Head of Secondary Message Congratulations to all Secondary students, their teachers and support staff on a successful and yet challenging 2019. Whilst disruptions in Hong Kong during the second half of the year meant that many assumed routines were adjusted, both students and staff persevered and continued to provide a safe and supportive learning environment at AISHK. The Class of 2019 public examination results were outstanding and brought a great sense of reward to those students. 91% of the graduates achieved an ATAR above 70 and half of those students had an ATAR ranking above 90. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) students had an average of 36 points and 70% of New South Wales Higher School Certificate (NSW HSC) students scored in the top two bands (5 or 6) in at least one subject. 59% of HSC students were listed in the NSW Distinguished Achievers List, and the school ranked 52nd in the state of NSW. The graduates have embarked on their tertiary pathways to more than 18 universities across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Hong Kong and Canada. Further details regarding the academic results of the Class of 2019 are included later in this publication. The student leadership by prefects of clubs and activities kept the programmes active and promoted school improvement and success. The Student Representative Council (SRC) also sought to better engage the students through its membership and class participation. A highlight of their work was a closer collaboration with the Primary SRC, which included a shared leadership of and participation in Jump Jam events. The SRC has also been very supportive of service learning work undertaken across the School. The prefects, lead by School Captains, Pamela Murphy and Temana Short, and Vice Captains Iris Yuan and Sahil Mahbubani, contributed to student life in significant ways exhibiting a broad range of skills and social behaviours. Community Service continued successfully in 2019 with excellent leadership from the YES Club and a connective
Mr Howard West Head of Secondary
involvement of our Primary SRC in some of the activities. The Service Expo in September brought over a dozen NGOs into the school to help students explore service learning opportunities and the evolution of service entrepreneurship at AISHK. The student learning programmes for Years 7 to 10 and the senior HSC and IB courses continued to keep students busy and prosper their success throughout the year. With over 300 Merit Certificates given to students who achieved outstanding effort grades, from the reporting cycle each semester, the commitment to effort is recognisable as a hallmark of student engagement in their learning. Many thanks and gratitude go to the staff for their untiring efforts in supporting the meaningful learning of the students and working to aid their success. The Heads of Year and Heads of Departments have shown great reserves of energy and commitment in their leadership work with both students and teachers. We sadly mourned the sudden death of our much-adored Art Teacher Ms Amanda Sze in November. Her very brief battle with cancer was shocking, but her loving family and her loyal friends were by her side for the duration of her illness. The departing Secondary teachers are to be thanked for their valued contribution to AISHK, in some cases over many years of service: Ms Nicole Voss, Mr Drew Skellern, Mr Joe Wilson, Ms Meg Rowe, Mr Robert White and Mrs Nikelle Gordon, and PE assistant Mr Nathan Boon. Their collegiality, engagement and friendship are wellremembered and much-missed. After 24 years of service to AISHK, we celebrated the retirement of Mr Chris McCorkell, who as a teacher, year level leader, IB Coordinator and Dean of Studies, has made an enormous contribution to the school, including the writing and setting to music of the school song ‘Flame of Australia’ in 1997. Thank you to all for a successful 2019 school year and I look forward to seeing you all in 2020.
13
