UP UP and
! y a aw
ar y m i r er P Our Upp
SUMMER WINTER 2015 2018
oo Sc h
ff l takes o
Photography: Tommy Hughes ’20
dragonTales
Table of Contents Letter from the Head of School
1
Advancement HKIS Welcomes Parents Turkey Trot Run Alumni Fund Committee: #HKISGIVES
2 3 4
Cover Story Growing UP: Upper Primary Today
6
Chinese Studies
18
HKIS Then and Now PEAKS and no Valleys
20
Community The Booster Club Parent Faculty Organization (PFO) Church of All Nations
24 25 26
Student Life Schoolwide: Christmas Card Competition Lower Primary and Upper Primary: Book-o-Ween and Make-o-Ween Middle School: Matrix Club Middle School: Creative Writing High School: Leadership Retreat High School: Jazz Workshop
28 30 33 34 36 37
A Quartet of Corrections — Summer 2018 Issue (1) Mike Harshfield was incorrectly identified as Mike Butkus in the Class of 1981 Reunion article on p. 46. (2) A rogue paragraph (“What’s unique about HKIS students?”) from Dave Lovelin’s interview made its way to Janet Tan’s piece on p. 58. (3) On page 52, the caption should have read Bob & Arleen with an infant Julie at her baptism, not David at his. (4) Finally, on page 28, the photo caption should read Peter Fishel and Pam Munn enjoy Sadie Hawkins Day, not Peter Lipschultz and friend. Apologies for the errors, and thanks again to our eagle-eyed readers!
Events East Coast Alumni Reunions Hong Kong Chapter Class of 1988: 30th Reunion Class of 1998: 20th Reunion
39 40 42 44
Alumni Making Moves
47
Milestones Vienna Chung
51
Staying Connected In Memoriam Class Notes Social Sensations
52 54 55
The Last Word Ale Yogendasing
56
HKIS Student Art Galleries Lower Primary Upper Primary Middle School High School
32, 35 38 41, 43 46, 50
DragonTales is produced by the HKIS Marketing Team Marketing Director Carrie Chen cchen@hkis.edu.hk Communications and Public Relations Manager Veronica (Galbraith) Booth ’97 vbooth@hkis.edu.hk
Letter from the head of school
Digital Content Manager Liz Kingston lkingston@hkis.edu.hk Marketing Specialist Anita Lam alam@hkis.edu.hk Marketing and Advancement Executive Secretary Noel Leung nleung@hkis.edu.hk
In partnership with the HKIS Advancement Team Development Manager Lina Doo ldoo@hkis.edu.hk Annual Fund Manager Jacqueline C. Yang ’98 jyang@hkis.edu.hk Alumni Relations Hillary Sandeen hsandeen@hkis.edu.hk Development Coordinator Ceci Lau clau@hkis.edu.hk
Design Linne Tsu ’96
Thank you to our contributors All our student artists, Christopher Burgess, Ian Chee ’97, Julie (Foo) Chee ’97, Guinness Chen ’19, Laura Chesebro, Prescille (Chiu) Cernosia ’88, Gene Cheh, Vienna Chung, Suzanne Chu, Jennifer Delashmutt, Victor Fung, Tim Gavlik, Pat Hall, Natalie Hamilton, Jennifer Howell, Neha Kapur ’99, Kirk Kenny, Megan Kincaid, Claire Kirk, Nancy Kroonenberg, Andrew Kwan ’97, Greg Ladner, Kit Lang, John Lee, Sheila Li, Jimmy Liu ’20, Dave Lovelin, Eric Maché ’68, Alexandra (Taran) Payne ’98, Denise Pontak, Cora Poon, Ken Rohrs, Ron Roukema, Lino Santos, Iantha Scheiwe, Joel Scheiwe, Amanda (Henck) Schmidt ’98, Jeff Seaberg, Margot Siebengartner ’24, Ashlyn Silva ’18, Sharon (Boehmke) Swanson, Evelyn Ting ’05, Augustine Tse, Virginia Udall, Fritz Voeltz, Denise Wong ’98, Rocky Woo, Hui Xu, Nicholas Yee ’23, Ale Yogendasing, Jim Zahn, and Bo Wen Zhu ’20.
Dear Alumni & HKIS Community, Christmas is upon us, and for the school, we are already halfway through our school year. This allows me to reflect on how much our students have developed in just a few months, and what they will accomplish in the second half of the year. Our theme for the 2018-19 school year is Together As One. Each day, there are so many things happening in each of the four divisions, from student leadership training in the High School, service work in the Middle School, fun events like Book-o-ween in Lower Primary School, and of course the opening of our new Upper Primary School. Though we are all immersed in the world of our children and students, we also know that we all have one thing in common: A love for HKIS. Last week, we had our 4th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, which marked the beginning of the Christmas season. We light the tree as a symbol of light, which represents the light of Jesus that came into the darkness of the world. As a school grounded in the Christian faith, it is an honor for me to host this event as the Interim Head of School. What I love most about this gathering is seeing our community from both of our campuses come together for simple treats, like cookies and hot chocolate, and to enjoy student and faculty performances of Christmas music. There was something magical in the air. Perhaps it was the combination of friendship, family, community, and the smell of popcorn (thanks to the Booster Club!) On December 4th, we had our first ever Giving Tuesday to mark the close of our Annual Fund Campaign, #HKISGIVES. The campaign began in October and featured all the important programs funded by the Annual Fund, including elements of innovation, performing & visual arts, sports & activities, and spirituality. The show of support for all of these endeavors speaks volumes about the commitment of our community to bring the best education to our students. I was thankful for the generous matching challenges by the HKIS Board of Directors, grade level parents, and alumni. The support of Mr. Jim Handrich himself was inspiring, and I am proud of the class of 1992 for leading the way for alumni support! On Giving Tuesday, we were floored by the amount of support that came in on one day. It truly was a testament to what can be accomplished when we act “Together As One”. I wish you and your family a wonderful season of cheer, peace, and hope. Warm regards,
Ron Roukema, Ed.D INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
1
Advancement
hkis welcomes parents
Full Circle In August, Advancement hosted a cocktail reception for new HKIS parents to meet the leadership team, mingle with other new parents, and enjoy delicious canapés at our Lower Primary School. Being a new parent to HKIS is exciting, but often overwhelming. Meeting a fellow new parent with kids in the same grade with similar interests can set the tone for a great year ahead. In the case of one Reception 1 parent, she never would have guessed whom she would meet at the New Parent Reception. Vanessa (Herrera) Bourne ’99 attended HKIS starting in Lower Primary and remembers her Grade 1 teacher, Mrs. Renken. Now returning to the school as an alumni parent, Vanessa was reunited with Gayle Renken, now a Lower Primary Associate Principal! The evening was a heartwarming reminder that parents, teachers, students, alumni, and administrators are the fabric of our community and no matter how much time passes, we are all connected in more ways than we can imagine. Wishing all our “newbie” parents a fruitful first year!
Vanessa Bourne ’99 and
Gayle Renken
Alumni Parent Cocktail 2018 On Friday, October 19, we held our first ever “Alumni Parent” Cocktail event at the Lower Primary School for current parents who are also alumni. The group of alumni parents had a great time reminiscing about their HKIS days and seeing old yearbook and school photos of themselves.
, m ’94, Frances Wu ’94 ’95, Lina Doo, Elaine Shu an ’97 and Erica Ma. Hah vin Kel n, dee San rew Kw Hillary k ’89, Della Yu ’96, And Kelly Hah, Cynthia She
There are now 107 families at HKIS with at least one parent who is an alum, and we are grateful for their continuous support and commitment to HKIS. As more alumni return to Hong Kong and settle here to raise their families, we expect this number to increase in the coming years. Thanks to Leontine Chuang '93 and Andrew Kwan '97 for sharing how they have stay connected and engaged as alums and as parents. Leontine has been committed to the Annual Fund Committee for the past two years to help reach parents and the community to support the Annual Fund. Andrew has served on the Alumni Association — Hong Kong Chapter Board for the past two years and has been re-elected again to serve two more years. Thanks to both of you for your support and dedication to HKIS. n
Leo Chiu ’99, Ron Roukema, Leontine Chuang ’93, Carrie Chen and Tim Chen ’92.
2
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Advancement Ideal running conditions.
turkey trot run The 3rd Annual HKIS Turkey Trot 5K run took place on Friday, November 23, 2018. By Hillary Sandeen
WINNER’S CIRCLE
Our newest tradition at HKIS, the Turkey Trot 5 km run, took place on Friday, November 23 in picturesque Tai Tam Country Park. This event was introduced to encourage the whole community to come together during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We had perfect running conditions with warm weather, bright blue skies and delicious oranges compliments of the Booster Club to enjoy at the finish line.
Boy’s Winner Boy’s Runner-up Boy’s 3rd Place
Cary Grinnan Parker Boyle Dexter Wan
Men’s Winner Men’s Runner-up Men’s 3rd Place
Ken Fowler Paul Cherry Brett Humphreys
Girl’s Winner Girl’s Runner-Up Girl’s 3rd Place
Taylor Bailey Kahala Green Meg Xu
The third running of the Turkey Trot saw more than 75 runners of all ages come to enjoy the run and challenge themselves on the course which features a long, steep ascent that doesn’t seem to end. Medals were awarded to the top three finishers in the following categories: Men, Women, Boys and Girls (17 and under). The boys 17 and under category was hotly contested and the fastest turkey on the course this year was Cary Grinnan, HKIS grade 10 student, who completed the race in 21:59.00. Congratulations to all who took part and we hope to see you again next year for this great event. n
Women’s Winner Christine Boyle Women’s Runner-up Samantha Merton Women’s 3rd Place Sarah Wilkinson
And they’re off! Enjoying the post race glow.
Turkey Trotters getting ready to run!
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
3
Advancement
annual fund committee
Thank You for Unleashing Your Dragon Pride! by Suzanne Chu and Christopher Burgess, Co-chairs
We did it! Our first online Campaign, #HKISGIVES, was a huge hit! Two years ago, we gave out fun book bag tags and Christmas ornaments to increase awareness of the Annual Fund. Last year, we launched an Adopt-a-Tree campaign to increase participation from individuals and groups. This year, we introduced an online platform that has completely transformed the way we give. We can now reach more people more easily and with better stewardship. During this campaign, we saw more community involvement from parents, faculty, staff, and alumni than ever before. Most heartwarming is a trend of current students emerging to participate in the campaigns! As social media continues to be a bigger and bigger part of our daily lives, we can take advantage of this foundation and the efficiencies that having an online platform brings for many years to come. We are excited to see where our Dragon Pride will be unleashed in the next campaigns! As always, a deep gratitude goes to our 40+ Annual Fund Committee members who grew with us from just an idea to really making a difference in only a few short years! Thanks again to you, our community, for embracing our campaigns, and helping to foster a community of givers. n
Suzanne Chu, Co-chair and Jackie Yang ’98, Annual Fund Manager, at Christmas Tree Lighting. Our deepest gratitude goes to Jackie Yang for tirelessly helping us lead our Adopta-Tree and #HKISGIVES Campaigns and going above and beyond to make sure they were the best that they could be!
The Annual Fund makes a difference every day. Special shoutout to all those who offered Challenges and Matches, and to the Board of Managers and James Handrich for being the first! Twins Zachary and Matthew Tsao, R1, getting ready to hang their AFC Christmas tree ornaments. 4
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Advancement
Innovation, Visual and Performing Arts, Sports and Activities and Spirituality are just some of the ways that the Annual Fund makes an impact. Thank you for supporting our next generation of leaders!
Thank you Facilities team for helping us ground our legacy with 177 plaques!
Suzanne Chu and Julian Lee at the Christmas Tree Lighting
Karla Molina and Shirley Kuan at Back-to-School Night
Christopher Burgess, AFC Co-chair, and Leontine Chuang ’93 at Back-toSchool Night. WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
5
Cover Story
Growing UP Upper Primary Today
6
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Cover Story
What sort of educational home do we want to give our Upper Primary School students? How can we, as a community of educators, looking at our resources and blessings, serve our students best? These are questions that drove HKIS’s leadership team to renovate and innovate and present a school to our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders that honors this time in their lives where independent learning takes hold and inquiry deepens.
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
7
Cover Story
Space is the Place When faced with the Hong Kong question of how to make the most of every square foot of space, the answer is to go up, and to share facilities where possible. So when both Lower and Upper Primary Schools faced redevelopment, HKIS made the most of shared space. In this way, both Lower and Upper Primary Schools were considered together, with a shared pool and Chapel, and separately, with specialized age-specific spaces. This also meant that Church of All Nations would move into its bright new home in Lower Primary, and its original footprint would be used to construct an Design Wing and two-story indoor playground. Perhaps the most special piece of this development would be the meditation garden, where the entrance to CAN used to be, which features an installation of the cross and bricks from CAN’s original sanctuary. In addition, the 8th floor, previously the rooftop playground, would be closed in and transformed into both a Chinese Culture Center (see more on page 18) and additional play area with a garden. These key spaces would be a showcase of the philosophies and focus of the new building. The classrooms, too, are designed to be as flexible as possible, to create opportunities not only for students but for teachers to collaborate as well, to confer and create their learning in unexpected ways. The design of the building facilitates this type of collaboration, and as such teachers can focus on their teaching and students, rather than having to coordinate logistics of how to meet up and where. These flexible spaces expand the classroom, 8
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
create nooks and spaces for kids and teachers alike to be comfortable and “own” the space they’re in. Classrooms are bigger than four walls!
We know that learners feel empowered by having some degree of voice and choice over their learning environment. Flexible seating allows for personalization and fosters collaboration, negotiation and reflection; all of which we are devoted to supporting and practicing at HKIS. — Jennifer DeLashmutt, UPS Principal
Cover Story
This choice is also available during recess times. Although the indoor playground structure will open in January 2019, the preceding months have still seen students enjoying time running around and creating games on the 5th floor playground, finding time with friends in the Design Garage to tinker, catching up on art projects in the Art Studio, both of which, along with the Science Lab, are adjacent to the playground. A flex space on the sixth floor acts as an indoor playground for ball games and general organized mayhem, familiar to those who’ve ever witnessed kids running around in an enclosed space, and intramural sports are organized regularly in the gym. Students can also find a quiet corner in the library to recharge during their breaks.
Promising Programs Students come through Upper Primary at a special time in their lives. Following the play-focused development in Lower Primary School, Upper Primary students continue with that play and learn how to name what’s happening in it: Inquiry. Inquiry means seeking information, and inquiry classrooms allow learners to construct meaning and understanding rather than simply hearing or seeing it. Coupled with this is empathy, which is not only present on the playground but is central to student problem solving and the design cycle. UP students are faced with different social interactions in different spaces, which exposes them to different perspectives, and, in turn, can set them up to be members of a larger global community. As Principal Jennifer Delashmutt puts it, “Maker spaces, passion projects, curiosity projects, service learning, play-based learning, Genius Hour, STEM, STEAM….all are contexts and approaches to inquiry learning. All embedded in our fabric at HKIS.” It’s so important for students to understand that this exploration drives curiosity, and making that curiosity sustainable is one of the key projects of this time. Underlying all of this is the fundamental belief that kids should have the choice and structures they need to feel empowered to learn — to make choices they can to meet the standards and milestones they need, while choosing where to sit in a classroom, how to spend recess, what they can do to manage their learning needs, which books to take out from the library to explore their interests and expand their learning. Projects at UPS, whether in service learning or science, or any number of other disciplines, encourage students to identify a question or a problem, and be intentional about solving that problem. Setting kids up with the language to articulate their thinking, and to begin to understand how they learn best serves them during these Upper Primary years, but also as they move to Middle School. Encouraging kids to question, to develop their critical thinking skills, doesn’t only help them with their learning, it allows educators to respond and adapt to what they need to learn. Mrs. Delashmutt says, “We want to guide them in discovering different pathways in identifying and meeting their goals, and for their voices to be heard.”
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
9
Cover Story
Inquiry
10
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Cover Story
Responsibility
Collaboration
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
11
Cover Story
Independence
12
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Cover Story
Empathy
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
13
Cover Story
Exploring Passions
14
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Cover Story
Flexibility
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
15
Cover Story
history
On the Up and Up Five hundred students. When Dr. Mel Kieschnick, one of HKIS’s founding fathers, imagined how big HKIS would grow, he and his peers dreamed of a school with 500 students, from kindergarten to grade 12. Thus began the plans to build HKIS’s first school building, at 6 South Bay Close, Repulse Bay. It opened on September 14, 1967. Very quickly, HKIS filled up, and by 1971 plans were in place for a new elementary school across the road, which opened in 1975. And so it was that over the decades, HKIS’s first building transformed from a place for children of all ages to a Junior High and High School, to Middle School (as the Tai Tam High School campus opened in 1988), and finally to an Upper Primary School with the opening of the Middle School in Tai Tam in 1993. The humble dreams Dr. Kieschnick shared have grown nearly sixfold; today, HKIS is blessed with over 2,800 students from Reception 1 through Grade 12, and even our original building, built for 500, has been expanded to comfortably fit up to 700 Upper Primary students. n
Photos of Repulse Bay Campus in 1967 courtesy of Eric Maché ’68
16
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Cover Story
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
17
Chinese Studies
the creation of upper primary’s chinese culture center At HKIS, Chinese Culture is one of the six Student Learning Results. It states that students will gain an understanding of China and an appreciation of Chinese Culture. By Hui Xu
Our Chinese program has focused on language acquisition, understanding of Chinese customs and behaviors, and opportunities to travel to China for experiential learning. As we embarked on developing spaces for our Chinese program in the new Upper Primary School, we asked ourselves: how can we make Chinese Culture visible and accessible every day for our students? What are the essentials elements required to reflect a culture? In addition to materials, we felt that culture included values that come from knowledge, customs, art, artifacts, beliefs, and practices. In the HKIS context, we wanted to best capture the essence of Chinese Culture and make it attractive to our students. After numerous meetings with many stakeholders, we were able to develop a space that transports you to ancient China. Chinese architectural features are incorporated in the entranceway, the hallways, and classroom doors. Each classroom connects to an open space filled with antique and modern Chinese furniture, lanterns, paintings, and featured tiles on the wall. This purpose-built space allows for gatherings and activities to happen in an environment that makes learning about Chinese Culture readily accessible. The Chinese Culture Center was open to students and the whole community on October 9, 2018. Every day, students walk through the Center and the Chinese hallway to get to their Chinese classrooms. One student remarked, “it’s like a Chinese temple and palace”. Students feel a sense of pride in learning Chinese and can develop a respect for Chinese Culture. On January 19, the Chinese Culture Center is open for tours at the Upper Primary Grand Opening for the community. Do come by to visit us! n
18
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Two years ago, HKIS leaders boldly created a vision to make it possible for students to be immersed in Chinese Culture every single day.
Chinese Studies
西九龍高鐵站
The West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station 姚昊軒 五年級 By Michael Yiu, Grade 5
今天，我要寫關於香港西九龍高鐵站。 通過很多年建造，港鐵（MTR）和中國鐵路12306就 一起在2018年9月23日開放了香港西九龍高鐵站。 因為現在有了香港西九龍高鐵站，所以香港的居民就 能搭乘火車直接到達深圳，廣州，廈門，福州，昆 明，長沙，武漢，鄭州，石家莊，北京和上海等一線 或二線城市。 現在我就住在緊鄰高鐵站的圓方，過去這裡的人流並 不多，可是如今熙熙攘攘，熱鬧非凡。高鐵站還有餐 廳，候車室，天空走廊和綠化空間。 聽媽媽講，高鐵站的特點是可以一地兩檢，非常快捷 便利，並且為世界上最龐大的地下鐵路站，同時它的 設計獲得世界建築節的「年度最佳未來工程」獎項。 如果妳還沒有坐過高鐵，那希望妳儘快來感受！
Today I want to write about the West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station. Built over many years, the Hong Kong MTR Company and the Chinese Railway 12306 Company worked together to create the Vibrant Express and the Hong Kong-China High-Speed Rail trains, as well as the West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station on September 23, 2018. Now that there is the West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station, the residents of Hong Kong can take trains to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Kunming, Changsha, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Shijiazhuang, Beijing, and Shanghai. Now that the station is open, there are a lot more people at the neighboring Elements Mall. The High-Speed Rail Station has a humongous waiting area, a rooftop running track, and a green space center. The West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station is the world’s largest underground railway station and was also awarded best future project of the year. If you haven’t taken the High-Speed Rail, I hope you do it one day!
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
19
HKIS Then and Now
PEAKs and no Valleys Then and Now Middle School Experiential Learning By Ken Rohrs with Greg Ladner
Experiential learning has long been important for HKIS’s Middle School students and is designed to change students’ understanding of themselves and the world around them. This experience, now called PEAK Week (Program of Extended Activities for Kids), sends students to various Hong Kong and regional locations. Students gain independence, explore different countries, cultures and activities, and develop leadership, character and interpersonal skills. In 1973-74, the Junior High’s week-long residential program was at Suen Douh Camp between Fanling and Sha Tau Kok. The program consisted of team building (building bamboo bridges over the Ma Wat River), food production (students preparing a meal from the live chicken to the dinner plate), hiking through rural farming areas, and accessing secluded freshwater swimming holes. Fellowship and recreational activities included campfires, chapel singing, and a faculty vs. students mud-sliding competition on the flooded soccer pitch.
1974 Ken Rohrs Junior High Camp Butchering Pig Food Production Activity hrs China Biking
1989 SAW Ken Ro
The first objective of the food production unit was to reflect on the calories available from consuming 1 kg of rice versus eating 1 kg of meat produced in feeding rice to the animal. The second objective was to experience that purchased packaged meat required someone to kill it. One should never expect someone else to do something which we are unwilling to do ourselves. When Junior High enrollment outgrew the capacity of Suen Douh, the camp moved to the YMCA’s Wu Kwai Sha Camp. 1990 SAW Ken Rohrs China Bikin
g
ing
1992 SAW China Bik
20
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
1998 April HKIS Biking in China Villagers with our own Michael
1987 SAW Biking
hrs
Maria-Christina Ro
HKIS Then and Now 1998 Jeanne Yasso Bik
1998 on the bus
ing in China
Accessed via the Chinese University ferry traversing Tolo Harbor, camp activities included team building, marine and woodland environments, swimming, boating, and exploring the abandoned Ma On Shan iron mine.
Winnowing Rice
Teachers developed assignments relating SAW (Student Activity Week) to the 7th grade’s China curriculum units. Options included Gregg Westrick’s Project Macau program focusing on manufacturing, math probabilities of gambling, and a scary cemetery scavenger hunt. Other units explored Hong Kong at Ngong Ping, the Diocesan Youth Retreat House on Shatin Pass, and Chek Keng; sailing aboard the Adventure Ship “Huan” near Sai Kung; and hiking and camping among Shau Tau Kok’s abandoned villages. The trips were often eye openers, like when a student asked the youth hostel director if they had room service! When China opened up, SAW trips headed to Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Shunde, Guangzhou, Xian, and Beijing. In 1986, Ken Rohrs led the first SAW 7th grade biking trip from Zhaoqing to Foshan to Guangzhou. Students prepared with four Saturday conditioning rides between Shatin and Tai Mei Tuk.
2000 PEAK Ch
ina Biking
Staying close in the cities
th group in China
Jeanne Yasso wi
Students received instructions on how to create a meaningful travel scrapbook. WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
21
HKIS Then and Now 2000 PEAK Ji Fung
Workbooks tied to the in-class curriculum
Peter Dratz at Tienam
ien with students
2004 PEAK Sichuan Biking
Working late on Virtual China
Faculty Parent Leaders
2018 Building a co kindergarten in Ch ncrete pathway for a iang Mai Paddling the River Kwai, Thailand
Teachers spent weekends scouting new routes — everything from the historical to the geographical. Challenges included: (1) making our own maps, (2) communication between the adults at the front and end of the group and (3) finding “suitable” hotels in the small rural towns. Foreigners were suspected as security risks if they possessed accurate maps and communicated electronically. Initially, city tours and biking centered in and around Guangzhou. In 1994-95, trips expanded into hiking and biking trips further afield, with parent volunteers bolstering the adult presence. In the 1990’s, with the help of HKIS parents Joe Antonellis and John Mulligan from AT&T and Phil Kelly from Dell, Jim and Sherry Zahn developed the “Virtual China” program. This allowed electronic communication via KIDLINK to KIDPROJ between the bike trip’s activities and the Xian program. For its time, this program pushed the limits of “live” interactive communicative technology. When 7th and 8th graders together became too large for Wu Kwai Sha, the 7th grade focused on China, while the 8th grade used the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village in Sai Kung. Eighth graders participated in an overnight camping hike to Seven Waterfalls and Tai Long Wan Beach on the Sai Kung Peninsula.
A glimpse at the schedule for 2001’s biking trip to Kaiping
22
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Our “urban” students learned from these “unique” outdoor experiences. At Tai Long Wan, when two students returned to their tent which they had forgotten to zip up, a cow had entered their tent and was eating their pancake flour. Only the
HKIS Then and Now
2018 Volunteering in an elephant sanctuary in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
2018 Rural village stay at Koi Thmey, Cambodia
tail was visible swishing out the door. The students shooed out the cow which took off through the closed back with the tent stuck on its horns, and possessions were flying every place. Late in the 1990s, the 8th grade participated in Outward Bound at Tai Mong Tsai and sailed local waters on the Ji Fung while the 6th grade’s “Wow Macau” program focused on the Chinese, Portuguese, and Macanese cultures of Macau. This program included interviews with persons like Jesuit priest Monsignor Manuel Teixeira, who wrote 123 books on the history of Macau and Portuguese influence in Asia. When Macau became more urbanized and developed, the 6th grade Macau program was discontinued.
2018 Tea Picking
in Fujian
For the last decade, 6th graders have gone to Beijing, enhancing the Chinese Culture Student Learning Result (SLR). Grade 7 engages in camping, climbing and hiking in Sai Kung and on Tung Lung Island, focusing on the Character Development SLR. Grade 8 students choose programs in Hong Kong, China, Cebu, Cambodia, and Thailand focusing on the Character Development and Contributing to Society SLRs. Among these programs are: Kayaking down the River Kwai, immersion in Taiwanese indigenous culture and volunteering at Crossroads International in Hong Kong. These activities all have a degree of pushing comfort zones. However, positive lifetime learning is enhanced by overcoming risks. As we reflect on Camp, SAW, and PEAK weeks, the memories linger. Alumni meeting up years later are overheard saying “Which PEAK trip did you go on?” “Do you remember on that Grade 6 Macau trip when….”
Ken Rohrs on the Sichuan biking trip, enjoying the panda-monium
Thanks to Fritz Voeltz and Jim Zahn for providing photos for this piece. n
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
23
Community
the booster club
Booster Club Promotes School Spirit and New Initiatives By Jennifer Howell, Booster Club Communications The HKIS Booster Club, a volunteer-run organization since 1994, operates and manages the Dragon Shop and reinvests all profits to support Dragon Athletics, extracurricular activities, and events to promote school spirit.
The Dragon Shop’s Back-to-School Sale set all-time sales records in August and we could not have done it without the efforts of our parent and student volunteers. It is a busy and sometimes overwhelming crowd in the HS Cafeteria, but all profits come back to HKIS in the form of grant allocations and spirit events. The Booster Club Board reviews grants applications each October. This year’s applicants had terrific representation across all divisions and from a diverse sample of athletics, arts, and project-oriented requests. Applicants are notified by the end of the semester. As for spreading the Dragon spirit, Torch, our trusty mascot, has been around at many different events this term, and students across all divisions love to dance, high-five, and take photos with him. You can see Torch at field days, sports tournaments, PFO’s Pumpkin Fest, and on most special occasions. We hope you can make it out to our next celebration of the HKIS spirit! n n at joy free popcor MS students en l BBQ in August. oo ch -S -to ck the Ba
We had an amazing number of LP parents help serve oranges at the LP Field Days in October.
Grace Clayton ’21 and Torch taking a photo op with this year’s cool pumpkins at the PFO Pumpkin Fest.
Louis Simone ’21 , Derek Ng ’20, Lucas Verderese ’20, and Toby Wang ’20 , enjoy refreshing Boos ter Club sno-cones durin g China Cup rugby in Se ptember. Parent volunteers Kathleen Barney and Angela McCareins in a rare lull at the Back-toSchool Sale in August. MS kids Clare Cheong, Vera Zibilich, and Queon Ernst all Class of ’25, hanging out with Torch. HS students Natalie Fung ’19 and Alyssa Giles ’19 volunteering at the Back-to-School Sale. Booster Club is so grateful to the students who give their time! 24
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Community
parent faculty organization
Another year, another successful Pumpkin Festival! Middle School entrance beautifully decorated by decorations team
By the Parent Faculty Organization At HKIS, October brings with it the annual Pumpkin Festival. This family-friendly fall event, hosted by the Parent Faculty Organization, took place this year on October 20, at the Middle School campus in Tai Tam, and had something for everyone.
At HKIS, as far back as anyone can remember, October brings with it the annual Pumpkin Festival. This year again, the parentand student-led festival had something for everyone. From the Boo-tique shopping bazaar, Bake Sale with custom-made cupcakes and the “Monster Book Sale”, to a talent show and lots of games and candy, the fair was a fun way to celebrate the fall and get ready for Halloween! As with planning any big event, there are always some hurdles and challenges. For the Pumpkin Festival, this year brought with it a highly unforeseen circumstance of our USA pumpkin VIPs “missing the boat” and not being able to make their traditional appearance. The strength and resilience of our HKIS community was shown by the fact that upon hearing this news, not only did the community spring into action to find ways for the pumpkins to get here, but when this was not possible, we were able to find alternatives and still plan an incredible Pumpkin Festival. The pumpkin patch was replaced by a display of 200 pumpkin sculptures and 200 pumpkin paintings of Grade 1 and Grade 2 artwork inspired by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The USA Girl Scouts introduced a very successful jack-o’-lantern craft as well as a pumpkin bots game. Parents and kids were able to partake in a pumpkin carving competition. And participants dunked faculty and administrators in an all-new Dunk Tank game! All amongst many other activities. As someone once said, “Necessity is the mother of invention”...and invent, and innovate we did! Thank you again to our planning committee, which included numerous HKIS alumni parents, and was the largest it has ever been, with over 70 parents working tirelessly over 6 weeks. Thank you also to all our parents, student, admin and faculty volunteers, who helped plan and run the event, clocking in at over 400 hours devoted before and on the day of the festival! Until next year! n
Pumpkin Festival photo booth
Middle School Principal Mr. Brad Latzke MC’ing the Donut Eating competition
LP Art Teachers Ms. Kit Lang and Mr. Augustine Tse with G1 and G2 Pumpkin Art
le School Aerial view of Midd stival 2018 during Pumpkin Fe
Bootique!
Photos courtesy of Denise Pontak
PFO volunteers selling baked goods at the Bake Sale
Sponge throwing game at the Black Box theatre
Student volunteers dressed up as Zombies in the Zombie Hunt game
High School Principal Dr. David Lovelin waiting to be dunked into the all new Dunk Tank game
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
25
Community
church of all nations
Continuing Community for Children in New Chapel Care for the children of HKIS teachers and the larger community has always been a priority for Church of All Nations, and the new chapel in Repulse Bay provides a vibrant space to continue that care. During the week of August 5, Church of All Nations hosted its annual “Vacation Bible School” (VBS). The VBS event is timed to welcome children of new HKIS faculty to the community and takes place during the week that all teachers start their school year. Children of new and returning faculty join children from CAN and the larger Hong Kong community for singing, crafts, Bible stories, sports, and snacks. Faculty and CAN teenagers join adult volunteers in guiding participants in the activities and making friendships. The flexibility of the architecture of the new chapel allowed for the variety of the activities to all take place under the Bible narrative windows that communicated Christ’s care for children as they build community together.
26
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Community
CAN Furnishings Make a Difference The new home of Church of All Nations received its new worship furnishings in August. CAN had commissioned the Center for Liturgical Art (https://liturgicalart.org), which had previously designed the “Many Waters” stained glass windows, to design a cross, altar, and other worship furnishings appropriate for the new chapel. The wall cross is inspired by the traditional Jerusalem Cross, a common symbol for both CAN and HKIS, that communicates the good news of Jesus’ resurrection going out from Jerusalem to the ends of the Earth. The large cross in the center has gold highlights while the four corner crosses are adorned with silver. The gilded arms of the cross are also represented in the altar, pulpit, and baptismal font to express that all worship flows from the cross of Jesus. The kneeling rails for communion are designed in a full circle to emphasize community, similar to the furnishings in the original chapel in 1967. These new accents for the chapel help CAN and the HKIS community to receive the gifts of God in worship while also praying together and serving others “to the ends of the Earth!” n
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
27
Student Life
schoolwide Christmas Card Competition Card! The Herald Angel Sings We received wonderful entries for this year’s “Design HKIS’s Christmas Card” competition. Congratulations to our winner Nicole Au ’23, whose thoughtful and creative design impressed us greatly. Due to the high quality of the entries, we also chose two pieces to use on our Tree Lighting Ceremony poster designed by Jasmine Shum ’29 and Sherry Chen ’27. A huge thank you to all those who shared their beautiful and talented drawings, reminding us of the fun, spiritual and festive side to this holiday season.
Winner Nicole Au ’23 on her design:
“My Christmas card design is basically about the two sides of Christmas: Elements from the story of Christmas from the Bible (right side) and some symbols that most people think of when they think about Christmas, like presents and reindeer (left side). I drew the nativity scene in the center of where those two paths meet, because I feel like it represents that Jesus’ birth is the main focus of Christmas. Christmas is a time to celebrate joy and happiness with family and friends, and the birth of Jesus gives light to this world, shining upon all of us.” n
Nicole Au ’23
Jasmine Shum ’29
28
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Sherry Chen ’27
Student Life
Henry Wolf ’30
Jolie Chow ’29
Haotian Zhang ’27
Mikayla Kwong ’32
Averie Tan ’26
Sebastian Chun ’30
Avery Pellicciotti ’28
Lydia He ’26
Aditya Kamat ’26
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
29
Student Life
lower primary and upper primary
Literacy and Innovation Come to Life at Repulse Bay
Students Get Into Character Lower Primary took their literacy program beyond the walls of the classroom and library to a fantasyland of book characters at the annual Book-o-Ween. Across the bridge, Upper Primary students tested out their innovation and design skills by creating handmade costumes at their annual Make-o-Ween.
30
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Student Life
Each year around Halloween, the Lower and Upper Primary Schools take advantage of the tradition of “dress-up� and take students into the world of books and innovation. It was a time of community, sharing of passions, and an opportunity for students to engage in character play. An HKIS favorite, students have traditionally paraded for parents on the rooftop of the old Lower Primary School. Now in their new facilities, the festive event to celebrate the love of books and innovation has become a time to build community among classmates across grades and classrooms. n
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
31
HKIS Gallery
Grade 1 and 2 Pumpkins
Lower Primary Student Art
32
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
After learning about the art and life of Yayoi Kusama, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students began creating works of art inspired by her dynamic forms and mesmerising patterns. Grade 1 began by creating observational drawings of real pumpkins before transforming them with polka dots and infinity nets, both signatures of her artwork. Grade 2 studied organic forms in the creation of a three-dimensional papier-mâché pumpkin sculpture. We then celebrated the students’ completion of their artworks at the Pumpkin Festival. n
Student Life
middle school
Orbis Flying Eye Hospital visit (2007)
Matrix Club...15 years on! “You want to be the pebble in the pond that creates the ripple for change.” – Tim Cook
Founding members of the Matrix Club (2005)
By Lino Santos
It all started in a Grade 6 Religious Education class in 2004. We were discussing the biblical understanding of human beings made in the image of God. If that was true, how do suffering people in the world fit into that understanding? The discussion ended in a class project, to collect funds for vitamin supplements for a whole year for AIDS-affected children in an orphanage. Some students wanted to do more. With the inspiration of Tiffany Wong ’10 and Gloria Wu ’10, an after-school club started in 2005 to help create service opportunities for Middle School students. It was called the Matrix Club, because a matrix is a surrounding substance within which something delicate grows and develops. We wanted the created experiences to be the matrix where compassion in the students’ hearts grew and developed. Over the years, there has been a steady stream of students who have shaped the growth of the club in unique ways. Initially, we conducted fundraising activities for people affected by natural disasters, for a campaign against child trafficking in Cambodia, to sponsor eye operations for poor people through Orbis, and to sponsor street children cared for by the Christina Noble Foundation. But the projects that got students most actively engaged were activities that required personal interaction with people whose lives were challenging. Teaching English to children studying at local schools from low-income backgrounds, playing with differently-abled students at the Caritas Lok Yi School, conducting activities at a Guangdong orphanage, and food drives were enriching experiences. In 2009, after a food drive to support the Chung King Mansions Refugee Centre, Caitlin Baggaley ’16, Seamus Gallivan ’16, Orla Deignan ’16, Charlotte Pecot ’16, and Maegan Delessio ’16 met the Centre’s representatives to explore ways to develop our engagement. They suggested that our students help refugee kids learn English, as many of them were struggling in school with this new language and did not have any home support. Saturday School was thus born! Refugee families were invited to the school campus twice a month, and for five hours, Middle School students would teach refugee kids reading, speaking and writing, while their parents would be taught English conversation and computer skills. Our amazing students managed all the logistics and the activities.
Matrix Club students teaching refugee children (2013)
A few years later the refugee kids had grown up and their English skills were at a level where our assistance was not crucial to their school success. Furthermore, we assessed the real needs of our guests and found what was needed most were opportunities to relax, engage in leisure activities and socialize. The Hong Kong government gives refugees $1,200 per person every month in food coupons. They get free health care, housing and education for children. But since they are strictly prohibited from working, refugees do not have the ability to engage in leisure activities. So their weekends are generally spent at home and life gets boring, frustrating and stressful. Most of them have lived in Hong Kong for many years, even up to twelve years, waiting in anticipation for their acceptance into a host country. A rejection of their application means deportation to the home country they fled from and for some it means prison. The traumatic experiences they escaped from still continue and the weekends exacerbate their melancholy and despondency. Students like Sydney Liang ’18, Jazmin Sandoval ’18, Lindsey Luo ’18, and Shayla Sandoval ’17 led the change in the way Saturday School was run. We have now begun to organize leisure activities for our guests once a month. We take them for beach activities, biking, movies, ice-skating, picnics and when we can, trips to Ocean Park or Disneyland. Matrix Club students commonly feel that they receive more from the refugees than they give. The happiness felt at the end of a Saturday School event is priceless. Students also speak about how the learning experiences they encounter in the Matrix Club is something that they do not have access to in classrooms and homes. It opens their minds and hearts to a different world, a world that pleads for human compassion that knows no boundaries. And when they respond in compassion they grow in their humanity. n
Discussing the creation of Saturday School at Chung King Mansions Refugee Centre (2012)
Matrix Club students at a Guangdong orphanage (2009)
Saturday School at the
Middle School (2015)
6)
Beach days with the refugees (201
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
33
Student Life
middle school Creative Writing
Angels Sifting Moonlight
A Mosaic of Nature
By Margot Siebengartner ’24
By Nicholas Yee ’23
You glance back at me and grin, kaleidoscopic eyes reflecting nonexistent stars As the weeping willows bow down begging to you for mercy long branches tickling the fallen leaves.
As frigid ice skims the surface As rivers of white shimmer down mountains As a light mist traverses the peaks The water sleeps
A sarcastic smile painted onto your face brushing aside branches leaves parting at your request As I follow you through the pine trees that are our kingdom, the blooming silver petals, that are our light. Taste of maple in my mouth Scent of pine, drifting through my nose Thoughts of knotted arms, angels sifting the pale moonlight through heaven’s canopy of dreams and nightmares alike. Your confident voice, ringing through our palace you stand As if you are frosted in ice lingering confidence in your eyes And I smile in admiration as you tell the forest who their leader is Your voice never breaking, not once. Glowing yellow moon, against a charcoal sky Golden syrup, enfolded within petals Honey soaking my tongue, clearing my thoughts Comfort through the smoke, that is your mask. Breeze tickling my face, carrying a sweet scent As we walk the leaf-carpeted trails, moonlight casting shadows on your face Eyes glittering frantically, Through the dark.
34
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
A trickle comes from the streams Carefully molding the valleys The mountains breathe A light breeze encasing the tranquil peaks The cobalt blue sky inhales deeply The crisp air exhaling freedom to the region Below beings are also quite mellow A harbor seal settles on a small slab of ice A humpback whale begins its journey back south As mountains stretch across the surface of the water Pockets of glistening ice speckle across— Creating a mosaic of nature
HKIS Gallery
Reception 2 Infinity Net Collaborative Artwork
Lower Primary Student Art
Learning how to describe and create different tints and shades in art, Reception 2 students worked collaboratively to make a 10-metre long Infinity Net. This design has received attention through Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s iconic Infinity Nets, which are used in the background of many of her artworks. Using repetitive marking inspired by nature, Yayoi’s Infinity Nets help to teach our young learners about color theory, geometric shapes and pattern. The banner was hung at the Pumpkin Festival in October, and is now on display on the 4th floor of the Lower Primary School at Repulse Bay. n
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
35
Student Life
high school
Learning Leading: High School Leadership Retreat DragonTales chats with Guinness Chen ’19, Presiding Officer on the Student Senate’s Executive Council, about the annual Leadership Retreat, held the first weekend after school starts in August, and why it’s so important to student leaders at HKIS. What was the Leadership Retreat?
The Leadership Retreat was a day-long event designed to teach HKIS club leaders management and logistical skills in order to prepare them for the upcoming school year. It was organized by the Senate ExCo, the executive council of the student government, and the school administration. All 157 club leaders were invited to the retreat, from service club leaders, to special interest club leaders, to student government officials. This was the fourth year of the Leadership Retreat.
The leaders were led this year by Sara Nilles, Executive Director of the Oregon Association of Student Councils. What perspective did she bring to the retreat? As a professional in leadership training, Ms. Nilles offered broad advice on the importance of teamwork, and also specific leadership tips. In particular, she led a breakout session on different personality types and how to effectively interact with each type. How did you work with her to present to the other student leaders? Ms. Nilles, the administrators, and some teachers led three breakout sessions. Later, ExCo presented on logistics and procedures for running a club at HKIS. What did the day look like? The first part of the day was focused on leadership training. Ms. Nilles gave a presentation on the importance of collaboration in the auditorium for all 157 leaders. The students were then split into three groups, which rotated through three breakout sessions about more specific leadership skills. The breakout sessions were about establishing norms, effectively interacting with different personality types, and brainstorming ways to contribute to the school community. After breakout sessions, the three groups reconvened in the auditorium and ExCo presented on logistics and procedures, for example, which forms to fill out when organizing events. After the presentation, the remaining time in the day was used as a working period for club leaders to plan their years.
36
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
What do you get out of an exercise like this personally and also as a collective? I think almost everybody learned something new from the retreat, whether it was how to write an effective agenda, or how to quickly identify someone’s personality type. As a collective, leaders came out of the retreat more prepared to lead their clubs, since they planned their years with their other club leaders. Is it fun? Yes! Practicing identifying personality types was surprisingly entertaining... What do you enjoy most about it? What is most challenging about it for you? As an organizer and presenter at the event, I enjoyed my portion of the presentation most. This also happened to be the most challenging part of the day, since I had to make sure that I was well enough informed on my topic of logistics to teach other leaders and answer questions. As a participant in the breakout sessions, I enjoyed learning new leadership strategies. It was challenging to plan out the entire year for my clubs, but that had to happen at some point, and it was great to plan in a collaborative environment with all of the other club leaders present. Have you seen the impact of this program? Club culture at HKIS is thriving thanks to the strength of student club leaders. Clubs and class officers have hosted several events, including talent shows and fundraisers. The campus seems to be more energetic nowadays thanks to the well-organized student-run events. What’s in store for next year? We’ve collected feedback on the event, because we’re trying to improve every year! Leaders have asked for more collaborative work time to plan their years, so we’ll try to integrate that into next year’s schedule.
Did you know…Based on the success of the August retreat, a follow-up session is scheduled for March 2019. This will be available to all students, and includes an advanced workshop for the leaders who attended the first session in August. In a nice alumni tie-in, the retreat is planned in collaboration with Seeds Training, organized by Matthew Sears ’02. n
Student Life
high school Jazz Workshop
The Birth of the Cool By Bo Wen Zhu ’20 and Jimmy Liu ’20
High School musicians travel to Guangzhou for the 5th Annual Southeast Asia Educational Jazz Festival and find their groove at the feet of world-class jazz musicians. HKIS’s Jazz Band and Jazz Combo in full swing at this year’s Jazz Festival
People say jazz is a dying genre, confined to the ranks of background music and dimly-lit bars. However, if they were present at the annual Jazz Festival this year at the American International School of Guangzhou, they would think again. The festival offered us an opportunity to connect with jazz music on a deeper, more meaningful level. With worldrenowned jazz musicians at our aid, the students of the HKIS jazz program all improved greatly under their instruction. Ray Herberer, professional trombonist, awed all with his jaw-dropping range while Dr. Gene Aitkin, as usual, gave extremely helpful feedback for all ensembles. Starting on October 13, HKIS jazz musicians gathered around the High School’s island to depart for Guangzhou. After the four-hour bus ride, we arrived at the hotel we would be staying in near campus. All of us were exhausted and hit the sack early, knowing that a big day was ahead of us. We walked to the school on the next morning and received a friendly welcome from the AISG faculty members. The introduction was short-lived, though. We were quickly rushed off to our master classes. For every instrument, a clinician was assigned to teach us more about how to perform unique aspects of jazz on our respective instruments. For example, the drummer clinician explored the signature swing pattern on the ride cymbal and subsequent possibilities of accompanying the band. We were also taught various practice techniques to improve our own playing. Through improvisation sessions for the guitar and the saxophones, our jazz musicians saw other perspectives and incorporated them into their own playing.
With the newfound understandings of our instruments, the ensemble went into rehearsal. We went over our performance pieces: Cold Duck Time, a groovy Latin song, Cold Sweat, a classic James Brown hit, and Blue Light Special, a fast swing piece. The clinicians gave us advice on aspects intended to enhance our sound, stressing particular articulations and more distinct backbeats. Come the performance in the afternoon, we were ready. We enjoyed the acts of other schools, which included an impressive string ensemble that had mere days to learn their pieces. When our turn came, we gave the showing our best, making it a true testament of our hard work this year so far. This jazz festival can absolutely be deemed a success. We immersed ourselves in jazz and engaged in meaningful exchanges with jazz professionals while being hosted by a generous school. We walked away with a more comprehensive understanding of jazz music and a keener ear for virtuoso playing. n The Southeast Asia Educational Jazz Festival
2018 brought us the 5th Annual Southeast Asia Educational Jazz Festival. HKIS hosted the event for the first four years, with the American International School of Guangzhou hosting this year. During the initial years, Kevin Harris-Lowe and I collaborated with Dr. Gene Aitken to get the festival off the ground and running. It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. Aitken, a world-renowned jazz educator with numerous connections with some of the top jazz artists throughout the world. Each year Dr. Aitken has helped us to bring in jazz specialists so that the students have been able to listen and learn the jazz idiom. –Tim Gavlik WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
37
HKIS Gallery
Upper Primary Student Art
The renovations at Upper Primary included the development of the Design Wing, whose opening came a few weeks after school began for Upper Primary students. This meant that as Upper Primary students eagerly awaited the opening of the new Art Studio, they were able to get creative in some temporary spaces. International Dot Day was a fabulous excuse to roll out the canvas. To celebrate Dot Day, our connectedness, and our community, students created circles of colored hues over a 10-meter canvas. Fourth grade students further added to the canvas at camp in October with circles of warm colors and splashes of pattern in the background. This dynamic piece will adorn the walls of our Repulse Bay campus very soon! n
38
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Events
By Hillary Sandeen
East Coast Alumni Reunions 2018 Boston Alumni Reunion
On Friday, November 2, 2018, I had the pleasure of hosting the New York City alumni reunion. The gathering took place at Banc Café which provided a cozy spot for alums to catch up with old friends and classmates. We enjoyed good food, drinks, stories and laughs throughout the evening. There was nice representation from the classes of 1999 and 2011 and even an alum from the first graduating class of 1968, Eric Maché, who joined the reunion for the second consecutive year along with his wife, Melanie. I also caught up with Lesli Hammerschmidt ’84 who I had previously met when she attended the 50th Anniversary events in Hong Kong in 2016. It’s always fun to meet alums and hear why HKIS and their time at the school remains so special to them regardless of how much time has passed or how long it’s been since they’ve visited the school.
Bang ’12 Max Luo ’15, Ted ’10 Wu rie Ma and
Boston Sydney Hoi ’14, Estelle Ip ’14 and Minnie Chan ’14
The next stop on the East Coast tour was Boston where we had a fun gathering at a lively pub in the Back Bay. We had a fun group of alums that attended from the class of 2014 and a few alums that are now young professionals or continuing their studies in Boston. It was great hearing what the soon to be graduates are planning to do after graduation which for quite a few was additional studies. Good luck to you all! Washington, D.C. was the last stop on the alumni tour and we had a nice mix of alums from various classes and decades gather for a delicious lunch at The Pig, a local hotspot. There were a few recent 2018 graduates who are now attending Georgetown and they shared with me how much they miss HKIS. And, I finally met Brittany Fried ’15, who has a starring role in our new alumni video, as well as Eneka Lamb ‘10, sister of Alicia Lamb ’13 who is currently the regional rep in San Francisco. Thanks to everyone for attending our reunions and I hope to see you again next year! n
NYC Alumni Reunion Sarah Price ’11, Miles Surrey ’11, Jeremy Hsu ’11, Kevin Matthews ’11 and friend Andrew Carlson
nion Washington D.C. Alumni Reu
Washington, D.C.
Lara Jacqueline Hartzenbusch ’86 and Eneka Lamb ’10.
New York City w ’11, friend Andre Zachary Carlson vine ’11 and Shari Le ice Pr rah Sa , on Carls ’11
Jessica Henc k ’99, Blake Austin ’99, Paige (Baker) Detor ’99 and Asami Tanimot o ’00.
Emily (Keith) Fried ’04 , Kevin Darmody ’00, Anna Darmody ’00 and Brittany Fried ’15
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
39
Events
Hong Kong Chapter Alumni Summer Drinks
Liz Liang ’04, Jessica Berman ’00, Nicole Pang’00 and Allan Wong’00
Jonathan Lau ’06 enjoys a chat with a friend
Janet Taylor and Peter Fishel ’68
Michael Au ’00 Allan Wong ’00, ev ’05 dre An ita Nik and
On June 14, 2018, the Advancement Office co-hosted a “Welcome Back Alumni” summer drinks evening with the Hong Kong Chapter Alumni Association. We had a great turnout at Topiary, a cozy Soho gem, where alums gathered under the stars and lights of the beautiful Hong Kong skyline. Former classmates caught up over a cold beer and and delicious snacks and reconnected with long-time High School math teacher Mrs. Janet Taylor. We were lucky to have alumni from the first class of 1968 up to our newest graduates in attendance. It was a great way to start the summer. n
annual general meeting for the alumni association - hk chapter By Andrew Kwan ’97
The Hong Kong Chapter holds its annual general meeting and elects its new board. Meet the members. The HKIS Alumni Association Hong Kong Chapter elected a new board at its Annual General Meeting on September 27, 2018. The meeting was held in Bar Six with 60 alumni attending. Alumni members voted in seven board members of their choice to serve for a term of two years. The elected board members are: Anthony Chang ’90, Johnny Kong ’01, Andrew Kwan ’97, Kimberly Kwok ’05, Justin Lui ’04, Matthew Sears ’02 and Jason Tan ’96. Mr. George Coombs and Mrs. Janet Taylor will continue to serve as the two faculty members on the board. The board will develop a range of initiatives to connect alumni to one another and deepen alumni engagement with the school. Examples of initiatives in the past include an alumni-exclusive tour of the Lower Primary School, alumni career mixers with students, and various types of socials such as game nights and casual happy hours.
Jason Tan ’96 40
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Looking into the future, other initiatives will be added, such as an alumni-exclusive tour of the newly renovated Upper Primary School. A structured program to connect alumni entrepreneurs and business owners with the alumni community is also in the works. The seven board members come from a variety of professional backgrounds in business, education, finance, law, and technology. United by their passion for HKIS, they aim to serve the alumni community with enthusiasm and diligence. They would love to hear ideas and thoughts from the alumni community, and can be reached at hkisalumni.hk@gmail.com. n
Johnny Kong ’01 New Board Members. BACK: Johnny Kong ’01, Kimberly Kwok ’05, Justin Lui ’04, Anthony Chang ’90. FRONT: Jason Tan ’96, Andrew Kwan ’97 & Matt Sears ’02.
HKIS Gallery
Middle School Student Art Mixed Media
Zoe Ballard ’24
Ava Singer ’24
Alexandra Scott ’24
Caitlyn Ng ’23
Sarrah Petladwala ’23
Zoe Tranbarger ’24 WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
41
Events
Class of 1988 30th Reunion The Class of 1988 held its 30th reunion on June 14-17, 2018 in Hong Kong. Over 120 classmates, families, and friends from Hong Kong, San Francisco, L.A., New York, Chicago, Seattle, and other parts of the U.S. as well as Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, UK, South Africa, China, Singapore, and Taiwan, gathered to celebrate our graduation and friendship. It was a packed itinerary that included the Aqualuna harbour boat tour, cocktails at the American Club in Central, campus tours of the new Lower Primary School and the Tai Tam Campus, celebration dinner at the American Club in Tai Tam, dim sum at City Hall, Peak walk, tram party, dinner at the famous Tung Po in North Point, and a Hong Kong yacht tour. It was great to be able to pick up where we all left off and meet spouses, partners, kids, and new friends. In addition to celebrating, the class came together to sponsor the Annual Fund by naming an HKIS tree at the Tai Tam campus. As you can see from the pictures below, the class of 1988 still knows how to celebrate! We can’t wait for our 35th! n
n, Melody Fong, Vanessa Chie The Organizing Committee: n, Prescille Cernosia at our reunion Cha Kevin Tranbarger, Lincoln in Tai Tam. dinner at the American Club
Recreating our 1988 class picture at Repulse Bay.
Original 1988 class picture at Repulse Bay.
The reunion took over Tung Po Restaurant in North Point for a fun dinner.
42
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
HKIS Gallery
Middle School Student Art Photography
Hanna Ladeborn ’23
Rixi Lagutaine ’24
Nathalie Bos ’24
Justin Lee ’24
Emily Yates ’23 WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
43
Events
y Fung, Tiffany Lee, Shirle eenie Qu g, un Le n llia Gi ng, Mak, Jessica Ko a Hung, Elaine Kwok, Zit Jackie Yip
Class of 1998 20th Reunion
hong kong “Some people make headlines. We [continue to] make history” By Denise Wong ’98
Over 45 members of the class of 1998 and their families gathered in Hong Kong the weekend of July 7, 2018, to celebrate our milestone 20th reunion. It was exciting to see so many familiar faces, with several making the long trip over from the U.S. and other parts of Asia. The weekend kicked off with a return to Tai Tam, and an exclusive tour of the high school campus led by Jackie Yang (Class of ’98 and HKIS Annual Fund Manager). Highlights included seeing the impressive new extensions to the campus and the state-of-the-art facilities, as well as meeting spouses and toddlers who very well could be next generation Dragons!
Joe Peace, Denise Wong, Emil Wong, Calvin Koo
Terence Lee ’97, Robbie Hsiung, Jason Lee, Denise Wong, Queenie Mak, Russell Yu
Festivities continued in Tai Hang at Bond Restaurant over cocktails and dinner. Our class was delighted to be joined by faculty members Mrs. Janet Taylor, Mr. George Coombs, Mr. Marty Schmidt, Ms. Zella Talbot, and Mrs. Lydia Kho to reminisce about our days in Tai Tam and our favorite Interims. The night continued in LKF, packed with nostalgia and visits to several old haunts. One class of 98’er commented, “it was great to know my HKIS buddies are still the same goofy kids I used to pal around with.” A big thanks to the planning committee: Victor Apps, Mason Chenn, Queenie Mak, Emil Wong, and Jackie Yang for bringing so many of us back together for such an epic weekend.
Elaine Kwok, Jackie Yang, Natalie Fung, Tiffany Lee, Jessica Kong, Erica Fung, Shirley Fung, Gillian Leung, Jack ie Yip, Denise Wong, Queenie Mak, Lean ne Lu
In the words of another class of 98’er: “Old friends. New conflicts. Stay tuned as the class of 1998 enters their sexy and still-relevant 21st season!” n
Ryan Cuddyre, Mason Chenn, Fletcher Leung, Joe Peace, Derrick Chan, Robbie Hsiung, Norton Fung, Emil Wong, Russell Yu, Mike Wynn, Jordan Baggs, Calvin Koo, Kevin Yeh, Victor Apps, Jason Lee, Walt Arnold
TOP L to R: Jordan Baggs, Zita Hung, Jackie Yip, Gillian Leung, Mike Wynn, Mason Chenn, Calvin Koo, Emil Wong, Derrick Chan, Jason Lee, Jason Shum, Kevin Yeh MIDDLE L to R: Justin Wong, Walt Arnold, Ryan Cuddyre, Fletcher Leung, Victor Apps, Mr. Marty Schmidt, Mr. George Coombs, Mrs. Lydia Kho, Ms. Zella Talbot, Natalie Fung, Shirley Fung, Mrs. Janet Taylor, Norton Fung BOTTOM L to R: Robin Tsang, Joe Peace, Elaine Kwok, Tiffany Lee, Denise Wong, Robbie Hsiung, Jackie Yang, Jessica Kong, Queenie Mak 44
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Walt Arnold, Ryan Cuddyre, Victor Apps, Mike Wynn
Events
nashville We continue to make history...around the world! By Alexandra (Taran) Payne ’98
From Lan Kwai Fong bars to Broadway honkey tonks; dim sum carts to hot chicken topping slices of Wonder Bread; a skyline clustered with high rises scraping the clouds of Central, Hong Kong to the single iconic Batman building of downtown Nashville.
1998 Alumni & their families: Andrea Schafer Henderson Bora (Lee) Choi Alexandra Payne Angira (Apte) Sceusi Elaine (Chau) Barker Seth Clayton Ardella Anderson Molly Sheridan Sarah Jeunger Kirby Ninon (Shrigley) Shesgreen
In September, classmates from the class of 1998 convened in Music City from Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, Florida, Tennessee, New York, and even Arizona and California. The weekend was packed with some of the best sweet and savory eats this city’s burgeoning food scene has to offer — Friday dinner indulging in contemporary Chinese cuisine over yearbooks at Tansuo, brunch and a kiddo-friendly music class courtesy of Miss Emily at Tenn Little Birds at my home featuring kolaches and as-big-as-your-face cinnamon rolls from neighborhood breakfast joint Yeast Nashville and Sunday brunch packed with flaky biscuits, spicy-sweet bacon and bonuts (donuts made from biscuit dough) at Biscuit Love in the quaint town of Franklin. The best, for me, though was being able to reconnect with some classmates I hadn’t seen for over 24 years as they moved away before having the chance to graduate high school at HKIS. Thank you for coming to Nashville — and for those who didn’t get the chance to join us, my door is always open. I would love to see you! n Get in touch with Alexandra! Email her at alexandra.t.payne@gmail.com
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
45
HKIS Gallery
High School Student Art Photography
Alex Swanson-Bell ’19
Rachel Chan ’20
Tommy Hughes ’20
Dixie Lonergan ’19
46
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Annastasia Kim ’19
Alumni Making Moves
Branding and Marketing Julie (Foo) Chee ’97 and Ian Chee ’97 California Dreaming
Life is full for high school sweethearts Julie (Foo) Chee ’97 and Ian Chee ’97. The couple takes a moment to think back to their HKIS days, and reflect on balancing three kids and two full careers in branding and marketing.
What’s your HKIS-to-college story? JULIE: I was at HKIS for three years, Sophomore-Senior years. I went to Washington University in St. Louis and majored in Marketing. IAN: I was an HKIS lifer, going from kindergarten to graduation. I went to Columbia University in New York and majored in Philosophy, which means I spent college pontificating on the meaning of life. How did HKIS influence you? JULIE: Before moving to Hong Kong, I lived in New Jersey and Arkansas. I wasn’t exposed much to my Chinese roots until moving to Hong Kong. Going to HKIS was the perfect balance of the American education that I was used to with the valuable exposure to other cultures. The experience gave me a broader, global perspective, and solidified in my mind that I would one day want my kids to have a similar international experience. What’s something that you vividly remember from your time at HKIS? Have you kept up any hobbies or interests from those days? JULIE: Starting the Hong Kong Dancers is one of my proudest accomplishments — the school lacked a dance program, and my fellow classmates and I were able to put a group together which still lives on today. IAN: I kept up on one major interest, my then best friend is now my wife. If a high school can give you a lifetime of love and three kids, I think that’s pretty great. I also believe that international school experiences breed a different kind of friendship; I still keep in close touch with a few of my best friends from those years. Tell us about your careers in marketing. JULIE: I majored in Marketing, but wasn’t sure what that would lead to. After graduating, I dipped my toe into Public Relations for a bit and then ended up spending most of my career in Experiential Marketing with a focus in the Beverage/ Alcohol Industry. I’m now a Trade Marketing Manager, Fine Wines, at Constellation Brands. IAN: I kind of just lucked into it. When I was in Hong Kong for a short time, my first boss in marketing took a big risk and hired me to lead marketing strategy for McDonald’s in China. This gave me a unique perspective on marketing global brands in a truly developing (at lightening speed) market like China in the early 2000s. I genuinely love what I do, which allows me to blend art and science into one job. I’ve been lucky enough to lead major technology marketing like relaunching the Uber brand. It’s fulfilling to see the work you
do every day on everyone’s phones and screens. In my new job, I get to tackle similar challenges at an even bigger global scale. It’s pretty awesome. How have you seen your industries develop over the last few years? JULIE: The beverage/alcohol industry is extremely competitive, as there are so many big, established brands along with new entrants coming into the market each year. This requires an agile, innovative workforce. The industry is no longer one that requires “feet on the street” alone - the people behind the brands need to better understand the shopper and consumer and how they impact their business. New faces are bringing creativity and innovation to the table, forcing us to build brands differently than in years past. IAN: In what I do, change is the only real constant. Consumer behavior is shifting at a pace never seen in recorded history. If you have the appetite for it, this allows for constant ability to create, innovate and reinvent old norms. Personally, I find what I do, at the cross-section of humanity, creativity and technology, to be one of the most interesting intersections. Consumer behaviors are changing, technology is driving that change, which in turn forces us to be more creative than ever with the ways we engage. At its core, it’s simply creative problem solving, and that excites me. Most unusual work experience? IAN: I was once called by my boss for a wonderfully awkward task: My only job that day was to hang out with Spike Lee. It was a good day. How’s life in the U.S.? JULIE: With three young kids, we are very happy living in the U.S. right now. However, we would love to move overseas one day so that our kids have the same international experiences that we did when we were younger. IAN: Julie has her dream job in wine in her dream house in a cul de sac. I’m not leaving California any time soon. Any family news? We have known each other for 23 years and have been married since 2009. There were a couple of HKIS alums at the wedding, whom we are still very close with. We have 3 amazing kids: Emma (6) and twins Aidan & Isla (3). They’re all in school and are loving it! n You can get in touch with Julie at julie.r.chee@gmail.com and Ian at ianchee@gmail.com WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
47
Alumni Making Moves
Academia & Science Hiking in the White Mountains with Lua.
Amanda (Henck) Schmidt ’98
Teaching a Cuba measure disch n collaborator to arge.
Celebrating Amanda’s tenure with family Jessica ’99, Justin ’03, and husband Josh.
Hiking the Franconia Ridge Trail with Colby and Josh.
A Rock Solid Career
Geologist Amanda (Henck) Schmidt ’98 dives into detail on the bedrock of her career: Her years at HKIS. How many years were you at HKIS? Where did you go to college, what did you study? I was at HKIS from 1st to 12th grade. After HKIS, I went to Princeton where I studied Environmental Engineering and continued taking Mandarin, which I started at HKIS. My PhD is in Geosciences from the University of Washington. What lessons did you take from your time at HKIS? Who or what influenced you? Have you kept up any hobbies or interests from those days? I became interested in interfaith dialogue in high school ([former humanities teacher] Jen Hammonds was a big influence). At Oberlin I am the Bahá’í affiliate with the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and host a women’s interfaith prayer group. An Outward Bound Interim in Japan was the first time I noticed overt sexism; [former humanities teacher] Julia Childs helped me process these experiences. As a scientist, sexism is something I face regularly, and I am grateful for skills I developed at HKIS. I still swim competitively (in triathlons instead of swim meets) and rock climb, both of which I started at HKIS. You’re now a professor of Geology and Head of Archeological Studies at Oberlin College. How did you go about making this happen? How did you become interested in geology? I became interested in geology while completing my undergraduate thesis, which turned out to be a geology project rather than an engineering one. After college I was teaching English in Harbin, China, and quickly realized that I am a horrible English teacher, so I applied to graduate school in geology. I ended up at Oberlin because I wanted to be at a school where undergraduate education was a priority. My involvement with archaeology is because some of my research is in collaboration with archaeologists. You’ve done much of your research in China. How did studying Chinese at HKIS help you on that path? Did you set out to do work in China in particular? I started working in western China because of speaking Mandarin. I kept working there because so many interesting projects keep cropping up. I am interested in how people alter rates of erosion. In China, I study how 1950s-80s deforestation policies, long-term indigenous land use, and modern reforestation policies shaped the landscape we see today. 48
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Recently I have branched out to the Caribbean and have projects in Cuba (on the conversion to organic agriculture after the fall of the USSR) and Dominica (on the effects of Hurricane Maria, which hit in September 2017). You’re heading to Chengdu next year; what will you be working on? I will be studying a really big (~850 km2) suspected paleo-lake (ancient lake that doesn’t exist anymore) in the Yanyuan Basin in SW Sichuan. It may have existed as recently as 2,000 years ago, which has major implications for the archaeology of the region. What do you love about your work? What do you wish people knew about what you study? Geology isn’t a science people think of studying, but it is a great application of other sciences. I wish more students who love nature and science considered geology as a possible major. We regularly end up with students who say “I wish I’d found geology earlier!” I love my undergraduate research students. They take so much ownership of the research and develop their skills as scientists over the course of their time in the lab. Several have gone on to top graduate programs and one now runs a lab at Stanford. Outside my research, the best thing about my job is teaching. I want to do service as part of my career. When I teach a introductory science course, I am improving scientific literacy for many students and thus providing an important service to society. Care to share an unusual experience, a surprising find, a weird coincidence related to your work, or you and HKIS? Mary Chen ’98 and I won “joined at the hip” our senior year. Mary studied geology for her BA and I did for my PhD. It’s fun to have that connection. I haven’t yet run into other HKIS alumni at geology conferences or at Oberlin but hope I will. If you are ever in Oberlin, definitely let me know! Any personal/family updates you would like to share? In my other full-time job (being a parent), my daughter Lua is 4 and my son Colby is 6. Lua is really excited to go to “kindergarten China” next year. Colby wants to be an astrophysicist when he grows up. n You can read more about Amanda’s lab on this blog (ocgeomorph.blogspot.com), or follow along on Instagram (@obiegeomorph). Email Amanda at achenck@gmail.com
Alumni Making Moves
Architecture New Office Works Inspire Young Architects
Evelyn Ting ’05
Evelyn returns to Hong Kong to start a new architecture design firm and introduce more creative building opportunities in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Young Architects & Designers Competition Award Ceremony
Inside New Office Works’ Wong Chuk Hang studio
West Kowloon Pavilion - View from harbour
You graduated in 2005, having been at HKIS for eight years. What was college like for you? What did you do afterwards? After high school, I went to Columbia University, where I received my B.A in Architecture. Studying architecture can be very intense, characterized by long hours in the studio drawing and making models, but the sheer enthusiasm of my fellow classmates was really motivating. Immediately following graduation, I moved to Beijing for work. I felt it was important to get some work experience before graduate school, it was right after the Beijing Olympics, and I was interested in the emerging architectural scene in China. I worked there for a year — there was a deep sense of camaraderie in the office and lots of exciting building opportunities. Incidentally, that’s also where I met my partner Paul. I then returned to the U.S to get my Masters of Architecture at MIT, and after several more years of working abroad, in New York, Madrid, London, I decided to move back to Hong Kong to start New Office Works. What are some of your favorite memories from your HKIS days? I was very involved in music and played flute in the wind ensemble throughout middle and high school. Some of my favourite memories are from rehearsals, performances and competitions with the band. Looking back, what at HKIS influenced you? There was a lot of freedom at HKIS to pursue different interests simultaneously. Being surrounded by curious and ambitious people definitely pushed me to be more aggressive in pursuing my career.
West Kowloon Pavilion
- View from park
What do you love about architecture? What projects are you most proud of ? I enjoy architecture because it can be on the one hand incredibly abstract and conceptual, and on the other hand, entirely material and pragmatic. You can approach architectural design from many different ways. In our office, we try to be mindful of both, to present a clear idea with every project and to be precise with how it is detailed and constructed. The West Kowloon Pavilion is a good example of this. Congratulations on winning the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority’s Hong Kong Young Architects & Designers Competition! Tell us about the pavilion you designed for for WKCD — what inspired you? Thank you! Our pavilion is entitled Growing Up, a reference to the nursery park next to the site and West Kowloon as a place to cultivate arts and culture in the city. The profile of the pavilion is quite simple — a long timber structure with a sloped transparent roof, but the design is also embedded with everyday elements fundamental to Hong Kong — narrow alleys, steps, scaffolding, the traditional Chinese roof, rain, and palm trees. We hope the pavilion will help highlight the many unique qualities of Hong Kong as a city beyond the density of towers, and that it will introduce more creative building opportunities in the near future. The competition attracted over 300 entries, which goes to show the hunger and passion of young Hong Kong architects. We are honoured and encouraged by the award to continue making architecture in the city. Are you still in touch with many HKIS alumni? Yes, I am still in touch with many HKIS alums — we continue to be a close-knit group of friends. n Get in touch with Evelyn! Email her at evelyn@newofficeworks.com WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
49
HKIS Gallery
High School Student Art Illustration
Caitlyn O’Donnell ’19
Caroline Spackman ’19
Peter Kim ’19
Caitlyn O’Donnell ’19 50
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
Caroline Spackman ’19
Milestones
a flowery farewell Vienna Chung High School Receptionist
How did you come to HKIS? I ran my own flower shop for seven years, and before that I worked for 20 years at the Peninsula Group. Clara Wong [former High School Executive Secretary] and I were high school classmates, and she used to order flowers from my shop for HKIS. In 1996, I had some health issues, and I decided to stop my business. Clara was the one to suggest I come to HKIS. I thought, work at HKIS? I’d be no good at that, I’m only good at flowers! But she was very persuasive. She even said to Mr. Handrich, “Jim it’s not for you to say yes, it’s for Vienna to say yes.” How can she say that? That’s Clara for you!
What are your plans now that you’ve retired? I will enjoy my long trip to visit family and friends in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and then I will think about doing something with flowers again. I’ve taught flower arranging at the HK Electric Home Management Centre before, which is rewarding, so I may try that again. All the students are happy about the nice arrangements.
You didn’t think you could do it? You’re such a natural! I have no problem communicating with people. But being in a room with four walls, at a desk, I didn’t think it would suit me. But I thought I would try it for a few years, and the next thing I know it’s been 20 and I’m retiring!
What did you like about HKIS? I enjoyed the environment — it’s such a beautiful school. I love the kids and really enjoy talking to them, whether they’re happy or not. I always wanted them to leave the office with a happy face. That’s my job. To this day, a few HKIS alums, like Man Ho Choi ’00, keep in contact with me, and are always asking, “Auntie, how are you doing?” They live in LA so I will visit them and let them take me out for dinner now that they have good jobs of their own! When they come visit I buy them dinner, that’s how it goes.
What sort of projects did you work on when you were with the Peninsula? We mostly took care of the flower arrangements in the function rooms, for parties, special occasions, VIP rooms. Our busiest times were holidays, like Valentine’s Day and Christmas and Mothers’ Day — we’d work overnight to prepare all the bouquets. My favorite was to do wedding banquets and other events in the ballrooms. It was a headache, but very rewarding.
What do you wish people knew about the job you did? Being at the front of the office you have to always make people feel comfortable, to welcome them. It’s very important, even though there are lots of parents, students and others, who may not be in a good mood. You just have to let them finish crying their heart out, you cannot answer or interrupt. Once they’re calmer, you ask, how can I help, I can find the right person to solve the problem. I have to be a good listener.
How was running your own shop different from working within a big company? Working at the Peninsula, I had staff and just worked according to the daily schedules for the lobby/restaurants/ special function rooms/delivery service. Whereas running my own shop was Monday to Monday, round-the-clock work! No holidays, no glamour, but very rewarding! Part of this was to manage costs: I had to get involved as much as possible to manage the cost of operations (flowers are perishable!).
What did you love to do? I enjoyed saying good morning to faculty, especially [Spanish Teacher] Gabriel Fornes Dutilh who would teach me Spanish and would I teach him Cantonese. New teachers like learning a few phrases in Cantonese — Joh san, sikfan leih ah…, ok lah! heung gong wok sai hok hau yat ho hong san doh…. Hong sahn yauloh! To get off the minibus! They also have to learn how to bargain at Shau Kei Wan wet market! — peng dee mgoy. It works! Wear a smile on your face and it works!
What’s your favorite flower? Lily of the valley. You can’t get it in Hong Kong as they don’t last; they’re too much hassle to ship to Hong Kong. I also love cymbidium, the boat orchid. They are very sturdy and they last. To make a beautiful arrangement all you need is a few big leaves, some orchids, and and a nice elongated vase.
What will you miss? The kids. And my working team in the High School Office.
Did you do anything with your floral talents at HKIS? I always helped Carol Eichert, the former High School college counselor, with floral arrangements for graduation and National Honor Society. It’s in my blood!
What will you not miss? I won’t miss the early morning start! n Get in touch with Vienna! Email her at viennahychung@gmail.com Cecilia Chau, Mimi Li, Joanna Lin, Tse Doreen Lui, Elaine Ma, Elizabeth and Vienna Chung at HKIS’s CNY Dinner
Mimi Li, Vienna, Veronica Cheung and Elaine Ma WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
51
In Memoriam A. Karl Boehmke Church of All Nations Pastor, 1967-72
Karl Boehmke died peacefully surrounded by his family on August 19, 2018. He was 99 years old. “Missionary at Large” was the title of Rev. A. Karl Boehmke’s first call as an ordained pastor. That title would eventually cover a full 60 years and more of ministry in various mission stations in the United States and overseas. Born in 1919 to parents of Germanic background, August Karl Boehmke grew up in Buffalo, NY, and studied in that city’s public schools. Early on he felt called to ministry and entered schools of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod first in Bronxville, NY, then in St. Louis, MO. He married LaVerne Olive Telle, of St. Louis; together they answered calls to found new parishes. First was Pilgrim congregation in Bethesda, MD, in the war-time Washington, D.C. area. Work there was soon interrupted by a call to active duty as chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Commissioned at the Pentagon by the U.S. Chief of Chaplains, he served military personnel and families for two years of the Korean War at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts. Released from active duty, Boehmke served Calvary parish in Leonia, NJ, for three years. He then began a new mission in suburban Detroit, MI, Shepherd King congregation, during the heyday of auto manufacturing there. Teenagers constituted a major part of that parish, Karl and LaVerne’s own three children among them. Again, military duty interrupted as the Cuban missile crisis threatened nuclear war; however, that active tour turned out to be brief as the crisis was quickly resolved. Next came a call to Hong Kong in East Asia, where the newly founded Hong Kong International School was getting underway. Boehmke served as chaplain there while concurrently organizing the sister Church of All Nations. Students and expatriate parishioners from 36 countries were served during waning days of British colonialism. As the Vietnam War was then at its height, Boehmke traveled to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, where at the base hospital he would minister to servicemen seriously wounded in the Vietnamese engagements.
52
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
After six years with the Hong Kong mission, the Boehmkes repatriated to the U.S. Once more came a call from the Air Force, with brief tours of duty at Scott A.F. Base, IL and Plattsburg, NY. Then came a dozen years spent in founding one final mission parish at Fairport, NY, Risen Christ congregation, during the flourishing days of Eastman Kodak and Xerox. He was fond of the hymn line, “I will go, Lord, if you lead me; I will hold your people in my heart.” Now it was time to retire to St. Louis, MO, where Karl joined the newly organized Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and spent twenty years filling short interim pastorates for congregations as they searched for permanent ministers. During these years he completed his twenty-eight years of service with the Air Force Reserve, eventually retiring with the grade of lieutenant colonel. Health concerns called for a move to Pullman, WA, and residence at the Bishop Place Senior Residence there. Karl is survived by his loving wife LaVerne (Telle) Boehmke; by his sister Jean LaBarr Schwartz; by his children Sharon (Boehmke) Swanson, Karl A. Boehmke (MaryAnn), and Anne (Boehmke) Harpster (William); by his grandchildren Jennifer (Boehmke) Hudson (Michael) and Jasmine Boehmke; and by his great-grandchildren Isaiah Hudson and Jasper Karl Hudson.
Staying Connected
Alumnus Eric Maché ’68 remembers Rev. Boehmke and his impact on HKIS
Reverend Boehmke was a strong leader. He was an imposing figure physically, with a calm, but self-assured speaking voice. When he talked, people listened. His leadership came at an opportune time during the first year of HKIS where he developed a strong relationship between the school and the Church of All Nations. He was not only chaplain to the school, but he was also an active member of the school administration board. One reason why I think he was so successful as a liaison was because he was so well-grounded. You always felt that you
Photos of Rev. Boehmke from HKIS’s 1968 yearbook.
could talk to him about anything, and knew he would listen with an open mind, no matter what your beliefs. As a student, this meant a lot to me.
Melissa Miller ’79
I’m saddened to tell you that my sister, Melissa Miller of the HKIS Class of 1979, passed away in her sleep on August 15, 2018 following a five-month battle with colon cancer. After moving to Hong Kong in 1974, she graduated from HKIS and attended college in Wisconsin and London before returning to Hong Kong for her initial career in radio and TV. After the handover, she returned to the US and took overseas positions in Ecuador and Turkey in journalism and teaching prospective American immigrants English as a Second Language and American Culture. Her final job was in her hometown of Jackson, California where she helped developmentally disabled adults adjust to challenging social environments. —Paul Miller ’81
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
53
Staying Connected
Class Notes
1980 Karen Erickson
1997 Philip Chen
In July 2018, I got married to Karen Chen in her hometown of Taipei, followed by a reception in my hometown of New York. We were blessed to have so many friends from Hong Kong and around the world join us in the celebration, including my best buddy since kindergarten, Rahul Pushkarna ’97.
Karen Erickson ’80 and George Briggs were married at the Eisenhower Recreation Center in The Villages, Florida on March 9, 2018. My grandkids were our flower girls and ring bearers. George’s family and our Villages friends were also in attendance. In the second picture, my sister, Linda Evans, Class of 1982, is standing next to me. At the left end are my stepdaughter Lindsay Harris and her husband Wade and my grandkids Payton, London, Oliver and Briton. Next to George are my stepson Michael Redlinger and his wife Whitney and my grandkids Teegan and Cooper. At the end to the right is Linda’s daughter Brooke Jackson and her husband David. Linda’s husband Brian and my parents Keith and MaryAlice Erickson were unable to attend. 54
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
2015 Tristan Chao The four winds in Mahjong play a crucial part in directing the game. They give the game its authenticity and its foundation. In a way the four of us, Angus Chu ’17, Natalie Chu ’17, Andrew Cheung ’17, and I have been the winds that shift the club’s directions to new heights and success. Along our path, we ensured we brought some of the best of HKIS to the University of Toronto such as an appreciation of Chinese culture and contributing to society.
What is the University of Toronto Mahjong Society? Our club strives to represent students who have interest in the game of Mahjong. During our club events, we teach and play along with students from all across the globe. We also wanted to give back to community more than just the game, so we partnered with the Canadian Mahjong Federation. We also give students an opportunity to gain scholarships through competing in the Mahjong National Competition.
Being Founder of the club and President, it is sad to let go as this was my personal project. However, I am confident the club will be taken care of well as I graduate University this coming year. Sometimes we joke that this club is the unofficial “HKIS club” and it is not entirely false. Having four HKIS alumni in the top executive positions surely means something. I hope new HKIS students who come to University of Toronto partake in this wonderful club and get a chance to play a game so popular and iconic. Please check us out on: Instagram: @utmasociety facebook.com/utmasociety www.utmasociety.com
Nancy Kroonenberg
Nancy Kroonenberg, former HS teacher and administrator from 1977-1996, met up with alums and former faculty living in or passing through Amsterdam: Lauran Bethell (LPS), Lesley Lewis (HS), Pele Hallam-Young (HS), Patricia Wei ’81 and Pamela Mar ’87. Most recently, she visited former colleagues Jen (HS) and James (ES) Hammonds in Doha. Several former HKIS staff work in The Hague, and a 2019 reunion is planned. Stay tuned for more details. .
Ken Rohrs
On November 14, 2018, in Seattle, a group of former HKIS faculty and administration gathered for dim sum. The gathering was organized by Bob Matthews, and Bob Christian gave a wonderful synopsis of his family and his Lutheran educational ministry in the Bronx, Hong Kong, and Seattle. Wonderful sharing and celebrating. .
We know you like to read Class Notes.... so submit yours today! Contact alumni@hkis.edu.hk with your updates, stories, and photos.
Staying Connected Apart from the usual joy of Book- and Make-o-Ween, seeing the community come together to clean debris after Typhoon Manghkut tore through Hong Kong in September was remarkable and moving. YA author Margaret Stohl also popped by for an impromptu visit and spent time with MS students working on creative writing, and with HS students to talk about game design and online communities, along with video game designer ME Chung.
Social ions Sensat
FOLLOW US ON
www.facebook.com/ HongKongInternationalSchool
POST & TAG @HKISAlumni
FOLLOW US ON
TWITTER @HKIS
WINTER 2018 DRAGONTALES
55
The Last Word
Ale Yogendasing HKIS, 1991-2018, Head of Security “I always felt a great responsibility and that our jobs were very important.” DragonTales catches up with veteran security manager Ale Yogendasing before a visit home to Nepal to see his brothers and family.
Alan Runge and Ron Roukema honor Ale for 25 years of service at the 2017 Chinese New Year staff party.
I joined the British Garrison in Nepal, as this offered me a good opportunity to see the world and help support my family. After completing my basic training, I was sent to Hong Kong. From there, I served a two-year tour in Kent in the UK and traveled to Holland and France. I also spent some time in Brunei.
There were some silly incidents. One parent sat in her car at the gate in the rain, waiting for our guard to leave the post to come to the car so she wouldn’t get wet — when she finally realized the guard wouldn’t come, she came out and shouted at the guard about a “duty of service” — but how can we leave the guard booth?
I met my wife when we both worked in Shek Kong, and I came to know her, and she came to know me. And once we had that, the connection grew, and we decided to marry. But she is Chinese, and there was a regulation against mixed marriages. Life became difficult, and I had to leave the Garrison after 15 years of service. But I quit for a good reason, and quitting was great for me: I came across a security job at HKIS. Four years after starting, I was promoted to supervisor and around three years after that, manager. Recently, my wife and our daughter opened a cleaning company, and after 27 years at HKIS I should go help them! Together, my wife and I have two daughters and one son, all of whom live in Hong Kong.
But it’s important to know that security is everyone’s effort. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you’re a teacher or a student or an administrator, we all have to follow the procedures to keep everyone safe. It’s not OK to joke about the procedures and say “I’m not coming here to plant a bomb”, or think that it’s OK to park on the street and block traffic flow of emergency vehicles. Everyone should play their part.
I never imagined that I could work in such a highly-reputable school as HKIS. It was a very good thing for me. I came to know different people from different walks of life and different countries; getting to know the teachers, other professionals — it was very helpful for my outlook, and my English improved. I’m a different a person now; I acquired lots of knowledge. The educators inspired me to look for information so we can have a broader knowledge and to know things about the school so we can answer questions. I leave with many fond memories of HKIS. Adding up the 2,800 students and their parents, plus drivers, helpers, members of the community, staff, we have nearly 15,000 people per month come to our campus. So we must have good procedures to gain entry to campus. Many people in our community don’t understand the volume of visitors we see and have a hard time understanding our procedures. We used to hear “you don’t have the right to check my ID card” at the gate, especially when we first started requiring valid ID cards, but people slowly began to understand that they need to satisfy our requirement for safety; and of course after the 9/11 terrorist attack people realized the importance of security. But still, some people get upset, who don’t want to do this or that. But the people who come to campus most often, and the groups we work with most closely, such as the PFO and Booster Club, are very grateful for the work that the security team does for the school and really do appreciate it. That’s very nice for us. 56
Ale selfie!
DRAGONTALES WINTER 2018
I want people to know that HKIS has hired a team of highly-trained and professional security guards to implement the procedures for the safety of children. It’s not personal; it’s what we are hired to do. We keep the school safe so that students can study in peace, so teachers can focus on teaching. But many community members including our colleagues don’t understand. We have a sense of duty, a sense of responsibility. The job doesn’t end after a shift. We have to take care and serve the school, no matter the time or date. That never bothered me because I love the job, and this responsibility comes with the position. I leave with full satisfaction that I did what I could. I am ending on a nice note. It gives me sense a of pride and satisfaction. HKIS is a very special place. A great place, that respects professionals. I will miss it. Stay in touch with Ale! Email him at aleyogen305@gmail.com n
The Facilities Management team bids Ale farewell.
A Lamma Island lunch with colleagues in 2008.
10
WAYS
to Stay Connected to HKIS
1. Come for a visit!
We are always happy to welcome alumni back on campus and are happy to give tours.
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
A LU MNI
FOLLOW US ON
www.facebook.com/groups/ hkisalumni
@HKIS
STAY IN TOUCH
www.facebook.com/ HongKongInternationalSchool
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 monthly Alumni eNews update on reunions, school events, alumni, future issues of DragonTales, and more!
4. Join a regional alumni group.
We have alumni groups around the world that you can join: Asia | Hong Kong, Singapore USA | Boston, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC Canada | Toronto, Vancouver Europe | London, Switzerland 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.
Dates to Remember 2019 January 9 Alumni Homecoming Happy Hour January 19 Upper Primary School Grand Opening January 24 Alumni Evening at Upper Primary School February 20 Alumni Career Workshop March 7 Alumni Decades Lunch April 13 World’s Fair May 10 HKIS 2019 Annual Ball May 31 Class of 2019 Graduation June 5 Welcome Back Alumni Summer Drinks July 19-21 Classes of 1968 & 1969 50th Reunion, Seattle, WA
1 Red Hill Road, Tai Tam, Hong Kong +852 3149 7820 advancement@hkis.edu.hk
Photography: Anouk Hirano ’23
Please contact Alumni Relations at alumni@hkis.edu.hk for more details.