Dragons have a blast at the ISB Gala

By Nick Yates, ISB Communications

Around 450 members of the International School of Beijing (ISB) community enjoyed an unforgettable evening together at the ISB Gala on Saturday. Parents, faculty and staff, ISB alumni, and friends came together for performances, raffle draws, and a silent auction at an event that celebrated and strengthened the relationships that are so important to ISB.

The Gala supported one of ISB’s strategic priorities – ensuring lifelong peer relationships across national, linguistic, and cultural lines among students and the school’s inclusive wider community. Worldwide, the past few years provided challenges for us all and for the cohesiveness of all kinds of groups of people. For everyone involved with ISB, Saturday was a time to reconnect, renew commitment to personal bonds and friendship, and to support challenging and joyful learning at its best.

From the early planning of this event, ISB families and members of the wider community showed great readiness to support the school. ISB parents were on the organizing committee, tickets sold out swiftly, and there was a great response to calls for sponsorship of the Gala. In particular, the organizers would like to thank diamond sponsors CP Group and VK Group and platinum sponsors Thaiwoo Ski Resort, Arrail Dental, Yuan Yi Beauty Care, Skywalkers Basketball, and the Sun and Ho families.

For the benefit of students now and in years to come, all proceeds from the Gala will support ISB’s Student Empowerment Fund, which provides grants for student special projects. 

The Gala really showcased the “Dragon Spirit” found among the school’s community. This is the term used at ISB to sum up what it means to be a member of this group of people, the values and resilience of character that define all those who come to campus every day or have an association with the school. It is named for ISB’s emblem and mascot, the Dragon.

ISB last held a special Gala like this in the 2015-2016 academic year, to mark the school’s 35th anniversary. Based on strategic priorities around relationships and internationalism, ISB holds regular community-boosting events, from International Day to Chinese New Year celebrations to the annual ISB Spring Fair to workshops and coffee mornings for parents.

Guests came from far and wide to attend the Gala. Many had connections to ISB stretching back a long way, notably two ISB alumni from the school’s first ever graduating class, back in 1993.

Jerry Oldfield is ISB’s Director of Advancement and led the organization of the Gala. “It was great to see such a wide range of friends of ISB on Saturday night,” Ms. Oldfield said. “The relationships that this event helped to consolidate mean such a lot to us as ISB is more than a school – it’s a community. Our families, alumni, staff, and other guests at the Gala were really able to appreciate some of our shared values like global citizenship, service, a culture of high expectations and high support, and challenging and joyful learning for our students. We look forward to plenty more opportunities to get together and further strengthen our school and community.”

“What an amazing school and community ISB is,” added Mathias Boyer, an alumni from the Class of 2002, at the Gala. “A big congratulations to those involved in organizing the biggest and most impressive ISB event I have ever joined. The Dragon Spirit is strong!”

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