Lion Rock Term 1 2023

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

It is my pleasure to make my first contribution to The Lion Rock magazine as Head of School. I would like to start by thanking the school community for the collective effort which has ensured a dynamic, fulfilling and productive first term. I am grateful to the AISHK community for the very warm welcome extended to me and have enjoyed working with colleagues, engaging with students and spending time getting to know parents.

When one imagines nine weeks of learning, I wonder if they would fathom the variety and depth of activity which takes place at AISHK. In just the first 72 hours of Term 1 we celebrated: the first on-campus school year commencement for AISHK since 2019; over 160 new students join our school; parents permitted back on campus for welcome coffees and information sessions; our vocal ensemble’s performance at a high-profile community event; and an alumni function with record attendance.

Add to that list, as the term went on, an athletics

carnival, two cross country events, fundraising for the victims of the tragic earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, AISHK playing venue host to sports tournaments, a tech conference, industry seminars and renowned author visits. The richness of AISHK school life speaks volumes of the can-do attitude, resilience and dedication of our staff, students and parents.

Finally, on behalf of the entire school community, congratulations to AISHK’s Class of 2022. The academic results achieved by this cohort were exemplary. The diversity of pathways and opportunities our students have cultivated for themselves are to be celebrated and are expanded on in this issue.

Term 1 has been a success, and I hope you enjoy the snapshots we share through this publication.

Mina Dunstan

HEAD OF SCHOOL

BOARD CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

On behalf of your Board of Governors, welcome to the first edition of The Lion Rock for 2023.

Ms Mina Dunstan commenced as Head of School at the end of 2022 and has been most warmly welcomed by our community. Mina is doing a wonderful job in leading AISHK and – supported by an amazing team of teachers and staff – has ensured a very successful start to the academic year.

AISHK began the year in festive fashion, marked by the annual Welcome Festival. The school staff, student and parent community came together to ring in the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit with traditional ceremonies including the much loved Lion Dance.

In the wider Hong Kong landscape, we have seen many events return, following a hiatus due to the pandemic. AISHK vocal ensemble students were honoured to again be invited to represent our school by performing at significant events, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce Australia Day Lunch and the

Australian Chinese Association of Hong Kong 30th Anniversary Ball. The long-held tradition of staff and student involvement in such events is evidence of the integral role that AISHK plays in the Australian and international community in Hong Kong, and of the school’s ongoing close connection to its founding associations.

I hope you had a wonderful first term, and I look forward to seeing you during what promises to be another fantastic year for AISHK.

Professor Richard Petty

AISFL BOARD CHAIR

TERM 1 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from Head of School Board Chairman’s Message

FEATURES:

Meeting Ms Dunstan

Renowned Authors Visit AISHK

Sports Recap

ACAMIS Basketball

Secondary Athletics Carnival

Primary Cross-Country

SECTIONS:

AISHK Alumni

School News

Welcome Festival & AISHK Birthday Meeting NEW AISHK Parents

AISHK in the Community Students Sing at Austcham Australia Day

Lunch and ACHK 30th Anniversary Ball

AISHK in the SCMP International Schools Fair Kowloon

IWD venue host of first Women’s Educators

AISHK Hosts

About the cover

The lion dance is always the highlight of every AISHK Birthday celebration and Welcome Festival. This year was particularly grand, signaling the re-opening of Hong Kong and welcoming the school year with a bang!

MEETING DunstanMs

In 2023 we have started the year warmly welcoming Ms Mina Dunstan, Head of School. Mina joins us with experience gained during 17 years in Hong Kong’s education sector with ESF schools and, previously, as a principal in Australia. With a wealth of experience in working with young people, and praised in the sector for her creativity and ability to respond to challenges, the former Principal of ESF’s Kennedy School and Quarry Bay School was voted Principal of the Year - Primary, at the Hong Kong Education Awards 2021. Now, at AISHK with 1,100 students from 25 different nationalities, from Reception to Year 12, Mina shares with us a little more about herself and her time at AISHK so far.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what it was like when you first arrived in HK?

Before moving to Hong Kong, I was in principal roles in Australia and I worked for the education department in Queensland. I then came to Hong Kong to teach and at that time I had a six-monthold baby in a pouch. My career then led to working across ESF schools in Sha Tin, Quarry Bay and

Kennedy Town. Fast forward to today, and I have been in Hong Kong for 17 years. I have two daughters and we are also a family to a relatively new, little puppy who keeps us very busy.

Was there anything particularly surprising, different or interesting that you noticed about school life when you first started at AISHK?

The warm and genuinely engaging welcome from the entire school community since commencing at AISHK has been overwhelmingly positive for me. I have been getting to know the community since late 2022, however, Term 1 has seen even more opportunity to learn about and meet the school’s wider network including its founding associations. A very pleasant surprise I must mention is the abundance of lamingtons available at AISHK! They happen to be one of my favourite treats and the cafeteria staff prepare them to perfection, onsite.

What would you say is one of AISHK’s key strengths, from what you have seen so far?

One of AISHK’s many “superpowers” is creating a learning environment which cultivates opportunities for students to build the strong

were

communication, social and research skills needed to succeed in life after school and outside the campus walls. These skills are the tools students need to pursue their personal bests, to win places at their preferred universities around the world and to go outside their comfort zones. Today, society is increasingly looking for creators, thinkers and shapers, and AISHK really nurtures individual talents and finds ways for students to let them shine. What are some of your priorities on the horizon for AISHK, in learning and school life?

Initially, of course, that includes continuing to make connections, building relationships, listening and learning. As school life returns to normal, among other areas, there will be extra focus on blending science and various aspects of design and technology into the curriculum, cross-divisionally. An example of this in the primary years would be students working in groups to solve a “big problem” or exploring concepts linked to sustainability.

What was your favourite subject when you were at school, and why?

I was a bit of an all rounder in my studies at school so didn’t have one particularly favourite subject. I had favourite teachers though and think they always ignite the passion for a subject. Economics, Art, Drama and English were subjects I found enjoyable and motivating.

I do have so many happy memories of playing sports with my friends at school. Most weeks we travelled away to represent the school and played interhouse carnivals. I grew up with some very famous Australian cricket players in my hometown so sports were an important part of our community. I

Ms Dunstan participates in a traditional Chinese blessing during the 2023 AISHK Welcome Festival

Ms Dunstan loves telling stories. Here she is narrating a story to Reception students as she tours them around the 9th floor.

Showcasing the scarves that the students

selling to raise money for Türkiye and Syria

I am delighted to have taken up the role of Head of School at AISHK and have felt a palpable sense of community and identity within the school. It is my privilege to join the community and lead the school to its future stages of development. I am looking forward to getting to know you, your child and family.

loved swimming, netball, softball, touch football and vigoro. I doubt many of our students would know this sport. It was a combination of tennis and cricket for girls and played with enthusiasm. Sadly when I was a girl, there were some sports which were considered to be for boys only.

Sprinting was not my strength and in Year 1 I went home and told my mother I came ‘first’ in running races. My mother was very skeptical and discovered I was last, not first in my races!

Did you always know you would pursue a career in education?

At school I thought I wanted to study law but found that after some work experience my real calling was to teach. Education has been a wonderful career and my passion for giving students the best has never faltered after over 30 years in the industry. For more than 17 years I still feel very privileged to make a difference to the lives of students in Hong Kong.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Hong Kong can be a busy place, and with that comes a lot of choice in how to spend our time, and I feel fortunate to call this city ‘home’ for so many years. With beaches, country parks and

an amazing world of food at our doorstep, exploring all of these wonders is still something I like to make time to appreciate. And trying to teach our puppy how to walk on the lead!

Above all, I love to spend time with my family –my husband and two children. Devoting time to family is really precious for me, and it’s where I get my energy from to do what I need to do.

Renowned AUTHORS Visit AISHK

What a cracking week we had welcoming authors from Hong Kong, Australia and around the world to AISHK.

We kicked off the week with Australian author, Christopher Cheng, who spoke with our Year 3-6 students. Christopher also ran a fantastic workshop last Friday afternoon, where Mums and Dads came in to work with Year 7 students to enable them to create a piece of historical fiction based on their own family history. It was so engaging and everyone found out lots of interesting information about our families.

We also had the fabulous Katie and Kevin Tsang keeping the Battle of the Books students entertained with a workshop on their Dragon Realm series. That was very well received and lots of fun!

Lindsay Varty worked beautifully with the Year 1 and 2 students, taking on board all of their creative ideas for making a book. There was definitely lots of enthusiasm and energy in the room as it turned into an imaginative writing space.

Michelle Fung did an amazing job of preparing our Year 9 students for their upcoming unit on building a dystopian world as a setting for their creative writing. She explained where her inspiration came from for some of her art pieces and for her long-term art project, 2084.

Sarah Suk’s passion for writing and gentle manner was an instant hit with our Year 7s and 8s as she spoke to them about how to discover a character’s voice. She was engaging and fun and was spot-on when it came to cultural references for that age group. The students loved her!

Paul French, a New York Times best-selling author, gave a very informative and dryly humorous talk about the process of writing for a magazine. He also included tips on how to improve essay writing skills. It was a very timely visit for this group of students. The session was rounded off with a question and answer session. The Year 10-12s asked a variety of interesting questions and our guest gamely answered.

The students were beyond excited to finish off our Young Readers’ Festival with a visit from the rock star of Australian children’s literature, Andy Griffiths. He was funny and suitably irreverent and energetic and fascinating. The students laughed and cheered and listened and clapped. It was a great end to the week.

Thank you to Ms Millington for all her efforts in organising the visit of such a world-renowned and much-loved author.

All in all, what an incredible week of author visits for students from Year 1 to Year 12. Thank you to everyone who helped to put it all together, and to the authors for giving us such engaging and entertaining workshops. It was a real treat having visitors back in the school. We are so grateful to be able to enhance the students’ education in such a fun and meaningful way. And, of course, to promote a love of literature and literacy.

SPORTS RECAP

AISHK has been wholeheartedly embracing the return of sport! The Term 1 calendar was populated with a diversity of curricular and extra-curricular activities (ECAs), inter-house, community, association events and representative sports opportunities. Here, we share a few highlights from recent months.

Secondary Athletics Carnival Returns

AISHK was fortunate to hold our first Secondary Athletics carnival in a number of years on a beautiful spring day at Kowloon Tsai Park. Not even the fouryear hiatus could dampen the sporting spirit of AISHK! Students settled into a day of good fun, healthy participation and some excellent performances across an array of events including track, shotput and discus, long jump and high jump. Congratulations to all students who turned out solid all-round performances on the day. Overall, the day was won by Jacaranda, closely followed by Eucalypt, Wattle and Waratah!

Thank you to all staff who helped throughout the day, and to the parents that were able to attend. It truly is a day where our community can come together, enjoy the outdoors, and engage in a friendly yet competitive way.

Scan the QR code to check out the recap with a full results tally and photo gallery.

AISHK Blooms as Co-Host of Bauhinia Basketball

It was great to have a major sports tournament back on the AISHK campus early in the year, with over 180 students from 8 international schools here in Hong Kong. The three-day ACAMIS Basketball tournament was back for the first time since 2018, with the Bauhinia Division tournament co-hosted by AISHK and neighbouring school Yew Chung International School (YCIS). This was also an opportunity to proudly showcase our campus and friendly community, especially through an athlete activities evening, complete with pizza and classic Aussie BBQ to finish the event.

The quality of basketball on display was as good as it gets here in Hong Kong with many top international schools involved in the tournament. Our teams performed admirably and with great camaraderie across the tournament, but ultimately, there was some room for finishing touches. Well done to all teams; AISHK Kangaroos U20 Boys, AISHK Kangaroos U20 Girls and Bauhinia Girls.

The Bauhinia girls team was created in the week leading up to the tournament following the withdrawal of another school. We managed to pull together some of our younger up and coming basketball girls, along with some netballers and 3 young girls from Discovery College.

AISHK’s Primary Cross Country Comeback

Our very own Cross Country event made a return to the sports calendar on 9 March at the Central Waterfront Promenade; our first cross country in years. Students from Year 3 to 6 all competed over a distance of 2km. Classes had spent the previous six weeks preparing in PDHPE practical lessons, and were set the success criteria of ‘pacing’ themselves and running the whole distance. Parents crowded the start/finish area and were very vocal in their support of all of the runners, who enjoyed the scenic course and had a great day out.

Thank you to all of the parents who attended for their support and to the teachers who assisted with the smooth running of the event.

Congratulations go to all of the students who completed the course. See the full results tally by scanning the QR code.

Roo’s Run Riot in HKPSSA Cross Country

On Saturday 18 March, 45 of our primary school students took part in the annual Hong Kong Primary Schools Sports Association (HKPSSA) Cross Country Festival hosted by Discovery College. Being the biggest team there, we also had the most supporters with a great turn out from our parent community. The energy was excellent and the support our students showed for each other was exceptional. This resulted in us winning the ‘School Spirit Award’ for the event. AISHK also achieved many top 10 placings which were particularly impressive, considering each of the races had over 50 participants. Cross Country at Discovery Bay. With our combined individual results, the team results were equally impressive, with five of our teams placing:

For a full results summary, please click here or scan the code. We had a wonderful crew of staff that helped run the day and motivate our students. A big thank you to Mr John van Gaalen, Mr Lee Pilgrim, Miss Kath Ellis, and Mr Brendan Kean. We look forward to seeing how our students further bounce back from the pandemic with many more events coming up in Term 2.

AISHK ALUMNI GATHERING atALTO

AISHK held an alumni gathering on Saturday 4 February in Causeway Bay. With current and past staff and over 50 alumni in attendance, from as early as Class of 2003, the event was enjoyable and a success. Thank you to our alumni attendees - you are a valuable part of the AISHK community. Your stories and continued support provide our students and families with inspiration for the future. AISHK looks forward to seeing you at future events in Hong Kong and around the world.

Scan here to register your details and share your news with us!

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WELCOME FESTIVAL and AISHK Birthday

AISHK knows how to start the year right, and that is with the annual Welcome Festival! What better way to commence 2023 than to connect with new and old friends, share holiday news and enjoy good company. The Lion Dance and Bai San ceremony had us cheering and the Secondary Rock Bands kept us dancing! All attendees, Parent Association members, staff and volunteers did their part to keep the BBQ, bake sale, bouncy castle and bar all as busy as ever.

MEETING NEW AISHK PARENTS

For the first time since 2019, AISHK had the opportunity to connect with many new parents at our Welcome Coffee mornings during the first weeks of school. Attended by the Parent Association and School Executive, this is a wonderful chance to connect with new parents after they have waved off their child for their first day at AISHK. Also in early Term 1, the Primary and Secondary leadership teams held further informal morning gatherings, as well as evening information sessions. These events are informative and provide a sense of connection, feeling safe, comfortable and valued in the school enviroment. This relationship between parents and the school is imperative to a child’s success.

STUDENTS SING

at Austcham Australia

Day Lunch and ACAHK

30th Anniversary Ball

AISHK vocal ensemble students were invited to perform at high-profile community events this term. For the first time since 2019, the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) held an Australia Day Lunch for over 240 guests on Friday

3 February, Island Shangri-La Hotel. On Saturday 4 March, our students also sang for the opening ceremony of the Australian Chinese Association Hong Kong (ACAHK) 30th Anniversary Ball. Austcham and ACAHK are founding associations of AISHK. Well done to all students for your stellar performances!

Thank you to Mr Peter Stapleton, Head of Performing Arts and and Ms Vindy Ho, Secondary Music Teacher, for your support towards these opportunities.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

venue host of first Women’s Educator’s Network event

On International Women’s Day, 8 March, AISHK was honoured to be the venue host for the first-ever face-to-face event held by the Women Educators Network, led by Elizabeth T. Hutchison, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at International Christian School, and guest speaker, Mina Dunstan, AISHK Head of School

AISHK JOINS

the SCMP International Schools Fair Kowloon

On 11 March, AISHK was a Gold Exhibitor at the SCMP International Schools Fair at the Cordis Hotel. Executive, Admissions and Development staff were kept busy with many parents looking to learn more about our great school.

FOCUS SEMINAR

AISHK Venue host

In February, AISHK was the venue host for a TrainUp event facilitated by FOCUS. 45 participants attended, including educators from a range of international schools as well as counsellors and clinicians.

BLOOD DONATION DRIVE

AISHK x HK Red Cross

On 23 March students, parents and staff, with the HK Red Cross gave back to the community by donating blood all in our very own auditorium!

Parent Association Corner

On behalf of the AISHK Parent Association thank you for a wonderful Term 1! The PA Executive and General Committee have been delighted to meet so many families face-to-face this year, especially at our coffee mornings, the Welcome Festival and our regular meetings.

Announcing... 2023 Community Events

For the first time in many years, the PA and school have been in a position to plan ahead for a number of fantastic community events. We are delighted to provide the following dates for your diary!

Term 1

FRI, 10 Feb 2023

Term 2

FRI, 5 May 2023

FRI, 12 May 2023

FRI, 16 Jun 2023

Term 3

Welcome Festival

Mother’s Day Dinner

Mother’s Day Lunch

Dad’s Night Out

SAT, 26 Aug 2023 A Night Under the Stars

AISHK 2023 Ball | The Hyatt Regency, TST

Stay In Touch

Every AISHK parent is automatically considered a member of the PA and we encourage parents to take up the many opportunities to support our school and make new connections. A reminder of the following PA platforms available:

• AISHK PA webpage which includes the PA Shop and AISHKPA Handbook

• Please reach out at any time to aishkpa@aishk.edu.hk should you have any PA queries

• You may also wish to join the AISHK Parent Association Facebook Group

FRI, 8 Sep 2023

Term 4

Father’s Day Evening Gathering

WED, 13 December Jingle Mingle Picnic

Congratulations to the CLASS OF 2022

On behalf of the entire school community, congratulations to AISHK’s Class of 2022. The NSW HSC and IBDP examination results achieved by this cohort have once again been exemplary. The diversity of pathways and opportunities our students have cultivated for themselves are to be celebrated and are testament to the unique learning environment offered by AISHK.

Each year, results in public examinations continue to successfully provide AISHK graduates with a wide range of study and career opportunities. Our alumni have been given the educational platform and foundations needed to pursue their tertiary and career interests globally, and

have been accepted into some of the world’s best universities, including those in Australia, Asia, UK, USA and throughout Europe. The graduating Class of 2022 is certainly no exception as, in the face of global challenges, they have strived for their personal best with resilience, confidence and hard work. We hope you enjoy this snapshot of the many measures of success achieved by our most recent graduates.

Sincerely,

Mina Dunstan HEAD OF SCHOOL

Our Many Measures of success

20% of AISHK HSC entries

71% of IB Students

AISHK’s Median ib score:

37

71st out of 800 schools offering the

45% of AISHK HSC students were listed on the NSW Distinguished Achievers List , recognised as being the best performing student in NSW.

99.1

AISHK Highest ATAR

88.5

AISHK Median ATAR

73% of AISHK students achieved an ATAR score above 80

Click here or scan the code for the complete Scholars Assembly video

class of 2022 university placements

Australia Film Television and Radio School

Australia National Unversity

Deakin University

University of Edinburgh Griffith University

Macquarie University

Monash University

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

38+

Actuarial Studies

Animation Arts

Aviation Biotechnology

Business

Commerce

Communications

Computer Science

Criminology

Design

University of Melbourne

University of Queensland

University of Tasmania

University of New

South Wales

University of Sydney

University of Technology Sydney

14+ different universities attended by 2022 graduates

Please note that placements listed are correct as at March 2023. A number of offers are unlisted as they are pending confirmation.

AREAS of study by 2022 graduates

Double Degree Economics

Education Engineering

Finance

Interactive Media

Interior Architecture

Interior Design

International Studies

International Relations Law

Landscape Architecture

Liberal Arts

Materials Science

Music Production

Media & Communications

Medical Engineering

Medicine

Physiotherapy

Politics

Psychology Science

Screen, Media and Film

Production

Social Work

Sports and Exercise

Science

STEM

Zoology and Animal Science