... 11
JS Learning Through Topics ............................................. 16
International Mindedness .................................................. 18
Dulwich Beijing: The Mixing Pot ...................................... 20
Winner: Student Writing ..................................................... 21
Special Guests Term 1 .......................................................... 30
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1

From the Headmaster’s Desk
Dear DCB Community,
It is my pleasure once again to introduce another College magazine. I am sure that
students, parents and staff from all three schools within the College will find articles and
photos of interest, reflecting the many exciting events that have taken place this term
within the dynamic environment of DCB.
At the time of writing, I am watching parents putting up Christmas decorations in the
Year 1 corridor and can hear children practising their Christmas carols in the Wodehouse
Theatre. I may be imagining it, but I think I can smell the aroma of mince pies. It may be
that I am just looking forward to the forthcoming festivities, as Ms Haynes and her team
prepare for the ‘Dulwich Christmas’.
Aside from Christmas cheer, we have also welcomed several esteemed visitors to the school
recently. In just the last two weeks, we have seen Professor Anu Ojha, OBE, Director
of the UK’s National Space Academy and the National Space Centre, Mr Howard Kerr,
Chief Executive of the BSI Group and new governor at Dulwich College in London, and
Mr Andrew McCully, OBE, Director General of Schools and Early Years at the UK’s
Department for Education. We have also had visiting authors and our own DCB parents
reading stories and delivering presentations to students. All these visits have provided
spice to the everyday curriculum and have been extremely well received. We shall continue
next term to offer the very best in academic enrichment.
Our musicians, sports students, artists and actors have all been exceptionally active and,
at the time of writing, we are welcoming the cast from ‘Matilda the Musical’ to DCB to
work with our drama students. Our first DCI Diversity professional arrived this week to
give tips to our musicians on songwriting technique. Our footballers enjoyed the Phuket
Sevens Tournament, and we have established more local links, with matches against the
Baxi and Ronaldo Academies. During the next week, our basketballers and volleyballers
will show their skills in some large Beijing tournaments.
Finally, our fourth pillar, ‘service to others’, has been at the forefront of students’ minds,
and we have seen superb links to the community and indeed to those less fortunate than
ourselves. Our Interact and CAS students have set a fine example, and some of our younger
students have excelled in this direction. Just today I am planning to give Headmaster’s
Commendations to all in the Junior School Student Council for their inspired work with
the Tong Xin Elementary School, which educates migrant workers’ children.
There have been so many achievements this term, and we are delighted that our culture
and ethos are strong and have been so staunchly endorsed by the recent CIS accreditors.
May I wish you a wonderful Christmas holiday when it comes and also happy reading of
this excellent College magazine. I would like to thank all contributors.
With very best wishes,
Simon Herbert
Headmaster
2 beijing.dulwich.org

Snapshots
The College Magazine (Beijing)
3

News
DCI Sets World Record for Largest Sustainability Lesson
On 30 October 2019, 3,006 students across the DCI network
officially participated in the world's largest environmental
sustainability lesson. At Dulwich College Beijing, more
than 1,000 students from Years 3 to 11 filled the Wodehouse and
Edward Alleyn Theatres and the Sports Hall and took part in the
class through an interactive livestream.
Themed "Living a Sustainable Lifestyle" and co-developed
with students, the lesson demonstrated the importance of
environmental protection and conveyed the message that each
person can and should effect tangible positive change.
We are thrilled that the lesson achieved a world record title for
"Largest Environmental Sustainability Lesson (multiple venues)"!
Students across our family of schools were able to participate
alongside the official world record participants from Dulwich
College Shanghai, Dulwich College Beijing, Dulwich College
Suzhou, Dulwich International High School Suzhou, Dehong
Beijing and Dehong Shanghai.
Students as young as eight years old helped to create the
learning experience, even developing the lesson content and
designing the "sustainability pledges" to drive home that
sustainability can be a daily lifestyle choice. Meanwhile Isaac L, a
15-year-old Year 11 student at Dulwich College Beijing, combined
his interest in web development with his love for the planet by
developing from scratch the webpage to host these pledges.
"My previous experiences of being the main web developer at
HackDulwich, DCI's hackathon, provided me with the opportunity
and confidence to now be on the web development team of the
homepage of the Largest Environmental Sustainability Lesson,"
explained Isaac. "I love using the skills I've learnt to bridge my
passions for STEAM and web development with an initiative that
brings attention to the climate crisis, a massive problem facing our
species."
The lesson also serves to kick off "Sustainable November" –
a larger month-long movement encouraging sustainable living
across our family of schools. Students, staff and parents are
encouraged to stay committed to the pledges they made as part
of the lesson and support one another in building habits to make
tangible and permanent change.
Worldwise Academy Launch
Linking Students
with Professionals
Dulwich College Beijing
already boasts an excellent
reputation for offering a
holistic education. But we want to
do more. We want to enrich the
career explorations of students by
creating connections between the
school and the world of work. We
want to go beyond the traditional
“Career Day”. Worldwise Academy
is an initiative linking students with
professionals in areas of science and
technology, business, finance and
entrepreneurship, arts and creative
industries, and public affairs and law.
To kick off Worldwise Academy,
DCB invited parents and students
to an official launch in September
with the topic, ‘Intrinsic Motivation:
Finding What Truly Drives You to
Success’. In a packed theatre, our
keynote speaker, Mr David Aikman
(World Economic Forum), as well
as our esteemed panellists – Ms
Elizabeth Pei (Disney), Mr Li Hu
(Open Architecture), Mr Danny
Alexander (Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank), Mr Sharif Khan
(Microsoft, Asia), Ms Annabelle Yu
Long (Bertelsmann China Corporate
Centre), and Mr Michael Fosh
(ReedSmith) – gave honest, frank,
humble and sincere accounts of the
value of intrinsic motivation and its
influence on their journey through
life.
The event was framed superbly
by our Year 13 students – the natural
and accomplished moderation by
Angel L and Yeseo K, the powerful
opening and closing speeches by
Othneil G and Miksa J, and the
smooth transitions by Jing Jing C.
After the positive feedback
to the launch, we look forward to
seeing the Worldwise Academy
engage many students throughout
the year. With closer collaboration
between industry professionals and
the school, we expect our students
to be intellectually challenged and
pushed out of their comfort zones
so that they can gain the skills and
motivation to make a meaningful
difference in the world.
4 beijing.dulwich.org

Art
Early Years Art
Raccoon & Fox Class Portrait Display
Irene W, Year 2 Nathaniel Z, Year 2
Adam Z, Year 2
Helena R, Year 2
Megan K, Year 2
Cubism Drawing - Comper C /Eric Y, Year 1
Menorah - Catherine W, Year 2 Menorah - Henry W, Year 2
Drawing Game, Reception Class
Spider Web - Yi Yi H, Year 1
Tape Drawing - Nemo G, Year 1
The College Magazine (Beijing)
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Art
6 beijing.dulwich.org

Art
Senior School Art
Year 7 – Animal Transformation
Pencil Drawings
Students combined animals
with artificial objects to make
these quirky illustrations
inspired by M.C. Escher.
Year 7 – Ocean Watercolour
Paintings
Students researched different
water habitats and developed a
composition using observation
drawing skills, pen and ink
techniques, and watercolour
skills.
Lauren W, Year 7
Caroline J, Year 9
Shienna B, Year 10
Chris Y, Year 9
Hanna L, Year 7
Sofie H, Year 10
Lia W, Year 7
Angela C, Year 7
Matthew W, Year 9
Aviva C, Year 7
Wei Wei K, Year 7
Dada C, Year 7
Year 9 - Totem Poles
Students have been working on their interpretation of a Native
American totem pole. They have independently researched their
chosen traditions and culture, and considered the culture’s people,
clothing, patterns and animals. Their chosen medium was clay, which
was fired to a ceramic finish and then glazed. The aim of the project
was to develop students’ research, technical and conceptual skills,
while considering traditions and cultures from around the world.
Year 10 - Still Life
GCSE started out the year recreating their own personal still life.
Students had to think about lighting, symbolism and placement of
items. After students took photos of their still life, they recreated
it using observation drawing, watercolour paints and techniques.
The College Magazine (Beijing)
– Jennifer Knowles
7

Spotlight
Interview with
d’Arcy Lunn
For one week in September, DCB was very fortunate to
have sustainability consultant, keynote speaker, and
founder of Teaspoons of Change d’Arcy Lunn work with
staff and students. To let our community know more about how
d’Arcy goes about his mission and how we can all improve our
sustainability efforts, here is an interview with him conducted by
the DCB Media Team.
Q: Could you please briefly explain your organisation
Teaspoons of Change?
A: Sure! Teaspoons of Change (teaspoonsofchange.org) is an
organisation but more of a concept, and it’s trying to put a name
on our small actions that have a positive impact. We do these
things but it’s often hard to recognise them, so Teaspoons of
Change tries to give these small things a name.
Q: Do you think there are different reasons why
individuals should be working up to the SDG
goals? Is it because all of these actions could
add to a real change, or could it also be
because it’s good for us individually?
A: I think all; we need a sense of connection with
the rest of the world. That is a key component for
me to be a global citizen; it is knowing that I am
connected to someone else. The only thing that
differentiates us is where we were born. Essentially,
we are all humans, and trying to be loved, and
laugh…We’re all similar. So I think that Global Goals
are amazing at bringing us together, and they help us focus
our attention as well towards doing good things collectively.
Teaspoons of
Change are small
but significant ideas,
attitudes and actions
that have a positive
impact on people and
the planet.
Q: While we’re on the topic of inspiration and encouragement,
what is the single most encouraging moment that you’ve
experienced since running Teaspoons of Change? Is there
one moment or a day that sticks in your memory?
A: No, not in particular. I interact with so many people and I get
to see wonderful things all the time. I can only ever be optimistic
and positive about the world and the future because I get to
interact with people in such a wonderful way – talking about
solutions, surrounding myself with people who are optimistic
and want to create change together. I love waking up in the
morning now, and Teaspoons of Change has been lovely for me
to follow my passions, put something out there in the world and
interact with people in a way that I love to do. It fills me with
hope, ambition and resilience to do more.
Q: In terms of making a difference, how important is
it to talk to schools? Do you personally think it is
more important to talk to a CEO of a company
or a thousand students?
A: For me it is not an either-or because you do
both, but I think speaking to businesses is more
important at the moment. I believe young people
are far more globally literate and competent,
and working with businesses the past three
months I feel that their change is much slower. I
am a teacher and I love education and interacting
with young people when learning – I’ll never NOT
work in school. It is an important part of me and the
work I enjoy doing, but at the same time I have to be
pushing businesses to do better as well.
Q: There has been a lot of news about climate change
recently, from the Amazon fires to President Trump pulling
out of the Paris Accord and the G7 summit in Biarritz. From
your perspective, how do you try and convince students like
me that their input really does make a difference?
A: Ultimately we are only responsible for our own slice of life.
If I were to worry about what other people are doing, I would
have given up 20 years ago! So I convince myself that my actions
matter, and that I can only control what I can in my own life. If I
keep to that cause, it’s better than doing nothing. With so many
distractions, it hurts. It’s awful. It’s like someone is punching you
when you hear those kinds of announcements, but I can only get
knocked down and get back up again to keep pushing because
my feeling is that if we do nothing, nothing can happen. If we do
something, something might happen. There are no guarantees
but if I am not out there and other people aren’t either, then we
have no chance. I’m basically a climate change counsellor – to
keep that optimism for people, to show that we can keep going
and try our best and see what happens.
Q: If there are three things you could tell a Dulwich student
that they could do every day to make a difference, what
would the three things be?
A: Reducing food waste is number 1 – there is a great resource
called Drawdown (www.drawdown.org/solutions) that has
amazing research showing the top 100 ways to mitigate climate
change, and food waste is number 3. Number 2 is stuff – I won’t
pretend that as a kid, it’s really hard to say no to stuff, because
when your peers have a new phone or a set of shoes that you
aspire towards all the while being surrounded by advertising,
it’s hard to ignore. But if you could create a culture within your
year group or school showing that you honour people who swap
clothes or buy from sustainable and ethical brands, that would
make a huge change. I think students have a huge power in
what they buy and where they go, and in doing so, influencing
your peers. Number 3 is your own journey of trying to work out
what works for you. I don’t like being prescriptive in saying “you
should do this and that”, but just that people should find that
their actions matter. It could be shorter showers, getting involved
in service or sustainability clubs, and anything else.
From the Media Team: Ella R, Y11 (Interviewer); Seung Yon K, Y11 (Photographer); Annika T, Y13 (Editor); Angelina Y, Y13 (Editor)
8 beijing.dulwich.org

Snapshots
1st Prize: Jing Jing C, Year 13
Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
2nd Prize: Crystal Y, Year 6
Norway
2nd Prize: Carrie Y, Year 6
Skyroad Grassland – Hebei, China
STUDENT WINNERS
3rd Prize: Selena Z, Year 8
Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
3rd Prize: Jack P, Year 13
Zimbabwe
3rd Prize: Ethan Z, Year 11
Auckland, New Zealand
DCB
SUSTAINABILITY
PHOTO
COMPETITION
1st Prize: Kasia Baran, staff
Recycled Street Business, Barcelona
2nd Prize: Verena Henssler, parent
The Netherlands
2nd Prize: Yue Xu, parent
Recycle Volunteer, Beijing
3rd Prize: Laurence Calvet, parent
One with Nature, Paris, France
3rd Prize: Mark Pankratz, staff
Liverpool, England
PARENT & STAFF
WINNERS
3rd Prize: Lan Wu, parent
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
D’ARCY LUNN
FOUNDER OF TEASPOONS OF CHANGE
SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT &
JUDGED BY
The College Magazine (Beijing)
9

Snapshots
Mooncake-Making for Mid-Autumn Festival
Spider & Pumpkin Show
Over 50 amazing Early Years mums put together one of the most anticipated events of the year – the annual Spider and Pumpkin
show! The children were enthralled with the suspense and drama of the story leading up to the dazzling Halloween party on stage.
Many thanks to the hard-working mums who organised every detail of the performance.
10 beijing.dulwich.org

Spotlight
Mindfulness in Early Years
By Emily Hennessy
Music, English, Chinese, PE, Art ….
with such an active timetable, how do we
allow the children a chance to stop and
take notice of their feelings? The answer
is mindfulness. Since 2018, DCB Early
Years have incorporated mindfulness into
the curriculum with the main aim being to
improve social and emotional wellbeing.
Mindfulness is the practice of stopping
to reflect and ‘check-in’ with oneself.
Acknowledging one’s feelings and
sensations can help regulate emotions. It
means tuning in with your senses, which
can seem odd at first, particularly for
adults. For children it is more instinctive
and comes naturally. Over time, it has
been proven that mindfulness can improve
focus and lower stress levels.
We were keen for the children not
to see mindfulness as a practice only
involving quiet thinking time, so we
have planned a variety of fun sensory
activities. Likewise the formality of having
a mindfulness lesson did not suit the
needs of early learners. The teachers
are well placed to decide when to fit
mindfulness in their class timetable and
often do so spontaneously. Transition
times lend themselves to taking a breath
and channelling their attention back to
the present moment.
Inspiration for a new and interesting
activity each week comes when Mr
Mindful, a small superhero-like character,
visits each Key Stage 1 classroom. From
his lucky dip bag, a student chooses a
card, and the class aims to do the activity
at least once before the next visit. The
activities are intended to be openended
and experiential. They range from
outdoor activities like cloud watching
(weather permitting) to yoga moves and
mindful eating.
Mindfulness:
a technique in which one focuses
one’s full attention only on the
present, experiencing thoughts,
feelings, and sensations but not
judging them
Of course, a few challenges have
presented themselves: finding time and
space on a big campus is sometimes
difficult. Some classes have chosen to
design their own quiet spaces, which
gave the children the chance to pause
and relax, of their own choosing. Another
barrier is language and adults finding the
right words and phrases to aid children’s
understanding of such a big concept. This
is where our Dual Language Teachers and
Assistant Teachers play such an important
role, using Chinese to clarify the meaning.
Often the vocabulary can be tied in with
current learning and upcoming events.
In Year 1, the ‘Senses Safari’ was linked
to the adventure had by two characters
from a core text and on World Kindness
Day, the lucky dip cards were linked to
gratitude under the term ‘Kindfulness’.
There have been some training sessions
to deepen Early Years staff’s knowledge of
mindfulness and the small ways they can
‘season the day’ with mindful moments.
Most recently, DCB hosted ‘Mindwell’,
who led PD sessions involving staff from
all departments across the College.
Parents have been able to see some
mindfulness in action through Seesaw. The
posts always receive plenty of likes and
comments. The teachers encourage the
children to teach their parents and siblings
and look for ways to be more mindful at
home. In particular, we keep in mind that
the students have busy schedules both in
and out of school. Giving them tangible
strategies to deal with their feelings and
impressing the need to take a time out
from an early age should stand them in
good stead as they grow.
The College Magazine (Beijing)
11

News
Bird Feeders in Early Years
Since the Pioneering Spirit Grant awarded money to
Dulwich College Beijing, the students have been helping
to encourage birds to recognise our lovely grounds as a
feeding area. When they know this is a feeding area, they will
return here after winter and make their nests, hopefully in our
newly acquired bird boxes.
The Early Years students have been helping by making food
at home; nuts, seeds and lard have been a welcome treat for the
birds. Some local nesting sparrows have enjoyed the loose seeds,
but the larger wood pigeons and other birds have enjoyed the
stickier hearty foods. Most of the food the students have made
has already been eaten by the birds, so they are about to make
some for the winter holiday.
In other good news, the bird boxes have arrived and are on
display outside Mr Benjamin’s classroom. Over the Christmas
holiday they will be installed in trees that are known to be popular
with the birds. This begins phase two of the project, where
students will watch and monitor to see if we have any guests.
It is likely that the bird boxes will not have any guests until the
weather gets warmer.
Thank you to everyone who is planning on making food at
home with their children. We look forward to helping the birds
over the winter.
– Liam Benjamin
How to Celebrate World Kindness Day
Kindness is one of our Dulwich Values, so it seemed rather
fitting that our children all celebrated this concept on
World Kindness Day 2019 on 13 November.
The morning of the big day arrived, and happy, chattering
children from the Early Years and Junior School Student
Councils, Year 7 Wellbeing Ambassadors and Year 11 Wellbeing
Representatives gathered in the Atrium to welcome the
community with cheery greetings as they entered the school.
They handed out good-will messages scribbled on paper hearts,
held the doors open (and let the guard have a rest for an hour!),
and encouraged people to sign the ‘Kindness Wall’.
The Student Councils also collaborated to deliver lessons
about kindness to their peer groups, created displays in their
schools, and thought about how they could help support this
learning throughout the day. In Early Years, children baked
cakes and biscuits and paraded around the school to give them
to unsuspecting staff. They practised some mindfulness, made
paper flowers for our school ayis, listened to kindness stories,
talked about how they had been kind and who was kind to them,
and presented love hearts to those they cared about. All over
the College, the community came together to spread a little
kindness and took time in their busy day to consider others.
– Helen Herbert
12 beijing.dulwich.org

Snapshots
The College Magazine (Beijing)
13

14 beijing.dulwich.org

News
JS Student Councillors Visit Migrant School
Late in November, the Junior Student Councillors went on a trip to
Tong Xin School, a school for migrant students.
This trip was planned as part of the Student Council’s yearly
service to the community efforts. In their meeting before the trip,
StuCo planned some mini English lessons and found nursery rhymes
and books that they wanted to share with the migrant students.
On arrival, our students were humbled by their surroundings and
were a little shy to interact with the students of Tong Xin, but they
eventually overcame this! During their lesson time, they were split up
into two groups. One of the groups delivered their lessons to an age
group that they had expected and were really enthusiastic when doing
so, and in turn, the Tong Xin students were eager to participate. The
second group was given a last-minute change of class from the original
plan, and the Tong Xin children were aged between 2 and 3 and had
basic Chinese and little to no English. The Student Councillors in this
situation tried their very best to deliver the lessons prepared but soon
realised that their plans were a little too advanced. They tried really hard
with their first lesson and soon started adapting and taking advice from
the classroom teacher.
The Student Councillors will now share their experience with the
rest of Junior School and put forward an action plan to support Tong
Xin School. One thing that was apparent from the visit was that in the
harsh Beijing winter, the school has no heating in the classrooms, and
therefore students were wearing big winter coats to keep themselves
warm. Our students will be thinking about how Junior School could
help raise funds to help pay for the heating at the Tong Xin School.
– Iyabo Tinubu
Student Councillor Damiel L, Year 4, tells about their experience:
On Wednesday 27 November, the Student Council members
travelled to Tong Xin Elementary School, where they had to teach the
students English and experience what it was like to go to school in
harsh conditions.
They had planned what was going to happen in various Student
Council meetings, such as nursery rhymes and easy words.
The day arrived. In the morning, they met at the canteen and
went to the bus. When they arrived, they saw children playing in the
playground, the same looks on their faces as students of Dulwich, but
only in harsher conditions.
They split into three groups: Ms Hart took one, Ms Tinubu took one,
and one group containing a lot of Year 6s went by themselves. When
they arrived at different classrooms, they taught different activities.
First, they taught them an activity called ‘Pass the Apple’. First, the
Student Councillors taught them the names of different fruits. Then, the
students passed a teddy bear around, and a Student Councillor would
say stop. The Student Councillor would point to a fruit, and whoever
was holding the teddy bear would have to say the name of the fruit.
Then, the Student Councillors taught them some simple nursery
rhymes, and the second time the students would sing along too. After
that, the Student Councillors played an activity with them. For example,
ham and burger would make hamburger. The children then had to
repeat it.
Overall, it was a fun and exciting experience for the Student
Councillors, and a fun learning experience for the children!
JS Racing in Karting ECA
DCB Junior School Karting ECA
launched last year and has been
hugely popular, being oversubscribed
every block. Every Wednesday,
20 children are taken to SD Karting Centre
by Mr Castle for up to 90 minutes of racing.
The group is made up of experienced and
new drivers taking their first run on the
tarmac. Every week, the children begin with a
20-minute coaching session in the classroom
and learn about safe driving, controlling their
kart and how to drive quickly and confidently.
Children then have the opportunity to try out
their new learning on the track. The club is
split into three groups based on their driving
experience, confidence and ability, ensuring
that everyone is on track with drivers of a
similar level. At the end of the block, we
stage a championship of races, with a Grand
Finale taking place at an outdoor circuit at
Hong Tong Sports Park. The winners in each
group, as well as the most improved driver,
win trophies! It has been fantastic to see the
children growing in confidence and ability,
all the while having a great time with their
friends!
– Robert Castle
The College Magazine (Beijing)
15

Spotlight
WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN
Year 3 learned all about life and culture in Ancient Egypt and
touched on archaeology as well. They found out why the River
Nile was so important for everyday life, what the different parts of
a river are called, and how a flood affects people’s lives. Students
built some fantastic models of the Nile. Then, after doing some
research about how the different members of Egyptian society
lived, students used clay, straw and sugar cubes to make different
types of houses, all of which promoted the skills of teamwork,
collaboration and problem solving.
Junior School Learn
In Junior School’s topic-based curriculum, students
learn across several subjects related to one particular
theme. That means, through focusing on one
interesting topic, students learn English, geography,
history, science, culture and more, as well as how to
Year 3
MAD SCIENTISTS
Year 5s were immersed in different biomes around the world and
thought about how they could design a product using sustainable
materials to help climate scientists work in these biomes. Students
conducted experiments such as separating materials, filtering
water to make it clean, and looking at reversible and irreversible
changes. They worked in small groups to research their biome,
develop an initial idea with links to the biome, discuss materials
used and their properties, and then make improvements after
receiving feedback. They were supported by Senior School
students when visiting SE21 to finalise their end products. A
visitor from the UN provided additional expertise.
To round the project off, and to receive feedback
on the quality of their work, Year 5 held a Science
Fair to present their products to their peers,
teachers, and families.
Year 5
16 beijing.dulwich.org

Spotlight
ing Through Topics
apply what they have learned! They are encouraged
to explore all aspects around the topic and are given
the opportunity to steer their own learning.
Here are some examples of what they did in Term 1.
ENERGETIC EXPLORERS
Year 4 explorers learned to use different types of maps and
atlases to research countries, mountains, deserts, coasts, and
waters. Groups of students each became experts on a mountain
and presented to the class. Exploration is not limited to
geography; Year 4s also researched Buddhism. To learn about
this culture, students used Google Expeditions to tour the
Thangbi Lhakhang temple in Bhutan, visited the Lama Temple
here in Beijing, and even had a mindful meditation session.
For their Fantastic Finish, some students chose to create books
about their mountains, maps, continents and countries. Others
chose to present their work about Buddhism.
Year 4
Year 6
PEKING INTO THE PAST
Beijing is full of fascinating history, and Year 6 took
advantage of this by getting to know life in the Ming
dynasty and exploring how China has changed over
time. Students delved into Ming dynasty fashion,
art and architecture and also learned all about the
famous explorer and statesman, Zheng He, as well
as landmarks in and around Beijing from this era.
They took a trip to Qianmen and Dashilan to find the
oldest restaurants and shops as well as those with
Western influences such as Starbucks. Students also
explored the hutongs and discussed their cultural
significance and how they can be preserved. They
have also interviewed locals about life in the hutongs
and the changes in Beijing over the years. With all
this information, they were empowered to design
their own siheyuan or hutong.
The College Magazine (Beijing)
17

Spotlight
Building International Mindedness
By Joseph Stewart
Introduction
In a world that is changing fast, communication and sharing
of information between cultures is growing. The world that
students will enter on graduation will require them to understand
and develop a strong awareness of different cultures to ensure
that they are able to both contribute to global societies and also
be successful individuals. Helping students develop international
mindedness can give them a head start for the future.
The concept of international mindedness can be traced
back through history, but should now be an essential part of any
student’s education. It will not only help develop consideration
and understanding between individuals from different cultural
backgrounds, but also skills students will require in further
education and in workplaces that will increasingly rely on an
ability to communicate, cooperate and work with others from
various backgrounds.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) defines international
mindedness as aiming to “develop internationally minded
people who, recognising their common humanity and shared
guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more
peaceful world.” International mindedness can relate to
environmental, economic, social or cultural issues that are
experienced by individuals from different parts
of the world.
Historical Context
One of the first international schools was
established during the 1851 Universal Exposition
in London. This involved educators from India,
Hungary, the Netherlands, the USA and the UK
working together to create a network of schools
that had a combination of different curricula
from different countries.
In 1864, the British author, Charles Dickens,
published an article titled ‘International Education’ that talked
about “a citizen of the world at large…[having] tolerance that
comes of near acquaintance with different ways of thought.”
Mechanised modes of transport were invented at the end of
the 19th century but were initially only accessible to the rich. It
was not until the mid-20th century when air travel became more
affordable and telephones became a means of long-distance
communication that knowledge of different parts of the world
became easier. In the 1950s, television was also more widely
available. All these opened a window to the world for many.
After World War I, a number of international schools were
established to educate children whose parents worked at
embassies and international companies. The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
was established in Paris after World War II and prioritised
international schools. But it was not until the 1960s that the IB
diploma was developed, with the first programme taking place in
1971. Communication tools were further developed throughout
the 20th century, with fax machines, free email, and the growth
of the internet. These led to all the open resources such as
Wikipedia, Google and Bing, which offered “unprecedented
ways to provide and access information and opinion, for social
interaction.” (Hill, 2012)
Cultural Education Perspectives
When working to develop
international mindedness
in students, it is important
to consider the different
perspectives of the education
system and the host country.
In China, Confucius education
believed in “learning through
positive relationships with
people from our nation and
beyond”. (Confucius in Hill,
2015)
...international
mindedness... will
not just happen
from working in
a multicultural
environment.
“
”
Western civilisations were influenced
by Ancient Greek philosophy, whereas
Eastern civilizations were formed by Chinese philosophy. The
big difference between the two civilisations was the Greeks
encouraged ‘personal agency’ whilst Asian cultures encourage
‘collective agency’ – collaborating with others and listening to
group advice.
In Western education, independent thinking and teamwork
has always been encouraged. (Wickham, 2014) Teachers guide
students towards forming their own ideas and
developing their voice and opinion.
In the Chinese education system, despite
the larger class sizes and number of schools,
students are required to follow a fixed set of
rules and school policies. As many of today’s
children were born under the ‘one child policy’,
they have added pressure from grandparents
and parents to succeed.
Meanwhile, the world is becoming smaller
and more integrated as advancements are
made in transport and communication tools. Subsequently the
difference between Eastern and Western education philosophies
can be reduced. (Hill, 2015)
Internationally Minded School Ethos
For international schools, an overall ethos is needed to
create values and international mindedness in all members of its
community. It should create trust and make each member of the
school community feel valued. Schools should also demonstrate
an inclusive ethos amongst staff regardless of the status of their
position.
Often the school culture can be viewed as being beyond the
control of professionals, but teachers can develop it to achieve a
specific outcome. Part of this involves providing students with a
voice to indicate equality.
A school ethos is also important in developing students to
be responsible members of society. The way a school ethos
makes students understand how their actions affect the wider
community can lead to recognition of their role as a world citizen.
International Mindedness in an Ideal Classroom
With teacher planning and creativity, international
mindedness can be successfully integrated into all subject areas.
Let’s take a look at how this works in an art class.
18 beijing.dulwich.org

News
Art is a subject that works well in building international
mindedness, as “creativity transcends borders, and the arts are
a great way to connect to other cultures.” An example of this
could be to encourage students from different backgrounds
to create autobiographical art that shows the different cultures
influencing their identities.
Teachers could also introduce students to artists from different
cultures, or discuss why techniques and themes were used at
various times and how they developed through history. Looking
at political contemporary art that addresses issues of race could
lead to in-depth evaluations of cultural perspectives. Students
can also use visual art to express their feelings on current political
and social issues.
Another way of putting international mindedness into practice
is finding ways to allow students to make art in collaboration
with the wider community. Many students say they value putting
their ideas on global issues into action. It allows them to witness
situations first-hand rather than just discussing theories in class.
(Barrat-Hacking, 2018) An example of doing this in an art class
could be working with a local children’s hospital to design wall
displays and visuals for patients.
It should be acknowledged that implementing such learning
opportunities within the classroom is not without challenges, one
Autumn Yunnan Service Trip
By Aitao L and Mink L, Year 12
being the need for staff development. In a 2018 study, Savva and
Stanfield found that working in an international environment did
not automatically give teachers an international mindset. For this
to happen, they indicate that the “requirement for an intentional
and ongoing professional development plan is essential to
developing cultural competence in teachers.”
A further challenge may be conflict between the values of the
school and the host culture. One way around this could be for
teachers to not impose or give their views directly to students,
but to encourage students to consider all their cultural influences
and conduct their own enquiries into issues.
To conclude, international mindedness must be defined in
a way that is relevant to the context and demographics of the
individual school. It is also important that teachers and support
staff within the school experience continual development in their
own international mindedness, as it will not just happen from
working in a multicultural environment. International mindedness
is important for developing both responsibility in students so
they can contribute to global development in the future and
their ability to work in multicultural work environments. Finally,
international mindedness must be supported by an inclusive
school ethos to encourage its integration into all curriculum
areas.
In
November, a group of forty Year 8 and 9 students
embarked on a service trip to Yunnan province. Led by
four Year 12 members of Interact, the main purpose of this
trip was for the students to experience the impact of the service
work they had been doing in the past year and to reflect on the
ethics of their actions.
During the first two days of the trip, students visited a
foster home and delivered carefully planned lessons to both a
migrant school in Kunming and a small primary school in rural
Wuding. Seeing the migrant students and the significantly
different learning environments was a new experience for many.
DCB students were both touched by the hardships the migrant
children endured and amazed by the resilience and optimism they
showed. As evident through the charming smiles and laughter
from the migrant children, the direct interactions between them
and our students proved to be truly meaningful.
The third day of the trip involved a visit to a
kindergarten high up in the mountains of rural
Wuding. There, the students distributed special
sweets and snacks they had brought
from Beijing to the young toddlers and
had lots of fun
playing games and spending
quality time with the resident nursery children. As most of the
toddlers did not maintain frequent contact with their parents,
our company was especially cherished. In addition, our students
finally had the opportunity to see first-hand the product of our
fruitful fundraising events — a newly constructed bathroom with
running water (which the kindergarten did not have before).
This trip has been an eye-opening experience to every
single participant. It would not have been possible without the
invaluable help from Cassy (the founder of the charity “Love for
the Poor”), Zhang Ayi and Father Long (the foster parents) and
the accompanying teachers: Ms Tomaszun, Mr Taylor, Ms Chen,
Ms Mackenzie and Mr Stewart. The Interact club is also extremely
thankful for the support from the DCB community. We hope
that all the students who set off on this journey have
returned with something valuable from this experience,
and we look forward to the next service trip.
The College Magazine (Beijing)
19

Dulwich Beijing: The Mixing Pot
By Nicholas T, Year 11
The most beautiful part of Dulwich Beijing is its values. These values
which are brought over by the mixed cultures of both students and
teachers from around the world make Dulwich a mixing pot. Students
can hear stories of teachers from South Africa or experience Korean
teaching methods all under one roof. Let’s explore the
multicultural backgrounds of DCB staff!
Asia
Where were you raised and how did that affect you?
I was raised in Seoul, where the culture was influenced by
Confucianism. It put great emphasis on my learning, self-cultivation,
practical wisdom, and human relations.
Where have you lived and how long have you lived there?
Seven years in the Philippines and five years in Hong Kong.
What do you love most about your culture?
Trendiness, food and the value of human relations.
What do you find the most intriguing about Chinese culture?
How caring people are.
Has your background changed the way you teach?
It showed me that a great teacher is a great learner.
North America
Ms SunKyung Lee
Teacher of Chemistry
Dr Jessica Dobrin
Teacher of Chemistry
Where were you raised and how did that affect you?
I was raised in Tennessee. It’s a friendly place, so I feel like
it makes me willing to greet people!
Where have you lived and how long have you lived there?
I lived in the Midwest for 25 years, Shanghai for one, Tokyo for two,
Kuwait for two, and Cambridge for three.
What do you love most about your culture?
I love how it contains elements of different cultures.
What do you find the most intriguing about Chinese culture?
I love the mix of tradition and innovation. Of course, the food is
amazing as well!
Has your background changed the way you teach?
Living in so many different places broadened my perspectives and
made me more open-minded.
Oceania
Where were you raised and how did that affect you?
I grew up in in New Zealand. We had lots of green space.
This encouraged me to be outside.
Where have you lived and how long have you lived there?
Three years in Brunei, six years in Malaysia, six years in Taipei, six
years in Jakarta and four months here!
What do you love most about your culture?
Maori people are family oriented and very friendly. Music and sport
are huge in our culture.
What do you find the most intriguing about Chinese culture?
Having only been here for four months, I don’t know a lot about
Chinese culture, but the Great Wall is an amazing piece of architecture.
Has your background changed the way you teach?
My background has made me a friendly person.
South America
Mr Leighton Edwards
Teacher of Physical Education
Mr Kien Drakes
Teacher of Physics
Where were you raised and how did that affect you?
I was raised in Guyana. My Caribbean roots allowed me
to be connected to my culture whilst appreciating the benefits of a
developing world.
Where have you lived and how long have you lived there?
I have been living in China for 10 years.
What do you love most about your culture?
I love the food and inclusiveness of my culture since we have six races
that integrate to form our population.
What do you find the most intriguing about Chinese culture?
I think the respect for family and filial piety in Chinese culture are the
most intriguing for me.
Has your background changed the way you teach?
Growing up in a developing country then studying in another has
given me a lot of experience that aids in my teaching. I tend to use
more humour and be more inclusive whilst maintaining respect for
others. I think this comes a lot from Caribbean culture and the way
we interact with each other.
Europe
Mr Robert Slinn
Teacher of Business and Economics
Africa
Ms Fredleen Birch
Year 2 Teacher
Where were you raised and how did that affect you?
I was raised mostly by my Polish mother in the UK, giving
me an international outlook. Trips to Poland during the 90s showed
how my Polish cousin’s life was different to my life in the UK.
Where have you lived and how long have you lived there?
I grew up in the UK but later worked in Mongolia, the Philippines, The
Gambia and Ethiopia. I spent over three years working in international
development in Africa and Asia.
What do you love most about your culture?
I love the history of the UK and Poland.
What do you find the most intriguing about Chinese culture?
I find it fascinating to observe the challenges that China faces in
economic growth and increasing exposure to globalisation. I feel
privileged to be here.
Has your background changed the way you teach?
My passion for teaching came from my interest in history. My work
helped me gain a greater appreciation of different life experiences.
This helps me to bring real life examples into my lessons.
Where were you raised and how did that affect you?
I was born and raised in South Africa during the apartheid
regime. It really made me realise that although we were classified by
race, I was my own unique person with a lot of potential to do good.
Where have you lived and how long have you lived there?
We lived in Saudi Arabia for two and a half years, then in England for
eight months. Afterwards in Qatar for 14 years. We moved to China
four years ago.
What do you love most about your culture?
We are so diverse. South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation; we
adopted the best of every background and uniqueness. Our BBQ
style is the best.
What do you find the most intriguing about Chinese culture?
I really find Chinese music and dancing intriguing.
Has your background changed the way you teach?
I was taught in a very traditional way, but I realised that every child
needs to be taught so that their confidence and personality can
shine, and they believe they can do anything.
20 beijing.dulwich.org

Spotlight
Writing
Competition
Term 1
To kick off the first term of the school year, the English Department in the Senior School
introduced its first writing competition with the prompt ‘confess your crimes’. Students
thought widely and imaginatively about what they might confess, how they might
confess and why they might confess. The results revealed some very interesting secrets!
There were entries from every year group in the school (and teachers even revealed
some confessions too!). In the end, the English Department and Higher Level IB
Literature students judged the intriguing revelations and announced the winners from
each year group.
– Samuel Lane
Below is one of the winning stories.
Glioma
By Tracy L, Year 10
I have Glioblastoma.
A deadly form of brain tumour.
Look, this isn’t some kind of crappy opening to a young
adult novel or a romantic drama. This isn’t some tear-jerking
movie like The Fault in Our Stars or Five Feet Apart, where
everything is designed to be ultra-dramatic in order to make us
ugly cry in the cinemas.
No.
No one is going to cry.
Not today.
Because if there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the past
few years, it’s that… in reality, without all the fake romance and
plot-twisting drama, nobody cares.
It was all confirmed back in 2015, April. I can still see them,
the doctors, standing in the corridors, my bloody report
dangling from their gloved hands. My mother cried. Her eyes
were sunken, haunted, like she hadn’t slept or seen light in years.
Like someone has robbed her soul and buried it underground.
Even before they told me, I knew.
Standing in the pale hospital lights, I knew.
They slowly explained my results, decorated with scientific
language and ornamented with medical facts. Graphs. Scans.
Numbers I’ll never understand. Their words echoed in my ears
like a recording, repeated again and again, slicing me at the
harshest angles. Daggers. Knives. Arrows.
I braced myself.
“Ms Scott, you have been diagnosed with Glioblastoma.”
Snap.
Grief radiated from around me, burning my skin.
Eyes locked on me as if they’re staring at a coffin, or a
soon-to-be-buried corpse. As if I just died, and they’re already
standing at my funeral.
A storm brews behind my eyes, shooting hot tears to my
vision. They expected me to cry. To scream. To melt to liquid.
Or to burst into flames.
I didn’t.
I wouldn’t.
…
Because I’m still breathing today.
Do you have any idea what it’s like to be “the bald girl”? No.
Of course you don’t. You all have perfect hair that you brush
every morning, styling them into the perfect fashion.
Do you have any idea what it's like to be stared at? Teased
at? Gossiped at?
Do you have any idea what it’s like to get brain surgeries,
tumour treatments and still manage to fake a smile?
Your lips say nice things to me, like “You’re pretty!” And
“You’re such a fighter!” But your eyes tell the truth. Your eyes
are cold. Filled with pity. Like as if I’m dying over and over
again, right in front of you.
I’m alive. I’m not a freakin’ corpse.
You know what? Go ahead and stare. Go ahead and laugh.
Go ahead and talk behind my back. I don’t care.
But if anyone ever asks me to introduce myself, please allow
me to say this:
(“Ms Scott, you just got the deadliest form of brain tumour.
Congratulations, this is not just rare - it’s legendarily rare! Ooh,
Bummer. Be prepared to say goodbye to your miserable life,
because we don’t expect you to survive longer than 10–12
months!”)
Hello, universe.
I am Beatrice Scott.
I have Glioblastoma.
But Glioblastoma never had me.
The College Magazine (Beijing)
21

News
IGCSE Learner Awards
Congratulations to DCB’s 2019 IGCSE cohort for achieving historic results!
Our students and staff worked very hard, and it showed! Ninety-two Year 11
students took 880 IGCSE courses, with 97.7% of all grades averaging A* – C
(or 9 – 5) and 78.6% of all grades averaging A* – A (or 9 – 7). There were 26
students with all A* – A grades.
Special mentions go to the following students for receiving Outstanding
Cambridge Learner Awards:
• Justine M for Top in World in Mathematics
• Andrew H for Top in China in Economics
• Heather L for Top in China in World Literature
And Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards:
• Jessica T for the Highest Marks Internationally in History
• Andrew H for the Highest Marks Internationally in History
220 Students, 8 Schools, and Plenty of Broadway Hits at
Dulwich Festival of Music
From Wednesday 13 November until Saturday 16 November,
DCB was tasked with hosting the annual Dulwich Festival
of Music (DFM). This year, over 220 Senior School students
signed up to take part, coming from eight schools across the
Dulwich network: Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong, Dehong
Shanghai, Dulwich College Suzhou, Dulwich International
High School Zhuhai, Dulwich College Seoul, Dulwich College
(Singapore), Dulwich College Yangon, and of course, Dulwich
College Beijing.
The theme for this year’s festival was Broadway – meaning
that all the pieces performed had come from a Broadway musical.
We had a range of music from classic old-time musicals including
Sweet Charity, The Wiz and Kiss Me Kate, as well as more recent
hits like We Will Rock You, Wicked and Hamilton. The students
focused on one group throughout the festival, either choir,
big band, rock bands or orchestra. The festival culminated in
a Gala Concert on Saturday, where each group showcased the
performances they had prepared, finishing with everyone on
stage for the finale – a medley of songs from My Fair Lady.
It was a very busy few days, but a highly rewarding musical
experience for all the staff and students involved.
– Nina Haynes
22 beijing.dulwich.org

News
Enterprise Fair with a Spooky Spin
After weeks of preparation from both our Year 10 and 11
STEM students, the 2019 DCB Enterprise Fair: Halloween
Edition opened its doors on two days late in October
to a brand-new audience of students, teachers, parents and
the wider community. The fair buzzed with a raw Halloweenflavoured
energy, with many student entrepreneurial projects
and food projects, including tattoos, custom USBs, custom
keyboard protectors, soaps, the Tech Thirteen Terror (our popular
homegrown haunted house), a pumpkin carving experience, and
DCB's very first Smash Brothers Tournament. Various external
vendors also made a showing, including Doko and Fella's, as well
as internal service projects such as MSP (Myanmar School Project)
and MIT (Masters in Technology), in addition to our game stalls.
Through this event, our enterprising students benefited
from a huge amount of first-hand design, marketing, sales and
event coordination experience, and funds raised go directly into
supporting future Business and STEM projects at school.
We, the team behind the Enterprise Fair, would like to
personally thank every single individual who bought our goods,
who screamed (often very loudly) at the haunted house, who
played in the Smash Tournament, who cut into any pumpkin.
Without you, this event wouldn’t have been anywhere near as
much of a success. We’d also like to thank our vendors, our
volunteer teachers, the Operations Team, our student and
teacher organisers, our haunted house acting team, our Smash
Commentators Mr Royters and Mr Douglas, and our special
partner, Electricats.
– Isaac L, Year 11
Zongheng Cup – International School
Chinese Debate Tournament
On 26 – 27 October, the annual
Zongheng Cup International
School Chinese Debate
Tournament took place at Dulwich
College Beijing. The tournament was cohosted
with Debate Asia and attracted 332
students and 53 teams from 19 schools,
including Dulwich College Beijing,
International School of Beijing, Tsinghua
International School, Keystone Academy
and Beijing City International School.
After some strong competition and
thoughtful debate, Leon L and Jason C
were chosen as “Excellent Debaters”.
And congratulations to Year 10 students
Sally C, Leon L , Joanna J and Tracy L
for achieving first place in the 14-16 age
group, and Chloe H, Ryan R, Endora Y, Eva
C (Year 9), Jason C and Jiaying G (Year 8)
for achieving third place in the under 14
age group.
What was unprecedented was the
involvement of student leadership in the
planning process. Kevin M co-organised
this event with the Chinese Department
teachers. A sincere thank you to all
volunteers for their devotion and efforts,
and we look forward to next year’s Chinese
debate.
– Kevin M (Year 12) and Ms Gong (Chinese
teacher)
The College Magazine (Beijing)
23

Spotlight
Five Bad Habits to
Eliminate in the IB
By Stephen Hurworth
With references to the work of Dr Travis Bradberry
Even the most acclaimed professors, academics and
scholars in education possess some bad habits. It is those
who can limit or even fully eradicate them from their daily
routine who will reap the benefits. According to Dr Bradberry,
when we allow bad habits to take over, it dramatically impedes
our path to academic success and puts obstacles in the way of
our own wellbeing. Breaking bad habits requires self-control—
and lots of it. Further research indicates that it’s worth the effort,
as self-control has huge implications for success.
University of Pennsylvania psychologists Angela Duckworth
and Martin Seligman conducted a study over four years where
they measured college students’ IQ scores and levels of selfcontrol
upon entering university. Four years later, they looked at
the students’ grade point averages (GPA) and found that selfcontrol
was twice as important as IQ in earning a high GPA. The
self-control required to develop good habits (and stop bad ones)
also serves as the foundation for a strong work ethic and high
productivity. Self-control is like a muscle—to build it up you need
to exercise it (Bradberry, 2019).
1. Impulsively surfing the Internet.
According to Bradberry, it takes a human being 15 consecutive
minutes of focus before you can fully engage in a task. Once we
do, we fall into a euphoric state of increased productivity called
flow. Research shows that people in a flow state are five times
more productive than they otherwise would be. When you click
out of your work because you get an itch to check the news,
WeChat or a sports score, this pulls you out of flow. You would
have to go through another 15 minutes of continuous focus to
re-enter the flow state.
2. Using negative language in a social setting.
In times of IB pressure points, it is all so easy to slip into a
negative mindset about workload, school policies and protocol.
The constant use of negative and emotive language will never
help get the work completed. This is especially the case when
in a social setting amongst peers. Negative language can halt
the progress for good mental wellbeing and, conversely, positive
language has the power to move it on. It is imperative that when
faced with a challenging period of workload that our students
focus on action and solution-based discussions and planning.
More importantly, actions are carried through with integrity and
purpose.
3. Gossiping.
High School is a stomping ground for gossip throughout
the world but those who do their best to eliminate it from their
surroundings blossom with positivity in abundance. Gossipers
derive pleasure from other people’s misfortunes. It might be fun
to peer into somebody else’s personal or professional faux pas at
first, but over time, it gets tiring, makes you feel bad, and hurts
other people. There are too many positives out there and too
much to learn from interesting people to waste your time talking
about the misfortune of others. “Great minds discuss ideas,
average ones discuss events, and small minds discuss people.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
4. Waiting to act until you know you’ll succeed.
In terms of school, this is defined as procrastination or
perfectionism. Most writers spend countless hours brainstorming
their characters and plots, and they even write page after page
that they know they’ll never include in their books. They do this
because they know that ideas need time to develop. We tend
to freeze up when it’s time to get started because we know that
our ideas aren’t perfect and that what we produce might not be
any good. But how can you ever produce something great if you
don’t get started and give your ideas time to evolve? Author Jodi
Picoult summarized the importance of avoiding perfectionism
perfectly: “You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank
one.”
5. Comparing yourself to other people.
Some students are compulsive comparers of one another.
Although this is human nature, it is not healthy nor is it productive.
When your sense of pleasure and satisfaction are derived from
comparing yourself to others, you are no longer the master of
your own happiness. When you feel good about something that
you’ve done, don’t allow anyone’s opinions or accomplishments
to take that away from you. While it’s impossible to turn off your
reactions to what others think of you, you don’t have to compare
yourself to others, and you can always take people’s opinions
with a grain of salt. (Bradberry, 2019)
By practising self-control, you can simultaneously strengthen
your self-control muscle and abolish nasty habits that have the
power to bring your academic progress and wellbeing to a
grinding halt.
24 beijing.dulwich.org

Sports
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS
Dulwich College Suzhou Football Tournament
ISAC Cross Country
Baxi Cup organised by Baxi Football Academy
BSB 6-a-Side Phuket 7s ISAC Football Tournament
ISAC U10 Swim Meet
The College Magazine (Beijing)
25

Sports
SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS
SEASON 1 SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
ISAC U19 Volleyball
JV Boys – 4th overall
Varsity Girls – Division 1 Champions
Varsity Boys – 3rd overall
ACAMIS Tennis Tournament
Annika M & Ester K – 2nd overall
Annika M – U19 Singles Champion
ISAC Tennis Tournament
Fred H & Erik Y – Doubles 2nd overall
Shawn W & Jeffery L – Doubles 3rd overall
Annika M & Yann R – Doubles Champions
Isabella T & Anais M – Doubles 2nd overall
Annika M – Singles Champion
Isabella T – Singles 2nd overall
ISAC U14 Badminton Tournament
Henry Z & William W – 4th overall
ISAC Key Stage 3 Football
U14 Boys Varsity – 1st Place
U12 Boys – 3rd Place
U14 Girls Varsity – 3rd Place
U14 Girls JV – 2nd Place
U12 Girls – 1st Place
26 beijing.dulwich.org

News
“Building” Friendship in Laos
The Laos service trip is a voluntary project organised by
World Volunteer aimed to construct eco bungalows,
school buildings and dormitories in the countryside
villages of Laos. This year in November, 12 students from Year
10 to Year 12 participated in the project to develop the existing
Houay On Primary School. At Houay On, there are currently two
buildings under construction: the teacher dormitory and teacher
office. We helped build the teacher office, which was already in the
middle of construction. These projects are not one group’s job to
complete; they are rather a collaborative project which lasts two
to five years depending on the building and complexity. This felt
for many of us unsatisfying as we hoped to accomplish something
greater. However, by the end of the trip, we learnt that these are
the times when the saying “every little bit counts” truly matters.
From hoeing and shovelling dirt, pushing sand-filled
wheelbarrows up the hill, chopping straw repeatedly, trampling
mud, making mud bricks, shaving mud bricks and building the
walls, we not only learnt new skills but also grew as people
through this invaluable experience. While working at the village,
we were fortunate enough to be taken care of by the local families
where we home stayed. This allowed us to immerse ourselves
in the authentic Lao culture that we would not have got from
visiting Laos as a tourist. The cold bucket showers, squat toilets,
lack of internet connection, early lights out and natural alarm
clocks by the rooster were a refresher and pause from reality we
all needed. Although the village had no streetlights, the night
sky filled with a plethora of sparkling stars, which lit up the whole
village. Every night after dinner with our families, we had bonfires
where we played local games,
reflected and learnt more about
the Lao culture. On some nights
the local children joined us,
which added to our bonding
experience.
On the last evening, the
village held a bassi (Lao for ceremony) as
a farewell ceremony and a thank you for our contributions
to the project. Each villager blessed us and tied a string on our
wrists as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. It was an enriching
experience where we dived even deeper into the culture of Laos.
Back in Luang Prabang, we visited the UXO (unexploded
ordnances) Museum, where we learnt about the devastating
history of Laos during the Vietnam War. Over 260 million cluster
bombs were dropped, making it the most heavily bombed
country in history. There are still close to 78 million unexploded
bombs that frighten the local people, but a national clearance
operation and education programme are in force to try and make
the country safe again. We also returned to the night market.
This bustling and lively place provided more than meets the eye,
consisting of small stalls temporarily setup on a road with many
unique items ranging from locally made Lao coffee to trinkets
made from the carefully extracted unexploded ordnances, each
capable of serving as a souvenir to relish this amazing trip.
– Matthew H, Kyle F and Sungbeen L, Year 12
Dulwich Shakespeare Festival
Late in October, 11 students from
DCB travelled to Singapore
to participate in the Dulwich
Shakespeare Festival. Themed ‘Magic &
Mayhem’, the four-day festival enabled
students to participate in workshops led
by professional practitioners alongside
other students from the Dulwich family
of schools. Whilst at the festival, students
from DCB performed their Shakespeareinspired
piece titled Madness, Mystery
and Murder. The piece included snippets
from The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo
and Juliet.
The performance was a great success
and received lots of positive feedback
from audience members.
– Alexander Tew
The College Magazine (Beijing)
27

Snapshots
28 beijing.dulwich.org

Five years ago, they were girls roaming the corridors of DCB. Fast forward to the present, they are
leading IQBar, a fast-growing online education start-up with a student base of over 77,000 and
operations in China and in the UK. The College magazine catches up with these entrepreneurial
alumni – Helen Cao, Founder & Co-Director, and Cindy Yao, Chief Strategy Officer – to inspire
our current students.
Alumni
Helen Cao
DCB Class of 2014
London School of Economics and Political Science
BSc Economics, MSc Law and Accounting
Currently based in Liverpool, UK
What are you working on now?
This is my fourth year running IQBar, and within the past four
years, we have completed stage one course developments,
training and teaching quality assurance systems. We are aiming
to promote our services to a wider market, while upholding
and improving teaching standards and user experience. We are
launching a brand-new online library in early 2020 to bring in a
wide diversity of resources and titles to Chinese students. We are
looking to build an international school students’ community and
secure a new round of funding to scale up our operations and to
further improve user experience.
What was your motivation behind starting IQBar while you were
still a student?
I started IQBar while I was in university, when all the experiences
of studying in international schools, applying for universities,
and living in a new country were fresh in my mind. At university,
students who went to international schools in general adapt
better and more quickly to the university way of teaching than
students who went to local Chinese schools. However, there is
insufficient teaching resources in China to provide international
education to fulfil the market needs. Setting up an online platform
can alleviate such shortage, helping to spread international
education, which I believe is the best education system.
What are some unexpected challenges you have faced with
when growing the business? How did you deal with them?
We live in a century of data explosion; to stand out from all the
information is very tricky. To keep finding new ways of marketing
and exploring our brand identity is an ongoing task. We aim to
grow through referrals and word of mouth to keep marketing
cost at minimum.
Thinking back to your DCB days, what were some of your
memorable moments? How has being at DCB shaped who you
are today?
I set up the Manga and Animation Club, joined jazz band
and cooking club, and participated in interschool maths
competitions. DCB gives students the opportunity to try a wide
range of activities, rather than concentrate solely on academics,
to follow interest and passion, and to persevere in challenges.
What would you like to tell current DCB students?
Try different areas before going into university, find out where
your interest and passion lie, since these will be the drivers
that keep you moving through challenges and hardship. Enjoy
university life; don’t let studying and internships take up your
life. If I can turn back time, I’d spend more time having fun. (Not
saying running a start-up is not fun, but there are better ways to
spend your early 20s.)
Cindy Yao
DCB Class of 2014
London School of Economics and Political Science
BSc Accounting and Finance
Currently based in Beijing
What are you doing now?
I joined IQBar earlier this year, responsible for fundraising,
investor relations, developing the international curriculum
business line and implementing other key strategic initiatives.
Tell us about some internships or jobs you’ve had.
I did several spring and summer internships during first and
second year of university at HSBC, Barclays and BAML and
this helped me to secure a full time offer at second year of
university at HSBC. After graduation, I worked two years at
HSBC London’s Consumer and Retail M&A team and Debt
Capital Markets team.
Why did you join a start-up instead of staying in the established
corporate world?
It has always been part of my long-term plan to do or join a
start-up, but I have never seen it coming so fast! I met Helen
earlier this year for a general catch-up, and that conversation
re-ignited the entrepreneurial spirit hidden within me. Hence, I
spent some time doing my due diligence around the business,
the team, the industry and decided that I should give it a try –
now is better than later to be the risk taker. Therefore, I made
the big transition from UK to China, from finance to edtech,
from MNC to start-up. Start-up life is challenging and rewarding
– the personal development is immense. It forces you to step
out of your comfort zone and constantly think about new ways
and execute new initiatives.
Thinking back to your DCB days, what were some of your
memorable moments? How has being at DCB shaped who you
are today?
My most memorable moments must be all the good times
with friends. I have made some lifelong friends at Dulwich,
and they are my best high school memories. DCB builds a very
enriching environment that encourages students to explore
different areas and opens up possibilities for them. I was part
of Interact and student editor clubs and participated in Silver
Duke of Edinburgh Awards, drama and charity events. Out of
these activities, drama was the most daunting, memorable
and rewarding activity. I continued these initiatives in university
and was the VP of LSE’s largest Chinese society. DCB was
academically enriching and provided so many opportunities for
personal development.
What would you like to tell current DCB students?
Take your time and explore. Society gives us so much time pressure
to go to a top university, get a good job, earn a good living, settle
down, have family. It is important for us to find ourselves amidst
these expectations and build our core foundation and values of
life. Life is more than just money, job and being successful. What I
love about DCB and the IB curriculum is that it gives you so much
freedom to choose and explore. Every path can have amazing
views – live life to the fullest!
The College Magazine (Beijing)
29

Spotlight
Special Guests
Throughout the year, professionals at
the top of their fields visit DCB and
engage with the students. Here are
just some of our special guests in the
first term.
Ash Dykes
Three-Time World First Record Holder
Inspired students with his pioneering spirit
and tips to tackle big challenges by breaking
them down into small, manageable steps
Dr Julie Evans
Faculty Tutor of Brain Science from University
College London
Gave a lecture on the ‘Psychology of Language
and Communication’
Steve Skidmore
Bestselling Author and Educator
Communicated the importance of reading for
pleasure and taught about the storytelling
process through actively involving his audience
Jane Godwin
Award-Winning Author
Taught JS about how authors are inspired to
write their stories
Pablo Mielgo
World-Renowned Orchestral Conductor
Gave students insights about being a conductor
and how to succeed in a very competitive field
30 beijing.dulwich.org

Spotlight
Paul Jarman
Composer, Conductor, Musician
Worked with JS and SS ensembles and IB
and IGCSE music/film students on a week-long
residency
Andrew McCully, OBE
Director General of Early Years and Schools
for the UK Department for Education
Observed how a leading British school is
successfully delivering education overseas
Nick Arnold
Bestselling Author of ‘Horrible Science’ series
Conducted fascinating experiments with
students to pique their interest in the sciences
Roo Pigott
Songwriter, Recorder, Music Producer
Workshopped practical songwriting skills with
students
Professor Anu Ojha, OBE
Director of National Space Academy, National
Space Centre, UK
Enlightened the students about space
exploration as well as how it relates to climate
change research on Earth
Howard Kerr
Chief Executive of The British Standards
Institution (BSI) and a Governor of Dulwich
College
Got to know DCB as a new Governor of our
founding school in London
The College Magazine (Beijing)
31

Around DCI
Forest School in Singapore
Nursery students at Dulwich College (Singapore) are very
excited to be immersed in the new Forest School site
on campus. Forest School at Dulwich uses the outdoor
environment to deliver exceptionally high-quality, memorable
learning experiences and was introduced to Dulwich by Nursery
teacher, Alex Hall-Gray. At Forest School, children aren’t taught
in the traditional sense; it’s all inquiry-led and retrospectively
planned rather than directed learning. Teachers act as facilitators,
empowering students to acquire skills through powerful selfdelineated
inquiries. They are taught how to assess, mitigate
and embrace risk to drive their learning through meaningful and
personal child-led experiences. Students are furnished with realworld
skills and the mental apparatus required to keep themselves
safe. Rather than isolating a skill and discretely teaching it in the
classroom, Forest School takes children back to real challenges
where skill acquisition is a necessity to fulfil their own fascinations.
Through applying these skills to their own areas of interest, students
are empowered with a vehicle to drive their own learning forward.
For example, a child is observed in a session inquiring about
what is living underneath a large, heavy log. The Forest School
Leader immediately reacts to their inquiry, employing a deep
understanding of the curriculum, coupled with being mentally light
enough on their feet to judge the efficacy of their level of input.
This all happens while furnishing the child with the lateral skills they
require to move the log (or rationalise that possibly, it is not safe or
kind to the animals which call it home, to do so) in an engaging way.
The skills required cover numerous areas of the curriculum
in their acquisition, retention and application as, to lift a log, one
needs the ability to create leverage, as well as the environmental
awareness of any potentially hazardous animals which might live
under it and the ethical awareness of whether it is something that
should or should not be done. To understand how to create leverage,
a child might first explore the concepts of units of measurement,
opposing forces, gravity, mass, weight, tension, the load-bearing
properties of different materials (to use as levers), personal safety,
shape and many more. Therefore, the simple act of lifting a log to
observe insects instantly becomes an opportunity for vast skills and
conceptual acquisition. Nobody has had to fabricate a learning
opportunity or concern themselves with student engagement; that
is already available in gross abundance at Forest School.
The Forest School site is carefully monitored to minimize
the environmental impact on it and the biodiversity it contains.
Students are provided with the opportunity to observe and interact
with a wide range of Singapore’s diverse flora and fauna, becoming
confident in how to keep themselves and those they care about
safe in a tropical environment. There has never been an injury at
Dulwich College (Singapore)’s Forest School, even though the
students are able to use sharp knives, bow and arborist saws, axes
and various digging implements. This is a strong indicator of how
students take ownership of their own wellbeing at Forest School
and learn to manage risk.
The priorities of Forest School are cultivating independence,
risk identification and management, individualised learning and
exceptionally high skills retention. The teaching philosophy of
student-led learning, enriched with meaningful opportunities to
apply new knowledge, is already in alignment with the tenets of
Forest School.
Student Entrepreneurial Prowess in Suzhou
Head of Senior School, Mr
Wilsonlock, was delighted
to be a judge at Dulwich
College Suzhou’s very own Year
9 ‘Dragon’s Den’ (Shark Tank in
Australia/USA). Student teams
devised their own ideas to present
for ‘investment’. He was joined on
the judging panel with Marc Flynn
(musician and Apple Store Suzhou
leader) and Leila (entrepreneur
and former NASA engineer).
Students had been preparing their
ideas and presentations with the
event in mind. The judges were
fascinated to hear and see great
presentations that used the UN
Sustainable Development Goals as
a starting point. One of the biggest
investments by the ‘Dragons’
on the day was for 250,000 ‘DC
dollars’ towards an enterprise
that promoted the use of cutlery
made from biodegradable corn
starch. Having seen nearly twenty
presentations, it is evident that our
students take the UN SDGs very
seriously and are willing to invest
heavily in their futures.
32 beijing.dulwich.org

Around DCI
World Mental Health Day in Seoul
On Thursday 10 October, we
celebrated World Mental Health
Day 2019, with a focus on
building relationships. While we provide
first-class pastoral care for our students
at Dulwich College Seoul, not every
school in Korea has this level of support.
In fact, South Korea has the highest rate
of suicide amongst young people in the
world (World Population Review 2018).
Highlighting the importance of strong
mental health and resilience in our local
context has never been so important.
Year 12 embraced the leadership of
this event for maximum student agency,
with my guidance as Head of Wellbeing,
and planned a Whole College aerial
photograph – staff and students joined
together as a community in the shape
of a puzzle piece to represent the
importance of connections. Students
also united in their ‘Chingu Pairs’ for
this activity. This year, all Senior School
students were assigned a Chingu (Korean
for ‘friend’) partner in the Primary School
for ongoing connections and meaningful
bonds across the College. The puzzle
piece shape and the Chingu pairs was
a celebration of the support that our
College community offers one another,
as well as the broader connections
between staff and all of our community
members.
On the day, students were invited
to ‘dress as their feelings’ in order to
promote self-awareness in themselves
and the importance of noticing the
moods of each other, too. Chingu Pairs
were invited to have a conversation
about this to encourage dialogue over
emotions, moods, and feelings that arise
in every human as a natural state. The first
step in helping to manage and regulate
these emotions is in noticing them.
This year, donations were not a
necessity to wear their own clothes, since
we are focusing on ‘friend-raising’ rather
than fundraising for this meaningful and
important day.
A special thanks to Jack in Year 10 for
his expertise, capturing the image with
his drone, and the Year 12 team for the
successful planning and leadership of
this event.
– Victoria Finch, Head of Wellbeing,
Dulwich College Seoul
HakD in Shanghai Pudong
The College Magazine (Beijing)
1
November 2019 was the day the third
annual Dulwich Hackathon began, also
known as HakD. The theme of this year’s
HakD was ‘On The Move’. As it was my first
time going to HakD, I was so excited. After
school on Friday, Ray and I were literally on
the move! We sprinted to the restaurant to
register. The swag bag was awesome. About
an hour later, we went into the theatre to
welcome everyone from different schools
across China.
We started off with a beautiful and
stunning light show. The video that the
students made about being ‘On the Move’
was excellent and really made us think
about all the technology we use every day!
Everyone was introduced to the event, and
we were paired up with two other people
from another school. My partner Ray and I
were paired up with students from Dulwich
Beijing.
We were also told the eight different
scenarios all linked to the theme. We chose
the scenario where we will design a robot
which saves humans from natural disasters
like earthquakes. After knowing our partners
for the rest of the event, we got to know
each other by doing an icebreaker activity.
To get prepared for our project making, we
were given a wide range of workshops to
choose from, ranging from robotics to facial
recognition!
On the second day, we went to the
workshops we chose. I went to robotics.
I learnt how to build a Rero robot and add
extra components to satisfy the requirements
in the scenario we chose. I added claws so it
could remove objects in its way and deliver
supplies. It also had headlights to see in the
dark. I also planned to have a camera with
facial recognition so it could find people in
disasters and bring them to safety.
On the third and final day of HakD, we
presented our robot and design documents
to the parents and judges. It was so much fun
having people visit our stall but also to see
what others came up with. We also got to see
the senior category students, and they made
some really amazing devices. I feel so lucky
attending this event. I learnt so much and
cannot wait to go back next year!
– Ben and Ray, Year 7, Dulwich College
Shanghai Pudong
33

92
students
98%
received an
A or A*
in Triple
Award
Science
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STUDENTS
880
IGCSE COURSES
38%
of all grades
were A*s
2019 IGCSE RESULTS
79%
were
GRADES
A* or A
90%
received an
A or A*
in Additional
Mathematics
2019 IB RESULTS
53%
English
Literature
received
93%
History
A or A*
76%
Mandarin First,
Mandarin Second &
Mandarin Foreign
Language
3OUTSTANDING CAMBRIDGE
LEARNER AWARDS
•Top in World in Mathematics
•Top in China in Economics
•Top in China in World Literature
2OUTSTANDING PEARSON
LEARNER AWARDS:
•Highest Internationally in History
DCB average score:
World average
37.9
100% 73% of students
out of
1 perfect score of students took who took Chinese
45 points
1 – 44, 5 – 43 IB English A received full marks (7/7)
University of
Cambridge
University of Oxford
London School of Economics
and Political Science
Imperial College
London
University of Bath
University College
Utrecht
Technical University
of Munich
4 in 10 students received
40+ points
Georgetown University
Duke University
Columbia University
Yale University
University of
Chicago
Berklee College
of Music
Wellesley College
UC Berkeley
Northwestern University
University of Toronto
Yonsei University
Seoul National
University
University of
Hong Kong
Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology
and other reputable universities!