DragonTales Summer 2011 by Hong Kong International School

DRAGON Celebrating the past, present and future of HKIS

Big hitter:

HKIS to the Sunshine State and back.

Bob Christian Award winner announced

We catch up with

T.J. Gavlik

Meet the Class of 2011 Alumni reunions Rwanda: HKIS service shines Faculty Updates Homecoming 2012 dates revealed

Summer 2011

letters

Dear HKIS Alumni

Welcome!

David (D.J.) J. Condon

Rohini Chotirmal

KIS first opened the doors in Repulse Bay to 630 multi-national, multi-faith students in September 1967. Some of you are no doubt part of that historic class. All of you are part of the alumni family. My connection came a little bit later. In 1983, I arrived to spend a year at Chinese University with the goal to improve my Mandarin. Little did I know I was embarking on a journey that would bring me back to Hong Kong, and HKIS, 25-years later.

The Class of 1983 was 77 seniors strong and the total student body was 1,392. In the 28 intervening years, 4,122 students graduated and many more thousands attended HKIS. HKIS educated over 2,600 students from over 40 countries this past year, with 190 seniors graduating – two-and-a-half times as in 1983! During my three years at HKIS I have personally had the privilege to witness 552 students graduate and join the alumni family. This year, I had the happy pleasure of presenting the Bob Christian Alumna of the Year Award to Leontine Chuang, Class of 1993. Leontine attended HKIS from R2 through Grade 12 and, as you will learn on page 30, she truly does exemplify HKIS’ Mission and SLRs. Like Leontine, I encourage you to get with the school. The alumni portal alumni.hkis.edu.hk is an incredible resource, and a great way to reconnect with your fellow alumni. This year marks my last as Head of School at HKIS. I feel deep pride in my connection with the school, its students and parents, and with you, my fellow alumni. I wish you much success and joy, and I urge you to reflect on the impact that HKIS had on your life. I know it has had a profound effect on mine.

s excitement built up on the HKIS campus at the end of the school year, I reflect back on my graduation 22 years ago! Senior breakfast at the American Club, signing yearbooks in what is now the UP hallways, graduation T-shirts and plans of how we would keep in touch since we didn’t have email, Facebook, the internet or cell phones back then. How things have changed... With technology at its best, we have more ways to communicate than we know how to keep up. And that includes the launch of the new Alumni website earlier this spring. The HKIS Alumni office has been hard at work in revamping our site, so please take some time to look through it, read past issues of DragonTales, reconnect with lost friends and maybe take a second or two to update your personal records. As always, the HKIS community came together in various fundraising efforts towards the Japanese Red Cross Society after the devastation of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. With collection boxes in all four schools and the folding of hundreds of paper cranes in the classrooms, the community raise over HK$442,000, making HKIS one of the biggest Hong Kong supporters of the relief effort. Thank you to all alumni who donated. As we enjoy the summer break, our alumni network will have grown with the graduation of the class of 2011. Not only do I welcome the 190 graduates to our Alumni Association, but I look forward to reading about your stories and experiences in upcoming issues of DragonTales. Stay connected and get involved!

Go Dragons!

Cheers,

David J. Condon Head of School

Rohini Chotirmal ’89 President, Alumni Association

Contents 2

Letters from our leaders n News from Head of School and

coming back to HKIS

HKIS News

n All the latest happenings from, in, and around the HKIS community

n We catch up with Emily Ma Richardson ’93 as she remembers her inspirational times at HKIS and the desire to give back to HKIS

n Our winter warmer was one to remember – who can you remember from this gathering

n It’s full-circle for T.J Gavlik ’08 as he keeps on returning to HKIS

New alumni website

n We’ve created a special website, just for you – find out more, here

Decade Luncheons

n Three decades, three lunches, many memories

Class of 2011

Reunion: Class of 2000

n Happy times in Hong Kong are reenacted in Lan Kwai Fong

Alumni Challenge – Special

Big hitters

n Meet four Alums meeting the challenge of

Alumni Association President

Homecoming 2011

Alumni Challenge

n Meet the newest additions to the Alumni family

Reunion: News on coming events

n Is there a reunion happening near you?

Au revoir, D.J.

n We salute our outgoing Head of School, David J. Condon

Bob Christian Award

n Please be upstanding as we introduce you to this year’s winner...

ClassNotes

n In Memoriam n Faculty Update n ClassNotes

Annual Fund

n Do you want to give back to HKIS?

Homecoming 2012

n Do you have this marked in your diary yet?

S u m m e r 2011

C e l e b r ati n g th e p a s t, p re s e nt a n d f u tu re of H K I S Editor Jon Walsh

DragonTales is a product of the HKIS Advancement team: Chief Advancement Officer Erik Dierks

Contributors Erik Dierks Alumni Coordinator Irene Loh Emily Ma Richardson ’93 Irene Loh Jon Walsh Administrative Assistant Prudence Ng Thank you The Gavlik family Leontine Chuang ’93 D. J. Condon

HKIS Alumni Board: President Rohini Chotirmal ’89 Vice-President Joyce Yin ’89

Communications and Publications Manager Jon Walsh

Members Lincoln Chan ’88 Spencer Chiu ’93 Justin Hardman ’99 Natasha Khan ’03 Kenneth Rohrs (faculty)

Development Coordinator Kathy Wong

E-Board member David Kohl (former faculty)

Design and print Impressions Design & Print Ltd.

Advisors Robert Dorfman ’72 Kenneth Koo ’79

Get in touch! Alumni matters Contact Irene Loh via alumni@hkis.edu.hk Stories or news for DragonTales Contact Jon Walsh via jwalsh@hkis.edu.hk Giving Erik Dierks via edierks@hkis.edu.hk

Keep in touch! Follow us on Twitter via @HKIS

hkis news

DragonNews Alumni author finds illustrator at HKIS

ince Derek Kwik ’86 launched his motivational book, ‘Kwik Fix’ in 2009, he has been considering his next publication, which we can tell you will be a children’s book. Derek takes up the story: “My children’s book project has been 18 months of researching children’s books, talking to parents and pulling inspiration from my favorite childhood books: ‘The Adventures of Tintin’, ‘Le Petit Prince’ and ‘Where The Wild Things Are’. Parallel to this, I have always wanted to find a meaningful project for the Alumni to work with HKIS students.”

Derek, Isabel and some sketches by Isabel that are being prepared for the book

Derek decided to ‘draw’ on the talent at HKIS to look for a suitable illustrator for the book. After a tough selection process of exceptionally gifted art students, Derek chose to work with Isabel Chun ’14. The book will be an adventure story, told through Isabel’s illustrations depicting a boy, his dog and their journeys across the harsh terrains of the desert, ocean, jungle and mountains. “The book aims to inspire kids about exploration, the value of friendship, caring for others and that there is only One Earth. And, just like my last book, the proceeds will, go to my charity of choice, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA),” adds Derek.

DragonTales will be sure to keep you updated on this exciting collaboration and we’ll let you know as soon as the book is on the shelves.

HKIS Booster Club has a record year

t was a vintage year for the HKIS Booster Club as they allocated over HK$876,623 (US$112,650, GBP69,900) across the whole of the school to support a wide range of school activities. Funding requests from students and faculty were evaluated and checks written to support extra-curricular activities, athletics and service clubs as well as assisting with the establishment of new activity groups. The largest donations were to the High School Athletics department for new electronic scoreboards, as well as weights and equipment for the weights room. But it’s not all High School funding as 4

DragonTales

Lower and Upper Primary felt the benefit of the funding, too, with Lower Primary receiving checks for the start up of their green club and Upper Primary receiving enough money to buy 80 pairs of in-line roller skates. This is in addition to the great work the Booster Club does on a daily basis, keeping the sports events tasty with their oranges, popping hundreds of bags of popcorn on special occasions and keeping the HKIS Dragon Shop at the center of the community. Do you have any Booster Club memories? Get in touch and share your warm and fuzzy moments of yesteryear.

The colors of nations, celebrated at Lower Primary, Repulse Bay

International Day at Lower Primary

he mix of nationalities at HKIS continues to evolve and with it, the celebration of nations. Although HKIS may be teaching an American-style education, around 45 per cent of the student population originates from outside of the US. So when Lower Primary celebrates International Day, you can be sure of a multinational display of color and culture. Part of Global Arts Week, the day is celebrated mid-May each year and provides a chance for students to dress up to represent their nations and learn about cultures and countries. One of the highlights of the day was the ‘African Drumming and Dance Connection’, who bring together the rhythms of Senegal to entertain and educate students. That said, they didn’t actually come all the way from Africa for the event... they’re based on Lamma Island, near Hong Kong.

Other highlights included a troupe of Irish dancers and a delicate fan dance from the HKIS Korean community. Plans are already afoot to make it bigger and better for next year.

HKIS hits YouTube

hen the team at Upper Primary wanted something special to cap off their celebrations for Book Week 2011, a FlashMob seemed like a novel choice. Little did they know it would be such a huge success as everyone joined in to salute the joy of reading. Their performance at Repulse Bay was captured on many cameras and the edited video can be seen on the HKIS YouTube channel: do take a look for yourself at www.youtube.com/HKISlive Meanwhile, the image on the riright should give you an idea of what you can expect... Dancing to the delight of books

DragonTales 5

hkis news

All-in for Japan

hen an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, the HKIS community was swift to respond and offer support. After meeting with the HKIS Japanese community, the school decided to channel efforts to supporting the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) which was swiftly on the ground in the hardest hit areas in the north of Japan. As soon as the announcement was made to support JRCS, the whole of HKIS reacted as one, putting fundraising efforts into overdrive. The school dressed in red and white for the day to show solidarity with Japan and, following a Japanese tradition, hundreds of paper cranes were folded and sent to Japan. Unique T-shirts were created and sold.

All told, over HK$440,000 (US$56,500, GBP35,300) was raised, marking HKIS students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni as one of the biggest givers in Hong Kong. Congratulations on generating such a huge amount of support for a very worthy cause.

All-off for St. Baldrick’s

HKIS in the news

he students, parents and faculty of HKIS made a ‘bald’ statement in March as they shaved their heads in the annual St. Baldrick’s day celebration. Held on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, the event saw 137 people sponsored to have their heads shaved with all the funds going to finding a cure for children’s cancer. Parent Richard Kligler, who has been at the center of St. Baldrick’s fundraising for some years, was as enthusiastic as ever about the event: “We prefer to call it fun’raising!” before he celebrated the grand total of HK$1,810,594 (US$233,000, GBP143,350) raised. St. Baldrick’s is a global effort to focus fundraising on childhood cancer – take a look at www.stbaldricks.org for more information. Mark March 2012 in your diary, there will certainly be an event near you and all alums are welcome back to HKIS for the big shave.

Middle School students show their colors

f you catch occasional copies of the South China Morning Post you can’t have missed the coverage for HKIS early on in the year. First, there was a photo and news on the students sacrificing their hair for St. Baldrick’s and then a feature on the 2011 Interact LEGACY fashion show, which raised money for SolarLEAP, the project run by former Bob Christian Alumni of the Year Award winner and HKIS alum Charles Watson ’09. This was followed up by a front page story in the SCMP Young Post featuring an interview with Charles and his ongoing projects. If you missed them, here are the snippets.

Articles reproduced courtesy of SCMP

DragonTales

The award winning Pat Klekamp and Bill Leese

ragonTales would like to congratulate two stellar members of the HKIS family: High School Principal, Patricia Klekamp and High School Religion teacher, Bill Leese. Principal Klekamp was awarded the prestigious Paul Lange Award at the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools (ALSS) conference, which took place in March. Originating in 1994, in honor of highly respected educator Paul Lange, this award “annually recognizes an administrator of an ALSS school who has an exemplary commitment to the educational ministry of Lutheran high schools.” Pat is the first ever female recipient.

Middle School Strings as their award winning event

Strings make prizes!

he Middle School Advanced Strings took 3rd place overall in the recent National Festival Orchestra Competition. Taking place in Kansas City, Missouri, between March 15-20 this year, the competition is hosted by the American Strings Teachers Association. As well as the high placing, the Strings were also graded at ‘Excellent Level’. In addition to the competition, students visited a factory to learn how string instruments are made, step by step. They also attended instrumental master classes, group clinics and workshops hosted by well-known musical clinicians from around the United State. Congratulations to all who took part under the guidance of MS Strings Teacher, Rondecca Kam. Congratulations, Middle School Strings.

Pat is in good company with this award: in the inaugural year the award was presented to former HKIS Head of School, Bob Christian. Another previous winner of the award is incoming Head of School, Kevin Dunning.

Pat Klekamp and Bill Leese receiving their awards from Dr. Laabs, who presented it to Pat on behalf of the ALSS while he was in Hong Kong

Bill Leese was recently selected as the Outstanding Secondary School Teacher of the Year by the Lutheran Education Association (LEA). Another success for HKIS as Donna Koehneke also received the award a couple of years ago. Bill collected his award from the LEA conference in Cincinnati, Ohio and received a surprise visit from Dr Jonathan Laabs from the LES who presented the award to Bill at a High School faculty event.

Kevin Dunning back at HKIS

ncoming Head of School, Kevin Dunning, was in Hong Kong in late March for a series of hand-over meetings and to spend time with the HKIS community. He will return again in July to take up his position and for a more detailed handover with David J. Condon, who leaves HKIS over the summer to go to Kobe, Japan. Both D.J. and Kevin will be APAC Heads so will be in constant touch with each other. Do take time to read the farewell to D.J. Condon on page 29.

Congratulations to Pat and Bill for such outstanding achievements.

DragonTales 7

hkis news

Changes within the Board of Managers

t’s been a busy time within the HKIS Board of Managers. Here’s a quick summary of the changes:

The Middle School band strikes up

Middle School Band stars at Sevens

ast becoming a tradition, the Middle School Band ramped up the festival atmosphere with some rousing tunes for the visitors to the 2011 Hong Kong Sevens in Causeway Bay this March. Reeling off a wide range of tunes, the band played on and enjoyed a crunching tournament, which saw New Zealand beat England in the final.

Abbi DeLessio has moved from Vice-Chair to Chair, taking over from Doug Werth who has moved to Lausanne, Switzerland. Eugene Choung has taken on the role of Vice-Chair. Max Lummis retired from the Board in December 2010 after 5 years of dedicated service. Also retired from the Board are John Ying and Yvette Fung with a total of 14 years service between them. John and wife Lisa are parents of HKIS alumni Jay and Katie. John served on the Board for nine years and was Chair of the Finance, Investment and Finance & Facilities Committees. Yvette and husband Carl are parents of Camille, an HKIS alumna. During Yvette’s served on the Committee on Trustees, Investment, Legal Affairs and Finance Committees. Yvette completed her Board service as chair of the Finance Committee. Current Board member Jamie O’Donnell has become Chair of the Finance Committee. We are also pleased to pass on that Mary Lamb has joined the Board. Along with husband David, Mary has three children: Eneka (’10, now at Duke) Alicia (’13) and John (’15). Mary also takes up the role of Chair of the Advancement Committee. DragonTales thanks all Board members, past and present, for their dedication to HKIS and for sharing their expertise for the good of HKIS and the community it serves.

The current HKIS Board of Managers

DragonTales

2010-2011 Sports Results HKIS sports teams had a vintage year, so in one bite-sized chunk, here are the results as the athletes from across HKIS served up several large portions of competitive spirit, measured aggression and fast-twitch skill. GO DRAGONS! Badminton

Soccer

U14 Boys – 5th ISSFHK U14 Girls – 3rd ISSFHK U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup U16 Girls – 4th ISSFHK, 1st China Cup U20 Boys – 3rd ISSFHK, 1st China Cup, 1st APAC U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup, 2nd APAC

U14 Girls – 1st place ISSFHK U14 Boys – 3rd place ISSFHK U16 Girls – 2nd ISSFHK, 1st China Cup U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup U20 Girls – 2nd Women’s League, 1st China Cup, 3rd APAC U20 Boys – 3rd ISSFHK, 5th HKSSF, 3rd, China Cup, 5th APAC

Baseball

Softball

Varsity – 1st China Cup, 1st APAC, 1st HKIS Invitational JR Varsity – 1st China Cup, 1st HKIS Invitational

Varsity – 2nd ISSFHK Boys League, 2nd China Cup, 1st APAC JR Varsity – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup

Basketball U14 Boys – 4th ISSFHK U14 Girls – 1st ISSFHK U16 Boys – 4th ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup U20 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup, Far East 5th

Cross Country U14 Boys and Girls – 2nd place ISSFHK U16 Boys – 3rd place ISSFHK U16 Girls – 2nd ISSFHK U20 Boys and Girls – 1st place ISSFHK, 1st APAC, 3rd Asia Pacific Meet

Hockey Senior Team – 8th HKSSF, Tourn – B Squad – 4th Junior Team – 7th

Netball Senior Team – HKSSF 5th Junior Team – HKSSF 3rd

Rugby A Grade Boys – 1st China Cup, 2nd APAC A Grade Girls – 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC B Grade Boys – 4th China Cup B Grade Girls – 3rd China Cup Key: APAC – Asia Pacific Activities Conference HKSSF – Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation ISSFHK – International Schools’ Sports Federation Hong Kong

Swimming U14 Boys – 1st ISSFHK U14 Girls – 1st ISSFHK U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup U20 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC

Table Tennis U20 Boys – 3rd China Cup, Boys Singles – 3rd U20 Girls – 1st China Cup, Girls Singles – 2nd

Track and Field U14 Boys – 2nd ISSFHK U14 Girls – 2nd ISSFHK U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK U20 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 5th APAC U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd APAC Girls 4 x 400m Relay APAC records: Alex Ott – 3,000m Madeline Strandemo – 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m

Volleyball U 14 Boys – 2nd ISSFHK U14 Girls – 1st ISSFHK U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 4th China Cup U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup U20 Boys – 2nd ISSFHK, 4th China Cup, 5th APAC U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC

DragonTales 9

alumni update

Alumni Challenge Special We caught up with Emily Ma Richardson ’93 as she remembers her times at HKIS, inspirational service trips and how an appreciation of Asian culture brought her back to Hong Kong. Emily takes up the story...

(Left to right) Ingrid (Wong) Yates ’92, Liz (Longley) Komosa ’93, Michelle (Chang) Song ’93, Gene Song ’93, Emily Ma Richardson ’93, Kate (Marshall) Huntington ’93), Lisa Ting ’93, Angela (Lee) Sullivan ’93, Tiffany Yip ’93.

Left to right) Angela (Lee) Sullivan ’93, Tiffany Yip ’93, Emily Ma Richardson ’93, Liam Richardson, Lisa Ting ’93, Kate (Marshall) Huntington ’93, Michelle (Chang) Song ’93, Gene Song ’93

y closest friends are from HKIS. Even though we went our separate ways for college, we eventually reunited – whether during my time in Washington DC or New York. What amazes me is now I’m back in Hong Kong, I’m closer to them more than ever. It was December 2010 when I married in London and was I so touched by the number of HKIS friends who flew from all corners of the world to be by my side – a truly globetrotting group of friends!

to travel to Taipei, Singapore and Japan, representing HKIS. I’m not sure how Ms. Duncan-Laird continually summoned the energy to motivate and manage us all, but she did, and we were the best hockey team in Hong Kong during that time. Being part of a team was invaluable experience and this, coupled with having the opportunity to travel to far-flung destinations in Asia, instilled a sense of maturity, adventure and camaraderie – strong foundations that help me today.

I attended HKIS from the middle of Grade 6 until graduation and I have fond memories of many teachers: Mr. Larkin, who I was fortunate enough to have for two years; Mr. Ewing, who made reading the classics so much more enjoyable; Mr. McCarthy, whose classes involved being a former US president for the day, and to Mr. Eichert, whose biology class involved dissecting animals that frequently made appearances on top of the statue at the school entrance! The teachers at HKIS had an amazing ability to brighten up the most challenging of topics and went to extraordinary lengths to engage students across a range of classes. This dedication and encouragement gave me such a solid background and prepared me so well for college – it enabled me to step up in the real world.

I enjoyed 12 years in the hotel industry across the US and Asia, focusing on sales and marketing. In 2010 I decided it was time to leverage this experience and set up my own company – Flaunt Boutique (www.flaunt.hk), an online destination for luxurious and unique lingerie.

What I also enjoyed about HKIS was that education stretched from the classroom to the great outdoors. What other school offers such enriching experiences, from skiing in Japan to hiking and rafting in Nepal to meeting Mother Teresa in India? These trips sparked an interest in Asian studies and prompted me to spend a college semester studying in India and Nepal and eventually move back to Asia. I was a keen swimmer and member of the field hockey team and was lucky enough

10 DragonTales

I had always talked about having my own business and having returned to entrepreneurial Hong Kong I decided the time was right. Since moving back to Hong Kong six years ago, I have wanted to give back to HKIS in some way, and now I know how I can – I would love to mentor those who are interested in starting their own business by sharing my challenges and successes. Eventually I would love to offer summer internships opportunities for those interested in understanding the operations of an online retail store. My years at HKIS gave me the confidence that anything is possible. It was the amazing teachers, the multi-cultural students and the abundance of activities available that made me feel that my choices were endless. Get in touch Alums can contact Emily via emily@flaunt.hk

alumni update

Homecoming 2011

The annual HKIS Homecoming was a welcome way to warm up a winter day in early January

n Thursday, 6 January, 2011, we welcomed back alumni for the annual HKIS Homecoming. We were blessed with the return of around 70 former students, visiting the campus and reconnecting with friends, former teachers and counselors and making new connections with current students. Following registration, alumni participated in campus tours provided by current high school student ambassadors, where they reviewed new additions to HKIS built under the school’s Master Facilities Plan. For some, it was the first time back to the campus – and Hong Kong – in many years and the changes that have taken place through-

out the Tai Tam site have been significant. The tours were followed by a barbeque lunch at the edge of the Tai Tam Sports Field, the all-weather FIFA-approved pitch that was only completed in the last two years. Many faculty and staff members joined the lunch and swapped HKIS stories old and new. In the afternoon, alumni and teachers gathered in the High School Plaza for a tent reunion. The tradition of sport lives on in alumni long after they have left HKIS and this year, returning to their alma mater also brought back the spirit of competition: alums put together a couple of teams to face the current HKIS Girls’ and Boys’ rugby teams. Despite early flourishes from both the alumni girls and boys – and with competition and camaraderie that were at fever pitch – the current HKIS squads were able to catch and overtake both teams by the final whistle.

In the Middle School Gym a competitive basketball match was underway between alumni and the current team. The game was led by Jeremy Evans ’93, Humanities teacher and current HKIS basketball coach. Later in the evening a number of alums joined a Happy Hour reception held at Red Bar at the foot of the IFC building in Central. Current and former faculty and staff also made the trip downtown to join in the fun. A few of them were the lucky ones to win fabulous prizes from the lucky draw. As the drinks flowed and the chat loosened up, memories started to return and stories of adventures past came to life. The evening brought a warm end to a chilly day in Hong Kong and closed a memorable Homecoming for one more year. Turn to the back page of DragonTales to find out the the date of the next Homecoming. We hope you can join us!

DragonTales 11

alumni update

Homecoming 2011 …at Tai Tam campus

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Jessica Jordan ’10, Dr. Rosann Kao (High School Counselor)

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Drew Mehrmann ’09

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Brian Sch Quinn ’03,

Casey Chan ’0

Lisa Wallis

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Jon Walsh (Communications & Publication Manager), Alison Tong ’03

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Timothy Hui ’82

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alumni update

Big hitter returns to HKIS

HKIS has always worked hard to keep the Dragons baseball team out in front. Here’s one guy who has taken it a step further. T. J. Gavlik ’08 returned to HKIS to share his story and skills

.J. Gavlik ’08 is currently studying at University of North Florida (UNF), majoring in sports management with a minor of business. But he has only one thing on his mind at the moment and that’s baseball.

It wasn’t all set, though. He was pretty handy with a soccer ball, too, and he couldn’t dedicate his time to two sports, “I had to make a decision – I knew that I couldn’t carry on with both so dropped that [soccer] to concentrate on baseball.”

T.J. joined HKIS in grade 3 and became involved in the baseball Community League straight off. But his interest in sports was something that had been instilled in him long before then and was guided to some pretty sensible decisions, “I come from a pretty athletic family – my dad (Tim Gavlik, part of the HKIS faculty) used to run cross-country. He first put a ball and a glove in my hands and it all started from there.”

Not long after that decision it was time for the Christmas break and T.J. went to a winter baseball camp at Jacksonville University (JU) in Florida. Right there and then, JU spotted the potential and invited him back for the summer baseball camp. He didn’t need asking twice.

It sounds like he was a natural from the get go, “In some cases I was playing in the grade 4 and grade 5 teams, even though I was still in grade 3!” adds T.J.

14 DragonTales

Then, UNF spotted the potential, too. Before you know it, T.J. was looking at two plum scholarships on the table to choose from. “Back at HKIS it was a strange time. The seniors were all focusing on their applications for the different universities. At one

point we were given a number of one-hour sessions just to focus on apps and to help get them processed... but I didn’t need it as I was already done. It was strange to see all that craziness of my classmates working through ten apps at a time and yet I was taken care of”, remembers T.J. But he had yet to choose his college. “If I was to do it again I would probably start looking a lot earlier for a place that would take me for baseball. The aim has to be to take a school that’s right for you – and with the right majors” he added.

crammed between late February and early June. That’s four or five game a week with over half of them on the road, which brings its own fun. Most games involve a trip in the team bus covering anything between two and six hours on the road but there’s one in particular that sticks in mind T.J. wasn’t looking forward to... Tennessee is anything up to 12 hours away from UNF and being a freshman brings a share of hard work.

Due to family commitments and location, UNF was chosen. “It was tough, and I felt bad as JU had discovered what I was capable of and had really helped me, but we had to go with UNF. After that, I spent the summer with UNF and things developed further.

Tradition dictates that at the end of practice the freshmen stay behind and clean up the field. The very same task awaits after every bus journey, as the freshmen make sure the bus is spic and span. With around 35 guys on the team, cleaning up a two hour journey can be kinda light work. But after a 12 hour trip to Tennessee, you can only begin to imagine what delights await the cleaning crew.

At University North Florida, baseball practice and training starts the in second week of the university term. From there on, it’s full-on training until the season starts and when it does, there are 56 games to play. It’s a tough schedule, with all those games

Looking back, maybe the writing was on the wall – T.J. led the HKIS baseball team to be APAC (Asia Pacific Activities Conference) champions three years straight between 2006 and 2008. In his senior year, he led the team to an 18-2 record year.

Baseball only began at HKIS in 2005 and they had done pretty well. But when the 2008 team got together, it wasn’t exactly ideal – two of the team were seniors, the rest, freshmen. The results were a surprise to everyone, but the team, “We couldn’t always depend on the many seniors to guide us to victory. We had to depend on each other and that is how we were able to be successful,” added T.J.

DragonTales 15

alumni update

The 2008 Varsity Baseball team won 18 games and lost only two. Of that, seven were home wins on the new Tai Tam field and the rest were racked up on the road as they were crowned champions of all three tournaments they went to: China Cup Shanghai (three wins, one loss), Brent International (four wins, one loss) and Singapore World Series (four wins). T.J.’s performance at HKIS - 43 runs, 35 hits, 13 home runs, 47 RBI and a whopping .583 batting average - led to him being named in the All-APAC team. So how is T.J. doing at UNF? Competition is tough and he didn’t start every game last year – he admits that his performances weren’t as strong as they could have been. However, an injury here and there to his teammates opened the door and he seized the opportunity to make a good impression and rack up the numbers, making a lot of starts. The starting place is his to lose, which is where he wants to be. He’s pleased that he’s improved a lot and is still looking to get better. His record at UNF has seen T.J. step up to meet the competition headon, achieving several multi-hit games in his first year, playing in 32 games and making 27 starts in 2009. In 2010, he started at second base early in April in the second game of a doubleheader against East Tennessee State and went on to start every game for the rest of the season (29 games). A month later he enjoyed a purple patch with a chunky hitting streak, managing .400 (16-for-40) with five doubles, nine runs scored and 11 RBI. He ended up playing in 43 games and making 32 starts for the season. The 2011 season has been pretty spectacular, too, with T.J. recording a .253 batting average, finishing the year 22-for-87 with 14 runs scored, three doubles, two triples, a home run and nine runs batted in. He went that step further and upped his average in Atlantic Sun Conference games, batting .324, going 12-for-37 with five runs scored, a double, a triple and a home run and eight RBI. Coming back to HKIS is always a good thing for T.J. “The teachers know how to 16 DragonTales

connect to the students and the school as a whole really knows what it’s doing”. It’s this connection that has T.J., and many others, coming back time and time again to be part of the HKIS community for many years after they graduate. And, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to keep coming back to Hong Kong? One of the many things that sticks in T.J.’s mind about HKIS is the plethora of opportunities the school afforded him – whether playing trumpet as part of the band at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament or taking part in the interim trips to Japan, Thailand and New Zealand. T.J. is quietly optimistic about the future, but clearly realistic: “I want to see how far I can make it – but that’s the same story for millions of kids playing baseball” he points out. There is talk of being drafted into the big league, but T.J. was keeping coy, trying not to get too far ahead of himself. “I’m going to take it year by year and see how it goes”. And if it doesn’t work out? T.J. plans to make use of his university schooling, maybe looking to open up a dedicated athletics and sports project that can help raise the profile of sports talent in the Hong Kong and China areas. Majoring in Sports Management is helping him towards his goal. “It would be great to see more and more sports people from the area make it – ’round here we’re just a little bit behind places like the US; it would be great to help raise it.” T.J. is already playing his part. Each summer, the HKIS all-weather field in Tai Tam is the venue for a dedicated baseball camp that passes on solid fundamentals. Now in its third year, the event brings major names over from the US for the three-day camp. Former Major League Baseball players Desi Relaford, Gary Bennett, Charles Gipson and Brian Tollberg come over to Hong Kong to take the lead. Right in the middle of the baseball camp is one T. J. Gavlik, passing on what he has learned, bringing his skills full-circle, straight back to the heart of the HKIS and Hong Kong community, putting a glove on the hand of local youngsters, just as Tim Gavlik did with his son back in grade 3.

DragonTales 17

alumni update

Welcome to YOUR website What better way to keep in touch with HKIS and fellow alumni than logging on to a dedicated website? We’ve launched an all-new website with you in mind

he Alumni team at HKIS is happy to announce the launch of our brand new alumni website. The new site includes updated info about current school news, alumni profiles, former faculty updates, alumni events organized by your Alumni Association and many more exciting feature, all available at the click of a mouse.

• Search the ‘Alumni Directory’ and reconnect with your fellow alumni • Search the exclusive professional opportunity postings under ‘Job Zone’ • Search the events calendar for upcoming alumni events & reunions • Registering for events online • The ‘Alumni Directory’ is there for you and it will help your fellow alumni to reconnect with you only if we have your updated profile. Most importantly, we respect your privacy and you choose the info you wish to be available to your fellow HKIS alumni in the online directory. We encourage you to visit often and update your profile as things in life change

One of the most flexible and usable features is the ‘My Alumni Zone’, a log-in area where you can access a wide range of services and: • Update your alumni profile • Update your email preferences There are many ways you can keep in touch with HKIS: you can find HKIS all over the internet: Alumni website: http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk Web: www.hkis.edu.hk Facebook:

Search for ‘HKIS Alumni’

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HKIS

YouTube: www.youtube.com/HKISLive LinkedIn:

18 DragonTales

Search ‘Groups’ for the ‘HKIS Alumni Association’

Thanks to the wide reach of the Alumni Resource Network, job opportunities are now available to HKIS Alumni in our ‘Job Zone’ area. If you are looking for a career change, this is the resource center with you in mind. If you are looking to hire and would like to open up opportunities for your fellow alumni that share the same rounded and fulfilled education as you, consider sending us the job details and we will help you post an announcement on the website for alumni to see. Getting involved is quick, painless and doesn’t involve a bunch of random emails in your in-box: you choose what you want to receive. Register now by logging in at: http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk As always, we welcome your comments and always look forward to hearing from you. Staying connected just got easier with the launch of the new HKIS Alumni website! Irene Loh Alumni Relations alumni@hkis.edu.hk

HKIS Decade Luncheons Three days, three lunches and thirty years between them. Decade Luncheons are a hit in Hong Kong

ey ’85,

Smith Hinsl ’88, Valerie n a h C ln Linco n ’84 any Gordo Pattie Boss

Eric Lee ’87, Ro

hini Balani Ch

HKIS ’80s Decade Luncheon

otirmal ’89

12 January 2011

arlier this year the HKIS Alumni Office and Alumni Association organized three decade luncheons for former HKIS’ers that graduated in the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. Three days, three luncheons and a whole load of time to catch up. All the luncheons were held at Isola Bar & Grill in Central Hong Kong and proved to be a big hit with all that came along.

Wendy Hsu ’85, Soo Young Kim ’89

Janice Lee ’88,

Lincoln Chan ’8

As ever at HKIS Alumni events, the Alumni of various class years shared their HKIS history and fun times recalling the happy days and fun times. Can you spot your class mates? Watch out for future activities organized by HKIS and your Alumni Association and don’t miss the next gathering! Check out the new alumni website and watch your inbox for news.

zden ’87, 4, Rob Gvo

n ’8 any Gordo Pattie Boss 5 ’8 Wendy Hsu

(Top) Eric Lee ’87, Pattie Bossany Gordon ’84, Valerie Smith Hinsley ’85, Rob Gvozden ’87 (Bottom) Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89, Lincoln Chan ’88, Wendy Hsu ’85, Janice Lee ’88, Soo Young Kim ’89

DragonTales 19

alumni update

HKIS ’90s Decade Luncheon 13 January 2011

Anthony Ng ’9

swami ’93

Fletcher Leung ’98, Jason Shum ’98 Jenn Pratt

nne Tsu ’96

Li rovich ’95,

do Milana Teo

’98, Maria

’92, Em odorovich Chantal Te 3 n ’9 Richardso

Cheng ’96

Shoumitro Go

swami ’93, Jam es

(Left) Justin Hardman ’99, Spencer Chiu ’93, Ingrid Wong ’92, Chantal Teodorovich ’92, Emily Ma Richardson ’93, Milana Teodorovich ’95, Linne Tsu ’96, Fletcher Leung ’98, Jason Shum ’98, Jenn Pratt ’98, Maria Cheng ’96, Anthony Ng ’95, Shoumitro Goswami ’93, James Martin ’94

20 DragonTales

ily Ma

5, Shoumitro Go

James Martin ’94, Erik Dierks, Chief Advancement Officer

Martin ’94 iu Spencer Ch

’93, Ingrid

Wong ’92

(Bottom) Saurabh Agarwal ’03, Lai Bond Cheng ’03, Natasha Khan ’03, John Wang ’03, Ashwin Makhija ’02, Adnan Farooqi ’02, Erin Yeh ’03 (Top) Gary Yung ’03, Kelly Lo ’06, Kingston Chu ’03

HKIS ’00s Decade Luncheon 14 January 2011

, Saurabh Gary Yung

Ashwin Makhi

ja ’02, Adnan Fa

rooqi ’02, Erin

Yeh ’03

i Agarwal, La

an, John atasha Kh

g, N

Bond Chen

lass of 200

C Wang – All

Kelly Lo ’06, Kingston Chu ’03

DragonTales 21

alumni update

Class of 2011 Graduated on Friday, June 3, 2011

22 DragonTales

DragonTales 23

alumni update

Alumni Challenge Alumni Association President, Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89, took on the role with a clear mission in mind – one she calls the ‘Alumni Challenge’. We meet some people that are taking it on. We spoke with Rohini in the last issue of DragonTales and she made her mission clear – to forge closer relationships between HKIS alums and the school. She is hoping to increase alumni participation in events in Hong Kong – and around the world – and encourage more alumni to give back to the school. And we’re not just talking about cash! Anything goes... whether it be a quick email to ClassNotes to let your friends know where you are and what you have been doing, to helping nominate someone for the Bob Christian Award or to organize a reunion. Meet four people who are helping to keep the ball rolling.

Pattie in the classroom with Miriam her second grader

Pattie Bossany Gordon ’84 on giving back

graduated from HKIS in 1984. Here I am 27 years later – can’t believe it’s been that long! – and I never imagined my kids would be attending the same school that I did. Or that Ken Rohrs is still teaching at the Middle School!

Hannah in Grade 4 and Miriam in Grade 2 at Hannah’s string concert

Throughout the years I’ve kept in touch and maintained the strong friendships I made at HKIS. Back then, the school was so much smaller and it’s been wonderful to reconnect with old and new alumni. It’s also great to see how many more things the school has to offer since I was a student here. As a parent, I’ve enjoyed volunteering in the classroom and serving on different committees for the school. Many alumni actually ‘find’ their way back to Hong Kong whether it be for family reasons or jobs. I’m proud to be a past and present member of the HKIS community.

Terence Anderson ’82

Terence Anderson ’82 on staying connected

his is my third time around in Hong Kong as my last seven years have been spent in Vietnam. No matter, the memories are all there although with age some of it is becoming more distorted and slightly more charitable of my achievements at HKIS.

24 DragonTales

I still keep in touch with quite a few of my classmates of ’82 and even after all these years, we have remain strong friends. HKIS left an indelible mark on me in so many ways. I have two young daughters going there now, and I expect that they will have the same if not better (this is before the Tai Tam Campus opened) experience than I did. I am glad that I attended and became one of the few in the shrinking world to do so. Experience, education, guidance, friendship all encapsulated into one. DragonTales? I remember that our crest was a gent in armor holding a sword!

Joanne Lam ’08 on staying connected

often show up at HKIS during my holidays and have teachers ask me whether I’ve been in high school the last six years. That could be attributed to my size or simply the fact that I’m there every holiday I get to go back to Hong Kong. I stay connected with HKIS because it has shaped who I am today. It is a community of fantastic students, teachers and administrators of all nationalities. I attend the alumni network activities as much as I can, including Alumni Homecoming every year, and I stay connected with many of the teachers and administrators and offer help as needed. An important goal for myself is to keep a strong relationship with those who contribute their time and effort to HKIS and let them know their hard work has not gone to waste. Although I’m not currently living in Hong Kong, I’m always available through emails if any current or prospective students have any questions or simply want to make a new friend.

Joanne in Denmark earlier this year

Eric F. C. Lee ’87 on staying connected

stay connected with HKIS as I feel I have always been part of this happy family. My son Byron is currently in 3rd Grade at HKIS – he started attending in R1. The school has given me many happy memories as a student and I try to stay connected by attending gatherings organized by the Alumni Association.

Eric with wife Judith and son Byron

DragonTales 25

alumni update

10-year reunion

Class of 2000 What better time to celebrate 10 years since graduating from HKIS than the holiday period in Hong Kong?

he Class of 2000 gathered in Hong Kong over the past New Year to celebrate 10 years since their graduation from HKIS. No better time to meet up than on December 30, 2010 at the Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents Association Restaurant, for some great food and ten years worth of chit-chat. The reunion was a great success and saw over 60 alumni in attendance – some still based in Hong Kong and other back in town for the holiday period. Alumni caught up with old friends and managed to make some new ones – spouses and children! – over a lively dinner. Next stop on the list was the delights of Lan Kwai Fong to revisit old times and great fun at Dags and Al’s Diner!

Stan Wong, Jess Lee, Eddy Wu, Stephanie She

Kevin Lui, Michael Au, Annie Yuen, Charles Wan

Lydia Parnell, Shaw Ming Yang, Irene Tam, Louisa Marion, Natalie Jay

Louisa Marion, Nicole Pang

26 DragonTales

Michael Wu, Jaime Chou, Fai Yeung Lai

Howard Chau, Friend of Howard, Louisa Marion, Cedric Yu, Natasha Chang

(L to R): Lia Wong, Dana Park, Tao Fei, Rosalia Brown Arora, Jennifer Lin, Christina Chang, Candice Luk, Lydia Parnell, Kim Reyes, Michael Drucks

Christina Chang Peng, Lia Wong, Tao Fei, Candice Luk, Rosalia Brown Arora

Jason Young, Juliana Au Young, Isabelle Young

Cinci Leung, Youn Seoung Cho, Tracy Cheng, Jennifer Lin, Sanju Uttamchandani

Henry Wong, Cinci Leung, Angel Chang, Trisha Yeh Tsui, Edward Tsui

Howard Chau, Garrick Wong

Felix Chow, Jess Lee, Eddy Wu

Thanks... A big thank you to Gareth Kwok and the reunion committee for organizing a great event and bringing together the Class of 2000. Thanks also to Trisha Yeh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;00 for keeping us up to date with news and photos of a great evening. Contact: trisha.yeh@gmail.com

Vanessa Chau, Natalie Jay, Ben Cheung, Nikko Ho, Justin Kwok

Natasha Chang, Friend of Aron, Aron Butcher, Michelle Wong, Gareth Kwok

DragonTales 27

alumni update

Reunions coming up

10-year

25-year

Class of 2001

Class of 1987

29/31 July 2011 New York City

2012 Hong Kong and USA

The Class of 2001 will hold their 10year reunion in New York City on the weekend of July 29-31, 2011. Our New York City reunion in 2005 was a huge success so let’s make this one even bigger! Venues are to be decided. Please contact Lauren Tanner at for information and updates. See you there!

Attention Class of ‘87! Time to start thinking about and planning the big 25th reunion. After some contacts and discussions with classmates, it appears that there is enough interest to have two reunions, one in the United States and another in Hong Kong. Exact dates and locations are yet to be determined, but please send Marc Suhr an email expressing your interest. Most likely, the reunions will be held during the summer of 2012, given that most have kids in school.

reunion

Contact: Lauren Tanner ’01 laurentanner@gmail.com

reunion

Contact: Marc Suhr ’87 suhrfam@aol. com

30-year reunion

Class of 1981 5/7 August 2011 Atlanta “Has it really been 30 years?” Bunshah Jokhi has kindly agreed to let us invade her hotel, the Wingate in Atlanta (www.wingateatlanta.com) and we’re working on a schedule for the few days of

28 DragonTales

fun and story swaps so think about coming along and joining us. Please let us know as soon as you can if you plan on attending, even if you can’t commit 100 per cent just yet, as this would

really help us with the planning. Mark your calendars and spread the word to any class members not on the mailing list! For more, please check out the website: http://hkis1981.weebly.com/

If you have any thoughts, questions, comments or want to help, please contact your reunion committee: Karen Staniek-Gerhardt staniekgerhardt@arcor.de Phyllis Makredes Afendoulis p.makredes@comcast.net Freny Bunshah Jokhi fjokhi@aol.com Karen Karr Nimarota rkkaren@hotmail.com Leslie Arnold Atkinson atkinsonl@itcdc.com Anna Agell aagell@gwi.net Secret Agent Wombat Delapena michael.c.delapena@gmail.com

Au Revoir, D.J. Condon HKIS has come to the end of an era – David J. Condon has left the building. We salute the Head of School who ushered in the modern era of education to HKIS

KIS can’t seem to let a month go by without putting another mark in the history books and June and July this year are no exception. 30th June marked the end of the three-year tenure of Head of School David J. (D.J.) Condon. D.J. joined HKIS as Associate Head of School in 2008, the role he held for his first two years. In his final year, he served as Head of School. D.J.’s visionary leadership of HKIS and his passionate advocacy of its Mission and Student Learning Results were remarkable. Board of Manager’s Chair Abbi DeLessio summed it up nicely at an event marking D.J.’s departure: “It’s my honor and privilege to recognize and thank someone who exemplifies above and beyond the call of duty, the person who leads HKIS in advancing the mission and student learning results, our Head of School, D.J. Condon.

HKIS Heads of School 1966 – 1977 1977 – 1996 1996 – 1997 1997 – 2001 2001 – 2004 2004 – 2005 2005 – 2010 2010 – 2011 2011 – present

Robert E. Christian David F. Rittmann   Earl J. Westrick Charles W. Dull William B. Wehrenberg James A. Handrich Richard W. Mueller David J. Condon Kevin M. Dunning

It is hard for me to comprehend that D.J. has been at HKIS for only three years; I have difficulty remembering a time when he wasn’t here. In the three years since D.J. joined our learning community, over 500 students have graduated from HKIS; over 500 young adults whose lives have been influenced and shaped by their experiences at HKIS and D.J.’s significant role in defining those experiences. That figure of 500 students doesn’t provide the whole picture however. It does not take

into account the hundreds of other students who have passed through the school over the last three years; the teachers and administrators who have been mentored and inspired by D.J. and the community members who have worked with him to support HKIS. Nor does it recognize the hundreds of other lives these people will touch as they proceed through their life’s journey. All of these people will, to some degree, be touched by HKIS and, by extension, will be impacted by the leadership that D.J. has provided as both Associate Head and Head of School. Your impact has been extensive D.J., a big pond with seemingly endless ripples.” We said that June and July were historic months, but have only mentioned June. So, July sees the start of a new era: HKIS under the leadership of new Head of School, Kevin M. Dunning. We’ll be meeting him in more detail in the next issue of DragonTales. Now, the limelight is fading on D.J. as he jets off from Chek Lap Kok to be Headmaster at Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan. Our loss is their gain, but we wave off D.J. with our hearty and healthy regards, knowing that he has left an indelible mark on HKIS, ushering in the modern era with the 1-to1 laptop program and many initiatives to enhance the HKIS Mission and Student Learning Results. Eventhough D.J. will be in Japan, it’s certainly not sayonara, but au revoir.

DragonTales 29

alumni news

Each year we take time to reflect on the HKIS Mission and Student Learning results and to see who has been living out their true meaning. Nominated by you, awarded by HKIS, our worthy recipient is...

Bob Christian Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award

Leontine Chuang ’93 Words by Howard Tang ’94 and Jon Walsh

t was a long, hard process for the judging panel, but it was worth it – it always is. Judging this award is one of the most rewarding jobs of the year since it shows that, long after many students have left HKIS, long after they have travelled, worked and experienced life in other parts of the globe, HKIS alumni are continuing to live the HKIS Mission and Student Learning Results (SLRs). Leontine Chuang ’93 is no exception.

Leontine with husband Simon, son Aidan and daughter Simone

Leontine graduated from HKIS having been with us since R2 and went on to major in Political Science and International Studies at Northwestern University in Chicago. It was at Northwestern that Leontine began her involvement in politics and government affairs, first becoming active within the student government and in her senior year, becoming president of the student government. One of the highlights of her time there was meeting Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, sadly only a short time before that fateful crash in a Paris road tunnel. Upon leaving Northwestern, Leontine took up a post at Nankai University and moved to Tianjin in China where she learned Mandarin and taught oral and

30 DragonTales

written English to students from all over the country, passing on many aspects of Western culture. After a year, Leontine returned to study law at Northwestern, also serving as Editor-inChief of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business. Graduation in 2001 was followed by a move to New York where she began life as a corporate lawyer. But her thoughts of service weren’t far behind and soon she took time out of her hectic corporate schedule to act as a pro-bono attorney for battered women in Family Court and a pro-bono attorney for an asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). One of the highlights of her time in New York was helping her client from the DRC get refugee status in the US. In 2004, continuing as a corporate lawyer for the same law firm, Leontine moved back to Hong Kong. After a year and a half, Leontine decided she could do more – service was calling in the most subtle of ways. It was while she was helping a friend look for a new job that Leontine spotted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ad that would change her life. It offered the chance to use her pro-bono experience for asylum applications and to give something back.

At Hong Kong Disneyland with the families of Teddy Fong ’92 and Tim Chen ’92

So, in 2005, Leontine started working for the UNHCR in their Hong Kong office, serving as a Refugee Status Determination Assistant. The role required her to make determinations about whether refugee applicants meet the UNHCR’s exacting criteria for refugee status. Leontine has interviewed hundreds of asylum seekers and heard countless horrific stories about persecutory experiences from refugees. By working with a team to grant asylum seekers refugee status, she has helped save lives and provide a chance for a life of freedom from fear and persecution.

Leontine has also worked hard with her colleagues to help ensure that asylum seekers and refugees’ rights are protected in Hong Kong and their protection needs, whether material, physical or psychological are met. It’s not easy - hundreds of applications come through the office each year and yet less than 10 per cent of them are approved. The decisions aren’t taken lightly. Each applicant has a story to tell, each has a unique situation – people don’t seek refugee status because they’re having a good time, it’s because they have nowhere else to turn. For Leontine, there is optimism: “I am able to

Leontine addressing HKIS students about UNHCR’s work in Marty Schmidt’s class in May 2006

give someone a chance at a new life,” she says, “I find that very rewarding.” She has made presentations to many lawyers, government officers and police officers in Hong Kong to educate them about the plight of refugees around the world and on our own doorstep in Hong Kong. And since graduating from HKIS, Leontine has kept in contact with many alumni whom she knew at HKIS and returned to HKIS, attending one of Marty Schmidt’s classes to explain what UNHCR does globally and in Hong Kong. On Service Day, 11 March, Leontine was invited to address Grade 6 students and explain her work with UNHCR. Leontine has not just rested with helping refugees through UNHCR. It was during 2010 that she took on the role as one of the Governors of a charitable foundation

The UNHCR plaque outside of Leontine’s office

DragonTales 31

alumni news

that provides donations to worthy causes across Hong Kong. No easy task with such a demanding role and a busy family life, thanks to husband Simon, son Aidan and daughter Simone. Through her work at the UNHCR, Leontine has strived to help people understand the importance of having compassion for the plight of others, the importance of ser-

vice to others and the importance of doing our part to help protect the human rights of others. All of which has many parallels to the HKIS Mission: “Dedicating... our hearts to compassion and our lives to service and global understanding”. No doubt, Leontine Chuang ’93 is your worthy recipient of the Bob Christian Alumna/Alumnus of the Year Award.

Previous winners

2008/09 David ’94 and Josh Begbie ’96 The Crossroads Foundation has not passed many people by. An educational and service organization that has sprouted from its humble beginnings in 1995 to reach over 100 countries around the world. Its founders, brothers David and Josh Begbie, were judged to have truly lived the HKIS Mission and SLRs and so were jointly awarded the Bob Christian award in 2008. What started as donations to a disaster in China has grown into a UN partnership operation that has seen them link with NGOs the world over, linking supply with demand, hence the name Crossroads. It has even generated an educational division that includes a ‘refugee simulation, so people from all walks of life can experience the processes that millions have to endure around the world. In 2009, the brothers were invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to give world leaders a taste of refugee life through their educational program.

What’s it all about?

David and Josh were presented with the Bob Christian Award at the graduation ceremony in June 2009.

The Award was established in 2006 to recognize the tremendous service of Bob Christian, the very first Head of School for HKIS. The aim is to give recognition to the Alumnus/Alumna who has made a strong, positive contribution to HKIS, our community and the wider community while living our Mission Statement and SLRs. The selection criteria used is that candidates:

2009/10 Ken Koo ’79 and Charles Watson ’09

• Exemplify our Mission and Student Learning Results

Charles Watson won because he was a “role model in service leadership”. He spent his gap year in Nepal and Ghana working to bring wider information technology and website access to education. His work involves bringing computers to schools and running them on solar power. He creates a local network within the classroom, hooks it up to batteries and solar power and in under 40 minutes of arriving at a school can have children looking at information on the internet. The computers are made from locally sourced parts, so is something goes wrong, the children don’t have to wait weeks or months for something to be shipped.

• Contribute to the HKIS community, the local community, or the broader community The Award’s Selection Committee will meet to review and consider nominations on their merits. Nominations are welcome from everyone, however, be quick as nominations close on February 1, 2012.

32 DragonTales

Ken Koo ’79 and Charles Watson ’09 might have graduated 20 years apart, but as joint winners of the Bob Christian award they have fully embodied the true spirit of the HKIS Mission and SLRs. It was a golden year to have two alums who perfectly exemplify the Mission and SLRs. Ken was selected for his dedication to supporting HKIS over a number of years. He served as Alumni Association President for six years and, along with Desmond Chu ’91, set-up the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment, itself a project that continues to fertilize and grow the true meaning of the HKIS Mission and SRLs.

The two winners don’t just have the Bob Christian Award in common – Ken was so impressed with Charles’ projects that he has helped to fund one of the projects in Nepal.

ClassNotes Welcome to the latest updates of who’s been where, for how long, when they were here and how long they’ve been there! It’s a bumper issue of ClassNotes this issue. We’ve been contacted by lots of people and we’d like to say a big thank you to all. If there is someone in particular you’re trying to get in touch with, let us know and we’ll try our best to help establish and reignite those connections. Don’t forget to check out the all-new HKIS alumni website. If you want to be included in ClassNotes and let everyone know where you are and what you’re doing, get in touch with Irene Loh via alumni@hkis.edu.hk Get involved! You can find HKIS all over the internet: FacebookSearch for the group ‘HKIS Alumni Association’ Twitter www.twitter.com/HKIS YouTube www.youtube.com/HKISLive LinkedIn www.linkedin.com Web www.hkis.edu.hk Alumni website http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk

DragonTales 33

classnotes

Martha Jane McCaskill

In Memoriam We are saddened to hear of the loss of HKIS’ first librarian since the last issue of DragonTales. Our thoughts go out to the family, friends and classmates of our friend and early supporter

artha Jane McCaskill was recently honored following her death on October 16, 2010, as the first librarian of the Hong Kong International School with an engraved plaque, which will be prominently displayed in a glass display case being constructed at the entrance of the High School library. Born on September 16, 1930 in Paris, Texas, she received her Degree in Library Science from East Texas State Teachers College in August 1950. Martha served as Librarian in the Bridgewater-Raritan, New Jersey School District, prior to moving to Hong Kong in 1965 when her husband, Don was assigned to Hong Kong as one of four employees from the IBM World Trade Headquarters in New York City to establish the IBM World Trade South East Asia Regional Headquarters in Hong Kong.

Martha Jane McCaskill pictured in October 2010

At that time, there was no international school in Hong Kong, and the children of the few expatriates living there went to The Maryknoll Sisters Missionary School on the island of Hong Kong or King George V School in Kowloon. In addition to loaning the school their initial set of World Book Encyclopedias which she had shipped to Hong Kong along with other personal items, Martha volunteered to order and catalogue all of the start up school’s library books the ‘old fashioned way’ by hand printing all of the index cards with titles and Dewey Decimal System codes, as well as lettering the codes on each catalogued book. All three McCaskill children attended HKIS. Their eldest daughter, Christy, still remembers going from Maryknoll each day after school before HKIS opened to assist her mother with this monumental undertaking and shelving the newly acquired books. Christy was recognized not only as an outstanding student at HKIS at the end of her Junior year before returning with the family to New York, but also for assisting her mother with the establishment of the library. Today, four HKIS campus libraries serve our students from state-of-theart technology literary centers with over 110,000 books from a humble beginning made possible by Martha.

The McCaskill family pictured in 1967. Left to right: Martha, Dean, Christy, Don and Sally

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Following retirement from IBM in 1985, the McCaskills returned home to Paris, Texas to live on Strawbaby Farm after living, working and traveling around the world for 35 years. Martha McCaskill is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Paris, Texas and Don continues to reside at Strawbaby Farm. This memorial for Mrs. McCaskill was donated by Joyce and Reid Samuelson. Joyce (Todd) Samuelson ’71 was a classmate of the McCaskill children at HKIS and their families remain close friends. Martha is survived by her husband Donald McCaskill; daughters, Christy (McCaskill) Wendell ’69 – class agent for the class of ’69 and Sally (McCaskill) Stein ’70; son, Dean Morgan McCaskill ’76.

Where are they now? Former Faculty Update

Mrs. Nancy Kroonenberg Birthday:

June 20

What did you teach?

Middle School and High School French Teacher Then High School Assistant Principal

Years at HKIS:

Current location:

1977-1996

Tokyo, Japan

What did you do after HKIS? For 15 years, I have been the High School Assistant Principal at the American School in Japan.

What are your fondest memories of HKIS? The people - loved the students and colleagues. Great memories of 3 summer trips to France with students as well as various Interim trips, especially to the Pattaya orphanage. Former students often remind me of some fun French classes, especially when I shampooed my hair in class, dressed in pajamas or sang - which I do very poorly.

What are your fondest memories of Hong Kong? Everything - the pace, the people, the food, the nightlife.

What is the one thing you learned during your time at HKIS that you still make use of today? HKIS was such a formative part of my educational career. There is not one thing which I can pinpoint, but to this day, I still make reference to students and colleagues.

Have you been back to Hong Kong since leaving? Almost every year.

Who do you keep in touch with from your time at the school? Ken Koo ’79, Bill Bossany ’82, Pattie Bossa-

Nancy with Pip Simpkin, former HKIS High School faculty member, in Tauranga New Zealand, March 2011

ny Gordon ’84, Robin Tierney ’84, David Wu ’86, Gia Antonellis ’96, Eric Sun ’86, Patricia Chen Sadayasu ’98, Terry and Bill Anderson, Lisa Ahnert, Kevin Baker and family, Carol and Larry Eichert, Anne Ellis, Joanne Fallon, Karen Fish, Dean Fritts, George Coombs, Jim Handrich, Jenifer Holcombe, Jane and Joel Klammer, Dave Kohl, Sandy Krist, Susan Kuyper, Lesley Lewis, Anna Maakestad, Eric MacDonald, Dan McCarthy, Shirley Miske, Gina Maltese Preciado, Ken and Karen Rohrs, Bob Scripko, Cyrus Shaoul, Rosalyn Shaoul, Pip Simpkin, Janet Taylor, Sarah Todd, Mike Wong-Russell and many more which I’ve seen at the 40th reunion, on Facebook and email.

In three words, describe HKIS: Terrific, Life-changing, Life-long friends

How can people re-connect with you? Email: nkroonenberg@asij.ac.jp

What’s next for you? We are still inveterate travelers. In recent years, our travels have taken us to Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, and Slovakia, just to mention several places on our long and lovely summer journeys. In a few years, it’s retirement. We’ve dreamt of Malta, Cyprus, Portugal and France but will probably end up in Amsterdam. Would love to have visitors here or there.

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Former Faculty Update

Mrs. Sarah Todd Birthday:

March 13

What did you teach:

US history, American Studies, World History, Psychology, Sociology, Economics

Years at HKIS:

Current location:

1985 to 1992

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas

What are your fondest memories of HKIS? Many including my years working as a dean and social studies teacher. I felt I got to know the students in many different ways as we worked to change schedules, talked about colleges and about curriculum. Loved working with Jim Handrich and the other deans.

What are your fondest memories of Hong Kong? Star Ferry, walking the Dragon’s Back with the Baker family, early years with the high school in Repulse Bay, tea at the Peninsula Hotel, Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware, the Man Mo Temple, walking on Hollywood Road, Honeychurch Antiques, trips to Macau, Lunar New Year holiday, Mid-Autumn Festival and on and on. Loved living in the neighborhoods of Happy Valley.

What is the one thing you learned during your time at HKIS that you still make use of today? I learned students are our greatest resource in schools.

Have you been back to Hong Kong since leaving? I am there very often. HKIS staff and faculty helped me start another school in Tianjin, China with HKIS veterans Charlene Schneiter, Jack MacSlarrow and Scott Rhodewalt. My husband continues to do work at HKU so I am there twice a year and often make it to HKIS to check on my beloved school.

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Sarah Todd at her current school in Austin, Texas in March 2011

Who do you keep in touch with from your time at the school? I keep in touch with many people including Anna and Tom Maakestad, Denise Carver, Scott Rhodewalt, Jack MacSlarrow, Nancy Kroonenberg, Janet Taylor, Doug Baker and Family, Lesley Lewis, Beth Smith Nicholson, Jim Handrich and many former students including Rob Gvozden ’87, Henry Kim ’87, Molly Giss ’88, John Hyun ’89, Bijoy Goswami ’91, Mark Abernathy ’91, Seth Baker ’91, Darlene Lanham ’93, Kemal Arsan ’93, Catherine ’89 and Chris Puranananda, Maija Muncy, Benjy Lee and quite a few others. I have been to quite a few reunions since I left including one in Austin, Texas last summer.

In three words, describe HKIS: Postive, Tolerant, Adaptable.

How can people re-connect with you? Email: stodd@sstx.org

What’s next for you? I am the Director on the International Program at my school and I love it. I also teach world history. I do a good bit of travel which is wonderful.

1973

Burke M. Wong ’73

bmwhoya77@aol.com

ClassNotes I

am currently the Force Counsel for Legal and Treaty Affairs, Multinational Force & Observers (MFO), the peacekeeping force established pursuant to the Camp David Accords. The MFO monitors compliance with the Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel. I am stationed in the Sinai Peninsula and will be here until August 2012.

Me and my dog Asia (left) who was adopted from the Humane Society a few years ago

hear from so many other HKIS alumni on Facebook and Twitter via @Patrickgfl.

1985

David Jones ’85

djones@lawa.org

attended HKIS from 1975-1977 – 2nd and 3rd grades and 1980-1983 – from 7th to 10th grades as part of class of 1985.

This is at a bunker located at memorial site at the Israeli/Syrian border in the Golan Heights

1974

Patrick Gould ’74

derbybl@aol.com I have been living in South Florida for over 20 years and am working in Real Estate related businesses. Bud Skennion ’74 and I continue to make regular ‘investments’ on the horse races, and we think we are very close to winning a race one day. What we need is the help of our friend Walter Loh ’74 to help us pick the winners! I continue to enjoy my involvement with the Humane Society and other animal welfare organizations. It has been great to

I have so many great memories of HKIS and Hong Kong. Even though I graduated from Seoul Foreign School in Korea in 1985, I always considered Hong Kong and HKIS home and I returned to Hong Kong for Christmas and summer vacation my junior and senior year of high school to visit with friends of my class year James “B” Burnett, Mike Taylor, Chad Forrest and Mike Medina. I’ve since settled in Southern California, where I attended UCLA for undergraduate study and also UCLA’s Anderson School of Management - MBA. I now live in Redondo Beach with my wife (Debbie) and twin daughters (Natalie and Kaela-Mae). I am currently the Director of Terminals Business Management for Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario International Airport where I manage the concessions and terminal leasing programs at both airports. One perk is seeing Cathay Pacific’s 777-300ER aircraft daily, which

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routinely gives me pause to think fondly of my many trips to/from on ‘home-leave’. Through my work, I have reconnected with Chris Sinfield ’85 who works in the area and correspond periodically with Mike Taylor, Chad Forrest, Helen Best ’86, Mark Lutz, Valarie Smith, and Vanessa Orie. Also, for the past two years, my family has met up with Lanchi Venator ’85 and Stephanie Baum ’85 and their families in San Diego – hopefully we’ve started an annual tradition. Hopefully I will get a chance to return to Hong Kong soon to show my family where I grew up.

Mohammed A. Mohammed ’85 shettimankeffi@yahoo.com

t is my pleasure to be connected to HKIS. It is indeed a wonderful experience. I attended HKIS in 1976, with my sister Bilkisu and brother Idris. We were about the only black Africans in the school. I was in grade 3 at the time.

My father decided to run for the election for the office of state Governorship in Nigeria after leaving Hong Kong in December 1976. I completed my secondary education and university degree from the prestigious Bayero University, Kano Nigeria, where I graduated with a law degree. Although I’m not a practicing lawyer, I have set up a trading company, which I am the Chief Executive Officer.

1987

Nigeria is a beautiful country, with huge resources and with over 150 million people. I live very close to Nigeria’s capital of Abuja, about 30 minutes drive.

1989

I also have another title ‘Shettima of Keffi’ which is a prestigious traditional title for a Royal Prince of Keffi, Nigeria. The picture attached herewith with turban on my head is the usual attire of Shettima and Prince in Nigeria. I hope you’ll like the pictures. I’ll appreciate seeing any of the pictures I had with my grade 3 classmates at the time. I’ll also be glad to reconnect with any alumni that are in Nigeria. It is also my hope, wish and plan to visit the school soon.

Bobby Kwan ’87

bobbyk@netvigator.com

have recently joined Jaguar Land Rover China in Shanghai as the Senior Manager for Network Operations. This shall be my 11th year working in Shanghai already, time really flies.

Pinki Bengani-Praveena Baid ’89 praveenabaid@hotmail.com

o, after Hong Kong, I shifted to India where I completed my graduation in English Literature and French Minor. Have been married for almost 18yrs now; have two sons: Dhruv coming to 13 and Divye almost 9 now. Am happily settled in Singapore enjoying being a full time mum. My parents left Hong Kong during Pinki BenganiPraveena Baid ’89 with Birendra Baid

Finally, I also congratulate the parents, staff, faculty and students for keeping the flag of HKIS flying.

1986

Derek Kwik ’86

Mohammed A. Mohammed ‘85 (left), with turban (above), the usual attire of Shettima and Prince in Nigeria

My experience in both Hong Kong and HKIS at the time was fulfilling. My father Hassan Mohammed was Nigeria’s Consul General based in Hong Kong and we used to live at the Repulse Bay Garden not too far away from the school. It was a beautiful experience when I think of the fantastic student-student relationship and pupilteacher relationship, the tours, the sports time, the choirs and personal relationships with fellow classmates whom I cannot practically remember. 38 DragonTales

n January 2011, Curt Jennewine visited Hong Kong on a business trip. It has been nearly 25 years since some of us has seen each other and the recounting of old HKIS memories over a delicious Shanghainese dinner was fantastic.

Pinki BenganiPraveena Baid ‘89 with children Dhruv and Divye

(Left to right) Victor Cheung ’86, Koh‑Ann Chu ’86, Amy Ng ’86, Curt Jennewine ’86, David Wu ’86, Vanessa Chien ’85, Derek Kwik ’86

Tracey with her sons Bobby, Michael and Tyler

the handover that’s why I have not ended up coming there but really look forward to catching up with you guys some time!

1992

Tracey Harris ’92 tracey_harris923@yahoo.com

t has been a long time since I sent in an update. I have been living in Singapore for the last 5 years with my husband Mark and sons Tyler (9), Bobby (7) and Michael (3). I recently received my MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and am now taking a few months off to spend time with my family and travel before looking for a new job. Last year I caught up with quite a few people from our class including Traci Tong, Art Berman, Liz (McCauley) Collard, and two classmates from way back in 6th grade, E – Lynn Goh and Sanjay Natarajan. I also met up with Nanette Ruhter who teaches at my sons’ school. I hope all of you are doing well, and please do get in touch if you come to Singapore for any reason.

Tracey and her husband Mark

amazing, eye-opening experience! On the way back, I got to show him around Hong Kong for the first time. We paid a visit to HKIS and ran into some of my teachers: George Coombs, Marty Schmidt, Zella Talbot, Kent Ewing, Janet Taylor, and Sue Harvey. I continue to compose and pro-

1995

duce music for film and sports, as well as sing professional background vocals (e.g. Coco Lee) here in Los Angeles. I’m also still working on an album of original songs. Last year’s highlights include our many trips (New Orleans, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, and Las Vegas), getting pregnant, as well as buying our dream house! Meanwhile, with the January birth of our precious little daughter, Elliana, 2011 is shaping up to be even more exciting. After 30 hours of labor, she came out with a full head of hair weighing 7 lbs 13oz. Parenthood has been humbling and tiring so far, but also a joy and blessing that is worth it all. Every new day with our baby makes us more and more amazed and grateful at God’s miraculous gift to us.

Susan Strebel ’95

Christie Chong ’95

xt_yih@yahoo.com

susanstrebel@gmail.com

oming this August 2011, I will be married for almost 4 years to the love of my life, Albert Chong, whom I met in Los Angeles. In 2009, we went on a medical missions trip where Albert got to perform orthopedic surgeries in rural China to help people with deformities. What an

Christie and her husband Albert Chon

Christie’s visit in 2009 pictured with George Coombs and Marty Schmidt

Christie with her 11 weeks old daughter Elliana

am currently in Brooklyn, New York where I have been for the last five years. I am the Director of Special Events for New York City Center, a performing arts center in Manhattan featuring musical theater and dance. Our resident dance companies include Alvin Ailey American Dance

Christie’s visit in 2009 pictured with Zella Talbot and Kent Ewing

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Theater, Paul Taylor Dance Company and American Ballet Theatre. I am engaged to my boyfriend of 13 years and we will be married in July. He is the owner of Calexico, a brand of restaurants and street carts in Brooklyn and New York City. Old friends can email me.

1997

Gabriel Hung ’97 gabrielhung@hotmail.com

abriel left HKIS in 1994 and has been back in Hong Kong since 1997. He studied medicine at the University of Hong Kong and worked as a psychiatrist in Hong Kong for 7 years, becoming a specialist in 2009. He recently left his hospital job and is now pursuing a new career as a trainee solicitor at an American law firm in Hong Kong. Gabriel would love to catch up with friends from his HKIS days.

Catriona (McGregor) Fox ’97 cat_mcgregor@yahoo.com.au

Aldrinana’s parents and sister Robbieana ’05 at the graduation ceremony

2003

Aldrinana Leung ’03 aldrinana@yahoo.com

n December 2010, Aldrinana Leung graduated from London School of Economics (LSE) with a Masters Degree in Government Development. Previous to her masters studies, she graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She has worked with the Clinton Global Initiative three times.

been attending Emerson College after. I’m at the end of my second year in College studying Communication Studies. This past semester has been one of the best times and experiences of my life. I am at a study abroad program in a small town in the Netherlands through my college. I have been living in a 14th century medieval castle (Kasteel Well) the last three months, and have had the privilege to travel around Europe and the UK every single weekend. I will return to Boston in September to begin my final two years of college. Time flies!

2008

Joanne Lam ‘08 JoLam@crossingcambodia.org Http://jolam08.wordpress.com

ince I graduated HKIS in 2008, I have volunteered as a 1st grade teacher assistant in Cambodia for a year and have

Joanne Lam in the village of Well, province of Limburg, Netherlands in January 2011

In Memoriam As we were going to press, we received the sad news of the passing of David Smith ’77 on 2 June after a sudden illness that lasted a little over a month. David and his wife had just moved from Carrollton, Georgia, to Montgomery, Alabama, so he could work full-time with the Army National Guard. He was a loving husband, father and dedicated solider. Dave faithfully served his country as a Captain and Airborne Ranger in the United States Army and National Guard. He is survived by his wife, Marla Rea Smith; daughters, Sara Christine Barker and Rachel Marie Smith. The son of Lewis and Shirley Smith, David had three sisters, all of whom attended HKIS; Karen Smith Moore ’73, Cathy Smith Caviness ’75 and Deborah Smith ’80. Mongomery (Monty) Fox born on January 3, 2011

Memorial donations may be made to The Wounded Warriors Project or the Red Cross:

Wounded Warriors Project: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

y husband Christopher and I welcomed Mongomery (Monty) Fox into the world on 3 January 2011.

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Red Cross: http://www.montgomeryarc.org/

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Mission Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion, and our lives to service and global understanding An American-style education grounded in the Christian faith and respecting the spiritual lives of all

Student Learning Results Academic Excellence Students will achieve their intellectual potential by striving for and attaining the highest standards of academic excellence

Spirituality Students will understand and respect Christianity and other religions and will identify and develop their own spiritual identity

Character Development Students will demonstrate respectful and caring attitudes at school and in the community, as well as the courage to stand up for what is right The Mission and SLRs are the North Star for HKIS, its staff, faculty and students. We use these as our guide in everything we do, every day. Hong Kong International School 1 Red Hill Road, Tai Tam Hong Kong www.hkis.edu.hk

Self-Motivated Learning Students willingly apply a variety of learning and motivation strategies throughout their learning process

Contributing to Society Students will develop the skills they need to form genuine relationships in our diverse society and to make contributions to our community

Chinese Culture Students will gain an understanding of China and an appreciation of the Chinese Culture

Destination: Hong Kong

Homecoming 6 January, 2012

Mark your diary, book your flights, call your friends and pack your old yearbook for a very special gathering back at Hong Kong International School. http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk