DragonTales Summer 2016

Our Anniversary Celebration Begins

Summer 2016

Letter from the head of school

Dear Alumni, At long last, our 50th Anniversary celebration year has begun! We’ve gotten off to a terrific start; teachers and especially students are excited to be part of this moment in our history. This issue of DragonTales chronicles and highlights many of the events, “firsts”, and traditions that have helped define HKIS over the years. To give our current students some perspectives on this history in which they are now a part, we made a short video that was shown at the opening assemblies in August, which you can see on our website or Facebook page. A more detailed history is on page 20, which features student activities and traditions that are still ongoing.

Photo Credit: The American Club Hong Kong

I would like to thank alumnus José Carreón ’91, whose design was selected as our official 50th Anniversary logo!

It is a fresh and modern design that captures the essence of HKIS. The next issue of DragonTales will feature a more in-depth look at his design, along with other great submissions we received.

Please have a look through pages 26-29 for the events that we have planned as part of our celebrations. I am particularly excited about the alumni activities in store — including the Alumni Celebration in the US in February, our full Alumni Celebration Week in May, and the three Alumni Interim experience trips in June. Service is an essential part of what defines HKIS, and so, for those that want to engage in a little Interim-style service experience but who can’t participate in the full summer events, we have arranged a short service trip to Foshan to close out our Celebration Week.

HKIS continues to implement a comprehensive Master Facilities Plan that will ensure our campus facilities are state of the art and meet the needs of our students. That plan includes several major building projects. The first was the complete redevelopment of the Lower Primary School building in Repulse Bay, opened in 1975. Work is moving steadily for the new building to open for classes in fall 2017. HKIS’s original building in Repulse Bay, currently serving the Upper Primary Grades 3-5, will then be completely remodeled and expanded during the 2017-18 school year to address the needs of the older elementary school children. Information on the Master Facilities Plan and project updates and plans are available on our website under About: Our Campuses.

Part of growth and rejuvenation is often saying goodbye to the old before welcoming the new. So, there will be a commemoration event during Celebration Week for the original Repulse Bay building and the opening of the 40th Anniversary time capsule to reflect on our rich and evolving history. There will also be a special service at Church of All Nations during the Celebration Week to give alumni an opportunity to gather in reflection and prayer as an HKIS community, and say goodbye to the chapel that has served so many over the past 50 years. Never fear, however, as a new, bright, modern and vastly expanded chapel and auditorium space will open for the fall of 2017 in the new Lower Primary School building, where CAN will worship as well.

I am blessed to be part of HKIS during this exciting time and I am thrilled at the opportunity that a 50th celebration offers to bring our broad community together. I hope to reconnect and meet with many of you in the next few months.

Richest blessings to all,

Alan Runge, Ph.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL

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Table of Contents

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DragonTales is produced by the HKIS Advancement Team Chief Advancement Officer Maziar Sabet msabet@hkis.edu.hk

Annual Fund Manager Minori Nagatomo ’01 mnagatomo@hkis.edu.hk

Executive Secretary Lina Doo ldoo@hkis.edu.hk

Communications Coordinator Stuart Slavicky sslavicky@hkis.edu.hk

Communications and Public Relations Manager Veronica (Galbraith) Booth ’97 vbooth@hkis.edu.hk

Development Coordinator Ceci Lau clau@hkis.edu.hk

Alumni Relations alumni@hkis.edu.hk

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Design Linne Tsu ’96

Thank you to our contributors

Alia (Marwah) Eyres ’95, American Chamber of Commerce, American Club, Amy Robinson, Asia Society, Beverly Nagao, Bonnie Chan, Booster Club, Celeste Lee ’18, Charmaine Chan ’16, Chris Taylor, Denise Dyette, Dennis Wetjen, Dylan Yen ’19, Esperanza Velvez-Ciriaco, Evadne Sanussi ’16, Holly Harris Wood, Janet Tan, Lois Voeltz, Jared Anderson ’95, Jason Tan ’96, Jennifer (Doman) Flowers ’96, Jessica Cheng ’08, Jon Bryant, José Carreón ’91, Katie Scheu, Keith Bradsher ’82, Kirsten Rendell, Kristine Lau ’16, Kyle Geisbrecht, The Lin Family, Madeleine McGarrity, Marty Schmidt, Megan Kincaid, Michael Swaine ’69, Minori Nagatomo ’01, Neil Slighton ’16, Parent Faculty Organization, Peggy Young ’79, Rachelle Hung ’16, Richard Kligler, Sarthak Bajpal ’19, Shayla Sandoval ’17, Yash Bardoloi ’17

Letter from the Head of School

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HKIS Gallery Lower Primary Student Art

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Advancement

Q & A with our Chief Advancement Officer 2016 Annual Ball 2016 James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment Fund 2016 David F. Rittmann Scholar 2016 Bob Christian Alumnus of the Year Award Flourishing Facilities

5 6 8 10 11 12

College Enrollments Class of 2016

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Then and Now Greek & Roman Day

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HKIS Gallery Middle School Student Art

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50th Anniversary Celebrations

Our Story: An HKIS Timeline 50th Anniversary Celebration Year Events Alumni Interims Community

Concordia Welfare Education Fund (CWEF) The Booster Club Parent Faculty Organization (PFO)

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Student Life

High School

Junto – HKIS: The Early Years; Looking Back: HKIS’s First Head of School Music: A Universal Language Chinese Studies: The Pros and Cons of Globalization Lower Primary

What was the World Like in 1966?

Wisdom from the East (Coast) Upper Primary

Battle of the Books Schoolwide

10th Annual St. Baldrick’s Day Events

34 36 37 38 40 41 42

Decades Luncheon Classes of ’90, ’91, ’92: 25 Year Reunion Class of 1996: 20 Year Reunion HK Chapter: Summer Drinks; Entrepreneurs in Hong Kong Homecoming 2015-16

43 44 46 48 49

HKIS Gallery High School Student Art

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Alumni Making Moves

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HKIS Gallery High School Student Photography

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Milestones Dr. Esperanza Velvez-Ciriaco

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Staying Connected

In Memoriam Class Notes Social Sensations

57 60 62

The Last Word Kyle Geisbrecht

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Lower Primary Student Art Our Lower Primary artists continue to delight with explorations of texture, color and perspective.

Detail of a Reception 2 mural inspired by visiting artist Francesco Lietti

Solar system with Grade 1 art-stronauts!

Crazy Faces by Reception 2 4

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Grade 2 Picasso-inspired sock sculptures

Grade 1 rotational “tiles� inspired by Islamic design

Advancement

Q &A with our chief advancement officer DragonTales continues the conversation with Maziar Sabet about the 50th Anniversary year, and meeting an HKIS legend.

All alumni, all HKIS: Shari Krugler (Elementary & Middle School Faculty 1982-1990; Alex Lee ’08: Maziar Sabet: Kevin Lam ’02; Bob Christian, Head of School 1966-77.

As Chair of the 50th Anniversary Committee, what have you been excited to work on?

You visited the East Coast in October and West Coast in June — what stood out about those trips?

What I have been most excited to work on are the opportunities to re-engage with alumni from Hong Kong and overseas.

Specifically, the alumni Interim programs have gotten a huge positive response from all over the world and I am really looking forward to launching them. This year we have been working on trips to Bhutan, Pattaya and the Philippines and we are blessed to have Marty Schmidt, Zella Talbot, George Coombs, Madeleine McGarrity and Jon Bryant who have agreed to accompany the alumni.

I was able to visit Washington DC, Boston, New York, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. As always, our alumni were passionate and full of fond memories from their time at HKIS. I am always deeply moved to see that. But I have to say that what stood out for me was the opportunity to meet Bob Christian, our first ever Head of School. Bob was quite a few years older that the oldest alumnus at that gathering in Seattle, but I had the impression that not only was he energized and uplifted by the questions the alumni were asking him, but our alumni could not get enough of Bob and his stories and experiences from his time as a real HKIS pioneer.

At the end of the evening, I think Bob was the last to leave!

What a treat for all of us! n

Another element of our work on the 50th anniversary year that has been super rewarding is getting to work with representatives from virtually all elements of the HKIS community, including alumni, current students, faculty, support staff, administrators, current parents, former parents and representatives from the PFO and Booster Clubs. It’s a year that’s meant to emphasize the concept of unity, and there is no better way to demonstrate that by having such a broad and diverse cross-section of individuals on our committee. I am so impressed by everyone’s contributions and so excited about continuing the collaboration this year.

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2016 Annual Ball HKIS’s Annual Ball is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and support the community we’re a part of. In its fifteenth year, the Ball is HKIS’s single largest fundraising event for the Annual Fund, which supports the school’s areas of greatest need.

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n May 20, 2016, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, friends and many benevolent supporters were brought together to celebrate the spirit of the HKIS community. This year’s Ball was hosted at the Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong, and over 430 guests enjoyed the fine food and wonderful student performances that helped make an evening to remember. From First Class trips to New York, courtesy of Delta Airlines and the Grand Hyatt, to the perennial favorite Principal for a Day, thanks to the Upper Primary and Middle School, the dynamic live auction saw its lots fly off the stage as bidders vied for these unique prizes. Thanks to the generosity of those involved and the hard work of the organizing team, the 2016 Annual Ball broke all records and raised an inspiring $6.2 million. The money raised supports various programs, projects and the Mission, Vision and Student Learning Results of HKIS, helping to elevate the student experience. n

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Advancement Thank you to our premium table sponsors: Learning Tables 1. Mr. Eric & Mrs. Katherine Koo Wong 2. Mr. Martin Luk & Ms. Karen Sze 3. United Asia Finance Limited 4. Wings Finance Limited 5. Mr. Arthur & Mrs. Juni Wu 6. Mr. Yuet Pang & Ms. Mui Cheung Community Tables 1. Mr. Andy & Mrs. Stephanie Pan 2. Mr. Richard & Mrs. Kat Price, Mr. Carsten & Mrs. Kaori Stoehr 3. Capital Group 4. Prudential Corporation Asia Collaboration Tables 1. Mr. Jason & Mrs. Vivien Lee 2. Mr. Julian Wolhardt & Ms. Ketty Lieu, Mr. Gabriel & Ms. Vena Fong 3. Mr. Steve & Mrs. Mina Martinez 4. Mr. Raaj & Mrs. Seema Shah 5. Mr. Jason & Mrs. Suhair Brown Creativity Tables 1. Mr. Jeffrey & Mrs. Emily Shiu, Mr. Fedrick and Mrs. Liu 2. Emerson Climate Technologies 3. Mr. Daniel & Mrs. Billie Cheong 4. Mr. Timothy Lam Jr. 5. Mr. Ji-ll Kwon & Ms. Gae-Young Lee Resilience Tables 1. The American Club 2. Mr. Johnny & Mrs. Stella Chen 3. NAF Logistics Group 4. Mr. Stanley & Mrs. Leigh Chou, Mr. Greg & Mrs. Christina Donohugh, Mr. Kenny & Mrs. Patty Gaw, Ms. Deborah Kan & Joe Gallagher, Ms. Michelle Leung & Mr. Derek Sulger, Mr. Hamilton & Mrs. Yolanda Tang, Ms. Betty Woo 5. Mr. Samuel & Mrs. Pauline Lo Chu 6. HKIS Alumni Association – Hong Kong Chapter 7. Mr. Christopher & Mrs. Katrise Burgess, Mr. Tim & Mrs. Melissa Mariano, Mrs. Lynne Anne Davis, Mr. Adam & Mrs. Kirsten Zaki, Mrs. Laura Thompson, Mr. Doug Morin, Mr. Martin & Mrs. Laura Leese, Mr. John & Mrs. Paula Mahoney

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2016 | james a. handrich service leadership endowment fund

The 2015-16 school year brought in three strong service leadership projects supported by the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment Fund. All three had creative solutions to three very different questions: 1) Where should I volunteer?

2) How can less fortunate students further their education and connect with the world?

3) How do we help High School students think about change?

About the

JAMES A. HANDRICH SERVICE LEADERSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND Established in 2007, the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment Fund helps further the school’s Mission, Vision and “Self Motivated Learning” and “Contributing to Society” Student Learning Results.

The Fund continues to support projects ethatnk sot our community’’ generous donations. Please visit www.hkis.edu.hk/ giving to see how to support our students’ service work.

TedxYouth HKIS Charmaine Chan ’16, Evadne Sanussi ’16 and Rachelle Hung ’16

Seniors Charmaine Chan, Evadne Sanussi and Rachelle Hung organized the first TEDxYouth HKIS event at the Middle School Black Box Theatre in April 2016 around the theme “Exploring Change”. Speakers were asked to help an audience of students, faculty and alumni think about issues and life in a special and fresh way, or be inspired to change something in their lives.

In founding TEDxYouth HKIS, the trio wanted to expose the HKIS community to a variety of newly inspired, refreshing perspectives in the form of short talks by various speakers from a wide variety of disciplines and themes. They explain: “The global TED community believes in the

power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately the world.

The paradigm shifts created by TED Talks enable viewers to think more holistically in regards to our fast changing world, and how we as inhabitants can make it better.”

For them, it was clear what they wanted the HKIS community to get out of the evening. “Our project aimed to contribute to our HKIS

community by inspiring students to explore change in different aspects of

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Advancement their life, whether it is their perceptions, attitudes of lifestyles. We hope that students are motivated to look beyond the familiar “school” life.”

Volunteer Connect

Rachelle, Evadne and Charmaine found that organizing an event of this complexity and size was very demanding, but that they could rise to the occasion. “This project has helped us improve

Yashvardan Bardoloi ’17 knows how important service can be to an enriching HKIS experience. “I have been studying at HKIS for a

our organization, time management, communication skills, creativity and resilience. There were many parts of the event that we had to manage at the same time, including speakers, advertisements, our budget, logistics, our team, video production and the timing of these parts. We had to approach and meet with adult and student speakers and learn to act professionally with them. We also had to push ourselves creatively to advertise the event, and we had to curate this event with our audience and goal in mind.

Finally, there were many moments where we were discouraged and things didn’t go as we planned. In these movements, we found alternative solutions and kept trying till we found a way.” With an engaging event and a

full house at the end of it, clearly their hard work paid off.

Computers to Cambodia Neil Slighton ’16

On a trip with the Asian History in Action: Cambodia class, Neil Slighton ’16, saw that students he met at a local school had a clear need: “If students had computer access and computer class, they

would be able to research on their own….and expand their knowledge beyond the school curriculum.” So he devised a project to supply

computers to student-led study groups in Krang Lovea to support self-study and development of individual academic passions.

Read more about Neil’s project on page 31.

“Thank you to the James. A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment for this opportunity. Besides valuable practical lessons of people management, writing contracts and fundraising, the progress of my project has seen so far is proof to me that I can make a positive change in the world, even if it’s a small change. That’s an empowering and motivating feeling.”

—Neil Slighton ’16

Yashvardan Bardoloi ’17

decade now, and many of my most treasured memories are built around experiences and friendships I would not have had without this school.

Service has been integral part of the HKIS experience throughout — for me and for many of my peers,” Yash says.

He wanted to showcase the vast array of service work HKIS students have been involved with, but also help volunteers and organizations make sure that they were getting the best experience possible. To help solve this, he created an online database, Volunteer Connect Hong Kong (VCHK; hkservice.org), to collect, organize and analyze information about service projects and volunteering opportunities, which helps those who want to make the most of their volunteering experiences. Users can browse through the site to read about former volunteers’ experiences to select the program that’s the best fit. This benefits both the volunteers and the organizations: organizations get volunteers who have a deeper understanding of the organization’s mission and aims, while volunteers are exposed to a wide range of past service projects as well as resources that will help them serve better. “I want to improve the service experience for volunteers and the organizations and causes they support,” says Yash.

He has big plans for the site: “as the website grows, the database of service projects, and the analysis of that data, will become more useful to service organizations seeking to understand how students approach volunteering. I hope to catalyze future projects…I hope to further expand the platform by connection with alumni once more traction has been gained with the student body.”

Yash is grateful for the support he’s received. “Support from the

Handrich Fund allowed this project to go live and be presented to a large audience. Without funding, it would not have been possible to broaden the reach of the database and the other service resources on the website.

The Handrich Fund has allowed Volunteer Connect to become a sustainable and accessible platform that can be used by any service-oriented individual.” n

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2016 | david f. rittmann scholar KRISTINE LAU ’16 From a local school, to HKIS, and on to...

by Minori Nagatomo ’01

Kristine came to HKIS as a sophomore when she was selected to be a Rittmann Scholar. Having graduated in June, she will begin her university life at King’s College London in the fall, with full support from the Hong Kong government’s Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme.

Her HKIS journey began when she participated in our summer English Language Leadership Program where she was offered the Alumni Scholarship in Memory of David F. Rittmann to attend HKIS. An HKIS education would be vastly different for Kristine from what she had experienced before. She describes the school as having a “college-like, free, academic environment” and shares that the fun part of class was the lively discussion. “Learning isn’t just fill-inthe-blanks,” she says. “Here at HKIS, you can express your knowledge

in a lot of different ways… I had a lot more exposure here, because it’s an international school with a lot of different cultures. So that made me a lot more open-minded and accepting than I was before.”

This is reflected, too, in her adventures through Interim. Kristine learned to get along with a large group of people in her outdoor exploration in New Zealand, dove into the world of Greek history and mythology in Greece, and she speaks passionately about her Vietnam Interim where she interacted with children with disabilities at an orphanage. “I know it sounds clichéd, but it was truly,

truly, life-changing.”

Her love for service and inter-cultural understanding are not the only things that flourished during her time at HKIS. Kristine was surprised by the leadership roles our female students played at school and beyond, and this quickly fueled her passion for gender equality dialogue and exercising leadership herself. “It was just very

go into finance — something she had never even considered before HKIS. She even interned at a hedge fund firm this summer.

She is grateful for the opportunities she had at HKIS, and as we send her off to King’s College London with our blessings, we are proud to have her represent the HKIS family. n

About the

ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP IN MEMORY OF DAVID F. RITTMANN

The Alumni Scholarship in Memory of David F. Rittmann provides full tuition for worthy and talented local students to attend grades 10-12 at HKIS. The scholarships are awarded on a merit and need basis. To help HKIS continue to welcome local students like Kristine, please give at hkis.edu.hk/giving and designate your gift to the scholarship.

cool to see that so many female students here, they are leaders of this school, yet no one asks questions about their gender…That was just so eye-opening and shocking to me,” Kristine recalls. She dove into action, first

with the Hong Kong chapter of Young Women’s Society her sophomore year, and later with the HKIS chapter of the same.

She treasured having opportunities to interact with inspirational women with a wide range of professional backgrounds through the Society. These experiences even influenced her university major.

She used to believe girls normally gravitate towards humanities, while boys pursued math and science. That’s a thing of the past, especially after having been inspired by Mr. Mike Baker’s economics classes. So inspired, in fact, she now plans to study and

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Kristine immersed in Interim activities in Vietnam and New Zealand.

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2016 | bob christian alumnus of the year award MICHAEL D. SWAINE ’69 Michael Swaine is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and one of the most prominent American analysts in Chinese security studies.

Formerly a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, Swaine is a specialist in Chinese defense and foreign policy, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian international relations.

He has authored and edited more than a dozen books and monographs and many journal articles and book chapters in these areas, directs several security-related projects with Chinese partners, and advises the U.S. government on Asian security issues. He received his doctorate in government from Harvard University.

Mr. Hurworth, Dr. Roukema, teachers, parents, students, you see before you a dinosaur. I was a graduate of the second graduating class of HKIS in 1969. My brother Peter was among the first graduating class of 1968. I was also the head of the Student Council in my senior year, and was Junior Class president the previous year. And I wrote the Student Handbook for 1969, entitled Quotations from Chairman Mike and modeled after Chairman Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book of the then-unfolding Cultural Revolution period in China.

At that time, all classes (K through 12) totaled only 700 students and occupied the present-day primary school building in Repulse Bay. HKIS has certainly come a long way since then.

It is indeed an honor to receive the Bob Christian Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award for 2016, named after my headmaster of those early days. As Student Council president, I had quite a few interactions with Mr. Christian. At the time, HKIS was somewhat more conservative than today, and I was at times involved in, shall we say, “pushing the envelope” as it were. But I got along well with him. He was and is a great person.

I remember my time at HKIS, and in Hong Kong, very well. Those experiences had a huge effect on me. They sparked an interest in China and Asia that determined my career as a “China Watcher” over the past several decades. In that capacity, I have been back to Hong Kong many times since my HKIS days and watched it change enormously. But I still enjoy it very much.

Michael addresses the High School in May 2016 and accepts the Bob Christian Alumnus of the Year Award.

My experiences in Hong Kong and at HKIS provided my first exposure to a truly international community. As is no doubt the case today, the student body then was from all over the world, including the children of diplomats, international businessmen, and top Hong Kong Chinese families, among others.

My experiences also provided my first exposure to inspiring and talented teachers, such as Mr. Mahlke (English), Mr. McNaughton (Math and Physics), and Ms. Traub (French and Drama), as well as some very unusual teachers such as Mr. Lwin from Burma (Science). I remember clearly how Mr. Lwin explained why he gave me an A- for having only one error on an exam, and gave Dave Christian (the son of the Headmaster and a friend of mine) a B+ for the same single error: “Dave should have done better, since he is smarter than you, but he did not, so he gets a B+.”

Evan at its inception, HKIS had enormous school spirit. We knew that we were building a unique institution, combining faith, service, and education.

I owe an enormous amount to HKIS: for precious memories, for an excellent education, for unique and life-altering experiences, and for the friends I made at the time, two with whom I am still in contact: Christy McCaskill Wendell and Jackson Worth (Tay) Bosley.

It is a thrill to return to this magical place and be so honored.

I will always cherish my memories of HKIS. Thank you all! n

About the

BOB CHRISTIAN ALUMNUS/ALUMNA OF THE YEAR AWARD

“Chairman Mike” accepts the award from HKIS Provost Dr. Ron Roukema.

Established in honor of HKIS’s first Head of School, the Bob Christian Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award is presented to alumi who have made a strong, positive contribution to society while living our Mission and Student Learning Results. For details or to nominate alumni, visit alumni.hkis.edu.hk/BobChristian or contact alumni@hkis.edu.hk.

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Flourishing Facilities

Artist’s renderings of the finished Lower Primary building in Repulse Bay and Church of All Nations, which will also serve as the LP assembly hall and chapel.

HKIS’s Master Facilities Plan continues our tradition of creating excellent facilities to enhance the student experience.

By Alan Runge

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Lunchtime in the new cafeteria will be a social affair.

Construction work is moving quickly, with the new Rainbow Staircase and Church of All Nations taking shape.

HKIS experienced consistent growth during the first 35 years of its history as more and more expatriate families moved to Hong Kong and sought the style of education for their children that we offered. The leaders of HKIS over the years were faced with a steady stream of expansions and new building constructions, expanding from the single building for Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Repulse Bay to today’s four divisional buildings spanning two different campuses.

Although HKIS has grown well beyond what the school’s founders ever imagined, their central vision to provide an outstanding education serving a broad range of students in a Christian setting remains the same today. Our mission and purpose has remained a guiding light throughout our history as well, balancing excellence in the academic realm with social and cultural understandings and a dedication to service.

Hong Kong-inspired playgrounds give students a great place to explore.

An indoor swimming pool will serve UP and LP students year-round.

Looking back, we have certainly flourished and accomplished much in the past half a century. Today we remain strong, serving record numbers of students (approaching 2,700). As we look to the future we envision HKIS as better, truer version of itself, with renovated and expanded facilities providing appropriate space for our students to thrive and prepare themselves for a future that we can hardly envision today, but into which they go with confidence, compassion and wisdom. I am inspired to think about what they will achieve and how HKIS will grow and adapt in response to their needs. n ea Plans for Tai Tam includ s with gym Student Activity Center HS and a pool for MS and e Performanc students, along with a t gyms and Hall where the curren swimming pool are.

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College Enrollments

Class of 2016 Pomp and Circumstance filled the High School gym on June 10, 2016, as the Seniors entered for one last time to bid goodbye to HKIS. The hope in the air was tangible as we celebrated the glories and achievements of our students, many of whom had been at HKIS for the past

14 years. This

year was particularly noteworthy with HKIS’s 6,000th graduate completing Grade 12!

Many of our students will be going on to schools and colleges in the US, as well as the UK, Japan, the Netherland and Australia. Well done to the Class of 2016 the latest additions to our global community living out the mission and values of HKIS. n

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Class of 2016 Students from the Class of 2016 were enrolled at the following colleges and universities.

Many students received full or partial scholarships to attend these institutions.

USA

American University Arcadia University Bentley University Boston College Boston University Brigham Young University Brown University Bryn Mawr College Carnegie Mellon University Chapman University Claremont McKenna College Colgate University College of William and Mary Colorado State University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Duke University Elon University Emory College Endicott University Fordham University Georgetown University Harvard University Lafayette College Lehigh University Loyola Marymount University Marymount California University Massachusetts Institute of Technology New York Institute of Technology New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Occidental College Pace University, New York City Princeton University Purdue University Rhode Island School of Design Rochester Institute of Technology Saint Mary’s College of California School of the Art Institute of Chicago Swarthmore College Syracuse University The George Washington University The New School: Parsons School of Design The University of Alabama Tufts University United States Naval Academy University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of Chicago University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Miami University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Rhode Island University of Rochester University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison Vassar College Wellesley College Westmont College Williams College Yale University

Other Countries

Canada

Simon Fraser University University of British Columbia University of Toronto

France

The American University of Paris

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Polytechnic University University of Hong Kong

Ireland

Dublin City University

Netherlands

Amsterdam University College

Singapore

LaSalle College of the Arts

UK

Durham University Hult International Business School Imperial College London King’s College London London College of Fashion Royal Holloway, University of London University College London University of the Arts London SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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HKIS Then and Now

GREEK & ROMAN DAY Then and Now

Sandals, Sparta, spanakopita — for the last 27 years, Greek and Roman Day has been a major highlight for our sixth graders.

Two teachers speak of this annual odyssey.

Dennis Wetjen Grade 6 Teacher 1984-2002

1994

Special events held in conjunction with the end of study already had been part of the sixth grade curriculum at HKIS. In 1989 the Grade 6 team decided to culminate their study of Greece and Rome with an all-day celebration. The day included an oratory contest with representatives from each homeroom as well as an Olympics competition that pitted each Greek polis (homeroom) against the rest.

Lunch included gyros, Greek salad, and lasagna served by mothers in togas. In the early years, students memorized and recited parts of Socrates’ farewell speech. Later, students were allowed to choose their own speech. There were many memorable oratory recitations such as “I Have a Dream”, and “Ain’t I a Woman” but for me two that I will never forget the was the recitation of the “Oracle at Delphi” by Terry (Teresa) Reynolds ’99 which sent chills down my spine, and Paul Chaveriot’s ’01 JFK speech inauguration speech, “Ask not what ….”. Paul had the accent, voice, and cadence identical to the original.

He had spent hours listening to the original speech. Olympic medals were gold foil covered chocolates on a red white and blue ribbon and handed out along with a wreath on a dais. The first Greek and Roman Days were held on the Repulse Bay campus in the current Upper Primary building, CAN, and the UP gym.

1994

Mrs. Barbara Johnson & Mr. Dennis Wetjen are all smiles and sandals.

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These special days were a great way to complete and celebrate a unit. Students may not remember many specific classroom highlights or lessons but special days like Greek and Roman Day provide memories that last a lifetime.

Students pose toga-ther in this 1994 shot.

HKIS Then and Now 1994

1994

1994

2004 2004

2004

2001

2004

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HKIS Then and Now 2010

2011

2010

Kirsten Rendell Grade 6 Language Arts & Social Studies Teacher

When I arrived at HKIS in 1996, the sixth grade team had several special days celebrating student learning, Barter Day, Dig Day (a multidisciplinary archeological dig held at South Bay Close), Greek & Roman Day, Monk & Nun Day, and the Medieval Banquet. All enhanced student learning. I was actually in charge of Greek & Roman Day from 1996 – 2000. Memories that stand out for me: the poster competition, the excited buzz of toga-clad students during the Olympic games, gyros from the American Club, and Denny Wetjen dressed as a Roman gladiator, complete with faux breastplate. Denny’s breastplate was passed on to other colleagues including Greg Edwards and Cory Anderson. Sadly, the breastplate was finally binned a few years ago because the plastic had degraded too much.

2011

In 2009, I boomeranged back to the Middle School and discovered that Greek & Roman Day was the only sixth grade event that had stood the test of time.

(Barter Day was reinstated this past year.) Just like in the past, sixth grade students are still super excited in the lead-up to Greek & Roman Day, and they still love competing in the Olympic games. Parents continue to help frantically tie togas in the morning while others dish out items such as Caesar salad, spanakopita, and pizza during the banquet where mosaics created by students in the 1990s adorn the divider behind the buffet tables. Although Greek and Roman Day has changed throughout the years, it still serves the same purpose: a day when HKIS sixth graders come together to celebrate learning and create lasting memories. n

2014

2014

18

DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

HKIS Gallery

Middle School Student Art Middle School artists explore mixed media.

Jason Thai ’21

Jess Horn ’20 Dylan Watts ’20

Ella McCoy ’20 SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Our Story: An HKIS Timeline Our anniversary is a wonderful time to look back at where we’ve come from and what we’ve done.

Here are some highlights of the last 50 years, and activities that are still going on today.

1,100 Americans surveyed: Does Hong Kong need an American school?

1964

The Hong Kong Education Department approves land and a loan to fund the school in part.

The LCMS Board of Missions also funds the school.

1965

HKIS begins for 170 students in an apartment building in Chum Hom Kok.

630 students begin school at HKIS’s new Repulse Bay campus.

1967

1966

The Repulse Bay Lutheran Church becomes Church of All Nations

1960s

Mr. Bob Christian begins as HKIS’s first Head of School

1966

1967

HKIS granted membership of the National Honor Society

1968

First Model United Nations (MUN)

First drama production “Our Town”

1968

1968

Class of 1968 is the first to graduate from HKIS

1968

First Mandarin & Cantonese classes offered

1968

First Holiday Basketball Tournament

First overseas sports meet

1969

1969

Mother’s Club founded

1969

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HKIS hosts Far East Asia Student Council & Sports Meet

1970

Art teacher Mr. Dave Kohl updates the HKIS logo the iconic one we use to this day

Philosophy, objectives and values of the school first defined

1970

1974

First World’s Fair

1974

1978

Six computers shared among all HKIS students.

(HKIS had 10 MB of storage for the whole school). First Computer Club founded.

1982

1,000 students have graduated from HKIS!

Alumni Association established

1984

1982

1980s

Groundbreaking at Tai Tam

1986

DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

1975

Interims start, including trips outside of Hong Kong & Taiwan

1977

22

New Elementary School opens in Repulse Bay

1970s

Mr. David Rittmann is Head of School

1987

1971

First Upper Primary Camp

1973

The “Mother’s Club” and “Parent Teacher Association” combine to become the PFO

Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges for the first time

High School opens in Tai Tam Campus

1988

Chinese language program extended from Grades 7-12 to K-12

1985

Middle School hosts first Greek & Roman Day

1989

Service on Saturdays starts

1990s

Mission and Core Values defined

Early Childhood Center opens on Kennedy Road, for students age 4-7.

1990s

1991

Interact Service Club founded

HKIS Celebrates 25th Anniversary!

1990

1991

Booster Club founded.

Go Dragons!

1991

2,000 students have graduated from HKIS!

1992

Elementary School divides into Lower & Upper Primary Schools

1990s

Middle School opens in Tai Tam

1994

1994

Mr. Earl Westrick is Head of School

1996

First DragonMath competition

Mr. Charles Dull is Head of School

1997

Mission Statement & SLRs are defined

1998

1997

First Interact Charity Fashion Show

1998

3,000 students have graduated from HKIS!

1999

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Lower Primary holds first “Read-to-Feed” fundraiser for Heifer International

2000s

Mr. William Wehrenberg is Head of School

2002

2001

A full orchestra and strings program is established and the UP Band Program begins

2002

2004

2005 4,000 students have graduated from HKIS!

2005

First St. Baldrick’s event hosted in the Middle School

2008

HKIS joins APAC

DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

2003

Mr. Richard Mueller is Head of School

2005

24

2003

Mr. James Handrich is Head of School

The Master Facilities Plan shows how HKIS will develop across the two campuses.

2008

The SARS virus closes schools: HKIS goes virtual for March and April

Strategic Plan 2003-08

HKIS Celebrates 40th Anniversary!

2006

Middle School Houses established

2008

50th Anniversary Celebrations

HKIS hosts first APAC event: APAC Festival Band

2010

Mr. David J. Condon is Head of School

Middle School Annex building constructed

2010

2010

Mr. Kevin Dunning is Head of School

2010s

2011

1:1 Laptop Program begins

2010

5,000 students have graduated from HKIS!

HKIS’s logos are updated

Strategic Plan 2013-18

2012

2010

2013

Mrs. Linda Anderson is Interim Head of School

Lower Primary moves to temporary home in Tai Tam, redevelopment begins in Repulse Bay

2014

2014

Dr. Alan Runge is Head of School

2015

6,000 students have graduated from HKIS!

HKIS Celebrates 50!

2016

2016

SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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50th Anniversary Planning Committee Members

50th Anniversary Celebration Year Events

Ms. Veronica Booth ’97, Communications & PR Manager Mr. Brent Brayko, High School Associate Principal Ms. Prescille Cernosia ’88, HKIS Alumni Association – HK Chapter Ms. Bonnie Chan, Alumni Relations Coordinator Ms. Lina Doo, Executive Secretary Mr. Riz Farooqi ’94, Lower Primary Teacher Mr. Kyle Giesbrecht, Middle School Teacher Mr. Douglas Henck, Former Chair of the Board Ms. Yamini Jena ’17, High School Student Ms. Farah Kroese, Upper Primary Teacher Ms. Ilene Levy, Booster Club President Ms. Beth McNicholas, Parent Faculty Organization President Ms. Minori Nagatomo ’01, Annual Fund Manager Dr. Ron Roukema, Provost Dr. Alan Runge, Head of School Mr. Maziar Sabet, Chief Advancement Officer, Committee Chair Pastor Joel Scheiwe, Church of All Nations

We have a fun-filled year planned for our whole community! Our most up-to-date information is available on our website — please see

www.hkis.edu.hk/fifty.

Please email fifty@hkis.edu.hk with any questions.

2016

August 16 17

Start of Year Assemblies* (HS & UP) Start of Year Assembly* (MS)

September

Event Subcommittees In-School Celebrations

CHAIR: Ron Roukema This group will develop in-school celebrations across four divisions to bring the excitement of our anniversary year to our students and faculty.

History & Future

CHAIR: Veronica Booth This group selects which projects best capture HKIS’s story and aspirations for our shared future.

Music

CHAIR: Farah Kroese For our 50th Anniversary our music departments will be designing an off-site celebration concert.

PFO & Booster Events

CO-CHAIRS: Beth McNicholas and Ilene Levy These parent-led organizations have always championed and supported HKIS spirit. This year their events will be infused with the 50th Celebration!

Alumni Events

CHAIR: Bonnie Chan Alumni are invited to return to Hong Kong and HKIS to join in a host of alumni-centered celebrations.

Hope to see you here!

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2

First Chapel* (LP)

Each division will begin this year of celebration with a special assembly.

October 22

PFO Pumpkin Fest

Our Parent Faculty Organization pulls out all the stops for this festive fall favorite. Open to the public.

November 2

50th School Day*

Each division will mark the 50th day of school during our 50th Anniversary Year in its own unique way.

24-26

Holiday Basketball Tournament

HKIS’s 47th Annual Holiday Basketball Tournament is one of our longest standing traditions and a crowd favorite. Come watch us Dragons go head to head with other American schools around the region.

Go Dragons!

25

Turkey Trot | Turkey Bowl

Join us for a morning of fitness fun! Start with the inaugural HKIS 5 km run through Tai Tam Country Park followed by a quintessential American tradition – football on Thanksgiving weekend.

December 5

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Kick-off the holiday season with Christmas carols and hot chocolate at our 2nd Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in the High School Plaza.

50th Anniversary Celebrations 15

HKIS’s Anniversary Party*

A schoolwide celebration including treats, games and fun, culminating in all our students, faculty and staff coming together to form our 50th Anniversary logo on the field for an aerial photo. Say cheese!

2017

February 18-20

Alumni Celebration Event in the US

For those alumni who can’t make it back to Hong Kong for our Celebration events in May, or even those who can, but just want to celebrate some more, join us at this event in the US (city to be confirmed).

April 1

PFO World’s Fair

The Parent Faculty Organization’s flagship event welcomes our community and friends to celebrate — through student performances, food, carnival games, and shopping. A great day of family fun! Open to the public.

May 21

Church of All Nations Worship

21-30

50th Anniversary Celebration Week!

Celebration Concert

Join the congregation for an education-themed service.

A concert featuring our Band, Strings and Choral programs from our Upper Primary, Middle and High Schools. Our High School Band will perform a specially-commissioned piece of music for our 50th Anniversary: “Miracles”.

22

Student & Alumni Leader Summit

High School Student Leaders invite alumni who held student leadership positions at HKIS to speak about leadership to the Student Senate. Alumni – please email alumni@hkis.edu.hk to get involved.

Alumni Mentor Day

Alumni meet with students to share their post-HKIS paths to their current career, what they learned along the way, and what their careers are really like.

Faculty & Alumni Drinks

23

On-Campus Celebrations

An in-town social event for alumni and faculty.

Campus tours, meeting with faculty, sports activities, a BBQ — a fun afternoon of on campus reminiscing.

Evening Reception for former faculty, admin and staff If you worked at HKIS come to this reception to meet up with former colleagues.

24

Decades Luncheon

Meet up with alumni who graduated within your decade — 60s-70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s!

Decades Tram

Hop on Hong Kong’s iconic “ding ding” with alumni from your graduating decade for a tour along the tramlines.

25

Alumni & Family Day around HK

26

Tours around Hong Kong for our out-of-town visitors, including a junk trip.

Church of All Nations Memories & Farewell Chapel

Come say goodbye to the chapel before CAN moves to its new home in the new Lower Primary Building.

This afternoon event will celebrate the CAN-HKIS partnership and be a trip down memory lane for those who worshipped here in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Time Capsule Ceremony

Open the Time Capsule prepared at our 40th Anniversary, and seal a Time Capsule to be opened at our 100th.

27

50th Anniversary Celebration Ball

28-30

Alumni Service Trip to Foshan**

A glamorous evening of celebration and fun.

June 9

High School Graduation*

Come wish our 50th graduating class well as they leave HKIS.

Goodbye Assembly*

Lower Primary’s Goodbye Assembly ends the year of celebration for our youngest students and their teachers.

12

Middle School Celebration*

Come celebrate with our 8th graders as they leave Middle School and begin their last four years of their school career.

13

Grade 5 Fling!*

Our Grade 5s leave Upper Primary and head to their Middle School adventures.

Last Day of School: End of Year Assemblies*

HS, MS & UP close out the year of celebration with special assemblies.

ALUMNI INTERIMS** 18-23 Pattaya, Thailand 21- July 2 Bhutan 22-26 Dumaguete, Philippines *Celebrations for current students, faculty and staff only.

Please note that events and dates are subject to change. **See details on pages 28-29.

SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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50th Anniversary Celebrations

Alumni Interims You remember how much fun Interim was!

In celebration of our 50th Anniversary, HKIS is offering three special Interims that feature two core values of our school: service and spirituality. Reconnect with fellow alumni, their families, your teachers, and enjoy a meaningful trip!

Foshan

May 28-30, 2017

Pattaya, Thailand June 18-23, 2017

Bhutan

June 21- July 2, 2017

Dumaguete, Philippines June 22-26, 2017

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50th Anniversary Celebrations

Alumni Service Trip to Foshan

Dumaguete Service

Since our first visit in 1995, HKIS students have amazed us with their reflections about the simple action of holding babies and playing with special needs children at the Foshan orphanage. We invite those who have gone in the past, or who have never had the opportunity, to join this special alumni trip. We will visit the children three times, and will provide space for the same kind of reflection that has made this trip memorable for hundreds of HKIS students over the years. We will also offer the opportunity to visit several cultural sights in Foshan. Consider joining us in this first-ever alumni Foshan trip.

A family-oriented service experience working alongside ICM (International Care Ministries) serving a financially impoverished community. ICM’s unique approach is to partner with the existing infrastructure of the local church that is found in most slum communities. By providing numerous programs that address the real needs of those living in poverty, ICM empowers these communities to undergo training in a curriculum of Values, Health, and Livelihood. This trip will include an opportunity to serve in the daytime and relaxing time in the evenings with family and friends.

We will stay at the Sea Dreams hotel and the trip will include a marine wildlife adventure.

LED BY Dr. Marty Schmidt and Ms. Zella Talbot DATES May 28 – 30, 2017

LED BY Mr. Jon Bryant

COST

COST

HK$2,500 / person, all-inclusive, and for people age 18 and over only.

DATES June 22-26, 2017

HK$10,000

Pattaya Service Pattaya Interim has been an annual event for over 25 years and is the school’s oldest service Interim. The orphanage and a number of other institutions, serving the needy, were founded about four decades ago by the late Father Ray Brennan. Today, the Fr. Ray Foundation oversees the welfare and education of orphans, street children, physically challenged young adults, mentally challenged children, blind children, and kindergarten children from the slum areas of Pattaya. Alumni will have the opportunity to experience each of the Foundation’s projects and interact with the children and young adults.

LED BY Mrs. Madeleine McGarrity and Mr. George Coombs DATES June 18-23, 2017 COST

HK$9,000

Please contact fifty@hkis.edu.hk with any questions or feedback.

To register, visit: http://goo.gl/nbavgk.

Reserve your spot by February 15, 2017. Full payment required by March 1, 2017.

NOTE: The Pattaya Interim is restricted to those 18 and over. The Dumaguete and Bhutan Interims are appropriate for travellers of all ages, but those under 18 must come with an adult. All costs are approximate and may change depending on the size of the group travelling. All trips leave from and return to Hong Kong. They are inclusive of all fees, transportation, lodging and food (but not travel insurance or alcohol). If a minimum group size is not met, the trips will be cancelled. Once enough interest has been secured, 100% payment must be paid.

Service and Spirituality in Bhutan This trip will offer alumni the opportunity to visit the Himalayan Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. During this 11-day trip in Bhutan, we will engage in three types of activities. First, we will learn about the concept of Gross National Happiness, which the monarchy has made a priority in its governance of the country. Second, our group will facilitate a 3-day workshop modeled on the Teaching for Empowerment model for local Bhutanese high school students that inspires participants to consider involvement in social issues in their society. Thirdly, as we learn from the rich Buddhist culture of Bhutan, trip participants will explore their own spiritual journey through reflection and meditation. We hope that this combination of service and spiritual exploration will provide alumni with time to step back from their busy schedules and enjoy the wonder of Bhutan.

LED BY Dr. Marty Schmidt and Ms. Zella Talbot DATES June 21 – July 2, 2017 COST

HK$35,000

SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Community

concordia welfare and education foundation

Service through Empowerment By the Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation

Do you remember your service experiences at HKIS?

For many, the cross-cultural learning, bonding with classmates, and contributing to society that come with high school servicelearning has left a transformative mark on their student life. But what about the communities who are served? How much do they benefit from the short-term visits of HKIS students?

It’s a question that has been asked with increasing frequency in service trip debriefs and one that is pushing an emerging trend among service-minded students and teachers at HKIS — service through empowerment.

While the threads of the idea have been drawn out by many over the years, it was Brittany Fried ’15 and Caroline Scown ’15 who first wove them together in their current form by publishing The Empowerment Handbook for their senior project with the support of the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment Fund.

Field tested on their Interim trip experiences in South Africa, the Philippines, and India, The Empowerment Handbook is a curriculum of lesson plans designed to move service trips from the domain of one-off ESL lessons and charity projects to a kind of intensive leadership development camp.

As Brittany and Caroline describe in the preface of their handbook, “This is not simply delivering hand-outs to benefit one or a

few in the short term. Instead, empowerment training allows individuals to take initiative in improving their entire community in the long run.”

Cambodian 10th grade students. After completing the selected empowerment lessons, the Cambodian students led a summer camp for 80 children in an impoverished community in Sihanoukville.

The Cambodian students gushed about being called “teacher” by the children in Sihanoukville and it was remarkable to see their transformation from shy children from the village to empowered camp counselors given the opportunity and training.

“It was first time we ever did this kind of trip,” said Caroline Gillette ’15. “I felt like I was making a very tangible difference by instilling [the Cambodian students] with confidence as teachers and leaders.”

Celebrating their 10th year anniversary, the Deqing, China trip was a continuation of the CWEF high school scholarship program begun in 2006. Over the past decade, CWEF has provided more than 2200 girls with an education their families could not otherwise afford. More than 500 of those have been supported by Ember, an organization started by alumni Jenn Wu ’08, Jaime Shih ’07 and Charmaine Kwan ’08.

In the past year, HKIS students have taken the idea and run with it. The team-building activities, problem-solving lessons, and action plan facilitation are spreading like wildfire among “Service on Saturday” clubs and interims that work with local students.

This summer, HKIS alumni trips to Deqing, China and Krang Lovea, Cambodia facilitated empowerment programs with long-standing service partner Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation (CWEF).

Since Mr. Mike Kersten established the Asian History in Action: Cambodia course in 2010, HKIS students have sponsored 36 CWEF university scholarships in Cambodia and made multiple trips annually to the Chile Rescue Center in Krang Lovea. In June, 10 alumni of the course travelled back to the Child Rescue Center and facilitated a number of empowerment lessons with nine 30

DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

Every year, Ember has returned to Deqing for a CWEF leadership camp with the scholarship recipients and this July the focus was empowerment. With the theme of “I Can! You Can! We Can!”, the 21 person team led by Dr. Marty Schmidt encouraged the girls to not only pursue their educational goals, but also think about how they could act now on behalf of others.

“The girls scholarship program will be among my life’s highlights,” said Marty Schmidt. “[It’s] changed the lives of hundreds of girls in Deqing.”

The next step for the empowerment curriculum is to go online with editable modules, video tutorials, and field reports.

Alumni support for the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment Fund and CWEF will continue to make these projects possible. Hopefully the spark of your own empowerment through service at HKIS continues to burn wherever you feel called to make a difference! n

Community

HKIS and the CWEF Computer Program

By Katie Scheu

direction when he learned that the Cambodian government prohibits private organizations from working with those in the public sector.

After some more research, Slighton decided to equip individual study groups with computers rather than building an entire lab — an idea he now likes better than his original computer lab plan.

“The students who don’t get the tutoring often go to study groups, because in study groups they can work with their peers. I was thinking that if they can access the information that’s on the web, then that would be a very powerful tool for self study.”

Slighton funded his project with the money he was given from the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment Fund, which supports service leadership projects for HKIS students. Slighton used this money to purchase the laptops, a storage locker, and data plans.

Throughout his senior year, Slighton communicated with his project-supervisor, Kersten, as well as CWEF staff members Danay Mao, Cambodia education director, and Persephone James, executive director.

Neil Slighton ’16 graduated from Hong Kong International School just a few weeks ago, but it wasn’t until after he received his diploma and hung up his cap and gown that he got to meet his final personal goal for his senior year.

Along with 10 of his fellow HKIS alumni and two current students, Slighton traveled to Kranglovear, Cambodia to serve at Child Rescue Organization, a shelter for orphaned, neglected, or otherwise underprivileged children. There, Slighton implemented what he had been working on for an entire year: his computer project.

“My idea was to equip study groups with a computer because right now they only have a white board and a couple markers,” Slighton said. “The groups are completely student-run, student-driven, student-organized.”

Slighton was originally inspired to complete this project after he took a class at HKIS called Asian History in Action: Cambodia (AHiA: Cambodia), taught by Mr. Mike Kersten. In this class, students examine the various pitfalls of “voluntourism” in the context of their own service trips to Cambodia.

Slighton, who took AHiA: Cambodia course during the 20142015 school year, saw the need for educational tools after hearing about the CRO students’ schooling situation upon visiting their headmaster’s home.

There, he learned that teachers in the public schools can only afford to teach for half the day because of their low compensation.

As a result, teachers either provide students with half of the standard material, or they attempt to teach all of the material in half the normally-allotted time.

“Mr. Kersten, Danay, and I would have Skype meetings once a month to talk about the project,” Slighton said. “Mr. Kersten and I would meet probably once a week or once every other week.”

After a year of organization and communication, CRO invited the students from the study groups to a ceremony during which the students officially received their computers and learned about how to properly use and care for them.

After several speeches, the students broke into their study groups to get their hands on the new tools. Sprawled out on the carpeted floor, they explored the laptops with wide eyes, raptly focusing on the HKIS leaders explaining the computers’ different functions.

For Slighton, this moment was unreal. After a year’s worth of effort, the reality of implementing all of his effort wouldn’t settle.

“It was a good moment,” he said simply.

Slighton plans to continue his computer project, and has appointed a rising senior at HKIS to identify more student study groups in Cambodia who would benefit from a laptop.

Slighton will attend Princeton University in the Fall and plans to study engineering. He says that this experience has pushed him to pursue a social impact in his future career.

“This trip has made me focus not just in succeeding in my field, but succeeding in my field so that I can have a positive impact in the world,” Slighton said. “Not just for the glory of success, but also to help people.” n

“After school the students with money try to get tutoring from the teachers out of school, so the teachers get a little money from that,” Slighton said.

“The students without the extra money don’t get the extra tutoring, and that creates a gap.”

At first, Slighton wanted to build a computer lab within the school to provide students with computers as a type of self-study tool they could use outside of class. However, he moved in a different SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Community

the booster club:

Carrying the Torch of Dragon Spirit!

By the Booster Club Executive Board

The 2015/16 school year went by in a whirlwind of sno-cones, popcorn and bubbles all thanks to the efforts of the Booster Club who having been helping school spirit grow and grow.

The Booster Club operates the Dragon Shop with the committed help of over 50 parent volunteers during the school year. It is through the strong community patronage of our Dragon Shop, that the profits generated are given back to the school in the form of allocations, team travel kits, sports banquets and divisional spirit events.

Booster Club is able to aid student and faculty involvement in school activities through the allocation process. This process is integral to our work and helps in strengthening the total offering of athletic and extracurricular programs at HKIS. School spirit extends beyond the athletic field and gyms, and we have funded items such as: courtyard umbrellas in the High School; start-up funds for the MS Sticks and Pucks club; updated cameras and film for High School Film Club; supplies for Upper Primary’s Battle of the Books; equipment for Robotics Teams (VEX and ROV); lighting equipment for Theater Club; as well as updated tackle pads and hit shields for the rugby team. The Booster Club allocated back to the school $455,608 in the 2015/2016 year, thereby bringing the five year allocations total to more than $2.6 million!

The Booster Club support also extends in other ways: We gave out 180 complimentary travel kits in the 2015-16 school year, each containing an HKIS logo track suit, duffle bag, and shirt, to members of the athletic, competitive performing arts and academic teams who travel to represent HKIS in tournaments outside of Hong Kong. The Booster Club also supports the athletic teams by helping to coordinate parent volunteers for hospitality during home tournaments, puts together ‘Good Luck’ goodie bags, and recognizes our seniors and parents at their last home game each season.

Each athletic season culminates with the High School sports banquet, sponsored by the Booster Club. Together with the High School athletics office we celebrated the achievements of student athletes and their families with three sports banquet attended by over 800 athletes and families who represent HKIS in 15 sports spread across 44 teams!

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DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

Of course none of what we do would be possible if it wasn’t for the many parent volunteers who bake cupcakes, pop popcorn, hand out hot cocoa or slice orange segments to lift our students’ spirits. With the help of these volunteers the Booster Club gave out lots of edible goodies that made for happy students.

Highlights include:

• 1,300 sno-cones given out to Upper Primary, Middle School and High School students.

• 1,300 candy canes given out to all divisions’ students before the winter break.

• 500 chocolate kisses at all the High School community gatherings.

• 1,200 of the most delicious oranges cut and given out during

the Sports/Field Days in the Lower Primary, Upper Primary, and Middle School.

• 400 thunderous spirit sticks and HKIS tattoos were passed out to build school spirit at home games and tournaments.

• Endless bubbles to welcome and lift the spirits of all HKIS students throughout the year.

One of the Booster Club’s most visible, fun, and spirited contributions to the school community is Torch, our mascot.

Every year parents and students don the Torch costume and make appearances at the PFO Pumpkin Fest, PFO World’s Fair, as well as at divisional events like Dragon Math, and Upper Primary Book Week. Torch also helps with school fundraising and was cheering on the shavees at the St. Baldrick’s event. We are indeed grateful to those who volunteer for Torch duty, whether as Torch himself or as one of his handlers.

All of these things are made possible by the generous support of our entire HKIS community. We thank you all for being part of the Booster Club and we look forward to another amazing year! n

Community

parent faculty organization (pfo)

2015-16 in Review By the Parent Faculty Organization

What does the PFO do every year and how do we do it all? To put it simply: a lot and with a ton of support from many dedicated helping hands! Practically every month of the year, there is always something taking place with the PFO. Our two extremely successful community events, the Pumpkin Festival and World’s Fair were great fun and truly reflected the diversity of HKIS. From divisional Book Fairs to limited edition Chinese New Year apparel with student-designed monkey logos, these projects help us raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars that are donated back to HKIS every year. Did you know that each division is entitled to apply for up to $50,000 from the PFO to fund projects that support the Student Learning Results? This year, the divisions spent their money in a variety of ways from Global Arts week in LP to Project Imagine in UP; from the implementation of the No Red Ink online platform in MS, to hosting guest authors and a Wellness Week yoga class in HS. Our annual new Family Meet and Greet, where new families connect with other new and established families before school starts, gets bigger every year!

We proudly sponsored and organized a New Parent Breakfast last August and New Parent Lunch in January to help ease the transition for new families. Our Parent-to-Parent Mentor program continues to be an appreciated endeavor, as it matches new families with veteran ones who can answer questions and help make connections.

“We love funding and planning the three exciting assemblies that kick off the Chinese New Year.”

In May, Teacher Appreciation Week is one of our favorites! In addition to providing small gifts to teachers, we treat them to a special catered lunch and deliveries of delicious homemade treats.

We are very proud of our High School Merit Scholarships. This year we awarded eight $12,500 scholarships to deserving Juniors and Seniors.

The PFO also contributes beyond the HKIS community. Unsold Pumpkin Festival books were donated to a local school for their library. The decorations from the World’s Fair had second lives at the Girl Scout Father Daughter Dance and a CAN event, helping us all in our efforts to be more sustainable.

The PFO is so grateful to all the parents, faculty, alumni, and students who share their time and talents. We could not do what we do without the support of our generous donors, either.

We look forward to serving the community again next year as HKIS celebrates its 50th Anniversary. See you at the Pumpkin Festival on October 22, 2016! n Please contact pfo@hkis.edu.hk for more information or pfo.volunteers@hkis.edu.hk to get involved!

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Student Life

As part of HKIS’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, reporters from the High School newspaper, Junto, have contacted faculty and student alumni around the world who were part of the school in the early days.

hkis: the early years (a yahoo! adventure) Reporter Sarthak Bajpai ’19 gathers memories from a number of people involved in the school’s early years. Oh, and he joins a Yahoo! users group.

I began this project by doing a little time traveling back to the purple age of Yahoo! to get something called a Yahoo! Groups account. With it, I could access the group “Dragontrain”. This was a Yahoo! group containing 286 former HKIS students and teachers, some of whom who could trace their history with this school back to its very inception. In the interest of a project commemorating the very early years of HKIS, it was a goldmine. The page itself was a little lacking in solid user interface, it resembled a Facebook group, but lacked the clarity and speed. Basically, one had to first apply to be a member of a group, then, upon approval, could send out a message to all of them.

When I got access to “Dragontrain” the first thing I did was send out a message to all the members identifying myself and the project that I was working on. I got responses soon thereafter. These quick responses showed me that these past HKIS affiliates were ready to help me out, and perhaps even ready to relive a forgotten time.

And, oh, what a time it was. Some of the interviewees were with HKIS straight from the start: the year 1966. Ms. Debbie Salter Jackson ’74 was one such person. Ms. Jackson recalled perhaps one of the most defining events of the century through her accounts of the Vietnam War. Currently, the vast majority of our students are thickly separated from any and all armed conflicts in the world.

Ms. Jackson tells of another place. One where the harsh realities of war were easily evident to students. She remembers how excited one her friends became when her enlisted father got some leave from the war. She also remembers how “One day, her dad didn’t come home.” He had been killed in Vietnam. Ms. Jackson also recounted knowing a nice friend with an impressively nice father – a father, she learned years later, who had died taking photographs for Life Magazine in Vietnam: the legendary photographer Larry Burrows.

Amidst the chaos of the war, however, HKIS remained a vibrant school. In one area, the earliest generations of HKIS students may have had a leg up, as recounts Mr. Kenneth Koo ’79 when describing the “great” catering provided by McDonald’s and Maxims to the school. Mr. Koo had joined the school in 1968 when he was in the second grade. He remembers enjoying many things, notably Operation Interchange, in which HKIS students would spend a week at the Taipei American School “engaged in academic, cultural and athletic activities”. This program’s cancellation in 1978 led to the creation of Interim as a replacement. Mr. Koo also related many traditions from the early years that still exist in the school, such as prom and the Holiday Basketball Tournament.

This was in part also relayed by Mr. David Kohl, an active member of the HKIS community since he started teaching here in 1973.

Mr. Kohl describes the school’s kids as “happy, intelligent, involved in cotillion, music lessons, dance, lots of sports and extracurricular activities”.

Amongst other unique experiences, Mr. Kohl recalls leading a student group into the Mainland right after the Cultural Revolution, where one of the students became perhaps the first person to skateboard on the Great Wall. He also described the warm of the school community in the early days. For example, Mr. Kohl recalls how when he first landed in HK amidst a typhoon, 30 staff members arrived at Kai Tak to greet him and his wife. Indeed, Mr. Kohl said that other staff members became like family to him, and that the school was so close-knit that everyone handled any pain together. Mr. Kohl describes his time at HKIS as “the high point

of my professional career in all aspects – academic, involvement with school and student activity, meeting and networking with international folks,” and has even gone on to write a book called Dragontaels about his time here.

If nothing else, the common trend in all the testimony I received from the Yahoo! group showed a school with deep interconnection — a strong community, in sickness and in health. It showed a shaky time, in which the world and our very own HKIS was being shaped to be where it is now.

Reprinted with permission. See www.hkisjunto.com for more! n

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Student Life

looking back: hkis’s first head of school Shayla Sandoval ’17 profiles Mr. Bob Christian, HKIS’s first Head of School.

In 1966, Mr. Bob Christian’s close friend from Concordia Teachers College in Illinois was serving as a Lutheran missionary in Hong Kong. When the initial thoughts of opening an international school in Hong Kong arose, Mr. Christian’s name was suggested to the Board for Missions of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Christian had 17 years of teaching and administrative experience in a Lutheran school in New York. Soon, he received a call asking him to come to Hong Kong, along with his wife and four children.

“Our children, ages 8-14 had tears about leaving New York City, but we were there only a few months, and they said without reservation that the move was great,” he said in an email.

Mr. Christian was the first Head of School, and over his time in Hong Kong, he witnessed the rapid growth of the school.

“We were serving students and families with such diverse backgrounds, including from some forty different countries all over the world. We recognized this, but also wanted to share the love of God with them, and this was an exciting task,” he said.

As the school continued to grow in enrollment, the mission, programs, and staffing adjusted to accommodate new students.

With the growth, however, there never seemed to be a financial concern. High tuition could be paid, and both Chinese and American business communities who wanted to support a good school in the region made significant monetary contributions.

Much like the HKIS of today, HKIS in its early years faced the delicate balance of remaining a Lutheran School grounded in the Christian faith while respecting and integrating the faiths of a variety of backgrounds.

Mr. Christian says HKIS has played a major role in his life, and in the lives of his family.

“We never wanted to ‘push Christianity’ down the throats of students, but we at least wanted them to recognize the reality of a loving and caring God for their lives,” he said.

The late 1960s and early 1970s in Southeast Asia were a time characterized by the Vietnam War. Mr. Christian recalls Hong Kong being a Rest and Relaxation (R&R) location for the United States military, and Hong Kong always hosted around 10,000 US military personnel. In addition to this, the proximity to China and the state of American relations in China at the time always led to questions about the intentions of setting up an American school in Hong Kong.

“Those were the reasons we were happy to be called the International School rather than the American School. We also wanted all our students to have a meaningful experience of the joys of living in an international setting,” Mr. Christian said.

“We have developed a ‘world point of view’, have learned how to tackle challenges, have had the continuing desire to share God’s love with others, and have gained m any new thoughts about providing meaningful, life centered information to students and their families,” he said.

Mr. Christian and his family returned to the US in 1977.

Mr. Christian is now 88 years old, and says his health is still reasonably good. He is thankful his and his wife’s five families all live within 250 miles, and provide him with lots of support.

He and his wife are still very active in their church in Seattle, Washington. Most of his children and grandchildren have now graduated college with multiple degrees and work in healthrelated professions.

Reprinted with permission. See www.hkisjunto.com for more! n

In addition to the Vietnam War, Hong Kong and the beginnings of HKIS were also affected by the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Mr. Christian mentioned the tension between Hong Kong and China led to frequent riots, and the shutting off of China’s water supply to Hong Kong.

“We had four hours of water every fourth day,” he said. “There were always those political situations in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong.”

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Student Life

high school

Music: A Universal Language

How three bands and two schools came together for a night of beautiful music.

By Dylan Yen ’18

On April 24, two very different schools — whose students often only see each other during competitions — came together for a joint concert.

The concert, which took place at Hong Kong International School, included three outstanding bands: the Diocesan Boys

School’s Wind Orchestra, Hong Kong International School’s Wind Ensemble, and Hong Kong International School’s Symphonic Winds.

HKIS and DBS have never shared the stage before. As some of you might know, DBS and HKIS have always enjoyed good competition with each other, whether it is on the football pitch, on the track, or in the classroom. The HKIS Wind Ensemble Leadership team wanted to do a collaborative concert with DBS to break down barriers between the schools by using music as a means to collaborate. Knowing that DBS would put on a good show, they also enjoyed the challenge of preparing for the joint concert.

The concert was titled Music: The Universal Language, and was a great opportunity for these student musical ensembles to come together and perform in a relaxed, non-competitive setting.

The concert featured performances from all three bands and culminated in a combined piece in which select members from all three groups performed a march called His Honor.

This event was an eye-opening experience for students and conductors of both schools. “Playing with DBS was an experience

I will never forget, and it was one of the best experiences I have had so far in my music career. When I first tried out to play the piece His Honor with DBS, I didn’t really think about what was going to happen on the day when we played together,” said HKIS student Marcus Fong ’19. “However, once I stepped on the stage to play the piece with some students from DBS and the Wind Ensemble, my mindset totally changed.

Playing together was surprisingly really fun and eye-opening. Although we had a limited amount of time to rehearse, we played the piece 36

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beautifully and it was then that I realized that this was more then just some addition to a concert as it really united people from different backgrounds to make something beautiful.”

DBS Conductor Victor Tam noted,

“Inter-school concerts are a great thing, especially because every school has their own so-called ‘school culture’. Joint activities, such as this concert, allow students to step outside their little ‘bubbles’ of daily life by meeting with others that were brought up in a different environment, and dissolving assumptions and prejudices that they may have had about members of the other school.” He also noted: “Watching select members from all three groups perform at the end of the concert was absolutely amazing.”

After the joint concert, there was a reception allowing people to mingle and enjoy music performed by HKIS’s Jazz Band One. They also enjoyed delicious home-baked items brought in by parents and Mrs. Ha Gavlik, a former Grade 4 teacher at HKIS.

“It was a great time. Despite the language and culture barrier, I got to meet and talk to people I wouldn’t normally talk to,” remarked

Timothy Hung, a Grade 9 member of the Diocesan Boys School Wind Orchestra.

All in all, it was quite a successful concert, with many students hoping that there are more inter-school events like this in the future. “I would love to see inter-school collaborations in the

future. Hong Kong has a lot of inter-school competitions, but not as many collaborations,” said HKIS student Phoebe Diehl ’19, who also played in the combined ensemble. “It felt good to have the pressure off and not feel like we needed to compare ourselves against them.

DBS has a very strong band program, and it was interesting to see how they worked with their conductor and what their band was like. I also really enjoyed listening to their music.” n

Student Life

high school

The Pros And Cons Of Globalization

by Celeste Lee ’18

There are two perspectives in every matter, including globalization: there is pro and there is con. It is hard to measure if globalization has more pros than cons, or vice versa. I believe that for developed countries, globalization has more pros than cons, but for developing countries, there are more cons than pros.

For developed countries, globalization has far more pros than cons. International companies divide their work up internationally based on each country’s strengths: they can lower production costs by setting production lines internationally, and see improved profits; international or regional organizations consult with each other to solve economic development issues and promote free trade, which improves trade imbalances (i.e., EU, ASEAN, G20); governments use the tax they collected to improve many aspects, for example medical care, education, welfare, that have helped improved their nations’ quality of living. These developed countries have also moved energyintensive and highly-polluting industries to developing countries, in order to improve their own environment.

On the other hand, globalization has more cons than pros for developing countries. Due to the imbalance of wealth globally, the difference between developed and developing countries keeps expanding, and even within each country, the disparity is worsening (e.g., the income difference between those who work in America’s financial industries and the general public, and the income difference between the entrepreneurs and laborers in developing countries). In addition, developing countries are facing developed countries’ quotas, tariffs, and a lack market news and information, a lack of competitiveness and bargaining power; farmers are being exploited (e.g., cotton and coffee farmers in South American and Africa). Some developing countries even lose their dominance and controlling capabilities on their own economic policy, making concessions, in order to attract foreign countries to invest in their country (e.g., easing labor protection regulations). Lastly, developing countries pay less attention to environmental protection when they try to attract investments from international companies and to improve the economy, causing serious environmental pollution, and are less able to develop in a sustainable manner.

談全球化 談全球化 所有事情都有兩面性，全球化也是如此，既有利也有 弊。因此，很難衡量全球化是利大於弊還是弊大於 利。我認為，全球化對發達國家來說利大於弊，而對 發展中國家則是弊大於利。 對於發達國家來說，全球化的利遠遠大於弊。跨國企 業運用各國不同優勢進行國際分工, 及以全球生產線 以減低生產成本.，透過市場全球化提升利潤；資金和 市場自由化帶來環球投資機會，投資者更輕易投資不 同市場獲取利潤； 跨國或區域性組織共同協商解決 經濟發展問題, 並促進貿易自由化, 改善貿易不平衡狀 況 (如歐盟, 東盟, G20等)；政府稅收之提升用於改善 各層面, 如醫療, 教育, 福利等, 以提升國民的生活質 素。而這些國家又將高耗能, 高污染之行業轉移至發 展中國家, 因此大大的改善了本土環境。 相比之下，全球化對發展中國家則是弊大於利。全球 財富不平均, 已發展國家與發展中國家之差距擴大。 在已發展國家或發展中國家內之貧富懸殊情況也不斷 惡化 (例如美國金融業與一般國民之收入差距, 發展中 國家企業家與勞工之差距)。另外，發展中國家面對已 發展國家之配額, 關稅, 加上對市場資訊缺乏, 缺乏競 爭力及議價能力, 農民被剝削 (例如南美及非洲之棉花 和咖啡豆農民)。甚至於有些發展中國家為吸引外來 投資, 對跨國企業作出讓步, 在經濟政策上的失去主導 和掌控能力 (例如寬鬆勞工保障條例)。最後，發展中 國家為吸引跨國企業投資及改善經濟往往忽視環境保 護, 造成嚴重之環境污染, 未能實現可持續的發展。 n

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Student Life

lower primary

What was the World Like in 1966?

In anticipation of HKIS’s 50th birthday, DragonTales stopped by Ms. Nagao’s Reception 2 class in June to find out what the world was really like 50 years ago. So much has changed!

These five year olds had very clear ideas of the state of the world and our school back in the day.

Have a look at what they know about the past, and their charming illustrations.

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Student Life

SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Student Life

lower primary

Wisdom from the East (Coast): Dr. Michael Thompson comes to HKIS Bestselling author and clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Thompson visited HKIS in March 2016, sharing his refreshing perspective on everything from development in boyhood, his specialty, to parenting in an age of relentless pressure.

By Holly Harris Wood

Mrs. Nelson believes Dr. Thompson’s advice to encourage exploration and play in young children is sage wisdom, and especially aligns with the educational philosophy of Lower Primary. In his remarks to parents of all ages, Dr. Thompson also emphasized practical ways of supporting children when they’re stressed and feeling pressure, and remembering to respect and value kids’ innate hopes and dreams...even when they are different from a parent’s own.

HKIS parent Jeff Shiu attended a highlight offering: a parenting breakfast for fathers in the school community. To his great surprise, he left with a major shift in his approach to connecting with his young son, Reception 1 student Gregory ’29.

Michael Thompson’s mother thought he would make an excellent politician. So after dabbling in marine biology, he dutifully settled on a political science major because he loved his mother, and he liked reading the news. With a fine New England pedigree and a diploma from Harvard nearly in hand, his future was carefully mapped.

Then during his senior year of college, he took a class on the human life cycle taught by world-renowned psychologist Erik Erikson. The class would change his life.

“I walked in, and I really had a ‘Kaboom!’ moment. I knew that I was interested in psychology because I had been living with a roommate who had become mentally ill. He had bipolar disorder, and we also had some mental illness in my family. I went into Erikson’s course and it blew my mind.”

Witnessing his friend’s health deteriorate and the fascination with his first psychology class led Thompson to what would become his life’s work — counseling and educating parents, kids, and teachers around the world. In addition to writing books, significant clinical research, serving as staff psychologist at an all-boys school outside Boston, and frequent speaking engagements, Thompson travels regularly to international schools consulting on the challenges facing these unique populations. His menu of topics ranges from friendship, bullying, anxiety and pressure, to raising responsible kids and navigating adolescence.

Dr. Thompson’s visit, his third to HKIS, included several workshops for parents and faculty designed to offer solutions to these challenges. His pragmatic approach to complex issues, combined with decades of research and hands-on experience, makes him accessible and trustworthy.

“He has had a profound effect on how I think about children and how I parent,” says Maya Nelson, Lower Primary Principal. “There are so many consultants in education and parenting in the world. But every time I want to pick up a book to figure out the next steps of what to do or think about, who I want to talk to about my parenting, or my beliefs in education, I think of Dr. Michael Thompson.”

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“The most life-changing thing is his perspective on parenting a young boy,” says Shiu. “The thing that really penetrated me was the need to connect and show empathy, which will give my son empathy. If I can make my kid empathetic and in tune with his emotions, he’s going to have a much better footing.”

Many other parents, faculty members, and administrators felt similarly empowered by Dr. Thompson’s remarks, which were quite relevant to those feeling the excruciating pressure of life in Hong Kong.

“Enjoy your child and stop tinkering!” Dr. Thompson says. “So many people make parenting into such a grim endeavor. And child development is on your side. Many parents think it’s all on them. It’s amazing how they grow!”

As for his mother’s dream to see her son as senator, “She wasn’t too far off,” he says. “I travel the world giving speeches!” And to the delight — and relief — of parents and teachers everywhere, that’s exactly what he plans to keep on doing. n

Student Life

upper primary

Battle of the Books HKIS Upper Primary readers digest books-a-plenty on their way to a silver medal.

Battle of the Books is a program that encourages upper primary and younger middle school children to read. It started as a radio program in the 1940’s and was introduced in North Carolina libraries in the USA in 1981. Hong Kong schools began their own competition in 2000 which has been gaining popularity ever since. The books each year represent a variety of different literary styles and viewpoints from authors throughout the world. Students answer questions from 20 book titles in a quiz type format. As the teams battle it out, it’s the team with the highest total at the end who wins the competition.

This year our Upper Primary Book Battlers did an amazing job!

Winning their semi-final match and making it all the way to the final to finish in a well deserved 2nd place.

Over 150 of our Upper Primary students took part in the in school Battle of the Books contest this year, with 12 students picked to lead the HKIS team at the national competition. Nine Grade 4 students and three Grade 5 students put their literacy talents to the test against students from 25 other international schools.

Congratulations to our team members Kevin Lee, Zoe Tavares, Minhee Ho, Ashley Chen, Emi Blakely, Ryan Lam, Yasmine Alu, Samara Jones, Gigi Chen, Sol Song, Hailey Brewer and Eric Cho and their coaches Ms. Amy Robinson (Librarian), Ms. Mary Ellen Ryan (Enrichment Teacher). n

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Student Life

schoolwide Coming in 2017: 10th Annual HKIS St. Baldrick’s Day! What started out as a one-off HKIS event to raise donations to fund childhood cancer research has grown into an annual fundraiser looked forward to each year by students, parents and faculty. Yes, on a March day you will see 80-100 students sporting their chrome domes knowing they are making a difference to children with cancer.

These students have their heads shaved bald in public to stand in solidarity with the children that lose their hair during cancer treatment. In exchange for this sacrifice, family and friends make donations in their honor and the monies that are raised are used to fund childhood cancer research conducted by universities and hospitals in Hong Kong.

Today, 80% of children who are diagnosed with cancer will survive at least five years. Great strides are being made with new medical breakthroughs. Though the medical research community is still in need of private funding. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation and its international partner, the Children’s Cancer Foundation in Hong Kong, the beneficiary of the funds, are grateful for all that the HKIS community has done to raise donations for research. To date, the HKIS St. Baldrick’s Day Events have contributed to 19 childhood cancer research projects conducted in Hong Kong.

On March 16, 2017, Hong Kong International School will be holding its 10th Annual St. Baldrick’s Day Event. Please mark your calendar today. High School, Middle School, Upper Primary students and Alumni are all invited to participate in this all important event. We are all looking forward to this milestone and it will be a great time for a great cause! n

The first HKIS St. Baldrick’s Day Event was held on April 10, 2008 in the Black Box Theatre, Middle School campus. An amazing 79 very brave students were shorn that day and elevated awareness of childhood cancer. And the donations they amassed was a ‘hair’raising HK$748,805. Since that time, nine events have been held with 866 students, teachers and parents shaved bald and HK$11.4 million funding childhood cancer research.

The HKIS community has made an epic difference!

It all started as a tribute to Sean Kligler ’14, an HKIS alumnus and a childhood cancer survivor. Sean was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer at age 5. He underwent eight months of cancer treatment. Sean is now 19 years old and a healthy active young man attending Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

His father, Richard Kligler is the organizer of the HKIS St. Baldrick’s Day Events. Richard has stated that after witnessing Sean’s journey and personally knowing too many children that lost their battle with this dreaded disease, he would not rest until childhood cancer was treated like the common cold. And that is why he organizes these events to fund the research. Richard says,

“In the 11 years as an HKIS parent, every year I hear of a student battling cancer. I dream of the day I will not hear the five words ‘an HKIS student has cancer’. I know that this time is nearing.”

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www.stbaldricks.org

For additional information contact Richard Kligler at rkliglerhk@gmail.com

Events

Decades Luncheon

When different decad Laurel Chor ’07, Jus es meet! Victor Tsang ’83, tin Hardman ’99, Veronica (Galbraith ) Booth ’97, Katie Sh ull ’09

IS stories joys hearing HK The group en ’70 –’74. s er alt Sandra W

acher

from French te

Albert Yung ’95, Linda Lu ’99, Russell Yu ’98, Jennifer Doman Flowers ’96

Jonathan Shih ’95,

Albert Yung ’95 an d his HKIS ID! 20 years later and his ID is still as good as new.

Reminiscing over old yearbooks during a delicious meal, alumni gathered for the annual decades luncheon on March 2016 at Lily & Bloom in Central. Old classmates had the opportunity to catch up while Sandra Walters, French teacher 1970-74, delighted us with stories from her teaching days at HKIS. Last year, Derek Leung ’95 dug up his old HKIS high school ID and brought it along to the luncheon, this year, Albert Yung ’95 showed up with his HKIS high school ID. We can’t wait to see who will bring their old HKIS ID at next year’s luncheon!

We hope to see everyone during the Decades Luncheon next May! This year’s event will be taking place during the 50th Anniversary Alumni Celebration week (see page 27). n

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Events

A Landmark Reunion to Remember Classes of 1990, 1991 and 1992

by José Carreón ’91

This past June 24-26, about sixty HKIS alumni gathered in San Francisco to celebrate a milestone event — 25 (+/- 1) years since graduating from HKIS! The event was organized by a small planning committee that worked tirelessly for 6 months to craft and produce an experience to remember for attendees from the Classes of 1990, 1991 and 1992. The first evening was a catered happy hour at the Park Central Hotel, a few blocks from Union Square. Most of the attendees also conveniently resided at this very chic downtown boutique property, thanks to a room block secured by the organizers. The event quickly took over the lobby bar and lounge from 7 to 11 p.m. (and we hear that the last of the party-goers left at 4 a.m.).

Most of those who were awake the next day spent the afternoon sightseeing and enjoying the cool San Francisco summer with old friends. The festivities continued at the famous Fang Restaurant, steps away from the Moscone Center and Yerba Buena gardens. The entire second floor was reserved for our gathering, where a short cocktail hour was followed by a

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nostalgic slide show and a 5-course, formal Cantonese dinner.

The end of the evening was punctuated by very loud and hilarious trivia game emceed by Mike Stich ’90, where attendees were able to win reunion merchandise and other HKIS-themed door prizes. A group photo was taken before everyone left for the evening. Residual funds and contributions from the event were donated to the GoFundMe campaign benefitting the family of Jennifer Price Smith ’90. n Visit the reunion Facebook group page at: http://www.facebook. com/groups/25yr.HSReunion/

Events The Class of 1992 was also present!

Duncan Ip ’90

“Dear friends, This is just a quick note to thank you all for all the planning, organizing, creativity, effort and love you put into the reunion this weekend. I had an amazing time and loved seeing all of you and all our old friends. I can’t imagine how much work must have gone into making all of the arrangements and ensuring that everything went so smoothly. Thank you to each of you for everything you did and for giving us all an opportunity to be together again, enjoy each other and relive some incredible memories. Most importantly, thank you for your friendship, which means more than words can say! Hope you are relaxing today and celebrating the amazing job you did.

With much love and gratitude, Maya” – Maya Crawford ’91

“Such gatherings have such a stabilizing effect on alumni, and remind us of how lucky we have been to have lived in Hong Kong in the 80s, embroidered the walls of Repulse Bay and Tai Tam campuses with our personalities, and how HKIS has nurtured our whole persons, not only physically, socially, and intellectually, but spiritually.”

– Nanette Carreón Ruhter (Faculty 1979-1992) Reunion Organizers (L-R) Cara Barde ’91, Lexi Moore ’91, Natasha Coons ’91, Bettina Bowen ’91, José Carreón ’91 Reunion Organizer Michael Stitch ’90

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Events

20 Class of 1996

YEARS

by Jen (Doman) Flowers ’96

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Back Row: Helena (Berthelius) Mendia, Louise Jordan, Sophia (Malliris) Rogers, Denise Ho, Kim (Kuok) Strickland, Shannon Bozarth, Dana Trang, Alex Wong, Jeriel Li, Tomo Matsumoto, Gia (Antonellis) Burton, Mr. George Coombs, Jon Chen, Amanda Barton.

Middle Row: Ashika Singh, Charis Ng, Della Yu, Iris Yeung, David Li, Therese (Cheng) Tee, Lucy Doyle, Jen (Doman) Flowers Front Row: Elly (Eng) Tang, Terry Lee, Linne Tsu

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Events Exactly 20 years from our graduation date the Class of ’96 held our reunion in Hong Kong on June 17-19. About 15 people flew in from places like Lisbon, NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles. We had a jam-packed weekend in Hong Kong starting with a tour at school on Friday afternoon, followed by drinks at Smugglers and meet & great drinks that evening. On Saturday night was the main event with dinner and roof top drinks at Ce La Vie in Lan Kwai Fong. Sunday was a smaller and more relaxing day with dim sum at City Hall. All agreed that we need to start planning the 25 years now and hoping for Napa Valley region. Stay tuned. n

HKIS Life-ers!

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Events

hong kong chapter

Summer Drinks The HKIS Alumni Association – HK Chapter hosted its annual summer drinks on June 1. Fellow alumni gathered at Lan Kwai Fong’s newest bar, Wolf Market, which features a moving ticker display of liquor prices that fluctuate with their popularity. As the drinks were handed out, conversations about career prospects, the slowing economy, HK real estate prices, and politics filled the room. We enjoyed the networking opportunity and we certainly look forward to the next event! n

By Jason Tan ’96 Alumni Association HK Chapter Board Member

Entrepreneurs in Hong Kong Trends & Opportunities The Alumni Association — HK Chapter and the High School’s Entrepreneurs Exchange Club hosted a panel discussion and networking reception on March 22, 2016. HKIS students, along with alumni attended this event which encouraged discussion between entrepreneurs and students.

Alumni who are entrepreneurs from different industries led an educational evening which gave insight into entrepreneurship. n MODERATOR: Karena Belin Co-founder, W Hub PANEL MEMBERS: Joanne Chow ’99 Director, BoConcept Hong Kong Denise Gilmartin ’99 Chief Operating Officer, InfraRed Jess Lam ’99 Co-founder, Jou Sun Brian Sze ’03 Head of Sales, Deliveroo

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Events

Homecoming 2015-16 HKIS welcomed back our alumni during Homecoming activities the week of May 23, 2016. It was wonderful to see all the alumni who participated in this year’s Homecoming events. From sports to evening drinks, it was a great week of reunions and fun. n

Alumni vs. HKIS: Girls Soccer and Boys Basketball

Homecoming Reception @ Bond in Tai Hang

Congratulations to Evelyn Chan ’01 for winning the lucky draw iPad!

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HKIS Gallery

High School Student Art

Ami Kurosaki ’16

Samy Morton ’18

Alyson O’Neal ’17

Edward Rees ’18

Sean Furlong ’19

Julia Lee ’19 50

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Alumni Making Moves

Communications & Public Relations Jared Anderson ’95 The Tech in Toothbrushes With a keen interest in technology nurtured at HKIS, Jared Andersen ’95 has engineered a career in getting people excited about technology.

TOP: Jared, with his sister Alice ’05 and brother Aaron ’00 at the top of the Tower of Pisa this summer.

RIGHT: Jared speaks with astronaut Scott Kelly two weeks after spending 340 consecutive days on the International Space Station. This was a few minutes before he would go onstage at a Microsoft event to speak with CEO Satya Nadella.

What did you enjoy about being a student at HKIS?

I attended HKIS from kindergarten to twelfth grade. At the time, I don’t think I really understood what made HKIS different from other schools. I’ve since come to appreciate two things: I made friends from every part of the planet who very much shaped my world view and interests. I was also fortunate to have many memorable teachers who encouraged me in areas that defined my career.

What did you do after you left HKIS?

I got undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business and Information Systems at BYU and then went to work for Microsoft in 2003. While at BYU, I also met my wife Jennifer, and we were married in 2001. We now have two kids and two cats.

You were chief techie in High School, obviously interested in computers and the emerging Internet; how did HKIS help you explore these interests?

I’d argue that I was one of several in the Class of 1995: Charles Tsui, Arpan Shah, and Andrew Scannell also pursued careers in technology. Arpan actually works with me here at Microsoft.

Mr. Elliott was the teacher who had single biggest impact on my career. He taught me how to use the Apple II in second grade, how to program using Logo in elementary school and then using Pascal in High School. I probably took more classes from him than any other teacher at HKIS. Mr. Elliott was very forward thinking about how to use technology at HKIS — making it interesting, approachable, and so much fun.

Can you talk about the early days of the Internet at HKIS — what was it like? Was it a niche interest or something a lot of students were in to?

We started with a local school network called the Dragon Bulletin Board System (BBS) which was not the Internet, but was absolutely a precursor. We had our own system for mail, chat, discussion boards, and even online games. I have vivid memories of wasting many hours between and after classes playing Tradewars, The Pit, and Global War.

Jared and his wife Jennifer in Beijing at the Summer Palace.

Despite how primitive it seems now, the Dragon BBS was surprisingly popular among students and teachers. In fact, we were likely one of the first high schools in the world with teachers assigning homework over electronic mail (this was the very early 1990s when the Internet was primarily used by government institutions and universities).

We piloted the Internet at HKIS in 1993, with a couple of PCs with access to the “World Wide Web” (all browsing was textbased then). Over time, we gave broader access to students and parents who wanted to e-mail kids who were attending university overseas. It wasn’t until after I left HKIS that the Dragon BBS was replaced with the Internet as we know it now.

You’re interested in technology, but as the Director of Communications for the CEO of Microsoft the bulk of your work is public relations-focused.

Can you tell us a bit about that?

I think of myself more as a storyteller than as someone in PR. I’ve always loved taking incredibly complex and technical ideas and making them approachable. At Microsoft, I’ve had roles in product marketing, strategy, and now speechwriting — but through all of that, I’ve really been doing the same thing.

Working for the CEO of Microsoft is an unparalleled learning experience. To write his speeches, I need to get inside his head and be able to speak in his voice. Satya [Nadella] is constantly absorbing and synthesizing new ideas — It really isn’t easy to keep up with him, but I’m having a lot of fun trying.

The role also gives me a front row seat into what’s happening across Microsoft and the technology industry. I think there’s never been a more exciting time to work in this space — where we get to make science fiction become reality. We’re on the cusp of artificial intelligence and augmented reality becoming a part of our everyday lives. The toothbrush I use in the morning has more sensors and intelligence than PCs did ten years ago. I could go on — you can tell I love to talk about this! n Keep the conversation going! Get in touch with Jared: jareda@outlook.com SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Alumni Making Moves

Journalism Keith Bradsher ’82 then and now Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Keith Bradsher ’82 sees similarities between growing up in Hong Kong in the 1970s and his son Christopher’s ’16 more recent experience.

1974

2016

Photo credit: Elsa Ruiz and Asia Society.

Being an alumni parent at HKIS produces an unusual mélange of experiences, the school’s distant past and its present constantly echoing each other and diverging in unexpected ways.

As a boy attending HKIS from second grade until my family moved back to the States in the middle of my fifth grade year, I made many trips down to Repulse Bay Beach. I loved building sand castles and splashing in the waves. Going back to the same beach with my son when he was an elementary school student at HKIS was the same experience yet different. For starters, the beach does not look quite as immense to a grown-up, when your perspective is from more like six feet above the sand instead of four feet. The ocean is not as clean as it was during the early 1970s, but the shark nets and extreme overfishing have probably made it safer for my children– although I was pretty oblivious to sharks as a boy, although aware of occasional reports of attacks.

Our family lived our last year in Hong Kong out at Stanley, 1974 to 1975. Stanley Market was still a vibrant local market then, where butchers would slaughter a pig in the alley and the blood would go sluicing down the gutter. I would sit on a backless stool in an alley for a haircut. My younger brother and I used to walk to the beach by ourselves with snorkels and masks to swim near the rocks at the north end of Stanley beach and look at the gorgeous yellow and black tropical fish. My son, Christopher, has not been able to do the same kind of snorkeling, and the little bit of informal, catch-and-release fishing he did as a small boy consisted of catching drab, brown three-inch-long darters.

At least the hiking has remained essentially the same, although the trails are now more crowded than I remember them from walks with my father. The double-decker buses are also pretty much the same, and my son shares my enthusiasm from many years ago for trying to get the front seats on the upper deck. For that matter, the concrete playing field on top of the parking deck of what is now Upper Primary seems much as I remember it.

One of my most vivid memories of my son’s elementary school years is from his third grade year, when he assembled with some help from me a telescoping, hooked device of plastic tubing for pulling down balls that had been kicked or thrown into roof gutters.

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In many ways, Hong Kong is now a better place to grow up than it was in the early 1970s. The biggest change is the museums, of which there were almost none a generation ago. When Christopher was in elementary school, we used to go almost every weekend to various sites — usually the space museum, but sometimes the science museum, the history museum or the museum of coastal defense. Hong Kong’s rich array of museums now offers a terrific supplement to the education offered by HKIS. It was while I was attending HKIS that I decided that I wanted to grow up to be a foreign correspondent someday. The gas station on Macdonnell Road was operated by Shell then — now it is run by Sinopec — and in fourth grade I noticed that the price of gasoline was rising steeply. I asked my mother about it and she gave me a copy of Newsweek, which had a long section on the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and a long section of articles on the energy crisis. I started reading Newsweek every week, switching three years later to The Economist, and became addicted to the news. I really enjoyed writing reports at HKIS, and particularly remember one on Jupiter in second or third grade.

Now the second HKIS chapter in my life, my son’s, has come to an end. He has graduated, a heart-warming ceremony well managed by the school. He is heading to Pittsburgh, to attend Carnegie-Mellon University. I’m also moving this summer, as The New York Times is transferring me to become our bureau chief in Shanghai, where I will specialize in Chinese economic and business news instead of covering these subjects all over Asia. China’s economy is becoming ever more interesting these days from a journalistic point of view, and the increasingly limited availability of visas for journalists based outside the mainland make it indispensable to be resident in a mainland city.

But as our family leaves Hong Kong and scatters to both sides of the Pacific, we do so leaving many warm memories of the city and the school, from the ball-playing deck of what is now Upper Primary to the sun-baked expanses of Repulse Bay Beach. n

Alumni Making Moves

Food & Beverage and Design Jessica Cheng ’08

A Niche of Their Own Jessica Cheng ’08 is an interior designer who loves to bake. So she and a friend founded cupcake company Niche to spread the joy.

What did you do after HKIS?

I ended up moving to the US, starting out at Skidmore College in upstate New York, but eventually transferring and finishing my college years at Claremont McKenna College in California.

I studied East Asian Business and Development. Once I graduated, I moved back to Hong Kong pretty swiftly and began working as a Trend Forecaster and Product Analyst for fashion brand Esprit. Following my time there, I ended up as an online editor for Hong Kong Tatler, creating content for the magazine’s digital platforms. It was during my time there that I got back in touch with my love for design and creativity, so I sent myself back to school to study interior design at Insight School of Interior Design. I am now the Head Designer and Project Manager for a small creative agency called Infrastructure, focusing on retail consulting and design. Some of our clients include Lane Crawford, Atelier Swarovski, Sonder Living, Bowerbird Home and more.

What was your path to setting up your own business?

I actually decided to set up Niche on the side during my time at Esprit. My friend Vanessa Cuvelier and myself found that we loved to bake for friends and family, so we decided to turn that love into a business.

Have you always love to bake?

I’ve always loved being in the kitchen and experimenting with different foods, so it became a natural progression that I became slightly obsessed with the science of baking (it really is a science).

What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge for both of us is the balance between our full-time jobs, baking and having a social life. It definitely gets out of whack from time to time, but we do a pretty good job of managing any orders that come through with having time to ourselves!

How do you want to grow this company?

We are definitely looking to grow the business and focus on the healthier side of our offerings. Many people may not know, but we’ve come to specialise in allergen-free cakes. Most of the orders we get now request alternatives to the traditional baked good - vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. In the next year or so, I think we will look to hire others to bake with us and have our own commercial kitchen from which we can bake on a larger scale and for more people. At the moment, we have to turn orders away because it’s just the two of us!

Do you have any insight you can share about setting up your own business successfully?

It takes long hours, a lot of effort and definite sacrifices. It’s always best to surround yourself with the most supportive group of people and never be afraid to reach out for help in times of need. A successful business can be built by one person, but it can’t thrive unless you’ve got a team to take it to the next level.

What would you tell your 18-year old self about your education and career path?

Life is truly about striking a balance. And you may never know exactly what you want to do or where you want to go, but have faith that your intuition will take you there!

What did you learn at HKIS that has stuck with you through your career and life?

The school really focuses on nurturing a well-rounded individual, which I feel has truly prepared me for almost any challenge I face, both in work and in my social life. The school also encourages a very widespread network, allowing me to build great relationships with people in many different industries and people with varied interests. Being able to tap into that network as a resource has been invaluable. n

Get in touch with Jessica: Jessica.Cheng@infrastructure.com.hk SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Alumni Making Moves

Service Alia Marwah Eyres ’95 A calling to serve Alia Eyres ’95, CEO of Mother’s Choice, talks about the charity’s mission to transform lives and see life-stories changed.

What is Mother’s Choice?

We are a local charity serving the many children without families and pregnant teenagers in Hong Kong. With the community around us, we give hope and change the life stories of vulnerable girls and babies. Our vision is to see every child in a safe, loving and permanent family.

What brought you to Mother’s Choice?

My parents were two of the co-founders, so I grew up volunteering at Mother’s Choice. When I saw the job advertised in the SCMP I realized, I want to do this job! My experience as a corporate lawyer helps me run this organization of 140 staff and 700 regular volunteers who help serve the community throughout the year. Four years in, I realize that this isn’t just a job, it’s really a calling. I cry every day hearing heartbreaking stories, but I get so much joy from seeing lives changed.

How much do you attribute HKIS’s focus on service learning to where you are today?

As an HKIS student I had opportunities that most other people in the world never experience. My mom, who taught at HKIS when I was little, and my teachers, including Ms. Zella Talbot and Dr. Marty Schmidt, were so passionate about teaching the obligation to serve others — service became an important part of school and life. They gave me the desire to give back to my community.

How important is the HKIS community to you?

When they say it takes a village to raise a child, I really believe that. I have three little kids and I can’t raise them all by myself !

HKIS community members from students to parents, teachers and alumni, keep this place going as volunteers and staff members.

Of our amazing volunteers, about 450 come weekly to care for our babies from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., providing a tactile environment where our babies are being cuddled, held and rocked. Many of the volunteers are connected to HKIS and many cared for children have become HKIS students themselves! HKIS community members invest in us in so many ways, in fact the co-chair of our board, is an HKIS parent.

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If you had a message for today’s HKIS graduates, what would you say?

I would tell them not to be afraid of failure or making mistakes, it’s an opportunity to learn! Just as I tell the girls who come to us in real crisis, everyone deserves a second chance. Your worth and value are not determined by your mistakes or bad things that happened to you. I’ve also learned that we all really need each other to learn and grow; nobody can do it all on their own.

Being in a leadership role, I see how much I need the people around me.

What’s next?

In the current foster care system in Hong Kong, children are growing up without knowing the love of a safe, loving and permanent family. We are working with the government to introduce an innovative program called Project Bridge, where families in the community can open their home temporarily to care for a child in need. Behind the scenes our Mother’s Choice staff work to ensure each child joins a permanent family. It’s been incredibly successful, and it’s very special when we see people serving the community as part of their daily lives, not just writing a check or doing something once a year. My husband and I are Bridge parents and it’s been a life changing experience to open our home to a child who needs a temporary place to live and be loved.

We recently received an emergency phone call about a fouryear-old girl who needed a safe, temporary home, and within just a few hours, an HKIS family stepped up. She arrived from an unsafe living situation, scared, confused and malnourished. After just a few weeks, she has opened her heart to receive love and cuddles. She has put on so much weight that she even has a little tummy now!

The HKIS community is a very special one. Even today, many of my closest friends and mentors are my HKIS teachers, classmates and their parents. There are so children today across Hong Kong who desperately need a safe and loving temporary family, and I would love to see more HKIS families open their homes and hearts. n For more information, please visit www.motherschoice.org or email foster@motherschoice.org

HKIS Gallery

High School Student Photography

Houston Li ’18, Levitation

Evian Oosthuizen ’17

Marshall Tory ’16

Ming Shiu ’16

Jazmin Sandoval ’18 SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Milestones

Dr. Esperanza Velvez-Ciriaco High School Nurse

After nine years as the High School Nurse, Dr. Esperanza Velvez-Ciriaco is leaving HKIS to return to her home in the Philippines.

How long have you lived in Hong Kong? What brought you to HKIS?

I’ve been in Hong Kong since 1991. My kids grew up here, and two of my daughters now work at HKIS! I got the news that I had been offered the job in 2007 while I was covering the nurse in the summer program. It happened so quickly! I had been working at South Island School for nine years, but I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to the children. Fortunately I saw some SIS students at an HKIS rugby tournament shortly afterwards so we hugged and reconnected then.

How were your first days at HKIS?

It was busy! The nurse before me looked after the High School and Middle School for 20 years! I don’t know how she did that.

We decided that we needed two nurses because I was seeing 60 students every day. Middle Schoolers would come in bunches of up to seven at a time and I couldn’t see them all. Most were fine so I was asking the teachers to screen the children beforehand. Once I focused on the High School I was able to spend more time with the students and really get to help and know them.

What else have you been involved with at HKIS?

Three years ago we began running first aid workshops and I’ve been an advisor to the High School clubs Dragon Medics and Red Cross HKIS. I also cover the major tournaments for the rugby.

I want to be there for the kids if they get injured. When we play SIS I always cheer on HKIS, even though some of the South Island kids still recognize me!

What will you miss most from HKIS?

Everything, but of course I’ll miss the kids the most. Students came to see me during the last three weeks of school asking what will life be like without me. I’m very close to the High School students and my office has been a refuge from the stress from their work, teachers, and classrooms. Of course, you always have to ask what are they supposed to be doing right now, as there are a few kids who come here when they should be taking a chemistry exam, or in a Chinese lesson.

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What have been your standout moments?

I love the Interims, I’ve been so many places, and they are usually based around service. I was so lucky, my first was in Perth and Mr. Greg Ladner sent me there. Doing that in my first year was incredible. I’ve also been to Nepal and Calcutta where I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in service and helping deliver medical aid to children. It’s very special for me as a Catholic, to help and give back. Interim is the greatest experience I have had here, other than working with kids.

Recently, I went on a service trip to Boracay and I was able to help treat children in my own country, giving medication, deworming them and directing them to specialists. At the same time, HKIS students were teaching them. Unfortunately, we ran out of medication, but I’m going back this year. I’ve planned to meet the Interim trip in Boracay – and this time I have a list of all the things I’m going to need. I’m looking forward to that and getting back to doing medical services.

What’s next for you?

I’m a registered doctor in the Philippines. Back in my home of Manila, I will resume my practice and look after my 16-year-old son who will be starting 10th Grade there. I have a lot of friends involved in medical missions and I’d like to join them now when I’m back in the Philippines.

I won’t forget Hong Kong; I’ve lived half of my life here, raised my kids here and given them a good education. I’m excited to be reopening my clinic. It was my mum and dad’s dream to see me become a doctor and now my mum will get to see me open my clinic in Manila. n

In Memoriam David Bickel High School Humanities Teacher 1981-86, 1990-2005

by Janet Tan, High School Humanities Teacher

We will always remember Dave Bickel’s easy lopsided smile, his ability to raise one eyebrow quizzically, when he was clearly questioning an idea or engaging in one of the daily table discussions at lunch time, on anything from writing, to teaching, to spirituality, to politics, to sport. A giant of a man and teacher, Bic, as he was affectionately known, was everybody’s go to person and mentor, when you needed to thrash out an idea, or test a thought. Or just to talk, and enjoy his humor, and his sense of irony, and to be made to feel whole.

He kept us focused on what matters in teaching which is kids, and how they learn what they learn. The jargon, the buzzwords of education — words like standards, benchmarks, rubrics, grades were rarely part of his conversation. And conversation is what much of the learning was about in his classes. Year after year when grades were due Dave would engage in lengthy thoughtful conversation with each of his students about where they thought they were, and how they got there — and then they would come to a shared understanding of what that grade might be. No number crunching, no angsting over a plus or minus, no grade grubbing — everything was connected to the heart and soul of kids learning in his classes.

“He helped us learn how to personally relate to history, and more importantly, form our own view on the past. I will never forget ‘ruminate, ruminate, ruminate’.” “…it wasn’t so much the content of the classes that made such an impression on me — it was the way he cared about each of us. I was so shy and lacking in self-confidence, yet eager to break out of my shell. He recognized that.”

Just after he died, his youngest daughter, Meggen ’00, sent this email out to many of us — and it puts Dave as teacher and friend and mentor right in perspective: My dad was an English teacher, so he didn’t care for math much.

And yet, the numbers of his life are a sacred story. The date of his birth and the date of my mother’s: May 25, 1950 – June 26, 2016.

How wise to think of the day of his death as a day of birth. His teaching continues.

Voices from teaching partners and students catch that spirit. Some of the voices are students, some teachers; what Dave would appreciate in the voices following, is that it is hard to know who is who.

The last book my dad read has this to say about death and birth, “With my trees, logs and river in place, I’d like to piece together a metaphor: our present-tense human experience, our lives in the inescapable present, are like living trees. Our memory of experience, our individual pasts, are like trees fallen in a river. The current in that river is the passing of time. And a good story — a good, shared story — is a transfusion of nutrients from the old river log of memory into the eternal now of life.” ~ David James Duncan from “River Teeth”.

“Everybody mattered. More than anything he could get even the most reluctant kid to engage with what we were thinking about, there was such a sense of wholeness in his classes.”

I miss him. We miss him. But he is never absent because he is an amazingly good story to share.

“‘Hooray for the question! And for the courage to ask it.’ I have never, ever forgotten…gentle, calm, and kind, I depended on that quiet consistency especially when things were difficult for me.”

“Dave Bickel taught people first, using literature as a medium. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and their countrymen were effectively guest lecturers in our Russian Literature class, communicating through poetry, plays, novels, and short stories.

He helped us listen to, empathize with, and understand them as much as our growing minds could manage. He guided us through territory previously unseen and presently barely comprehensible without his help, yet surprisingly resonant in our own lives.”

“Dave didn’t tell kids how to write an essay — he let Montaigne and other classic essayists do that!”

“Dave Bickel was a source of encouragement outside of the classroom. His quick wit, patience, and humility modeled character traits to which I still aspire.”

Dave is present with us still at HKIS. His legacy lives in so much of who we are, and what we do — like the senior project, which was inspired by his Senior Humanities class, like the Humanities Department which he was instrumental in building, in moving our thinking from disciplinary to interdisciplinary, always making the connections between literature, history, religion, and sport, connections we now all take for granted, and live by.

We are blessed to have shared parts of his “amazingly good story” for all twenty of his years at HKIS. Dave is survived by his wife Chris (UP teacher 1990-2005), and daughters Jennifer ’92, Joanna ’97, and Meggen ’00. His family has created a KIVA memorial team in Dave’s name. To learn more and join the Bickel Family team in his honor, please visit: www.kiva.org/invitedto/dave_bickel_memorial/by/joanna8712 n

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Dr. Delwyn ‘Del’ Lynn Harnisch December 15, 1949 - May 18, 2016

Del lived a life with a Christ driven passion for his family, friends, and colleagues. He had a special pride and love for his wife Pat, his children, and his grandchildren. Del loved being a part of all the activities of his family, whether it was sports, music, or making his special popcorn.

During his summer time, if you didn’t find him working, you could count on him enjoying the gift of a round of golf with his “brothers.” He had an amazing gift and desire to learn, and then educate anyone that he came in contact with. Del served as a devout Christian missionary, sharing God’s word with others. He loved his time in fellowship, and based his love for God in what Del would call “faith community.” He was actively involved in his church, Messiah Lutheran, where he served in various leadership capacities. A true farmer at heart, he would later go on to travel the world and spread the word of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Del was born as a farm boy from Nebraska and became a son of the world. Del grew up on a dairy farm outside of Snyder Nebraska with his mother, father and three brothers.

After graduating from Snyder High School he attended Concordia Teachers College Dr. Delwyn ‘Del’ Lynn Harnisch in Seward, Nebraska. Upon receiving his B.S. from Concordia in 1971, he came to Hong Kong to become the Science Department Chair at Hong Kong International School from 1971-1975. He became engaged to Pat while at HKIS, and Head of School Bob Christian, in the US for a recruiting trip, brought back the diamond engagement ring for Pat from Del. In August 1975, they returned to the States to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received his Masters of Education in 1977 and Ph.D. in 1981. After receiving his Ph.D. he joined the faculty at the University of Illinois where he later became an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology. During their time in Illinois they raised four children. In 2000 the family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where Del joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska.

Del served as a Professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education at the College of Education and Human Sciences. He was a co-director of the UNL Assessment and Leadership for Learning professional development program for Nebraska superintendents and principals. He more recently was affiliated with the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA) that provided opportunities to develop the expertise of outstanding secondary school teachers from around the globe.He also served as an external program evaluator on several sponsored projects at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His forty years of teaching and research experience was focused on integration of technology into the teaching and learning process. He had authored over 150 research articles, 5 books, and secured over $30 million in grants and contracts.

Many of his students are serving as faculty in leading research programs across the US as well as in Asia and Europe. He had received numerous national and international honors for his research programs and writings. He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for 2011-12 and spent his time in Tbilisi at the University of Georgia. Del represented the College of Education and Human Sciences department well throughout Nebraska, where he was one of the leaders of the prominent Nebraska Assessment Cohort. Teachers and administrators throughout the state speak of him with great respect and give him credit for their knowledgeable practice of assessment principles. Del also had extensive experience in international education including several appointments as a visiting scholar in Japan and Hong Kong, and a keynote address in Turkey.

Del’s focus on family, friends, and people of the world came from his love for God, living the life as a child of God and sharing that love with others. Del is survived by his wife Patricia (Pat) Harnisch; son, Harlan and his wife Amy of Lincoln; daughter, Heather and her husband Jerrod Witzel of Farley, Iowa; daughter, Heidi and her husband Ryan Means of Lincoln; and son Hans, and his wife Melissa of Lincoln. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren, three brothers (Gerald and his wife Lynette, Larry and his wife Vicki, and Burdell and his wife Diana) as well as a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Del is preceded in death by his parents Fritz and Orlinda and his sister-in-law Lola Harnisch. n

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Brandon Lin ’19

Brandon Lin

thers With bro

on Peak

1, 2015

– Dec. 3

Philmont Training

Trek – Jan. 16, 20

16

Brandon Yang-Kai Lin, 14, passed away on the morning of January 18, 2016. He was born on July 16, 2001 in Singapore, the youngest of three sons of Joel and Alice Lin. He attended the Overseas Family School in Singapore from kindergarten to 4th Grade.

He moved to Hong Kong in 2011 and started 5th Grade at Hong Kong International School. At the time of his accident Brandon was a 9th Grader at HKIS. Brandon was the only freshman on the HKIS Varsity Volleyball team during the fall season. Besides participating in matches in Hong Kong, he also attended the China Cup and the APAC Cup, where he won the All APAC (MVP) Award. He made many friends with team members from Hong Kong and other countries. Brandon was active in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America since 2nd Grade and had achieved the rank of Star in Boy Scouts. He was a First Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. He was a member of the Track team in Middle School where he competed in High Jump, 200 Meters, 400 Meters and 4x100 Relay. He was a medalist for High Jump competition in the 8th Grade finals. He was part of the Middle School Honors Choir and was a fantastic, well-adjusted Honors student.

Brandon loved hanging out with his friends and helping them in any capacity including tutoring them on homework or volleyball. He enjoyed playing video and computer games such as League of Legends. He was an avid reader in both English and Chinese and also loved anime. He dabbled in piano in his spare time where he would learn new songs on his own.

Brandon was an amazing, happy, kind, athletic, smart, loyal and handsome kid who brought joy and smiles to his friends, teammates, classmates and relatives. He is lovingly remembered by his parents, Joel and Alice; and his brothers, Michael ’14 and Matthew ’16.

He leaves his paternal grandparents, Wuu-Long and Anna Lin; and maternal grandmother, Cheng-Mei Chou. He is also survived by many loving uncles, aunts and cousins in the US, Taiwan and Hong Kong. He will be remembered by all who knew him. n

8th Grade High Jump Medal with Mr. Bourque

Having a blast with buddies

Varsity Volleyball China Cup – Shanghai 2015

Middle School Track & Field

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Staying Connected

Class Notes ’78 & ’79 Mini Reunion

1981 Ann Wilson

By Peggy Young ’79

Alumni from the classes of 1978 and 1979 had a mini reunion in late summer of 2015 to welcome Eric Ip to town from Toronto. We had a gathering at Midtown in Causeway Bay. I hadn’t seen Eric since we graduated in ’79. Shirley Chiu and I have been good friends since HKIS days and we share our passions for food and furry kids. I met Chun Yin Chow ’78 at a mini reunion couple of years ago and we have had several girls’ lunches since.

Fun Fact: We have a WhatsApp group under name “HKIS ’78 & ’79” and alumni are welcome to join!

Ann Wilson attended HKIS from 1976-1978. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BA in English and a focus in Writing.

She has worked as a promotional and technical writer, and later taught high school English. She currently works as a private tutor for high school and college students. Ann has recently published her first book, a memoir, In Small Boxes. It’s a story that may resonate with many third culture kids.

trip to Washington D.C., but mostly, the emergence of her better self, less sickly, less ugly, less awkward.

Instead, an unexpected move to Hong Kong pulls her away from all that is familiar and comfortable at a time when she believes she needs that most. Ann looks back at this time in her life, and through a blend of her adolescent and adult voice, reveals a unique coming-of-age in the late 1970’s when Hong Kong was a mash up of glittering wealth and wretched poverty. Hong Kong, a British colony, was a playground for expatriates, and Ann, initially angry and unwilling to acclimate, let alone assimilate, eventually finds herself embracing her new home and discovering parts of herself she never knew existed.

While Ann forges new and unusual friendships, her architect father struggles with the challenges of working for a Chinese client and facing his own limitations. Ann and her family eventually return to their home in Western Springs, Illinois, feeling broken, confused, and initially unwilling to accept their ‘old’ American life.

This is a story about becoming a young woman and making the most of living abroad, despite the challenges present, not only in moving overseas, but in returning ‘home.’

From left to right: Thomas Wong ’78, Chunyin Chow ’78, Shirley Chiu ’79, Peggy Young ’79, Gary Hung ’79, Eric Ip ’79

Eighth grade: for many, one of the worst years in school. But for Ann, it held promises — a growing group of friends, a school musical, a fancy graduation dance, and a 60

DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

Staying Connected

1995 Derek Leung After HKIS, I went and graduated from New York University and worked in UBS AG in New York for a year before coming back to Hong Kong. I was in Accenture based in Hong Kong but I was staffed on a nine-month project in Korea, where I met my wife Yihong, who is Korean Chinese.

We are now settled in Hong Kong with two lovely boys.

Our older son Jonas just finished his first year in HKIS Reception One at the Tai Tam campus and loved every minute of it. Hopefully our younger son Isaac will soon follow and become a proud member of the HKIS community.

We love to travel as a family, a few times a year to Korea to visit relatives plus many sun, beaches and relaxing vacations around the world.

Riding "Tuk Tuk" in Bangkok

Last Day of Reception One with Mrs. Tsang

I braved the embarrassment of flipping through the yearbooks with my family. I think I gained some weight.

Jonas with Mr. Chiu at the LPS Office

1999 Charles Chen After 16 years away, I finally decided to return to Hong Kong for vacation. My wife Tina, daughter Kayla (13), and son Andrew (10), travelled from Alabama, USA on our first overseas family trip in May 2016. Upon arriving in HK it was immediately obvious things have changed — talk about humid weather! Also, the predominant language was more Mandarin than I remembered.

Once we overcame the jetlag, my family ventured out into the concrete jungle of HK and explored the likes of tourist spots such as: The Ngong Ping Cable Car; The Peak; and Causeway Bay. We found the bubble tea stations and ate dim sum at Maxim Palace in City Hall. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet up with old classmates at an HKIS Alumni Night in Lan Kwai Fong. It was good to see everybody doing well and building their own families.

On the last day of our HK adventure, I took the family to visit the High School campus of my alma mater – HKIS. It was a wonderful familiar sight with notable changes (did we always have a Wellcome there?). The old cafeteria has been converted to the Admissions Office, and the new cafeteria is fancy and big. We visited the library and

All in all, the trip was a complete success. The family humored me on my walks down memory lane, and I was able to expose them to the HK we’ve only talked about over the dinner table. We met up with friends and family, which in itself, already made the trip worthwhile. Thank you to all for making this a wonderful experience for me and my family.

2002 Agnes Shea Fred and I welcomed our second child Alayna on February 17, 2016. We are now living in Hong Kong with Alayna, our older son Nathan (who is 3.5) and our dog Hazel (who is turning 6). I am glad that the families of my HKIS friends are also expanding and look forward to our future gatherings with the new members.

Joanna Woo My husband Alen and I welcomed our first child Anna into the world on 10 March 2015. We are thrilled to have this new addition in our lives. n

Share your news with the HKIS community. Send your class notes to alumni@hkis.edu.hk!

We love to hear from you!

SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES

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Staying Connected #ICYMI:

Here’s a little look back on the tweets, posts and shares from our social media pages. Don’t miss out, be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

FOLLOW US ON

FOLLOW US ON

www.facebook.com/ HongKongInternationalSchool

@HKIS

FACEBOOK

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Social Sensations

DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

TWITTER

POST & TAG @HongKongInternationalSchool

10

WAYS

to Stay Connected to HKIS 1. Celebrate with us!

Find out how you can join in with the 50th Anniversary Celebrations by visiting www.hkis.edu.hk/fifty

2. Follow and Like us!

POST & TAG @HKISAlumni Say Hi from your reunions and meet-ups and feature in the next issue of DragonTales!

FOLLOW US ON

FACEBOOK

A LU MNI

FOLLOW US ON

www.facebook.com/groups/ hkisalumni

@HKIS

STAY IN TOUCH

www.facebook.com/ HongKongInternationalSchool

TWITTER

JOIN US ON

LINKEDIN in/hkisalumni

3. Get the latest news.

Update your contact details with us at alumni@hkis.edu.hk and get the bi-weekly Alumni eNews update on reunions, school events, alumni, future issues of DragonTales, and more!

4. Join a regional alumni group.

We have ten alumni groups around the world that you can join: Hong Kong | USA: Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC | Canada: Toronto, Vancouver | UK: London If you are interested in becoming an HKIS Alumni Regional Representative for your city or to get in touch with your current Regional Representative, please contact Alumni Relations at alumni@hkis.edu.hk.

5. Organize a class reunion.

We will help you organize your milestone reunion on campus. Just ask us how!

6. Contribute to DragonTales magazine.

Our alumni magazine is published twice a year. Send in your Class Notes, ideas for stories, and more.

7. Hire an HKIS alum as an intern.

If your company is looking to hire a summer intern, email us to find out how to become an Internship Hosting Partner.

8. Be a speaker at HKIS.

Share your knowledge, skills, and experience with our students by speaking to a class or at an assembly.

9. Attend our Annual Ball.

Join alumni, parents, faculty and staff, at our Annual Ball in the spring. All proceeds from our largest fundraising event go to our Annual Fund to help maintain our status as the leading school in the region.

Email advancement@hkis.edu.hk for more information.

10. Give back.

Be a part of the legacy of HKIS and give back. Make a donation to support our school by giving online at www.hkis.edu.hk/giving. Gifts are US and Hong Kong tax-deductible.

To find out more about how you can be involved, please get in touch!

Email alumni@hkis.edu.hk or call +852 3149 7899.

The Last Word

Kyle Geisbrecht Middle School Culinary Arts Teacher

The Middle School has been filled with wonderful aromas emanating from the culinary arts classrooms.

DragonTales speaks to HKIS’s very own MasterChef.

How did you start teaching culinary arts?

I was a primary school teacher for 7 years and used food and cooking as a way to reinforce my language, science and math lessons. I’d show up to class armed with ingredients and scales, all of which became experimental play tools: cooking was naturally weaved into the classroom. Cooking with kids soon became a real passion, inspiring me to set up my own business and get more kids and adults involved. It is all about bringing people together in food and culture.

What brought you to Hong Kong and HKIS?

I’m from Canada and grew up on a horse farm in Southern Ontario, but I had worked in China and London. Four years ago I moved to Hong Kong and saw right away that there was a growing interest in people learning to cook at home — new apartment buildings were introducing ovens! Hong Kong has been a great place to launch my business, The Mixing Bowl.

What’s next for the program?

I’ve just connected with the ESF schools, which run a MasterChef program for all their kids every May, and we hope to compete with them.

Working at the Mixing Bowl, I soon realized that I missed the daily interactions with kids. I emailed some teachers I’d met through the business, including High School Librarian Ms. Ann Krembs whom I had taught, along with her husband [MS Associate Principal] Kevin and their kids. Ann suggested that there might a position at HKIS, which was ideal as the school was always at the top of my list of places to work.

I hope to see our program expand from Kindergarten to Grade 12. I would love to see a full-time teacher Repulse Bay to introduce kids to cooking at an early age. You can’t get any more real “life skills” than cooking! In High School, I envision us teaching gastronomy and incorporating everything from sciences and math to make higher-level skills practical and innovative.

How’s your first year been here?

How does it fit the traditional curriculum?

It’s been a great! I’m involved with coaching volleyball and have joined the sailing club and the photography club and got on a whole bunch of committees. People here are so welcoming, and I love getting to know both colleagues and students.

How have you developed the culinary arts program?

I’ve rebuilt the whole culinary arts program, and it’s a work in progress. We’re now requiring Grade 6 to take the class, and they learn the fundamentals of baking, boiling, and frying, before moving on to more science-based concepts. Then the fun, creative stuff happens, where they get to experiment and work with recipes. By the end, we’ve covered a whole meal set-up.

In Grades 7 and 8 learn about baking, cuisine, and nutrition in snacks to main meals, as well as theory, science, and culinary skills. We explore cultural inspirations and develop regional

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flavor profiles, unearthing staple ingredients, cooking methods, table manners and etiquette. Ultimately, students create something that they’ve never tried before based on a skill they’ve learned, to encourage them to grow through self-motivated learning.

We also ran an event for St. Baldrick’s in which the kids prepared a meal for the greater HKIS community. It was lot of work, but it was very successful! Students collaborated in a huge team: kids acted as chefs, maître d’s, runners, with the rest cooking starters, mains, and desserts. Every stove was cooking and bubbling! The air was electrifying, and everyone pulled together!

DRAGONTALES SUMMER 2016

Cooking is naturally cross-curricular, blending science, math, literacy, and the fine arts. These kids all gain a very practical skill – they can cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner for themselves, their family or even to impress a date! Countless parents have emailed me to say that their kids are critiquing the chef ’s meals at hotels, discussing the quality of eggs, or they are impressed to see the outcome at home.

At first students seem to just make a mess, but then something magical happens and, after a huge learning curve, they develop a real life skill.

What’s your number one lesson?

Meals make for a great community event — food brings us together and adds enjoyment to life. That’s what I love about it and why I’m drawn to it. There’s constancy to it: everyone eats. n

Dates to Remember 2016

2017

PFO Pumpkin Festival

Alumni Celebration Event in the USA

February (TBC)

October 22

April 1

November 24-26

PFO World’s Fair

HKIS’s 47th Annual Holiday Basketball Tournament

May 21 (TBC)

Class of ’97 Reunion – Hong Kong

November 25

Turkey Trot Inaugural HKIS 5km Run

May 21-27

50th Anniversary Alumni Celebration Week

November 25

May 28-30

Turkey Bowl

Alumni Service Trip to Foshan

Come join HKIS’s friendly football tournament

June & July

December 5

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

December 17

Class of ’06 Reunion – Hong Kong

Alumni Interims to Bhutan, Pattaya & Dumaguete

Please contact Alumni Relations at alumni@hkis.edu.hk for more details.

1 Red Hill Road, Tai Tam, Hong Kong +852 3149 7820 advancement@hkis.edu.hk