On October 25, The British School of Beijing in Shunyi opened their inaugural sports dome, a pressurized canopy that holds indoor fields so children can “play outside” without actually having to breathe polluted air.
A morning of sports, a speech by school principal Andy Puttock and tour of the new dome all celebrated the new facility.
“We are delighted that the dome has come to fruition, meaning that students can now play in safe, healthy air, whatever the conditions outside,” Puttock said. “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.”
The dome covers the school’s external basketball courts and is big enough so multiple games of football, badminton, handball and volleyball can be played at once. It features a powerful air handling and filtration system and is fully temperature controlled. It is apparently already being used in the curriculum in the after school activity program.
Artwork by Grade 2 and 3 students was showcased at the opening, and the kids wrote about reasons they love the dome. Answers included “because the dome has fresh air; because we have to play when the school has indoor play.”
