Four Houses, One Dragon Spirit
The new school year began with a roar as Dulwich International High School Programme Suzhou held its Dragon Spirit Rally, bringing students and staff from all four Houses together on campus.
New teachers and students were welcomed into their Houses, while the rally launched a year of activities, competitions and opportunities to contribute, lead and connect across the DHSZ community.
A Dragon Dance to Bring the Houses Together
The rally opened with an energetic dragon dance as the four Houses made their entrance. Dragons representing Turing, Mandela, Curie and Soong swept through the venue to cheers from students and staff, filling the space with colour, movement and House pride.
More than a performance, the dragon dance reflected the strength, courage and vitality at the heart of Dragon Spirit, bringing the community together at the start of a new year of House life.
"At DHSZ, every new school year begins with energy, color, and the awakening of the DHSZ Dragon. The Dragon Spirit Rally welcomes our new Year 10 students and new teachers into the school community and marks the beginning of their journey as members of one of our four houses. Students are not the only new members joining the Houses. At the Rally, students will also meet new teachers from their Houses. Every House brings together people from different year groups, subjects and backgrounds. The Dragon Spirit Rally is the first step into a House community that will support, challenge and celebrate them throughout their time at DHSZ. It provides opportunities for students to grow and learn, in terms of personality, morality, creativity, knowledge and skills."
Tony Winton
Head of Learning Beyond the Classroom
From the opening rally to activities throughout the year, the House system is an important part of life at DHSZ. Through shared experiences and challenges, students build new connections, explore their interests, develop their strengths and contribute to the life of their House.
More Than a House: A Place to Belong
For students at Dulwich International High School Programme Suzhou, House membership is an important part of school life and belonging. Every student and staff member joins one of four Houses: Curie, Soong, Mandela or Turing, remaining part of that House throughout their time at DHSZ.
At the Dragon Spirit Rally, the four Houses were introduced by their House Captains, who shared a few words about themselves and their Houses. New teachers were also welcomed into their assigned Houses, marking the beginning of their own involvement in House life.
"In Dulwich, the House System is similar to the one from Hogwarts from Harry Potter. When you join us, you will be allocated into one of the four Houses: Curie, Mandela, Soong, and Turing. Your House becomes a community you remain part of throughout your time at Dulwich."
Annie Z, House Captain of Turing
"Being part of a House helps you connect with students and teachers from across the school. It gives you a team to support, a community to belong to, and opportunities to take part in school life beyond the classroom."
Hassen W, House Captain of Soong
These connections across classes and year groups give students a broader sense of belonging at school, making their House a constant part of their journey at Dulwich.
House Life Beyond the Playing Field
House life at DHSZ reaches far beyond the sports field. Throughout the year, students can take part in activities ranging from art, science, mathematics and coding to public speaking, cooking, sport and other creative and cultural challenges.
This variety gives every student a way to contribute. Some may represent their House on Sports Day, while others perform, debate, solve problems, create, cook or compete in academic challenges. Different strengths are recognised, and participation is not limited to one type of student.
In this way, the House system supports a broader education beyond the classroom. Students have opportunities to explore new interests, develop existing talents and discover where they can make a contribution.
Just as importantly, House activities help students build confidence, work with others and respond positively to challenge. Whether they are competing, creating or collaborating, students learn that individual strengths can become something more powerful when they contribute to a team.
Leading, Connecting and Belonging
The value of House life can also be seen in the way students take an active role in shaping their community. The day before the Dragon Spirit Rally, the four Houses held welcome activities for their new members. Year 13 students took the lead in welcoming new students, using games, team activities and opportunities to connect to help them meet House members, discover what makes their House unique and settle into their new school community.
Students took an active role in leading the activities. As senior students guided and supported the new students, they took on responsibility and demonstrated leadership through their actions. For new students, this was their first step towards getting to know their House and the beginning of building confidence and connections.
The House system gives students meaningful opportunities to develop leadership through experience. Leadership is not simply about holding a title. It is about taking responsibility, supporting others and contributing positively to the community around you.
Competition with Purpose
Alongside the wide range of House activities, the annual House points system gives all four Houses a shared goal. Every activity throughout the year offers an opportunity to earn points for a House, with all points tallied at the end of the academic year to determine the winner of the House Cup.
On the day of Induction Games, the Houses took part in fun interactive games, including ribbon-rolling and hula hoop passing. Laughter filled the venue as students worked together towards a shared goal. These activities were a preview of the annual House points system.
"Throughout the year, we have plenty of activities, including sports, for example the sports day, and some art competitions, or things like lifestyles, like cooking. For me I was a keeper and we came through the second place in the football competition."
Jason C, House Captain of Mandela
For the House Captains, however, the competition means far more than the final rankings.
"Each competition earns points towards the House Cup, which is awarded at the end of the school year. Everyone makes efforts to win as many points as possible for our team. For example, our house won many first and second places such as the house cooking competition and house football, so we finally won the House Cup. But House spirit is about more than winning. It is about teamwork, participation, and encouraging one another to take on new challenges."
Hannah Z, House Captain from Curie
Dragon Spirit: Courage, Growth and Contribution
As the year unfolds, students will have many more opportunities to represent their Houses, take part in competitions and contribute to House life. At the heart of these experiences is Dragon Spirit: strength, courage, resilience and the confidence to keep growing.
Dragon Spirit is built through action. It can mean stepping forward to lead, joining a team, supporting others, competing with determination or simply having the courage to try something new. In each of these moments, students learn more about themselves and what they can contribute.
The House system gives students a place to develop these qualities over time. Through cross year connections, varied activities and shared challenges, they build a stronger sense of belonging, discover new interests, develop perseverance and grow in confidence. Just as importantly, they learn that their individual strengths can make a meaningful difference to the community around them.