Global Connections Program
Lucie Dickens, Academic Dean of Languages
The importance of co-curricular activities at Kilvington is pivotal to the holistic education we provide to our students. From finding a passion to building connections with younger or older students, these activities often give students the space they need to grow as sociable and confident learners in a relaxed environment.
As part of the Global Connections Time, a co-curricular activity offered to Years 7 to 12 students every second Friday at lunchtime, we contacted our partner schools to see if they value their co-curricular program as much as we do. We also asked them to describe the kinds of co-curricular activities they offer students. Their perspective might inspire us to develop similar activities at Kilvington in the future.
You can read the article written by Kilvington student Helen Gu in Year 10, which was sent to our partner schools in France, Japan and China as well as the reply we received from our partner school, West Yan An Middle School in Shanghai.
Helen Gu, Year 10
At Kilvington, we believe that co-curricular activities are very important to student wellbeing and to promoting a sense of belonging to the Kilvington community.
Our students have different passions and interests, and so we offer a range of different activities in order to allow them to express and pursue their own unique passion or talent, besides studying school subjects.
Our Music Program involves choirs, instrumental groups and orchestra. For the benefits of students’ mental and physical health, our sport program involves inter-school team sports as well as individual training after school.
Students can join the Running Club and have access to the School gym. Besides that, we also have clubs which benefit students’ interests in particular areas, such as debating club, chess club, robotics club, art club, languages club, pride collective, and also the many academic support groups which provide students with specific help to meet their individual academic needs.
As a school, we also care about our students' connections to society. Hence, we have connection groups such as the International School Council, which helps to build connections between international and local students, as well as the Global Connections group which connects our students to a bigger world.
Our co-curricular program also allows for a mix of year levels; all students who are passionate about an activity/club are welcome to join, which also helps to build connections between Kilvington students from different year levels.
Angela Shi, Grade 7 student (Shanghai West Yan’an Middle School)
In Shanghai West Yan’an Middle School, we pay attention to the comprehensive quality education of students, so our extracurricular activities are also very rich and are very popular with our classmates.
Last year, many activities were cancelled because of the COVID-19. But this year, as things are getting better, we have returned to a happy and busy school life.
In our school, the last class on Friday is set as an extended curriculum course. Each semester, students can choose different courses according to their own interests, such as 3-D modelling, fancy rope jumping, car modelling, classic reading, and so on.
Our school also has the calligraphy association, we-media association, literature association, dance team, chorus team, go team, aerobics team and the shooting team. These associations often represent our school in competitions, so that students feel the warmth of the team in the process of developing interest and hobbies.
In addition, students of different grades also have special extracurricular activities. In Grade 6, we have the vocational experience activities, such as visiting the fire station and the Employment Promotion Center. It helps us realize the features of different occupations.
In Grade 7, we take part in craft activities.
The students are divided into different classes, including carpentry, electrician, ceramics, cloth art and metalworking. Through two days of study, students not only get many beautiful handcrafts made by themselves, but also feel the happiness of labour.
In Grade 8, we will hold a 14-year-old Birthday Ceremony, which is an important part for our growth. Parents, teachers and classmates will celebrate it together. In Grade 9, we will be ready to graduate from middle to high school. Then the school will organize a visit to Shanghai Yan'an High School and make us feel the life of high school in advance.
The International Children's day of June 1 is the art festival of our school. Students celebrate the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China with their sweet songs and exciting recitations. This year, chorus and recitation competition was held. Moreover, at the end of May this year, the students of Grade7 also organized a small concert themselves.
This attracted many students and teachers. Performers played piano and flute for us. This performance provided a chance for the students with various abilities to show themselves. It also enriched our school life and promoted our appreciation for art.
Moreover, in the first half of each semester, our school holds an Autumn Track and Field Sports Meeting, which has various sports such as running, throwing solid balls, long jump, rope jumping and jumping height. And in the second half of each semester, we carry out sports festival activities in grades.
This year, we took part in pass relay, three leg running, heel shooting and fixed-point shooting. The various sports activities make us exercise our bodies and realize the spirit of physical culture.
Through these extracurricular courses and activities, students at our school have achieved comprehensive development. The school life in Shanghai West Yan’an Middle School is full of fun, and we are very happy to be a member of it.