Harrow Beijing

The Harrow Advanced Performer concert at the Steinway Concert Hall in Beijing was held on 16th of April. We were very proud to present our accomplished musicians, performing great masterpieces by Chopin, Piazzolla, Schumann, Enescu and V. Monti. The evening was particularly special as it was a celebration of Jerry Z’s A-Level Music performance and an opportunity to highlight our talented Harrow Beijing musicians. We would like to congratulate Jerry Z, George S, Sophia L, Linn L and Muqi Y on their outstanding performances at the concert. Mrs Richards, Music teacher at Harrow Beijing said: 'Many people mistakenly think to play an instrument at such a high level is just a talent or a gift, and it is easy for talented or gifted musicians to play the piano or any other instrument. But we all know that it is not just about talent… more important is hard work, hours and hours, weeks and weeks, months and months and many years of constant practice and dedication. Musical performance is a great skill, and I hope all our students, even if they don’t choose to become professional musicians, can transfer the many skills and values acquired in musical performance to every aspect of their lives.' It is our wish to hold this concert annually, and we would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the Steinway Hall for providing us with this wonderful venue and supporting our young musicians.

To celebrate Harrow’s 450th Anniversary, the whole school recently undertook a series of activities united by the theme of Service. Students were inspired to actively connect themselves closely with the wider community and give back to society through what they learned. Contributing to community has always been one of the key features of a Harrow Beijing education and indeed that of Harrow London. The school provides students with a wide range of opportunities inside and outside school to help them develop their social skills. We hope our students contribute to and ultimately lead a better world supported by our core values of courage, honour, humility and fellowship.

In late January, five of our Year 12 students participated in the UK Chemistry Olympiad, a high-level competition that tests students on their chemistry knowledge and reasoning skills at post A-Level difficulty. Simon W, our Year 13 student who achieved a Gold Certificate in last year’s competition, and who is set to begin his Chemistry studies at Oxford University next year, ran a student led LSA to prepare this year’s participants for the competition. 8,668 students globally from 750 schools took part. All of our entrants achieved an award certificate. Linda L – Gold Hudson Z – Silver Vovo N – Bronze Fred J – Bronze Devin L – Bronze Linda’s score ranked her at 13th place overall globally! Congratulations to all five participants and also thank you to Simon for doing an excellent job in preparing them so effectively. We provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge and explore beyond the curriculum. 'These kinds of competition offer students the opportunity to push themselves beyond the curriculum and allow them to both demonstrate enhanced knowledge and paint a picture of students that have grit and determination.  I encourage more students to take up these opportunities when they arise,' Head of Chemistry Mr Mawson said.

Harrow Beijing Lower School students were excited to have their first House Music competition in three years on 1 April. It was a very exciting and rewarding day!         The theme of this year was 'Perseverance'. It was wonderful to see this quality of our school community being celebrated in such an enthusiastic manner. The Houses were all accompanied by a live band consisting of staff and students and it was great to see our Upper School students involved as both audience members and musicians. The winners on the day were Curie with their version of 'The Greatest' but the excitement from both audience and participants was evident in all the performances. Congratulations to Curie and well done to all the staff and students who contributed to such a wonderful event!

Recently, Harrow Beijing held its annual Harrow Ducker, in which all the teachers and students stepped outdoors to enjoy the warmth and vitality of a beautiful Spring day. In accordance with the 450th anniversary and as a historic tradition that originated from Harrow London, Harrow Beijing has adopted this event and adapted it to our setting whilst still honoring our schools heritage. The running race allows teachers and students to join hands to welcome challenges, strengthen their physical health and willpower while on the run. Congratulations to all the participants as we look forward to many more Harrow Duckers!

After over 6 months of hard work in rehearsals, this year’s Upper School Production of ‘Annie’ was performed last week. The students and Performing Arts staff have been working relentlessly since the beginning of the academic year to produce the musical and what a hit it was! Annie follows the story of an orphan from New York City who is taken in by a wealthy billionaire businessman Mr Oliver Warbucks. They go on a journey to find Annie’s birth parents, a journey filled with twists and turns. The talent showcased within the production was outstanding. Year 8 Tiantian X played the role of Annie. Her delicate singing voice stirred the heart as she sung the iconic songs 'Maybe' and 'Tomorrow'. Year 9 Lamont C as Oliver  Warbucks supported her performance excellently and allowed for a lovely energy between the two on stage. This was counteracted by the wonderfully loud and brash performance from Noor D B who played Miss Hannigan, Annie's nasty orphanage manager. Each and every performer shone on the stage with a highlight being the iconic ‘Hard Knock Life’ singing and dance scene. As with all productions, there was not just hard work performed on stage by the cast. They were supported by an equally talented showband. Led by Mr Russell Grant, and consisting of a mixture of students and staff, they pulled out a show-stopping performance. Backstage, a team of students worked relentlessly to perform expertly planned set changes, being supported by an array of staff including Mr Thomas Minns, Ms Sana Shaikh, Ms Leanne Kingston, and Mr Daniel Maloney. Their maneuvering of the fantastic moveable set flats, which were designed and built by students, was well timed and planned. The marketing for the event was also taken on by a team of students led by Mrs Danielle Byrne who had been planning their advertising campaign and merchandise sales since September. Students and staff have been able to purchase Annie water bottles, necklaces and T-shirts to keep as a memento of the event with all profits going to ‘Bread of Life’ charity. Overall, the event was a wonderfully collaborative event which brought the whole school community together after nearly 3 years with no large-scale performances. Mrs Shaunna Minns, who directed the show said, ‘Being able to finally perform such a big showcase was a wonderful achievement and a great opportunity for the students. Each and every student and member of staff involved with the production should be immensely proud of what they have achieved.’  

From 9 to 12 May, Lower School Personal Development Week activities were in full swing! Pickling and planting, STEAM themed activities, water sports, painting, orienteering, archery......, There were a lot of ways to learn through onsite and offsite activities at Harrow Beijing! Let's take a look at the wonderful PD Week at Harrow Beijing Lower School! Year 2 Year 2 students making their own STEAM themed game parks Exploring the fascinating world of Science and Technology through robotics,  lego car and soap making DIY chocolate lollipops Year 3 & 4 Painting Opera Masks and playing Go Games to experience traditional Chinese Culture Learning to make sushi, pizza and becoming a gourmet for a day Year 5 Experiencing archery, action training, and Caribbean art Lower School students from all year groups also enjoyed a variety of sports and aquatics activities, to inject full vitality into campus life! Ms. Sarah Davey-Head of Lower School : ‘Our PD week activities have challenged our students to try something new, work with their peers and to demonstrate their broad subject knowledge in differing contexts. There were many creative opportunities as well as fun to be had during the week. Staff were so impressed with the confidence and can-do attitudes displayed by the students during the week and the staff enjoyed joining in on the activities with the students. It’s a hugely beneficial week for the students where they are able to learn outside the classroom by linking their learning to real world experiences.