At the end of each academic year,
Harrow Beijing celebrates an important event:
Harrow Speech Day.
As a long-standing tradition, on this day, teachers and students gather in the auditorium to reflect on the progress and achievements of the 2023-2024 academic year, and to celebrate the accomplishments of students in academics, sports, arts, and leadership activities over the past year.
The students of Harrow Beijing receive honors and awards from the headmaster, summarizing their past achievements and serving as motivation to continue striving in the new academic year.
On the Speech Day, Harrow Beijing students also showcased their musical talents on stage. Through beautiful instrumental performances and musical displays, teachers and parents together witnessed the confident growth of the students.
Guided by the philosophy of holistic education, Harrow Beijing is dedicated to cultivating students into unique individuals who excel academically and develop comprehensively. Through a diverse and international academic curriculum and a rich array of extracurricular activities, the school strives to ensure that every student achieves balanced development in knowledge, character, physical fitness, social skills, arts, and social responsibility.
On the Speech Days, Ms Sarah Davey, Head of Lower School, and Ms Shellie Gibbons, Head of Upper School, delivered speeches:
Head of Lower School
Ms Sarah Davey
This year, you the students have gone above and beyond in all that you do. You have worked together in our community as classmates, talk partners and friends, demonstrating your leadership and kindness. There have been countless opportunities for you to develop your skills, knowledge and passions. Our Lower School Community is a thriving one where the opportunities for our students are endless.
Each and every student in Lower School has their own unique talents and skills. You are all different, and we are all special in our own unique ways. I am always amazed by your thirst for knowledge, your curious questions and your ability to see things from different perspectives. Celebrating our diversity is one of our defining characteristics at Harrow Beijing!
Today we celebrate the high attainment and achievements of our prize winners. Congratulations to all of our prize winners for your consistent effort and dedication to school life, and for being role models within our community. You should all be very proud of your achievement.
When we talk about achievement it’s easy to assume that some things come easy to people, that we either good at something or we are not. We call this a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is when you believe your intelligence or talents are fixed and that they cannot grow.
But this is simply not the case. Persistence, practice, hard-work, effort and determination are the keys to success. Having a Growth mindset means knowing that our intelligence and talents can be developed through embracing challenge, persisting in the face of setbacks, seeing effort as the path to success, learning from criticism and finding lessons and inspiration in others achievements.
With confidence and a positive mindset, I believe you can all be successful at whatever you put your mind to. I am extremely proud of the progress you have all made this academic year, and look forward to seeing you shine next year!
Head of Upper School
Ms Shellie Gibbons
Today’s ceremony celebrates our students’ achievements and recognises their hard work and dedication. I am immensely proud of the award winners today. Your commitment and perseverance have brought you here, and you truly deserve this recognition.
While we should celebrate the achievements of our students here today, it is also important to remember that winning awards or being the best is only one part of school life. Success is not solely measured by the number of trophies or certificates you accumulate. As we celebrate your achievements, let us also remember the importance of kindness and treating people with dignity. Our Harrow values of Honour, Courage, Humility, and Fellowship should guide our actions every day. Honour the truth, have the courage to stand up for what is right, show humility in success, and always foster a sense of fellowship with your peers. These values will not only help you succeed in school but will also shape you into the kind of person who can make a positive impact on the world.
Once again congratualtions to the award winners today, let us also remember to value the qualities of resilience, determination, and a well-rounded character. Each and every one of you has something remarkable to offer the world. Strive to be the best version of yourself, and success will follow.
