Harrow Hong Kong The Harrovian Issue 3

THE HARROVIAN

Student Newspaper

Issue 3

Leadership for a better world

Academic Societies: Students Take The Lead

by Kalina Milenova (Y10, Brooking), Nia Milenova (Y12, Brooking)

April 2015

as each stall engaged students in activities and offered some imaginative inducements to potential members. There was an element of competition in the air. Who was drawing the most attention and essentially, getting the most signatures?

Ultimately, each group succeeded, as they gathered a group of students who seemed to be as fascinated by the subjects they had chosen as the Sixth Form organisers themselves.

In the future, we hope to see more people involved and the number of different societies grow, as they become a firm fixture in the enrichment programme at Harrow Hong Kong.

Inspiring Kids for a Cause

by Cici Zhang (Y12, Kingston)

The Biochem Society displays four of its models!

At the heart of every good school lies the opportunity for students to develop their passion for learning beyond normal lessons in the classroom. Societies offer a forum of discussion and debate on a vast range of interests that might otherwise not be brought into the everyday life of students.

This term, the Sixth Form delivered this idea to Harrow Hong Kong, bringing the leadership attributes that lie at the essence of our School’s philosophy into action. On the 15 and 16 January, thirty students assembled a ‘Societies Fair’, organising stalls on the steps of the AstroTurf, in the hope of attracting pupils from Years 9 to 13 to join each of their societies. Every group of students prepared striking displays that exhibited what would take place during the meetings. Harrow Hong Kong’s first eight societies include Philosophy, Economics, Medicine, Law, Biochemistry, PET (Physics, Engineering & Technology), Sports and Physiology and Mathematics.

Crowds formed around the most popular societies,

Kids4Kids is a Hong Kong based non-profit organization that aims to help children become active citizens who will initiate change and contribute positively to the community through learning and volunteering programmes.

Harrow Hong Kong’s Community Service ECA is excited to be part of Kids4Kids’ popular Buddy Reading programme, where we share the love of reading with underprivileged children aged 7 to 10 years old. Our goal is to help these children develop a love for reading English storybooks whilst improving their reading and speaking skills.

We have been visiting Tuen Mun’s Lok Sin Tong Leung Wong Wai Fong Memorial Primary School during Thursday ECA periods. We start the sessions with interactive games and icebreakers such as “Simon Says” followed by an appointed “leader” reading a children’s storybook. These activities not only give children the opportunity to express themselves, but also to practise English by answering stimulating questions. The members of the Community Service Club were then paired up with young children to guide them through selected fiction books chosen from the

School Library. For the students of Harrow Hong Kong, it was a golden opportunity to truly give back to the community whilst building new social, leadership, and presentation skills.

If you would like to create a positive impact and be part of this charitable service, Community Service is open for all Harrow Hong Kong students to join. If you are interested in the programme but have commitments in sport or musical activities during the Thursday ECA slot, Kids4Kids is actively seeking volunteers for the weekend to serve others in need.

For more information, please visit http://kids4kids.org.hk/.

ISTA Festival, Manila

by Paris Spivey (Y9, Brooking)

Where else can you think like a philosopher while playing like a child?

From the 22 to 26 January, 17 young thespians from Harrow Hong Kong travelled to Manila, Philippines, with two of the School’s Drama teachers for an International Schools’ Theatre Association (ISTA) Festival, aimed at Years 6 to 9 students who might be considering taking Drama for iGCSE.

On arrival, students were taken to their host families, where they would be staying for the weekend. The families were welcoming and friendly hosts and they made our stay in the Philippines a truly memorable experience.

The theme of the ISTA festival was Bayanihan, which means ‘community’ in Tagalog. Students worked with their ensembles to explore the question, ‘What is a community?’ and then performed their findings as a group at the end of the festival. The students needed to find out what communities, or Bayanihan, were like in the Philppines.

The festival provided new ways to explore new

ideas whilst helping to improve self-confidence; everyone’s thoughts and opinions were taken into account for the final piece. This made all members of each ensemble feel they had an important role during the creative process and on stage.

Inspiration for the piece came from our own participation in community service. Each school was assigned to an organisation that helps disadvantaged children in the Philippines. As the bus passed the slums of Manila, the students quickly came to realise that not everyone in this wonderful city could enjoy everything the city has to offer.

As the students of Harrow Hong Kong arrived at Kids International Manila (KIM), they were all greeted with plenty of happy faces and a few children ran out from their homes to shake the students’ hands and say, ‘hi’. The excitement was contagious and soon everyone was thrilled to be working with the children at KIM.

During their time there, students bonded easily with the children at KIM and put on a short performance by the end of the day based on a storybook that all the children from KIM and Harrow Hong Kong had read together. They all had to make their own props and costumes and have it rehearsed and ready to perform within half an hour. Overall, the trip was a huge success, and although it all ended on a high note, all the children were reluctant to say goodbye to their new friends.

As the bus rode back into the bustling city, the students kept in their hearts the idea that whatever your background, ethnicity, or even how much money you have, everyone can still come together and have a great time.

Even though this was a drama festival, the most important thing learnt from this trip is that we, as a community, need to actually take action and help others who are not as lucky as we are by physically reaching out to them.

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Overheard in Harrow Hong Kong

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by Isaac Yeung (Y12, Lloyd)

“Smells like a 5 star hotel bathroom.”

“Our plan is that we have no plan! Creativity is at its best when it’s spontaneous.”

“Intelligence of the nth degree.”

“There is no English in physics.”

“This year is the year of the sheep, goat, or ram!”

“The electronic earth! The E-Earth!”

“Why are there so many books in the library?!”

“Can you be my sin2 θ? Because if I’m cos2 θ, together we can be one.”

Femi-NICE-ism

by Madeleine Duperouzel (Y12, Brooking)

I am often asked why I am a feminist. Before I answer, I consider the many different ways in which I could approach the question. My first instinct is usually: “Why aren’t you?” However, the first few times that I went and actually responded with this, it did not have the desired effect. After brief interactions such as these, I am usually left feeling alone and annoyed, wondering why the immediate association with the word “feminist” is a bad one. The literal definition of feminism is, “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). In short, as a feminist, I believe that men and women deserve equal rights. However, the reason that the movement for equality as a whole is called “feminism”, is not because it’s a crazy girl only movement where we plot to eliminate the male species as a whole, but because in general, women through time have been an oppressed group, and in many parts of the world.

Women are unjustly treated, and expected to meet standards which do not apply to men. On top of this, to be considered “feminine” or “girly” is equivalent to being “weak”, and leads to many young males feeling trapped and unable to express emotion, to express feelings, and to break away from the stereotypical masculine norm – for fear of being a “girl”.

Feminism is about breaking down this negative association with femininity, and creating a more inclusive world as a whole.

To be fair, it is very easy to get carried away. As a strident feminist, I will admit that I myself can occasionally become fairly radical, and sometimes this makes it hard for me to judge what other people say about their own views on feminism. Fortunately, there are still feminists who are able to get the message across in a succinct and elegant manner, without instantly transforming into a shaking ball of anger the second someone says anything vaguely insensitive.

Emma Watson’s recent appointment as the UN ambassador for women could not have come at a more perfect time – the gender debate is as heated as ever, and women across the globe are starting to recognise that it is time to fight for their rights.

She gave a moving and graceful speech at the UN, introducing the program HeForShe, which has since made giant leaps in changing the way that boys and girls alike perceive feminism.

As a result of this, I have decided that now is the perfect time to see how gender perceptions might have changed in the months since this speech and other strong feminist moments (I would like to draw attention to Beyoncé’s VMA performance as another critical point of feminist empowerment in the celebrity world). I decided to interview three students in the School, to see what their perceptions were regarding this topic, and if they would describe themselves as, dare I say it, feminists.

Chloe Liu (Y11, Tutt House) What is your first impression when you hear the word “feminist”?

I think about females, and those who support female equality.

Do you think men and women are fundamentally different or the same?

Fundamentally, we are the same; however, there are some things that men are better at and some things that women are

better at. I think if both men and women collaborate, it often has a better outcome than men or women working on their own.

Would you like to see women in more positions of power – i.e. in the government, working as CEOs? Yes, definitely.

How equal do you think the world as a whole is today?

Obviously it has improved a lot compared to the last two decades; women are gradually able to gain top jobs and do great things.

How equal do you think Hong Kong is compared to the rest of the world?

Hong Kong is more equal than the rest of the world; I feel like the men here are gentlemen as they know they need to respect women and they’re polite and chivalrous, for example holding open doors.

Would you ever consider describing yourself as a feminist?

Not at this stage, but I will be one!

Mandy Chan (Y11, Brooking House) What is your first impression when you hear the word “feminist”?

Women’s rights.

Do you think men and women are fundamentally different or the same?

Fundamentally the same, we are all born the same, women have the same abilities as men, and so we can do the same things as men!

Would you like to see women in more positions of power – i.e. in the government, working as CEOs? Yes definitely, because right now lots of women are working in basic jobs, and not in powerful jobs. If we start doing the same jobs as men, then women have to start being treated more equally.

How equal do you think the world as a whole is today?

Not very equal, I guess, as there are not only issues about feminism but also about racism and the gap between the rich and the poor.

How equal do you think Hong Kong is compared to the rest of the world?

Hong Kong is more equal, because it is a more international city.

Would you ever consider describing yourself as a feminist?

Not really, I don’t really have a strong view on the topic.

Ivan Lau (Y11, Cale House) What is your first impression when you hear the word “feminist”?

People who fight for women to get their rights. They believe women and men should be equal.

Do you think men and women are fundamentally different or the same?

Physically they are different, but they should be equal in terms of rights!

Would you like to see women in more positions of power – i.e. in the government, working as CEOs? Yes! How equal do you think the world as a whole is today?

In developed countries, it is fair to say that it is pretty equal.

However, in less developed countries, and places like Saudi

Arabia, women don’t have the same rights there, so that needs to be improved.

How equal do you think Hong Kong is compared to the rest of the world?

It’s fairly equal in Hong Kong. The level of gender equality here is good; there are many female CEO’s and women in the government.

Would you ever consider describing yourself as a feminist?

Yeah!

Harrow’s Got Talent

by Cici Zhang (Y12, Kingston)

People’s Choice winners: No Direction

A team of Sixth Formers organised the first Talent Show on Sunday 8 February: a showcase of musical talent of Senior School students.

Harrow’s Got Talent was an event that took months of planning and coordination between the Prefect team and Year 12 volunteers. Hosted by Kevin Chan (Y12, Lloyd) and Cici Zhang (Y12, Kingston), the show successfully took place in the Sports Hall in front of a buzzing crowd of students and teachers, with a total of eight acts by different members of the Senior School. From singing to playing the piano, there was constant anticipation amongst the audience of what to expect next from performers who each had their own unique style and presentation. The audience was then invited to enjoy the delicious light snacks and refreshments provided by the School during intermission. During this time, they were also given the chance to vote for their favourite act of the evening.

There were two winners for the show: one was decided completely by audience preference through a ballot, and the other was a decision between the honorary judges.

The audience favourite was won by just one vote “No Direction”, who performed a passionate cover of Passenger’s “Let Her Go”. Anna Tang (Y10, Tutt) and Sophia Li (Y10, Tutt) delivered a rendition of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” and were crowned as the judge’s favourite by Mr Lloyd, Ms Delaney, and Mr James who gave encouraging feedback to all the respective acts.

A big thank you to Head Girl Samantha Li (Y13, Brooking) and Prefects Brian Lo (Y13, Lloyd), and Clement Lo (Y13, Lloyd), as their leadership was essential in the creation of this original production. This was a long but satisfying and rewarding journey for all of those who were involved, from the organisers, who planned and worked

through technical aspects of the show, to the performers, as it allowed the audience to witness the impressive hidden talent here at Harrow Hong Kong.

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Ask the Scholar

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This month’s topic:

WATER ROCKETS

by Benjamin Wang (Y10, Nightingale) Inspired by the Physics, Engineering & Technology (PET) Society

Launch This all-powerful rocket uses water as a propellant. With the rocket pointing upwards, air is pumped in to increase the pressure. This means the water inside is being pushed down.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (Newton’s 3rd law): the water pushes upwards. This force is larger than the total weight of the rocket downwards. The unbalanced force is upwards so the rocket soars. Stay away if you don’t want to get wet!

Flight Unfortunately, what goes up must come down; there comes a moment when most of the water has been discharged. The pull of gravity on the rocket is much larger than the (extinct) force upwards, bringing the rocket plummeting to the ground.

Conventional rockets A real rocket requires two parts to the propellant: fuel and oxidizer, because there is no oxygen in space. The combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber results in hot gases that expand and are pushed out of the nozzle. Unlike the uncontrolled hard landing of the water rocket, a space rocket usually controls its descent by slowing itself down using the atmosphere and landing softly with the aid of parachutes.

Mindfulness

by Ishan Rosha (Y11, Nightingale)

When we were choosing our ECA options I noticed that there was a new option available for Senior School students called Mindfulness. I interviewed Mrs Ralph to find out more information about it.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is about learning to direct our attention to our experience as it unfolds, moment by moment, with open-minded curiosity and acceptance. We tend to worry about what might happen or what has happened. Mindfulness trains us to respond skilfully to what is happening right now, whether that is a good or bad thing.

What is the purpose of mindfulness?

Mindfulness helps improve our wellbeing. It helps people to learn effectively, think more clearly, perform better, and to feel calmer, less anxious or down in the dumps. It is increasingly being used in the world of business to improve staff wellbeing and satisfaction and in sports and music to improve performance. Once you have learnt some basic mindfulness practices, you can decide how you can use mindfulness practices in your life.

How does mindfulness help people to manage their emotions and thoughts?

The stories that our minds tell us are ultimately just thoughts, and we can see that thoughts, emotions, body sensations and our behaviour are all related, and all affect each other. They can work together in a negative feedback loop that drives us further into worry, stress, obsession, anger and all the other unpleasant emotions that can make our lives difficult.

If we take this example: why did a close friend not answer our text? We can see that our thoughts about what happened can lead to feelings of anxiety or of anger (emotions), and this may lead to our stomach churning, or tensions around our heads, or a tightening of our fists (body sensations). This in turn might lead us to get angry or irritated with the next friend that we meet or with someone at home, and/or we might avoid going to some event that the person who ignored our text was also attending (actions/behaviour).

Mindfulness allows us to recognise thoughts as they arise – and help us to see them as just that – thoughts, and realise that thoughts come and thoughts will also go. It helps us to notice when we are ruminating (over-thinking things) which can lead to further thoughts, emotions and body sensations, and gives us space to respond skilfully to situations.

Could you please describe what would normally happen in a mindfulness lesson?

The main topics covered in lessons are: • Directing attention • How to accept things as they are and how to introduce more calmness into our lives • How to deal with worries • Being here now – how to savour the present moment • Moving mindfully • How to step back from thoughts • How to befriend difficult emotions.

Every lesson is different. I use a mix of activities and videos to try and explain the concepts being taught and then we do some form of mindfulness practice – such as a “.b” where we just breathe and be. We learn how to eat mindfully and also use a practice which can help us to fall asleep. And yes – people do occasionally fall asleep in my lesson!

All the lessons have been designed by specialist teachers who worked closely with the Oxford University Mindfulness Centre. In order for me to be able to teach the course at Harrow International Hong Kong, I have had to attend many courses and training sessions and I have worked closely with these teachers to learn all the different skills involved in teaching mindfulness.

Would you recommend mindfulness to anyone?

Yes. Everyone can get a lot out of the lessons – it teaches you some really useful life skills and most importantly, it equips you with the skills to flourish. I always say to my students at the start of the course to keep an open mind about what I teach them and to just take away the things that really work for them. In my last school we also introduced the course to teachers and they also found it really useful. You are never too young or old to learn about mindfulness.

The Secrets of War

by Anastasia Groenestijn (Y13, Kingston)

As a Dutch National, I am well placed to make the following claim: the cinema of the Netherlands rarely has much impact outside of our borders. Beyond the occasional starlet who manages to win fame abroad, or the even rarer cult classic, my country often has to accept its status as a European centre of legal drug use and pickled herring production. A number of deserving Dutch films fall into obscurity, yet The Secrets of War is not one of those films. With the magic of English language subtitles, history enthusiasts from Years 9

to 13 were exposed to this account of three children living in German-occupied Dutch territory during the Second World War.

Despite discussing the impacts of the Nazi occupation on a small rural community, the film rarely, if ever, uses graphic details, even when one of the characters is arrested and presumably deported to a concentration camp.

Presumably, this is in keeping with the child’s perspective followed throughout the film, whereby certain details - the child’s hand reaching out of the train cart, or the deployed parachute hanging from a tree branch - have significance to the audience, but not the sheltered main characters (Tuur, Lambert, and Tamar). More generally, it discusses not only the impacts of war on childhood, but the correlation between adulthood and responsibility in general. Through a series of childish misunderstandings and petty revenge, what begins as a lifelong friendship embellished by a love triangle, results in deportation, death, and persecution. In a sense, therefore, this film is unusual for a Dutch movie in that it uses the extremely popular theme of the Second World War as a vehicle for a story about childhood.

The Mothers of Harrow Hong Kong

by Isaac Yeung (Y12, Lloyd)

The Matrons. Who are these mysterious figures that roam the halls of the boarding houses? What are they here for?

These “mysterious figures” can be called the students’ second mothers. These three very important individuals perform an underrated job in our school environment. Mrs Brown (Senior School), Mrs Montefiore (Senior School) and Mrs Reynolds (Prep School) look after the student body to ensure their well-being, safety, and other needs when students are away from their homes and in the boarding house.

pleasant eighteen year old with the skills to look after themselves. In a recent interview that I have done with the Matrons, the thing that all three Matrons had in common was their love of interaction with students in their everyday lives.

“A Matron is someone that does the job of a mum but on a bigger scale.”

Mrs Brown and Mrs Montefiore take care of the Upper School and both love being Matrons. But what got them into being Matrons? Mrs Montefiore has three sons and two grandchildren while Mrs Brown has one son in New Zealand with two children and a daughter in the UK with three children. They did not want their job of being mothers to come to an end after their children grew up and with the influence of their friends, who were also Matrons, they took up the challenge of being a mother on a larger scale.

Mrs Reynolds, who is a mother of three daughters who boarded as well, takes care of the Prep School and this differs from the Upper School greatly. They need more nurturing and she has to be firm and fair. Mrs Reynolds applies compassion and patience for the Prep School, giving them chances to realize if what they are doing is wrong and she helps them and supports them along the way.

“Everyday is just a surprise and there are so many personalities. It’s lovely making a connection with each and every student.”

One of the most essential things within a boarding house is a clean room, according to the Matrons. It is very important to keep the rooms clean and they try to supervise this to make it a habit, as it is a very important life skill.

“A tidy living space is a tidy mind!”

There is no challenge that the Matrons are unable to tackle and they take them head-on, no matter what it is. From being a shoulder to cry on, taking care of the students when they are sick, or even just being there for the students. There is no challenge too large for a matron and they always try to the best of their ability to help students in need and to look after their health and well-being.

Thank you to the Mothers of Harrow Hong Kong, Mrs Brown, Mrs Montefiore and Mrs Reynolds for ensuring the students’ health and well-being and nurturing us to be great leaders of tomorrow.

(from left) Mrs Montefiore, Mrs Brown, Mrs Reynolds

“There is no challenge!

We are mothers!”

They are here to let the students feel safe, secure and happy. Matrons are not here to do things for the students but rather to guide and nurture them to be mature and well-mannered. Students are guided and taught to take responsibility, have self-respect and ensure that they grow up from being a thirteen year old to a sensible and thoroughly

Sports News

by Michael Gao (Y12, Waterman), Ishan Rosha (Y11, Nightingale)

U14 Basketball In the past three years, the U20, U16, and U14 Basketball teams have been working tremendously hard to help the School earn its first championship in the ISSFHK League.

After a disappointing end to the U20 basketball team’s season in the Semi Finals, it was up to the younger age group to step up and bring home the trophy. Led by two remarkable coaches,

our U14 team went on to dominate the league, winning every match they played. Several impressive victories over more experienced schools such as Concordia International School, and Kellet School propelled us into the ISSFHK U14 Boys’ Basketball Division 3 playoffs. The first match was played against Hong Kong Academy. Although their players were considerably taller than us, we established our dominance from the first quarter to the last. The final scoreline was an impressive 50-15 victory to Harrow Hong Kong. This impressive win sent us straight to the Championship Final games against YMCA and Hong Kong Christian College. It was all or nothing, and despite facing the toughest opponents we have played, the U14s boys basketball team was determined and not going to give up. After two hard fought matches, we prevailed and won both of them, bringing home Harrow Hong Kong’s first ISSFHK Championship Trophy.

House finishing second and third respectively. Oliver Otten (Y9, Lloyd) finished first out of all the Year 9s with a time of 11.02, whilst Sophie Haik (Year 9, Tutt) was the fastest girl at 12.30. Henry Luise (Y11, Waterman) finished first out of all the Year 10s and Year 11s with a time of 10.37. Kenneth Li (Y12, Cale) was the fastest sixth former with a time of 16.18 with Miriam Fedi (Y12, Tutt) the fastest girl at 18.34.

The Prep School held their Inter-House cross-country competition two weeks later on 28 January. The course was 2.5 kilometres for Years 6-7 and 3 kilometres for Year 8. In the boys’ competition, Fox House finished first with Morris House and Downes House finishing second and third respectively.

Keith House won the girl’s competition with Matthews House and Smith House finishing second and third respectively. Sam Bradford (Y6, Morris) finished first out of all the Year 6s with a time of 9.05, and Asia Peel (Y6, Matthews) finished second overall in 9.22. Ben Swan (Y7, Morris) was the fastest Year 7 with a time of 8.55 and Benjamin Hubbard (Y8, Morris) was the fastest Year 8 with a time of 12.16 with Frances King-Tenison (Y8, Matthews) the fastest Year 8 girl, and third overall with a time of 12.36.

{ U16 Rugby Our U16 boys’ Rugby team have enjoyed a superb start to the season; our squad played against Island School, one of the best schools in Hong Kong. At first, many of our players were intimidated by the more bulky and formidable opposition standing across the pitch, but the minute the whistle blew, we dominated from the first possession to the last. We used our superior field vision to assist our teammates, bringing us our first victory with a scoreline of 62-12.We then continued our winning streak by defeating French International School and Shatin College, beating them 29-5 and 39-2 respectively.

However our next match against South Island School was a difficult test of our abilities. South Island School has the reputation of being one of the best schools at rugby in Hong Kong, as many of their players are in the Hong Kong National Team. We were very confident going into this match but we were ready for an extremely tough match. South Island School proved to be tough opponents, and they beat us 54-5.

However, this match allowed us to realise numerous ways that we can improve and become a better team.

Inter-House Cross Country On 14 January, Harrow Hong Kong had its first inter-House competition of 2015. It was held on the Maclehose trail, a three kilometres race for Years 9-11 and a four kilometres race for the Sixth Form.

In the senior boys’ competition, Lloyd House finished first overall with Cale House, Waterman House and Nightingale House finishing second, third and fourth respectively. Meanwhile, in the senior girls’ competition, Kingston House finished first with Tutt House and Brooking

Humans of Harrow Hong Kong

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A photographic census of the Harrow community, one story at a time. Inspired by Humans of New York.

by Sophie Yau (Y12, Tutt)

“Practice makes perfect!”

Winners at the Lower School Sports Day

Elite Sports Programme

by Jonathan Billow (Y12, Nightingale), Isaac Yeung (Y12, Lloyd)

Harrow Hong Kong already has a good number of talented and highly capable athletes. This covers a whole variety of sports: basketball, football, rugby, netball, tennis, badminton, cricket, athletics, cross-country and swimming. To aid their development as both individual sportsmen and leaders within their sport, the School has initiated the Elite Sports Programme that focuses on maximising sporting potential.

Currently, there are 45 students enrolled into the programme ranging from Y6-13. Meetings are held throughout the year to educate athletes on the ideal ways to build a healthier lifestyle. The Elite Sports Programme focuses on every aspect of building a stronger and more well-rounded athlete. It examines optimum diet and nutrition whilst also exploring the perfect exercises for each particular sport. Moreover, Elite Sports meetings are there to present new opportunities to us: most recently, the chance to join the Pinnacle Performance Programme.

Pinnacle Performance is a professional organisation with top international coaches that meet each athlete’s general fitness demands. Every Wednesday, athletes and trainers meet, determining their individual progress whilst also assigning more challenging and physically demanding exercises, shown through a highly in-depth and structured timetable that is provided during the first session. Also, speed tests are taken prior to the first session and then followed up with a final test when the programmes are completed to indicate the level of improvement. Ultimately, the goal of this programme is to push students into reaching their potential while focusing on the major components that make a great sportsman: power, balance, flexibility and a warrior’s mind-set.

Pinnacle begins with a trial programme that is meant to gauge the athlete’s current level of performance. Once the trial programme is over, the Pinnacle trainers create a programme tailored specifically to the athlete’s sport to be able to develop and improve their strength and endurance to reach ‘Pinnacle’ performance. It is a very intense programme that is directed at serious athletes that want to achieve the optimal level of performance for their specific sports.

The trainers are there to create the programmes and make sure that the athletes are using correct techniques before raising the intensity with weights and reps. The programme is a very intense and arduous training regime that is designed to challenge the athleticism of the students with techniques

ranging from tolerable to difficult. Through this range of difficulty, the Pinnacle trainers are able to gauge which areas need improvement and which areas can be further developed.

This reveals the athlete’s strength and weaknesses allowing the trainers to focus on the areas that will improve performance.

Every pinnacle participant will have their limits tested through these intense sessions but they will surely benefit from the programme and emerge as a better equipped athlete, trained and optimised for their specific sport.

Letter from the Editor

by Agnes Fung (Y12, Kingston)

Dear Students,

How frequently do you receive Send Ups and Merits?

Twice a day? Once a week? The good thing about our School’s internal achievement system is that students are constantly rewarded for their high standard of prep and classwork. The more you focus on the geography worksheet, the bigger chance you will have of receiving a Send Up. The more time you spend drafting that biology poster, the more likely you will receive a Merit. In our School system, at the end of every term, academic excellence is distinguished by the top three in every year.

However, there are other ways of working towards achievement and rewards. Have you ever wondered what else is out there? One of the advantages of external academic competitions is that they are subject-specific. If your strength is English, try entering the Hong Kong Young Writers Award.

If you fancy dabbling in a bit of History, enter the International History Bee and Bowl. If you’re interested in Mathematics, participate in the UKMT Maths Challenge. Similarly, there is the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) Experimental Project for Physics, and the International Chemistry Online Olympiad (IChoo).

Beyond written contests, you could test your courage by competing in the Hong Kong Schools Speech and Music Festivals. There are a multitude of different categories available, from violin duets to solo prose reading. Prizes aside, it is good practice to develop public speaking skills and confidence in facing an audience.

If you’re not feeling very competitive, there are other options. Why not complete academic work simply for the enjoyment of learning itself? If you are passionate about all things quirky, look up thought-provoking topics to research.

Visit our School Library on the 5th floor; Mrs Jones would be delighted to assist students on their quest for knowledge. The VLE also has a diverse mix of online resources. Simply type a keyword into a database and voilà! Hundreds of articles await your attention.

The Send Up system here at Harrow Hong Kong revisits a Harrow tradition. However, Harrovians are characterized not only by intellectual calibre, but also by their dauntlessness when diving into unknown academic territory.

So next time you receive a Send Up or a Merit, ask yourself, “What more can I achieve? What else is out there?” Take a leap of faith and surprise yourself!

Have a burning question? Got a great idea for an article? Interested in joining? Write to us at harrovian@harrowschool.hk The team: Agnes Fung (managing editor), Anastasia Groenestijn, Benjamin Wang, Cici Zhang, Isaac Yeung, Ishan Rosha, Jonathan Billow, Madeleine Duperouzel, Michael Gao (managing editor), Sophie Yau (photographer) Monday ECA writers: Kalina Milenova, Nia Milenova, Paris Spivey