It's that time of year again. The Christmas bells are ringing, and the market is about to start. With the sun bringing some relief from the winter cold, every inch of our campus is filled with a festive atmosphere. Strolling across the grounds, you feel the Christmas spirit all around you, and experience many magical moments.

Whenever one of our Pre-Prep students encounters a classmate, they call out their name, immediately followed by a burst of laughter. Such is the pure excitement of children at that age. At the King's Christmas Concert, our students aged 2-6 put on a remarkable performance for their audience, full of innocence and enthusiasm. Bouncing around on stage, their every step displayed the boundless energy of childhood.

King's Pre-Prep Christmas Concert

The youngest learners in the whole school, our PreK pupils (the Rabbit class) formed a neat line and walked onto the stage, where they sang “Hello, Reindeer”, melting everyone's hearts with their cuteness. They were followed by K11 (the Panda class), who had transformed themselves into little Christmas trees. Dancing to the rhythm of the music, they put on a memorable performance of “I'm the Happiest Christmas Tree”. 

K12 (the Deer class) was likewise dressed to impress, brimming with excitement during their rendition of “This Little Light of Mine”. Leaping across the stage, they resembled the agile deer for which their class is named. To the tune of the music, they injected an even greater sense of warmth and positivity into the room. K13 (the Hedgehog class) gave a vivid interpretation of the song “Snowflake” as a tribute to the theme of the concert: “We are all like snowflakes, all different in our own beautiful way!”

As K2 took to the stage, the excitement level in the room rose another notch. The students of K21 (the Owl class) had all dressed up as little Santa Clauses, and creatively brought across their message that “It's Christmas Time”, to great applause from the audience. K22 (the Fox class) sparkled with their rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, filling the stage with laughter and song. 

As some of the oldest children at King's Pre-Prep, the Badgers of K31 treated those in attendance to a delightful dance routine, set to the tune of that Christmas classic, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Last but not least were the students of K32 (the Eagle class), who danced fearlessly, performing “All I Want for Christmas is You” with sincerity and determination in equal measure!

Finally, all of the children and teachers of King's Pre-Prep crowded onto the stage for one final act. The excitement on stage had ignited the excitement of the audience, and every voice present joined in to convey a heartfelt message of celebration from all at King's: “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”!

The King's Prep and Senior Christmas celebrations began with a Christmas meal. Delicious turkey, tasty hot chocolate, scrumptious gingerbread, wherever you looked you would find the flavours of Christmas.

This year's Prep and Senior Christmas celebrations were truly splendid. From the school choir to the Senior band, from the ten market stalls to the fully-English Christmas play put on by Grade 1-3, from the outdoor games to the indoor House activities, the day was all about sharing happiness with each other. In a scene straight from a fairy tale, we celebrated the joys of winter together.

King's Christmas activity highlights

Among the dizzying array of items on sale, several market stalls stood out, because their proprietors were our own G2 students. In manning these creatively-planned stalls, the students were tasked with being purchasing experts, being skilled salespeople, and having a keen eye for profit all at once. The little shopkeepers deployed tactics like “buy one get one free”, and “buy several and get a free gift bag” to boost sales. Seeing a commercial mindset ignited in their child brought a smile to many a parent's face that day.

The school's Christmas market was not just about having fun. At least as important was the money we raised for charity. As one parent remarked, “at this market I have no use for cash, because the only currency accepted here is the King's Quid.” Each parent who donated fifty rmb to the charity Captivating received ten King's Quid in return for the market. This innovative currency system was not only designed to make the event more interesting, but was also rooted in the charitable aspirations of the King's School community. 

With freshly-minted King's Quid in hand, our students and parents were free to enjoy the Christmas market to their heart's content. Crowds gathered in front of the games stalls, unable to contain their excitement at the thought of playing such thrilling games. The various games involving footballs, baseballs, and cornhole bags added joy and energy to the atmosphere of the day.

Our students turned our main courtyard into a stage for their musical performances, making for a unique winter concert for all present. Our Senior School students radiated confidence despite the gusts of cold wind, strumming and blowing and singing in unison. With a mix of musical skill and sheer enthusiasm, they made a winter's day feel like a spring scene.

Our prep students likewise expressed their seasonal wishes in song. Each sparkling like the star on top of a Christmas tree, their singing formed another magical moment to mark their time at King's. 

In addition to their choral performance, Grades 1 through 3 also impressed with their fully-English Christmas play. They vividly portrayed the rich scenes of a winter forest, falling leaves giving way to migrating birds, followed by snowflakes drifting through the air, all the elements of a colourful winter's day coming together to loudly announce: winter time is here!

Behind each activity there is a team of hardworking people. From the front desk to behind the scenes, parents and teachers were helping out, working together to achieve our joint goal of creating an unforgettable experience for our children. In fact, as some of you may know (at least, you think you know), Santa Claus is not actually real. Every present and every surprise comes from someone who loves you very much. In the spirit of Christmas, let us feel the deep sense of camaraderie that unites all of us, and cherish these moments brought to us by our love for one another.