On Monday, May 11, WAB will take its latest step toward a full re-opening of campus, as we welcome our Grade 8 students back to the Middle School.

Having implemented similar safety protocols and procedures as in the High School’s opening in April, more than 80 Middle School staff in Beijing will be tested to be sure they do not have COVID-19 and then will be on campus when students arrive for their first day.

You can scroll down to see a detailed visual explanation of preparations and procedures for returning to our Middle School campus on Monday.

"We are so proud of all of the work our staff has done to prepare the Middle School for the return of our Grade 8 students,” WAB’s Head of Risk Management & Student Services Todd Hutchinson said. “Our teams have worked closely with authorities to ensure we are following all health protocols. We have created safe, functional, engaging learning spaces for our students, and we are all looking forward to continuing to welcome more members of our community back on campus soon."

The comprehensive safety protocols in place may be a bit jarring when our students and teachers first return to campus. As the Middle School Principal team said in their communications to parents this week, it's no secret that things are not yet completely back to normal. However, spring time has brought life and color to the WAB campus we all know.

“I visited campus recently and was deeply touched by the careful and warm preparations made to re-open,” Middle School Vice Principal Huiman Cheng said. “I am sure students will feel in some sense like they are returning home after a long break. We are all entering an exciting new stage of learning with anticipation and appreciation.”  

Physical activities and games have been set up outside on Tiger Field and in the Tiger L'Air sports dome. Students will have the opportunity to use these and other school facilities, like the library, to interact with each other and their teachers.

Unlike the Grade 12s who returned to campus having already finished their academic requirements for graduation, the Grade 8 learning community will carry out the rest of the school year with a blended approach that will be suitable for both in-person and online learning.

Looking ahead, WAB will continue to work closely with all relevant education and health authorities to ensure a safe and healthy campus for our community.

To learn more about how WAB has managed the transition to online learning -- and now our return back to school -- visit WAB's Online Learning & COVID-19 page.