As part of our ongoing We are Wellington series in Shanghai school, we ask our wider Wellington community — staff members, parents and pupils — to share their experiences of the College and talk about what makes Wellington special to them. This week, Lai-Har Shum joins us to talk about how Wellington has expanded the horizons of her children, James (year 8) and Sophie (year 3), and her new role as the parent member of Wellington's academic subcommittee.

Always something new to explore

Since joining Wellington, our children have become more willing to try new things. They are more open-minded, and Wellington's CCA programme does a great job of nurturing this. Music and sport stick out in my mind as two things that really excite them. Our daughter has tried violin ensemble, for instance. I have seen some surprises, too. Our son is involved in spin classes, which is something I never thought he would be interested in. He has also had a go at debating, which was also unexpected. From crafts to karate, there are so many other activities that I do not think they would choose on their own, but they have had an opportunity to experience these things at Wellington.

Cultivating a positive attitude towards learning

Our children have learned that you can work hard and play hard. They get stretched in their studies, but it is done in a way that is achievable and they can see why. They are developing a positive attitude towards learning, and by learning, I do not just mean studying texts and maths and things like that. I am also talking about having new experiences, trying new things. They are also learning that their wellbeing is important. How they handle situations, how they interact with others, these are things that we should strive for even as adults. To start that at such a young age is a wonderful thing.

Getting involved at the College

In my day job, I am a people manager. I help individuals and teams succeed, and I think if you have a place where there are common values and the right leadership and guiding principles are in place, success will happen. What I do in my career is very similar to what I see happening here in terms of helping individual children, classes and houses to succeed. But I am also interested in learning more about how that works here. There are things we can learn in schools from the workplace and there are things we learn in the workplace from schools. This is why I joined Wellington's academic subcommittee. I hope I can contribute by bringing a different perspective, and I hope I can help move ideas forward.

Being part of a vibrant community

The Wellington community is just so vibrant. There is always so much going on. Your children come home from school every day, and they have stories to tell, or they wake up in the morning, looking forward to what they will be doing at school that day. There are dates in the diary for performances and events. I think all of that is just so inspiring. It is also a very progressive place. They are always trying to improve things, whether it is the curriculum or the school environment. I think that is important.