australian international school hong kong
May 2015 | Volume 16
THE LION ROCK
Journey to
SUCCESS AISHK students embark on an academic journey to graduation and success
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May 2015 | Volume 16
FAREWELL AND THANK YOU The end of Term 1 marked the time to say ‘farewell’ and ‘thank you’ to Mrs Leonie Drew.
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QANTAS
Happy 20th
WALLABIES
Birthday, AISHK!
The Australian Rugby Sevens Team takes time off from training to visit AISHK.
AISHK marks its 20th anniversary with an official ceremony, followed by our annual Welcome BBQ.
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Message from The
Co Heads of School
L
ion Rock, our biannual magazine, is a public celebration of student achievement, both at school and in the wider community. This edition covers events from Term 4 2014 to the end of Term 1 2015. Each edition of the Lion Rock provides a formal record of events and at the same time gives testimony to the valuable learning experience that occurs at this school on a daily basis. The colour and vitality that is reflected throughout the pages of this excellent publication provides a small but very informative perspective of our school. This year as we come together to celebrate 20 years of
“The colour and vitality that is reflected throughout the pages of this excellent publication provides a small but very informative perspective of our school.” Australian education in Hong Kong, it is with great pleasure that we present to you this snapshot of learning here at AISHK.
Leonie Drew and Phillip Waugh Co Heads of School
Australian International School Foundation Limited – A Non-Profit Organisation Mr Ian Whitton
Mr Gautam Dev
Mr David Christmas
Governor
Governor
Business Administrator
Board Chairman and Founding Governor
Mr Cliff K Sun
Mr Andrew Steadson
Mr David Shirley
Governor
Dr Dan Hooley
Ms Carolyn Bickerton
Assistant Principal Primary Student Services & Administration
School Supervisor, Immediate Past Chairman and Governor
Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Association of Hong Kong
Board Members Mr Tom Corkhill
Professor Richard Petty Governor
Dr Joseph Lee SBS, JP
Governor
Mr Stephen Yap Alternate Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Chinese Association of Hong Kong
Governor
Mr Andrew Macintosh Governor
Ms Janaline Oh Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Consulate Hong Kong
Mr David Chan Governor
Mr Cameron Reed Dean of Studies (Primary)
Mr Dominic Gyngell Governor
Mr Howard West Assistant Principal Secondary Student Services & Administration
School Leadership Team Mr Phillip Waugh
Mr Chris McCorkell Dean of Studies (Secondary)
Head of School
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Contents
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HONG KONG
EDITOR’S NOTE
01 Message from the Co Heads of School
39 Primary Feature
Port Adelaide Member Surprises Year 6 Students
05 Upcoming Events
41 Secondary Feature
06 News
08 Click
Happy 20th Birthday AISHK!
42 Secondary Feature
Farewell, Mrs Leonie Drew
10 Student Spotlight
12
Journey to Success
14 Activity Week 26 Q&A
What are three words to describe AISHK?
Early Childhood Philosophy
36 Primary Feature
Year 5’s 2014 Paper Crane Project Delivered
38 Primary Feature
Year 3 Celebrates Dr Seuss’ 111th Birthday
46 Sports News
Farewell and Thank You to Mrs Drew
36
32 Performing Arts
44 Exclusive Interview Journey to Discovering Health, Colour and Happiness
50 Parent Association
30 Feature
35 Primary Feature
Year 9 English Mixes Shakespeare and Swift
49 Social Media Highlights
28 AISHK in Action
Secondary Students Celebrate Friendship Day
43 Secondary Feature
12 Feature
HKMUN 2015
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51 Parent Association
Community Event Highlights
52 Event Highlights
30
Welcoming New Families to AISHK
20th Anniversary Commemorative Event
54 Event Highlights
Qantas Wallabies Visit AISHK
CONTRIBUTORS Jonathan Banfield Beatrice Brennan-Cohen Mr Dwayne Brown Ms Jackie Byrne Queenie Choi Ms Feona Crawford Ms Robyn Gregory Eddy Haines Ms Amy Hii Ivan Hu Nicholas Jessop Kelly Killian Chloe Lam Sunny Lau Joshua Lee Ms Lynda Lemmon Jonathan Mak Charlotte McGrory Ms Brigitte McNamara Nicole Meyer Pamela Murphy Mr Anthony Murphy Mrs Simone Nielsen Abigail Oh Mr Carl Ohlson Mr Alasdair Ong Marianne O’Reilly Parent Association Mr Cameron Reed Imogen Rogers Ms Shannon Ruskin Olivia Ruskin Danielle Shaw Ms Lesley Stewart Mr Drew Styles Dr Ken Thorley Mr Graeme Tyler Anoushka Weiley Claudia Wong Adrian Wong Nicholas Yuan Kylie Lau Kevin Yang Cover by Mr Alasdair Ong
The start of a new school year brims with excitement: new classmates and teachers, new adventures and new opportunities to name a few. But just as we celebrate the present and future, I would also like to take the opportunity to celebrate the history of AISHK and its pioneers as our school turns 20 this year. This month also marks the first year since the redesign of the Lion Rock, and it has been a pleasure to hear and read all of your feedback. Looking through hundreds of old photographs and old publications during Christine Neilsen and Margaret Merrell’s time (including the very first ‘Ào Sheng’), it has become my aim to encourage students to contribute to all of our publications, especially Dhanara and the Lion Rock. After all, our students are the School’s main asset, and we are very proud of all their achievements as well as supportive of all of their interests in and beyond school. A few days shy of writer, educator and civil rights activitist Maya Angelou’s first death anniversary, I would like to leave you all with one of her most famous quotes: “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow... I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.”
PRODUCED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
Ms Brigitte McNamara
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Ms Rochelle Riva Bargo MARKETING OFFICER
Mr Alasdair Ong
FEEDBACK AND SUBMISSIONS TO
development@aishk.edu.hk
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Upcomingevents @AISHK
28-30
AISHK MUN Conference AISHK
23-25 May
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June
May
Dulwich Rugby & Netball Tournament
June
21
20th Anniversary Performing Arts Showcase
June
AISHK Auditorium
17-18
AISHK Auditorium
June
Senior Formal
AISHK Ball: Night on the Nile Grand Hyatt Hotel
August
5-6
Beijing
SEAMS Fashion Show
1
30 Hour Famine
Father’s Day AISHK Field
22
August
7-11
September
Chinese Week PAGE
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news
Introducing AISHK’s Head of School in 2016 which have now reached record levels, and innovative teaching, learning and wellbeing programs. The renewal of facilities include over $25 million of capital works, with the past four projects incorporating construction of new Science, Indoor Sports and Music and Performing Arts facilities, as well as Middle Years Positive Education and All Weather (Outdoor) Sports Centres.
Happy 20th Birthday, AISHK! Celebrated on 26 January each year, Australia Day is an opportunity for Australians to come together and celebrate the achievements of the nation as a whole. Australia Day is also a special day for the AISHK community as it marks the School’s birthday. Our 20th
anniversary celebration kicked off at the beginning of the school year with the school gathering together on the Field to sing “Advance Australia Fair”, followed by the Primary School Choir’s tuneful rendition of “Happy Birthday”. A long-term tradition at AISHK, all 26 January birthday celebrants
AISHK Featured in SCMP and The Standard on Australia Day Commemorating both Australia Day and the School’s 20th Anniversary, AISHK was featured in both the front page of the City section of South China Morning Post (SCMP) and The Standard in January. PAGE
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were also invited to the stage to cut the AISHK birthday cake together in commemoration of both the School’s and their birthdays. Since AISHK’s humble beginnings at the Boundary Road premises in 1995, the School has grown from 25 to more than 1,100 students
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all within 20 years and today stands as a leading international school in Hong Kong. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all founding staff, students and their families, and the AISHK community, who supported the growth of our school and helped us reach the milestone in the school’s history.
Further to Mr Phillip Waugh and Mrs Leonie Drew’s announcement in March, the School would like to introduce the newly appointed Head of School, Mr Bruce Simons. Mr Simons will commence his position at AISHK in January 2016. Mr Simons has a Masters of Education in Leadership and Change, a Graduate Diploma in Educational Administration and Policy (Monash) and a Bachelor of Education (Deakin). He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Educated at Haileybury in Melbourne, Mr Simons then taught Mathematics at his old school from 1985-1999, also holding a number of leadership positions there including VCE Coordinator, Head of House, Head of Extension Programmes and Head of Football. During this time, he also authored several Mathematics text books with Jacaranda Wiley and Pelham Publishing. Appointed in 1999, Mr Simons has been Principal of The Hamilton and Alexandra College, a Victorian, Uniting Church, co educational day and boarding school. During his time in Hamilton, there has been significant and comprehensive change to the school, with a rise in enrolments
Mr Simons' particular passion for the internationalisation of schools saw the establishment of a diverse program in Hamilton which has since been emulated by other schools around Australia. In 2001, he worked closely with provincial and local governments in Jiangsu Province PRC to establish a campus in Gaoyou City, named as both The Hamilton and Alexandra College Gaoyou Campus and Gaoyou Number 1 Middle School. Through this program, every Year 9 child at The Hamilton and Alexandra College spends two weeks each year as part of its heralded China Experience, fully immersed into the life of a Chinese curriculum-centred school which grew to over 4,000 mainland students. The Hamilton Year 9s then travelled to different parts of China in a language and cultural awareness experience. This program has attracted national interest and press coverage, with notable Australian education journals highlighting it as a way forward in globalising Australian Schools, and leading to several Australian schools offering matriculation courses in PRC. In addition, Mr Simons established a considerable international student program to complement the school's China Experience, attracting up to 35 foreign students fully boarding at the school, mostly from Hong Kong and China. The Hamilton and Alexandra College is renowned for the high level of mutual acceptance and respect engendered between Australian and Asian students, in no small part fostered by its China Experience links. During Mr Simons' principalship, The Hamilton and
Alexandra College also established sister school connections in Guangdong Province, leading to successful study tour courses and an intent to offer the Victorian Curriculum in that province. Mr Simons' passion for Asia is well known, and he has spoken at Australian Head of Independent Schools Australia (AHISA) Conferences in relation to the importance of globalism in education. Mr Simons has held a position on the Executive Board of the Victorian Branch of the Associated Heads of Independent Schools Australia (AHISA) and the Executive Board of Independent Schools Victoria (ISV). He has also chaired the Victorian Ecumenical Schools System and Independent Country Schools System. On the personal front, Bruce and his wife of 30 years, Julie, have two children, Jessica (27) and Jarrod (23). Jessica works as a journalist and lives in London UK, and Jarrod has completed his Honours year, having completed his Bachelor of Criminology. Julie is a trained Primary teacher, though has recently retired. Bruce and Julie have two dogs, Daisy and Buzz, and hope to bring them to Hong Kong! Bruce's hobbies include mountain trekking; in April this year, he trekked for the second time to Mt Everest Base Camp in Nepal, having also trekked to Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2012. Bruce played AFL football (Reserves) with South Melbourne/ Sydney Swans in the early 1980s; and also still water and snow skis, swims most days and is passionate about boys and girls' involvement in sport, music, drama and other co-curricular activity as a sure way to strengthen their teamwork skills, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, physical wellbeing, confidence and resilience. Bruce and Julie aim to move to Hong Kong in late December 2015. PAGE
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Farewell, Mrs Leonie Drew from students of AISHK
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As Mrs Leonie Drew was retiring at the end of Term 1, Visual Arts teacher Ms Narelle Cridland organised a surprise farewell gift prepared by a number of students in each class from Prep to Year 6, asking students to draw, paint or sketch a portrait of Mrs Drew. Ms Cridland invited Mrs Drew to be the students’ ‘Live Model’, explaining that the students were participating in an ‘art competition’. (From top left to bottom right) Oliver Lopez, 5L; Bianca Hardge, 2D; Hunter Smith, 2D; Alyssa Leong, 2P; Rory Parker, 1T; Bok Chee Lau, 5R; Matilda Foster, 1H; Marc Shepherd, 2K; Sam Nasr, 6W; Calpurnia Lang, 3R; Xavier Gyngell, 1M; Faber Liauw, 3R
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Student Spotlight Lachlan Gray, Year 11E In response to his study of the literature of war in August 2014, Lachlan composed a sonnet entitled The Truth of War. Lachlan made a recording of his poem, and his mother played the sonnet to her brother-in-law, Group Captain David Richardson, who in his semi-retired capacity has much to do with the Australian War Memorial (AWM) and its archives. As a result, the recording of his sonnet was presented many times over at the BAE Systems Theatre for the inaugural Australian War Memorial Poetry Day, “Of Words and War – Poetry at the Memorial”.
Nathaniel Law, Year 12H
Audrey Ling, Year 12H
Claudia Wong, Year 6W
Nathaniel is a great role model to younger AISHK students and received numerous sporting and Presentation Day awards in 2014, including the Parent Association 2015 Citizenship Award. Previously struggling academically in his younger secondary years, Nathaniel now provides advice on schooling and achieving one’s personal best to younger students by developing study regimes and techniques and having a more positive attitude.
Audrey participated in this year’s Hong Kong Standard Chartered 10km race, assisting as part of the Marathon 101 “Stand By You – Runners Development Program”. Audrey learned to become a guide runner for visual or intellectuallyimpaired students to enable them to take part in the race. Audrey is the first AISHK student to participate in this program, and her enthusiasm helped her partner to complete the race.
Claudia has been named a runner up in an online international writing competition last October. Claudia fought off tough competition from students in 20 schools in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, the US and the UK with her poem, ‘I Have A Tree’. The competition was judged by Sarah Brennan, a well-known Australian author and publisher based in Hong Kong.
Max Ruskin, Year 8E
Niamh Davies (10J), Brooke Reed (11J) and Danielle Shaw (12H)
Samantha Mackinlay, Year 1M
Fortunately many members of Lachlan’s family reside in Canberra, including his 90 year old grandfather who trained as a fighter pilot during World War II, and they were very proud that Lachlan contributed to the event. Having a young person contribute to this event was quite special, as most contributors were war veterans or at least very senior.
Mitch Baker (3S), Sebastien Gyngell (3W) and Daniel Bennie (4O) The HKFC U9 A Team won the Kuala Lumpur Saracens International Rugby Tournament for the second year in a row this March, thanks to the spectacular performances of Mitch, Sebastien and Daniel. After an easy transition into the semi-finals with not one try conceded against them, the team was then faced with what can only be described as a battle of all battles to secure their place in the finals. HKFC faced the same Tanglin team that they beat in the previous year’s final. Ending with no score, the game went into Golden Time with a six player play off, which included Mitch, Sebastien and Daniel. With the incredibly fearless tackling of Sebastien and the skill and speed of Mitch, the ball eventually landed in Daniel’s hands, leaving the Tanglin team in dust as he reached the try line. PAGE
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Max, a rugby player for the USRC Tigers, was selected to play in the U14 National Rugby Team in 2014. After months of rigorous training he was then selected to play in the U14 national age grade showcase that played recently at the 2015 HK Rugby Sevens, along with two other AISHK students Anthony Wilson and Aiden Trent. This is an outstanding achievement that reflects the dedication and success of Max’s performance over the recent Rugby Season.
Samantha as a growing child loves to sing and dance, influenced by her Niamh, Brooke and Danielle were chosen Philippine heritage and exposure to ballet. Her interests in art, drama and to represent Hong Kong as part of the Hong Kong Netball Association’s Academy theatre developed after watching Hong Kong Ballet’s Swan Lake, a very Touring squad in December 2014. The squad was divided into two teams – Team famous classical ballet. Earlier in March, A and Team B. Team A, which Niamh was Samantha joined the Sleeping Beauty performance of The Hong Kong Ballet in part of, won the tournament and the Tuen Mun Auditorium. She enjoyed every Grand Final. Team B, which Brooke and bit of the rehearsals and performance. Danielle were part of, came fourth. PAGE
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clear and guided educational pathway that set them up for success. For more than a decade, students have graduated from the School with results that place them in the top percentile with students from schools in Australia and have entered some of the world’s finest tertiary institutions. Year after year, AISHK students continue to raise the academic benchmark.
Kiran has been a student at AISHK since 2010, and prior to entering his senior years, he realised that learning languages is not his forte. “Academically, I find that I am far more suited to particular humanity and English subjects,” says Kiran. “Picking the IB, which stressed subjects I am weak in, would not have been a wise decision.” Known to be the highest educational award to be gained in New South Wales schools, the Higher School Certificate (HSC) is an internationally recognised credential that provides a strong foundation for the future, whether students wish to pursue tertiary qualifications, vocational training or employment. HSC students are required to complete at least 12 units in the Preliminary study pattern and at least 10 units in the HSC study pattern.
In 2014, 27 percent of AISHK students received an Australian Universities Admission Rank (ATAR) of 95 or above. The HSC cohort ranked in the top 100 schools in the Sydney Morning Herald Merit List for English, while nine students received Bilingual Diplomas within the IB cohort. With an average IB score of 36, AISHK continues to be ahead of schools in Australia and most schools in other countries which offer the IB program.
“AISHK has instilled in me the value of hard work. It has taught me to push myself in the present so that I can live comfortably in the future.”
“The Preliminary HSC year is by far one of the most helpful things to prepare you for Year 12,” says Kiran. “Just as Year 12 students sit for exams, Year 11 students do so as well. The teachers format exams in similar ways and teach similar concepts. That way, once you do reach Year 12, nothing is a surprise and you know precisely what to do to achieve the best possible mark you can.”
BY MS ROCHELLE BARGO PHOTOS BY MR ALASDAIR ONG :00am. They find themselves half asleep, contemplating whether the ‘snooze’ button on their alarm is a friend or a foe. There are mornings where they feel like a shadow of themselves, especially after pulling an all-nighter. But no time to think twice today – to one, there is still that Theory of Knowledge essay that needs to be completed. To the other, hours and hours’ worth of notes are waiting on the desk to be compiled for an exam the next day, an abundant amount of information that even SparkNotes could not cover. Only a few months into the new school year, Audrey Ling and Kiran Shivalingam understand their responsibilities as Year PAGE
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12 students. Neither the Higher School Certificate (HSC) nor International Baccalaureate (IB) program is easier than the other, and both curricula demand full commitment during the last two years of students’ lives as secondary students. “Once you reach senior years, you discover that there exists this general perception that HSC students have it ‘easier’ and get ‘less work’,” says Kiran, a Year 12 HSC student. “How false this is. Subjects like Math and English require persistent practice and repetition, whilst humanity subjects especially require constant creation and collation of notes. I spend hours each day preparing for the next exam, so the workload is heavy, but manageable.”
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, on the other hand, is an academically challenging program that has earned a reputation for rigorous assessment. To attain the IB diploma, students must complete requirements in one course from six groups, including Language A, Language ab initio, Individuals and Societies year, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics and The Arts. At least three and not more than four courses are taken at higher level (240 hours over two years), while the others at standard level (150 hours over two years). “The most important factor that made me decide to choose IB is the holistic education that requires students to be
critical thinkers and open-minded,” says Audrey. “Doing two science subjects in higher level is quite an intense workload but is still manageable once I understood the syllabus and criteria.” When asked what the differences between HSC and IB are, Kiran says, “The critical difference between the two is that the HSC emphasises choice while the IB focuses on getting you to be an all rounded student. If you have an affinity for a single subject and are weaker in others, the HSC gives you the freedom to identify preferred subject areas and work to ones strengths. In many instances, the HSC is also more theoretical and descriptive, while the IB is more skill based.” Audrey also noted that with the extra requirement for Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) for IB students, she feels that the program offers her more opportunities to get out of her comfort zone and develop skills by involving herself in different activities that are not typically encountered in academics and classroom teaching. Whether students at AISHK choose HSC or IB during their years in Senior Secondary, they are provided with a
“From an academic view point, teachers at AISHK go above and beyond to ensure that each student is getting the most out of their education,” says Kiran. “AISHK has instilled in me the value of hard work. It has taught me to push myself in the present so that I can live comfortably in the future.” With their future in their minds, Kiran and Audrey share similar academic and personal experiences with other Senior Secondary students at AISHK. Many may face an incredible amount of stress as students, but by maintaining a balance and seeking help from teachers and others, the journey to success is attainable. The valuable lessons throughout one’s academic journey are in the learning and acquisition of all resources needed. In the words of American author Robert Collier, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” “I have learnt that the pleasure of the result far outweighs the difficulty to get there,” says Kiran. “While getting the job done may not be an overwhelmingly pleasant experience, the prize after is.” PAGE
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Activity Week India
A
group of 15 students and three teachers embarked on a life-changing trip to Delhi and Rishikesh in India from 14 to 21 March this year. Students took part in activities that they would not have been able to be part of without the guidance of Snow Leopards Adventure Tours, including white water rafting down the Ganges, going to the Divya Prem Sewa Mission to meet and spend time with the children, and attending an evening Arti ceremony.
five-wick lamp and other items are offered. The ceremony concludes with the blowing of a conch shell.
Known as the most popular ceremony within Hinduism, Arti is a greeting ceremony offered to gurus, holy people and other representations of the divine. Throughout the ceremony, incense, water, flower, a
“My favourite memories of the trip were going to the evening Arti, as I got to immerse myself in the Indian culture, and visiting the Mission.” – Madeleine McBride, Year 11E
“The best part of the trip was going to the Mission and getting to see what the money we raised prior to Activity Week was going to. It was really nice to interact with the girls and experience the way they live.” – Niamh Davies, Year 10J
Paris
A
by Beatrice Brennan-Cohen, Year 12E
fter a seemingly never-ending flight, 13 AISHK students, accompanied by Ms VanderhoekCossé and Ms Yip, stepped off the plane in Paris. Buzzing with excitement, we wondered what the city of love, lights, and of course, incredible food had in store for us.
practice our French through our stays with our wonderful host families. They were all extremely welcoming and sweet, with the end of the trip seeing many hastily exchanged e-mail addresses and quite a few tears!
We were all desperate to explore the beautiful city and its famous sights, whether we had visited before or not. From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre and Versailles, from the catacombs to the Opera Garnier and the amazing shopping at the Galeries Lafayette, we managed to experience many different aspects of the city in just one week.
This week away allowed us to experience new things, make new friends, and fall in love with a beautiful, unique city. As the last ever Activity Week for a large number of students in our group, it is clear that the Paris trip was a truly extraordinary experience which we will never forget.
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Golf
S
taying in Hong Kong for Activity Week is usually seen as a waste of opportunity by some secondary students, however the golf trip was something I genuinely enjoyed. This is coming from someone with terrible hand-to-eye coordination. All five days had a common routine but each maintained a novelty of its own. The morning usually started off with going onto the green and practicing our chipping and putting. Something which I learned is a lot more complex than just simply hitting a small ball with a long stick. This realisation became painstakingly obvious during the numerous putting competitions we had, which were all fun, but never failed to remind us of our entertaining lack of ability. This of course only made me appreciate golf even more.
by Marianne O’Reilly, Year 11H
After an hour of “darn it!”and “why isn’t the ball going into the hole?” (with the occasional “did you see that?!”), we trekked back up a flight of stairs towards the driving range. The boys on the trip seemed to enjoy this part especially as they could hit the ball as hard as they could, and to their credit, most of their hits were going past the 100-yard mark. The girls’ long shots were pretty impressive too, though. After lunch and an intense round of cards we finally made our way out onto the course to put our newly learned skills to the test. Playing on the North course was certainly a highlight for me and many others as Kau Sai Chau is incredibly serene. As an avid appreciator of the outdoors, not only did I forget I was in Hong Kong but I forgot that Hong Kong could be that beautiful. Not to mention yelling “FORE!” at any opportunity was surprisingly fulfilling. What really made golf so special was the people involved. The coaching staff, Mr Phillips and Mr Ruskin offered unwavering guidance and support as well as frequent banter. I know I speak for everyone when I say that the golf trip embedded a soft spot for the game in my heart, and I am eager to go back. PAGE
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ZHAO QING YEAR 8 CAMP A group of 26 Year 8 students, both excited and nervous, attended the Zhao Qing camp. We were all first greeted by the camp leaders and it was to all of our surprise to see some friendly faces from Year 7 camp. Over the next few days we took part in a variety of events which included a high ropes course, a cable way walk and raft building. These activities made PAGE
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us think and learn about how to work as a team. On the third day of camp we completed our community service, with one group of seven creating a growing moss wall painting and the others creating a hanging green wall. For many this was the highlight of the week. On the last day we travelled to the Ding Hu Mountain. From there we
CHIANG MAI
completed a hike and experienced some amazing waterfalls and scenery. We also got to experience ink stone carving later that day and the much anticipated Chinese painting course.
Fourty-five students and four teachers assembled at Hong Kong airport for Activity Week, excited about the days that lay ahead. Although many of the travellers had been frequent visitors to Bangkok and its surrounds, for most Chiang Mai was a new discovery.
After the long bus ride home, we arrived in Hong Kong and were back at the school grounds with our much missed parents. The week in Zhao Qing was a blast!
In addition to all the activities during the week, the visit to the Elephant Nature Park was the highlight for most students. It was a chance to learn about the truly horrific abuse
by Pamela Murphy, Year 8E
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by Ms Jackie Byrne and Abigail Oh, Year 8W
elephants face, formerly mostly as labour for logging and more recently as sources of rides and amusement for tourists. The students also embraced the opportunity to assist Ban Huay Sai Kindergarten in the hills by helping to build a wall around the school. Bricklaying was hard work and the sun was hot, but the students worked with commitment, knowing that the wall would help provide a safe environment for the children.
We managed to squeeze in a Thai cooking lesson, traditional umbrella painting and shopping at the famous Night Market. The culmination of the trip was the traditional Khantoke farewell dinner, at which we sat on woven mats at small round tables. The students rose to the challenge of every activity that was offered. Both staff and students felt fortunate to have been on this trip, which reminded us of the responsibility to use our privilege wisely and generously. PAGE
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ROOFTOP
YEAR 9
OUTWARD BOUND by Imogen Rogers and Joshua Lee, Year 9E Outward Bound Camp ran from 16 to 20 March. The five days were tiring and long but everyone found it extremely rewarding. We each learnt to cook, camp, set up tents, clean, the basics of first aid and many other important things that will surely be useful in the future. The team building activities that we participated in helped each of us learn how important team work can be when in a somewhat dangerous environment. We learnt to help and support each other and to work together in unison. We all experienced new activities like abseiling and jetty jumping, which we might not have ever had the chance to experience if it weren’t for the camp. We learnt that safety of ourselves and of others would always be the top priority. We also learnt that it’s okay to be out of your comfort zone and that we need to try to find a way to challenge ourselves so we can learn to be better individuals. By the final day of AYP all groups have a special bond, and many friendships were made. Many boundaries were stretched and everyone pulled through the week of tough terrain. It was kind of sad leaving Outward Bound, though we carry with us all of our memorable moments and inside jokes such as, “If there was ever an opportunity to go again I would just go back for the food.”
GARDEN & SERVICE
by Kelly Killian, Year 12H Coming into school during Activity Week felt like any other week, but it was an amazing time joining the rest of the group from different year levels. Surprisingly, we made an efficient team and this was best acknowledged in our efforts in gardening on the Green Roof and our work in the Design and Technology lab where we made a 3D sign using cut acrylic and Adobe Illustrator. Highlights of the week included drawing sessions with illustrator Gavin Coates, creating a giant artwork that encourages people to save our Earth, and a cooking challenge where we had to use ingredients from home and from the supermarket on a HK$50 budget. My personal favourite was our trip to Crossroads, where we’ve learned to create paper bags and hearing the stories of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and the signs and impacts of the incurable disease. Even though this was the first time the sustainability course was part of the Activity Week, it was so enjoyable that I believe it should run again next year.
Cambodia
O
ver the course of six days spread out between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, more than 30 AISHK students were able to immerse themselves within the foundations of Cambodian culture, history and customs, whilst gaining unforgettable life experiences through elements of community service. Travelling far out into a more rural province of Phnom Penh, students built six houses in total for families to live in,
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by Johnathan Banfield, Year 10E
despite the dry and menacing summer heat. I can speak for myself in saying that this was the most memorable aspect of the trip, seeing the glowing and heartwarming smiles of the locals as we left them to make use of their newly built homes. Although it was for only a short period of time, students were also able to visit Sayong School, a school that provides quality free education for students of all ages within the outskirts of the city. This was truly another eye opening experience, with many students appreciating just how
much the impact years of civil war and conflict had on such a beautiful country. We finished off the trip with visiting the cultural centrepiece of the country, Angkor Wat, with its sprawling and wide gardens amazing all of us. Overall the trip was of great success. Students got to take action and set things in place for the better with their own hands. I am certain that all students have come away from the trip with not only a great sense of personal achievement, but also a hope for a better future for Cambodia. PAGE
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Bali Diving
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ulamben: A small fishing village on the north east coast of Bali, a two-hour drive out from the main city. Unfortunately, due to a detour caused by a marriage procession consisting of hordes of men and women dressed in white, it took four hours for the 13 students to arrive. Students spent the entire day beforehand practicing at the dive centre, and weeks prior completing an online theory course to prevent us from drowning, bursting our eardrums or rupturing our lungs.
After their fourth and final dive, everyone packed their equipment and dragged both their equipment and themselves onto the bus to rejoin the surfers. Thankfully on the way back, the group did not encounter any marriage processions.
The golden rule? Don’t hold your breath. Over the course of two days, students waddled along in their wetsuits, buoyancy control devices and weight belts towards the shore and into the sea. They dove at three different locations – the coral garden, the drop off and the Liberty Wreck – all featuring magnificent displays of coral and marine life. They encountered eels, turtles and countless varieties of fish, however, students were disappointed by the lack of sharks (which many of them had eagerly practiced the hand signals for, specifically ones that were large and behind the people they were signalling to).
Japan Bali Surfing
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he surfing trip to Bali was an exciting yet relaxed week away from the stress of school. Students learnt the basics of surfing including how to paddle out, how to spot a good wave and how to catch one, while more experienced surfers ventured out with a different instructor. At first we struggled – we fell over more times than we surfed. After the second and third day, we had all paddled further out and started to surf some bigger waves and were able to turn as well. It was amazing the first time we did a move correctly and thought, “Wow, I can actually do this.”
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by Nicholas Yuan, Year 11W
“It was amazing the first time we did a move correctly and thought, ‘Wow, I can actually do this.’’’ In addition to surfing, we also explored other notable destinations in Bali. We learnt about various aspects of the Balinese culture through unique cultural dance performances and a hands-on experience of the traditional Balinese art “Batik”. All in all it was a great break from school that was both culturally insightful and heaps of fun.
by Danielle Shaw, Year 12H
This year, 21 Year 12 students travelled to Niseko, on the island of Hokkaido to experience a week of intense skiing and snowboarding. The five-day week was filled with morning and afternoon ski/snowboarding lessons, fierce snowball fights and exquisite dining. There was a sense of determination among the group, as first time skiers persevered to master the art of parallel turning, whilst experience skiers conquered black runs at groundbreaking speeds. The strong-willed snowboarders took on the challenges of the terrain park, practicing jumps, riding the natural half pipe and gliding across the box. The early morning risers enjoyed the freedom of speeding down the quiet slopes, whilst the night owls experienced night skiing/ snowboarding down the mountains at breakneck speed. Highlights of the trip include waking up to the glorious views of the Grand Hirafu Mountain, entertaining chair lift rides and racing friends down the runs. The end of the week saw tired and worn out snowboarders and skiiers, who all wished they could have stayed longer in Japan. PAGE
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Korea by Sunny Lau (10H) and Jonathan Mak (12W)
U
pon hearing an audible “thud” from the rock-hard luggage that loudly settled itself upon the glossy marble floor, 18 enthusiastic students paced out of the airport, unsuspecting of the Korean chill that awaited their arrival. Even though we yearned for the comfort of our beds, our resolve to venture deep into the depths of Korean culture was stronger than our heart’s desire. The sights and sounds of the natural forces provided a ritual significance to our courageous endeavour. The host of radically culinary elements that were present in some of our company’s members were enough to sway them into the open arms of the street food; the scrumptious taste of the barbequed chicken was particularly enticing to Mr Kelleher.
The inherent passion that manifested itself within our very veins, swept us off of our feet into the kitchen, where we had our cooking class. We learnt how to skilfully prepare two famous Korean dishes: Kimchi and Bulgogi. Distinctive and unique in their own right, they provided two extremes of the culinary element of the Korean cuisine; vegetarian and carnivorous. Our graciousness was never understated; our enlightened souls appreciated the PAGE
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time and energy that the local chefs ingrained in both their tutoring manner and patience towards us. The strength of national culture depends on the right mix of entertainment, culinary art, history, sportsmanship and social manner - something that we thankfully had the pleasure to extract from the extensive cultural palette that we had both envisioned and experienced with gusto. One particularly memorable event was our visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace, or the Emperor’s Palace. As our eyes feasted on the ceremonial manner of the changing of guards, which was a long held tradition in royal Korean history, we truly felt as if we were witnessing it in the past. A truly fascinating experience! The history of Korea, despite showing a more sinister side, was undeniably a worthwhile concept to grasp wholeheartedly. We travelled to an area forbidden to the general public, whereupon the scars of the Korean War in the 1950s remain and endure. This was the Demilitarised Military Zone. Soldiers from both sides of the conflict surrounded us, watching our every move with their ever-vigilant eyes. Beneath the dark visors of our US escort, however, hid an unexpected
aura of kindness and sympathy towards our presence. Stepping out from our current background, we paced beyond the boundary that separated South Korea from its hostile territory that is North Korea. We lay our intuitive gaze on the soldiers from both sides who stand stationary, radiating an aura of discipline and unrelenting bravery. Upon this observation of the continental relic of the conflict between the Western and Eastern blocs, it sends us a clear and concise message; that the hostile resolves had stubbornly endured for countless decades since the Cold War. It was only after we enlightened ourselves that we realised that the dream to terminate this conflict and unify Korea once again is shared among some aspects of the Korean society as a whole, both in the military and the civil populace. All too soon, six worthwhile days had passed without us knowing it, as the bustling atmosphere of the airport greeted us again. The weight of the souvenirs in our individual hands reflected our unwillingness to leave Korea, as it had been such a fun week. However, the gratitude and learning experience of Korean culture that we all shared remains cemented in our hearts.
The Real Star of
Vietnam by Anoushka Weiley, Year 11W
It was an honour for 25 students from Year 10 to Year 12 to visit the iconic Ho Chi Minh City during Activity Week, with a purpose of furthering our ties with the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. Since its establishment in 1995, Australian International School Hong Kong has maintained a close bond with CNCF. As this year is the 20th Anniversary year of AISHK, it seems fitting that the school is able to share its legacy, by supporting the construction of a school for less fortunate children in Vietnam. The kindergarten, located in Dong Thap province, was funded by AISHK in conjunction with the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation Vietnam. Due to a fifth of the population of Dong Thap living in poverty, and the rural nature of the province, many children are unable to obtain any form of education. The Tan Nghia Kindergarten is vital in ensuring that the children living in the area have access to basic education. Previously, there was limited kindergarten space available and only 20 children could be accommodated. The sparkling new, two-room building is the star of the community and we attended the opening ceremony of the kindergarten. The inauguration included performances by teachers and the 60 students of the kindergarten, speeches from key figures involved
in the project including our own Mr McGunnigle, and a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Principal of the kindergarten commented that the new facility was “the dream of the teachers”. AISHK intends to establish close contact with the progression of the kindergarten by bringing students to visit annually during Activity Week. In addition to interacting with the children at the Tan Nghia Kindergarten, AISHK students visited other Christina Noble Children’s Foundation projects. These included the Sunshine School and the Tay Ninh Centre for Visually Impaired Children, where we gave a concert, interacted in games and even had the opportunity to experience blind massages. Interacting with the children at these centres aided us in our understanding of CNCF and how it benefits the region. Despite the emphasis on service throughout the trip, we were also able to experience the rich culture and history of Vietnam through activities such as visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and exploring the Mekong Delta. It was incredibly rewarding to have the eye-opening experience of interacting with children in Vietnam, whilst also experiencing the vibrant culture and sensory delights that are abundant across the region. PAGE
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YEAR 7 CAMP
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yangshuo by Kylie Lau (7W) and Kevin Yang (7E)
aking up at the ungodly hour of 6am was definitely worth it. The cramped rehearsal room we gathered in was buzzing with excitement and nervousness as we were greeted warmly by enthusiastic Dragonfly staff. They escorted us to YWCA, where teambuilding games took place. We were later briefed on the activities of the week, which ended up as one of the best experiences of our lives!
acquired from our previous rock climbing session, where we all conquered the wall.
Water activities were intense, enjoyable and adventurous. These included kayaking and rafting. In kayaks, we paddled out and played a game of ‘capsize’, also known as overturning a boat. Despite the freezing cold water we all had to overturn our kayaks. We also weren’t provided with any rafts - we had to make one ourselves. It dismantled in seconds, but we survived the 15-minute trip to the shark net. It turned out to be the ride of our lives!
Born in the 21st century, we weren’t exactly keen on working on a farm. Believe it or not, ‘hands-on old fashion’ was not that bad. Weeding, ploughing and making scarecrows were actually quite fun. Some of the scarecrows that we made were definitely scary enough to scare the cows and birds away.
The best way to dry up after being soaked was a bike ride. With our hair blowing in the breeze, we rode around Mui Wo and got a taste of the local lifestyle. We rode to the Silver Mine Waterfall. The bike ride was lots of fun, especially going down the big hill that led up to the mine. Canyoning was definitely memorable. Overcoming boulder after boulder with determination, we were rewarded with the breathtaking view of Lantau Island. We applied skills PAGE
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Rock climbing was definitely an exciting activity as most of us had not done it before. After we all went up the wall once, a few of the groups got to climb up the wall blindfolded! The other groups went up the other side of the climbing wall which had a V shape in the wall.
After dinner, you’d expect a bit of peace and quiet. Instead, night activities took place. From storytelling and singing by the campfire, to quizzes and challenges, and even a talent show, they were all great ways to end the day, putting smiles on our faces as we sleep. In the span of five days we did a series of activities, testing our capabilities and allowing us to embrace challenges. Unfortunately, the end came too soon. Some got emotional on the goodbyes with our instructors while others fumbled through their pockets to take a picture of one last memory. It was an unforgettable week that surely will be remembered for a long time.
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by ms robyn gregory
Yangshuo was a stunning experience for the 13 students and three staff, providing a broad range of activities. After some energetic team building experiences on Sunday and our first Tai Chi lesson before breakfast on Monday morning, the team challenges began with rock climbing on one of the beautiful karst mountainsides. This activity was supervised by some of China’s expert climbers who generously shared their knowledge with all, offering climbs of different levels of difficulty. Next it was off to a local primary school where our students became teachers for an afternoon, exciting the young students with activities such as making paper planes and learning some English language through involvement in various games. Tuesday began with a three-hour bike ride through small villages along the Dragon River on which we were due to raft the next day. The scenery was awe-inspiring,
and even the occasional mud patch and detour into water by some, did not detract from the enjoyment of this experience. Fan painting was a relaxing contrast to the exhilarating morning’s activity. Students and staff painted with special calligraphy brushes and were shown the fan-making process by a master craftsman. The evening saw a trip on the river to view the traditional fishing method using trained cormorants to catch the fish. The river rafting, the walk through the Silver Cave, the Li River Light Show in the world’s largest natural theatre, the Chinese cooking lesson all enhanced the overall experience of the week. Even the hairraising bus trip to the Long Ji rice terraces was forgotten, as we walked in the clouds above the famous rice terraces and sampled traditional wares such as ginger tea and dried sweet potato. This was a wonderful, memorable, challenging and enlightening activity and cultural experience for all. PAGE
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Q&A
G. Aela Breeze Year 2D Awesome, Interesting, Friendly
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session with AISHK students by Nicole Meyer, Year 6R Photos by Charlotte McGrory, Year 10E
As it is our school’s 20th anniversary, we asked students the question, “What are three words to describe AISHK?” and received responses that celebrate AISHK’s continuous success in Hong Kong.
G B
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I. Naomi Ferguson Prep G Kind, Nice, Helpful
H. Pamela Murphy Year 8E Family, Interactive, Creative
K. Jasper Palfrey Year 1M Playful, Learning, Chinese
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J. Ashwin Utamchandani Year 12E Welcoming, Family, Supportive
L. Brigitte Hunt Year 9J Community, Welcoming, Fun
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A. Finn Bennett Year 5B Educational, Playful, Friendly
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C. Glenn Hui Year 7E Awesome, Good, Safe B. Lisa Miu Year 4M Fun, Big, Collaborate
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E. Harrison Hardge Year 6R Fun, Welcoming, Educational D. Ana Milliner-Parsons Year 11J Welcoming, Family, Supportive
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F. Hayden Lam Year 10E Intelligent, Welcoming, Enthusiastic
Three Words to Describe L
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AISHK IN ACTION
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Your actions always speak louder than your words. And have confidence in yourself - that’s so important. To portray that confidence and think, “Yes, I can do that.” I think a smile and genuine kindness shown to others can certainly take you further than you can imagine. I think they’re important messages.
COULD YOU SHARE WITH US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR HOMETOWN IN AUSTRALIA?
Having been here this length of time now, the valedictory services are always just so special because you can remember the children from when they were young. To be in a school where some of the children are here for all of their schooling, you can watch them grow until they become young adults, so that’s certainly a lovely memory.
Farewell and Thank You to Mrs Drew
THE END OF TERM 1 MARKED THE TIME TO SAY ‘FAREWELL’ AND ‘THANK YOU’ TO MRS LEONIE DREW. HAVING LED THE PRIMARY DIVISION OF THIS SCHOOL IN PARTICULAR FOR OVER 11 YEARS, WE SPOKE WITH LEONIE ABOUT HER EARLY MEMORIES OF HONG KONG.
YOU MUST HAVE SO MANY MEMORIES FROM OVER THE YEARS AT AISHK. COULD YOU SHARE WITH US SOME OF THE EARLIER MOMENTS FROM WHEN YOU FIRST BEGAN YOUR TIME HERE? Certainly. It’s hard to think back over 11 years, but I think initially it was just the sheer size of the school building. Moving from Australia, where everything is reasonably flat in schools, to eight stories in a school and with the pool on the roof - that was certainly an early memory.
Hong Kong. These are some of my earlier memories.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF YOUR JOB THAT YOU HAVE ENJOYED THE MOST? Initially, and it has continued right through the years, just the sheer privilege of spending your working day with such wellmannered children. They’re very happy children and are wellbehaved. Really, no job can be better. I think that’s something that always makes you happy because it’s a nice environment.
Also, I think listening to children and teachers when they come back from holidays, hearing all the amazing places they go to. Back in Australia, it’s usually “down the coast” or maybe peple have saved to go to Bali or somewhere. But here, people go to all sorts of places. The other part of the job I’ve really enjoyed is being able to try and find the very best teachers that you can, from everywhere. To try to find teachers who you think will match this school. That’s been very enjoyable too.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL MISS THE MOST ABOUT HONG KONG WHEN YOU LEAVE? Well, obviously the staff and students, because it’s usually people who you miss the most. I think the energy and vibrancy of the city. The ease of travel from Hong Kong for anywhere in the world. And then, of course, cheap taxis and the MTR. And having somebody do my cleaning and ironing! They’re things I think I’ll miss the most.
Other aspects of the job include watching the teachers grow and improve. Overseeing their teaching become more ‘AISHK style’ rather than NSW or anywhere else. It’s actual curriculum for this school. I think that’s something.
Be the best you can be in whatever you do, all your life long - doesn’t matter what you’re doing. Make decisions with your heart as well as your mind. Choose your role models carefully, I think that’s very important.
On a personal level, trying to find an affordable apartment and realising how small living spaces are for most people in
Traveling with the Year 6s to Beijing – I think I’ll be in the “old folks” home still remembering that!
Live life as fully as you can, because it’s surprisingly short. Travel extensively - a lot of students at this school have that. Never forget that we’re truly privileged. I think that’s so important because it becomes the norm after a while.
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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT GOING BACK TO PERTH? I think helping my family, especially my two graddaughters and getting to know them. Having regular barbecues in the backyard. Walks along Cottesloe Beach and the Swan River. The smell of eucalyptus trees early in the morning. The smell of lawn being cut. And having a veggie garden, cutting roses from the garden and putting them in a vase in the house. Just a slower pace of life with more time to read, and live and learn.
On behalf of AISHK students, staff and the wider school community, we thank Leonie for her dedication to the School over the past 11 years. We wish her the very best for her return to Perth.
WHAT KIND OF ADVICE MIGHT YOU GIVE TO AISHK STUDENTS WHO ARE LIVING AND STUDYING IN A CITY LIKE HONG KONG?
Then, soon afterwards, hearing the children sing the national anthem of Australia made me realise that in some ways we were probably more Australian here than in Australia! Other things include managing school buses. Over 350 children catching buses from all over Hong Kong - that’s very different to Australia.
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Well even though Phil Waugh teases me and says, “Do you have electricity there yet?” - yes, we do! Perth is very isolated. While it’s not the most isolated city in the world, it is the most isolated city in Australia. It has a beautiful climate, great, clean air and fabulous beaches, unspoiled coastlines and beautiful Swan River. It’s a casual, easygoing city with a terrific outdoor life of open cafes, restaurants and barbecues. The winter is very short. I think you would call it a Mediterranean climate with a dry heat.
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Music
Instrumental Program by Mr Graeme Tyler, Head of Performing Arts
The instrumental music program at AISHK continues to grow and flourish. We currently have over 160 students enrolled in the program, being taught a range of instruments that include flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, viola, double bass, trumpet, trombone, drums, guitar, piano and voice. Nine visiting instrumental teachers visit our school each week to provide private individual lessons to our students. The benefits of learning a musical instrument are welldocumented around the world. Apart from the growth and development of their artistic selves, students learning an instrument develop their brain function as well as their physical coordination. They develop skills of patience and perseverance, and the ability to focus. This holistic learning helps students to perform their best in all subjects and equips them with essential life skills. Students who learn an instrument also then have the opportunity of joining one of the AISHK music ensembles. We encourage all students to learn a music instrument. Parents can enquire about the program by sending an e-mail to performing_arts@aishk.edu.hk.
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Alongside the In-Curricular teaching program of music in our classes from Preparatory through to Year 12, we have an important Co-Curricular music ensemble program. These music ensembles provide invaluable practical opportunities for our students in both instrumental and choral music-making.
v The Primary Choir - involving
v The Jazz Band - involving students
students from Year 3 to Year 6, in a two part choir of soprano and alto voices.
from Year 3 to Year 12 and including woodwind, brass, percussion and keyboard players.
v The Vocal Ensemble - involving students from Year 7 to Year 12, in a four part ensemble of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices. v
The program includes:
The Junior Choir - involving students in Year 1 and Year 2.
v The Orchestra - involving students from Year 3 to Year 12 and including string, woodwind, brass and percussion players.
v The Guitar Ensemble - involving students from Year 3 to Year 12, and including both acoustic and electric guitar players and bass guitar.
The AISHK music ensembles perform at various school and community events throughout the year such as the annual speech days, biennial school fair, performing arts showcases, special celebrations and music recitals. We encourage all students to join a choral and/ or instrumental ensemble by registering interest at performing_arts@aishk.edu.hk. PAGE
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2015
PERFORMING
ARTS at AISHK
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2015
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Celebrating AISHK’s 20th Anniversary
EARLY CHILDHOOD
PHILOSOPHY
by Mr Graeme Tyler, Head of Performing Arts
In 2015 we have the exciting opportunity to celebrate the School’s 20th Anniversary through a series of events during the year. The first of these events was held on Australia Day 26 January, when we also celebrated AISHK’s birthday. The Primary Choir sang the National Anthem on this occasion. This was followed by our special Commemoration Event on 6 February, which featured over 250 performers. This program highlighted the talents of a specially selected secondary dance troupe, all of the Year 5 and 6 students, chosen Year 4 students, the Primary Choir, and a senior instrumental band. The dance troupe and primary year level groups presented a spectacular visual celebrating the 20-year journey of the school. The Primary Choir sang the National Anthem and introduced the new Anniversary School Song to the AISHK community. The senior instrumental band entertained patrons during the Welcome BBQ that immediately followed the official ceremony. The Performing Arts department will also present a special 20th Anniversary Arts Showcase celebration on 17-18 June. This will be an entertaining evening of music, song and dance, involving the Orchestra, Primary Choir and Vocal Ensemble, along with our Anniversary Dance and Drama Troupes. A grand finale will bring together all performers playing and singing the renowned Hallelujah Chorus by Handel. This will indeed be a dynamic way to conclude the evening’s Anniversary celebrations. We look forward to sharing this special event with the AISHK community. PAGE
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IN 2014, OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEAM SPENT TIME REFLECTING ON WHAT WE BELIEVE IN AS TEACHERS, AS WELL AS WHAT WE KNOW IS BEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, CULMINATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT. by Mrs Simone Nielsen, Head of Early Childhood At AISHK, our Early Childhood team is committed to ensuring our students are provided with a range of opportunities to learn through play-based, handson experiences. As students move through the Early Childhood years, they are increasingly introduced to more ‘academic’ learning, however this continues to take place in an environment that nurtures individual learners and differentiates for the specific needs of each child through creative delivery of the curriculum. In our Reception year, the Australian Early Years Learning Framework is used as a tool to extend and enrich children’s learning with an emphasis on communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) as well as social and emotional development. From Prep onwards, the Australian National Curriculum is used as our foundational document to guide teaching and learning. We recognise and acknowledge that our school operates in the unique context of Hong Kong and our educational programs respect this uniqueness. By combining the cultural influences of our home country with those of our host country we are able to provide our students with rich, deep
and diverse cultural experiences. Programs at AISHK reflect and are closely aligned with the constructivist theories of learning. We aim to integrate aspects of theories principally developed by Dewey, Bruner, Piaget and Vygotsky. Our practices are also influenced by a range of international Early Childhood approaches, such as Reggio Emilia, and we incorporate what we consider to be the most relevant aspects and principles. These influences have led us to develop and adopt some firm principles on which we base our programs, pedagogies and practices. These beliefs include:
v Children learn best when they are actively involved and interested. Through their play, children learn about themselves, other people and the world around them. v Play experiences must be purposeful, relevant and enable children to expand and build on what they already know and can do. v The learning environment must be stimulating and allow children to take risks. This requires meticulous planning and knowledge of each individual child. The environment must also facilitate
access to a range of quality resources that allow children to follow their interests and expand their learning through hands on experiences.
v Parents play an integral part in the learning process. Early Childhood education at AISHK is accomplished and enriched through a collaborative partnership with children, parents and educators. v Children develop at different rates and in different ways - emotionally, intellectually, socially, physically and spiritually. All aspects are important and each is interwoven with the other. We provide a differentiated curriculum to meet these individual needs and allow each child to experience progress and success in their own unique way.
v The importance we place on literacy, numeracy and information technology must be evident throughout all key learning areas of English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, the Creative Arts, Putonghua as well as Health and Physical Education. Of similar importance is the emphasis we must place on the development of learning dispositions and the essential skills of problem solving and critical thinking. PAGE
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YEAR 6 TRANSITION DAY by Mr Anthony Murphy, Mathematics Teacher and Year 7 Advisor
YEAR 5 2014’S PAPER CRANE PROJECT DELIVERED TO HIROSHIMA
Towards the end of November 2014, Year 6 students were given a taste of secondary life. They took part in Transition Day, spending a day on the upper floors of the school.
by Ms Lynda Lemmon, Year 5 Classroom Teacher
Although it is the same building, the move from Primary to Secondary Division can be daunting as it brings with a number of changes. Students must get used to moving from class to class and from teacher to teacher throughout the day and using specialist classrooms such as technology and science rooms.
During the early months of the 2014 school year, Year 5 began a very special project when they aimed to fold 1,000 paper cranes in memory of a very special young girl, Sadako Sasaki. Sadako died of Leukemia at the age of 12 as a result of tragic atomic bombings that devastated Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Students discussed peace within our world, remembered tragic events that have passed and collaborated together as a year group until the 1000th paper crane was folded. This very special journey was made completely in January when our precious ‘senzaburu’ (flock of 1,000 cranes) along with Year 5’s wishes of hope and peace, were delivered to the Children’s Memorial Peace Park in Hiroshima. It was a beautiful, sunny yet cold day when the cranes were hung besides hundreds of other senzaburu made by children from all over the world. The message attached to our cranes was simply a haiku:
Students met with secondary teachers and prefects, who answered many questions about life in secondary – from daily timetables to Friday activities and lunch time to homework. They also attended a Secondary Assembly, took part in a Mathematics ‘Treasure Hunt’ and had a lesson in a technology classroom. All Year 6 students, teachers and prefects enjoyed a BBQ lunch on the Green Roof to celebrate the successful day as a ‘secondary’ student.
IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND – ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES by Mrs Simone Nielsen, Head of Early Childhood
Just imagine being able to build rocket ships, factories, robots, houses, buildings that reach for the sky and just about anything your imagination can possibly create. This has been a reality for our Early Childhood students this year, due to the generosity of the Parent Association of 2014, who funded our ‘Imagination Playground’. The playground is made up of large loose blocks in shapes such as cubes, bricks, curves, cylinders and cogs. These blocks have connecting holes and shapes that fit together, allowing young children to create and build in an open ended manner. While playing in this way, our students learn to solve problems, express themselves, collaborate as well as negotiate the rules of their play. They are moving their bodies and thinking mathematically. Our Imagination Playground is currently being used as part of our PMP program and is a huge hit with our younger children. While watching students play and interact with both the blocks and their peers, our teachers gain invaluable information about each student and how they learn and make meaning in their lives.
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AISHK STUDENTS PLACE IN AUSTRALIAN CONSULATE CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION by Mr Cameron Reed, Dean of Studies (Primary)
Towards the end of each year the Australian Consulate in Hong Kong facilitates a Christmas card competition. Students of varying ages design a card that they hope will be used by the Consulate in sending out Christmas cheer. Each year the number of students increases as does the quality of the artwork. The students are asked to encapsulate the images of Christmas and combine it with a Hong Kong perspective. As the submission and judging happens after the completion of our school year, we did not have the opportunity to recognise the successful students until the following year. In 2014 Sophia Zervaas, Kristen Li and Jessica Martin were selected as finalists. Isaac Au received the next level of achievement and Naoise Breeze was selected as first runner up by the judges for displaying excellence in creativity and visual aesthetics while promoting the competition's theme. Each of these artworks was displayed at an art exhibition in Central in December.
When kids are taught love Hate stops before it begins This gives us world peace Our congratulations go to the Year 5 of 2014. We are so proud of you. PAGE
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Australian Author
YEAR 3 CELEBRATES
DR SEUSS’
111TH BIRTHDAY by Ms Lesley Stewart, Year 3 Teacher
Year 3 students had a fantastic day celebrating Dr Seuss’ 111th birthday in March. Students dressed up in a ‘touch of Seuss’, brought a plate to share and took part in some fun learning experiences. Students looked wonderful dressed as Cat-in-the-Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, the Once-ler, the Lorax, barbaloots and many other characters. Families, as always, were generous with their sharing plates, and we did have some amazing creations: marshmallow hats just like Cat-in-the-Hat’s, the truffalo trees made from cake and fairy floss, and green eggs and ham sandwiches. Students, with the help of their teachers, also researched information on Dr Seuss; did some artwork inspired by the settings in Seuss books and Kandinsky-inspired trees from the Lorax; they wrote book reviews and did author studies; they looked at rhyme and wrote poetry. There are many reasons for celebrating the works of Theodor Seuss Geisel: they are fun, interesting and just a little bit wild; they have great characters; they rhyme and have wonderful nonsense words; and often they have important messages in them. It’s best PAGE
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Visits AISHK to leave it to Dr Seuss himself to explain why his work is still so popular and powerful today.
It has often been said
there’s so much to be read,
you never can cram all those words in your head.
So the writer who breeds more words than he needs is making a chore for the reader who reads. That’s why my belief is the briefer the brief is, the greater the sigh of the reader’s relief is. And that’s why your books
have such power and strength.
You publish with shorth? (Shorth is better than length.)
by Claudia Wong, Year 6W Primary students were fortunate to have one of Hong Kong’s most wellknown children’s authors, Sarah Brennan, visit AISHK in March. She introduced her new book The Tale of Rodney Ram, which is about the Year of the Goat. Sarah Brennan writes a series called Chinese Calendar Tales. These books contain poetry, illustrations by Harry Harrison and information about Chinese history. Every year a new book is published by Auspicious Times Limited to celebrate that year’s zodiac animal. The Tale of Rodney Ram is about a sheep named Rodney, who leads a flock of ewes and acts bravely in public but whose personality is shy, just like the characteristics of people born in the Year of the Goat. After he gets kicked off his farm, Rodney discovers rice, one of the most eaten foods in the world, and becomes famous. In the pictures of the book,
Harry Harrison has hidden two insects, Hip and Hop, that can be found on every page. As well as a fabulous story and wonderful illustrations, there is also some Chinese history in all of her books. Sarah says that the plot of this book was formed around a legend where in a flooded village, five sheep floated down to earth with gods on their backs. The gods taught the villagers how to grow rice, who then shared this method with the world. There is a stone statue of five sheep in the centre of Guangzhou, symbolising the legend. Towards the end of each session, Sarah encouraged students to enter her latest Clever Competition: A Shaggy Sheep Poem. Everyone enjoyed Sarah’s visit to our school and hopes she visits the School again next year with another fantastic story about the Year of the Monkey.
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Port Adelaide Member Surprises Year 6 Students A Port Adelaide member surprised Year 6R student Angus McBride and his classmates with a visit to the School and a signed jersey in hand during the last week of February. During a class project called ‘Own It’, Year 6R students were asked to claim a section of their classroom and decorate it with items that reflect who they are. Through a series of unfortunate events, Angus’ signed Port Adelaide AFL jersey ended up being thrown away. Mrs Nicki Robertson then contacted Matthew Richardson, the General Manager of Port Adelaide Football Club, and explained how Angus had lost this prized possession. Matthew wrote back within minutes saying that he and the team would be more than willing to help replace the jersey. The jersey was hand delivered on Monday 23 February by a Port Adelaide member, which amazed all Year 6R students. Angus now has a signed jersey as well as a jersey to play in at his AFL practices. Sincerest thanks to Matthew Richardson and the rest of the Port Adelaide Football Club for their help!
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Year 10 Work Experience by Ms Feona Crawford, Career Advisor
Y
ear 10 students experienced a wide range of work environments and careers during their two-week work experience in November 2014. Thanks to the generous support from a wide range of Hong Kong companies that our students are able to learn valuable life skills including the following:
• Time management and meeting deadlines • Following directions • Problem-solving • Interpersonal communication • Responsibility • Leadership and working as part of a team
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Students learnt about sales and marketing while working at Aura, Life’s A Breeze, Genie Juicery, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, Tequila Kola and Polkadot Boutique. Students developed their performing arts skills at Red Angel Media, A Team Studio, IAFT, MnS Music and Cloverland Music. A number of students had the opportunity to learn about the world of design and architecture at Boris Design Studio, Warmpaper Design, J-Pans HK Ltd, Power Professional Production, LWK & Partners Architects, Gravity Partnership and Command N Media Limited. A few students worked with animals and learnt about a career as a vet at Peace Avenue Veterinary Clinic, Creature Comforts and Tai
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SHASMUN 2014 by Ms Amy Hii, Secondary English Teacher & Model United Nations Co-ordinator
ISHK sent a delegation to participate in the annual Shanghai American School Model United Nations Conference from 13 to 16 November 2014. Our students had an enriching time and did AISHK proud. Two of our students, Nicholas Yuan and Wendy Liang performed particularly well, being awarded with Most Diplomatic Delegate for the Economic and Social Council and Most Passionate Delegate for the Human Rights Council, respectively. AISHK congratulates these two students, along with: Brayden Lo, Bryan Tang, Jonathan Banfield, Emily Zhu, Felix Wong, Robert Shu, Jack McCorkell, Andrew Pu, Edmund Sze, Ronald Au and Nicholas Jessop.
“On 13 November, fourteen of our school’s finest delegates gathered in the cafeteria anxious to depart for the annual SHASMUN conference. Our trip had a rocky start, with the plane being delayed by four hours, but our optimism did not dissipate. The next day we readied ourselves for the first day of the conference. We sat through a delightful opening ceremony and were divided into our committees. A day of lobbying and merging saw us make alliances, rivals and new friends. The next day we participated in debates, with delegates writing speeches, having to think on our feet and make amendments. Overall the trip was an invaluable and amazing experience for all those who went. We came back with new skills, new experiences and most importantly, new friends.”
Wai Small Animal and Exotic Hospital. Many students worked in the health profession and learnt about different careers associated within the health care sector including C & S Dental Care Limited, Ocean Optical Group and Haven of Hope Sister Anni Sku Holistic Care Centre. Some students also learnt about careers within the legal profession at DLA PIPER HK, Tanner De Witt, Mayer Brown JSM and Keith Lam Lau & Chan.
– Nicholas Jessop, Year 11E
HKMUN 2015 THIMUN Singapore 2014 by Ms Amy Hii, Secondary English Teacher & Model United Nations Co-ordinator
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A
ISHK attended its last MUN conference for 2014 in Singapore. Students from Year 10 and 11 participated in The Hague International Model United Nations conference held at the Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore from 17 to 21 November. Students were the delegates of Greece and the World Health Organisation, and for many of our students this will be their last international conference of their school career. Two of our senior students had special positions at this conference: Robert Shu took on the leadership role of President of the General Assembly Third Committee and Joyce Lui was an International Court Judge. AISHK congratulates these students, along with Andrew Pu, Nicholas Jessop, Gordon Young, Kiran Shivalingam, Bryan Tang, Nicholas Yuan,
Chloe Lam, Ashwin Utamchandani, Michael Tan and Felix Wong. “THIMUN was a great experience, complete with a lively atmosphere and fruitful debate. We negotiated and debated the solutions to various problems such as, human rights, environmental protection, economic development, disarmament and issues of war and peace. Through the countless research and preparation sessions that Ms Hii had thoroughly planned and the involvement with other young delegates our age, we were able to empathise and give insight into the world’s problems, to make us aware of the causes of conflict between nations which led us to a better understanding of the interests and motivations of others.” – Chloe Lam, Year 11W
T
en students from Years 9 to 11 took part in the 2015 HKMUN conference, which was held from 27 February to 1 March. Stretching over three days, students independently prepared for this annual conference and debated with confidence and flair. The AISHK community congratulates Felix Wong, Bryan Tang, Edmund Sze, Wendy Liang, Ronald Au, Nicholas Jessop and Elly Yiu for being outstanding ambassadors of their represented nations and the School. “The conference had changed drastically from last year, with a great improvement in facilities and logistics, moving to the Science Park in Sha Tin. This year, with the introduction of two experimental committees, LegCO and NATO, we took a delegation of 10 students, including a chairing position. We
were given the delegations of Pakistan, Kuwait and Hungary in the Historical and Modern General Assemblies with issues ranging from the Ethiopian famine of 1985, to voluntarism. In NATO, our delegation of Luxembourg debated important current issues such as cyber warfare and the Ukraine crisis. Our delegate for LegCo represented the entrepreneur Charles Mok and expressed views on universal suffrage.
Some of the newer delegates who were unfamiliar with the HKMUN procedure were a little bit distressed at first, but quickly managed to adapt and act constructively in accordance with the political dynamics of each committee. At the end of the conference, many friends were made, goodbyes were said, and all of us look forward to going back next year.” – Nicholas Yuan, Year 11W PAGE
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Year 7 Visual Arts Students Visit Kowloon Park
Year 9 English Mixes Shakespeare and Swift
by Olivia Ruskin, Year 7E
A
ll Year 7 Visual Arts students took a trip out to Kowloon Park as part of their Friday Activity in February. Students were divided into their respective house groups and went to different parts of the park.
T
Secondary Students Celebrate Friendship Day
W
hen the time comes around for the annual SRC Friendship Day there is always the reluctance and awkwardness that comes with buying gifts for people, but every year without fail, students celebrate the kindness and hope of friendship through small tokens of appreciation.
by Nicholas Yuan, Year 11W
Mainly held in Week 4, this year’s SRC Friendship Day was organised through the efforts of community service prefects Kiran Shivalingam and Vernice Chan along with the SRC. Chocolates, a sweet and simple gift suitable for all and roses, the sign of a secret admirer, were 10 and five dollars respectively. “The sheer number of orders placed this year show that we have students who understand the big impact a small PAGE
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Taylor Swift’s Blank Space in Shakespearean Sonnet form by Year 9E (2014) with Ms Hii
owards the end of the 2014 school year, Year 9 English students were introduced to the ideas and structure of poetry – old and new alike.
Students learnt about villanelles and the Shakespearean sonnet, identifying how ideas about love can be expressed in multiple ways. Students made the connection that many of these ideas expressed in Shakespearean sonnets are also found in pop music today. Paying homage to Taylor Swift’s song Blank Space, students broke down her song for meaning, identifying a single headline found in the song and matching it to a key idea Swift represents in her music.
Students were required to bring a camera to practice taking photos of the elements of nature surrounding them. They took photographs of plants and trees close up in order to properly see the texture and colour. In addition to taking photos, they were also required to draw in their art diaries. Students were only allowed to use a black ink pen, drawing sketches of barks of trees, texture of leaves and much more. Overall, the excursion was fun and interesting.
Students identified the headline, “love is dangerous” and matched this with the idea that “love is like a game”. Together as a class, they thought of three different games and attempted to include the ideas of each of these games into each quatrain of their sonnet. They thought about cards in stanza one, Minecraft in stanza two and Tetris in stanza three. Students followed the Shakespearean sonnet rules of 14 lines, three quatrains, one rhyming couplet, written in iambic pentameter with an ABAB/CC rhyme scheme.
gift can bring,” said Kiran, admiring the stacks of cards that needed chocolates stapled to them. Students and teachers alike bought these small gifts to be delivered to their friends, across the spectrum of grades. “Events like Friendship Day that raise money for charity are great, especially when they involve friends… and chocolate,” Vernice remarked. As usual, all funds raised go toward the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, a charity dedicated to the improvement of children’s conditions in Vietnam and Mongolia, which our school continues to work with through this and other fundraising events and the Saigon Activity Week trip.
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You were the only king to fit my heart We had love and spades till you went away, Even a joker couldn’t make us part I thought about you every single day Love is a mistake you’ll go down in flames, The heat will consume you causing you pain All in all love is really just a game If there’s no pain then there will be no gain One small mistake can scar you forever If you miss the slot you will ruin the plot, Life is like Tetris, it’s now or never We connect together like dot to dot Make the wrong move, and you will blow up in flames Love is dangerous akin to a game
Year 11 and 12 Physics Students Visit the AIA Great European Carnival by Eddie Haines, Year 11J
Y
ear 11 and 12 Physics students visited the AIA Great European Carnival shortly before the Chinese New Year holidays this year to study and analyse the physics that allows the rides to function. The Carnival’s lead engineer and technician escorted students and teachers around the fair, explaining the science behind each ride such as undulating tracks which allows the roller coaster
to push itself forward. Students were also lucky enough to receive two free rides and lunch at the Carnival. Funfair rides are a great way to learn physics and experience motion in all its glory! PAGE
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Alistair. Cipta Croft-Cussworth, the illustrator, created two of the other armadillos. The remaining five were created by Grade 5 students back in Indonesia. We ran a competition amongst a number of schools to create the most interesting characters. Each of the winning students received both books signed by myself and Cipta and will be recognised in the third book.
I: On your website, I saw that you had all of the characters as part of ‘The Fez’. What is the meaning behind this, and why did you choose it? A ‘Fez’ is a term used for a group of armadillos like a ‘herd’ is used to classify a group of sheep.
I: I noticed that you had started the first Kids Boot Camp program in Indonesia. What is it like? What difficulties did you have to overcome?
Journey of Discovering Health, Colour and Happiness
I: How has your interest in fitness training influenced your writing? My first story has a message of being healthy. I try to live healthily and wanted to represent this in my first book.
Nothing brings stories to life better than listening to people who created them share their stories and the creative process of writing their books. Award-winning author Mike Brumby visited AISHK earlier in March and gave our students a first-hand experience of his newest books Alistair the Armadillo - Journey to the Stars and Alistair the Armadillo - Gift of Colour. Year 10 student Ivan Hu sat down with Mike to discuss his inspirations, passion for health and fitness and his adventures as an author.
I: What made you interested in fitness training?
I: What inspired you to write Alistair the Armadillo series?
I: What made you choose to make all your characters armadillos?
For the past two and a half years I really had an ambition to write a book for kids that had something to do with PAGE
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being healthy, but I didn’t know enough about children’s books and how to write for an audience of children. So I bought a lot of children’s books online, went to libraries and read hundreds of
children’s books and spoke to lots of people about my idea. Two books that really inspired me and gave me the idea for my own book would be Elmer and The Gruffulo.
I’ve been interested in fitness ever since I went to university. I studied PE & Sports Science and then worked as a PE teacher for 10 years.
In the fez there are a total of seven armadillos. I created the main character
My Kids Boot Camp is very new. Generally, many children in Jakarta live very sedentary lifestyles. I started this program to try and encourage children to become more active outside and to eat more healthily. My program is situated on an organic farm in Bandung, about two hours from Jakarta.
I: What would you say was the book that influenced your life the most? Wow, that’s a tough question. There are so many books that I have read that have influenced me. However, I really took a lot of strength after reading Lance Armstrong’s book It’s not about the bike: My journey back to life. He was such a determined individual. To come back to win the Tour de France after almost dying from cancer is
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unbelievable beyond belief.
I: How many schools have you visited? So far around 40, mostly from Indonesia where I live. I’ve been to schools in China, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia. In the near future I will be visiting a few schools in Cape Town, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
I: I noticed that you are planning to release your third book, Join the Fez. Could you give a brief description of what the book may be about? The third book will begin to develop the other armadillos in the fez. The text will be written in a rhyming format and the illustrator will try to do something quite unique with the illustrations, possibly that hasn’t been done before. Hopefully, the book will be out before the end of the year.
I: What was it like being awarded the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award? It was a great feeling. Mr Mike Hughes was the creator of the eBook which won the award. The award was given to us because the eBook not only had five languages but also included a language called ASL (American Sign Language). We were lucky to have the help of a boy called Tobin who is deaf. He made all the ASL videos on the eBook.
I: Do you have any specific lifestyle advice? My advice for children would be to spend as much time outside and active as possible and not so much time on your smartphone or laptop.
I: Just one more question. What fruit is also known as the ‘love apple’? Maybe the reader of this article could have a guess themselves of what that could be (smiles). PAGE
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Sports News AISHK Swim Team Secondary Netball Tournaments The AISHK Opals and the AISHK Sapphires played five games in the U14 ISSFHK Competition between September and November 2014 against Discovery Bay and Harrow. Results: AISHK Opals- Winners AISHK Sapphires- Runners Up In late October 2014 a team of 11 girls took part in the AISA U16 Netball tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We remained undefeated up until the grand-final where a thrilling, high standard of netball was played by two very well-matched teams. Singapore proved to be just too strong, defeating us 29-20. Result: AISHK U16- Silver; MVP – Beth Olliffe Eight girls travelled to the British International School in Pudong Shanghai in November 2014 to compete in the ACAMIS Netball Tournament. After five games on the first day, AISHK secured a place in the top four. The following two games were played back-to-back securing the opportunity to compete for third place. The girls proudly walked away with a bronze medal after defeating BISS Puxi in our final game. Result: AISHK – Bronze PAGE
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AISHK sent a team of swimmers to the Bangkok Splash meet in March, held at the International School of Bangkok. Twenty-three AISHK students boarded a flight to Bangkok for two days of competition against almost 700 competitors, including students from Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Kaitlyn Buffon led all the way in the 100m Freestyle for her age division in the time of 1.02.97, and Temana Short became the first AISHK swimmer in 2015 to go under 27 seconds for the 50m Freestyle in the time of 26.83. Long Course swimmers Sarah Steadson, Ella Fraser, Bill Thorley, Temana Short, Jack Ware, Henry Phillis and team captain Maddie Howell all won gold medals. The team finished off with three gold medals at the 400m Freestyle event, the last event of the day. Ella Fraser, Andy Pich, Jack Ware and Temana Short all swam times that would rank them in the Top 10 in Hong Kong in their events. The team ended up with 16 bronze, 30 silver and nine gold medals, and won the trophy for the school with most points per swimmer.
SDRC Touch Football Tournament 2014 (Boys) SDRC Volleyball AISHK’s Girls and Boys volleyball teams travelled to American International School of Guangzhou to compete in their annual SDRC Volleyball tournament. The timing of this event isn’t ideal for AISHK as our season has just started with only a few training sessions, nevertheless our students headed over the border confident in being able to give a few teams a run for their money. After two days of competing, both the boys and girls teams were playing for fifth and sixth, in the process they both managed to take a few sets from their opponents. Both teams kicked off their final games on Saturday morning in good spirits, with the girls team quietly confident of not only taking a set but winning their final. This shone through in their final, easily winning and defeating Utahloy International School Guangzhou in straight sets. Special mention goes to Lachlan Ting, Zachary Chu, Victoria Hogan and Phoebe Fraser for making it to the All Star Team.
SDRC Soccer AISA Soccer In very trying weather and pitch conditions eight girls attended this tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in October 2014. Most of their games were played in the afternoon, and some of the girls had already participated in other sports during the day, giving their achievements even more credit. On the last day of the tournament, the girls achieved a draw which put them through to the semifinals against AIS Singapore, the number one team at the tournament. The girls held their own but went down 1-0 in a very close fought game to Singapore, who went on to win the final.
The AISHK Kangaroos played their way through a very hot, three-day tournament in Shekou on 16-18 October 2014. After losing their first game, the girls made an impressive comeback and progressed to the semifinals to eventually lose 2-1 to Utahloy who then went on to win the tournament. The girls then claimed third place in their next game. All Star Team selections went to Lara Schats and Phoebe Coogans. Congratulations to all for a huge effort and having a great tournament.
In December 2014, 21 students from Year 5 to Year 8 represented AISHK at the annual SDRC Touch Football Tournament held in Southern China. As well as enjoying success on the field, both boys and girls teams showed great sportsmanship and respect towards the other visiting teams and the host school, American International, Guangzhou. After a long bus trip and a difficult first-up game against the home team, the AISHK boys played tremendously well to win four out of their five pool matches to finish second overall and book themselves a place in the semifinals. In a hard fought match against SIS which ended up all square at full time, our boys eventually lost in a golden point drop off situation. Although feeling disappointed in narrowly missing the final, the boys were able to bounce back and win their last match against Canadian International School to secure third place. Congratulations to all team members for their efforts over the three days, particularly Callum Kendall and Samuel Thorley who were chosen in the tournaments All Star Boys team for their overall outstanding play. PAGE
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01 02
AISHK on
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01 Primary students getting ready for their ‘20 Years in Dance’ performance. 02 Taking drone footage of our whole school and school building. 03 Meet and greet with Qantas Wallabies at AISHK. 04 Reception students on a mission to find Santa Claus at Festival Walk. 05 First day of the 2015 school year. 06 Primary Choir performing at the Mad Hatter’s Fair. 07 Teachers all dressed up for Book Week. 08 Santa photoshoot in action at Carols Evening 2014.
07 Follow us on Instagram
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to get up to the minute photo updates from the school
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Welcoming New Families to AISHK We would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families at AISHK.
Uy Family Living in an apartment and not having to deal with weekend house maintenance rates high on the list of Hong Kong positives for the Uy family. Alexandra, Toby (Year 5), Sophie (Year 3) and Alfie (the dog) moved first, and they will soon be joined by Raf, who is the Regional CFO (Asia) for Zurich Insurance. According to Alex, the kids enjoy making new friends at AISHK, are happy going to school and really like their teachers – “What more could newbie expat parents ask for?” The Uy’s love exploring their new city and are taken aback at how friendly and helpful people are. They are looking forward to travelling around the region and hosting visitors. Alex, who is studying Naturopathy and Meditation, is looking forward to being able to spend more one-onone time with the kids while in Hong Kong.
Fraser Family Living overseas is nothing new to William and Helen, who have lived in the UK, Japan and Abu Dhabi. However, the move to Hong Kong makes it the first time the Frasers have lived outside Australia with school-aged children – Phoebe (Year 9), Ella (Year 7) and Tom (Year 5). The family is excited about living in Hong Kong, and Helen notes it is such a dynamic time for Hong Kong and China and therefore a real privilege to be living here during these changes and developments. She also thinks that by leaving their safe haven of Sydney, their resilience as individuals and as a family will be tested but hopefully made stronger by this experience. According to Helen, the children settled into the AISHK school routine quickly and have made many new friends. In addition to the academic excellence and focus on pastoral care and support at school, she thinks the ECA program and sporting activities are terrific. Both the girls have already had the opportunity to represent the school in China (Phoebe – volleyball) and Bangkok (Ella –swimming), opportunities they would not have had in Sydney. The Frasers, who have chosen to live in mid-levels, relocated so William could take up an opportunity in banking/finance IT. Helen, who has always worked, is hoping to find a role in public health policy and management. Helen attended the “Settling Into Hong Kong” forums held at school and found the first two sessions helpful and provided her with some useful strategies and tools to better support her children during the transition to their new home.
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Community News and Events AISHK celebrates its 20th Anniversary with the school community and breaks 2013 Fair attendance records.
Mad Hatter’s Fair With the weather on our side on the day, the attendance at the AISHK Mad Hatter’s Fair broke all records. Inspired by the Mad Hatter’s theme and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ décor, many of our
attendees dressed for the occasion and put together brilliant costumes and hats. The Fair featured a wide range of rides and games for all ages; a variety of entertainment including the school choirs, orchestra and ensembles as well as musical guests, Pete Moore and his band Stylus; Andrew the Brilliant Balloon Man; an intense bubble soccer tournament and many, many more activities throughout the school. The Scavenger Hunt also kept students and other attendees warm from the cool breeze as they found their way up and down the school, searching for clues hidden in different spots around the campus. Students, staff, families and community members enjoyed a fun-filled day of activities, food and drink, entertainment and the many commercial stalls on offer. Importantly, our community made a tremendous effort in fundraising over $600,000 through our associated raffle, with all proceeds going towards the enhancement of both the 4/F and 6/F gymnasiums. This fabulous result was due to the efforts of the parents and the AISHK Development Office, sponsors, staff, students and others who volunteered their time and gave so readily to the event and made it such a success.
Males Family Hailing from Brighton in Adelaide, the move to Hong Kong is the first family adventure outside Australia for the Males family. Liz, who leads the Asia-Pacific Partner Matters Talent function of Ernst & Young, transferred to the Hong Kong office. Their children, Josie (Year 9) and Rupert (Year 5) have found AISHK very friendly and welcoming. The Males family relocated to push themselves outside their comfortable life in Adelaide, and they are looking forward to exploring Asia during their time here. According to Grant, it is worth attending as many welcome events and forums as you are able because you make many friends who become the smiling face at school events so you don’t always feel like a “newbie”. Now that the family is settled, Grant is ready to embrace a new change and will look for work as an Accountant/Commercial Manager. PAGE
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20th
Anniversary Commemoration Event AISHK marked its 20th anniversary with an official ceremony, followed by our annual Welcome BBQ in February. We were lucky enough to have a number of special guests including past principals, board members and Australian Consular officials attending this commemorative event.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS BY MR CARL OHLSON, ADRIAN WONG AND CHARLOTTE MCGRORY
After a brief introduction by Co-Heads of School Mrs Leonie Drew and Mr Phillip Waugh, Board Chairman Mr Tom Corkhill spoke about his journey as board chair of AISHK. A preview of “Building, Being, Becoming - A Story of Australian International School Hong Kong” was screened, which brought joyful tears to many.
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AISHK Alumni Cara Manning, Class of 2007, spoke about her favourite memories throughout the years before introducing ‘20 Years in Dance’, a special celebratory anniversary performance by our secondary dance troupe along with all of the Year 5, Year 6 and Year 4W classes.The Primary Choir also sang the Australian Anthem and launched the 20th anniversary school song. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all founding staff, students and their families, and the AISHK community, who supported the growth of our school and helped us reach the milestone in the school’s history. PAGE
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qantas
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wallabies visit
aishk
The Australian Rugby Sevens team visited AISHK in March, taking some time off from a rigorous training program in the lead up to the Hong Kong Sevens held between 27 and 29 March. Both Primary and Secondary students had the opportunity to see the Wallabies in action. Each of the team members took part in ‘The Longest Pass’ competition, a tradition that has been running at the school for the past six years and has recorded passes from over 100 touring professional rugby players. The length of the players spiral pass is recorded on an ongoing leaderboard that has a host of great rugby players from today’s game as well as some of yesterday’s heroes. Students lined the field and watched from the balconies as players had a crack at breaking records on the leaderboard. In the end it was back Allan Fa’alava’au, throwing an impressive 32.4 metres, who made it on the leaderboard once again. Primary students handed souvenir gifts from the school with their personal well wishes. Forward Bradley Wilkin also presented a signed jersey on behalf of the team to our Primary Head Boy and Head Girl.
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May 2015 | Volume 16
3A Norfolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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THE LION ROCK
Embracing differences, achieving together