Red and White (Spring 2018 | Issue 4)

& White Spring 2018 | Issue 4

Lilypad Reading Club Buddy Reading Club Takes Off Hitting All The Right Notes Drop In the Ocean Student Pursues One Teacher’s Crusade Passion for Music for Water Conservation

To inspire excellence, cultivate character, and empower engagement locally and globally.

Welcome Note Empowering engagement locally and globally is a key element of the Vision Statement at Canadian International School of Hong Kong, and the following pages of Red & White are dedicated to showcasing a select few community members who dedicate their time, energy and enthusiasm to making a difference in their community or elsewhere in the world. As you read about those working hard to make the world a better place, I also hope their stories will inspire you to be involved in some way in school and community life.

& White Editors Marie Baird Melanie Hnetka Design and Art Direction Tiffany Lam Photography Amfabricante CDNIS Communications Department Habitat for Humanity Club Upper School Media Team Story Tellers Shelly Chutke Megan Lee Chris Niem A special thanks to all the students, faculty and staff, Administration, Board Members, parents and alumni who are featured in these pages.

For any questions or comments, or if you have a story you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to contact the Red & White editor, Melanie Hnetka: melaniehnetka@cdnis.edu.hk CanadianInternationalSchoolOfHongKong @CDNISComm @cdnishk cdniseduhk company/canadian-international-school-of-hong-kong

CDNIS itself was built thanks to the efforts of volunteers - a group of prominent Canadians based in Hong Kong who are known as the school’s Founding Members. Not only did they dedicate the insurmountable hours that it takes to build a school from the ground up, but they also reached deep into their own pockets and pledged money to cover initial costs since no Canadian organisation was willing to help fund the project. That volunteer spirit has continued to flourish at CDNIS for over 26 years and it is only through the ongoing generosity of our Members, Governors, faculty, staff, alumni, students, parents and CISPA that so many “volunteer” events and activities are able to take place including the plethora of school clubs, Timberwolves sports, visual and performing arts productions, mystery reader, the Family Fun Fair, CNY Flower Fair, book swaps and more. In addition, I am particularly pleased with the thousands of hours spent in workshops, after school meetings and on the weekends, by many of these same volunteers, preparing for the OSSD, IB and CIS/WASC evaluations and accreditations this school year. We were very pleased to have received the news before the summer break that CDNIS had gained CIS/WASC accreditation, the most stringent of accreditation endorsements available in the world today.

No amount of volunteering is too small. Even small acts such as participating in the school’s monthly Dress Down Days with a $20 pledge - has made a positive difference for 56 charities by raising nearly $1million in the last five years. In this issue, you will also discover how the MYP Personal Project has inspired our students to take action, while in the Lower School our 1:1 robot programme has motivated students to build robots that they hope will one day make a difference in the lives of others.

It has been another action-packed year at CDNIS, and I hope that you will enjoy reading this issue of Red & White, which offers a snapshot into life at our school. As the summer holiday is now upon us, I would like to wish all of our students a restful summer break. Use this time away from school wisely to keep learning and experiencing new things. We are already looking forward to the 2018/2019 academic year, which promises to be just as exciting.

See you all again in August!

David Baird Head of School

Contents 04 Inspire Excellence 04 Dolphin Conservation Protecting one of the Rarest Dolphins in the World 06 Leap Leadership Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today 08 Big Buddy Little Buddy Lilypad Reading Club Makes a Difference

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10 Gunning for Olympic Gold Former CDNIS Student sets sights on Tokyo 2020 12 Learning to Walk 1:1 Robotics Pushes Learning Boundaries 14 Visual Arts Graduates Making Their Mark In Conversation with Catharine Ho

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Cultivate Character 16 Hitting All the Right Notes Grade 12 Student Finds her Voice at CDNIS 18 Lessons for Life AYP Journey Comes to a Golden End 20 Mindfulness in the Classroom Students Benefit from Slowing Down 22 A Life on Ice Figure Skater Dazzles at the Rink 24 Giving Back Alumni Parent Launches Exclusive Scholarship 26 New York Times Essay Competition Winner Grade 9 Student Pens Winning Essay

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28 30 Empower Engagement Locally and Globally 28 New Generation Rising Poised to Make a Difference in the Lives of Others 30 Drop In the Ocean Crusade for Water Conservation 32 SPLASH Fundraiser Makes a Splash 34 Dress Down Days Dressing Down for Good 36 Habitat for Humanity Changing Lives one House at a Time 38 Home of Love Spreading Holiday Cheer to those in Need

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04 | Inspire Excellence

DOLPHIN CONSERVATION Protecting one of the Rarest Dolphins in the World

At Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS), students are encouraged to pursue their interests and research topics in different subjects. Grade 10 student Audrey furthered her love for animals by investigating the plight of the Chinese white dolphin in Hong Kong. Planning for her MYP Personal Project, Audrey jumped at the chance to contribute towards this worthwhile cause.

As part of her project, Audrey organized a fundraising event to raise money for dolphin conservation work in Hong Kong. Audrey’s initial idea was to auction off wildlife photographs that she had taken. She had been fortunate to spend time in San Diego during the summer of 2017, and took photos of marine life at Sea World.

“Even though I don’t support the capture of animals to be on display, this was a good opportunity for me to take photos of different types of marine animals, so I didn’t want to pass it up,” said Audrey.

In addition to auctioning the photographs, Audrey also decided to use her musical talents to perform a recital.

All combined, this project became a full-fledged charity event, which involved considerable planning. “The project really pushed me out of my comfort zone,” exclaimed Audrey.

As part of the planning for her project, Audrey contacted World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for assistance and was

Inspire Excellence | 05 campaign has raised an additional HK$360,000 for the initiative. Using the data collected from the hydrophones, the WWF plans to lobby the Hong Kong government and ferry companies to alter their routes or travel at lower speeds in the waters off Lantau Island, the Chinese white dolphins habitat. This is because there have been collisions between vessels and dolphins contributing to the demise of the white dolphin population. A report published by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department identifies the Chinese white dolphin population currently at just 47 of these majestic creatures – a drop of 27 percent compared to the last monitoring report published in 2016. pleasantly surprised when she received a positive response, as Samantha Lee, Head of Ocean Conservation at WWF Hong Kong, agreed to come and speak at the event.

“This was important, because I wanted to raise awareness of the plight of the dolphins with the people who attended,” explained Audrey. “I also got to chance to interview Ms. Lee before the event so that I was able to better understand the problems facing Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong.”

On the night of the event, Audrey mingled with guests and educated them on the WWF’s dolphin conservation efforts while they browsed her photos. She also entertained those in attendance by playing classical pieces on the piano, including Beethoven. The event was a smashing success and raised over HK$33,000. “The money raised went toward the purchase of hydrophones, which are underwater microphones which can capture sound,” explained Audrey. “The aim of deploying these in the waters where Chinese white dolphins live is to figure out the quality of their lives, as well as seeing whether they have moved from where they normally live.”

“In addition, the construction of the Hong KongZuhai-Macau bridge is polluting the water in which the Chinese white dolphin inhabit, and with fish eating up the pollutants, this threatens the food source of the dolphins,” said Audrey.

“This situation of the Chinese white dolphin is quite dire,” said Audrey. “In my conversations with the WWF, they aren’t hopeful that the government or boat companies will budge, but I think that even if there is a small chance, we should do our best to preserve the dolphins. Even though I’m not able to see the immediate effects of raising awareness and fundraising, it’s still satisfying to have contributed to saving animals that I care about.”

Buoyed by Audrey’s fundraising efforts, WWF launched a crowdfunding campaign on the back of her event to raise money for additional hydrophones. To date, the

“As the scope of the fundraising event grew, I was unprepared for how much work was involved.

However, it was really satisfying to be able to raise money for a cause I believe in. In the future, if I organise other fundraising events, I’ll know how important the planning process is.”

Audrey, Grade 10 student

06 | Inspire Excellence

LEAP LEADERSHIP Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Leadership Education Action Planning (LEAP) is a programme which provides leadership opportunities for students in Grades 4-6 at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS). Participating students are split up into groups according to their houses, with the aim of benefiting their respective house charities. This initiative is in line with CDNIS’ vision to empower engagement locally and globally. “LEAP provides actual collaborative opportunities for kids to learn leadership skills in a way that builds community in support of local NGOs,” explains Mr. Rob Grantham, Lower School Vice Principal.

Students interested in joining LEAP, which is being run for the second year at CDNIS, must first apply for the programme, stating why they are suitable for leadership training. The 31 selected students are invited to attend two afternoon sessions after class. The kids are taught about the different types of leadership, and that leaders need not conform to any one stereotype. They are also encouraged to explore the different qualities and characteristics you need to become a leader. “One nice thing about the programme was that Upper School students were able to pass on their wisdom to the Lower School students,” says Ms. Keren Glazier, who was one of the teacher supervisors. “We had students from the Upper School Student Council and captains of sports teams come and share about their leadership experiences.”

As part of LEAP, the four house charities for the 2017/18 academic year send representatives to present to the participants, and help them brainstorm an action plan which benefits the NGO. The charities are Room to Read for Bear, Plastic Free Seas for Orca, Feeding Hong Kong for Raven, and Kids4Kids for Mountain Lion. Not only are the students able to directly interact with the NGOs and learn more about them, but as part of the programme, they plan out their action plan through a series of steps, which can be seen in the charts. “This is an important process for the students, because often times they have grand plans for cleaning up the ocean, but it is good to break down your plans into achievable goals in order to effect change”, observes Mr. Grantham. “Once students have finished the two sessions, they must schedule their own meetings in order to carry out their plan to take action. The teachers do not drive the process.”

“We also emphasise that students can consider more than one action plan,” says Ms. Glazier. Last year students from Raven organised a food drive to benefit Feeding Hong Kong. The team from Bear organised an event for a Grade 3 class where foreign words were read out to the students. This was to highlight the importance of learning how to read, which is what Room to Read aims to achieve through its work.

Students this year are hard at work coming up with and

Inspire Excellence | 07

implementing their plans in order to take action. “When I first started to attend LEAP, I was a bit nervous, because I didn’t really see myself as a leader,” explains Grade 6 student Ava. “But after learning about the different leaderships skills, I think I am more of a visionary leader, because while I may not be the most talkative leader, I enjoy predicting what will happen and thinking of different outcomes. Our action plan involves making information panels on the floor at the 9/F entrance. The panels will form a walkway, and will feature facts and explain how Kids4Kids empowers children to help fellow children.”

Grade 5 student Lauren, who is participating in LEAP for the second year, has come up with an innovative way to highlight the problem of plastics polluting world oceans.

Alongside her fellow participants from Orca, they are hoping to use plastic which has washed up on beaches in Hong Kong from the ocean to create pieces of art. They will then shoot a time-lapse video featuring the pieces, and have a voice-over giving facts about plastic pollution in our oceans.

“It was great to see students who participated in LEAP last year, come back this year able to solve challenges which they faced last time round”, says Ms. Smriti Safaya, who was also a supervising teacher. “I also observed that returning students took up more of a leadership role. The participating NGOs also remarked how nice it was to have

“Protests or fundraisers might seem like very tangible ways to effect change, but sometimes raising awareness can be equally as powerful.”

Keren Glazier

Lower School Teaacher

08 | Inspire Excellence

BIG BUDDY LITTLE BUDDY Lilypad Reading Club Makes a Difference Many students at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) delve into their passions in the MYP Personal Project, and for Grade 11 student Alvin, the story was no different. Inspired by a CAS trip he embarked on in Grade 9 to Myanmar, he set out to develop a reading programme activity for Upper School students to engage with Lower School students. Taking the project further, Alvin co-founded the club Lilypad, which is currently in its second year of operation.

“The trip to Myanmar was an eye-opening experience for me,” explains Alvin. “It was a huge challenge to interact with children that spoke next to no English. Some of them only spoke four words of the language. Each CDNIS student on the trip was in charge of nine to ten other children, and after days of spending time with them, we were sweaty and exhausted. The language barrier meant that we had to constantly think on our feet and come up with new activities too. The positive feeling I got from our efforts to be a positive influence in these children’s lives stayed with me though, and made me want to continue to work with children in this way when I returned to Hong Kong.”

Buddy reading opportunities already existed in CDNIS, in the form of The Reading Tree and Kids4Kids, but Grade 11 student Natalie, a co-founder of Lilypad, sought to differentiate this group from the alternatives. “The reason why we designed the programme to be conducted during the Upper School lunchtime was because we felt that signing up to volunteer for Kids4Kids was a big time commitment,” says Natalie. “By fitting in the

Inspire Excellence | 09 activities at lunch time, I think that this became a more attractive proposition for potential US volunteers. The aim of our programme was to have an engaging experience for volunteers and Lower School students alike.” There was pressure on the Lilypad group to deliver this, as they had convinced the LS class to disrupt their regular school schedule to take part in the programme.

Alvin received a good grade for his Personal Project, but Lilypad’s first attempt to implement the programme activity, in the 2016/2017 academic year, proved to have teething problems. For one, the student volunteers did not anticipate just how active the younger students were!

The basic premise of having older student volunteers read with younger students was sound, but the club leaders realised that the programme needed tweaking. “We had five levels of reading ability, but volunteers were not sure how to tell when a student was meant to move from one level to another,” Alvin says. “We realised that we needed to communicate much more closely with the class teacher for the programme to be more effective. In addition to this, the length of the programme meant that there wasn’t enough urgency to help the students to improve. This is why we’ve streamlined the programme activity this year into a six week window.”

whose entire Grade 1 class has participated this year, is greatly encouraged by Alvin’s efforts to bridge the gap between US and LS students. “The young students love having an older student as their buddy, and they are always keen to share what’s going on in their lives! Alvin realised that there was room for improvement from last year, and this year’s curriculum is well tied in to our current Unit of Enquiry on exploration.”

Looking back at Lilypad’s journey so far, Alvin and Natalie are extremely proud of all the hard work that the planning team has done. “We’ve had disputes about what direction to take, but what unites us is the desire to channel our energy into something positive. The ability to share joy with others is what keeps us going.”

The feedback that Lilypad received for the current programme has been positive, testament to the changes that the club executives made. Alvin and Natalie noted that the legitimacy of the club had been strengthened after a year of operation, and that setting up separate emails gave them an identity which made them feel more like a family. In addition, the creating of name tags for volunteers also added to an official feel of the programme.

“This year we tried to recruit volunteers from different grades, and we expanded our planning team so that we could have different ideas. Our vision is to make Lilypad an accessible club for all Upper School students who want to contribute to improving literacy in Lower School kids.

I’m really happy that our volunteers are motivated to help, and we haven’t had to chase any of them to be on time so far this year!”

Ms. Lauren Adams, who taught Lower School students who participated in the reading programme last year, and

“By fitting in the activities at lunch time, I think that this became a more attractive proposition for potential US volunteers. The aim of our programme was to have an engaging experience for volunteers and Lower School students alike.”

Natalie, Grade 11 student

Co-founder of Lilypad

10| Inspire Excellence

GUNNING FOR OLYMPIC GOLD Former CDNIS Student sets sights on Tokyo 2020 portion of the race, Oscar’s speed helped him to cross the finish line ahead of all others to bring home a gold medal. This victory further motivated Oscar to increase the intensity of his training as he works to secure a spot on Hong Kong’s Olympic team. “I’m lucky that triathlon is something which I really enjoy, so it hasn’t been too difficult for me to stay motivated through the tough training sessions,” said Oscar.

Oscar Coggins has quickly risen up the ranks in the triathlon world. Fresh off his highest-ever finish in an International Triathlon Union (ITU) event, a 5th place finish at the 2018 Subic Bay NTT ASTC Triathlon Asia Cup, the 18-year-old has his sights firmly set on representing Hong Kong at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

When Oscar joined CDNIS in Grade 7, you could easily spot the tall 12-year-old running around on the pitch playing football and rugby with his friends.

Teachers soon recognized his athletic prowess and encouraged him to join the Athletics team where he excelled in both the 800 and 1,500 metre events.

After finding success on the track, Oscar was convinced to give swimming another go. While his mother knew her son would be a natural in the pool, Oscar hadn’t enjoyed the competitive nature of swim meets and preferred to spend his time on the school pitch playing football or rugby. Encouraged to give the water sport another try, Oscar combined his love of running with swimming and began participating in aquathlons – races which involve running and swimming. His participation in triathlons followed soon after that.

“Oscar was an outstanding Timberwolves athlete who excelled in distance events, Swimming and T&F,” said Mr. James Lovegrove, Director of Athletics, Activities and Aquatics at CDNIS “We are proud of Oscar’s achievements so far and wish him well with his Olympic dream.”

Oscar’s training regimen is not for the faint-hearted and totals between 20 and 25 hours a week including 10 hours in the pool, seven hours on a bike, five hours of running, with additional strength and conditioning sessions in the gym. Still a passionate runner at heart, Oscar admits, at times, it is hard to motivate himself to put in the necessary training time in the pool.

This was evident during Oscar’s victory at the Asian Junior Championships in 2017. During the cycling

Unlike his competitors, many of whom are professional triathletes and years older than him, Oscar is also balancing the final year of his high school studies. Two years ago, Oscar made the difficult decision to leave CDNIS and Hong Kong to complete his studies at a boarding school in the UK so he could focus more on his training and compete in the larger and more well-known European triathlons.

“I attended CDNIS for four years, and then I switched to Millfield for my last two years of high school,” explains Oscar. “I did this because my brothers had also studied at Millfield and I was also competing quite seriously at triathlon. Being here has enabled me to thrive in an environment with a lot of other student athletes, as well as allowing me to train at school as well.”

Looking ahead, Oscar is planning to take a gap year in

Inspire Excellence | 11 order to train and compete in triathlons full time. While the Olympic Games are still just over two years away, the qualification period for Tokyo 2020 is about to begin and the Asian Games later this year in Indonesia are on Oscar’s radar. But there is just one small bump in the road this Olympic hopeful still needs to overcome and no amount of training or studying is going to help – and that is becoming a Chinese national.

As Oscar is in the process of giving up his British passport and becoming a Chinese national, he may not be eligible to compete for Hong Kong at the Asian Games, though he is confident that he will be able to compete in the next Summer Olympics.

When asked to reflect on his favourite memory at CDNIS, Oscar recalls a 4x100 relay race at a SEASAC swim meet.

“The relay was one of the last events of the meet, so the rest of the team was poolside supporting us. We were swimming against some other strong teams, but we managed to win. I still remember the fantastic atmosphere as I swum the anchor leg of the race!”

“Despite that I’m Hong Kong born and bred, the fact that I have been attending boarding school for the last two years in the UK has complicated my application,” said Oscar. “I’m looking forward to competing with my Hong Kong passport, because Hong Kong is my home and it has given me so much. Giving up my British passport was an easy decision for me.”

One thing Oscar misses about CDNIS is the community feel of the school, where students are encouraged to talk to teachers about life and their passions. “I remember that I would compare cycling times on Strava with Mr. Chris Young, even though he wasn’t my teacher. I used to cycle to school after morning training, so I would see Mr. Young on the hill up to school.”

“I see swim training as a means to an end to improve in a sport that I love. Triathlons are very tough events where you have to push yourself very hard, and I really enjoy this aspect of it. The fact that there are three disciplines within one sport adds different layers to it. I also enjoy the tactical side to the race, as you have to play to your strengths.”

Oscar, Former CDNIS student

12 | Inspire Excellence

LEARNING TO WALK 1:1 Robotics Pushes Learning Boundaries The 1:1 robot programme piloted by one Grade 4 and one Grade 5 class during the first term at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) has been such a huge success that all students in these grades next year will be given their own robot to expand their learning. In this issue of Red & White, we catch up with the Grade 5 class that helped to spearhead the programme.

Since the start of the school year, students in Ms. Laura Liguori’s class have been pushing the boundaries of their learning, discovering just what their robots could do. One of the main tasks students focused on this term was the process of re-imaging their robots. This involved thinking about their robot’s features and modifying their robots to enable them to perform human-like functions. This inquiry led the students to study about about artificial intelligence (AI) and learn about the various skills performed by different robots, inspiring the students to learn how to program their robots to perform similar tasks. One AI robot the students studied, named Sophia, was designed by Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics. Sophia has incredibly human-like features and was designed to process visual and conversational data, allowing “her” to see people’s faces and form relationships with them.

After watching what Sophia could do, the Grade 5 students were inspired to try and programme their robots to do something similar, or in some cases, whatever

their imaginations could come up with.

Eager to showcase what they had learned, students held an upcycling fashion show in March which allowed them to showcase what their robots could do. Working in conjunction with the Visual Arts Department, which had been assisting the students in designing fashionable upcycled outfits, a plan was hatched to present the robots on the catwalk as well. “This was an ambitious plan at the beginning, and a lot of my students were unconvinced that they would be able to code their robots to walk down the catwalk,” said Ligouri. “However, this was a great practical example of re-imaging a robot, and there was such a sense of pride

Inspire Excellence | 13 and accomplishment when the students saw their robots marching down.”

The first part of the re-imaging process was to take the wheels off and add legs instead so the robots could walk in a straight line. A good example of inter-disciplinary learning, the students designed the legs on Tinkercad, a 3D computer aided-design software (CAD), before using one of the school’s many 3D printers to create the legs for their robots. This process also involved students using their math skills in order to measure the area of the robot and calculate whether or not the legs would provide adequate support.

Once the legs were printed, attaching them proved to be another challenge. “Since we were one of the first classes to use legs on robots in school, no one was really sure how it was going to work,” explained G5 student Hajime. “But because we had used the robots throughout the year, we had confidence to try different ways to tighten and loosen the parts on the robot in order to put the legs on. This trial and error process was also used when we tried to make the robots walk in a straight line. I had problems with the motor on my robot, but with some strategic screws in place, the robot started to walk better.”

Throughout the process of preparing the robots for the catwalk, Ms. Ligouri witnessed a spirit of collaboration in her class which she had not seen before. “I saw my students were very into the project, and they would help each other according to their own strengths, rather than splintering off into groups with their friends. In fact, some students formed such a strong bond with their robots that they walked alongside them down the catwalk, willing the robots on, rather than racing ahead of them.”

Ms. Ligouri was very impressed at the speed with which the Grade 5 students manipulate their robots, and in some cases the students went further than the capabilities of the robots themselves. With robotics set to be further integrated in the science and math curriculum, she is hopeful the students will continue to

improve their understanding of these disciplines as a result. The feedback from class parents has been positive, as they witnessed their children improve in robotics and coding, subjects which they themselves are getting to grips with! At the Grade 5 assembly, the class showed off their choreography, programming their robots to dance along to a tune on the piano, much to the amazement of the audience.

Going forward, these Grade 5 students are excited to see what they can program their robots to do next. “I would like to code my robot to be able to help elderly people in the community,” said Hajime. “We’ve learned that we can program our robots to do different things, so I think that in the future robots will be able to help solve a lot of problems that humans face.”

“Starting in August 2018, all Grade 4 and 5 students will participate in the 1:1 robot programme.”

DJ MacPherson

Lower School Vice Principal

14 | Inspire Excellence

VISUAL ARTS GRADUATES MAKING THEIR MARK In Conversation with Catharine Ho Catharine Ho, the Head of Visual Arts at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS), has been a long-serving member of the teaching staff. Red & White sat down with her to discuss the outstanding Visual Arts programme at the school.

How have the Visual Arts programmes developed over the years at CDNIS? Since the school’s early beginnings, parents have supported visual arts as they were looking for a progressive Canadian-style education that encourages creative problem solving. I’ve been here for 25 years, and in the initial stages of our growth, participation in visual arts was a mandatory OSSD full credit up to Grade 10.

The curriculum has developed and matured and I think this is due to having stable leadership along with the

influx of talented teachers from other countries who want to work here and contribute their experiences.

We have a clear vision as to what a 21st century art education is all about. For example, emerging media and technology plays a role in our studio, but it is a tool in our media set and the curriculum is not driven by the tools.

What sets the various visual arts programmes apart at CDNIS? The OSSD provides a curriculum that is written by a province wide team of art specialists to provide a structured framework that is content-, skills- and knowledge-based while the IB offers the more global approach to artists, theory and personalized expression.

Our students are passionate about their pursuits; our administration encourages innovation in our teaching practices; our teachers are extremely dedicated, and our parents are very supportive.

Are a lot of students involved in the arts at CDNIS? Students must select one of the fine arts courses in Grade 9 but then they are allowed to ‘opt out’ of the programme. The numbers have actually gone down as there are many more non-core courses on offer now. My concern is that students and parents are not aware of the measurable value that an arts education provides. In doing research on upcoming art careers I read an interesting article that stated, “The creative economy is the UK’s unspoken success story, historically deeply rooted and making up one-tenth of the whole economy.

It accounts for 2.6 million jobs.”

At the secondary level it is such an important part of being a well-rounded, educated young person, and not just for budding artists. Many of our Diploma programme (DP) artists go on to careers in law, psychology and business, and post secondary institutes value an arts background as our curriculum develops critical independent thinkers who are creative problem solvers. Having a background in the arts gives them an advantage. Creativity is key, jobs that are based on creativity are difficult to automate.

There is a concern that robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) may replace many of the jobs that are purely knowledge based.

What does CDNIS do to encourage students to follow their passion in “the arts”?

I believe we make the programme as enjoyable as possible, create a great sense of community within our studios while offering a tremendous amount of support to students with our collaborative team of talented and dedicated teachers available outside of class for mentoring many times throughout the week. An exciting development this year was our first art auction of DP student work that raised more than HK$40,000.

Inspire Excellence | 15

How are CDNIS students encouraged to showcase their talents at CDNIS? There are many opportunities to showcase their talents both inside and outside of class. During class, work is celebrated and shared during group critique sessions where valuable feedback is given and received. Outside of class, students create posters and marketing materials for clubs they belong to, create props and work on set design for theatre productions, and create the exhibition catalogue. There are multiple exhibitions throughout the year and we have work displayed throughout the school as part of a semi-permanent collection, and some have their work published in the yearbook as well as our literary magazine SCOPE. We also offer support to students who wish to contribute to outside competitions.

Students who wish to create large scale projects such as a murals are also supported and encouraged. Our US art club has created two murals over the past year and a half.

Where do visual arts graduates from CDNIS go on to do?

Even in our early years, as a new school with budding artists with limited exposure and facilities, our students still managed to be accepted into world class art institutions. The tradition continues with many receiving scholarships every year. We host many art institutes who visit our school each autumn as they are very keen on recruiting our students.

Our students have been accepted to many fine institutions around the world, including Rhode Island School of Design, Central Saint Martins, SCAD, and Ontario College of Art and Design. We also have alumni working as graphic designers, architects, game designers and fashion designers, to name a few.

“What makes CDNIS unique is the combined curriculums of the IB and the OSSD. When taught in tandem, the programme is just so much richer.”

Catherine Ho

Visual Arts Department Head

16 | Cultivate Character

HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES Grade 12 Student Finds her Voice at CDNIS When Grade 12 Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) student Nicole surveys the campus, she thinks back to the many times she was able to practice singing opera there. “There is something special about singing in the Alan Dick Forum, especially since the area has such good acoustics. This means that if I find the right placement and resonance, my voice can carry itself. To be heard throughout the school, from the second floor all the way to the ninth floor, is something I’ll never forget!”

Deciding to pursue music at university was not a difficult decision for Nicole, as it was something she was interested in from a young age. In fact, between the ages of 5 and 11, she dreamed about being a conductor. When she was 11, she watched La traviata, and has been hooked on opera ever since. “My parents never discouraged this dream, though they did encourage me to keep my options open. Since I was 14, I was sure that I wanted to be an opera singer. I’ve been through private lessons two to three times a week, as well as summer vocal programmes, which have really helped me to improve as a singer.”

However, the university application process was more daunting. Nicole applied to institutions in Canada, America, the UK, Hong Kong and Denmark. “The American schools I applied to had a lot of supplemental essays, and because I was applying to study music, many of the programmes had different requirements. Mr. Scott Atherton, my counsellor, was very helpful in guiding me through the various applications.” Nicole was worried about the competitive nature of the programmes she was applying to, but by meeting with Mr. Atherton weekly, she was able to methodically go through her applications.

In January 2018, Nicole received the wonderful news that she had been accepted into the bachelor’s programme at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (RDAM), her dream school. She said that she had no hesitation in accepting the unconditional offer: “Through meeting some teachers from RDAM at a summer programme two years ago, I was convinced that this was where I wanted to attend university. I knew that this is the best fit school for me after chatting with current students, who told me that the voice programme would be the ideal setting for me to develop higher placement. With this, I won’t have to strain as hard while singing, so that I am able to hit notes with ease.”

Mr. Atherton is very proud of Nicole’s entry to RDAM, “Nicole remained very organised through the process, as she tracked down the different requirements. This was a learning process for me too, as I haven’t worked with students applying for these programmes. Nicole went through a particularly arduous process, with many auditions via video link, with conservatories often only accepting one or two soprano applicants.”

Cultivate Character | 17 Nicole certainly has come a long way from when she started humming melodies at the age of two. Last summer, she attended a summer music camp in Florence. During this time, Nicole won the Bel Carto performance award, which was given to the best singer at the camp. This ranks as one of her proudest achievements as a singer.

She explains that the prize was an opportunity to perform overseas: “I was flown to America later in the summer on a sponsored trip, to give two performances. This was a great experience for me, because I was able to socialize and interact with audience members, and I even got to ride in a limousine. This was my first sponsored trip, and it gave me a taste of what life would be like as a professional musician.”

All the opportunities to perform at CDNIS were a large factor in developing Nicole’s confidence as a singer. One of her favourite memories was performing Phantom of the Opera at CDNIS Got Talent with her sister. Nicole also credits the encouragement of her teachers as a reason for her musical growth: “I will miss chatting with Mr. Rob Dacho, who has always been incredibly supportive of my singing. During senior year, he also helped me get through the university application process.

Mr. Dacho always spurred me on to improve as a signer.”

Nicole also used her time in Florence to improve her Italian, which she has been learning for over two years. “I do find that it helps with my singing, because it allows me to understand the artistic intention behind the lyrics of the operas that I sing, which are often in Italian. When I was in Italy, I stayed with a host family, which allowed me to practice Italian in daily settings.”

“My parents never discouraged this dream, though they did encourage me to keep my options open.

Since I was 14, I was sure that I wanted to be an opera singer. I’ve been through private lessons two to three times a week, as well as summer vocal programmes, which have really helped me to improve as a singer.”

Nicole, Class of 2018

18 | Cultivate Character

LESSONS FOR LIFE AYP Journey Comes to a Golden End In the last edition of Red & White, we brought you the story of the The Hong Kong Award for Young People (AYP) Gold expedition, as Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) students completed one-fifth of their Gold award requirements. As we end the school year, three students are on the cusp of receiving their awards, having finished all their paperwork. As the students reflect on their journey through the AYP, they are grateful for the life lessons that working towards the award has taught them.

The AYP provides students an opportunity to challenge themselves through the completion of five sections of related extracurricular activities and community service.

For Grade 12 student Jameson, completion of the Gold award marked a full circle, as he had also completed the Bronze and Silver awards as a CDNIS student.

Jameson’s love for gymnastics made the physical activity section of the Gold award an easy one to fulfil. “I’ve been doing gymnastics since I was four years old,” he explains.

“I’ve also been on the gymnastics team at CDNIS, so it wasn’t a challenge for me to complete my hours for this section. It was nice to be able to combine this interest of

mine with the AYP. I’m no longer involved in competitive gymnastics, but I will miss tumbling around the mat in my floor routine.”

For the skills section of the award, Jameson was able to build upon a skill that he had been working on since he started the Bronze award: playing the electric guitar.

Having started it in Grade 9, he is grateful for the framework of AYP pushing him towards consistently taking lessons and improving as a guitar player as a result!

Focusing on jazz pieces and improvisation, playing the guitar is something Jameson hopes to continue to do in the future.

On his Grade 12 CAS week trip, Jameson was able to serve as one of the registered first-aid members, as a result of his service section of the AYP Gold award. To complete this, he took a basic first aid course at CDNIS, which enabled him to be able to provide first-aid to victims in case of an accident. “I think that CPR was the most practical skill I learnt during the course,” Jameson says. “It was also useful to be able to learn more about fracture management too.”

Cultivate Character | 19 An additional section of the Gold award, which is different from the other award levels, is the completion of a residential project. The requirements of this section are that you must live away from home and immerse yourself in another culture. Jameson had the amazing opportunity to combine his passion for environmental issues with the completion of this section to go on an expedition to Cuba with Operation Wallacea, alongside fellow CDNIS students. This is an organisation which provides opportunities for student volunteers to join expeditions to work on conservation research programmes with academic researchers.

The highlight of the trip to Cuba for Jameson was the experience of scuba diving alongside barracudas and other schools of big fish. The trip also offered an insight into his future career aspirations, as Jameson is now aiming towards a career in environmental policy rather than science. “Even though I enjoyed the research, I find that I would rather work with the facts that have been discovered already, rather than aiming to find out more,” he explains. The opportunity to explore an entirely new culture was also an eye-opening experience. “I didn’t know that much about the political system before going to Cuba, so it was interesting for me to do more research on this after the trip. Not being able to search for things on Google was a novel experience for us, which made looking information up on the Internet a little harder!”

For many, the most gruelling aspect of the AYP Gold award is the expedition section. Participants are required

to hike 60km over four days, but Jameson’s group ended up doing closer to 70km because of detours they had to take. “With the Gold award, you have to plan your own routes, taking into account the distances and elevation required,” Jameson says. “Because we had been involved in the planning process for our Bronze and Silver expeditions, planning for the Gold expedition was not too difficult. In fact, I enjoyed the freedom it gave us to choose our own routes.”

Despite their meticulous preparation, Jameson and his group were unprepared when heatstroke struck their group member, Ellie, on the third day of the expedition.

“She was very ill, and we seriously contemplated putting her in a taxi because she looked like she wasn’t able to continue,” Jameson recalls. “However, we wanted to finish as a team, so we distributed the weight of her backpack amongst other members, and with some electrolyte pills she was able to soldier on. Because we had also been on previous expeditions together, we felt a strong bond and encouraged each other to keep going even when our feet hurt and our backpack straps were digging into our sides. The satisfying feeling of cooking dinner together after a long day’s hiking is something I’ll never forget. Listening to Chester’s Spotify playlist also helped us get through the tough uphill parts.”

“The whole group would like to thank Mr. Jon Hamilton, for the endless hours that he spent helping us with the paperwork for the AYP award, as well as the help he gave us throughout the entire process,” Jameson concludes.

“The external co-ordinator Winnie also helped us a lot with planning the expeditions. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to complete the award!”

20 | Cultivate Character

MINDFULNESS IN THE CLASSROOM Student Benefits from Slowing Down “In today’s rush, we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just being” (Eckhart Tolle).

Mindfulness can add to the quality of our lives in numerous ways, from nurturing a sense of inner peace to enhancing self-confidence and facilitating deeper and more meaningful relationships with others. At Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS), students practice mindfulness in various ways in the classroom. All classes in the Lower School have incorporated some form of well-being practice into their daily routine, including art, dance, yoga and mindfulness.

For children specifically, mindfulness has been found to reduce attention problems, improve mental health and well-being and improve social skills, when well taught and practiced. It can also mitigate the effects of bullying. It’s important for caregivers and educators to provide age-appropriate mindfulness practices for children. Fostering mindfulness through small tools such as pictures, objects, food, simple movements and music for students can help them develop an ability focus attention at a greater level.

If you walk into Ms. Sajinda Polawski’s Grade 6 class in the morning, you may see her students lying on the floor in corpse pose, or sitting cross legged with their eyes closed. This is an invitation to take five to 10 minutes of the day to pause and tune into the body and breathe. No matter how busy the 6th graders get throughout the year, they have made it a class norm to never be too busy to tap into to their sense of well being by practicing mindfulness. This daily ritual helps the students practice

Cultivate Character | 21 greater compassion for themselves and others, in addition to increasing focus and being better equipped to deal with the challenges of stress and peer pressure.

Ms. Benedicte Benoit’s Grade 3 class has been practising mindful breathing since the first week of the school, and she has since observed that her students are not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around them. She now sees her students coming quietly into the classroom and taking their positions for mindful breathing quickly and peacefully. As mindful breathing is now well established in the class, in order to promote student agency, students are now invited to lead mindful breathing. This Grade 3 class has also started a gratitude journal, where students keep an individual record of what they are thankful for.

Research shows mindfulness breathing and other exercises diminishes the reactivity from the amygdala and strengthens the prefrontal cortex. It brings inner peace and helps us let go of negative feelings. As we quiet our mind by paying attention to our breathing, negative feelings lose their power. By following our breathing as it courses through our body, we learn how our body feels and how breathing works. Breathing and following our breath also helps everyone bring their mind back to the classroom after recess and helps students focus their minds on the work ahead.

Mr. Edward Polawski has introduced a daily mindfulness practice with his Grade 1 class. The children participate in activities that help build confidence, increase concentration and improve self-control. It has proven to be a great way to begin each day and really helps centre the children after breaks or during transitions, giving them a refreshed and focused mind for the next challenge of the day.

Learning about mindfulness through neuroscience promotes well-being and resilience, offering knowledge and skills that can be applied right away. The ‘Paws b’ program on mindfulness is great as it makes connections to research on the brain in a child-friendly way. “In these lessons kids learn that the pre-frontal cortex is used for making decisions, and thinking,” shared Ms. Jackie Rendina, a certified Paws b teacher, who has offered these classes across all Grade 2 classes.

“Living in a busy and frantic world, facing high rates of stress and mental pressure, learning how to connect with yourself is an essential skill to learn and teach,” says Mr. Miller Zhou, Lower School Chinese Studies Teacher.

“When we are educating our students, training the brain muscle and learning to relax often things we miss. I’m thankful for mindfulness sessions with a group of other teachers, these weekly sessions on Thursdays are helping me to connect with my inner self”, commented Mr. Zhou.

Teachers have noted that every Thursday is like taking a break from a long journey, it helps the teachers to nourish their souls and calm their minds. Mr. Zhou hopes his students can have the same feeling when they step into the classroom.

Written by Shelly Chutke, Lower School Guidance Counsellor

22 | Cultivate Character

A LIFE ON ICE Figure Skater Dazzles at the Rink

As Grade 3 Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) student Anri glides across the ice, her smile lights up the rink as she performs her well choreographed routine. “I started ice skating when I was three and a half years old,” Anri states. “ My mum made me stop for a little bit because she thought it was too dangerous. But I really enjoyed ice-skating, so I persuaded her to allow me to continue to keep doing it.”

Anri is part of the Thailand youth development squad, no small feat for a 9-year old, and she is amongst the youngest members of the team. Being part of the team has allowed Anri to travel to different national competitions, but these adventures also have their downsides. “I don’t like skipping school when I have to complete,” explains Anri. “It means that I have to catch up with my school work when I get back, and I miss playing with my friends. Also, before a competition I have to practice very hard, which means I get tired easily. I enjoy practicing though, so it’s not too bad.”

In addition to ice skating, Anri also participates in

gymnastics when she has the time, as she finds similar enjoyment in it. When asked to ponder on the benefits of ice-skating, she pauses to think for a second, then delves into a quick fire response. “I think that I have become more confident and brave because of ice skating,” she says. Lower School children at CDNIS are encouraged to be risk-takers as part of the PYP curriculum, and this is something that Anri has embraced as well. By falling and getting back up during the practice of difficult routines such as the double axel, she has learned the value of perseverance and taking risks.

Anri’s favourite ice skating memory so far was her summer trip to America, where she trained with top age group ice-skaters. In addition to this, she was able to meet Surya Bonaly, a five-time European champion who competed in several Olympic games. “It was really cool to meet this famous ice skater, because she used to be very good at ice skating,” Anri explains. “She encouraged me to work hard on my skating and to always practice different moves, because that is how I will improve.”

Cultivate Character | 23

“Before I used to be quite shy, but ice skating has given me a lot of confidence, because it is quite scary going out into the rink and performing in front of a lot of people who you don’t know. I am no longer scared of this, because I practice a lot before my competitions, so this gives me confidence in other parts of my life too.”

Anri, Grade 3 student

24 |Cultivate Character

GIVING BACK Alumni Parent Launches Exclusive Scholarship

In April, the Dr. John Poon Honour Award and Excellence Scholarship in Business was unveiled to Grade 10 and 11 Business and Economics students in the Leo Lee Arts Centre (LLAC) theatre by a delegation led by Dr. Joseph Doucet, Dean of the Alberta School of Business. This fantastic opportunity is available only to Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) graduates, with scholarship money up to the full amount of domestic or international tuition for three full years at the University of Alberta School of Business.

The highlight of the award is guaranteed entry to the School of Business at the end of year one for recipients, provided they maintain a 3.0 GPA at the end of their first year. This is the first time the University of Alberta, ranked fourth nationally, has offered guaranteed entry to its business school to international students. This scholarship is a significant enticement as entry into the School of Business is notoriously difficult.

Mr. Gabriel Poon

This award and scholarship was made possible through the generosity of Dr. Poon, whose two sons, Gabriel ’00 and Colin ’04 graduated from CDNIS. Dr. Poon is a proud alumnus of the University of Alberta, as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Alberta School of Business, and Chairman of the Financial Reporting Council of Hong Kong. Having also served on the Board of Governors at CDNIS from 2005-2007, Dr. Poon explains that he was looking for a way to give back to the school. “After practising law in Edmonton for a few years, I decided to return to Hong Kong with my family. In 1988, we were looking for a good school for our two boys. Although CDNIS was a start-up at the time, I’m very pleased at the quality education it provided for Gabriel and Colin, instilling them with life-long Canadian and Hong Kong values.”

The aim of the award and scholarship is not just to benefit CDNIS students, but to form a strategic alliance between CDNIS and the Alberta School of Business.

Dr. Poon worked collaboratively with Mr. Tim Kaiser, Upper School Principal at CDNIS, as well as Dr. Doucet, in order to come up with the unique structure of the scholarship and award. In addition to the guaranteed entry into the Alberta School of Business, there is a sliding scale of GPA targets, which recipients aim towards in order to reap the financial benefits of the award. These targets ensure that there is a tangible incentive for recipients to study hard throughout their time at university.

Mr. Tim Kaiser, Dr. John Poon

There is also an exploratory trip allowance component to

Cultivate Character | 25 the award, allowing recipients to claim HK$15,000 of their travel expenses for a trip to visit the University of Alberta while they are at CDNIS, after they have received the award. “We created this incentive in order for students to make an informed decision about where they will be attending university, in addition to encouraging more students to visit the Alberta School of Business in Edmonton and consider applying to it,” explains Dr. Poon. “In fact, the Alberta School of Business faculty has four winners of the national 3M Teaching Fellowship, more than any other business school in Canada.”

Dr. Poon and his son Gabriel are well placed to extol the virtues of studying in Edmonton, having both cheered for the Edmonton Eskimo football team during the summers

and the Edmonton Oilers hockey team during the winters there. “I actually think that enduring the Canadian climate for a few years, whether in Edmonton, Toronto or Montreal, will toughen up Hong Kong students!” exclaims Dr. Poon. “I believe that parents may also be attracted to having their children study at the University of Alberta. For one, the cost of living in Edmonton is lower than Toronto and Vancouver, but more importantly there are fewer distractions for students as well. My education and experience at the University of Alberta has equipped me well to tackle many challenges in my career, firstly as a lawyer and then as a business executive, and I hope that students at CDNIS and Hong Kong will be able to benefit from this experience too.”

“I have benefited greatly from the business education at the Alberta School of Business. A strong foundation in business and analytical skills builds your acumen to drive company goals, helps you to formulate strategic initiatives to drive revenues and profitability for your company. These are important skills whether you are a core team member, business manager or an entrepreneur. A business degree will definitely help you capture the endless opportunities available in today’s increasingly interconnected world.”

Gabriel Poon

Class of 2000

From left to right: Mr. Tim Kaiser, Dr. Joseph Doucet, Dr. John Poon, Mr. Gabriel Poon, Dr. Edy Wong, Mr. Colin Poon

26 | Cultivate Character

NEW YORK TIMES ESSAY COMPETITION WINNER Grade 9 Student Pens Winning Essay As a child, Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) Grade 9 student Maya loved to read. Maya attributes this voracious habit to her parents, for not giving her a phone or computer, which allowed her to become lost in the world of books. This passion helped to develop her skills as a writer, although she doesn’t currently get to write as much as she would like, due to her schoolwork and club commitments. When Maya’s parents read about the New York Times Asia-Pacific Writing Competition, they encouraged her to sign up.

When the results of the competition were announced, Maya was pleasantly surprised to find out that her essay

“Can people still achieve a better life through migration in 2017” had been announced as the winner of the Secondary Schools section. “I never thought I would win,” exclaimed Maya. “When I told my parents, they weren’t even sure what I was referring to at first.” In addition to winning a trophy, gift card and certificate, Maya’s winning entry was published in the New York Times International Edition, an incredible honour.

Intrigued by the theme of the contest, which was “migration”, Maya set out to write an essay based on her experience with the subject, some of which was gained from competing with the CDNIS Model United Nations

Cultivate Character | 27 (MUN) team. MUN is an educational simulation of the United Nations, where participants research and debate topical world issues.

Maya had followed the Rohingya crisis for several months, so it felt natural for her to write on it. In addition to this, Maya had represented Bangladesh at the Model United Nations, defending the country’s position of not accepting the Rohingya fleeing from persecution in Myanmar, who were termed as “illegal immigrants”.

In her essay, Maya examines the Rohingya crisis from different points of view, concluding that empathy is required from all sides in order to resolve the situation.

“I feel that the experience of defending the Bangladeshi government allowed me to approach the complex issues of the crisis from different angles,” explains Maya. “From reading about the crisis and discussing it with others, it seemed like people with different views weren’t willing to see the other side. I think that demonising the Rohingya or the Bangladeshi government isn’t constructive.”

Winning the competition has inspired Maya to carve out time to write more. In particular, she would like to write poems and fiction pieces, which are not part of her regular schoolwork, though she emphasises that she is not a fan of fantasy fiction. Maya also hopes to study law at university, which will enable her to continue to uphold human rights. After her plans to volunteer in Bangladesh this summer were dashed, Maya and her family are planning to volunteer with The UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) in India instead.

28 | Empower Engagement Locally and Globally

NEW GENERATION RISING Poised to Make a Difference in the Lives of Others Foreign Domestic Helpers. I had watched a video produced by UNICEF about the plight of a young girl in the Syrian war, and I wanted to produce something similarly provocative. However, my supervisor Mr. Alex Wright advised me to tone down the scope of my project, which is why I decided on the bus stop campaign.

Grade 12 student Ellie has been an advocate for human rights issues since Grade 9 at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS). She sat down with Red & White to discuss what got her into advocacy, and the issues she is passionate about.

How did you get into advocacy?

I’ve been involved in advocating for human rights issues for much longer than environmental ones. It all started when I created a bus stop campaign aimed at increasing respect for Foreign Domestic Helpers for my MYP Personal Project. I was inspired to do this by my mother, who encouraged me to explore the topic. My goal was to raise awareness of the need to respect

I took some photos of a foreign domestic helper, which became the subject of a poster campaign. I was happy that they were featured at 10 different bus stops, but the process to get them there was not easy. I was a relatively inexperienced designer at that stage, so making the posters themselves was difficult. I also faced a challenge to raise the money to pay for the advertising campaign. However, I was lucky that through the generosity of family and friends, I was able to fundraise the amount needed.

How did you take your advocacy further with RESPECT? I’ve also been involved in advocating for refugees’ rights at CDNIS through the RESPECT club, as well as an internship I did with the Justice Centre last summer. I have been part of this club for three years, and a large part of what we do is a tutoring service for children of refugees and asylum seekers. For this, we design lesson plans around two goals: to improve English literacy and math skills. We tutor these kids every Saturday, and we try and work with them one-on-one, as their ages range from three to 13-years old.

Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 29 I’ve been lucky enough to tutor the same girl for the past three years, and it has been a real privilege to watch her grow. She was very mischievous at first, and she really disliked math. Now she is much more confident in her ability to tackle math problems, and we have built up trust through regular contact. She even invited me to a tea party in her secret hideout, so we feel more like friends now. RESPECT has also organised swimming courses for the children, which are hosted in the CDNIS swimming pool. This is done through Splash, an organisation which conducts swim and water safety courses for under-served communities in Hong Kong, Some other ways which RESPECT helps out is to hold drives to collect sanitary materials for refugees and asylum seekers, which includes female specific ones. We are also in the process of setting up an optical and dental clinic to benefit them. The name of the clinic is SM-EYE-LE, and we will be working with Health in Action to set this up. We are in need of volunteers, and would love to partner with likeminded students to serve the community.

What was your biggest takeaway from interning with the Justice Centre?

The Justice Centre is a non-profit human rights organisation which serves refugees and asylum seekers.

Even though the Justice Centre is often at odds with the stance of the Immigration Department, as a result of constant lobbying, the department has softened its stance on a variety of issues.

I am optimistic that the xenophobia which leads to a fear of refugees and asylum seekers can be overcome. It’s natural to be afraid of what we don’t know, but with the rise of social media, it has become easy to see what is going on around the world, and hopefully have empathy for fellow humans that don’t look like us. In another era, we might not know as much about what is going on with the Rohingya in Myanmar, for example. I care about human rights issues because I see it as a moral obligation to speak out about them. My generation doesn’t see it as just the responsibilities of countries to make a difference on these issues. Through advocacy, I think we can influence others.

Which teachers at CDNIS have had the greatest impact on you?

I would like to give a shout out to Ms. Smriti Safaya, who has taught me since Grade 9. She’s really been the biggest influence in my life when it comes to environmental advocacy. Through her encouragement, I’ve worked on reducing my carbon footprint as well as using as little single use plastic as possible. Mr. Wright, who was my Personal Project supervisor, inspired me to become interested in political and human rights issues through his Civics class.

How would you like to continue your advocacy work after leaving CDNIS? I would love to finish setting up the optical and dental clinic for refugees and asylum seekers, as I think that this will have a large impact. I’m confident that the RESPECT club can continue to contribute positively through tutoring. The school has already done a lot of good work on environmental issues, especially in energy usage. I do think that we can still improve on single-use plastic though, and I’m hoping that plastic straws, cutlery and takeaway boxes can be banned soon.

After leaving CDNIS, I’m hoping to study human rights law, as well as continue my advocacy in similar organisations. I think it’s very important to inspire younger generations to be engaged in human rights and environmental issues. Eventually, I think that I would like to work as a consultant for an NGO, and find solutions for the issues I am passionate about.

“Going into my internship, I already knew that the refugee application process is very bureaucratic, as applicants have to write a letter supporting their application, and the Immigration Department will seize on any small inconsistency to deny the application. I had been quite outspoken on this issue, but through my internship experience I learned the importance of collaborating with the department.”

Ellie, Grade 12 student

30 | Empower Engagement Locally and Globally

DROP IN THE OCEAN Crusade for Water Conservation When Ms. Charlotte Nielsen arrived in Hong Kong five years ago, starting her stint as a teacher at Canadian International School in Hong Kong (CDNIS), she knew that she wanted to remain involved with her environmental advocacy, an industry she had worked in prior to becoming a teacher. After a fellow teacher introduced her to Ocean Recovery Alliance, an NGO dedicated to improving the ocean’s environment, she dove headfirst into spending her free time creating an educational programme around the subject of water resources.

“The curriculum is targeted at middle school classrooms,” explains Ms. Nielsen. “ I spent a large chunk of my free time for over a year working on a funding proposal for the programme, which we eventually received from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The curriculum is now being taught in several international schools In Hong Kong, and subject to funding, some schools in India too.

The aim is to create an interest in kids for water issues, and to put Hong Kong’s water resources in the global context, so that students are spurred into cultivating good water stewardship practices.”

An exhibition to showcase the curriculum in the Maritime Museum was also part of the project. Designed to provide a water education experience to the general public, the bilingual exhibit lets museum goers follow the journey of a single water droplet in order to better understand the water resource issues affecting Hong Kong. The exhibit ran for three months in the museum earlier this year.

Ms. Nielsen faced several challenges putting the exhibition together: “This whole exercise was a good example of how far you can take a good idea without having much experience in it. When we interviewed our first designer, they told us what we wanted couldn’t be done. Luckily, the next designers we came into contact with, One Bite, liked our idea and committed to making it happen. We had to work within a lot of safety regulations.

For example, we weren’t allowed to have any running liquids in the exhibit, which was ironic for a maritime museum. Through this process, I learned not to be intimidated by things you haven’t done before. Even though our team didn’t have any experience putting on an exhibit, we bounced ideas off each other and we were happy with the outcome.”

Having studied marine and estuarial science at

Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 31 university, Ms. Nielsen was always interested in animals and nature growing up. Even though she spent her formative years in a city setting in Brooklyn, she aspired to become a vet. “Growing up in a city, I didn’t know much about ecosystems, like where the water goes when we flush the toilet,” she explains. “After university, I ran my own environmental consultancy firm in America for 10 years, as well as working on projects overseas. However, I realized that one good way to make a difference is by educating others, which led me to change career paths and become an international school teacher.”

One of the projects which Ms. Nielsen is particularly proud of is one she worked on in Mafraq, Jordan. When she was there with USAID, she worked on a waste water treatment plan, aiming to turn waste water into viable agricultural use. Better use of waste warder was a challenge in Jordan, which had acute water shortage issues, and also relied heavily on agriculture for its economy. “We faced many problems during this project, as it wasn’t easy getting the required information in a foreign country,” says Ms. Nielsen. “Even though our recommendations were not put in place for a few years, I’m glad we were able to make an impact, because local people had been getting sick from the waste water seeping into the water system.”

When pondering the water resource demands facing the world today, Ms. Nielsen sees a number of pressing issues. “Our overuse of freshwater resources is placing a strain on surface water, which powers agriculture and industry. We also have a big problem with water sources getting contaminated. The issue of plastic polluting the ocean is horrifying. This is something that is particularly personal for me, as my youngest son, who has just graduated from CDNIS, loves to surf. I get frequent updates on the quality of the water in Big Wave Bay when he’s out on the water.”

The solutions to these problems are not immediately apparent though, and Ms. Nielsen doesn’t believe that change will come through people changing their habits.

After all, most people don’t realise that our addiction to consumption has an impact on water resources, as the

production of goods requires vast amounts of water. The effect of climate change will lead to droughts as well, forcing humans to rethink their relationships with water resources.

When asked whether she is optimistic that these issues can be resolved, Ms. Nielsen responds with a wry smile.

“Things will get bad before they get better,” she profers, “I do believe that this next period of civilisation that we’re entering into will be different. The rise in global temperatures due to our insatiable consumerism has had such a strong impact on our world in such a short period of time.”

Yet as she surveys her surroundings at CDNIS, there are other things which offer her more hope. “I think that the school is doing a good job at motivating kids to make a difference. It’s important to be outward looking, as the problems of the world are outside our four walls, and I think that CDNIS is on the right track here. Being able to have kids outside engaging with hands on learning, this is incredibly important. There are already a core group of students who are passionate about environmental issues, but I hope that we can do a better job at incentivising those who aren’t to care about the world around them.

Innovation is all about looking at problems from different angles, and it’s not necessarily all technology-related. My goal is to educate our students to be flexible, hopeful, and to be able to work with others with different views.”

“Growing up in a city, I didn’t know much about ecosystems, like where the water goes when we flush the toilet. After university, I ran my own environmental consultancy firm in America for 10 years, as well as working on projects overseas. However, I realized that one good way to make a difference is by educating others, which led me to change career paths and become an international school teacher.”

Charlotte Nielsen

Upper School teacher, Student Advisor and Environmentalist

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SPLASH Fundraiser Makes a Splash

Splash is a Hong Kong NGO, whose vision is to “create an oasis where people flourish”. By holding swim and water safety courses for those who may not have access or opportunities for swimming lessons, such as foreign domestic helpers, children from low income families, and children of refugees and asylum seekers, Splash aims to foster the confidence of the attendees by enabling them to be water safe. Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) regularly plays host to Splash swimming lessons, including lessons organised by the student run RESPECT club, and on Sunday, March 18, the school hosted the annual Splash Dash fundraising event.

On that day, 48 relay teams took part in the swimathon in support of Splash’s programmes. The teams were split up into three different categories: corporate, friends and family and schools and clubs. Each team consisted of three or four members, with two graduates of the Splash programme joining them. This allowed the graduates to test out their new swimming skills with more seasoned swimmers, adding to the festive atmosphere of the event.

Each heat lasted for 30 minutes, in a continuous swim

format. with swimmers rotating every 25 or 50 metres.

Prizes were handed out for most laps swam, most money raised and best team spirit.

With each team required to raise a minimum of HK$5,000, the organisers set an ambitious goal of raising HK$500,000 during the event. Thanks to the amazing fundraising efforts of the relay participants, and the generosity of all those who donated, over HK$520,000 was raised on the day, a phenomenal effort which will enable Splash to move towards their goal of providing 5,000 people with the opportunity to learn how to swim and be water safe by 2020. For the Splash graduates, the opportunity to swim alongside Hong Kong Olympians Hannah Wilson and Camille Cheng was a real treat, as they added their star power to the event.

Representing CDNIS at the Splash Dash event were four members of the SEASAC swim team, Carole, Nika, Natascha and Bobo. Encouraged by Coach Tracie Liu to take part, the four had no qualms about signing up and fundraising. “Out of the SEASAC team, we are the closest

Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 33 in age to each other,” Carole explains. “We are really good friends, and even though we actually don’t swim together in any relay events, we were really excited to take part in the swimathon, especially since we were doing it for a good cause!”

The relay event wasn’t without it’s challenges. “It took a lot of organisation to ensure that our team was swimming smoothly,” Nika said. “Because the Splash graduates did not have that much experience swimming such long distances, by the end they were swimming 25 metre laps, so we had to co-ordinate with each other so that we had some of the four of us at each end of the pool, ready to swim when another touched the side of the pool. We had a lot of fun during the event, but by the end we were all exhausted! We swam almost 2.5km in total, and I think we placed in the top three schools.”

The CDNIS team enjoyed interacting with the two Splash graduates on their team, remarking on their smooth textbook swimming strokes, testament to their coaches on the Splash programme. “We would like to thank everyone who donated to our team effort,” exclaims Bobo.

“Since we all believe that enjoying swimming is a wonderful thing, and that it is an important skill, it was amazing for us to be able to take part in this event. We would also like to recognise Coach Tracie for encouraging us to sign up. I’m really pleased that we raised over HK$10,000 to be able to help others learn how to swim.”

34 | Empower Engagement Locally and Globally

DRESS DOWN DAYS Dressing Down for Good

Dress Down Days (DDD) are a cherished, long-held tradition at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS). Typically held once a month, students are allowed to dress in their own clothes for a day, as long as they make a small monetary contribution to the nominated charity. The days are always eagerly anticipated by students, as they come up with imaginative ways of following the set theme for the DDD. In the Lower School, the Lower School Student Council (LSSC) co-ordinates the DDD theme and designated charity for each DDD. Each house has a designated charity, with Bear benefitting Room to Read, Orca benefitting Plastic Free Seas, Raven benefitting Feeding Hong Kong and Mountain Lion benefitting Kids4Kids. During the academic year, each charity has a designated DDD set aside for them, and funds raised on that day are donated to support their programmes.

“Representatives from each house on the LSSC are in charge of organising the DDD when it is the turn of their charity to be benefitted,” explains Ms. Keren Glazier, who is one of the teachers in charge of the LSSC. “The LSSC representatives are responsible for writing the message for the Flash, as well as coming up with a poster to publicise the DDD. On months where there isn’t a house charity being helped, we brainstorm with the council, as well as getting other student feedback, in order to find worthy NGOs to donate to. If there is a large natural disaster somewhere else in the world, we will try and organise funds to help them.” In addition to this, the theme for what outfits students should wear is also tied to the designated charity. For example, earlier this year, there was a sports themed DDD to benefit the Terry Fox run, and a favourite animal theme to benefit Kirsten’s Zoo, an NGO which provides shelter for abandoned pets.

For the students on the LSSC, DDDs are a good opportunity for them to hone their leadership and organisational skills, as this is often their first time planning such large scale events. “Being efficient during meetings is very important,” Grade 5 student Owen says.

“It is important for us to distribute the different tasks so that we are able to organise the DDD effectively. Once we actually forgot to put up the posters until the last minute, and some of my classmates were annoyed because they didn’t know what the theme was.” For Grade 6 student Tanner, the exercise of organising DDDs has taught him an important lesson in empathy. “Often times, other students will come up to us and tell us that they could do a better job at organisation. But what they don’t see is the effort that we’ve put into meeting and coming up with plans. We always try and listen to what they want when we are brainstorming ideas for what charity to pick, so that we can think of something that everyone can support. Even though being on the LSSC is a big time commitment, I enjoy the feeling we get when a DDD goes successfully.”

Upper School DDDs are organised by the Upper School Student Council (USSC), with a focus on supporting charities which US students are involved in. Students who

Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 35 wish to nominate an NGO for consideration for DDD must follow a nomination process instilled by the USSC in the 2016/17 academic year. While previously charities were shortlisted by teachers and voted on by students, this new arrangement empowers students to be more engaged with fundraising for the causes that they care about.

“We have found that this new process is successful, as many students have submitted nominations for consideration for DDD funds,” Grade 12 student Alison, co-president of the USSC explains. The first step of the application process is to gather 30 electronic signatures in support of the application. This puts the onus on the nominee to educate a portion of the school population about the NGO. In addition to this, nominees must provide written answers explaining why they believe the charity should be funded, and how the funds will be spent by the charity.

Once the application has reached the minimum number

of nominations, an interview between the nominee and representatives of the USSC is set up, where nominees have to elaborate on their answers. “We look for students to show passion for their nominated charities during the interview,” Grade 11 student Louis, co-president of the USSC, notes. “They also have to explain how fellow CDNIS students are engaged with the charity already. It is the nominees’ responsibility to publicise the DDD, including writing a blurb about how the charity will benefit, and the intention is that the charity can benefit from both the funds raised on the day and the awareness created through the process.”

Student run clubs which support charitable causes have benefited greatly from funds raised from DDD. For example, the student-run RESPECT club, which serves children of refugees and asylum seekers, has used money raised to pay for transport and supplies for their tutoring sessions with children of refugees and asylum seekers.

With the new model of DDD nominations in place, the future for the event looks bright.

Over HK$900,000 has been raised during DDDs over the last five years, which has benefitted 56 different charities. These are the NGO’s that have received over HK$20,000.

International Care Ministries

$ 55,666.95

Philippine Red Cross

$ 55,666.95

Mother’s Choice

$ 53,709.00

Room to Read

$ 52,964.50

Kids4 Kids

$ 48,141.50

Plastic Free Seas

$ 44,405.00

Feeding Hong Kong

$ 31,384.00

Clean Air Network

$ 29,492.50

Ocean Recovery Alliance

$ 29,443.00

Crossroads Foundation

$ 24,629.00

World Wide Fund Nature for Hong Kong

$ 24,555.00

The Jane Goodall Institute Hong Kong

$ 22,352.50

HandsOn Hong Kong

$ 20,943.50

= HK$10,000

A total of HK$ 923,261.00 DDD Money Raised (August 2013 - April 2018)

36 | Empower Engagement Locally and Globally

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Changing Lives One House at a Time This past April, a team of 24 students and three teachers from CDNIS participated in the 7th annual Young Leaders Build. This is a trip where young people from across the Asia Pacific region come to support families in need of decent homes in Conghua Guangdong, China for three days. From moving and laying over 30,000 bricks to completing a full foundation of a house, we were able to make a difference in the lives of the families who live in mud-brick houses.

Driven by the vision and belief that everyone deserves a decent place to call home, Habitat for Humanity (HFH) at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) actively strives to educate the school community about the global issue of substandard housing, while fundraising for bi-annual local and global build trips.

Since 2010, HFH at CDNIS has participated in over 10 build trips to Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, and China with engagement from over 150 students, making CDNIS a proud supporter of the world’s largest non-profit homebuilder.

In addition to being able to help with the construction of a house, what truly made our experience there so valuable was interacting with the local community.

Whether it was getting chased around by the local children, playing basketball with the other volunteers during break times, exchanging amicable greetings from the community, or eating the local food, we were able to experience genuine heartfelt connections in the spirit of building community together, despite the short duration of the trip.

“As always Habitat for Humanity China and Hong Kong allowed the students and supervisors to build with safety and confidence. I’m always so impressed by how the

Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 37 students step out of their comfort zone and step up to the challenge of providing adequate housing to people in need,” said teacher supervisor Ms. Heather Jablonowski

When talking to the Chan family in Conghua about their living situation in a mudhouse, we learnt about the hardships they faced in the crowded and damp area as they didn’t have proper sanitation and ventilation, leading to numerous physical and health complications.

The local family mentioned how over the years, the walls have eroded and been damaged while the roof started leaking due to the rainy and windy weather, but without sufficient money as a result of their unpredictable income, it has been very difficult for the family to afford a total house reconstruction.

The Chan family is now on the path to achieving their hopes of better housing through financial and physical support from Habitat for Humanity China. Our volunteer assistance during the Young Leaders Build has helped with the construction of their home so that the family can move one step closer to their safe and healthy new house.

in a place with more than just four walls and a roof above our heads, inspiring us to want to do more beyond our school community and create change around us. Through stepping out of our comfort zone, we have taken on a new perspective of the world while engaging in a shared vision of creating housing for families to enjoy access to better health, clean water, improved sanitation and comfortable spaces for rest, recreation, and learning.

With every person volunteering, fundraising, raising awareness and adding their voices in support of adequate housing, we as Habitat for Humanity at CDNIS can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves.

As President of the Habitat for Humanity club at CDNIS, the experiences, skills, and relationships that I have gained from being a part of Habitat for Humanity are things I know I will never forget. It has been great make such a large impact in those who are less fortunate than us.

“The greatest part of the trip for me was being able to talk to the local families. It has really opened my eyes to the harsh conditions that people have to live through due to the wealth disparities in China while also teaching me to be more appreciative of the opportunities and privileges that I have.” says Grade 10 student, Sonia.

It is through numerous advocacy and fundraising events carried out throughout the year that we are able to acquire funds to subsidise these build trips. HFH at CDNIS has hosted annual Paint Your Glove/Hat/House events (with this year being Paint Your House) as well as bake sales, and Project School Works - Project Home Works excursions to our local community, while having active participation in Global Issues Network (GIN) events to engage with our school community. These fundraising and advocacy events allow both lower and upper school students to connect with the aims of HFH to help them be more aware of the importance of substandard housing as well as the significance of a home and what it means to them, all while aiding us in creating subsidies for build trips.

These experiences in which we assist in building houses every single year locally and globally have really helped open our eyes to how fortunate we are to be able to live

Written By Grade 10 student Megan Lee

38| Empower Engagement Locally and Globally

HOME OF LOVE Spreading Holiday Cheer to those in Need

On a crisp December morning before Winter Break, four Lower School Student Council (LSSC) representatives took part in a long-standing Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) tradition. For over 10 years, Canadian International School Parents’ Association (CISPA) has held a donation drive for the Home of Love.

Operated by the Sisters of Charity since 1983, it is a temporary shelter in Sham Shui Po providing meals and shelter to the homeless.

In order to spread some holiday cheer during Christmas, for 15 days before the Home of Love visit, CISPA gathers items donated by the CDNIS community to benefit the homeless. These include blankets, nappies, towels and non-perishable food items, which are distributed to the homeless during Home of Love’s Christmas dinner.

When the annual event was brought up during a LSSC meeting, Grade 6 student Tanner was one of four eager participants to volunteer. Having studied about the rise of homelessness in class, Tanner was keen to help out those in need.

“We went over in the morning to the Home of Love offices, with 30 boxes of items which had been collected

by CISPA,” Tanner explains. “Our main task was to

unpack the boxes and distribute them into 300 hampers, which would be given out to the homeless at the Christmas dinner. The four of us formed an assembly line, and we each had one job to make the process go smoother.”

While they were hard at work, Tanner and the other students could see homeless people lining up for food in a room next door. “This was an eye-opening experience for me, and I could appreciate how important the work of Home of Love is, because without them the homeless people would go hungry and have to sleep on the street.”

During the packing process, the students were able to share with the sisters about the different ways in which they support charities through activities in CDNIS, including Dress Down Days and leadership training initiatives. Despite the language barrier, the students were able to articulate their reasons for supporting the different charities, in addition to the different ways they help them including fundraising and raising awareness.

The sisters at the Home of Love commended them on their work attitude, noting that they didn’t stop until all of the supplies had been unpacked and distributed into the hampers.

Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 39

Mr. DJ MacPherson, Lower School Vice Principal, who accompanied the students on the visit, was also happy with how the day went. He noted that this is a well-established tradition at CDNIS, and that the LSSC representatives who have visited throughout the years have always been great ambassadors for CDNIS. “I think that this is a fantastic initiative by CISPA, as it is for a great cause, and it also allows the students to see just how fortunate they are. In addition, they see how they can tangibly help those in need. This also shows the generous spirit of the CDNIS community, as year after year we come together to benefit those who are less fortunate in the holiday season.”

CISPA supports outreach initiatives, including student- or teacher-led charitable projects, all year round. By providing funding for the various initiatives, CISPA is able to support the school’s mission of empowering engagement locally and globally. Causes that they have supported this year include the student-run Cooking For A Cause club, which prepares and serves meals to refugees and asylum seekers from around the world in Hong Kong.

“Going there reminded me why we raise money for different charities at school, because it is important to help those that are less fortunate than us. The day was an interesting experience for the four of us, and the shared experience brought us much closer together.”

Tanner, Grade 6 student

In the next edition of RED & WHITE In your next edition of Red & White we will bring you another collection of inspring, cultivating and empowering stories including...

Early Action, Early Decision

Cultural Knowledge

Understanding what is means to apply early to post-secondary institutions in the USA and finding out the pros and cons from CDNIS alumni who gained acceptance this way.

Discover how pen pals and the Hong Kong French Theatre Festival are helping students in the Romance Language Department expand their knowledge.

Game On CDNIS students lace up their skates and represent Hong Kong at the U18 World Ice Hockey Championships in New Zealand.

Canadian International School of Hong Kong 36 Nam Long Shan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong Phone: (852) 2525 7088 Fax: (852) 2525 7579 schoolinfo@cdnis.edu.hk www.cdnis.edu.hk