Nine WBHS students represented School at the 2016 World Leading Schools Association (WLSA) Student Conference in Shanghai. The theme of the conference was Sustainability. The conference was held at the Qingpu campus of the High School Affiliated to Fudan University.
The Grade 10 delegation comprising David Weber, Matthew Visser, Asakhe Fakude, Tom Earle and Jarrod Staples was honoured by being asked to conduct the opening presentation. Each speaker focused on different aspects of Mindset, the role of future leaders to be aware of their own mindsets and those of others, and the need to develop and grow different mindsets – two opposing mindsets can both be right. Their most accomplished and well-coordinated presentation received much acclaim from the international audience of 280 representatives from the world’s leading schools and set the appropriate tone for the conference.
The Grade 11 delegation comprising Mason du Plessis, Dillon Taljaard, Warren Ronald and Rorke Lilford used their opportunity to launch the WBHS OnRamp portal at the conference. This online portal is aimed at developing awareness of interpersonal and leadership skills which are vital to the sustainability of successful future careers. They were also required to deliver the keynote presentation to conclude the conference. Their topic was Emotional Intelligence and Teamwork.
The WLSA conference provided the Westville boys with an opportunity to rub shoulders with students from across the globe both in the formal sessions and in the social and Basketball and Soccer activities. Thereafter the boys spent two days in Beijing and one day in Hong Kong before returning home. Highlights included the bullet train journey from Shanghai to Beijing, the arduous climb and descent of the Great Wall of China, and visits to the Forbidden Palace, Tiananmen Square and Victoria Peak on Hong Kong island.