Stamford American School

Spotlight on Stamford

The future is bright at Stamford as the school celebrates its fifth year anniversary in Hong Kong

It’s an exciting year at Stamford American School Hong Kong. Four years since its opening, the school has grown not only in terms of student numbers but also facilities and curriculum offerings. As the school looks ahead to its next major milestone – the first graduating class in 2023, Head of School, Karrie Dietz fills us in on what current and prospective students can expect.

Learning approach

Stamford offers an American Standards-based curriculum taught through an inquiry-based approach. “It is important that we offer a progressive approach to teaching and learning with the standards in place for a clear path and milestones along the way, so we can also ensure growth and prepare students well for their futures,” says Dietz.

This rigorous framework was key in helping Stamford achieve full IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) authorisation and accreditation from the Council of International School (CIS) in 2021. It’s the perfect fit: the US standards at each grade level provide a firm foundation for IB study, transdisciplinary inquiry fosters international mindedness and global citizenship in every child, and equip students with the knowledge, skills and values required to succeed at the highest level wherever they go.

To prepare every student for the rigorous IBDP, the school makes sure the IB learner profile attributes are fostered within students from age 5 and up. These values focus on developing global citizens who, recognising their

common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

Stamford values

While academic excellence is undoubtedly integral, Stamford also places huge emphasis on whole-child development. “People often think you need to trade one for the other, however, care and nurture bring out the best in children,” says Dietz. Four core values of integrity, courage, innovation and compassion are deeply rooted in the school ethos. “Last year was undoubtedly a tough year; we have focused on resiliency, and our #StamfordStrong was born out of Covid-19 to celebrate the gains we have made as a community amidst the challenges,” adds Dietz.

Action speaks louder than words; and no one demonstrates Stamford’s value more than the school’s very own staff. “We are proud of our highly qualified and international team of faculty and staff, who live our culture of care, and model our core values for students every single day. Their sensitivity to our students’ need, passion to their area of expertise and strive for continuous development form the backbone of our students’ success,” shares Dietz.

As part of the Cognita Schools Group, which encompasses 80 schools worldwide, a special day is set aside to recognise and encourage ways to be well as a school group. On Global Be Well Day, Stamford students participate in a range of activities to promote mindfulness and healthy lifestyle, emphasising the importance of sleep, healthy eating habits, and physical activities to keep their bodies strong and hearts and minds happy. Last year Stamford accepted Cognita’s Active World Challenge logging an incredible 41,127 km of walking, running, swimming, and riding. The school community virtually ‘travelled’ from Hong Kong to International School Zurich North, in four weeks, and visited Cognita schools in Brazil, Spain, and the UK en route. This year, the school is set to celebrate its Global Be Well Day on September 30, 2021.

Preparing for the ‘real world’

In high school, learning happens beyond the classroom. At Grades 9 and 10, real-world learning is further enhanced through the school’s Cornerstones program, which offers unique learning experiences under the guidance of faculty and industry mentors. Unlike an internship or an organisational affiliation, the Cornerstones program is fully integrated into Stamford’s high school program and counts towards course credit.

“Cornerstones program is a unique learning experience that our students loved. They gained something additional for their portfolios and the learning,” shares Dietz. Each semester offers students an opportunity to work with one of the school’s external partners with distinct focuses that reflect students’ ambitions and strengths: architecture, future-focused design thinking, e-commerce entrepreneurship, game design, journalism, student leadership, technical arts and visual art.

The projects are as unique as the students themselves, expanding beyond the curriculum and allowing children to delve deeply into their chosen topic. The partners offer students a diverse selection of venues to hone their skills and talents and, for some, the opportunity to be risk-takers and to explore a new subject area.

Another key initiative is the Sophomore project, which offers Grade 10 students an excellent opportunity to enhance their research, project management and independent thinking skills. Students choose a topic to investigate and develop a plan

under the guidance of a teachermentor. After creating a mock-up of their design and an in-depth report, they then showcase their work to parents and peers. This eight-month-long project in Grade 10 is an excellent opportunity for students, irrespective of the academic pathway they have chosen, developing key skills for those who might not pursue IB while also serving as excellent preparation for those due to undertake the IBDP extended essay.

Follow Your Path

Having recently expanded facilities to provide additional learning spaces, Stamford boasts a brand new design and technology workshop, specialist art rooms, science labs, outdoor space on the ground floor and rooftop, as well as a new library and collaboration space that was designed with the help of the students. “Our students have big aspirations, and the facilities will support our diploma graduates, IB Course Candidates and IBDP graduates so they can continue to pursue their passions at universities around the globe,” says Dietz.

In 2023, Stamford will celebrate its first batch of graduates. All students receive the American High School Diploma and there is the option to be an IB Course Candidate or pursue the full diploma programme. Dietz adds, “We are passionate about choice and are non-selective for our IBDP. At Stamford American, we believe that every student is unique, which is why our curriculum and community work together to inspire each child to create their own pathway.” sg

Stamford American School

25 Man Fuk Road, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong

To find out more about Stamford American School Hong Kong visit sais.edu.hk

WELL-BEING

Exploring a path in psychology

well-being

A career in psychology

Joanna Chan, AISHK Primary Psychologist and Alumna shares her experience in the field

Can you share a bit about your career path since leaving school?

After taking IB Biology I knew I wanted to get into the health industry and thought psychology may be an option. Fast forward 11 years, I completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) at the Australian National University and a Masters of Professional Psychology at Macquarie University. I received my training and completed my registration as a Psychologist in Sydney and worked in early intervention centres and community clinics before moving into the education field with the NSW Department of Education.

What does a typical work day look like for you at AISHK?

Most days involve seeing students, attending at least one meeting (either with parents, teachers, the LEC, student services, or with management); planning and reviewing sessions; completing session notes and admin work. If I have time at recess, I head down to the field and spend time with the primary students.

Is there any advice you would share with anyone considering a psychologyrelated career?

Psychology is a broad field that is more than the study of psychopathology (mental health disorders). It also

includes other branches such as social psychology, organisational psychology and sports psychology. I would suggest to anyone who is interested to do research into these different areas as well as gaining some experience in community service or volunteering work to get a feel for what it’s like in the field. Psychologists work with people all the time, so it’s important to have good listening and communication skills in order to connect and engage with others. We also need to stay organised as the role involves a lot of multitasking and administrative work.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Being able to connect with the students and make an impact, even if it’s a small one. It’s very important that students feel safe and trusted at the school. When I see the progress in the students or hear positive feedback from teachers and parents - it’s such a rewarding moment.

Were there any specific skills you gained at AISHK that you were able to utilise?

AISHK helped me develop cultural awareness and openness to diversity. Growing up in a multicultural environment like AISHK, I naturally became interested in learning new languages and that has prompted me to take up three years of learning Korean as an elective at university.

Do you have any fond memories of your time as a student at AISHK?

In Year 11, I had to complete my silver training expedition for Outward Bound and spent the weekend hiking and night camping in the mountains of Sai Kung. While we were enjoying the outdoor camping experience, we were also slightly worried about the upcoming Economics test which happened to take place the following Monday. We were fortunate enough to have our Economics teacher as camp organiser, so the group spent a night talking about inflation and exchange rates…in the middle of nowhere. aishk.edu.hk sg

SUSTAINABILITY IN SCHOOLS

The latest key part of the school choice process

sustainability

Sustainability in schools

Danny Harrington, founder and Director of ITS Education Asia on the latest key part of the school choice process

School selection in Hong Kong has undergone a huge transformation over the last 15 years, as the number of international schools has grown and the range of people considering them has broadened. Before that, it was often a case of which ESF catchment do I fall in? Or, where do my friends’ children go to school? Now we are all aware of considering a variety of elements such as school size, class size, curriculum, facilities, location, ethos and so on. I think we should now unquestionably add an element with at least equal importance to these for the 21st century - sustainability. Sustainability is now very much at the forefront of mainstream consciousness. The terrible outcomes of our unsustainable approaches through (especially) the last

50 years are now at the top of the media stories we consume every day; be they economic hardships, social inequalities, or, of course, environmental impacts. The idea of a sustainable approach to modern and future life has also gained prominence, especially with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs provide an overarching framework for inter-governmental discussion and policy-making, all of which filters down to us at the community level. And schools are very much communities. It makes sense, therefore, that schools should consider sustainability in a range of ways so that they can be confident that they are sustainable in themselves and that they are contributing to a sustainable world around them. But ultimately, this all comes down to us as individuals. Our actions and behaviours contribute to the level of sustainability we achieve and our opinions and demands contribute to how communities and governments act, creating, ideally, a virtuous circle of action and policy to move us into a more sustainable future.

The last few years have seen huge strides in the Hong Kong international school community to address these issues of sustainability. And what has been very pleasing has been the way in which so much of this has been student driven. In my mind, youth voices, initiatives and actions are key characteristics of a vibrant, modern, sustainable community. The days of dismissing teenagers as “too young” or “too inexperienced” are over. This generation is digitally native, extremely well-informed, better educated at an earlier stage and is engaged with global crises, angry that they have happened and determined to do something about it.

We see a range of student initiatives at many schools: the sustainability audit at CIS driven by Drop in the Ocean (DITO); Wanbo at Island School; the Global Goals Council (GGC) at CDNIS, to name just a few. ESF schools all have a staff member appointed as Sustainability Rep and the ESF has engaged with The Nature Conservancy to create NatureWorks across all ESF schools. Many schools have installed solar panels, are looking at water recycling, dealing with the types of stationery they purchase, banning single-use

plastic and so on. This is a wonderful range of advocacy and action.

Increasingly, we are also seeing SDG Education creep into the curriculum. This is harder as schools have to prioritise their core curriculum such as A-level or IB, but it is possible. There are opportunities within certain subjects like Geography to use the SDGs as a framework for existing curriculum content. Some schools have allowed their PSHE lessons to be used for SDG education sessions. At my own school, we have initiated a full SDG oriented programme called the Young Changemaker Incubator and also taken on a range of UN courses to make SDG Education more directly accessible to students who want it, both those enrolled with us or any other student in Hong Kong who wishes to do it as a co-curricular activity.

The sustainability activity of a school now needs to be a high-priority element in parents’ reasons for choosing it. This is one of the many ways we , as parents, can actively do our part in driving sustainability ever forward. Schools will accelerate their drive to be sustainable and to teach the SDGs Our children will become even more engaged and be “sustainability natives” so that their choices and actions as individuals, employees and business owners, and policy-makers in the future are sustainably minded. sg

When choosing an international school in Hong Kong, let’s start to add these questions to the list we already have:

• What is the school’s sustainability ethos? • How has the school implemented real actions to become more sustainable? • Has the school undertaken a sustainability audit? • Does the school teach the SDGs or other sustainability ideas in the curriculum? If so, which year groups and to what extent? • Does the school have and support student-led

sustainability clubs and initiatives? • Has the school and/ or its students won any sustainability awards?

And add as many others as you like and allow these questions to develop into proper conversations. Our children are getting much better at demanding answers to these crucial questions which impact their entire future lives. We should too.

SCHOOL’S OUT!

Keep the kids entertained with these creative and energy burning activities

after school activities

Photo: Treasure Island

A professional perspective

Vincent Alarcon, Director of Sports at ESF Sports on the importance of after-school activities

Starting his career as a lifeguard and swimming instructor at the age of 15, Vincent Alarcon has always been passionate about the outdoors. After studying business at University, Alarcon went on to work for Federal Reserve bank of New York and on Wall Street for two years, but being stuck in an office all day took its toll on him. “I decided to go back to teaching and running Health Clubs. I prefer dealing with people rather than making a lot of money and being stuck inside all day,” he says.

Alarcon is now the Director of Sports at ESF sports, which offers afterschool activities to over 24 locations across Hong Kong, specialising in youth sports, with experienced, qualified coaches delivering expert coaching across a range of sports. Alarcon answers some of your most frequently asked questions.

What are the benefits of sports clubs and activities?

As a father of an 8-year-old girl, I know how important it is to get her out and active and away from the screen. Over the past year, there has been a big big difference in her social behavior with family and friends. With current social distancing rules, it’s difficult to get her out and she spends a lot of time online and has trouble sleeping. Since encouraging her to go back to the sports she loves like Football and Taekwondo and she has been much more social and goes to bed right away.

What life lessons has sports taught you?

Success requires hard work and training. Nothing is easy and shouldn’t just be handed to you. I think this is a very important lesson for children to learn at an early age. Sport also helps children learn how to deal with pressure and stress in a safe environment. Whether it be in swimming, diving from a race block or going against someone that is bigger than them in football, it all helps to build their confidence.

If a child is serious about sport, how can parents best offer support?

Show up to games or competitions and support them, their coaches, the team and school. Accept that progress in any sport takes a long time: it can take at least 7-10 years after maturation for any athlete to achieve their full potential so don’t specialise too early. There is no such thing as a champion ten-year-old winger or opening bowler or halfback.

For more information about ESF Sports visit: esf.org.hk/sports sg