The British School of Beijing, Shunyi Celebrates the Opening of Impressive New Sports Dome
BEIJING, October 25, 2014 – Students, teachers, parents and friends of The British School of Beijing in Shunyi today celebrated the official opening of the school’s impressive new sports dome with a morning of activities and sports tournaments.
Measuring 66 metres by 19 metres, the dome covers the school’s external basketball courts and can house several activities at the same time. It features a powerful air handling and filtration system and is fully temperature controlled to create a safe and spacious play space for students all year round.
The dome was officially opened by Laura Ferrer Del Pra (Year 10) & Kirsty Macleod (Year 11), Captains of the school’s Netball teams, in a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by parents and guests from embassies and the world of business. Guests then enjoyed a tour of the dome and school, and saw the great addition the dome makes to BSB’s already extensive sports facilities.
Andy Puttock, Principal of The British School of Beijing, Shunyi, said, “We are delighted that the dome has come to fruition, meaning that students can now play in safe, healthy air, whatever the conditions outside. As parents, we want our children to learn well and be happy at school, but their safety is the number one priority for all of us. Our thanks go to Nord Anglia Education for the investment, but also to all the teachers, students and parents who have helped to make this fantastic facility a reality”
Year 2 & 3 students put together drawings & write ups about why they love the dome including, “because the dome has fresh air; because we have a place to play when the school has indoor play”. The students also love the double air lock doors when entering and exiting the dome.
Special guests at the event included Linda Minsker (Foreign Commercial Service Officer, Embassy of the United States), Simone Mulder (Community Liaison Officer, Embassy of The Netherlands), Muhammad (Embassy of Nigeria), Captain Giovanni Marra (Deputy GM Flight Operations Department & Trusted Advisor to the Board of Hainan Airlines Group), Simon Warwick (Chairman of the Parent’s Association) and Hu Jin Long (Director of Sport, New Talent Academy).
The dome has been specifically equipped for a wide variety of sports including football, badminton, basketball, handball and volleyball, and is already fully used in the curriculum and in the wide-ranging After School Activity Programme.