AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HONG KONG
TERM 2 2016 | VOLUME 19
The Sound of Music
A closer look at this year’s musical extravaganza
Write about it
Authors make special visits to AISHK Page 6
Time to Make a Change AISMUN and its mission to change the World Page 18
Fashion Forward
Seams of a New Era breaks down individual walls Page 16
Contact Sue Stevens: +61 432 705 815
Message from the Head of School Over the Summer break, my wife and I travelled to Australia and thoroughly enjoyed the three Alumni events held in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. We took the opportunity to also visit two schools with similar profiles to us and of course to spend time with our family and friends in Victoria.
appreciate completing (in most cases) their secondary education at AISHK (their school) and spoke about their ambitions to travel, to work around the world and to pursue their dreams and ambitions with zest and enthusiasm. It is often said that the mark of a successful person is to hold true to their values in attitude, manner and action, The Alumni events were in many ways the demonstrating character and personality, best I have attended in over 17 years of and to be both interesting and interested. “Internationalism is the new being a Head of School. Not only were That was certainly the case with these multiculturalism. How we deal they well patronized by past students, impressive young people, who exhibited with each other isn’t sufficient past parents, past and current staff and respect, poise, humour and humility. any more. It’s about how we Board member, they were vibrant, happy interact with the rest of the and engaging. It was clearly evident that As we enter a phase of 10-year reunions world we live in” everyone valued their experiences at, and being celebrated, we aim to highlight David Henry Hwang connections with, AISHK. As for me, I am the achievements and journeys of our pleased to say that our alumni are well alumni in our Lion Rock section - ‘Where and truly on life’s exciting journey; continuing their lifelong Are They Now?’. We have invited Alumni to tell us their learning, enjoying their work and flourishing, and happy in stories, send us photos of their weddings, and inform us of their family lives. We were thrilled and delighted to meet births, engagements, work appointments, graduations and past Head of School, Mrs Christine Neilsen and her husband more. We look forward to learning the achievements of our Mr Barney Neilsen and to fittingly honour their presence celebrated Alumni in the coming editions. and service to AISHK. My thanks to our Alumni team at AISHK for expertly Visiting many classes in the last week of last term, I asked organising and convening the Australia Alumni events. students to raise their hands and share with me their imminent vacation plans. Most were heading offshore. This Have a fabulous term break, and I look forward to seeing is normal for them. I reminded those who were staying in you all for an active Term 4 at The Australian International Hong Kong that children around the globe would be envious School Hong Kong; our school. of them living in one of the world’s great cities. Many sentiments from our Alumni in Australia struck the same chord. These young adults regard themselves as international citizens. The returning Australians indicated that, although they were Australians (their passports said so), their hearts were very much in Hong Kong! However for now, they are revelling being in Australia. They still
Bruce Simons Head of School
Contents
“Students seeing their classmates performing with them in a team environment, doing their best, whatever the level, allows for a different perspective and attitude than that formed in a classroom or playground”
SECTIONS 2
Upcoming Events
3
AISHK in Action
5
Around AISHK
20
Sports Bulletin
FEATURES 4
Alumni Q&A
Alumni Matt Waugh and his quest to fix everything 6
Author Visits
Authors paid special visits to students 10
Mothers Day
A special event for the special lady in everyone’s lives 11
11 | The Sound of Music
6 | Author Visits
The Sound of Music
Re-live the stage magic of this year’s musical production 16
A New Era for Fashion
Bold looks and stunning styles in the name of charity 17
Pushing for a Better Future
AISMUN is back, bigger and better than ever
17 | AISMUN commences
2 | Upcoming Events 7 | Around AISHK
20 | Sports Bulletin
Board Members Mr Tom Corkhill Board Chairman and Founding Governor Dr Dan Hooley School Supervisor, Immediate Past Chairman and Governor Professor Richard Petty Governor Dr Joseph Lee Governor Mr Andrew Macintosh Governor Mr Ian Whitton Governor Mr Gautam Dev Governor Mr Andrew Steadson Governor Ms Janaline Oh Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Consulate Hong Kong Mr Cliff K Sun Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Chinese Association of Hong Kong Mr Stephen Yap Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Chinese Association of Hong Kong Ms Carolyn Bickerton Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Association of Hong Kong Mr David Chan Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Federation of Australian Alumni Associations Ms Lisa Milliner Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. AISHK Parent Association
Rock
THE LION
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FOUNDATION LIMITED A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HONG KONG
EDITOR’S NOTE Every two years the school musical rolls round and every two years, for a short while, the school community is immersed in a world of song and dance. The Sound of Music was a lofty ambition on paper; a well known and certainly well loved musical. The incredible reception and outcome of the production was heart-warming, especially after the staff and students involved had obviously poured their whole hearts into the event. The shows at AISHK keep getting bigger and better, without a doubt, and it has been a pleasure to be involved with and see it come together up close. As always, Term 2 was chock full of other events, many of which are covered within. For myself, as a coach, being a part of the SDRC basketball tournament hosted in Hong Kong was very satisfying. The School showed that, even with the limited sporting facility resources Hong Kong has to offer, we were again able to host a succesful tournament. As we look towards Term 3, many opportunities present for all students to get involved, representing themselves and the School. With enthusiasm and optimism, I can’t wait to see more of what AISHK can achieve as we enter the second half of 2016.
Ms Lauren Mitchell Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. AISHK Parent Association School Leadership Team
10 | AISHK About Town
Mr Bruce Simons Head of School
Alasdair Ong Editor
Mr David Christmas Business Administrator Mr David Shirley Assistant Principal, Primary Chief of Operations Mr Cameron Reed Dean of Studies, Primary
23 | Interhouse Basketball
Mr Howard West Assistant Principal, Secondary Chief of Operations
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Mr Chris McCorkell Dean of Studies, Secondary
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT
Ms Brigitte McNamara Mr Chester Siu
PRODUCED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE FEEDBACK AND SUBMISSIONS TO
development@aishk.edu.hk
UPCOMING Events IN TERM 3 Here is what’s on for Term 3. As usual, the term is jam-packed with all sorts of events, recitals, sport competitions, the list goes on. Term 3 will see Book Week and Chinese Week take place, two of the school’s most beloved celebrations. It’s also Jacaranda’s turn to host a Mufti Day, raising money for a very good cause. We also celebrate with the Class of 2016, as they have their Senior Formal and Valedictory events. Get excited, Term 3 is just around the corner!
28.07.16 / Australian Mathematics Competition
04.08.16 / Year 8 Parent Information Night
15.08.16 / Interhouse Volleyball
25.08.16 / Primary Music 20.08.16 / Senior Formal Recitals
30.08.16 / HSC Music and Drama Night
31.08.16 / Jacaranda Mufti Day
29.08.16 / Book Week
5.09.16 / Chinese Week
19.09.16 / Valedictory Week
Alumni
Q&A
With
Matt Waugh
M
atthew Waugh finished his studies at AISHK in 2008. Since then he has travelled the world, achieved his childhood dreams (yes, plural) and now heads an exciting tech start-up. Read on to find out more about Matt, his achievements and his plans to make the world a better and safer place. Remind us a little bit about yourself - what did you do after you left AISHK? I finished at AISHK in 2008 and headed to Europe to pursue my Rugby aspirations. After two years, I started University in Sydney at UTS. From there I became National Marketing Co-ordinator for Channel 9 in Australia.
My media career took a back seat when, after making the Rugby League World Cup for the Australian Students side, I resigned to again follow my rugby dreams. We were fortunate enough to win that World Cup and were crowned World Champions 2013 in England. What are you doing when you’re not playing rugby? After the World Cup, I started with a Sports Licensing Agency and managed venues for all major Australian sport, before being head-hunted to a MNC based out of Indochina. Before I knew it I was moving abroad again to Bangkok, Thailand. I spent a year there leading an overhaul of the company’s marketing, branding and implementation of a multi-region ERP system when another opportunity presented itself. Off the beaten path again, I was selected to join Fire Rescue NSW. It had been a long held dream of mine to be a firefighter. Wow, quite the career change! What’s the life of a firefighter like? Well, that’s not quite the end of the story. So, once again back on a plane and ready to start a new journey as a fireman in Sydney, I met Sebastian, an instructor at my Firefighter College. Immediately we hit it off, and after discussing my work history and his interests, before long we knew we had shared desire to design something for the good of the community and betterment of work capability of those around us. Another fork in the career path? Pretty much! Sebastian had spent two years working on the tech development side of his project Fixit, an incredible concept that I could not wait to become a part of. Sebastian brought me on-board as a Co-Founder, and now I try and spread the Fixit story. Three months on, we have launched our start-up dream and are in the process of on-boarding clients, working alongside councils to improve the public facilities, and constantly seeking to branch ourselves into new markets and new investment opportunities. Currently still growing, we are always eager to hear from people interested to join our project. In the near future we have high hopes to see our labour of love in use in Hong Kong! Do you have any advice for those who are still chasing their dreams? There will always be room for innovation and new concepts as the world develops new markets; these ideas are timeless and invaluable. Hard work and determination is merely the vehicle you need to achieve desired outcomes. If you ever find yourself wondering if you could reach your ambitions, consider if you are ready to commit 100% to making them happen and if you still want to see it through go for it!
The Fixit app allows users to accurately identify problems and inform the right people simultaneously. Users can view or arrange solutions quickly and efficiently, the future of problem resolution is Fixit! Visit fixit.do for the download links for both the Android Play Store and Apple App Store.
The Fixit app in action
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Images of Greatness
In Week 6 of Term 2, the AISHK community was witness to the culmination of many weeks of hard work at the Year 6 Images of Greatness Exhibition. For over a month, students researched and studied what it means to be truly great. Using the character strengths they have been focusing on this year, students identified important figures who have made great contributions in their fields, to lives of other people and, in some cases, to the wider world. Icons from the worlds of sport, science, the arts and many other professions were chosen, and it was wonderful to see students sharing their new knowledge with confidence and passion.
The results of their research were displayed in a visually stunning exhibit in the Auditorium. Each exhibit comprised of facts about a chosen icon and a comprehensive analysis of the character strengths their family members possess. Many teachers and guests were surprised to discover facts and trivia about famous icons they thought they knew well. The project also involved students identifying their own character strengths. Through this process, they were able to recognise that they had many strong leadership qualities themselves.
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orld renowned children’s author Mem Fox paid a very special visit to Ms Plummer’s class in Term 2. Class 2P had penned letters to the multi-award winning writer as part of their reading and writing exercises. Unbeknownst to them, Mem Fox had been so impressed by the letters, she decided to make a detour to the School during her vacation in Hong Kong. The entire class, Ms Plummer included, was very shocked when Mrs Fox walked in the door - the entire visit had been kept a closely guarded secret by Mrs Nielsen. The class was treated to a private reading session with Mrs Fox, who shared her classic tale ‘Possum Magic’ with the students. The students were captivated by her amazing expressions and excitement. The class was also lucky enough to hear her recently released book titled ‘Nellie Belle’. Some of the students shared their writing with Mrs Fox and were also given the opportunity to ask questions to the author. Some very interesting questions were asked such as ‘Why is Scan the code to see a video about your last name Fox?’ The class felt very special indeed to have such a well loved author pay them a visit.
Mem Fox’s visit (Alternatively, visit our channel AISHKTV on YouTube)
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s part of his trip to Hong Kong, award-winning Australian novelist Nick Earls visited AISHK on Thursday 4 February.
Nick Earls writes long, short and medium-sized fiction, his works including thirteen novels and numerous shorter works. The majority of Earls’ novels are set in his home town of Brisbane, and have won awards in the UK and Australia, two of which have been adapted into feature films and five into stage plays. Conducting a range of activities including workshops with Secondary students, Nick spoke to senior students about his career in writing, his inspirations and how he develops his craft. Year 12 English Extension students were treated to a working lunch with Nick, where they had a chance to ask questions about how to further develop their creative writing skills though practice. Mr Earls has written five novellas which, when published, will form a series titled Wisdom Tree. The novellas will be published worldwide, one novella per month, from May to September 2016. The groundbreaking series has received vast media coverage and has been referred to as one of the most ambitious projects being undertaken in Australian publishing.
UQ / K aylene
Paper copies of the Wisdom Tree series can be purchased via Inkerman & Blunt. E-copies can be purchased globally via Exciting Press. Briggs
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LESTWEFORGET
The entire school community gathered on the field for our annual Anzac Day Ceremony to pay respects to those who sacrificed their lives in exchange for the freedom we cherish today. Along with our staff and student body, we were joined by representatives from the Australian, New Zealand, Turkish, and Canadian Consulate, the Australian Defence Force, and many more friends of AISHK. Anzac Day is traditionally a day where fellow Australians and New Zealanders gather to commemorate the thousands who served and died in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. However, this day has also became a day for us to honour all the men and women who had sacrificed their
lives during military operations. We were privileged to have Major Garth Fallon from the Australian Defence Forces as our guest speaker this year. School Captains Adam Gori and Ana Milliner-Parsons addressed the ceremony. The Captains also took part in the Dawn Service which was held at the Cenotaph in Central. Scan the code to see the Anzac Day address by Major Garth Fallon (Alternatively, visit our channel AISHKTV on YouTube)
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Year 5 and 6 Speech Finals You could have heard a pin drop in the Auditorium during the Year 5 and Year 6 Speech Finals. Our eight articulate, engaging and thought-provoking finalists had their audience in the palm of their hands as each and every one of them beautifully demonstrated the art of public speaking. Four finalists were chosen from each Year level to compete and present their speech to an attentive audience of students from Year 3-6, teachers and of course some very proud parents. The finalists not only presented their formal speech but were also given five minutes to prepare an impromptu speech which could be no more than one minute in duration. They made us laugh, they made us think, they captivated our attention but they also made our adjudicators make some very difficult choices! A big congratulations goes to our three winners of the Upper Primary Public Speaking Finals: First place to Bastien Buwalda (Year 6), Second place to Jasmine Wong (Year 6) and Third place to Naoise Breeze (Year 5). Well done to all finalists, you did yourselves proud! Ms Lynda Lemmon | Year 5 Teacher
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he annual Mother’s Day luncheon continues to be one of the hottest tickets on the AISHK social calendar and this year was no exception! The hip Oolaa Bar & Resturant in SoHo played host to the cocktail hour and sit-down lunch, and with tempting canapes making the rounds as well as plenty of Australian wines, there was an atmosphere of merriment all around. Oolaa was also a gorgeous backdrop for the vibrant mix of parent run pop-up stalls, turning the cocktail hour Scan the code to see the into an hour of shopping and pampering for many a Mum. Mother’s Day Video The fledgling tradition of a video dedicated to the hard-working and dedicated Mums was heart-warming and brought a few happy tears to the room. A beautiful lunch, a large selection of fantastic raffle prizes, as well as table prizes for everyone in attendance wrapped up the wonderful afternoon. All our fabulous School mothers deserved all the pampering and relaxation before the official Mother’s Day on the weekend. The raffle raised over $20,000, and proceeds will go towards enhancement of the School’s facilities and programs.
(Alternatively, visit our channel AISHKTV on YouTube)
I
t takes a dedicated team to stage a school musical production, and luckily at AISHK we have an amazing team of talented and committed staff. The process is quite a lengthy one with initial discussions taking place in August/September of the previous year. The first and most difficult decision was to decide on what show to present. In deciding on the show, the staff have to take into account the story, the music, the feasibility of staging it in the AISHK Auditorium, the abilities of the students handling the vocal and instrumental challenges of the score, as well as the dramatic and dance elements.
year and music scores and scripts are received from NYC so that over the holidays the staff can adapt scores and scripts to suit the needs of the School.
Immediately on everyone’s return from the Christmas holiday break, it is down to business with a detailed rehearsal schedule involving up to the three rehearsal times after school during each week of Term 1, a three day intensive musical preparation camp early Term 2, and full day Sunday rehearsals leading up to the production week. It is a big commitment, but an experience that every single person involved will remember for the rest of their lives, not to Once a decision is made, the next step is to secure the mention the powerful life skills each student develops along performance license for the show which usually means the way. dealing with a New York based company. Once that is in place the announcement can occur and auditions are organised. Mr Graeme Tyler | Head of Performing Arts Casting is usually finalised before the end of the previous
Featuring some of the most well known and loved songs and scenes, The Sound of Music is a classic of ďŹ lm and stage. Re-live the stage magic and sing-along with Maria and the Von Trapp Family. The Story Begins Maria wanders her beloved mountains singing and forgets about evening prayers in the Abbey. This is not the ďŹ rst time and Maria is asked to see Mother Abbess, who is not convinced that the life of a Nun is for the young postulant. Maria is sent as governess to the seven Von Trapp children under the strict eye of the Captain. The children fall in love with Maria who teaches them to sing and allows them to play and have fun, and she supports the eldest daughter Liesl with her friendship with the telegram delivery boy Rolf. Complications Happen The Baroness Frau Schraeder and Max Detweiler are guests of the Captain. Although there is a budding relationship between the Captain and the >>
Baroness, there is also growing tension between the three of them with differing political views over the impending invasion of Austria by Germany. When the children burst onto the scene dressed in their play clothes made from old curtain material, the Captain nearly dismisses Maria, but the children’s singing to Frau Schrader reminds him of his own love of music. The Captain holds a dinner for the Baroness, and a fateful dance between the Captain and Maria changes everything. Meanwhile, Max decides to secretly enter the Von Trapp children into the Kaltzburg Music Festival. Runaway and Return Maria flees back to the Abbey and locks herself away in prayer. When she finally talks to Mother Abbess she is made to confront her feelings. She is instructed to return to the family to ‘look for her life’. The children are overjoyed upon Maria’s return, but learns that the Captain and Frau Schraeder are to be married. However, soon after Maria’s return, the Captain realises that his political and moral differences with Frau Schraeder in view of the impending Anschluss makes it impossible for them to marry. They call off their engagement and Frau Schraeder returns to Vienna.
The Captain and Maria quickly realise that they are in love and decide to marry. Political Storm Max enrols and prepares the Von Trapp children for the Kaltzburg Festival. Upon the return from their honeymoon the Captain and Maria are faced with the visit of Herr Zeller, informing the Captain of his posting on a naval ship under the new German regime. Despite his disapproval of his children singing in public, and without time to consider other options, the Captain agrees to Maria’s plan to use the festival to escape Austria with his family. As the family hide in the Abbey whilst the German soldiers search the buildings and grounds, Rolf, who has joined the German forces, enters the room. He is confronted with Liesl who pleads with him, and Rolf eventually decides to cover for the family. New Beginnings Mother Abbess and the Nuns bid farewell to the Von Trapp family who decide to escape Austria over the mountains. In a final farewell, a reprise of ‘Climb Every Mountain’ is heard as the family leave their home to find freedom in a new land.
Behind Scenes. Rehearsing the bows on camp was a chaotic. 59 cast had to learn how to line up in the correct order, walk on from either side, how to bow properly, and then know their final stage positions. With a double cast it was different each time Green or Yellow was called.
There were legs and arms everywhere when we tried to get seven children plus Maria onto a single bed – and sing and dance ‘My Favorite Things’. It was such a relief to have the proper rain and thunder sound effects rather than Mr Tyler making weird noises through the microphone!
After the final show we gathered in the rehearsal room and shared cupcakes, party bags, and everyone received a memento photo. There were lots of tears as we thanked the production staff team and reflected on an amazing life-changing journey that was The Sound of Music.
The lead actors were SO busy before every show. They had to report two hours before the show to get rigged with a head mic (23 of them!), get into costume, get hair and make-up done, and then report to the stage for a sound check, and then a vocal warm-up. So their pre-show routine was nearly as long as the whole show!
the ...
Take a peek behind the curtain with some anecdotes from the cast and crew of The Sound of Music Oh my goodness! How were we ever going to be able to learn all the prop moves – with so many cast backstage, so many props to move, and so little time to make all the changes between the scenes. AND with a double cast – the people who did the props changed each time! But we eventually got there and it was a special part of the show for the audience to see all the smooth and quick changes. It was so good to finally get the cast and orchestra together on camp. We had a great sitzprobe. How fantastic to have our very own AISHK orchestra play all of the score right up close to the audience. The cast loved singing with the orchestra. The first time the cast tried to learn the dance in the party scene everyone was paired off around the whole Auditorium. Lots of toes got stepped and many couples crashed into each other on in those first rehearsals. Who can forget the hard work of four sweaty boys who helped unload and load the truck with all of the musical camp gear Andrew Pu, Morgan Sanders, Kevin Hebestreit, Arnold Kam. The crew worked miracles in the Auditorium, transforming it to a musical theatre performance venue with moving lights, follow spots, multi-coloured cyclorama backdrop. Anyone notice the rainbow at the end?
FASHION S
eams of a New Era is an annual student-run charity fashion show which aims to showcase the talent of Hong Kong’s youth, as well as raise money for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF). AISHK is filled to the brim with creative young talent and we highlight this every year through fashion.
A NEW ERA
This year a vast number of AISHK students were involved in the show, as well as a good number of others, who represented a wide selection of other schools. Seams of a New Era does not only provide our students with opportunity to experience public performance, allowing them to develop confidence and conquer new challenges, but also gives them a chance to form strong bonds with like-minded people from all over Hong Kong. This year’s theme was titled “Illusion”. It focused on transitioning from social norms into exploring your true self. Often we may find ourselves trying to impress others or just trying to fit in, which can inhibit our self-expression and leave us feeling unfulfilled. Fashion is such an integral part of everyday life, that often its importance can be buried under its necessity. It is a creative outlet for many, an opportunity to release your inner Coco Channel or David Bowie and a platform to “say who you are without having to speak.” For these reasons, it is crucial for the AISHK community to continue to support and celebrate this form of ingenuity and the individuals who strive to keep it alive. At its core, Seams of a New Era is driven by its charitable roots. All profits made go directly to the CNCF, a cause our School has loyally supported for many years. Last year, we raised over HK$40,000, money that went towards providing an education for impoverished children and orphans who would otherwise spend long days working in harsh conditions. The CNCF also works to provide free healthcare to families in need and towards promoting community development by providing shelter and other basic needs to children with dysfunctional families. Seams of a New Era gives our community the opportunity to change the lives of many in more ways than one.
Words by Marianne O’Reilly Images by Chester Siu
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By Geraldine Le and Brian Tang
he Seventh Annual Australian International School Model United Nations (AISMUN) conference took place at the end of Week 6. It was an opportunity for students from different schools in different countries to come together as global citizens to participate in worldly discussions, develop public speaking skills and create new
bonds and friendships. Most importantly, this year we aimed to empathise with the plight of the less privileged, and to strive for change. The history of AISMUN goes all the way back to 2009, in the form of a 4-hour internal conference of only one committee consisting of 40 delegates. Since then, AISMUN has expanded, this year being the largest: a 3-day conference welcoming both domestic and schools from abroad, divided into six committees, quadrupling the number of participants. For each AISMUN conference, the Secretariat
AISMUN was kindly sponsored by TIME who provided fantastic giveaways on the day. During the Opening Ceremony, Keynote Speaker, Mr Zoher Abdoolcarim (Asia Editor for TIME) gave an inspiring speech to delegates. Having helped shape all aspects of TIME’s coverage of Asia for over a decade, Mr Zoher’s speech incorporated his vast experience and this year's AISMUN theme. We would like to thank TIME and Mr Abdoolcarim for their generous support of this event.
develops a conference theme to reflect the world we live in. This year, our conference theme was “The Future - Ours to Shape�. In the ever changing, dynamic, and diverse world we live in today, there has been nothing but shift. Whether for better or worse, it happens. We as students are the ones who have been given the task to see that this shift is for the better. We are capable of change, we are capable of amending, and we are capable of shaping our future. The Secretariat would like to thank everyone who made the conference possible - the admins, delegates, chairs, and all school staff. Without the support of all these individuals, it would not have ran as smooth as it did. Special thanks must be given to
Mr Flak and Mrs Chan, who have continuously given us support and advice, always keeping us in check and dedicating countless working hours to this extracurricular activity.
Whilst we may be grieving the end of AISMUN VII today, we will be celebrating the birth of AISMUN VIII tomorrow.
Sports Bulletin On a sweltering Thursday in late May, 108 AISHK students, bags, boots and all, loaded onto a plane headed for the ancient city of Beijing, China. The students were part of teams representing AISHK in rugby and netball. Facing fierce competition, the students faced a gruelling weekend of competition and challenges. We also recap track and field events from throughout the Term, as well as Interhouse basketball, where teams played for House pride and bragging rights.
ISSFHK TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP On 26 and 27 April, 48 secondary students ventured to Sandy Bay to take part in the Annual ISSFHK (International Schools Sports Federation Hong Kong) track and field championships. Though the wet conditions presented challenges for the students, their spirit was not hampered. All were positive in their approach to their individual and team events. Congratulations to all the students who participated. Many thanks to Mr Pilgrim, Mr Boon and Mr Brown for their assistance during the championship.
SECONDARY ATHLETICS CARNIVAL On Thursday 14 April, School Houses battled against each other in a series of track and field events at the Secondary Athletics Carnival, held this year at Kowloon Tsai Park. Students remained committed to competing and finishing every race under a gloomy sky and slick track. The competition was fierce in the long and short runs, long jump, discus throw, and shot put, the high jump being cancelled due to weather conditions.
Scan the code to catch a glimpse of the day’s action (Alternatively, visit our channel AISHKTV on YouTube)
The House captains heightened the atmosphere and sporting spirit, leading their cohorts of enthusiastic cheerleaders with House chants. Congratulations went to Jacaranda, who emerged victorious at the end of the Carnival.
Dulwich College Beijing Tour On Thursday 28 May, AISHK sent three teams to compete in the Dulwich College Beijing Rugby Tournament. The U11 side showed excellent skills and played impressive rugby, looking to win this competition for the third straight year. The U11 A team reached the final and dominated their opponents JESS Dubai achieving an amazing come-from-behind victory. The U11 B team also won in the playoff for third place against Dulwich College Beijing, beating them 3-2. The A team continued to impress with two more big wins. Unfortunately the B team were knocked out, leaving the A team to carry the flag for Hong Kong in the U11 bracket. The U13s played equally well, taking on British School Beijing (BSB), the International School Beijing (ISB), and Dulwich College Suzhou on the first day, winning the matches by scores of 9-0, 7-0 and 6-2 respectively. Day 2 saw our team beat Harrow Beijing in the quarter-final and scrape past Dulwich College Shanghai in the Semi-Finals. In an outstanding Finals performance against Dulwich College, we would go on to win 6-3. Despite a loss to Chao Yang SS, our U15’s finished the first day off strong, with three wins and one loss. Saturday’s first game against Dulwich College Shanghai saw a narrow loss 27-19. The battle for third place came once more against the hosts Dulwich College Beijing who were keen to make amends for their early defeat against us. Despite not making the Grand Final, the team held their heads high and entered the match with pride and passion, winning third place, with a majestic 42-7 final score. All of the students agreed that the Dulwich Beijing rugby experience could be summed up in one word: Great! By Henry Loui and Justin Trent | Year 10, Oliver Smeaton | Year 8, Luke Briscoe | Year 6 Five outstanding AISHK netball teams took part in the Dulwich Beijing Netball tour. The teams described Beijing as “one of the best moments of our lives!” The U11 Aussie Diamonds shone and remained undefeated on the first day, with Day 2 seeing the team into the finals against JESS from Dubai and taking second place overall. The glimmering U11 Opals Team were only defeated by AISHK U11 Diamonds and main competitor, JESS, earning them the third place trophy. The U11 Sapphires were one of the youngest teams on the tour, and showed spirit, perseverance and sportsmanship. Enjoying the experience, they can’t wait to go back again next year. Meanwhile, the U13 Diamonds stood strong, managing to win all of them and stick to their set play. The U13 Opals, glowed with great team spirit under the captaincy of Holly Tsibogiannis and India Knowling. Coming within reach of the finals of the Plate Competition, it was narrowly missed, achieving 4th overall. Everyone put in maximum effort and bonded really well. Travelling to Beijing was an amazing and exciting experience for all the students involved – in their words “we had an absolute blast playing in the Dulwich College Beijing Netball Tournament and would love to repeat the weekend again.” By Charlize Taper | Year 6, Ella Coxon | Year 6, Caitlin England | Year 6, Elizabeth McGrory | Year 8
ACAMIS FOOTBALL The ACAMIS Football tournament was held in Shekou over Weeks 2 and 3 of Term 2. As ever, the manner in which our students embraced the competition was exemplary. They played with heart and desire on the pitch whilst offering fun and friendship to the students from the competing schools off the field. All the coaches from the competing schools made special mentions of the camaraderie and esprit de corps demonstrated by our teams, and this led to both being awarded the Sportsmanship Prize at the end of the tournament. The boys won a closely fought match, beating Western Academy Beijing 2-1, goals courtesy of Nick West and Kyle Van Beers, to cement fifth place. The girls lost in the Semi-Final but roared back to claim third place with a brilliant free kick from eventual Player of the Tournament Phoebe Coogans in a play-off match against Yew Chung International School Shanghai. Both the boys and girls teams were competitive throughout the weekend. Ultimately, the girls placed third and the boys finished in fifth place. Most valuable player awards were presented to Stanley Chan, Caitlin Hopkirk-Jones and Phoebe Coogans. Along with fellow Co-Captain Ana Milliner-Parsons, Caitlin has been part of the football team since Year 7. Both Caitlin and Ana have performed with great distinction over the last six years and have been outstanding ambassadors for AISHK on and off the field. They have been excellent role models for the younger students to follow, in particular, next year’s captains, Phoebe Coogans and Niamh Davies.
SDRC BASKETBALL This year’s SDRC Middle School Basketball Tournament was hosted by AISHK this past term. This was a fantastic festival of basketball culminating in Finals on Saturday being played at AISHK. Competition was fierce throughout the competition and the inexperience of the AISHK teams was apparent at the start of the tournament. It was highly satisfying to see clear and obvious improvement of both individuals and teams as the games progressed. Players remained highly enthusiastic and coachable throughout the tournament, clear indicators that the teams are destined for greatness. Congratulations to Max Ruskin, Nathan Lui, Maggy Hui and Sakura McCorkell who were chosen to represent the SDRC Basketball All-Star Team.
Interhouse Basketball
Inter-House basketball is one of the most enjoyable weeks of the year as all Houses compete against one another in order to be crowned champions of the court. The boys, regardless of their age, came onto the court and gave it everything with Wattle House excelling, reaching both the Junior and Senior finals. The preliminary stages of the competition consisted of three games of three-a-side, each game a very competitive nine minutes. Wattle House managed to go undefeated in the preliminary stages as they reached the finals against a very determined and competitive Waratah House who were determined to win in the five vs. five full court Finals game. Wattle were the eventual victors of the Junior Boys division as they narrowly beat Waratah in the finals, with Eucalypt and Jacaranda managing to draw in third place. The senior games allowed for some of the most intriguing basketball to be played as all four Houses had individuals who had special talents in different areas of the game. The preliminary stages of the senior games were very interesting to watch as all games were won and lost by narrow margins. Wattle managed to go undefeated in the preliminary stages, while the seeding of the other Houses went to point difference. Some of the best basketball of the week was played in the Finals as both Wattle and Jacaranda battled it out for the whole the match. Jacaranda was crowned eventual winners with Adam Gori and Billy Yip putting on three-point clinics. Eucalypt played well to reach third place as Waratah fell to fourth place after not being able to win a game through the preliminary stages. Naveen Shivalingam | Year 11 In the first round of interhouse basketball, the girls faced off against each other in three games of half court three vs. three basketball. The Junior girls (Years 7-8) put in a good effort, with some players having never played before. At the end of these games, Wattle and Jacaranda advanced to the finals. In the Senior Division (Years 9-12) Eucalypt was undefeated in this stage with the other three teams coming in equal second. Based on point difference, Wattle advanced to the finals to meet an experienced Eucalypt side. The Finals consisted of a full court, five vs. five game. The Wattle Junior girls team and the Eucalypt Senior girls team won their respective Finals in closely fought matches. Emily Crowhurst | Year 11
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