Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you all had a great week and are ready for the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday and celebrations.
This past week, our school underwent the mandatory five-year evaluation by the International Baccalaureate (IB) evaluation team. I am pleased to announce that their report was exceptionally positive.
The evaluation process spanned three days, during which the team thoroughly assessed aspects of our school through the lenses of purpose, culture, environment and learning. The team's visit culminated in a meeting where they shared a verbal report, and I am delighted to inform you that it was outstanding. To say it was a glowing report is an understatement.
The IB evaluation team spoke highly of our school community and commended the remarkable involvement and support from our parents and School Council. Your dedication and contributions have significantly shaped our school into the thriving learning space it is today. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your ongoing support, not just during the evaluation week but every day throughout the year.
Just yesterday, we had a fantastic PTA meeting showcasing our school community's energy and enthusiasm. Witnessing the collective determination to enhance our school's well-being was genuinely inspiring. Your active participation in events, fundraisers, and other initiatives demonstrates the unwavering spirit that defines our community.
I am filled with immense pride in the accomplishments we have achieved together. This newsletter is filled with examples of the exceptional individuals in our school community who are making a positive impact. It underscores the talent, dedication, and collaborative spirit that make our community truly special.
I encourage you to take the time to read through this newsletter and celebrate the achievements of our students, staff, and parent community. Each story highlights the remarkable efforts and contributions that have made a difference.
Thank you once again for all your support. I am truly grateful to work with such an exceptional school community.
Next week, due to the shorter week, we will send out our newsletter on Thursday, so please watch out for it.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Carolyn Andrews
Interim Principal
(1) IB EVALUATION VISIT
After months of preparation and anticipation, the International Baccalaureate visited South Island School via Zoom for our IB Evaluation. This evaluation occurs every 5 years, but preparations for this monumental event have been ongoing since last school year. As we run both the IBDP/CP curriculum and the IB MYP curriculum, teachers, parents, and students from our lower and senior years were heavily involved throughout this week. The school leadership team walked around with iPads, visiting classrooms and allowing the evaluators to see how SIS carries out the IB curriculum in various classes and subjects.
The evaluators were impressed with how SIS carries out IB’s mission to develop lifelong learners. Speaking to our students, the evaluators were encouraged by their involvement in all aspects of the school, from student feedback systems to the numerous opportunities for student leadership. Our facilities, particularly our design labs, left quite an impression on the evaluators, and they were delighted to hear about the development of our new annex. The IB evaluators also noted that our academic curriculum is coherent, and the school has responded well to community feedback regarding subject offerings.
A big thank you to all the parents who were part of the parent interview portion of the evaluation and the students involved with the student interview. Thank you to all our teachers for their prep work throughout this process, with a special thank you to Mr Lam, Ms Nicholas, and Ms Bosson, who guided our whole community through this. The IB’s findings are a testament to our cohesive community, and our success would not be possible without every single student, parent and staff.
(2) FAMILY BAUHINIA ASSEMBLY
Tuesday, we celebrated our Year 7s, 8s, and 9s at the Family Bauhinia Assembly. Gathering responses from teachers and parents, our students received encouraging feedback from a range of positive actions, from helping one another in class to showing greater responsibility in caring for a new pet. Students got to cheer on one another for their endeavours inside and outside of school. We heard from our Family Bauhinia Prefects Ottilie and Minjun, as they shared their experiences of overcoming their fears and adversity to achieve their successes. Our Heads of Year, Mr Thums, Ms Stringer, and Ms Lewis, share the importance of setting and committing to our goals and learning from and overcoming failures along the way.
Thank you to all the teachers and parents who submitted a comment to share. This type of feedback goes a long way in supporting our students at South Island School.
(3) CNY FUN DAY@ BGCA-JOCKEY CLUB SOUTH HORIZONS CHILDREN & YOUTH INTEGRATED SERVICES CENTRE
This past Saturday (27/1/24), our Year 12 students from the We-Serve Community Service Team spent the morning hosting a Chinese New Year Fun Fair at The Boys' & Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong-Jockey Club South Horizons Children and Youth Integrated Services Centre. Since the beginning of the term, these Year 12 students have been planning an eventful morning of storytelling and activities for over 40 primary school students and their families. Our students taught the children to do Chinese Calligraphy at the Fai-Chun (Traditional Chinese Decoration of Well Wishes) station, exercise the children’s artistic flare at the dragon puppet booth, test their Chinese-English knowledge with a bi-lingual matching game, solve different Chinese New Year themed riddles and more. The children also got to enjoy our SIS students’ comedic re-enactment of two Chinese folklore, including the Legend of the Beast Nian and the Story of the Great Race. It was a fun filled morning for children, parents and our SIS students!
From student Richina Chong (12K2):
“This experience was really meaningful, as it was nice to see the kids and the adults laughing and having fun, especially during our storytelling sessions! Planning and serving at this event helped me to connect with the community, as during the CNY Fun Fair, I actually recognised a few parents from our last service at BGCA (in October), and had some small chats with them! One of the parents told me how their kids and themselves enjoy coming to BGCA whenever there are any festive activities, which was really awesome to know that these kids had a lot of fun at our fairs. I also think that the CNY Fun Fair allowed them to connect with Chinese Culture in a fun and interesting way as our booths and storytelling centred on the upcoming Chinese New Year. I’d really recommend anyone who is entering Year 12 next year to join We-serve, as not only do you get to really develop important skills such as time management, organisation, and communication, but also make a difference in our local community.”
Our We-Serve Community Service Team continues to make a difference by engaging in community activities such as these. Since the beginning of this year they have hosted two children’s activities with the BGCA and an Elderly Christmas Funday with Lam Yingwah Neighbourhood Elderly Centre. Their next service activity will be with the ethnic minority community in Lai Chi Kok in March. Looking forward to sharing more student experiences as they continue to go out and make a difference!
(4) BABEL FILM AWARDS
Congratulations to SIS students Hannah Fennelly (13N1), Sophia Laxton-Kwok (13S2), Max Milliken (13M1), and Izzy Pawlyn (13B1), whose short film, Table 68, was one of the final nominations for best short film at the very first Babel Film Awards, celebrating the best film work created by students aged 8-18 in Hong Kong. All four attended the awards ceremony last Saturday at Chinese International School with their proud IB Film teacher, Mrs Curran. The standard of filmmaking was very high, and the students enjoyed walking the red carpet and networking with other student filmmakers. The film tells the story of a young girl left with her aunt when her father moves abroad for work. He promises to return and meet her at their favourite cha chaan teng every year. After years of waiting, when her father finally returns, the girl realises that what she thought was missing from her life has been there all along. The film was well-received, with original music by Y11 student Jeffrey Lee (11S2), with warm, spontaneous applause and reports of some in the audience being moved to tears. Well done to all involved!
From the Table 68 Crew:
“It feels great to be nominated for this award, as we have all worked very hard on this film. It was super fun to make, and we feel really proud to have been recognised for our work. We would like to thank our brilliant actors in the film, Samela NG, Sissi Qin, Andy Kwok, and Agnes Mark, for putting up with all the hours spent on reshoots, and Ms.Curran and Helio Leung for providing continuous support. Special mention to Jeffrey Lee for composing music for us to bring the film alive.”
You can watch Table 68 HERE
(5) Y8 CHINESE BATTLE OF BOOKS
This morning, the final round of the annual Y8 Battle of the Books competition took place with 4 groups of Y8 students battling it out. The students were divided into four groups and competed in a quiz-format showdown based on twelve diverse Chinese literary works, spanning from biographies to martial arts fiction. Students took turns contributing to the rotation-based answering system. Questions regarding the book's author and title were posed, with correct answers scoring points
After four preliminary rounds of competition, the final event was a test of literary knowledge, strategic thinking, and teamwork. The scoring system did not carry over from one session to the next, maintaining suspense until the final buzzer. In the end, Team A, featuring Oceana Chan (08S2), Elizabeth Li (08B2), Tina Hu (08B1), Zoe Wang (08C1), Audrey Koon (08S2), Jenna Ng (08C2), won the final battle against Team D and took home.
The event also featured an illustration contest to celebrate Chinese literature through creative engagement, with Emma Hui (08S2) and Sarah Sum (08N2) being awarded for their entries. Many thanks to our librarian, Ms Ow, our Leading Teacher of Chinese, Ms Huang, and our Teacher of Chinese, Ms Zhai, for their meticulous planning and resource curation for this event. Their efforts ensured that the Battle of the Books was both an educational and memorable experience for the students.
(6) LS HORTICULTURE GROUP ORGANIC PLANT & HERB SALE
After a highly successful sale in Term 1, our LS Horticulture Enterprise group packed and delivered almost 100 pots of organic plants and herbs to South Island staff this week, just in time for the Lunar New Year holiday. With the help of Mr Melsom, the school’s horticulture consultant, our LS Horticulture Group has worked hard since Term 1 to cultivate various plants in our own Atrium Patio Garden. The plants and herbs the group has grown and delivered this week include basil, lemon basil, tomato, mint, aloe vera, rosemary and chilli. A big thank you to our LS Horticulture Group – Boden Cheung (13M1), Iain Li (13N1), Palvo Cheng (13B1), Aryan Saney (13C2), Kate Slade (12K1), Joshua Chu (11S1), Clement So (10S1), Jake Robinson (09C2 ) – for making a difference through your hard work and sharing with us these wonderful plants! Proceeds from the sale will be reinvested into horticulture lessons as the students continue to learn about the cultivation process.
(1) YEAR 8, YEAR 9, YEAR 11 OPTIONS FORM DEADLINE
We kindly remind all Year 8, Year 9, and Year 11 parents and students that the deadline for the options form is fast approaching. Parents, please ensure students complete their options form via the Options Tile on the Student VLE by Tuesday, February 6th, at 8 am.
Students must submit their options on time, as missing the deadline may result in them not receiving their priority subjects. We want to allow every student to study their preferred subjects, and meeting the deadline is essential for proper planning and scheduling.
Moreover, subject choices are timetable dependent. While we strive to accommodate every student's preferences, there may be cases where certain combinations of subjects are not feasible due to scheduling constraints. We will do our best to work out the timetables in a way that minimises conflicts and maximises students' learning experiences.
(2) ESF ART EXHIBITION - CALL FOR ENTRIES
The ESF Art Exhibition is now taking submissions!
With the Paris Olympics around the corner, this year's exhibition celebrates humanity's remarkable nature. This year’s theme is Faster, Higher, Stronger, highlighting humans and their extraordinary power to achieve. Every single day, people in our schools, in our homes and in our communities are doing remarkable things, and this is what we seek to celebrate in this show.
This art exhibition is open to ALL SIS students from Year 7 – Year 13. You do not need to be in MYP Visual Art, GCSE Fine Art or IBDP Visual Art to participate.
Deadline: Friday 12th April at 12.00 pm.
Interested students can fill out this Expression of Interest Google Form. For full details, students can check their email from Ms Pate.
(2) NAMAS MAD WEEK
Namas MaD Week is next week from February 5th to 9th, and we will be supporting MindHK and Redress HK. This year, we are taking a slightly different approach to our usual MaD weeks. We will be raising awareness for MindHK, raising awareness and money for Redress HK. We'll also be delivering workshops to equip our students with practical skills to continue to make a difference. The week will include the following activities:
A huge thank you to everyone who donated clothes to the Namas clothing drive. We are taking donations till Monday. If you haven't done so already, please look in your wardrobe over the weekend to see if there is anything in there you'd like to give away. The more you donate, the more we can donate!
VR Headset Initiative update: the PTA has kindly offered to fully sponsor our goal to raise money for the VR headset! This VR Headset will be used with students with low well-being. We would like to express a huge thank you to the PTA for supporting this initiative and continuing to look out for the well-being of our students.
We look forward to seeing lots of our students participating in the activities we have planned for Namas MaD Week :)
Check out the full schedule HERE
(3) SUSCO - PREOWNED UNIFORM SALE
The Sustainability Council (SusCo) is kicking off the next phase of the Uniform Recycling Programme! All uniforms have now been washed, packed and ready for purchase!
All students can purchase second-hand uniforms in the lower playground on Wednesday, February 7, during lunchtime. We have a selection of jackets and hoodies ranging from the new ESF hoodies to vintage SIS jackets! Items will be priced at an amazingly low price, between $20 and $60!! Be quick, though. Items are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. So come early, or you’ll miss out!
Please Note:
This resale will be in collaboration with Namas MaD Week, and you can also check out the Namas Thrift Store going on at the same time!
All funds from our sale will be donated to Redress - a Hong Kong-based NGO that advocates for reducing the negative environmental impacts of clothing production and consumption.
Make a difference by building a sustainable circular economy with our uniform consumption and purchase a pre-used uniform!
(4) CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR WITH OUR ESF YEAR OF THE DRAGON CARD
Spread some festive joy with our ESF Year of the Dragon Card.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with our ESF Year of the Dragon e-card. Eight-year-old Ines Lai, an ESF Clearwater Bay School student, created this beautiful painting of the mythical creature. Chief Executive Officer Belinda Greer selected Ines’ art for our annual ESF-wide art challenge. While judging the competition, Belinda said, “Dragons have really sparked our children’s imaginations, and the entries this year have been exceptionally bright and bold.” Well done to all our students who have captured the joy of the upcoming festival through their colourful and captivating designs. We hope you will enjoy sharing our ESF card with your community. You can download it HERE.
(1) HAILEY TANG - THE 10th HONG KONG ROWING COASTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Turning from the calm Shing Man River to Victoria Harbor, Hailey Tang (11B2) and her teammates competed in the 10th Hong Kong Rowing Coastal Championships on 21 January 2024.
Racing in rough waters outside of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in the harbour, Hailey’s team raced against 9 other teams in the Coxed Quadruple Sculls 4km race. Competing in the open sea was a new experience for the team, but with focus and discipline, they finished second, clinching the Silver Medal.
Marvellous efforts Hailey!
(2) ABIGAIL LAU - HONG KONG AGE GROUP FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to Abigail Lau (12N2) for winning the Hong Kong Age Group Fencing Championships in the Cadet Women’s category. Ranked number 1 after the first round, Abigail earned a first-round bye in the knockout rounds before parrying her opponents away and lunging all the way to the championship. Great job Abigail!
(1) U12 GIRLS' BASKETBALL
South Island School played host for the ISSFHK U12 Girls Silver Championship on Wednesday. Fresh off their upset over West Island School in the semi-finals, the Christian Alliance International School Lions came to SIS to battle it out for the gold.
The Lions, buoyed by energetic support from their fans, played great defence against the Lady Stingrays, forcing tough shots and denying easy drives to the basket. Natalie Huang adjusted well to Lion’s on-ball pressure and double team throughout the game, made great passes to unmarked players all around the court for open shots and got to the line constantly by drawing fouls on drives to the basket. Clarice Chow’s (07K1) on-ball pressure forced multiple turnovers, leading to numerous transition opportunities. Strong post play from Caroline Lindsay (07S1) denied the Lions from getting easy looks inside, and strong wing defence from Amelie Webster (07B1) and Katelyn Yu (08M2) jammed up CAIS on offence. Winnie Chiu (08M2) came off the bench and immediately added an easy bucket inside. While the stifling Lion’s defence limited the SIS girls to their lowest scoring output in the season, they could not break through the Stingrays’ locked-down defence. SIS takes the win 14 - 7 and wraps up the undefeated season as the ISSFHK U12 Silver Division Champions!
(2) U12 BOYS BASKETBALL - by Coach Darin Slethaug
The U12 boys' basketball team had a very successful season and completed it by capturing the silver medal. Unfortunately, the boys lost to a strong VSA team that had previously beaten us in the regular season. The boys couldn’t capitalise offensively when needed, and VSA pulled away, eventually winning 27-17. Each member of the team should be proud of themselves, their season, and what they have accomplished as a team.
(3) U14 BOYS BASKETBALL
Playing host, the South Island School U14 Boys Basketball team took on German Swiss International School in the ISSFHK Silver U14 Boys Bronze Medal Match. Coming off disappointing losses last week in the semi-finals, both teams looked to wrap up the season on a high note. The Stingrays, who took the regular season matchup 48-29, played catch up throughout the first quarter as GSIS grabbed two quick buckets and controlled the pace early. The U14 boys did manage to tie the game at 8 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, GSIS continued to dictate the pace and find holes in the Stingrays’ defence like swiss cheese. SIS found themselves down 12 midway through the second quarter. However, the U14 boys did not relent, and soon, the offence picked up with drives to the basket from Mike Wong (08K2) and great second chance efforts from Rajvir Dhillon (08B2). Strong play from Alan Liao (09N1) off the bench also helped the Stingrays cut the lead to 6 entering halftime. The momentum carried through to the second half with two early buckets in the post from Rajvir, drawing SIS closer. Great efforts from both teams continued throughout the highly contested third quarter. GSIS clung to the lead until SIS was finally able to tie the game up just before the end of the third quarter. With one quarter left in the season, South Island broke the tie on the first possession of the fourth quarter and began to pull away, continuing to punish GSIS inside with cuts to the basket, drawing fouls and great post play on both ends. A late three-pointer from GSIS kept the Stingrays on guard, but it would not be enough as the SIS U14 boys won the last game of the season 47 - 42 and took home the bronze medal! Great job U14 Boys!
(4) U16 BOYS BASKETBALL - by Captain Cyrus Yu
Yesterday afternoon, the U16 boys basketball squad faced off against long-time ESF rivals, West Island School, in a highly anticipated rematch for the bronze medal in the ISSFHK league.
Stingrays wasted no time asserting their dominance on the court, showcasing their superior athleticism, shooting, and seamless teamwork. Their on-point passing and outstanding cooperation left their opponents struggling to keep up. In the second quarter, the SIS boys continued to sink shots from all ranges and dominate the boards on both ends. SIS’s strong on-ball pressure flustered their opponent into numerous turnovers, leading to easy transition baskets the other way. With each possession, their lead grew, and their confidence soared. Even with a 39 - 11 lead at halftime, the Stingrays continued to show great effort on both ends of the court in the second half, stifling any chance of a WIS comeback. All players got minutes in the fourth quarter, contributing to the team’s success.
As the final buzzer sounded, the South Island boys wrapped up their season with a well-deserved bronze medal. The final score was 59-34, a commanding 25-point margin over WIS. Looking ahead, the U16 boys understand that their journey does not end here. In the upcoming offseason, they will continue refining their skills, fine-tuning their tactics and strengthening their team bond. Their sights are set on the next ISSFHK basketball season, with the aim of pursuing the ultimate prize, the gold medal.
Thank you to all the students, parents and teachers who came out to support our U16 boys in the final basketball match of the season. Seeing our community come together for our students is one of the amazing things sports can do.
(5) BADMINTON - by Coach Tom Lee
B-grade girls HKSSF
The B-grade girls kicked off their HKSSF season against St. Mark’s School (SMS).
The first game featured Evelyn Zhu (10B2) in a singles match. Evelyn showed great determination and was steady throughout the game, making deceptive decisions on the court. The Jing Ying Tournament competitor brought home the first win for South Island as she quickly dispatched her opponent 21-1.
The next game was a doubles match with Evelyn and Esther Au Yeung (11K1) representing SIS. Esther set many skillful shots at the net, allowing Evelyn to smash and win the point perfectly. Evelyn showed great leadership and communication skills as she guided Esther through every point, and both showed immaculate teamwork throughout the whole game. Even with SMS’s top player on the court, our girls brought home the second win for South Island, concluding the match with a score of 21-16.
Abby Lee (10C2) followed with a singles match against SMS’s top player. Despite going in as a huge underdog, Abby was still determined to win. The Year 10 player played many skillful shots at the net. However, despite her strong determination and great efforts, the opponent’s experience and skill were too much, and SIS lost the match 4-21.
With the overall match lead cut in half, Year 10 students Belmira Iong (10M1) and Cordelia Lee (10B1) took to the court for the second doubles match. The girls worked exceptionally well with Belmira at the net and Cordelia in the back half of the court. Belmira took many of the kill shots at the net, easily winning points up front while also playing many tight net shots on defence, setting up Cordelia for spikes. With their amazing teamwork, the girls took their game 21-7 and secured the match for SIS with an overall match score of 3-1.
South Island School kicked off the season with a dominant performance, displaying a level of excellence that exceeded expectations. This victory is a result of their hard work and relentless practice and serves as a testament to their dedication to the sport. Congratulations, and well done to all the players who played! Keep up the good work! Next week, the B Grade Girls will take on old ESF rivals, West Island School!
C-grade Boys HKSSF
On the boy’s side, the C-grade boys also took on St Mark School in their first match of the HKSSF season.
In the first game, Samuel Siu (08N2) represented SIS in a singles match. Samuel played exceptionally well in his first match of the season and cruised to a 21-10 victory against his opponent from SMS.
Samuel stayed on the court for the second game, this time teaming up with Jasper So (09C1) in a doubles match. Samuel and Jasper worked well together, and the boys comfortably won the second game with a decisive 21 - 4 victory.
Cayden Huang (09S1) followed up with the second singles match of the day, taking on SMS’s top C-grade player. Cayden competed valiantly, but his opponent gradually built a lead, ultimately losing 11-21.
The C-grade boys, however, bounced back from the minor setback, with Ryan Chen (08M2) and Kieran Lin (09B1) taking the court in the second doubles match. The boys worked well together and played exceptionally well, winning the set 21-11 and securing the victory for SIS by the overall score of 3-1.
The SIS C grade Boys badminton team performed well against a strong opponent, showing great skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
(6) C Grade Netball - By Student Coach Ruby Ramsey
The C-grade netball team kicked off the C-grade netball season against French International School on Monday. SIS jumped out to a strong first quarter with 13 goals. As the FIS defence picked up, the girls started to make risky passes and turned the ball over quite a bit. By the third quarter, we started to feel comfortable with the game and communicated better with each other. With a sizable lead, we tried a new combination of positions as this was our first game together, and we also had new netball players. We finished the game with a fantastic score of 32 - 4! SIS played fabulously throughout the game. The coaches chose Liora Turner (09N2) as the MVP, and both the SIS and FIS girls voted Louise Lindsay (09S1) as MVP. The girls had an amazing team sprint. They look forward to the upcoming matches.
FEBRUARY
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