What an incredible few weeks we have had at South Island School!
I am thrilled to highlight the remarkable events from these past few weeks that showcase the important role our close community at South Island School plays in the growth of our students.
Our students have returned from their MaD week trips full of fantastic stories and obvious growth in independence and confidence. With the support of their dedicated teachers and encouragement and trust from parents, students were given authentic opportunities to grow and further develop these important attributes. Watching families reunite at the end of the week to celebrate this growth demonstrates the impact and influence we have in this development.
Community amongst our own students was also very evident. As MaD week ended, our fencing students eagerly participated in a fencing competition. To support the team, one student courageously joined the sabre team even though she usually competes with a foil! The team worked so well together, supporting each other and always making each other feel valued. I could not be more proud of the team.
Another beautiful example is our school social worker, in collaboration with a group of Year 12 students, who visited a local youth centre. Their joint efforts in organising engaging Halloween activities and improving the English skills of local children exemplify the transformative power of our school-community relationships. These activities not only nurture academic growth but also cultivate a sense of belonging and community support, which are essential for student success. Our students are not merely learners; they are active contributors to the well-being of our community.
Our community continues to grow, a wonderful example is the recent PTA AGM. It was incredible to see so many parents committed to supporting our school. The year promises to be filled with opportunities for parents to be even more involved, and I am excited to work with the PTA to make this happen.
To sum up the atmosphere this week, I would like to share a quote from one of our cafeteria staff members that resonated with me: "Working at SIS feels like home." This sentiment beautifully encapsulates the sense of belonging and unity within our community, which is fundamental to our students' thriving and succeeding.
Thank you all for your continued support. Have a lovely weekend.
Carolyn Andrews
Interim Principal
(1) PEARSON OUTSTANDING LEARNERS AWARDS
Two current South Island School students and one former student have been awarded the Pearson Outstanding Learners Award for their exam results over Term 3 last year—a big congratulations to Ethan Tse, Rio Sato-Ra, and Sophie Chan for receiving this prestigious honour. Ethan and Rio both received the “Highest in Hong Kong” award for their results in the Global Citizenship IGCSE Exam while Sophie received the “Highest Mark in the World” award for her results in the Science (Double Award) IGCSE Exam. Marvellous job! Keep up the great work, and keep on striving for excellence in all that you do
Sophie Chan (12M1) | Rio Sato-Ra (12C2) | Ethan Tse |
(2) HALLOWEEN FUN DAY @ THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
Over the weekend, our school social worker, Ms Stephanie Wan and a group of Y12 students spent their afternoon at the Boys and Girls Club in South Horizons and put on a Halloween Fun Day. Our students planned and ran multiple interactive Halloween activity stations, led group games, and put on a storytelling performance for the local kids from around the area, helping them build their English language skills along the process. Great fun was had by all!!!
(3) ELECTION OF ANNE-MAREE SOON FOR ESF & SIS BOARD
We are pleased to share with the South Island School Community that one of our parents, Ms Anne-Maree Soon, parent of Emma Soon (9K2) and Lachlan Soon (7K2), has been elected to the ESF Board of Governors as a parent member, filling one of four open spots on the board.
Additionally, as the only candidate to stand for election for the open Parent Seat on the SIS School Council, Ms Soon has been automatically elected as a member of the SIS School Council. She will now begin her 3-year term as a parent member on the school council.
We would like to thank Ms Soon for her willingness to give her time and energy to serve our community in this capacity. We look forward to her contributions in these new roles.
(4) PTA AGM & ELECTIONS
This past Monday, the PTA held their Annual General Meeting. With a new school year, numerous PTA positions were opened to be filled, and many parents were willing to stand for election for these positions. The committee members for the 2023-2024 Academic Year are:
Sandy Tse - Chairperson
Cindi Hui - Vice Chairperson
Alan Au Yeung – Honorary Secretary
Pauline Lam – Honorary Treasurer
Carolyn Andrews – ex officio Principal
Micky Au – Committee Member
Melissa Brewster – Committee Member
June Chan – Committee Member
Elsie Cheung – Committee Member
Niyati Kapadia – Committee Member
Smriti Mathur – Committee Member
Anne-Maree Soon – Committee Member
Darin Slethaug – Invited Parent Teacher Member
Andy Thums – Teacher Representative
Alice Lewis – Teacher Representative
We are grateful to see so many parents in our community willing to give their time and efforts to do their part in making our school a better place for our students. Congratulations to all the elected committee members! We look forward to working and achieving great things together. Thank you once again for your continued support of South Island School.
(1) BOX OF HOPE
The annual Family Bauhinia Box of Hope collection has begun! Please drop off your boxes from now until Thursday 9 November, at the table in front of the PTA Office. If you have not started assembling your boxes, you still have time!
Box of Hope is a local NGO that looks to bring joy to children during the festive season who may not have the same opportunities and privileges as others. Their main drive each year is providing packages of gifts and essential items to children from low-income families during the Christmas season.
Box of Hope has shared with us that they are in more and more need of boxes targeting secondary school-age students (11-18 years old). We encourage our community to put together boxes and help Box of Hope to meet this increasing demand. For more instructions on how to put together a box and what items to include, please check out the Box of Hope website HERE. You can pick up the sticker labels from the collection table OR from MaD Representatives. Please ensure box tops and bottoms are wrapped separately, allowing for the box to be opened without ripping the paper.
Let us come together as a community to make a difference in the lives of our fellow Hong Kongers!
(2) ESF COCO
We are thrilled to invite you to ESF CoCo 2023, the most anticipated computer conference of the year! Taking place from 25-26 November at King George V School, this event promises to be an unforgettable experience for students passionate about technology, innovation, and collaboration.
ESF CoCo 2023 offers an exceptional opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the cutting-edge world of computer science. With a lineup of captivating presentations delivered by industry leaders from tech companies, attendees will gain valuable insights into the latest trends, breakthroughs, and advancements shaping the future of technology. Students will also get a chance to put their computer science knowledge to the test during the Hackathon!
Whether you're a budding tech enthusiast, a seasoned programmer, or simply curious about the fascinating world of computers, ESF CoCo 2023 is the event for you. Connect with like-minded individuals, expand your network, and engage in thought-provoking discussions to inspire and elevate your passion for technology.
Sign up today through the links below:
General Sign-Up: https://forms.gle/tDw44jYYEnhrxcWb6
Hackathon Sign-Up: https://forms.gle/VX9xwGb48PwFYD316
To learn more about ESF CoCo, check out their website or follow their Instagram for the latest updates. If you have any questions, clarifications or concerns, feel free to email Anna (labha1@kgv.hk). We look forward to seeing you at ESF CoCo 2023!
(3) ESF EXPLORE - WINTER CAMPS
Join us for fun and adventure this December with ESF Explore! Our Winter Camps run from 18th December - 5th January. Offering Language, Sports, Playgroup, STEM, Christmas workshops and even online programmes, we cater to children between 6 months and 17 years old. Discover our Winter Camp programmes here!
Check out our schedule for South Island School here. Click here to see our full range of term one programmes, feel free to click into the individual categories to view their available classes.
(4) INFLUENZA VACCINATION PROGRAMME 2023-2024
The government sponsored Influenza Vaccination Programme 2023-2024 is coming up on 14 November. Confirmed registrants should have received an email earlier this week with details and instructions for the day. Should you have any questions, please contact the School’s Health Professional, Ms Jeanette Hui (jhui@sis.edu.hk).
(5) PHOTO DAY
This year’s School Photo Day will take place from Monday 13 November to Wednesday 15 November. The schedule for these photos will be shared closer to the date. Please ensure students in Years 7-11 wear their school uniform, not PE uniform, for the photo.
(6) YEAR 7 CAMP LOST ITEMS
In the excitement of packing up to go home from Year 7 camp, we found a few items left behind. Students had the opportunity this week to pick up the items, but we still have a few remaining. If you recognise any items in the picture, please ask your child to collect them outside the nurse’s office.
(7) POKE BOWLS NOW AVAILABLE
In our Refectory, Chartwells has introduced new items to the menu - poke bowls! The introduction of this healthy meal has been a huge success. It is great to see Chartwells proactively introducing healthy meals that our students enjoy!
(8) ESF HOLIDAY & LUNAR NEW YEAR CARD COMPETITION
ESF has launched their annual Holiday and Lunar New Year Card competition! Students who would like to share their artistic and creative skills with the wider ESF Community can enter into either or both of these competitions. Here are some general details:
What is required:
For both competitions, ESF requires only the artwork. No text is required as the ESF team will add the Holiday or Lunar New Year Message onto the top of the artwork.
Please submit your entries by the following deadlines:
Happy Holiday Card: 22 November 2023
Lunar New Year Card: 15 January 2024
FORMAT & THEME
The theme of the art can reflect each student’s unique interpretation of the holiday season.
The submission should be in JPG or PNG format - not HEIC.
Please ensure the submission is an original student artwork and does not contain photos from the internet or design elements (i.e. Canva) that are copyright protected.
The art can be in portrait or landscape layout.
Please submit the artwork to the Community Development Officer, Mr Donald Ma, at dma@sis.edu.hk. Make sure you indicate the competition you are submitting the artwork for. You may also contact Mr Ma if you have any questions regarding the competition.
(1) JEANNE TAM (7B2) - HONG KONG PRACTICAL TAEKWONDO TOURNAMENT
Jeanne Tam (7B2) took home 3 medals at the Hong Kong Practical Taekwondo Tournament over mid-term break. In its third and final tournament session of the season, Jeanne competed in the speed kicking competition and the sparring competition.
Jeanne kicked her way to a silver medal in the speed kicking competition. In the sparring portion, she (in the blue helmet) continued to utilise her kicks all the way to the semi-finals and before taking home the bronze medal. With her performance in this third and final session of the season, Jeane placed third overall for the season and took home an additional third place medal for her overall performance.
Jeanne is currently a Red-Black Belt and has been training in taekwondo since 2018, when she was 6 years old. Great job Jeanne! We look forward to more stories from the mat!
(2) CONOR KNIGHT (10M1) - AROUND THE ISLAND SAILING RACE
Last weekend, Conor Knight (10M1), along with 120 boats, joined the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s annual Around the Island Race. Helming a flying 15 boat with his father as his crew, Conor, in his first race, circumnavigated Hong Kong Island in 5 hours 35 minutes. The father-son duo finished 41st out of 120 boats, and Conor was 1 of only 3 under-18 helmsman in the race. Shout out to both Conor and his dad for a job well done!
(1) ROWING
Fresh off her MaD Week Trip, Hailey Tang (11B2) returned to the water for the 2023 Hong Kong Rowing School Championships. Representing South Island School, Hailey finished in 3rd place in the Girl's U16 1,000m 1x race, finishing 4 seconds behind the runner-up and taking home the Bronze medal.
Great job Hailey!
(2) FENCING
The HKSSF Inter-School Fencing Competition took place over mid-term break on 21-22 October. We had 7 fencers representing South Island School at the event, including HK Junior National Team members Summer Jane Sit (12B2) and Abigail Lau (12N2), Fiona Chen (11M2), Adrian Lin (11N2), Youn Cho (09C2), Zeni Cheung (08C1) and Jansen Yip (07S2). Our individual competitors included Summer Jane in Girls Sabre A, Adrian in Boys Epee B, Youn in Girls Epee C, and Zeni & Jansen in Boys Foil C. Our Girls Sabre Team, consisting of Summer Jane, Abigail, and Fiona, took home the Gold during the team competition on Sunday.
Full Results below:
Girls Team Sabre - Summer Jane Sit, Fiona Chen, Abigail Lau
Summer Jane - Girls Sabre A (1st)
Adrian Lin - Boys Epee B (2nd)
Youn Cho - Girls Epee C (3rd)
Zeni Cheung - Boys Foil C (22nd)
Jansen Yip - Boys Foil C (32nd)
Congrats to all our fencers who took to the fencing strip. Way to represent South Island School!
(3) BOYS TENNIS
Coming off their best season in SIS Tennis history, the Division 1 Boys Tennis team opened the new season with a match against HKIS. The first round of matches was extremely close, with the two schools tied at 2 matches apiece at the midway point. The second half of matches were also extremely competitive, but despite the team’s best efforts, HKIS eked out a win with a 5-3 final match score. Big thank you to Ashton Mar (12B1), who played his final match for SIS after being a core member of the team - we wish you all the best in your future tennis endeavours. We had great debuts from Hayden Quach (11M1), Bosco Chow (13M1) & Anthony Viera-Ribeiro (08S2). All the players gave a great effort with some amazing rallies and points play. Everyone looked to be in solid form - a decent start to the season. The boys are now shifting their focus to the next match against GSIS and are excited to have another amazing season.
(4) GIRLS SWIMMING HKSSF CHAMPIONSHIP
Congratulations to the Girls' swim team, who did a fantastic job at the recent HKSSF Championships at Kowloon Park Swimming Pool. The girls finished 3rd overall in the standings, and the B-grade team won their category—a HUGE well done to everyone who swam and contributed to the 3rd place finish. Individual finalists and the squad members are listed below.
A Grade
Katelyn Chui (12B1) = 50 Fc - 2nd, 50 Bc - 4th
Calista Rosboch (12N1)
Bianca Lo (12M2)
B Grade
Natalie Chow (11S1) = 100 Br - 3rd, 50 Br - 3rd
Gabriella Lai (11B2) = 50 Fc - 3rd, 50 Fly - 1st
Ashley Koh (11S2) = 50 Fc - 1st, 100m Fc - 1st
4x50m Fc relay = 1st
4x50m Medley relay = 4th
Alicia Wai (11S1)
Julienne Chong (11B2)
Kate Tsang (11M1)
Julie Kwon (11B2)
Sara Harries (11K2)
C Grade
4x50m Fc relay = 6th
4x50m Medley relay = 5th
Alyssa Chan (07B1)
Amelie Webster (07B1)
Angela Lee (09C1)
Ashley Kwok (08B2)
Zoe Wang (08C1)
Praise Lo (08S1)
Letitia Chui (09B1)
Chloe Herminjard (09B2)
(5) GRADE A BOYS FOOTBALL
On the last day of mid-term break, the Grade A Boys Football team held a match against La Salle College. The Boys never really got going, energy levels were low, passes were not precise, and the team lacked their usual cohesion, which has been a strong point of this squad.
La Salle brought a lot of pressure for most of the first half, however a blistering counterattack resulted in an assist from Jeremy Lui with a fantastic finish from Elliot Shepherd. The boys went into the half-time break one up 1-nil despite the sluggish start.
Lapses in concentration persisted in the second half, resulting in two quick goals after the break, and South played behind for the rest of the way. The game was end to end; both sides pushed and had chances to score, yet the score remained 2-1 all the way to the end. A humbling day for the boys, with the loss turning into lessons learnt. The Boys look to rebound from this disappointing loss in their next match.
Match Day Squad: Cormac Byrne (13K1), Jasper Chan (13S2), Ashwin Heera (13C1), Markus Ip (13B1), Joshua Kim (12K1), Nicolas Lester (12N1), Tom Gregory (12M2), Gary Lo (13N1), Jeremy Lui (12B1), Robbie McGraw (13K2), Matteo Ng-Brett (11B2), Elliot Shepherd (12N1), Paul Williams(12M1), James Wright (12M1)
(6) GRADE A GIRLS NETBALL
The A Grade Netball team had a stellar afternoon on the court, claiming a substantial win over Diocesan Girls' School. New South Island School student Lois Beattie made her debut for South Island School, along with Bernice Yiu, Hannah Fennelly, and Ruth Vanrell Sanz, getting their first run on the court this season. The girls came out looking dominant, leading 8-1 after the first quarter and 19-3 at the half. The girls continued their stifling defensive effort, shutting out the DGS girls in the third quarter and finishing the match with a score of 33-6!! The SIS girls played fabulously throughout, both in and out of their preferred positions, showing the fantastic depth and versatility of this year’s squad. The DGS girls voted Iris Peel as player of the match, Lois Beattie was voted coaches player by Ms Bosson, and Elsie Hulme and Lois Beattie were voted joint MVP by the team. A solid performance in the bank, a massive well done to the girls, The girls look forward to the next match.
L-R back row: Hannah Fennelly (13N1), Bernice Yiu (13C2), Ruth Vanrell Sanz (13B2), Emma Harries (13K2), Jessie May (13N2), Lois Beattie (12N1), Iris Peel (12K2). Front row L-R: Amelia Chow (12B2) and Ashley Bertagnoli (12B1)
With the term resuming on Halloween, we had some interesting characters filling our halls this past Tuesday. Here are a few, including a candy loving dinosaur!
As mentioned in the previous newsletters in October, our Well-Being Team has been busily getting ready for next week’s Mental Health Awareness Week! This week, we would like to introduce to you our student-led Well-being Council. Please read their introduction HERE
NOVEMBER
1 - 9: Box of Hope Collection
6 - 10: SIS Mental Health Awareness Week
9: Mental Health Awareness Fair
9: Curriculum Evening - Language & Maths
9 - 10: ISSFHK Swimming Championships 8:00 - 16:00
10: Family Bauhinia Assembly
10 - 11: HKAYP Bronze 1a & Silver Introduction Camp
13 - 17: Kuca MaD Week
13 - 15: School Photo Day
16: Making Links (Y11 & Y12)
17: Kuca, Maison, Bahay Assembly
17 - 18: HKAYP Bronze 1b Camp
21: Guiding Day
21 - 23: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
24: Namas, Casa, Shtepi Assembly
25 - 26: ESF Computer Conference @ KGV
Please access the latest school calendar HERE
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If your child has a particular highlight or achievement you would like to share with the community, please email a short description and photo to ebulletin@sis.edu.hk