The College Magazine Summer 2022

C The 

OLLEGE 

Summer 2022 Beijing 

............................................................................... 

Dulwich College Beijing Introduces... 

A Student-Led Journey to 

Global Citizenship 

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Empowering Students to Become Digital Leaders 

The Dual Language Approach in Early Years

Friends of Dulwich 

Building the Community Culture Around You 

Welcome to Friends of Dulwich! As the parent association 

at Dulwich College Beijing, we aim to build bridges between 

families, the school, and our wider community and by doing 

so, enhance the school experience for our children. All parents 

automatically become Friends of Dulwich (FoD) members once 

their child(ren) joins Dulwich College Beijing (DCB). 

The Friends of Dulwich Committee consists of more than 20 

volunteers working for our community. Everybody is welcome 

to join our FoD committee to build a warm, friendly, smart 

community! Feel free to contact us at fodchair.beijing@dulwich. 

org 

Julie Hong 

Chair of Friends of Dulwich 

As parents, we are proud that our children are receiving the best 

international education at Dulwich College Beijing. But more 

than that, as part of the DCB community member, you should 

also know that Friends of Dulwich is a link to connect you and 

your family with our school. 

Strengthening the connection between DCB families and the 

school is FoD’s most important mission. To achieve this mission, 

FoD volunteers create opportunities for parents to connect with 

the College by organising regular events and enabling everyone 

to find something enjoyable among a large choice of activities 

and clubs: 

• New Family Orientation Day and Friends Welcome Tea 

• A Cappella Club 

• Culture Club & Connection Lunch 

• Parents Representatives 

• Teachers’ appreciation lunches 

• Third-party staff Chinese New Year appreciation 

and many more... 

C O N T E N T S 

Head of College Message 

Live Worldwise 

Our Global Citizenship Statement 

DIMUN XII: A Perpetual Pendulum 

A Student-Led Journey to Global Citizenship 

Dulwich College Beijing Takes Staff Wellbeing at Heart 

Student Agency 

Student Leadership in Early Years 

Student Initiatives in Junior School 

Meet the 2022 Student Prefect Team! 

Graduate Worldwise 

Class of 2022 Receives Worldwide Prestigious University Offers! 

A Reflection on the University Applications Journey 

Education and Technology 


Sustaining Educational Innovation in a Changing World 

Learning Pathways 

We Never Lose, We Either Win, or We Learn... 

The Dual Language Approach in Early Years 

“Staying in Your Own Lane” in a Learning Setting and Beyond 

Visual and Performing Arts 

MADD Festival 

Sustainable Artworks in Early Years 

Story Light Boxes by Year 6 

Congratulations to All Our GCSE Art Students! 

2022 IB Visual Arts Exhibition 

Senior School Drama Production: Romeo and Juliet 

Junior School Welcomes Spring in Music 

Spotlights 

House Events 

Hear from the DCB Alumni 

DCI News 

Cover: Betty H, Victoria H, Lily L, Lina M, Ariel Y, Julie Z, Agatha Z 

Editor, Design & Layout: Kalyana Marechal, Sophie Zhu, Yadi Zhou, Edelmann Group 

Editorial Support: Cecilia Liang 

Contributors: Jett Brunet, Becky Bush, William Chen, Bryan Chiew, Anthony 

Coles, Sally Corben, Jacob Dong, Rachel Edwards, Victoria H, Jeffrey Harmon, 

Dr Tabitha Healey, Melody Hsu, Stephen Hurworth, Yosef Karasik, Brian L, Lina 

M, Kevin Meng, Shauna McFaul, Elena Reid, Jason Ryu, Yvette Stride, Cecilia 

T, Alexander Tew, Jenna Yeh, Senior School Global Goals Club, our colleagues 

across the DCI network and many of our wonderful students and alumni 

Photography: Kidsphoto Studio, Global Vision Studio, Dulwich College Beijing 

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beijing.dulwich.org 

The College Magazine (Beijing) 

3


Dear DCB Community, 

It is my pleasure and privilege to introduce a new edition of The College magazine 

as another dynamic and rewarding academic year is about to close. The plethora 

of news and events covered in this release will allow everyone to find articles and 

photos of interest. However, allow me to highlight a few highly relevant topics for 

the whole college. 

Re-accreditation 

In December, Dulwich College Beijing was fully re-accredited 

by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the 

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The 

CIS/WASC evaluation team was very complimentary about 

Dulwich College Beijing. The evaluation team’s report 

identified many commended areas, including our revised 

guiding statements, high levels of student engagement, our 

dedicated staff, ongoing curriculum development, our focus 

on student wellbeing, the work being done around English 

as an additional language provision, staff’s professional 

learning and the community support our parents show 

the College. In addition, the report identifies a few areas 

for continuing growth that focus on digital citizenship and 

curriculum review processes, along with finding more 

collaborative time for Staff. The whole Report confirms that 

the College continues to deliver a world-class, well-rounded 

and challenging programme for our students. We have all 

the ingredients: great teachers, a robust, rich curriculum, 

and third-party accreditation agencies like CIS/WASC and 

the IBO to hold us all accountable for improving student 

learning. 

Global Citizenship 

Our mission is to Live Worldwise, and a lot of work has gone 

into developing a new Global Citizenship definition. 

Connect / Care / Act 

We are on a journey to connect with, care about, and act for 

people and our world. 

At DCB, we strive to encourage our students to become 

global citizens. We are continually enhancing our curriculum 

so that our students learn about global issues and 

sustainability and other people, their cultures, and their 

perspectives. 

We wish to see our students having: 

• A strong self-esteem and identity 

• A deep understanding of global issues. 

• An open mind with the ability to see the world from 

multiple perspectives. 

• A positive impact on others through service 

• A concern for the environment and sustainable 

development 

• Empathy and an understanding of other cultures and 

a sense of shared humanity 

• A commitment to social justice 

To support our mission of Live Worldwise, a new position 

has been created for the next school year. This role will direct 

and shape the student experience at Dulwich College Beijing 

in the area of Global Citizenship that encompasses, but is 

not limited to, sustainability, service and global citizenship. 

The role will provide students, teachers and staff access to 

world-class learning opportunities via curriculum design, 

enrichment and global networks in the area of Global 

Citizenship. Mr Samson Swanick has been appointed to be 

our first Director of Global Citizenship. Mr Swanick will work 

closely with both the school and local community (parent, 

schools, outreach groups) to provide opportunities for 

developing global citizenship attributes with students and 

raising awareness and the connectedness of the Sustainable 

Development Goals. 

Our EdTech Team has been constructing a new curriculum to 

empower our students to be effective and responsible digital 

citizens during this academic year. As part of this work, a 

new definition was created. 

Digital Citizens are responsible, confident users of 

technology that connect with, care about, and act 

positively within our community and beyond. 

Our newly formed EdTech team has supported teachers in 

integrating authentic use of technology within the learning 

programmes. Behind the scenes, a lot of work has also taken 

place to take our systems to another level, improving the 

user experience for students, teachers and parents. 

This academic year has again tested us in so many ways. I am 

proud of the resilience shown by all community members 

when coping with COVID-19 related challenges. It has been 

a tough couple of years for many individuals, and the care 

shown by peers has been tremendous. Our efforts to equip 

staff with coping strategies and the knowledge of maintaining 

a healthy lifestyle has been well received. However, these 

ongoing challenges have meant a higher number of our 

teachers than usual have decided to leave DCB in June. 

We know that this has been a tough decision for them, but 

many felt the need for change with the ongoing restrictions. 

Although we are sad to see our colleagues depart, we are 

excited to meet the new cohort of teachers who will join 

our community from August this year. We have carefully 

selected these educators to teach our students and move our 

programmes forward. We anticipate an easing of restrictions, 

and hopefully, our parents and community events will return 

to the campus as they once did. 

Awards 

DCB continues to look at ways in which to deliver a worldclass 

education. Our students come first, and all of the 

programmes are designed with their needs in mind. We 

were delighted to have the College recognised by the British 

Schools Awards in two categories: Holistic Education and 

Science and Technology. 

Winning the Holistic Education Award shows that DCB is 

far more than just an academic school with outstanding 

performance. This award celebrates the exceptional 

collective effort from all our staff and students in building 

a well-rounded, balanced set of offerings both within and 

beyond the classroom walls. From academics, sports, and 

the arts to students taking action in the local community, 

this award recognises the four DCB pillars well and truly. 

The Science and Technology Award acknowledges initiatives 

within the curriculum and across the extracurricular 

activities programme. It is a recognition of the staff who 

brings Science & Technology to life for students and students 

leading clubs and activities in this area. The judges very 

much saw the broad involvement of all students as an 

outstanding differentiator! 

DCB was also awarded the winning school for the 

International Schools Award category “Pathways to 

continued and university education”. This is great recognition 

for everyone involved in our WorldWise Academy, which 

enriches the career pathways of our students by creating 

connections between DCB and the world of work. The 

WorldWise Academy is a true collaboration between 

students, parents and staff, and we are honoured to receive 

this prestigious award. 

University offers 

Our seventy graduates will be soon spreading their wings 

to study at universities all across the globe. We are proud of 

their achievements and the people they have become. We 

look forward to hearing about their impact on the world in 

the years to come. Meanwhile, we wish them all the best in 

their transition to a new chapter of their life. 

Anthony Coles 

Head of College 


Award Category 

Pathways to Continued and University Education 

Presented to 

Dulwich College Beijing 

In recognition of achievement at the 

International School Awards in January 2022 

4 beijing.dulwich.org 


5



Dulwich College Beijing Unveils its Global 

Citizenship Definition 

DIMUN XII: A Perpetual Pendulum 

By Brian L and Victoria H 

Secretaries-General of DIMUN XII 

CONNECT / CARE / ACT 

We are on a journey to connect with, care about, and act for people and our world. 

This definition is underpinned by our mission to Live 

Worldwise. It reflects our commitment to educate 

our students as the next generation of global citizens 

and enable them to make a positive difference to people, 

society and the planet. 

A dedicated Global Goals definition wall was created by the 

Dulwich College Beijing Sustainability leads to provide a live 

communication space for the whole college to showcase 

news, student actions, links to resources… related to the 

different global goals. 

With sustainability as one of our strategic priorities this 

academic year, we aim to foster our students’ awareness 

and understanding of global topics and build up their 

global literacy through age-appropriate and real-life-based 

education. 

Andrew Walton, Senior School Sustainability lead, shares 

that “the goal of this wall is to connect our community 

of students, parents and teachers, and decentralise our 

student-led Global Goals Club. This way, our true collective 

efforts will result from the whole community doing 10% 

more rather than relying solely upon the club members. 

We need everybody to contribute a little bit in each of the 

fields, starting with the things they are already passionate 

about.” 

Over 130 delegates from 11 schools, including around 20 

DCB delegates, met virtually and attended the annual DCBinspired 

debating event of Dulwich International Model 

United Nations, DIMUN XII, between 18 and 20 March 2022. 

Throughout the weekend, a 

total of over 50 students from 

our College were involved in 

participating in or facilitating 

the conference, expanding 

their outreach to a myriad 

of pressing and eye-opening 

issues ranging from the 

situation in Afghanistan, the 

global energy shortage as 

well as assessing how artificial intelligence could potentially 

become an unsafe tool. 

This year, the conference was themed by the statement: A 

Perpetual Pendulum. Ranging from global humanitarian 

crises and long-term military conflicts to even recent 

contentions induced by the COVID-19 outbreak, there exists 

an unending trend by which pressing concerns are habitually 

overlooked because of a misleading impression of nonviolence. 

A strong force or provocation lingers on either side 

of the global pendulum, and it is only when the aftermath 

is visualised on the farther end that we begin to pledge our 

least amount of accountability for a world we have already 

devastated. 

With the hope to understand and address this phenomenon, 

this theme was devised and launched by the executive 

team comprising Brian L, Eva C, Victoria H, and Zion K, 

under the guidance and support of Mr Royters and Ms 

Tomaszun. Throughout the conference and all procedures 

in preparation for it, despite the imminent challenges of 

working between an online and hybrid possibility, the event, 

on the whole, was executed smoothly and successfully, 

once again bringing together our entire DCB Senior School 

community in an event that trained students to reaffirm 

their knowledge of current affairs, and thereby enhance 

their outlook as prospering global citizens. 

Special congratulations to Sissi S (USA, GA1), Lian C (USA, 

ENV) and Olivia K (USA, SC), who were awarded the most 

improved, passionate and diplomatic delegate awards, 

respectively. 



7


A Student-Led Journey to Global Citizenship 

By the DCB Senior School Global Goals Club 

Who are we? 

The Senior School Global Goals Club has morphed and 

changed over time, adapting to student needs and changes 

in the international socio-political climate –– and, of course, 

to the actual climate –– to strive towards not a single but 

17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or Global Goals, 

promoted by the United Nations. 

Sustainability and Global Citizenship have always been part 

of DCB’s priorities. As a club, we aim to guide students, 

teachers and parents towards these goals in a way that is 

tailored to the demands of our school context. We hope to 

inspire pivotal conversations amongst members of the DCB 

community on sustainability and the Global Goals. During 

the past few years, we have hosted numerous assemblies 

on climate change, helped to introduce plant-based meat 

meals, and worked closely with the school’s leadership team 

to discuss ideas and student opinions at our regular whole- 

College Sustainability Committee meetings. 

Like so many student-led initiatives, our student leadership team 

makes everything possible. We are, in many ways, idealistic 

people that came together with a shared understanding of 

what the what is and vision of what the world ought to be. 

Here, our student leadership team would like to share short 

introductions to ourselves and our visions for the future. 

Without further ado, here is a short message from each of 

our student leaders. 

Tiffany L –– Head of the Global Goals Club, Year 12 

I joined the Global Goals Club almost 

three years ago, but in the beginning, 

like many students, I was vaguely aware 

of global issues like climate change, 

poverty, and inequality. Due to the 

sheer size of the problems the world is 

facing today, it’s easy to turn a blind eye 

toward the larger world and instead 

focus on our small spheres of influence. 

However, the Global Goals Club’s 

emphasis on making incremental change and sparking the 

much-needed conversation ignited genuine interest and 

compassion in me towards caring –– and just by caring, we 

can make a difference. 

As the Head of the Global Goals Club, my role is to guide 

the club’s path and work closely on sustainability-related 

projects in the College. 

Betty H –– Sustainability Prefect, Year 12 

Hello! My name is Betty, and I am 

currently privileged with the opportunity 

to serve as the Sustainability Prefect 

alongside Lily for the Dulwich community. 

I have been actively engaged in the 

Global Goals Club since Year 9, and my 

(then) mere interest in sustainability 

has grown into a genuine passion. 

I think that it is imperative that we 

learn to break our goals into basic 

rudimentary steps and reach a feasible solution to address 

global issues. 

Lily L –– Sustainability Prefect, Year 12 

I’m Lily, a Sustainability Prefect along 

with Betty and part of the Global Goals 

Club leadership team. I joined Global 

Goals Club in Year 9 and previously 

held the role of Public Relations Officer 

in Year 10 and Project Manager in 

Year 11. My goal as prefect this year 

is to make every student within DCB 

interested in sustainable development 

and environmental protection! I am 

particularly passionate about the impact that global issues 

such as climate change, pollution and overutilisation of 

natural resources have on nature and society. This year, not 

only do we want to simply discuss such issues within Global 

Goals Club ECA sessions and raise awareness, but we aim 

to actively involve more students to participate through 

interactive events, including the Key Stage 3 Assembly, Earth 

Day and No Carbon November! 

Matthew W –– Public Relations Officer (PRO), Year 11 

Hello! My name is Matthew, and I am 

one of the Public Relations Officers for 

the Global Goals Club. Our team aims 

to spread awareness and raise empathy 

within the school. Throughout this year, 

we have spread as much information 

within the Dulwich community as 

possible so that they are well informed 

of the projects being carried out. I have 

been writing the bi-weekly Global Goals 

Club newsletter, and aim to continue informing students, 

teachers and parents of our projects and progress. 

Michelle W –– Public Relations Officer (PRO), Year 11 

Hello, my name is Michelle; our vision is 

to identify problems related to the UN’s 

Sustainable Development Goals in our 

school community, raise awareness, and 

then implement action together. I am 

especially interested in Goal #5: Gender 

equality and Goal #12: Responsible 

Consumption and Production. I plan to 

write about how women are portrayed 

from different points of view (such as 

Confucius) and through different times, and publish that 

in the school’s newsletters. I have conducted surveys on 

different people's opinions on controversial gender equity 

issues, attended feminism lectures, and joined feminism 

groups to prepare for the project. I am also planning to 

place bins for plastic around the school and separate types 

2 and 5 plastics so they get recycled in Project (ZERO). I 

will be first experimenting with this separation method 

within my household to see the best way of promotion and 

organisation. 

Vivianne N –– Head of Admin, Year 10 

Hi, I'm Vivianne, and I am one of the 

admins of the Global Goals club. As part 

of the club, I wish to spread awareness 

of the SDGs, especially on Goal #16: 

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions 

and Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities. One 

of the projects that I have worked on is 

the SDG wall. The SDG wall addresses 

all of the goals, and through this wall, 

we aim to raise more awareness of the 

SDGs in the Dulwich community; the SDG wall is designed to 

allow students to attach and share ideas or articles that they 

find interesting. For this project, we have also collaborated 

with the Senior School Library so that students could easily 

access articles related to each SDG by scanning a QR code 

next to them. 

Victoria H –– Head of Admin, Year 12 

Hello! My name is Victoria H, and I 

am positioned as the Head of Admin 

alongside Vivianne. Together, we are 

primarily tasked with maintaining the 

logistics and organisation of the club, 

looking over the team’s communication 

and meeting agenda, whilst actively 

being involved with executive team 

duties of leading, encouraging, 

and supporting projects related to 

sustainability. 

Personally, I am incredibly fond of the individual scale of 

actions regarding sustainability which ultimately – as I 

believe – bolsters the collective spirit of our DCB community. 

Particularly, I lay my personal priorities in aiming to inspire an 

environment of empathy towards our causes and the world 

around us, which will essentially become the future society 

of all current students at DCB. 

Student-led projects and events 

Our team’s main vision and goals stand in raising awareness 

and ingraining ideas of the United Nations Sustainable 

Development/Global Goals in the everyday lives of the DCB 

community. Under this umbrella, we aim to set specific 

targets per term branched under one or two specific goals, 

planning and launching projects or events in which students 

can participate on an increasingly larger scale. Through 

these efforts, we further hope to advocate the concept 

of Global Citizenship and our school’s key mission to Live 

Worldwise, training students to enhance their individual 

open-mindedness toward the world around us. 

One of the features that truly stands out about the Global 

Goals Club at DCB is our vibrant student involvement, 

engagement and initiatives. Currently, we are pushing 

exciting student-led projects such as Forestcast, Ocean 

Pandas and Project (ZERO). To this end, our club has 

launched numerous events, projects and initiatives. Here is 

just a glimpse of the work we’ve been doing. 

Key Stage 3 Assembly 


Since sustainability is a concept that runs through Dulwich, 



9



we want to educate younger generations about sustainability 

as early as possible. Therefore, the Key Stage 3 assembly 

was an introduction to our efforts toward sustainability in 

the Senior School, specifically emphasising Goal #14: Life 

Below Water and Goal #2: Zero Hunger. We also enabled 

students to be involved in other sustainable development 

goals related ECAs, such as Project (ZERO) and Ocean 

Pandas, to introduce their individual projects. We wish to 

promote these issues to lower year groups, raise awareness, 

and provide them with the chance to make “teaspoons of 

change” in their daily lives. 

Project (ZERO) 

aims that underlie the Global Goals. 

We would like to thank Jimin B, Iris S, Amy Z, Matthew W, 

Elpis C, Vivian L, Michelle W, Angel W and Mr Zhao for being 

heavily involved in turning Project (ZERO) into a concrete 

project that is beginning to make a tangible difference in the 

school community. Through producing products, we aim to 

raise awareness of how much plastic is being wasted and 

eventually approach our goal of a “zero-plastic campus.” 

Global Goals Wall 

Around mid-February this year, the Global Goals Wall – 

which had been planned and designed for a long time by 

members of the DCB Global Goals Club – was installed in 

the school in the corridor next to Mr Coles’ office. With 

one puzzle piece dedicated to each of the 17 Global Goals, 

an invitation to collaborate on this wall was expanded to 

all members of the DCB community. Ever since, the Global 

Goals Wall has been (and is still being) furnished with 

colourful posters and infographics, symbolising the entire 

College’s cooperation, dedication, and affiliation towards the 

central goals. 

Earth Day 2022 

To celebrate Earth Day (April 2022) and Earth Week this year, 

the club arranged a week full of activities aiming to mobilise 

Key Stage 3 students, a sustainable bake-off, plant adoption 

activities, and the bring-back of DCB’s traditional alternative 

proteins ‘Chef’s Table’, a diverse and comprehensive range 

of events was launched to celebrate and accentuate the 

importance of our world and the surrounding environment. 

Universally, this year’s Earth Day was themed under the 

statement: Invest In Our Planet. Whilst spreading the idea 

and awareness of this topic, the crucial targets that we as a 

team set was not only to limit our impact and influence on 

the time frame of a single week but to advocate for Earth 

(every) Day, calling for small changes and action in the daily 

lives of all. 

Project (ZERO) collects used up types 2 and 5 plastics from 

students and teachers and recycles them into new products. 

During the production, we undergo multiple phases. After 

an initial rinse, we cut and grind the plastic into small pieces 

to ease the washing process. We then soak these pieces in 

a water bath and soap to ensure they are clean. After this, 

we can heat the plastic in simple moulds or run it through 

our locally built extruder. When the plastic is cooled under 

pressure, we remove it to then be able to make a wide range 

of products or building materials. Ultimately, we want to 

produce items that are both practical and aesthetic. 

International Women’s Day showcase 

On Tuesday 8 March, the Global Goals Club invited members 

of the Dulwich community to gather together for a 

showcase of projects and ideas surrounding the 2022 theme 

of International Women’s Day –– #Breakthebias. This is a 

part of the worldwide effort to draw attention to Global Goal 

#5: Gender Equality, combining efforts and approaching this 

complex, urgent and ubiquitous problem in modern society 

from different perspectives. 

the entire student body and school community to get 

involved with a sustainable cause and mindset. Ranging from 

activities such as a friendly infographic competition between 

In summary... 

As can be seen, a fundamental advantage (and strength) of 

the Global Goals Club is that it advocates for comprehensive 

change, targeting and inspiring all groups of the school 

community. Whilst adhering to the past legacy of the club at 

DCB, we optimistically pledge to bring about more positive 

change while remaining inclusive, innovative, and creative. 

Our project addresses multiple Global Goals: Goal #12: 

Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal #13: Climate 

Action, Goal #14: Life below Water, and Goal #15: Life on 

Land. As such, reducing the use of plastic will promote zeroplastic 

to the nearby communities and take a great leap 

toward environmental sustainability, which is one of the final 



11



Dulwich College Beijing Takes Staff Wellbeing at Heart 

By Dr Tabitha Healey 

When the world became aware 

of COVID-19, the feeling was 

this was going to be a short-lived 

inconvenience. Little did any of us 

predict the extraordinary marathon 

of uncertainty that this would 

become. A sector particularly hard 

hit has been education, as schools 

grapple with constantly changing circumstances, fear, isolation 

from friends, family and the familiar all whilst trying to ensure 

a consistent schooling experience for their students. 

My background is 20 years as a Medical Oncologist, 

specialising in the care of young women with breast and 

ovarian cancers. Caring for the terminally ill provides 

extraordinary insights into how people respond to incredible 

challenges. This led to my passion for wellbeing and a career 

shift to Executive and Personal Coaching, assisting people in 

living their best lives, whatever is thrown at them. 

Dulwich School Beijing has been acutely aware of the 

importance of prioritising and supporting staff wellbeing, 

recognising that the positive reverberations of this would 

be felt throughout the broader school community. 

Wellbeing is defined as not merely the absence of disease 

but optimisation of a person’s physical, mental, emotional 

and social health. It is undeniable that stress levels have 

soared in recent years: time pressure, pressure to compete 

and perform, erosion of work/life boundaries and now, 

the addition of a pandemic. We are seeing soaring rates of 

burnout and compassion fatigue in the caring professions. 

Whilst some stressors can be addressed by reviewing 

priorities and adjusting expectations, many are fixed. 

The response in this setting needs to be an investment in 

wellbeing, which then resets how an individual responds to 

the stressors they are exposed to. 

The body of research for boosting wellbeing and enhancing 

stress resilience is vast. To streamline this for Dulwich College 

Beijing, we created the S.P.A.C.E program based on the five 

pillars of: 

• Sleep 

• Pause (mindfulness meditation and digital 

detoxification) 

• Appreciation 

• Compassion and Connection 

• Energy (Exercise and Eat) 

A series of lectures on each of these pillars allows staff 

to learn the science behind why the investment in each 

of these simple strategies is achievable and worthwhile. 

Behavioural change is then encouraged by participation 

in follow-up activities, all whilst strengthening community 

through group participation. 

Each of these pillars has been demonstrated to 

downregulate stress hormones, improve the way our brain 

functions and reduce long term wear and tear on our DNA, 

thus reducing ageing and illness. They are all free, simple 

and readily accessible: it simply comes down to whether we 

make them a priority or not. 

So, what are the shifts that you can make to overhaul your 

wellbeing and strengthen your ability to tolerate stress and 

uncertainty? Sleep is vital and a routine essential. Where 

possible going to sleep and getting up at the same time 

each day, aiming for 7-9 hours and exposing yourself to 10 

minutes of natural light in the morning will transform the 

quality of your sleep and set you up for the day. 

Pausing to take 10-15 minutes to sit quietly with your 

thoughts, allowing them to pass and then return to 

focussing on your breath, has been demonstrated to reduce 

stress, anxiety and depression, increase concentration 

and creativity and remarkably improve immune function 

and reduce pain. The greatest barrier to achieving quiet 

is our relationship with technology, and I implore you to 

review how you interact with your devices. Are you actively 

engaged online or simply mindlessly scrolling? Research 

reports that we check our phones every 12 minutes. We 

spend 5 minutes sorting a task, it then takes 23 minutes to 

return to our previous level of productivity. So, in fact, we 

are never actually achieving optimal performance. 

Appreciation of what we have rather than what we don’t, 

and expressing gratitude for this, increases life satisfaction, 

improves relationships and reduces toxic emotions and 

stress. Write down three things for which you are grateful 

before bed, share gratitude with family and friends or take a 

photo each day that allows you to savour the simple things 

for which we are all grateful. As you practice gratitude, you 

will find that, like exercising a muscle, it becomes easier, 

stronger and your natural state. 

We are all hardwired for connection, love and belonging. 

Shockingly, loneliness (a lack of meaningful relationships) 

has been estimated to shorten life span by 15 years and 

has higher mortality than smoking, diabetes or obesity 

due to the release of the stress hormone cortisol and the 

impact this has on the body. When we are overwhelmed 

and stressed, the first thing we do is often to withdraw 

from human interaction, which sadly only exacerbates 

our distress. Rewarding human connections requires 

a foundation of compassion: understanding another’s 

experience and providing assistance. Compassion makes 

the unbearable bearable, so look at your week and 

build in opportunities to be kind to yourself and connect 

compassionately with others. 

Finally, we turn to energy. We all know what it feels like to 

let our batteries run low, and yet I am reasonably confident 

that you would not allow that to happen to your phone. 

In order to thrive, we need to replenish our energy, which 

requires regular exercise and appropriate fuel. Schedule 

moderate-intensity exercise at least three times per week 

for 45 minutes or 3 x 15-minute sessions of high intensity, 

interval training. If you can, take your exercise outdoors as 

connecting with nature amplifies the benefits. Fuel your 

body with real food, preferably whole grain and plant-based, 

full of colour and variety. 

Congratulations must be given to the Dulwich College Beijing 

Wellbeing Committee, which has embraced the program 

and has already provided extraordinary opportunities for the 

staff to expand their minds, connect with others and invest 

in themselves. 



13



Student Leadership in Early Years 

The Dulwich College educational philosophy emphasises the balanced development of a student’s intellectual 

and personal development. To that end, we focus on four core areas throughout the school: academic 

excellence, participation in sport, involvement in a wide range of music and drama opportunities, and a 

commitment to service and community. Each core area offers opportunities to develop student agency even from a 

young age. See for yourself! 

Taking ownership of the DCB Values 

Resilience, Confidence, Respect, Integrity, Responsibility, Openmindedness, 

and Kindness are the DCB values, each of which 

has been designed as a fun animal character for Early Years 

students. This project was the brainchild of teacher Emma 

Kiely with the artwork created by Junior School Art teacher 

Sally Corben. The characters representing DCB Values include 

Resilient Ren, Confident Cong, Respectful Rui, Isabelle Integrity, 

Responsible Ryan, Open-Minded Oli, and Kind Katie. The 

children have latched onto the behaviours that are appropriate 

for each character value. Our new school value song, I belong 

to DCB, vividly helped them understand the College values by 

embedding these fun characters. 

Becoming House Leaders 

Dulwich College Beijing House System was introduced to Early 

Years last October. It enabled Key Stage One students to mingle, 

compete, build a sense of belonging within their House Team, 

and discuss sportsmanship and teamwork through a series of 

House events. It is an invaluable chance to bond with their new 

community of friends and teachers! 

In March of this year, a new House points behaviour system 

was introduced to Early Years. Instead of the previously used 

marble reward system, students are now given a counter that is 

the same colour as their House team when they demonstrate 

excellent behaviour and our Dulwich values. As class jars fill with 

counters, class teachers will reward the class for their collective 

positive behaviour. Every Wednesday afternoon, the newly 

appointed Early Years House Captains are tasked with collecting 

the counters from each class. They count their own House 

counters, record them, and place them into the EY House point 

container, which will be on display in the Atrium. 

Each Thursday, during Key Stage One Assembly, the children 

are updated on which House team has collected the most 

points for that week. The winning House team is announced 

and rewarded. And the team members celebrate together. 

Participating in these activities helps Early Years students be 

more engaged in the overall community at the school and find 

their sense of belonging. 

Being young leaders allows them to speak not only for 

themselves but also for the whole team. As part of the wholechild 

development, children’s leadership skills and teamwork 

spirit start to build at a young age, which enhances their 

interpersonal skills and helps them discover their passion in 

specific areas, thus leading to a clearer future learning. 

Growing along the Early Years learning 

pathways 

Learning pathways were identified as a key area of focus for 

the College over recent years, and it has further developed 

this year and features in our College development plan. The 

significance of the vertical alignment of our educational 

offer curriculum mapping to improve our students’ learning 

journey, is vital. Consequently, the Early Years school prioritized 

further development of a progressive teaching and learning 

provision that facilitates character development and academic 

achievement as a key goal for this year on our school 

development plan. 

The Headteacher Awards are introduced to Early Years students 

as part of the learning pathway. Students per year group are 

acknowledged for their outstanding efforts and achievements 

each week and celebrate their achievements. Students are 

given the opportunity to stand out and showcase their strengths 

among their peers which helps build confidence to facilitate 

character development and holistic learning. 



15



Student Initiatives in Junior School 

Leadership takes all sorts of forms. Students in Junior 

School chose to seize opportunities that suit them best 

and by doing so, gradually grow up as global citizens 

in many areas. Many of the student leaders have been 

voted for by their peers because they display the leadership 

qualities necessary to do the jobs they have applied for, but 

others shine and lead in different ways. 

The Student Council members lead by sharing ideas and 

making decisions for, and on behalf of, their year groups. 

The House Captains lead by example for their Houses in the 

different House events and competitions throughout the 

year. Each of these leaders does an amazing job taking an 

active role in the life of the Junior School. 

Other students create opportunities for themselves as 

leaders. Take the group who are creating our weekly 

podcasts, for example. They took the initiative and went to 

Mr Brunett with an idea that they had to make a difference. 

They are passionate about what they are doing and at the 

same time, develop different skills and values that help them 

to engage with the community. 

Other students are quiet leaders whose actions demonstrate 

the values they hold dear. They have integrity and lead by 

example to help make the community more peaceful and 

fairer. When others around them are doing something that 

they think is not right or that may be hurtful, they stand up 

for what they believe in and take action to help stop the 

wrong. This sort of leadership often takes guts! 

Student Council acting on No Carbon 

November 

In No Carbon November, Junior School students have 

completed a survey of the classes and a leader board has 

gone up showing which class has the highest and lowest 

carbon footprint. The challenge is to see which class can 

make the most changes to their everyday routine by the end 

of the month. 

Sustainability is always a hot topic at Student Council 

meetings, the group has discussed issues in the cafeteria 

such as alternative protein to meat, food waste and 

healthy lunches. Student Council supported Ms Clark with 

a ‘Christmas Kindness’ project and worked on their own 

ideas to bring some more fun and kindness to Christmas in 

Junior School. Hearing about the discussions that take place 

at Student Council, it really is very inspiring to see Student 

Leadership in action and the students really exemplify what 

it means to be a global citizen. 

Reflecting on our year as budding journalists 

The Dulwich Dudes Podcast and Magazine team showed 

resilience and developed skills of leadership throughout their 

first year of journalism activities. Check out their thoughts 

and ideas! 

Ella: I cannot believe how fast this year 

has been! There are only 9 more weeks 

until we go to Year 7! This year has been 

extremely remarkable to me since we 

(EMOH) have made so much progress 

and accomplished so many things. The 

event that stood out to me was the 

recording of the A Day of Life in Junior 

School video. It was the first time for us 

to record a formal video and there were 

a lot of behind-the-scenes actions. We went through a series 

of steps to get it done. We wrote down what we would say 

during the filming and memorized it after our lines were 

approved by the teachers. Also, we discussed where to film 

and who should be in the scene. This was all planned out 

by our wonderful team of teachers and the only thing we 

needed to do then was to act it out. 

Our scenes were filmed in different areas across the campus. 

When filming our parts, we made sure that we looked 

smart in our uniforms. We smiled and spoke out our lines 

confidently. After filming, we recorded the voiceovers as 

well. At the beginning of the filming, we were all extremely 

nervous and it took us a while to adjust our emotions and be 

more relaxed. It soon became quite fun and exciting for us 

as it was brand new experience. 

Overall, it was unique, meaningful, and unforgettable! 

Olivia: During the school year, we 

made a lot of changes to help with 

the sustainability in our school. In 

class, I learned that eating meat could 

be unsustainable. For example, just 

one piece of pork can produce a big 

amount of carbon dioxide. It came to 

my mind that making one school meal 

vegetarian could improve the campus 

sustainability. The problem was that a 

lot of people cannot accept vegetables to be the complete 

replacement of protein. I then thought about introducing 

plant-based meat (which is basically something tastes and 

looks like meat but is made of beans, tofu, etc) to the school. 

It is not only delicious but also environment-friendly. The 

podcast team was very supportive of this project. We asked 

people who supported the idea to sign the signature sheet. 

The data we collected showed how positive people viewed 

the idea. 

We talked with Ms Clark, Mr Brunet and Mr Elliot and 

carried out 2 tasting sessions in Senior School canteen. 

Finally, the plant-based meat was successfully introduced in 

the Junior School canteen. It is now part of our menu. 

Heloise: This year has been amazing. 

Everyone in the Magazine team worked 

so hard to achieve our goals! Great 

efforts were made in improving the 

magazine. We are all very proud of our 

work and contribution to the school. 

We wrote about things like gaming, 

interviews, etc. We are now recruiting 

interns from Years 4 and 5 because 

we (EMOH) are leaving for Year 7. The 

magazine team meets every Tuesday at 1 pm in CETI for our 

magazine ECA. If you are interested in joining the magazine 

ECA, please ask Mr Brunet for further information as it is 

invite-only. This year, we have published two editions of 

the magazine and we are planning the third one. We have 

shown great resilience by overcoming difficulties like online 

learning. I really enjoyed attending the Magazine sessions 

this year because it was very fun. Everyone tries their best to 

contribute, and we will carry it on in Senior School. 

Martin: This year's podcast was 

a success. Our podcast achieved 

awareness and got positive feedback. 

As approaching the Senior School term, 

we called in a few interns to help with 

the podcast. The Interns were very 

dedicated and hard-working, which 

made us feel that we had chosen the 

right people. 

Even though we encountered difficulties like online learning, 

the podcasts were produced successfully. During the podcast 

months, we interviewed many important people in the 

school and asked about their specific work. As the podcasts 

became more popular, our workload increased. We checked 

each line to make the interview questions easier for the 

interviewer to read out. 

We have faced many problems and overcome a lot of 

difficulties. We hope the new podcast team can find their 

own way out when meeting the hardship. 



17



Global Citizenship (Carla S) 

“Connect, Care, Act” 

Sustainability (Betty H, Lily L) 

“Is it wrong that I use plastic bottles too…?" 

Media (Rylie L, Sofia S) 

“Leaders of the one and only media team, have you 

joined yet?" 

STEAM (Sean L, Owen A) 

“Yes, we do build rockets in our backyard.” 

Meet the 2022 Student Prefect Team! 

By Lina M 

Communication and Language Prefect 

The Prefect Team of 2022 has an overarching vision to Unify 

Yet Diversify, an aim through which we envision uniting the 

entire College, especially amid the uncertainties of the post- 

COVID-19 era, whilst also respecting the diversity of cultures 

and individualities of each member of the DCB community. 

The team comprises 4 Head Prefects and 34 members of 

the General Team, further differentiated into the four pillar 

groups: 

• Local to Global 

• Service to Others 

• Curriculum and Learning 

• Enrichment 

All are aspiring leaders and Year 12 students representing 

a portfolio or aspect of student life within the campus, 

standing at a high and prestigious tier of student leadership 

within DCB. In general, the team aims to maintain, inspire 

and launch a multitude of unique and original projects – in 

collaboration with the existing student and staff leadership 

frameworks at school – to enhance the learning experience 

at DCB in accordance with the school’s fundamental learning 

principles and guiding statements 

. 

Head Prefects 

Their aspiration: further unify the entire prefect team, 

striving towards efficient collaboration and stronger ties 

among team members and the whole student body. 

Head Girl and Head Boy (Victoria H, Joe W) 

“We’re the glue between all Prefects!” 

Deputy Head Girl and Deputy Head Boy (Audrey W, 

Zion K) 

“Nobody warned us that kids would systematically 

outweigh us during lunch duty…" 

Local to Global 

Their aspiration: contribute to the enhancement of the 

school community with a strong belief that the local changes 

they make within their close community may positively 

impact the world that awaits them. 

Alumni, Careers & University (Cecilia T) 

“Application process? Future careers? Ask me!" 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Diana T) 

“My preferred pronoun is DEI, not DIE, please…” 

Service to Others 

Their aspiration: connect and serve the school community 

across the whole college through their unique means and 

skills. 

College Links (Alice F, Danny Z, Hugh S) 

“LiNkEd with each other” 

Communication & Language (Lina M) 

“Huh? Google Translate?" 

Community Service (Selina Z, Simon P, Shienna B) 

“Who still hasn’t volunteered for Interact?” 

Health & Wellbeing (Audrey W, Tracy L) 

“We just want you to take care of yourself “ 

Student Support Services (Hanlei W, Daniel S) 

“Support service. Tutoring. All for students.” 

Curriculum & Learning 

Their aspiration: enhance and promote the DCB experience 

within the school community. 

Approaches to Learning (Joyce C, Benjamine Z) 

“Let’s all be lifelong learners!” 

Art (Emma Y, Kylee C) 

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain 

an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso. 

ICT/MIT (Pei Jen C) 

“No, I will not make you a website.” 

Enrichment 

Their aspiration: dedicate their energy and creativity to 

enhancing school life for all Senior School students. 

Johnson House (Zion K) 

“Everyone in Johnson now knows how bad my singing 

is after House Singing…" 

Soong House (Harry K) 

“I control 20% of the entire Senior School.” 

Alleyn House (Apple L) 

“Alleyn is not just the founder of Dulwich but also the 

title of a group of ambitious students!” 

Wodehouse House (Mylene R) 

“The number of people who have walked past me with 

an empty lunch bag to get into the canteen...” 

Owens House (Andrew M) 

“Owens bolt to the finish line first!” 

Performing Arts (Daniel Z, Helena Z) 

“To perform is to enjoy.” 

MUN/Debating (Brian L) 

“All for the black lanyard." 

Sport (Emily Z, Neli H) 

“Don’t run away from the ball like Cinderella…" 



19



DCB Class of 2022 Receives Worldwide 

Prestigious University Offers! 

By Jeffrey Harmon 

Director of University Counselling 

All 70 students of the Dulwich College Beijing 

Class of 2022 have completed their final IB exams 

with commendable adaptability and resilience while 

navigating the uncertainty of a pandemic context over 

the past three years. This cohort switched to online 

learning shortly before their IGCSE exams were initially 

scheduled, and they had to continue to navigate 

constant uncertainty and change during their twoyear 

IB Diploma programme. These experiences have 

undoubtedly given this class the determination and 

confidence to start a new chapter of their life. They 

have already tasted many aspects of their upcoming 

independent life so they can dive headfirst into their 

chosen field of study at university or their gap year 

experiences. 

The Class of 2022 has received offers from prestigious 

universities for some of the most selective programmes 

worldwide, including Architecture, Law, Physics, PPE 

(Politics, Philosophy, and Economics), and the Biological 

Sciences. 

It is worth noting that this class marked a rise in the 

level of interest in fields of study related to human 

society and culture as well as scientific approaches to 

address issues of sustainability and climate change. 

Many students specifically sought interdisciplinary 

university programmes, a testament to their 

commitment to learning and intellectual curiosity. 

Other areas of interest span the full range of studies: 

philosophy, modern languages, mathematics, and 

human sciences. Our students will head off to 

Princeton University, Columbia University, University 

of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, Imperial College London, 

and University College London to further their physical 

and life sciences studies. Business-related fields 

also remain popular, with offers from Georgetown 

University, Duke University, Durham University, 

University of Manchester, University of Toronto and 

Babson College. A significant number of students 

are also pursuing a future in the creative industries, 

such as visual arts, theatre, music, architecture and 

communication, at universities such as Rhode Island 

School of Design, Parsons School of Design, University 

of the Arts London and Northumbria University, 

Newcastle. 

Final university placements will continue to settle 

during the summer with potential moves in the 

waitlists, especially at American universities, and 

review of final IB results for conditional offers in the 

United Kingdom, Canada, and Hong Kong. A few 

students must wait even longer for applications to 

Singapore, South Korea, Australia and continental 

Europe, and we commend them on their patience. 

We are incredibly proud of our students for their 

effort, dedication, and growth! They have become 

even more equipped to succeed in their future, 

wherever they choose to go. 

Here is the list of offers (as of 22 June 2022). 

USA University of Manchester (4) 

DULWICH COLLEGE BEIJING CLASS OF 2022 

UNIVERSITY OFFERS 

GRADUATE 

Offers as of 22 June 2022 



21 

UK 

Birkbeck, University of London (2) 

Brunel University London 

City, University of London 

Durham University (7) 

Goldsmiths, University of London (2) 

Imperial College London (8) 

King's College London (16) 

Lancaster University 

Leeds Beckett University 

Liverpool John Moores University 

London School of Economics and Political 

Science, University of London (4) 

Loughborough University 

Manchester Metropolitan University 

Newcastle University 

Northumbria University, Newcastle 

Oxford Brookes University 

Queen Mary University of London (4) 

Royal Holloway, University of London 

SOAS University of London (3) 

UCL (University College London) (18) 

University For the Creative Arts 

University of Bath (2) 

University of Bristol (5) 

University of Cambridge 

University of Central Lancashire 

University of Edinburgh (8) 

University of Exeter (2) 

University of Glasgow 

University of Hertfordshire 

University of Kent 

University of Leeds (4) 

University of Portsmouth 

University of Sheffield (3) 

University of St Andrews (3) 

University of Sussex 

University of the Arts London (2) 

University of Warwick (6) 

York St John University 

USA 

Art Center College of Design 

Babson College (2) 

Berklee College of Music 

Boston College 

Boston University (4) 

Brandeis University 

Brown University 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Clark University 

Colgate University 

Columbia University 

Dartmouth College 

Duke University (2) 

Fordham University 

George Washington University (2) 

Georgetown University (2) 

Johns Hopkins University 

Mount Holyoke College 

Musicians Institute 

New York University (5) 

Northeastern University (2) 

Northwestern University 

Pennsylvania State University 

Princeton University 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2) 

Rhode Island School of Design 

Rice University 

Smith College 

Syracuse University 

The New School - Parsons School of Design 

Tulane University 

University of Arizona 

University of California, Berkeley (3) 

University of California, Davis (10) 

University of California, Irvine (4) 

University of California, Los Angeles (2) 

University of California, Riverside (2) 

University of California, San Diego (9) 

University of California, Santa Cruz (11) 

University of Chicago (2) 

University of Houston 

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (3) 

University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

University of Pennsylvania (2) 

University of Southern California 

University of Washington, Seattle 

University of Wisconsin, Madison 

Washington University in St Louis 

Wellesley College 

CANADA 

McGill University (2) 

McMaster University (2) 

Queen's University 

University of British Columbia, Okanagan 

University of Toronto (8) 

University of Toronto, Mississauga 

University of Waterloo (2) 

Western University 

ASIA 

Seoul National University 

The Chinese University of Hong Kong 

The Hong Kong University of Science and 

Technology 

The University of Hong Kong (5) 

Yonsei University 

EUROPE 

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences 

Leiden University College the Hague



A Reflection on the University 

Applications Journey 

As this academic year comes to a close, our Class of 

2022 students have completed another university 

application cycle. While some of our students will 

apply for university only after graduation, many of the 

Class of 2022 have selected where they will matriculate 

next autumn. With their destination settled, students 

have reflected on their journey over the past few years. 

Beyond the obvious selection of universities and majors, 

applicants also have to consider more strategic elements 

such as application round or identifying their relevant set of 

differentiating skills or experiences. To do so requires some 

honest soul-searching about their interests, values, and 

goals in life. A handful of students share their insight and 

advice for determining their own pathway and preparing for 

university applications. 

What does best-fit look like for me? 

Students listed location, reputation in a given field, and 

campus culture as critical criteria for determining which 

universities to apply to. While some students clearly focused 

on academic and research opportunities in their chosen 

subject, others prioritised their new home's geographical 

location and environment. However, it is reassuring that 

they balance these criteria with a whole range of other 

considerations before finalising their university list, which is 

a sign of maturity about this big decision for their future. 

Yiming S 

“I considered two main factors: academics 

and music. I wanted a school with a mix of 

academic rigour and opportunities to learn 

and perform music. Columbia University in New York City 

stood out specifically with its strong physics department, 

ground-breaking research, and jazz studies programme.” 

Jeffrey W 

“I primarily considered the quality of 

academics, prestige, location, quality of life, 

and internship opportunities.” 

Angelina D 

“I focused on the content of the course and 

the quality of teaching. I wanted my studies 

to combine physics with philosophy or 

psychology, so I looked into schools that offered courses in 

physics and philosophy or were more flexible with course 

options. Then, I looked at the subject rankings and overall 

rankings.” 

Pia M 

“Sport and social life were the most important 

factors to me. I researched a lot about 

student reviews and the culture on campus. 

The environment was also important, including support for 

international students, climate, and access to airports.” 

Justin W 

“The most important factor for me was the 

geographical location. Since I only wanted to 

study in a big city, nearly all of the universities 

I chose were in London.” 

Rino F 

“Location played a big part in selecting my 

final school list. I narrowed down the general 

geographical area I wanted to go to and then 

conducted more in-depth research to shortlist the schools I 

wanted to apply for.” 

Helena Z 

“I found out that I prefer schools with tons 

of opportunities and diverse interdisciplinary 

programmes; this was especially important 

when I was considering universities in the UK. I also looked 

at the courses and clubs offered, dining and accommodation 

options, and professors.” 

Should I apply early or regular? 

Many universities offer both an early round and a regular 

round of applications, and this is often a big decision for 

students applying to the United States. Many students apply 

in an early round in the hopes of receiving decisions earlier 

to alleviate stress. Does this mean that all students should 

apply early? Let’s hear what our Class of 2022 have to say 

about this! 

Yiming S 

“I chose to apply both Early Decision and 

Early Action in the USA to receive some of my 

decisions earlier, which I thought would have 

been more stress-relieving. All my application materials were 

ready by the November deadline, and I wasn't waiting on 

any significant update to my grades, testing or ECAs, so I felt 

confident applying early. With universities in the USA, there’s 

a belief that applying early boosts one’s chances of getting 

in slightly; I’m still not sure if it is true or not, but I guess it 

didn’t hurt to try. With the University of Toronto, applying 

early gave me priority consideration for both my major and 

scholarships.” 

Jeffrey W 

“I believe that my academics and 

extracurricular activities reflected my strengths 

by the Early Decision round deadline. Hence, 

I thought that applying in the Early Decision rounds was an 

excellent way to demonstrate commitment to my dream 

universities, which would bolster my chances of acceptance. 

Although I was not admitted in ED1, I was able to reflect 

on my options in December and then submit a strong ED2 

application.” 

Natalie W 

“I decided to apply to the USA and the UK in 

the early round because I thought hearing 

back from the universities early would be 

stress-relieving and offer guidance for my later applications. 

Most of my UK decisions weren’t released until March, 

however. To me, the UK and USA applications, especially 

their application essays, were very different, so I had to work 

on them separately, but I balanced this extra workload by 

starting early in the summer.” 

Helena Z 

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to apply during the 

early round, mainly because I had to get 

everything ready early. But I decided to give 

it a try to help me see where I could improve for the regular 

round. It didn’t change much for my USA applications, but I’m 

very grateful that I submitted to the UK early because I heard 

back from schools earlier, which boosted my confidence.” 

Angelina D 

“I wanted more time in Year 13 to improve my 

predicted grades and research my university 

options, so I waited until after my Term 1 

grades came out to submit my applications to the UK.” 

Rino F 

“I didn’t have a strong interest in applying to 

schools in the USA, so I was not pressured 

to apply in their early round. And I knew I 

didn’t want to study medicine or law or apply to Oxford or 

Cambridge, so I didn’t feel any pressure to submit earlier for 

my UK applications. I applied for arts courses, so I used a lot 

of Year 13 to work on my portfolio.” 



23



How should I plan my time to plan to prepare 

for applications? 

Year 13 is often dedicated to finalising the list of universities 

and related application essays, portfolios, and other 

submission requirements; in short, submitting applications. 

Therefore, active university research occurs during Year 12, 

culminating in initial drafts of application essays during the 

summer after Year 12. Some students strategically dedicated 

their time to exploring potential fields of interest and 

building up their skills and experiences, but others merely 

pursued their genuine interests through internships, service 

activities, or summer programmes and still had ample 

experiences from which to draw. 

Yiming S 

“The most time-consuming part of my 

application was writing and polishing the 

essays. I did most of my university research 

over Year 12, so by the summer before Year 13, I had a list of 

targeted universities and could get onto the essay writing. 

The beginning of Year 13 consisted of finalising my essays 

and submitting all my applications. In my opinion, Year 11 

is too early to worry about anything college-related; the 

most important thing is to pursue rewarding hobbies and 

activities and continue them throughout high school.” 

Angelina D 

“I looked into different areas of physics and 

took a course on special relativity out of 

interest rather than intentionally preparing 

for applications. I did some of my university research during 

the summer holiday of Year 12 but mainly over the winter 

break in Year 13. Most of my personal statement was written 

during and after the Year 13 winter break. It was close to the 

final deadline, but I needed the extra time to make sure I was 

making the right decision.” 

Pia M 

“I always follow my interests when 

participating in activities and leadership 

opportunities, so I already knew what I 

wanted. For me, building up achievements each year 

was essential. Each summer, I committed to a challenging 

internship to explore different work environments and gather 

experience. Year 13 should primarily focus on keeping up 

with your studies and making more memories with your 

friends, not a frantic scramble to do even more just for an 

application.” 

Rino F 

“I did numerous internships before and 

throughout Year 12, which I thought was the 

best way to enrich my CV and gain first-hand 

experience. I also enrolled in an online course 

about the Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies, 

which enabled me to further increase my knowledge in 

these areas. I wrote the bulk of my personal statement 

during the summer before Year 13, which helped with time 

management in Year 13 when the IA and EE deadlines hit. 

The courses I was applying for required specific portfolios 

that seemed like never-ending tasks. I worked on the portfolio 

whenever I could whilst juggling school coursework and 

deadlines. Finally, the Year 13 winter break was dedicated to 

perfecting all the components needed for my application and 

meetings with my Crimson counsellors.” 

Natalie W 

“College preparation is sometimes a 

subconscious process. Standardised testing 

is something that we do explicitly for college 

preparation, but we also do a lot of activities for interest, 

enjoyment, and even relaxation. Being passionate about 

chemistry, I spent my Year 12 summer working on a research 

project. Throughout high school, I enjoyed connecting with 

community members, so I participated in ECAs that I found 

meaningful or interesting. In Year 13, I organised my time by 

starting college applications early and prioritising specific 

applications.” 

What differentiates my application 

from others? 

University applications require students to reflect on their 

unique combination of background, interests, strengths, and 

experiences. When asked about what they believed made a 

difference in their applications, students almost unanimously 

emphasised how their extracurricular activities (ECAs) 

helped them become more well-rounded people and make 

a difference in others’ lives. By exploring areas beyond the 

classroom, they could develop new skills, contribute more 

to their community, learn more about an existing subject of 

interest, or even discover a new passion! 

Jeffrey W 

“I believe that my commitment to service and 

my contributions to the migrant community 

in Beijing distinguished me from many other 

qualified applicants. Besides my commitment to service, 

which has unveiled me to various social inequalities and 

phenomena, I have also sought to engage in social discourse 

through debate in different debating formats, domestically 

and internationally. I aimed to make debating more 

accessible to those around me by serving as the DCB MUN 

and Debate Prefect.” 

Angelina D 

“For UK applications, the most important 

factor is your academic preparation. But I 

think ECAs mattered to me. I could talk quite 

in-depth about the philosophy ECA I ran, because it was 

related to the area I wanted to apply for.” 

Pia M 

“My personal statement and interviews 

allowed me to clearly express my interests 

and experiences, thus defining me as an 

individual. I believe my character helped me secure my 

offers, and my ECAs were all related to my area of interest, 

which demonstrated consistency and commitment.” 

Rino F 

“Leadership positions in school and out of 

school, including my role as an Art Prefect, 

leading House events, ECAs... Internship 

experience related to the courses I applied to. Niche interest 

and deeper knowledge surrounding the courses I applied for 

and in general, just showing my desire to further my studies 

in the future.” 

Natalie W 

“Since I applied for an intended major in 

chemistry, my major-related activities like 

research and competitions demonstrated my 

interest and capability as a chemistry applicant. I also believe 

that my extracurriculars related to leadership, community 

service, and the visual arts provided a more holistic portrait 

of who I am as a person beyond academics.” 

Helena Z 

“Probably my academic and extracurricular 

interests and activities, and maybe also my 

leadership. Probably an amalgam of all 

those.” 

What advice do I have for younger students 

and their parents? 

Reflecting on the entire process, our Year 13 students share 

a few words of wisdom. While they highlight the importance 

of strategic time management, choice of IB options, and 

university research, they also point out fundamentals such as 

keeping an open mind and prioritising their own endeavours 

over parents or peer pressure. 



25



Yiming S 

“My main advice for other students is to 

allocate their time well. Essays take a lot 

of work and time, so make sure you start as 

early as possible. It's never a good idea to submit one minute 

before the deadline because you were tweaking your essay 

up until then. To parents, I would say be supportive. It is a 

highly stressful time for your kids, and any pressures and 

expectations you place upon them will make it worse. Let 

your kids choose where they want to apply and what they 

want to study, and put your resources into helping them 

achieve what they want rather than what you've decided for 

them.” 

Jeffrey W 

“When selecting universities to apply to, it is 

essential to get current students’ or alumni’s 

input about the university's environment 

and its academics. Additionally, since the abundance 

of universities worldwide offers a wide range of unique 

specialities, it is crucial first to understand the experience 

you wish to gain from college and then identify suitable 

choices.” 

Pia M 

“Don't let your peers and parents influence 

your decision too much. You need to be 

happy with where you will live and study for 

the next 3-4 years.” 

Justin W 

“My best advice is to figure out a major before 

IB to strategically choose your IB HL courses 

and SL courses and make IB much easier. And 

also, to positively contact your university.” 

Rino F 

“Start early! For students who have no clue 

what they want to do in the future, my advice 

would be to talk to as many experienced 

adults as possible and listen to their stories. Another thing (to 

both students and parents) is to be open-minded. Don’t limit 

yourself to one specific area or career option because your 

interests might change over time.” 

Natalie W 

“For students who intend to study in countries 

like the UK, IB subject choices matter a lot 

because many majors require specific subjects 

at a higher level.” 

Helena Z 

“Highlight and establish your ‘spike’. A ‘spike’ 

is something distinct about your profile, 

like a very clear interest or deep levels of 

engagement in a particular area. At first, I was told that it’s 

important to be well-rounded (to try to be good at everything 

equally), but if everyone is well-rounded… then ‘spikes’ are 

what set you apart.” 

Who played an essential role 

in supporting me? 

Although high school graduates all seem to know what they 

want to do, students come into IB with different maturity 

levels and motivation for their future endeavours. And this is 

perfectly fine! In their school environment, subject teachers 

and university counsellors are there to inspire and guide 

them throughout the process. 

Yiming S 

“I'm most thankful for my music teachers, 

who have guided me both in and outside 

the classroom. Performing and leading 

groups has been one of the most rewarding experiences 

at DCB and has undoubtedly helped me boost my 

confidence and creative expression.” 

Jeffrey W 

“All of my subject teachers were incredibly 

supportive of my application during app 

season. My teachers pushed me to attain 

the best I could and offered me immense support when I 

stumbled upon setbacks. 

My university counsellor also offered me tremendous 

support before and during app season. He helped me 

narrow down my university list and identify suitable 

universities based on fit. When it came to application 

season, he gave me detailed feedback on each of my 

main and supplemental essays to ensure that they 

accurately reflected my strengths and personality and 

were on par for submission.” 

Pia M 

“We are fortunate to have access to 

university counsellors. Meet with them as 

much as possible, and always come with 

questions!” 

Rino F 

“Throughout my IB years, I established a 

closer relationship with my subject teachers, 

university counsellor, and Crimson mentors. 

They mainly gave me essential information such as dates 

and deadlines for my application process and feedback on 

my personal statement and portfolio.” 

Natalie W 

“I have been meeting regularly with my 

DCB university counsellor throughout IB 

and received a ton of guidance and advice, 

ranging from IB subject choices and activities to college 

essays, for which I am very thankful!” 

Helena Z 

“I mainly received support from my university 

counsellor in school and Crimson to help 

me narrow down my list and finalise my 

UK personal statement. Crimson was really helpful with 

finding my narrative and interview preparation. I talked 

about my potential major and plans with my teachers, 

which helped consolidate my plans and goals. They also 

gave great advice in terms of reading materials!” 

Angelina D 

“My university counsellor was really helpful 

in helping me through the UK application 

process. I also knew that I wanted to take 

a gap year before beginning my university studies, to 

explore some areas of study by myself outside of physics, 

such as chemistry, biology and history, to learn a bit 

more without the pressure of exams/getting a grade. I 

also want to spend more time with family. So it was nice 

to have people at school understand that priority and 

support my plans for a gap year.” 

University applications result from a long and personal journey in which students patiently put together 

the building blocks of their knowledge, experience, and own aspirations. While they receive guidance and 

support from their subject teachers and university counsellors at school, discussions at home and family 

alignment enhance students' peace of mind by enabling them to focus on their aspirations and optimise 

their time and energy before and during the application season. 



27




By Yosef Karasik and Jett Brunet 

Center of Educational Technology and Innovation 

Introduction 

At Dulwich College Beijing, we aspire to educate students 

who connect, care and act for their community and beyond. 

Stemming from our core values, every aspect of college 

life takes on a student-centred approach with the goal of 

educating our students to become global citizens and Live 

WorldWise. Global citizens are aware of and understand 

their place and the role each individual plays in the wider 

world. This idea of understanding the interconnectedness 

of principles across cultures is further amplified with the 

increased use of technology in everyday life and specifically 

in schools. 

In recent years, we witnessed a significant increase in the 

use of educational technology in schools. Schools now have 

more smart devices, use a larger variety of online platforms 

and put in place processes to transition between offline, 

hybrid and online learning more effectively. Inevitably, this 

results in teachers and students spending more time using 

technology. 

The change in the role technology plays in our lives has 

brought with it the realization that we need to support our 

teachers and students to develop the skills they need to be 

global citizens with technology, or simply put, Digital Citizens 

(DC). Making this a priority for our team at the Centre 

of EdTech and Innovation (CETI), we spent the past year 

developing a whole college definition for DC, created a new 

role for a whole college lead on digital safety, embedded 

DC in the existing curriculum and established a student-led 

digital citizenship team. 

Our Digital Citizenship definition 

We have recently unveiled our new Digital Citizenship 

definition which we would like our DCB Community to use 

to guide our interactions with technology: 

“Digital Citizens are 

responsible, confident users of 

technology that connect with, 

care about, and act positively 

within our community and 

beyond.” 

This definition was agreed following cross-college student 

consultations. We shared our initial version with a range 

of young people who made suggestions which were 

incorporated into the iteration you see above. We hope 

that this Digital Citizenship definition is representative of the 

ambitions, motivations, and aspirations of our community 

as they engage with and for our community, and beyond. 

Having the definition in place allows us to act upon it when 

embedding the existing curriculum with the skills students 

need to be digital citizens. 

Curriculum alignment 

To ensure a vertical alignment, we chose six main 

themes that follow our students as they go through 

their educational journey at DCB and link it to the 

existing curriculum and approaches to teaching and 

learning in each of our three schools. Our Early Years 

team personified the College values to make them more 

relatable to our youngest learners. For instance, Kindness 

became ‘Kind Kate’, a kind koala and Responsibility 

translated into ‘Responsible Ryan’, a sensible rhinoceros 

that always acts with maturity. We build upon this idea 

to develop DC fundamentals. When our young students 

learn about or with technology, we relate it to our 

Values’ characters and consider, for example, how would 

Kate be kind online? Or in another instance, how can we 

be as responsible as Ryan when using digital devices? 

Building upon existing approaches was important for us to 

ensure that students understand that DC is not a standalone 

concept, but rather embedded in our everyday life. Junior 

School is a great example where embedding DC has had 

the most impact so far. As EdTech coaches, we support 

teachers in the planning and delivery of ICT, Computer 

Science and DC principles. However, instead of having these 

as standalone lessons, we embed the skills into the existing 

curriculum to make this interdisciplinary learning more 

meaningful. For instance, when students in Year 4 had to 

find information about a certain continent to practice writing 

non-chronological reports, we infused lessons with just-intime 

online research and information literacy skills that the 

students, in turn, applied to their writing task. 

Student leadership 

DCB’s Vision says, “we have the knowledge, skills and 

motivation to make a positive difference to people, society 

and the planet”. This statement can only be fulfilled if it 

is the students that take ownership of their journey, and 

if teachers empower them to become change agents for 

their community, in-person and online. Fostering a culture 

which enables transformational student leadership to take 

hold is essential if we want to see our guiding statements 

and college values reflected in our young people whilst they 

study with us, and beyond. 

We believe that peer teaching can be an effective and 

engaging approach to educating our students about the 

risks and rewards of online behaviour and that by using this 

method, peer teachers can also improve their own mastery 

of digital citizenship knowledge and skills (Bene & Bergus, 

2014). 

Our Key Stage 4 Masters in Technology student leaders 

facilitate weekly Digital Leaders sessions with our Key Stage 2 

Junior Masters in Technology. Participants learn by following 

a clearly mapped out, internationally accredited digital 

citizenship curriculum in which each completed milestone 

is rewarded with an appropriate micro-credential badge 

to celebrate their achievement and provide instrumental 

motivation. 

Our Key Stage 2 students then transfer their learning by 

leading their own Digital Citizenship sessions with their 

peers as part of our daily wellbeing lessons called Mindful 

Mornings. This virtuous circle enables all participants to 

develop both their digital citizenship and leadership skills. 

Summary 

Learning with and through technology has the potential to 

enhance learning and transform schools for the better. For 

this to happen, we must prepare our young people for an 

uncertain world and to embody our values wherever they 

are in the (digital) world. By enabling and challenging them 

to lead, we hope to foster responsible, confident tech users 

that will connect with, care about, and act positively within 

our community and beyond. 

References 

Bene, K. L., & Bergus, G. (2014). When learners become teachers. Family 

medicine, 46(10), 783-787. 



29



Sustaining Educational Innovation in a Changing World 

By Yosef Karasik 

Director of Educational Technology and Innovation 

It is no secret that educational practices have seen many 

changes in the past years. Teachers use self-reflective practices 

to engage with the new ways students learn. Students, in turn, 

adapt their self-regulatory skills to keep up with the changing 

world around them. How often do we hear the phrase “We 

need to prepare our students for jobs that have not yet been 

created.”? This need for change, a drive for constant innovation 

in teaching and learning, can be attributed to two main factors: 

the new industrial revolution and COVID-19. 

We are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution that 

fundamentally transforms every aspect of our lives. The 

continuing developments in educational technology and 

devices provide students with more flexibility in access, 

curation and creation of knowledge. This alignment of 

educational approaches with the fourth industrial revolution 

is known as Education 4.0. As a college, we adopted an 

enterprise mindset to lead by example. We develop new 

curriculums, adapt cutting-edge educational technology, 

and put support systems for staff and students to practise 

innovation sustainably. 

The use of technology in education is not a new concept; 

digital technologies have been transforming education long 

before COVID-19. The pandemic, however, has accelerated the 

integration of technology in education, starting with the forced 

transition to online and hybrid learning. Educators, students, 

companies, and policymakers are working actively to transform 

the educational technology sector. The need to provide 

teachers and students with a platform that facilitates teaching 

and learning online has been a driving force for change in the 

past three years. 

As part of the Dulwich Digital Difference (D3) initiative by 

Dulwich College International, Dulwich College Beijing has 

implemented a whole-college team focusing on educational 

technology and innovation. This team works across the three 

schools to drive the integration of technology and digital 

citizenship into the curriculum, align the student journey 

throughout the college, and support students and teachers 

with innovation in teaching and learning. Their ultimate aim 

is to make student learning real through technology-rich 

projects with real-life applications, thereby strengthening the 

connection between school, academia and the industry. 

With this in mind, the College invests substantial resources 

into technology provisions. Students develop technological 

and computational literacy through iPads and various STEM 

kits starting from Early Years. We then elaborate upon it as 

they progress to Junior School, where they develop their 

computational thinking, and finally in Senior School, where 

these skills are put into the Design Thinking framework. 

The team supports our teachers to plan with technology in 

mind and embed the skills our students will need when they 

graduate from DCB. 

In addition to the integration of EdTech, the team builds, 

supports and sustains a culture of innovation in the College. 

Pioneering Spirit is one of our pillars. As a leading 

international school, we want to ensure that innovation 

is put into practice and embedded in our curriculum. 

Since the team was formed, we have been developing 

relationships to collaborate on exciting, innovative ideas. 

One of our focuses is enriching our curriculum with 

Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

The introduction of AI is a two-fold project. On the one hand, 

we want to expose our students to AI, and develop their AI 

literacy from a young age, along with their understanding 

of complex concepts. This is achieved through hands-on AI 

experiences in Early Years and Junior School and working 

with AI in Senior School. On the other hand, we are designing 

curriculum material to integrate AI projects across the College. 

In addition to teaching AI, we are investigating AI-powered 

EdTech tools and platforms that can enhance the teaching and 

learning at the college. 

Working with AI was once limited to university or high school 

students equipped with advanced mathematical knowledge. 

This is now accessible to all. As part of our new Computer 

Science curriculum, students get hands-on experience with AI 

and Machine Learning (ML) as early as Junior School. To make 

learning meaningful and real, we’ve developed units of study 

integrated with the United Nations Global Goals. For example, 

our Year 3 students learn the principles of Computer Vision and 

ML and apply them to call for action and reduce food waste. 

Students trained AI models with pictures of lunch plates left 

at the school cafeteria. These models were then deployed on 

iPads and placed by the food bins to indicate whether a plate 

was returned “clean” or “dirty”. We believe in teaching through 

empathy and empowering students to make real change. 

A year ago, we formed a strategic partnership with AWS 

China to embed AI technologies across the College. In the 

past year alone, we founded a DeepRacer club, embedded 

Alexa skills in our Computer Science curriculum and enriched 

musical learning with DeepComposer. Velocity, our studentled 

DeepRacer club, is one of the 13 founding members of 

the China DeepRacer League. Students train Reinforcement 

Learning models and deploy them on real autonomous cars to 

compete against other schools. Since its creation, Velocity has 

participated in many national and international competitions 

and ultimately won China’s first national championship, 

earning a place in AWS Global Championship. Not only does 

participation in these competitions help students develop 

technical skills in emerging technologies, but it teaches them to 

think on their feet and make real-time critical decisions to win 

their races. 

Pioneering spirit is not limited to our curriculum. Students 

and educators receive annual grants to fund initiatives that 

enhance the learning experience at DCB. This year alone, we 

supported projects in Esports, student voice publications, a 

group-wide gameathon and many others. Additionally, we 

ensure that these projects are realised to their full potential 

with a mentoring approach. Our efforts to cultivate innovation 

did not go unnoticed. We were thrilled to be recognised by 

the British Council and receive the Innovation in Science and 

Technology award at the inaugural British Schools Awards 

ceremony. 

Our practice of innovation in teaching and learning has neither 

final goals nor due dates. Instead, we use a reflective approach 

framework to sustain innovation across the college. We 

constantly challenge ourselves and encourage our students 

to challenge us to ensure that their academic journey across 

the college will equip them with the skills they need to live 

worldwise. 



31



We Never Lose, We Either Win or We Learn... 

By Stephen Hurworth 

Head of Student Wellbeing (Key Stage 4/5) 

Recently, I have been engrossed, inspired and quite taken back 

by The High Performance Podcast. The show explores the 

mindset, lifestyles and life experiences of prolific athletes, 

business leaders, educational gurus, and entrepreneurs, to 

name a few. One major theme of the interviews that keeps 

appearing, and I can’t ignore due to its contextualisation 

with our student body, is their relationship with the concept 

of failure. Most of the podcasts I have listened to so far 

would be incredible sources of motivation for our students. 

we actively encourage our students to take risks and learn 

from failure. When we as a school community learn to 

normalise failure, embrace it, and ultimately perceive it as 

learning opportunities, we will see a considerable increase in 

our overall performance, happiness and wellbeing. 

We all experience and react differently to falling short. 

Some of us become more determined, and it adds fuel to 

the motivational fire to ensure that success is attained in 

the next part of the process. Others will spend a period 

of mourning, feeling sorry for themselves and go through 

a longer process to step back on the treadmill. A small 

majority will take it in their stride and realise that it's all a 

part of the journey. Nelson Mandela’s approach was that of, 

“I never lose, I either win, or I learn…”. If only we could all 

have this mindset, the potential for peak performance would 

be limitless. This article will explore the science behind 

falling short and how, as a school community, we could look 

at our aligned approach with the concept of “failure” and 

our relationship with it as a tool for learning. 

What if we normalise failure? 

Let’s be honest; if we put things into perspective, our 

students are already living high-performance lifestyles. 

The pressure to perform is real, the competition can 

be tough, and all feel the need to succeed. What if our 

student’s relationship with failure was different? What if it 

was ultimately positive and seen solely as a learning tool 

for future performances? In a school environment, failure 

can often be perceived as something that is ridiculed and a 

sign of poor performance. Failing at school should be a key 

component to everyday learning and growing experiences. It 

should be recognised by teachers, students, and parents. 

The ability to learn from setbacks has been proven 

astoundingly to enhance future performances. A study by 

Haimovitz and Dweck (2016) found that when parents or 

trusted adults see a student’s failure as “enhancing”, they 

react with a growth mindset and see opportunities to learn 

and grow. In turn, the process is seen as more important 

than the outcome, and therefore there are higher levels of 

motivation and determination to achieve success. At DCB, 

Learning is the key to maintaining a positive 

relationship with success and failure 

Who hasn’t jumped up with joy at achieving something we 

have strived for, and who hasn’t shed a tear if things have 

not gone our way? Depending on how well you take success 

and failure, you could be leaping from one giant extreme 

to another. Going from the depths of despair to unknown 

heights can’t be overly healthy, can it? The key is educating 

yourself through every process and learning through 

reflective practices. If we perceive each achievement or 

failure as an outcome or result, then the ability to improve 

and learn from our actions reduces dramatically. The whole 

process vs outcome combat comes into play here. If we 

really break things down and look at the biggest picture 

possible, the process never stops. Ex England Rugby star 

Johnny Wilkinson refers to this as “creating an internal 

environment for potential to blossom”. He referred to 

facing failure with “curiosity and intrigue” and learning from 

the emotions and feelings that lead to every outcome. 

In other words, there are no barriers or restrictions to 

success or failure; it’s a lifelong process of learning about 

yourself. When we reflect on our actions and learn from 

our shortcomings, ultimately, we possess a more positive, 

powerful, and educated mindset. 

• What have I learnt about myself as a result of 

this process? 

• How did I react when I fell short of my goals? 

• What feelings and emotions were in the way of 

achieving my full potential? 

• What steps will I put in place to ensure I 

improve? 

• What will I change about my mindset when I am 

faced with adversity moving forward? 

The power of celebrating other people’s success… 

This can be a difficult concept to live out and action at times, 

especially if you avidly engage in comparing yourself to 

others. The science behind it all teaches us that when we 

celebrate the success of others, we are reframing our notion 

of failure and replacing it with a sense of optimism. This 

sense of optimism and adopting praise to others can lead to 

more of a positive outlook on life. It also allows for the ability 

to put things into perspective when things don’t quite work 

out as you had planned. Finally, and importantly, it helps 

to achieve a greater sense of inner balance. Mindfulness 

teaches us that feeling and praising the happiness of others’ 

success helps to achieve a balance of the mind. Next time 

you fall short out on the fields of play or don’t perform as 

well as your peers on the next class test, try and engage in 

some active, meaningful praise and celebrate their success. 

You will reap the benefits and forge a more significant 

relationship with your perceived shortcomings. 

As mentioned earlier, our students are already living highperformance 

lifestyles and are going through their own ups 

and downs. The ultimate message in this article is that failure 

should be approached with an open mind, a growth mindset 

and it should be a vital part of our love of lifelong learning. 

To Live Worldwise, we must learn to fail worldwise, bounce 

back and realise that the process never stops as long as we 

grow from each experience. In the words of Mel Marshall, 

Great Britain’s most decorated Swim coach, “Go to bed an 

expert and wake up a novice.” 

I have recommended three episodes of the High 

Performance Podcast below. These are free to download 

and are on Apple Podcasts (please note some episodes may 

contain occasional swearing). 

Johnny Wilkinson (Episode 23) 

Process vs outcome and being curious with your emotions 

during success and failure. 

Mel Robbins (Episode 83) 

Being kind and true to yourself helps with dealing with 

setbacks. 

Bear Grylls (Episode 100) 

Don’t let success go to your head or failure go to your heart. 



33


The Dual Language Approach in Early Years 

By Becky Bush 

Assistant Head of Early Years, EAL Lead 

It’s August: the first few weeks 

of Nursery and the very first 

experience of being outside of the 

home five days a week for many 

of the young students who have 

just joined DCB. “Hmmm, I wonder 

what’s in the box…” says Mr 

Mowjoudi, holding a box in front 

of the class and shaking it gently 

from side to side. Miss Judy, one 

of our talented and experienced 

dual language teachers, asks the 

question in Mandarin to ensure 

that the students in this class of 20 

children (all from Chinese-speaking 

backgrounds) have understood the 

question. 

As the game continues, student interest levels are high, and 

Miss Judy facilitates the learning experience through the 

technique of translanguaging. Translanguaging, described 

by Garcia (2009) as the act of multilinguals accessing various 

linguistic features and modes to maximise communication, 

is frequently used by not only our bilingual assistant teachers 

and dual language teachers, but also by the children 

themselves. Miss Judy moves seamlessly between Chinese 

and English, helping students to make connections between 

their home language and the language they are learning. 

These connections will help them to retain their new 

vocabulary and structures. Although both Mr Mowjoudi and 

Miss Judy are very intentional in their use of language, the 

students seem unconcerned with the incredible learning that 

is already taking place… They really just want to know what’s 

in the box! 

Let’s jump to Mr Brookes’ classroom: here, the students are 

a little older (five, turning six), and most are able to speak in 

English using sentences and demonstrating a greater range 

of vocabulary. A group of children is on the floor with Mr 

Brookes sorting materials into categories.“Yes, it’s rough,”says 

Mr Brookes, “Not smooth. How do you say ‘rough’ in 

Korean, Emma?” Emma shares her knowledge with the 

group, appearing quite proud of herself, probably because 

she now knows how to say that word in three languages. 

Looking around the classroom environment, you will notice 

that all the labels in Mr Brookes’ classroom are trilingual 

(Chinese, English and Korean), as these are the cultures 

and languages currently represented by the students in his 

class. There are also work samples in Korean, a Korean flag 

on display, and a range of age-appropriate Korean books 

in the book corner. During break time once a week, Emma 

will have the opportunity to attend the Korean Club, where 

she can speak with her peers in her home language and 

take part in a range of activities that are familiar to her and 

popular in her family’s home country. 

These are just some of the many examples of the dual 

language model in practice. This approach, which is at the 

core of language learning in the Early Years at Dulwich 

College Beijing (DCB), is guided not only by current 

international research related to best practice but also 

by our college’s strong commitment to internationalmindedness, 

diversity, equity and inclusion. According to 

the Center for Applied Linguistics (2022), the dual language 

approach promotes bilingualism and biliteracy, academic 

achievement and cross-cultural competence in students. 

There are many ways that parents can support their child/ 

ren’s language learning journey; however, research suggests 

that the best way is to speak with their child/ren as often as 


possible in the home language. Recognising the important 

role of the home language not only supports further 

language acquisition as students make strong connections 

between their home language and new languages, but 

furthermore fosters a sense of identity in students. It helps 

them develop pride in their own culture and language, 

and exposes them to the cultures and languages of their 

classmates. These intercultural skills help prepare students 

to Live Worldwise as per our college’s mission (Dulwich 

College Beijing, n.d.). 

Given the strength of our research-based approach to 

language acquisition, one may wonder how long it will 

take until parents can expect to see their children speaking 

fluently in English. Researchers believe that although children 

may become conversationally fluent in two or three years, 

it can take up to seven years- sometimes longer- to develop 

full academic proficiency in a language. When a child’s home 

language is not utilised as a tool for learning during their 

acquisition of an additional language, there’s no doubt 

that valuable opportunities are missed: opportunities for 

fostering identity, for exploring culture, for sharing their ideas 

in the way that’s most comfortable for them, for exercising 

high-level thinking skills… for becoming truly ‘worldwise’. 

Let’s continue to work together to foster the home 

languages of all our students in order to give them a firm 

foundation in language learning that will benefit them in 

their journey towards becoming worldwise! 

References 

Center for Applied Linguistics (2022). Bilingual and dual language education. 

https://www.cal.org/areas-of-impact/english-learners/bilingual-and-dual-language-education 

Dulwich College Beijing (n.d.) Guiding statements. https://beijing.dulwich.org/our-college/guiding-statements 

Garcia, O. (2009). Education, multilingualism and translanguaging in the 21st century. In: Mohanty, A., Panda, M., Phillipson, R. and Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (eds). 

Multilingual education for social justice: Globalising the local. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, pp. 128-145. 

34 

beijing.dulwich.org 


35



“Staying in Your Own Lane” in a Learning 

Setting and Beyond 

By Stephen Hurworth 

Head of Student Wellbeing (Key Stage 4/5) 

The pressure that surrounds young people these days is 

unquestionable. It’s muted in nearly every conversation 

that is related to education, wellbeing, and society. Social 

media has 100% played the most integral role in adding to 

the pressures and stressors of young people, be it about 

their academics, universities they go to or their physical 

appearance. Combine this with a pandemic, a strive for 

elite academic status and a culture that looks more to the 

outcome than the process goal, and we have ourselves 

an environment where apparently only “the perfect” can 

succeed. Is that really the reality, or have we, as a society, 

created this perception? 

2015 by Henniger and Harris found that over 75% of 

people are envious of someone in their life. The issues of 

comparing yourself arise when it has an adverse effect 

on your ability to perform and displaces your social and 

emotional balance. The study also found that comparing 

yourself to others leaves one frustrated and anxious and 

demotivates many. So why do we put ourselves through 

it? Why is there such a need to compare our lives with 

those around us or the people we scroll through on social 

media? Instead of answering these questions, this article 

will explore how to stay in your own lane to live a happier 

and more productive learning experience… 

got 89%...” Use these observations to learn about yourself. Then, make a list of who and what you frequently envy or 

compare yourself to. Write how these feelings negatively impact you and why they waste your time. Resolve to become 

more mindful so that you can catch yourself in the future. 

the positive feedback 

that close the loop. 

REWARD 

HABIT 

LOOP 

TRIGGER 

ROUTINE 

the habit itself, both good 

or bad. 

the reminder that signal 

us into the routine. 

Although the title of this article could be construed as being 

slightly selfish to some, the concept is far from it. Wellbeing 

gurus and health experts constantly use the “oxygen mask” 

analogy when ensuring people look after themselves before 

others. To some extent, it’s the same with goals, targets, 

and objectives. When trying to succeed in life, minimising 

unhealthy comparison at all costs is a must. With learning 

constantly evolving in a pandemic context, there has never 

been a stronger message of “staying in your own lane” 

when trying to achieve your goals and now more than ever, 

it's time to start actioning it. After all, actions speak louder 

than words. 

The problem with comparing yourself… 

“The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because 

we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s 

highlight reel…” Steven Furtick 

The most obvious point to make is that nearly everyone 

does, and it’s completely human nature. A study in 

Here are some top tips with inspiration from Caroline 

Castrillon on how to stay in your own lane during 

online learning and reap the benefits of living free 

from comparison. Disclaimer alert: with the title being 

track and field related, it’s important to note that these 

tips need an endurance approach and results won’t 

happen overnight. So, stick with them and give them 

time. According to science, it takes between 18 and 254 

days for someone to form a new habit so sticking with 

and enjoying the process is a must! The DCB values of 

Resilience and Open-mindedness are imperative for 

success… 

Identify specific triggers 

According to Castrillon, if you want to stop comparing 

yourself to others, determine when envy rears its ugly 

head. Is it when you’re scrolling through WeChat or your 

Instagram feed? Or maybe when you hear your best 

friend subtly bragging about their test scores? We have 

heard it time after time: “I did so badly on that test, I only 

Commit yourself to gratitude 

The physiological and psychological benefits of gratitude are unquestionable. 

Improvement in sleep, life satisfaction, psychological health and happiness and 

increased mental fortitude, to name a few. Research by Emmons and Shelton, 2002 also 

found that gratitude helps in the quest to reduce the comparison of others. Castrillon 

further explores this concept and goes on to say to stop comparing yourself to others 

and consider starting a gratitude journal. Take a 

few moments (preferably at the beginning of the 

day) to write down 3-5 things you are grateful for. 

With most of us working from home, why not try 

this as a family? Find a jar, decorate it, and every 

day, think of at least three things you’re grateful 

for. Write each down on a slip of paper and insert 

them into the jar. Soon, you’ll have a whole host 

of reasons to be grateful. When you find yourself 

slipping into those feelings of self-doubt, read a 

few notes from the jar to remind yourself about 

the positive things in your life. When consulting 

social-emotional counsellor Ms Tyson about this article, she also suggested using the 

GLAD technique. Pictured to the left is a breakdown of how it works. 



37


Visual & Performing Arts 

MADD FESTIVAL 

Document your achievements and be your 

own best friend. 

When comparing yourself to others, you focus on their 

strengths and ignore your own. So, why not make a list 

of your achievements and conduct a bit of self-praise? 

This could be carried out alongside your gratitude list. 

Almost a double power move to start the day! It doesn’t 

matter what they are, big or small, as long as they are 

something you’re proud of. If you complete a project or 

piece of work for school, record it. If you help out a friend 

or your parents around the house, record it. If you get a 

fitness workout in before online learning, write it down. 

Continual reminders about your great work will help to 

reinforce all the good work you are doing. Then reflect 

on that list and post it somewhere where you can see it 

every day. It is so easy to get wrapped up in a negative 

inner narrative in a remote setting. Change the daily 

script to be a more positive, praising and encouraging 

discussion and relationship. I strongly recommend the 

Mel Robbins episode on the High-Performance podcast: 

Give yourself a high five in the morning to reap the 

benefits (Mel Robbins (Episode 83 – High Performance 

podcast). 

As the DCB community goes through this period of 

uncertainty, keep creating goals and targets, and strive 

to better yourself and those around you. As alluded to 

at the start of the article, the messaging is not meant to 

come across as selfish or self-absorbing. We all want a 

collaborative community that always looks out for each 

other. When we start to compare one another and engage 

in unhealthy competitive traits, we become unstuck and 

lose sight of what it means to live a fulfilling life that focuses 

on improving personal growth. 



39



EARLY YEARS ART 

Sustainable Artworks in Early Years 

By Jacob Dong 

Early Years Teacher of Art 

Art and crafts are well-known for offering enjoyable learning experiences to develop children’s creativity 

and coordination skills while enhancing their connections with their environment. Enjoy a few examples 

of our youngest students' sustainable artworks! 

3D structure with recycled materials 

Collaborative paintings 

Nursery - Collaborative egg box painting 

Nursery - Collaborative painting: elephant 

Snow sculpting 

Collage 

Year 2 - Collaborative 3D structures 

Flower arrangement 

Reception - 3D structures 

2D and 3D drawings and paintings 

Nursery - Collaborative snow sculpture 

Nursery - Collaborative Bing Dun Dun collage 

Weaving 

Reception - Painting 

Reception - Painting 

Year 1 – Flower arrangement 

Year 2 - Painting 

Nursery - Colourful paper weaving 



41



JUNIOR SCHOOL ART 

Story Light Boxes by Year 6 

By Sally Corben 

Junior School Head of Art and Design 

Inspired by the paper cut work of Hari and Deepti, students 

created these 4-layer papercuts depicting a scene from a 

myth, legend, fable, or traditional tale from around the world. 

Investigating visual space was important, learning about 

foreground, middle-ground, and background to create each 

of the individually hand-cut layers. Precise cutting was also 

essential so the overall desired image could be achieved. 

Once each piece of paper was completed, they were layered 

into a frame, and LED lights were attached to the back to 

allow the light the shine through the image. 

William C Andy C Edward G Ann W Ashton W 

Vicki L Elaine Y Sunny W Roger L Luna W 

Andy Z 

Louis L 



43



GCSE ART 

Cindy W 

September 

Acrylics, Canvas (50*60) 

Ethan M 

Reality 

Oil Paint 

Congratulations to All Our GCSE Art Students! 

By Yvette Stride 

Senior School Head of Art 

Our Dulwich College Beijing GCSE Art students have 

worked diligently through many different learning 

situations brought on by the pandemic. Despite the 

challenges, including working online from ”take-home” 

packs at various stages of the two-year course, they have 

soared above adversity, creating these amazing artworks. 

The GSCE Art programme challenged students to explore 

the many facets of Reflection as a theme, delving deeper 

Iris S - “?” 

Acrylics, Canvas 

“This work, inspired 

by Magritte, embodies 

Hyperrealism. Reflection is 

incorporated in this artwork 

by using 3 mirrors – two in the 

hands, and the last mirror seen 

from the viewer’s perspective. 

They act as a media to range 

over problematic social media 

use by implying the hollowness 

of self-identity and give viewers 

a rare opportunity to become 

introspective about themselves 

and question their true nature.” 

Claire W (HMA) 

Domestic Reflection (2022) 

Mixed Media Watercolour, 

Charcoal, Colour Pencil 

“Interoperate as you see, to 

have resonance by all means. 

You look into your own 

reflections as if it was a 

painting. A calm leaf can 

be turned with the slightest 

of breezes. A building of 

reflection, looking more 

realistic in its shadows.” 

into their personal responses and experiences. Some 

ideas included physical reflections of water, mirrors and 

shadows, and others depicted metaphysical notions 

of time passing, growth, sustainability and childhood 

memories. 

Please enjoy this insightful, powerful and sensitive work 

on Reflection, from our GCSE students. 

Ellie K 

Never Eternal Life 

Watercolour 

“When you look up to see 

the cosmos and the galaxies, 

the stars resemble life. When 

you then look down on the 

fields and the plains and see 

beautiful, elegant roses, they 

also resemble life. But a rose’s 

life is only a few days, while 

a star’s life is a billion years. 

It’s all life, the only difference 

is the length of life. But in the 

end, all life is never eternal.” 

Belinda Q 

Transience 

Acrylic, Canvas 

“My idea of Reflection is 

based on memories and my 

entire final artwork is based 

on memories and time. 

Where the leaves would 

represent time going past and 

new things will come our way 

and the shadows are a way of 

representing memories.” 

“My final artwork portrays and 

expresses my past experiences. 

The theme of Reflection can be 

interpreted on different levels. 

The spacesuit was an implicit 

expression of my state of mind 

during that period of being selfenclosed. 

The reflection on the 

helmet conveys the details that 

I want to express and enriches 

the story of the painting. The use of very saturated/bright colours 

also contradicts the theme, which represents me as being a 

discordant existence.” 

Elise C 

Cracking 


“My final work reflects reality 

through the animal world. 

Two types of reflection are 

shown, implicit and explicit. To 

which, the explicit reflection 

is expressed by the lights, 

showing light reflection. The 

implicit reflection is shown 

through the shark and the 

crab. It reflects a modern 

society where the poor feed the rich. The overall blue theme of 

the painting suggests the crab's misery.” 

“My final piece was based on the theme of Reflection, physical and emotional. The mirror is smashed and 

cracked into different pieces, reflecting in all different angles. The colours made the theme of the piece 

saddening, matching the hollow eyes the organism showed on the reflection. This piece is my way of showing 

escapism from reality, from the non-biological blue shade of the being to the white cracked lines that 

normally be black, it was an artwork that I greatly enjoyed making.” 

Brendon Z 

Reflecting Lake 

Acrylic 

Vivian M 

Unknown 

Watercolour, Colour pencil 

“My artwork represents the 

theme of Reflection through 

the water ripples flowing 

across the portrait. Not only 

does this represent reflection in 

the sense of the element water, 

but also the feeling of ‘washing' 

away from the negative 

thoughts about yourself when 

you look into a mirror.” 

“This work is inspired by a picture I 

saw. It reflects a lake with a forest 

connecting to it. The cloud is reflected 

in the lake which shows some amazing 

contrast.” 

Jesse C 

Looking in the Mirror 

Elpis C 

A Walkthrough Time 

Gouache 

“My final piece was 

inspired by my love for 

animals and my home 

country. It is based around 

the theme of Reflection, where everything and anything reflects 

and grows throughout their lives, be it cats going back to the 

people who fed them, or students at school learning from their 

mistakes. The piece is based on the idea of growing and learning 

through good and bad experiences. It helps us all reflect on our 

lives, notice the small things, that build us as a person, and help 

us to mature and develop into a better version of ourselves. There 

are no mistakes, just lessons learned.” 

Acrylic, Gouache, Pencil 

“My artwork revolves around a 

blue nude man who is stared at by 

a distorted and rough reflection of 

himself through a gold-plated mirror.” 



45



Yolanda Z 

A Blind Wish 


“Both the glass and eyes are 

reflective objects: the glass 

reflects a person’s superficial 

looks, and the eyes are usually 

a representation of the heart’s 

window in traditional Chinese 

culture. In my artwork, I use a 

shard of glass to block my eyes 

in defiance to express my heart 

and emotions, to escape other 

people's feelings toward me, and 

to escape from responsibility. But with a heart that wishes the best for 

others, my actions not only hurt myself but also others that love and 

care for me, as represented by the eyes reflected in the glass shard.” 

Alice X 

Looking Backwards, Thinking 

Forwards 

Acrylic 

“My work illustrated the different views 

on a certain event after the process of 

reflection. The girl whispering prayers 

symbolize a person in the time frame 

before an event happening, and the 

phantom-like figure of the girl looking back towards the dawn sky 

symbolizes a person looking back at the road that they came from, 

indicating the view of the event after it has already occurred and 

how reflection upon the event brings a different perspective. I want 

to communicate through my work that people may have a different 

view on a certain event before and after the event has taken place, 

and by reflecting on what is done, people would take a different 

perspective and ‘see a different scenery’.” 

Sherri L 

Untitled 

Colour Pencil, Gold Leaf, 50*50 

Brown Paper 

“My final work is based on the 

idea of culture and thoughts 

of the past time. The culture 

is represented by the Ukiyo-e, 

and my thoughts of the past 

are represented by the flowers on her hair and the element of 

water. My work is mainly inspired by Hokusia Katsushika’s Ukiyo-e 

‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ and Gustav Klimt’s artwork (using 

gold leaf). The artwork is a combination of traditional drawings 

and my thoughts and observations from the past. The joining of 

tradition and modernity is a representation of life now, how there 

will always be people from different generations existing at the 

same time.” 

Claire W (KLE) 

The Knight’s Move 

Watercolour and Acrylics, 

50*70 Canvas 

“My final piece, strongly 

influenced by Cubism and 

‘Maya with the Doll’ (Picasso 

Pablo), attempts to show the 

transition from the naivety of 

childhood (symbolized by the 

carousel horse) into maturity 

and the more intellectual 

stages in life (insinuated by 

the chess pieces). I reflect 

upon the vestiges of my childhood, as I approach the end of my 

teenage years and endure the inevitable process of maturation.” 

Doris D 

Untitled 

Oil Pastel 

Si Kai F 

City 

Coloured Pencil, Brown paper 

“Karl Marx once proclaimed it ‘impossible to transcend the laws of nature.’ Despite his 

warning, we tried and failed. The institutions of capitalism have plundered and polluted our 

planet, pushing humanity towards existential extinction. But the end is not here yet, and it 

need not be. ‘City’ reflects upon old methods of imperialist production, seaports, rail and 

factories, to envision a future where production co-exists with nature. As humanity casts her 

decision, I reflect upon our failed past and pray for a better tomorrow.“ 

“My final work is based on my 

memories and past experiences. 

The vase is a representation of 

a storage box and the objects 

inside represent my childhood 

memories. This artwork is trying 

to convey time past fast, and 

new challenges are waiting for 

us.” 

Annie R 

A Distorted World in the Mirror 

Pencil 

“My final piece was inspired 

by an artwork called Man in 

the Mirror. People, in reality, 

have always been considered 

to be complete, while the 

mirror presents an illusory and 

incomplete self. In my artwork, 

I distorted some objects in the 

mirror, showing the difference 

between dreamland and reality.” 

Lydia L 

Secret Garden 

Woodcut 

“Whenever I reflect upon 

myself, I will recall all those 

precious memories in the 

past that I cherish. Hence, 

to me, memories are both 

a secret and a treasure. I 

decided to hide them in a 

secret garden with a pigeon guard, my favourite bird.” 

Sophia X 

Untitled 

Acrylic Paint 

“My final piece portrays the 

given theme Reflection through 

the cycle of life. The main focus 

of the piece, the skeleton, is 

reflecting upon its previous life. The artwork also presents the 

connection between the living and the dead as the cigarette is an 

object from the living. Lycoris radiatas, also known as red spider 

lilies, symbolize rebirth or reincarnation. The flowers are added to 

the painting to further emphasize the motif: the cycle of life.” 

Exton J 

Out of Time 

Gouache on Paper 

“I interpreted Reflection as 

looking back on the past. So, I 

made connections with the moon 

and the clouds to symbolize 

the flow of time, vines that 

represents all the connections 

throughout time, and a man 

looking out through a clock to represent myself looking back.” 

Mia H 

Footbridge 


“My final piece illustrates a 

natural reflection shown by 

the waterscapes, representing 

the purity of nature. The theme and style were inspired by Paul 

Cézanne, highlighted by the rocks. The elements of impressionism 

are included in my final piece, inspired by Claude Monet. Above 

the reflection of natural beauty are also attempts to raise 

awareness for environmental protection, calling for action from 

the public.” 

Ethan Z 

De-Extinction 


“My final piece satirizes the folly of men, and the turmoil between the exploitation of our 

biosphere and conservation efforts that often follow, touching on modern men’s nefarious 

nature of ‘playing God’, the Pyrenean ibex (left) was a victim of genetic engineering, where 

it had effectively gone extinct twice in a lab, The Columbian mammoths (right) are likely to 

become the next subject of species revivalism, the heavenly scene enhances a sense of the two 

resurrected species crossing paths and restoring the equilibrium within the Siberian plains. While 

concurrently alluding to the sorrows of extinction and greatest remorse of men.” 

Popo L 

Warmth 

Oil Painting 

“My final piece portrays the theme of Reflection through trauma and memory, revolving around 

a predominant moment of the fireplace blurring into the scene of a celebrated family festival. 

Prominent figures of the character and fireplace are highlighted with the bright and vibrant colours 

contrasting with the dim backgrounds. The piece evolved from photography, rendering them life, 

expressing those sentiments and a form of language to tell the stories behind.” 



47



IB VISUAL ARTS 

2022 IB Visual Arts Exhibition 

Alice Z 

The Last Supper 

Photography 

20141 x 3820 

As a new term is about to unfold, one of the school calendar’s highlights took place on 

Friday. Our talented IB Visual Arts students launched their IB Art exhibition, entitled 

Fusion, concluding and celebrating a demanding two-year course of study among their 

teachers and peers. As part of the course, these artists are challenged to explore a 

wide range of artworks from different perspectives and contexts while experimenting 

and developing multiple techniques and skills, pushing their creative boundaries and 

expectations. 

Fusion relates to the variety of ideas present in the show: from tradition and taboo, 

introversion and extraversion, to philosophy and folklore, and everything in between. 

The work is deeply introspective, cultivated from the artists’ own experiences and in this 

sense, it is a fusion of the hearts and minds of our young people. 

This year’s class curated a stunning exhibition with eleven individual artists showcasing their 

talents and ideas across 82 pieces of art. Their impressive artworks include a range of media 

from traditional approaches such as oil painting and ceramics to contemporary illustration 

and digital drawing to express the students’ artistic explorations of multicultural awareness, 

interpersonal relationships, nature extinction and many more… 

Emma Z 

The Last Block of Ice 

Installation (Acrylic & Water) 

5cm x 5cm x 10cm 

Emma Z 

Parasite 

Ceramic 

11.5cm x 20cm 

Congratulations to Alice Z, Ava L, Clara L, Emma Z, Esther K, Jessie Z, Katrina C, Lauren Z, Rino F, Sally L and Yukino S on displaying such a fantastic exhibition! 

Lauren Z 

1 in 8 

Interactive Work 

Digital Collage / Mixed Media 

Jessie Z 

Pulsate 

Photography – Needles, glass, liquid water 

1920 x 1080 



49



Yukino S 

I can’t Hear You 

Oil on Canvas 

80cm x 80cm 

Clara L 

Dream Catcher 

Fishnet, LED light, manipulated organza, nylon wire, acrylic, 

various textiles, metal netting, yarn 

50cm x 50cm x 100cm 

Rino F 

Memories for Sale 

Resin, 3D masks 

1000mm x 1250mm 

Esther K 

Ava L 

Katrina C 

Sally L 

Memorial to our Future 

Fantasia 

Through the Window 

Camouflage 

Oil on canvas 

Digital 

Mixed media 

Pencil 

60cm x 41cm 

100cm x 130cm 

64cm x 64cm 

59cm x 42cm 



51



Senior School Drama Production: Romeo and Juliet 

By Alexander Tew 

Senior School Head of Drama 

and performance was of the highest 

standard, and the audience certainly 

was treated to a spectacular show! 

This year, the main characters were 

double-cast to allow more students to 

perform, with the first cast performing 

for Years 8, 9 and 10 and the second 

cast performing for Years 6 and 7. The 

atmosphere during both performances 

was fantastic. 

The DCB parent community, who 

unfortunately could not attend the 

performances in person, were provided 

with a high-quality live stream to be 

enjoyed at their best convenience. 

The cast and crew of Romeo and 

Juliet should be incredibly proud of 

themselves for creating such a beautiful 

contemporary rendering of William 

Shakespeare’s famous play! See for 

yourself! 

Last week, the Senior School production 

cast presented their performance of 

Romeo and Juliet to Year 6 to Year 

10 students. Considering the Senior 

School production could not take three 

years due to the pandemic, it was a 

remarkable event! 

The cast has encountered many 

challenges with the online learning 

period resulting in a three-week 

interruption of the rehearsals. Upon 

returning to campus, the dedication 

of this cast has been incredible: cast 

members voluntarily have given up 

multiple lunch breaks to catch up, and 

all of that work paid off with a set of 

fantastic performances! 

This project included a considerable 

number of student leaders. The set 

and design aspects of the performance 

were entirely student-led, and they 

were an invaluable contribution to a 

beautifully aesthetic performance. A 

special mention to Cathy M, Leon L and 

Henry B, whose contribution to the 

design aspects went entirely above and 

beyond. 

The performances took place over two 

days. The audience was treated to a 

vibrant and engaging adaptation of the 

famous play, which included forbidden 

love, violent bloodshed and a few light, 

comedic moments! The quality of acting 



53



Junior School Welcomes Spring in Music 

By Shauna McFaul 

Head of Primary Music 

Dulwich College Beijing is full of extraordinary, passionate, 

and dedicated students with incredible talents and skills in 

many areas! In the Music Department, we are incredibly 

fortunate in that regard! 

First, we welcomed spring with the Key Stage 2 final round of 

one of our much-loved traditions: the Young Musician of the 

Year competition. During the auditions, many talented and 

hard-working students shared their musical accomplishments 

in the form of incredible solo performances, awing us with 

their high level of musicianship and passion! 

Our six finalists this year included three violinists: 

• Emma W (Year 6) - Piano 

• Freda L (Year 4) - Violin 

• Melinda M (Year 6) - Guitar 

• Hannah S (Year 5)- Violin 

• Suri Y (Year 6) - Piano 

• Carla Q (Year 5) - Violin 

We were also treated to an encore performance by last year’s 

winner, Andy Z. from Year 6! 

recorded their annual Sounds of Spring performance! The 

recording session saw stellar performances from Junior Band, 

Junior Choir, Honours Choir and Junior Strings. 

The energy was high throughout the recording session, 

where students shared an incredible variety of music. From 

Everything is Awesome (from The Lego Movie) to the old hit 

The Final Countdown, from music sung in Japanese to a piece 

in Haitian Creole, our Junior School students really raised the 

bar with their hard work and talents. 

In the final round of the competition, finalists performed 

their pieces in front of a panel of judges, peers and teachers 

from Junior School. After much deliberation and some tough 

decisions, 3rd place was awarded to Emma W, 2nd place to 

Hannah S, and our 1st place winner was Carla Q. 

Congratulations and thank you to all students who 

auditioned, and families, classmates and teachers for 

supporting our students on their musical journey. 

Second, students in our Junior School music ensembles 

Congratulations to all our Junior School musicians! The Music 

Department is very proud of all the hard work they have put 

in since January! 



55


EARLY YEARS SPORTS DAY 

Spotlights 

JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY 

TEDDY BEAR GYM 



57

Spotlights 

Spotlights 

INTERSCHOOL COMPETITIONS 

FESTIVE SPIRIT AT DCB 

58 beijing.dulwich.org The College Magazine (Beijing) 59

House Events 

House Events 

EARTH DAY 

WORLD BOOK DAY 



61

House Events 

EARLY YEARS HOUSE SPIRIT DAY 

HOUSE GARBAGE 

By Global Goals Club 

House Events 

House Garbage was a Senior School-wide activity hosted by the Global Goals Club corresponding to Sustainable Development 

Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Working with the school cleaning staff, we collected discarded waste 

from around the school from the previous day for each House to sort! We divided House members according to year groups 

to perform separate tasks, garbage sorting, video reflection and systemic thinking review! During this process, we interviewed 

participants. We were glad that students left the activity more willing to contribute “Teaspoons of Change” by putting waste in 

the correct bins and reflecting on other unsustainable actions and solutions in their daily lives. 

JUNIOR SCHOOL TOUR D’ FOUR 

Junior School Students held Tour d’ Four House event in March 2022. The students engaged in dance, 

swimming, and team games to earn points for their House. The students had great fun and built up their team 

spirit from the day. 



63

House Events 

HOUSE ART: KNIT GRAFFITI 

By Yvette Stride 

Senior School Head of Art 

Knit Graffiti- a new spin on an old Art form. 

What an extraordinary effort made by 

our students participating in House Art 

this year! This silver status event saw 

high competition among the houses, 

especially between Alleyn and Soong 

who both had excellent team spirit 

and organisation from day one. The 

students gathered in the Art rooms at 

break times, lunches and after school, 

knitting, weaving and knotting their 

designs to life. Johnson emerged a 

few days into the program with some 

impressive coral like weaves, impressing 

everyone and raising the stakes. 

Wodehouse and Owens both had 

wonderful links to their artist research 

and all teams managed to meet the 

task challenge and fill the space with 

laughter and joyfully colourful yarns. 

The yarn bombing can be found in the 

Art room courtyard. 

Well done to everyone who participated 

and a huge congratulations to the 

winning house, Alleyn! 

Thank you to our Student leaders, 

Judges and the Art staff for supervision. 

SENIOR SCHOOL HOUSE SINGING 

Hear from the Dulwich 

College Beijing’s Alumni 

We are happy to introduce a new series of interviews highlighting our International Old 

Alleynians, or IOA in short, namely, our Dulwich College Beijing alumni. Their childhood 

and teenage years at DCB behind them, they were happy to share fond memories of 

DCB and tell us about their journey since then. 

Jenna Yeh 

• DCB Class of 2015 

• Graduated from the London School 

of Economics 

o Undergraduate in International 

Relations 

o Postgraduate in Management 

• Currently Client Relationship 

Manager at American Express in 

London, UK 

1. Tell us about a significant experience at DCB. 

During my time at Dulwich College Beijing, I was a Student 

Prefect and also held leadership positions as the KS4/5 Owens 

House Captain and Director of Model United Nations. 

Alumni 

I’m excited that WAN 

presents a new opportunity 

and dedicated platform 

for us to connect and reconnect 

with our Dulwich 

peers - our alumni have 

gone on to build some 

incredible lives and careers 

after Dulwich, and the 

current students now are 

more adaptive, tech-savvy 

and Worldwise than ever. 

There is no better time 

to leverage the extensive and established network we have 

through WAN! 

3. What have you gained from your DCB 

journey and how has it helped with your life 

beyond graduation? 

Learning to approach others with an open mind to find 

common ground and celebrate differences. Growing up in a 

diverse environment like DCB has helped me build an easy 

rapport with others and form strong working and social 

relationships. 

4. What would you like to tell our current DCB 

students? 

2. You've attended the inaugural Dulwich College 

International Worldwise Alumni Network event 

in London. How was your experience? 

I had the pleasure of joining the speakers panel. Our 

panellists explored topics ranging from third culture values, 

transitioning to the workforce, to how we define leadership 

behaviours. 

Invest in yourself by building soft skills outside of your 

academics. Whether this is through playing team sports, 

travelling, learning a different language or completing a 

training certificate, you can develop and demonstrate 

your ambition, time management and leadership skills in a 

plethora of ways. Not only will these experiences give you 

valuable, concrete examples in the job application process, 

they genuinely make you a more rounded and interesting 

person in your professional life and beyond. 



65

Alumni 

Alumni 

Bryan Chiew 


• Graduated from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) 

o Bachelor of Social Sciences 

o Major in Public Policy and Global Affairs 

• Concurrently interning at Grab, as a Regional Public Affairs (Strategy and Policy) intern 

Elena Reid 


• Graduated from the University of Melbourne 

o International Politics and Media Communications 

o Master of Education 

• Secondary School Teacher at Viewbank College in Melbourne, Victoria. 

1. Please tell us more about your 

role in the Worldwise Alumni 

Advisory Board. 

After returning to Singapore, I wanted 

to stay connected with my Dulwich 

peers. So I emailed DCB to enquire 

about the potential existence of an 

alumni network. I ended up meeting 

senior members of the now EiM group 

in their Singapore office. We agreed 

there was a need to connect our 

alumni. 

I’m now working with fellow alumni to 

create a structure and representation 

that allows alumni to leverage our 

Dulwich network to re-connect and 

build new bridges across our worldwide 

network. 

Being part of the Worldwide Alumni 

Network helps graduates, both on the 

social and professional levels. It provides 

opportunities to stay socially connected 

with friends or make new ones, 

adjusting to changes and understanding 

one’s own identity. On the professional 

front, meeting new people with similar 

experiences can open new doors and 

even help to find mentors. 

2.Would you like to share a 

memorable moment from your 

DCB years? 

My favourite memory from DCB will 

always be the camaraderie not just only 

between students but also with the 

larger school community like teachers 

and parents. I always remember the 

staff vs student football matches 

that we used to have every year. 

Having these more fun and personal 

experiences outside of the classroom 

always made Dulwich feel so much 

more like a home away from home. 

3.How has DCB prepared you 

for your college, and then 

adult life? 

One thing I realized after graduation 

was that I was never afraid to try some 

new, eventually fail and try again, no 

matter whether that was at work or 

at school. I believe the focus that DCB 

has always placed on applying what we 

learnt and being global citizens is now 

ingrained in my DNA. 

Interviewing the President of NTU during my 

term as Students’ Union President. 

4.What is the ONE thing you 

would advise our current DCB 

students? 

Make the most of your time at DCB 

by joining or starting ECAs. Whenever 

I think back on my time in Dulwich, 

not only did it help me grow so much 

as a person, but doing projects and 

going to competitions was always my 

favourite memories with my friends. 

Being a Prefect, leading the Interact 

Club, playing football, swimming…. 

I’ve learned so much about 

interacting and working with people 

from different countries, cultures and 

perspectives and that’s something I 

always believe is unique. 

5. Which word in each pair 

describes you best? 

1. coffee/tea: Tea. 

2. cat/dog: Dog! I have a pet dog! 

She’s a toy poodle, we got her 

in Beijing and she’s still with me 

today J 

3. steak/salad: Steak! Got to have 

proteins. 

4. 798/Great Wall: Great Wall! It 

was the first thing I did when 

I first got to Beijing. It was the 

beginning of a new journey and 

many new memories. Beijing will 

always be part of my identity and 

I believe it massively shaped the 

way I think and view the world. 

1.Please tell us more about your current job. 

I work at a co-educational government state school in 

the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne where I teach 

humanities and media arts. I am also a Student Wellbeing 

Coordinator, acting as an advocate for students. This role 

includes mentoring, developing a curriculum to build 

resilience and knowledge in areas of health and wellbeing, 

and helping staff and carers navigate student management 

plans, critical incidents and welfare issues. 

2.What do you like most about your current 

professional life? 

The aspect I like the most about my current job is the 

relationships I have developed with my students. These 

relationships are imbued with mutual respect, kindness, and 

care. Most importantly, my classroom is open to differences 

– whether it be ethnicity, sexuality, disability or others. These 

are qualities that I feel are important for any person to 

develop. As a Wellbeing Coordinator, I am able to work with 

the community to ensure students have the language, skills 

and resources to enable them to take agency and control 

over their wellbeing and make positive choices in life. It is 

great to spend my day working with young people! 

3.Share a memorable experience or moment 

from your DCB years 

A memorable 

experience during 

my DCB years was 

every sporting 

practice, game 

and competition 

that I participated 

in alongside my 

talented peers. I 

owe that memory 

to my dedicated coaches (many of whom were my teachers 

all throughout my time at Dulwich). 

4. How has DCB prepared you for your adult life? 

DCB has taught me to value my relationships with my friends, 

teachers and community. Save their contact details – you 

never know when or where you’ll see them next! 

5.One thing you would advise our current DCB 

students 

The pandemic has undoubtedly impacted us all in various 

ways – take care of your mental health and wellbeing by 

spending less time on social media and more time in the 

presence of people who make you laugh. 

6.Which word in each pair describes you best? 

a. Coffee/Tea: Coffee 

b. Cat/Dog: Dog 

c. Steak/Salad: Steak 

d. 798/Great Wall: Great Wall 



67

Alumni 

Alumni 

William Chen 


o Currently at Brown University 

o Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Economics 

Melody Hsu 


• Graduated from Emerson College 

o BFA in Design/Technology - 2019 

o MA Media Design - 2021 

• Currently working as a Freelance Multidisciplinary Artist and Civic Designer, Los Angeles 

• Previously: Creative Lead (remote), See You In The Future Community Project, Boston 

Interview by Cecilia T, Dulwich College 

Beijing 2022 Student Prefect for Alumni, 

Careers and University. 

1.Hi William! Please share 

a memorable experience or 

moment from your DCB years. 

A memorable experience was when I 

hosted the Sharks Football Tournament 

in 2019. The school gave me the venue 

of the entire South Pitch pro bono and 

human resources to cover the event’s 

logistics (namely cleaning, security and 

setup crews). The tournament involved 

26 football teams across Beijing 

over two days, with over 300 people 

attending. We were fortunate to get 

the help of more than 30 DCB logistics 

team members. 

2.What do you like most about 

your current college life/learning? 

Brown’s Open Curriculum allows 

for exploring any course you want 

without worrying about core course 

requirements. During my time here, 

I have already taken courses in 

Neurosciences, Psychology, Economics, 

Mathematics, Philosophy, Computer 

Science and Engineering. The best part 

of college learning is the professors 

we get to meet. It’s great to have the 

opportunity to study under people who 

wrote textbooks deemed the “Bible” of 

Computer Graphics, learn a computer 

language from the person who made 

it or analyse Kant’s Critique of Pure 

Reason with the leading scholar who 

translated and edited it. 

3.How has DCB prepared you for 

your college life? 

From an academic standpoint, the IB 

curriculum allowed me to be in a very 

good position. The quality of teaching 

and standards set for students pushed 

me to develop excellent learning skills. 

Even with the academic rigour of an Ivy 

League, DCB provided one of the best 

preparations for all aspects of my courses 

compared to many of my peers here. 

4.What was your favourite class 

back in high school, and why? 

My favourite class in high school would 

definitely be Economics. I was lucky 

to have two great teachers teach me 

throughout IB, and they didn’t only 

teach me the curriculum but helped 

guide us as students to become better 

independent thinkers and build our 

framework for learning. It was the 

course that I felt helped me the most 

in life as a young stocks/options trader, 

understanding the base logic of how 

economies and businesses work, on 

both the micro and macro levels. 

5.One thing you would advise 

our current DCB students. 

Applying to colleges/universities may 

be the pinnacle of stress for high 

school. If you can’t think of ideas 

for extracurriculars, just try to do 

something that will make you and your 

fellow students’ lives better. I thought 

IB students didn’t have enough food 

or snack choices, so I got a partnership 

with the nearby Legend Heights 

Restaurant and put vending machines 

in the IB Common Room and Student 

Services Centre areas. It then developed 

into the Ventures student business ECA. 

Overall, the most important thing is to 

try to overlook rankings and find the 

school that you would be most happy 

at, whether that be the school culture, 

location or academic intensity. 

6.Which word of each pair 


a. Volleyball/Basketball: Volleyball 

b. Chocolate/Vanilla: Vanilla 

c. TV/Book: TV 

d. Hutong/Sanlitun: Sanlitun 

1. What have you been up to these days? 

After living and studying in Boston for five years, I decided 

to move to Los Angeles last December. During my year-long 

master’s program in media design, I found myself as a civic 

designer who uses art and storytelling to set foundations in 

community engagement and civic practices. After graduating 

in September 2021, though, I recognised 

that I did not want to commit to the 

design and advocacy work that comes 

with this title until I became a more 

confident and experienced creative. So, 

despite having just about ten months left 

of OPT (F-1 student immigration status), 

I chose to move to Los Angeles to start 

over as a freelance artist and designer, 

rebuilding both my life and network from 

scratch. So far, so good, though :) 

2. Share a memorable experience or moment 

from your DCB years. 

Honestly, I feel like I’ve taken a lot of my time at DCB for 

granted. So, the most memorable moments for me actually 

happened outside of DCB, when old friends got together to 

reminisce. Like my first Thanksgiving in college in New York 

(when homesickness hit the hardest) with everyone who 

went to school on the East Coast or the spontaneous Zoom 

call we had across time zones when quarantine first started. 

3. What do you like most about your current 

professional life? 

I love that I am not committed to any profession but instead 

to my purpose. I am proud of the ways my knowledge and 

skills apply across industries. From being an exhibition artist 

to a production designer for stage and screen, or from a civic 

design fellow for the city government to a content producer 

for an ad agency, my experiences humble me and guide 

me to fulfil my purpose as a designer for the people. I feel 

empowered being able to explore and define what being 

a socially engaged creative means to me. I look forward to 

delivering multimedia experiences that strive to express, 

educate, and entertain no matter what I do and where I go. 

4. How has DCB prepared you for your adult life? 

If DCB has taught me anything, it’s resilience. We always 

joke that if we can get through IB, we can do anything, and 

I wholeheartedly 

believe in that to this 

day. 

5. One thing you 

would advise 

our current DCB 

students. 

Don’t be afraid to care. This might be something that won’t 

resonate until you start your life after DCB. But remember, 

our experience can teach us a lot, but it also makes us 

complacent at times. We embody the privileges that are 

embedded within our ability to assimilate into the countries 

in which we reside as we curate our own global existence 

by cherry-picking their culture and living experiences. Often, 

we leave things we know are inappropriate go unchecked 

because we feel it’s not our place or that the issue does not 

pertain to us. We’ve seen the world; now we have to make 

it better. We cannot proudly rep our internationality without 

claiming any baggage of injustice and systemic inequalities. 

Our knowledge gives us 

power–our perspective 

as global citizens. So be 

aggressive in taking up 

space in those difficult 

conversations, but at 

the same time, be kind. 

6. Which word of each pair describes you best? 

a. Coffee / Tea: Tea 

b. Cat / Dog: Cat 

c. Movie / Book: Movie 

d. Hutong / Sanlitun: Hutong! 



69

Alumni 

Alumni 

Kevin Meng 


• Currently at Swarthmore College (USA) 

o Undergraduate 

o Double Major in Political Science and Economics 

Jason Ryu 


• Undergraduate at Berklee College of Music - Boston, MA, USA 

o Dual Major in Jazz Composition and Performance 




1. Share a memorable experience 

or moment from your DCB years. 

My most memorable DCB experience 

was when I travelled to MUN 

conferences across the country with 

my friends. Nothing beats debating 

international anti-human trafficking 

laws all day and then getting pizza and 

ice cream with friends. MUN sparked 

my interest in Politics, Economics, 

History, and more and also gave me a 

platform to goof around and have the 

best time of my DCB years. 

2. What do you like most about 

your current college life/learning? 

marathon against colleges all over the 

East Coast. The sheer diversity and 

dynamism of my college life make every 

day something to look forward to. 

3. How has DCB prepared you 

for your college life? 

DCB has always emphasised the 

importance of work/life balance, which 

takes you a long way in college. Dulwich 

students are so academically successful 

because of their extra-curricular 

activities, not despite them. I think DCB 

has taught me how to time manage 

and organise myself so I can juggle a big 

debate tournament on the one hand 

and a history exam on the other. 

to International Relations and Political 

Science which ultimately led me to 

choose my current major. 

5. One thing you would advise 


Be confident because DCB prepares 

you VERY well. No matter where in 

the world you plan to go, you will find 

yourself one step ahead of most of your 

peers because you would have already 

been equipped with the skills to tackle 

the incoming challenges, whether 

academic or organisational. Don’t worry 

about how well you score on your next 

exam. Take care of your mental health, 

participate in extra-curricular activities, 

and most importantly, have fun. 

6. Which word of each pair 


a. Volleyball /Badminton: Badminton— 

Fun fact, I played both during my time 

at DCB, but badminton was always my 

primary sport. I’m continuing to enjoy 

it in college and finding a super vibrant 

community that shares my love for 

badminton. 

b. Summer / Winter: Winter—summers 

are kind of hot 

c. TV / Book: Book—Usually, the book is 

better than the TV version 

d. Hutong / Sanlitun: Hutong—I like to 

get tanghulu in the Hutongs, particularly 

Nanluoguxiang and the surrounding 

areas 




1. Please share a memorable 

experience or moment from 

your DCB years. 

Every moment I shared with my own 

jazz combo has been special to me. The 

band and all the ensembles I was a part 

of motivated me to pursue a career 

in music. With the help of supportive 

teachers and amazing people in other 

departments, I was able to form my 

own band and perform outside the 

College. The band members were 

heavily involved in organisations 

outside the music department but 

still committed to the band. Some are 

considering applying to music colleges, 

and I’m excited about all the great 

musical journeys they will take. 

2. What do you like most about 

your current college life? 

a performer and audio engineer at 

Berklee. There are people here who 

risked everything for their love for 

music, and I’m grateful that I can 

grow as a person alongside them. 

Berklee made me realise that there is 

something far greater than the small 

world I was living in. 

3. How has DCB prepared you 

for your college life? 

Dulwich and Berklee are two very 

different environments requiring 

the same workload and the level of 

commitment. There will always be times 

when you’ll have to work alone on a 

project or an essay, but what’s more 

important is simply being present. In 

Dulwich, I would go to music rehearsals 

every day after class, and committing 

to them became more challenging 

closer to finals or midterms. Still, I 

chose to commit to everything I signed 

up for because I loved doing it, and 

more importantly, I was aware that my 

presence impacted the other players. If 

one person doesn’t show up, the whole 

band falls apart. In Berklee, there are 

those who “disappeared” halfway into 

a project. The mindset I had in Dulwich 

carried over and kept me going even 

when the workload was too much. 

the workload, the teachers were very 

understanding and encouraging. 

5. One thing you would advise 


Whatever you do in the future, think 

about what you can contribute to 

the world, or to the people around 

you. That requires a lot of vulnerability, 

honesty, and self-assessment. I’m still 

figuring out who I am as a person and 

a musician. Remember that whatever 

worries you have about the future or 

yourself, there will always be someone 

you love who can help you out. In 

college and beyond, you will be meeting 

people who will be more talented than 

you at certain things. Remember that 

you will eventually find your true colour 

if you dig deep into your passion. 

I get to meet one of the most diverse 

groups of people at Berklee. Everyone 

Small class sizes, tight-knit communities, 

comes from different cultural, 

and professors who actually care are 

social, and economic backgrounds. 

6. What’s your favourite quote? 

just a few reasons I chose a liberal arts 

Like me, some were international 

college. And it hasn’t let me down. My 

school students who studied IB in 

“Good artists borrow; great artists 

biggest class so far had 35 students, and 

Asian countries. 

steal.” Though there are disputes, it’s 

my smallest had 8. 

4. What was your favourite class 

Some are very 

4. What was your favourite class widely known to be said by Picasso. 

My favourite thing about college life is 


different. My 


that I have so much freedom over what 

former roommate 

7. Which word of each pair 

I can do. I took a film class because I really enjoyed IB Global Politics 

was a 30-yearold 

Argentinian 

It might seem a little obvious, but music describes you best: 

I was interested in the French New because we were such a small and tightknit 

community. Class discussions were 

was my favourite class in school. The 

Wave, and there I am, watching two 

Trombone / Piano: Trombone 

movies a week in a 500-seat theatre. 

7. Summarise your life in one 

guitarist who 

materials we learned in class were 

Introverted / Extroverted: I used to 

always vibrant and fruitful, bringing 

decided to quit 

fascinating, but I loved the amount 

I’ve picked up a new instrument in the in an immense diversity of ideas and 

sentence. 

be introverted, but now I’m both. 

his job to follow 

of support we got from the music 

Chinese Music Ensemble, the erhu. 

Movie / Book: Movie 

perspectives. Global Politics definitely Amor Fati 

his passion as 

teachers. Especially during IB, when 

And on weekends, it’s a badminton 

Hutong / Sanlitun: Sanlitun 

played a huge part in introducing me 

the students were struggling with 



71

DCI News 

Dulwich College Celebrates Sir Ernest Shackleton 

By Dulwich College 

Integrity and adventure were demonstrated most vividly by 

Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of Dulwich College’s most famous 

Old Alleynians. January 5 2022 marked one hundred years 

since Ernest Shackleton died aged just 47; at the time of 

his death, he was on board his ship Quest, anchored off 

Grytviken in South Georgia in the Southern Ocean. 

Many events and activities at Dulwich College and around the 

world have marked this special centenary: you can explore 

Shackleton’s Hut on the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust 

site; the South Georgia Museum has a virtual tour of their 

‘Shackleton’s Last Quest’ exhibition; a team of scientists 

set off last December on The Antarctic Quest 2, a research 

expedition in his memory; the British Film Institute (BFI) in 

London screened South: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Glorious 

Epic of the Antarctic (the original film was exquisitely 

photographed by Frank Hurley on Shackleton’s 1914- 

16 expedition to Antarctica); and Dan Snow, a British TV 

presenter and historian, joined Endurance 22, an expedition 

that aimed to locate, survey and film the wreck of Sir Ernest 

Shackleton’s lost ship, The Endurance. 

In February Dulwich College continued its celebration of 

the centenary with three fascinating and insightful talks on 

Shackleton’s Life and Legacy. 

Dr Jan Chojecki, the grandson of John Quilter Rowett who 

donated The James Caird to Dulwich College and also 

financed Shackleton’s last Antarctic expedition, gave a brief 

history of Antarctic exploration which began at the end 

of the 19th century and ended after the First World War. 

Indeed the 1921-22 Shackleton-Rowett ‘Quest’ expedition is 

often referred to by historians as the dividing line between 

the ‘Heroic’ and ‘Mechanical’ ages. Dr Chojecki spoke 

about Shackleton’s last expedition on The Quest, a journey 

from which he was not to return. Dr Chojecki recounted 

how Shackleton called on the services of a number of Old 

Alleynians, evidence of a thriving alumni network long before 

the days of social media. 

Camilla Nichol, Chief Executive of the UK Antarctic 

Heritage Trust, a charity responsible for the care and 

conservation of British heritage in Antarctica, picked 

up the story by looking at Shackleton’s legacy as the 

continent entered the ‘Mechanical Age’. 

We are all aware of how important planning is when 

undertaking projects. However, few, if any of us, will have 

to plan for a trip to the most inhospitable parts of our 

planet, where our very survival depends on getting every 

detail right. Clearly, Shackleton would have been able to list 

‘logistics expert’ among his many extraordinary qualities, 

and it was this skill that Dulwich College Archivist Freddie 

Witts spoke about in our concluding presentation. Polar 

planning is not cheap, yet Shackleton managed on more 

than one occasion to raise the millions (in today’s money) 

of pounds sterling necessary to launch his expeditions. He 

instinctively knew how to hire the right men, although some 

might query whether asking ‘can you sing?’ is the most 

important interview question for someone undertaking polar 

exploration. 

In March, the BBC and other news channels confirmed the 

exciting news that Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost vessel, The 

Endurance, had been found on the bottom of the Weddell 

Sea. According to marine archaeologist Mensun Bound, who 

was on the discovery expedition along with historian Dan 

Snow, The Endurance is in a “brilliant state of preservation”. 

DCI News 

With confirmation of this discovery, there was immediate 

interest from local and national news crews asking permission 

to interview Dulwich College Keeper of the Archives, Calista 

Lucy, and Archivist, Freddie Witts, and to film The James Caird in 

its centre-stage location in The Laboratory at Dulwich College. 

Enquiries and interest from members of the public to 

visit The James Caird have increased during Shackleton's 

centenary year, and the College has recently welcomed the 

Chilean Ambassador, and historian Dan Snow ahead of his 

#Endurance22 expedition, as well as visitors from the local 

area and further afield. 

For all things Shackleton, you might like to read more https:// 

www.dulwich.org.uk/about/whats-on/shackleton-100 or 

watch a film produced by Dulwich College, that celebrates 

the extraordinary life of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his exploits 

with The James Caird https://vimeo.com/542016204. 

Perhaps you would like to visit The James Caird when 

you’re next in London? Please contact the Reception team 

reception@dulwich.org.uk who can arrange this for you (visits 

are offered at 11.30am on Fridays). 



73

DCI News 

DCI News 

Alice in WDL: Reflections on the Senior School Musical 

By Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong 

On March 10 and 11, we were thrilled by the Senior School 

production of Alice in WDL. This spectacular adventure, full 

of great songs, incredible dance numbers, brilliant costumes 

and a colourful set, put our students' talents on full display. 

Even though we were unable to have parents on campus due 

to epidemic prevention protocols, staff and students filled the 

Mei Lan Fang Theatre on both nights giving our cast and crew 

the essential experience of a live audience whilst our families 

were able to watch the live stream from home. 

If you're thinking of the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, 

think again. Working from an original script co-written by 

Senior School Head of Drama Helen Bamford and Year 9 

student Coll McF, our students addressed the question: “What 

would happen if you took Alice in Wonderland and set it 

against the backdrop of the pandemic?” 

In our version, Alice is a student mired in online learning who 

sees a white rabbit hop across her computer screen. She 

absent-mindedly clicks on it, thus kicking off a journey to a 

world where nothing is as it seems. 

Meanwhile, an energetic soundtrack of pop songs from the 

1970s and brilliant choreography revved up stunning dance 

numbers that had the entire audience up and dancing in the 

aisles. 

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi Wins the British Schools 

Awards 2021 for Diversity and Inclusion 

By Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi 

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi is immensely proud and 

honoured to have been named winner of the Diversity and 

Inclusion Award in the inaugural British Schools Awards. 

At Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, we believe that diversity 

and inclusion start with a strong sense of belonging. Here, 

students and staff flourish as individuals within a caring and 

connected community. We have worked hard to develop our 

curriculum and our learning and work environments to create 

an inclusive culture that fosters respect and intercultural 

understanding. 

In addition to winning the Diversity and Inclusion Award, 

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi was also named as a finalist 

for the Science and Technology Award, and the Staff 

Development Award. We extend our congratulations to 

Dulwich College Beijing, who went on to win the Holistic 

Education Award and the Science and Technology Award. 

Brilliant set design and incredible costumes took us into 

Wonderland, where Alice meets a familiar set of characters: 

the Cheshire Cat, the caterpillar, the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee 

and Tweedledum, and of course, the Queen of Hearts. 

"Every production is a community effort," says Ms Bamford. 

"This year's, in particular, was a large undertaking with over 

130 students and 60 members of staff involved. It was truly 

inspiring to see everyone come together." 

This year was even more challenging as the recent outbreak 

resulted in several cast members being held out of the 

production at the last minute due to mandated quarantine. 

"I would like to single out the resilience that our staff and 

students displayed," says Head of Senior School Alison 

Derbyshire. "They had so many unforeseen challenges 

thrown at them, and they took them all so calmly. They are 

brilliant role models for all of us." 



75

The College Magazine Summer 2022

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