Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are incredibly fortunate at South Island School to have a remarkable support system committed to our continuous improvement and growth. This week, we had the pleasure of continuing our learning walks with members from other ESF schools as well as our School Council subcommittee (LPD).
Learning walks are a testament to our collective dedication to fostering excellence in teaching and learning. They provide an avenue for educators to engage in collaborative learning, drawing inspiration from one another and sharing best practices. These walks strengthen our teaching approaches and contribute to the overall well-being of our students and the entire learning community.
One of the pillars of our success lies in the support we receive from the ESF network of schools. This network serves as a catalyst for growth, enabling us to establish meaningful connections with other educators and schools. We had the privilege of visiting Bradbury School and West Island School and a visit from Sha Tin Junior last week. Through these connections, we gain fresh perspectives, exchange ideas, and stay abreast of the latest educational practices, ultimately enriching the educational experience we offer our students.
We are also grateful for the immense support of our School Council and Sub-committees. They serve as our ‘critical friend’ and are instrumental in shaping our vision and ensuring we stay focused on our goals. Their involvement in our learning walks further strengthens our commitment to continuous improvement, as their insightful comments celebrate the exceptional work already happening at SIS while offering valuable suggestions for further enhancement. I asked LPD to summarise their observations in one word, which describes our wonderful school: innovative, collaborative, supportive, inclusive, and diverse!
These walks also give our students a platform to share their achievements and speak candidly about what they learned in each of the classes. I am always impressed by the maturity and confidence our students demonstrate during these interactions. Together, we truly do make a positive difference in the lives of our students.
We also have had a week packed full of student-led events and celebrations, notably Pride Week 2024 - Proud Minds, International Women’s Day and our athletes excelling at the HKSSF athletics.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, please find the accomplishments of some of our talented SIS women below:
Please enjoy the highlights of the week below.
Carolyn Andrews
Interim Principal
(1) LEARNING WALKS
Along with Ms Andrew’s visit to Bradbury School this past week, various members of the SIS Community also had the privilege of visiting different ESF schools for Learning Walks.
Mr. Lewis and Mr. Marshall-Brown recently visited West Island School and Island School. Mr Lewis shares, “We have been completing joint learning walks through each of the schools to gather evidence towards our respective development plans, share initiatives, and offer supportive comments to help each leadership team to progress further.
On the most recent learning walks, we saw how our colleagues at West Island are using their lessons and their environment to better understand the IB Learner Profile. At Island School, we saw inclusive practices that support the diversity of students.
We feel like the learners in this process have picked up so much from the other schools and the teachers we’re fortunate to observe.”
Just yesterday, our Learning Professional Development team (Ms Andrews, Mr Lewis, Ms Srivastava, Nicholas Gordon, Jenni Sparks, Barbara Engo-Aranha, Rainbow Ko, Dorothy Chau) held our own learning walk at South Island School. The group visited students in Art, Music and Maths classes, observed their learning, and chatted with them to hear firsthand accounts of their learning experiences.
The group even made a quick detour to the Head Prefect Board to check out some of the new and old names on the list.
Photo Caption: SIS Alumni, former Head Boy, & SIS Council Member Nicholas Gordon.
These learning walks are great opportunities for us to reflect upon our student’s learning. Through these walks, we gain a lot of insight into the environment of our school and those of our fellow ESF Schools. Learning walks are great for collaboration within the ESF Network to ensure our students receive the best education possible.
(2) SIS SAILING
The South Island School Sailing Team is busily preparing to take to the seas this weekend at the Boase Cohen & Collins Inter-school Sailing Festival. Hosted by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, this year, SIS will send two 7-person crews with 3 substitutes each, many of them from the lower years. If you are by Middle Island/Deep Water Bay this weekend, come root for our South Island sailors! You can also catch a live stream of the Finals on Sunday through this link HERE. Good luck sailors!
Feva A Team: Captain Selina Daswani (11K1), Penelope Wilde (07K2), Karlson Ng (08N1), Sasha Theil (09C2), Conor Knight (11M1), Jake Robinson (09C2), William Zhang (11K2), Hera Daswani (07K1), Jensen Chu (07S1), Clayton Ho (07S1)
Pico A Team: Captain Raphael Mak (10M1), Xavier Mak (09K2), Belmira Iong (10M1), Charlotte Lam (09B1), Cameron Lee (09N1), Jeremy Choy (13C2), Bianca Iong (08M1), William Choi (11N2), Elizabeth Choi (08N2), Mark Lai (07C2)
(3) PRIDE WEEK
This week, the Pride Council successfully hosted Pride Week. Our theme for the week was Pride Minds, specifically focusing on mental health topics related to the LGBTQIA2S+ community. On Tuesday, we welcomed Ms Odile Thiang from Mind HK to give a talk to students about mental health topics in the community and how we can effectively support our friends and family who identify with the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Many of our students found Ms Thiang’s talk highly informative and provided a greater understanding of what their peers may be experiencing. On Wednesday, students were given time and space to dive deeper into Ms Thiang’s talk the previous day. Additional resources on allyship and mental health support were shared with students on Thursday. We wrapped up the week with a Dress Colourful day, with many students dressing up in rainbows and vibrant colours to support the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
“As a student support group, we recognise that LGBTQ+ students face added stress in their daily lives beyond typical student stressors. That is why we are consciously highlighting LGBTQ+ issues as part of our advocacy work during Pride Week. Our society has become more diverse in recent years, so it's important that our messaging evolves to be more inclusive of all student experiences.” – Matthew Leung (11C2), Head Coordinator of Pride Week.
We would like to thank Matthew, Andrea Lau (11S2), and the rest of the Pride Council for their extensive work organising this week’s events. Thank you to Ms Taylor for her encouragement and support throughout the week's planning and execution.
(4) INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
In honour of International Women’s Day, we want to take this opportunity to thank all the amazing women who make up our community. From teachers to staff, students to parents, we celebrate all the women who contribute significantly to our community.
We also want to give a special shout-out to our Cod(h)ers organisers and attendees, who will attend tomorrow’s inaugural event.
SIS Students Sophia Yim (11M2), Candice Law (10B2), Emily Kung (10K1), and Vanessa Lok (11B1), along with former SIS Student Michelle Yuen (12M1), have been working hard for months with the rest of the Cod(h)ers organising team to get this off the ground and put on a wonderful event for girls all over Hong Kong.
“Through Code(H)ers, we hope to address gender disparity in Computer Science by inspiring young girls to gain courage and explore this subject. Historically, women have faced discouragement from exposing themselves to the field of STEM. Even today, subtle deterrents persist, from microaggressions around career discussions to overlooked inclusivity in educational settings. An event like Code(h)ers serves as a bold affirmation of women's capabilities in STEM, fostering interest and surmounting subtle biases.” - Vanessa Lok 11B1 & Sophie Yim (11M2)
We would also like to give a shoutout to our HKSSF Girls Athletics Championship Finalists, who are currently wrapping up the two-week competition.
At SIS, we will continue to support and create an inclusive and equitable space for all our students to learn and to thrive.
(1) THE INNOVATION XVII
The Innovation is the annual student-led charity fashion and arts show. This year, for the 17th annual show, we embody the theme of “Clarity”, representing freedom of movement and expression. With “Clarity”, we welcome new approaches whilst bringing the past back to life.
The Innovation XVII will be held on Thursday 21 March 2024. Doors will open at 5:30 pm, and the show will begin at 6:00 pm. Prepare for incredible student models, designers, performers, and a wonderful show. Tickets will be $150.
This year’s ticket sales proceeds will go to our partner charity, Mother’s Choice. Mother’s Choice is a local charitable organisation that aims to aid and support young children and pregnant teenagers. The charity is motivated to help a vulnerable group directly while bringing everyone education and awareness.
Get your ticket HERE today! See you there!
(2) SIS-MODEL UN
The SIS Model UN is back! SIS Model United Nations is a student-led simulation of the United Nations that enables students to learn about international affairs and diplomacy. SISMUN has consistently proven to be a catalyst for inspiration over the past few years, and we are beyond thrilled to announce its return.
SISMUN allows students to represent nations and work with other delegates to discuss solutions for current affairs. It provides opportunities for every student to voice their ideas regardless of their backgrounds while supporting broader issues and topics in our community.
This year’s SISMUN will be held from the 13th to the 14th of April, beginning at 9 am. Our conference will consist of the following committees: General Assembly, Security Council, Historical Security Council, US Senate and NATO. Make sure to join us for a wonderful and unforgettable experience at SISMUN 2024.
For any questions regarding the event, please email James Choi (choim18@webmail.sis.edu.hk)
(3) SIS-PTA COFFEE MORNING
The South Island School PTA would like to warmly welcome our Years 10-13 Parents for our next Coffee Morning on Tuesday 12 March.
During this session, the SIS counselling team will provide insights, strategies, and tips on supporting your teenagers as they navigate the complexities of teenage relationships. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn, share experiences, and connect with other parents who may have similar questions.
Date: 12 March 2024
Time: 9 am to 10:30 am
Location: Atrium, 5/F South Island School
Registration: Please register via the Google Form link by 10 March 2024
Thank you for your continued support, and we anticipate a meaningful and engaging Coffee Morning session.
(4) CREATIVE ARTS EVENING
The Creative Arts Faculty cordially invites our community to the Creative Arts Evening on Wednesday, 13th March, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
During this event, we will showcase the outstanding work of our students in Visual Arts, Music, Drama, and Film. The Visual Arts Department will exhibit the final artworks created by the Year 13 IBDP Visual Arts students. The Music Department will enchant the atmosphere with captivating performances and compositions by our GCSE students, featuring a diverse collection of pieces. Through film recordings, the Drama Department will offer a glimpse of student work created during Theatre lessons, including examples of past IGCSE and IB exam work. Additionally, the Film and Media Department will showcase work from the Creative Arts: Media Photography unit via a photographic exhibition, whilst the Agence France Presse Media students from years 10 and 11 present various media-based projects. Finally, IB Film and BTEC Media students will share some of their film and media-based work.
The evening will commence with a brief introduction by the Heads of Department at 4:30 pm. Following the introduction, you are invited to explore the different showcases presented by each Creative Arts Department at your own pace, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the artistic displays.
We eagerly anticipate your presence at this remarkable event as we celebrate the achievements of our students within the Creative Arts Faculty. For our planning purposes, please register HERE
(5) 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.
(7) ESF EXPLORE - SPRING CAMP 2024
Spring to life and join ESF Explore for a thrilling adventure! From 25th March to 5th April, we offer a variety of courses and workshops for students of all ages. With morning classes, afternoon workshops and online coding classes, we'll keep your children engaged and entertained this Spring. Discover our Spring Camp programmes HERE.
(7) SCHOOL BUS REMINDER
As Term 2 is coming to a close, we would like to remind parents of changes to the school bus schedule in the coming weeks. Please note the following:
(1) LIAM WILKINS (10N2) - SAILING
Congratulations to Liam Wilkins (10N2) who recently took part in an overnight sailing race offshores of Hong Kong. The conditions were quite gruelling, with high winds and rough seas. By all accounts, Liam performed brilliantly as part of the crew.
Liam will also compete in the Rolex China Sea Yacht race to Subic Bay in the Philippines later this month. This involves a gruelling 4-5 days of offshore sailing. Good luck Liam!
(2) IVAN LIU (09K1) - HK SCHOOL MUSIC FESTIVAL
Congratulations to Ivan Liu (09K1) for winning First Place at the 76th annual Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. Singing Purcell’s Nymphs and Shepherds, the judges found Ivan “confident in his performance with some well sustained legato singing.” Amazing job Ivan! We can’t wait to see you on the SIS stage again!
(3) RAPHAEL MAK (10M1) - Volvo Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Ladies Helm Reggata
This past weekend, Raphael Mak (10M1) participated in the 2024 Volvo Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Ladies Helm Reggata. Raphael was honoured to sail with China’s only Olympic sailing gold medal winner, Xu Li Jia. Sailing on the Cape 31 Capitano, Raphael and his teammates sailed around Victoria Harbour in two separate races. With a two-time winning Olympic medallist at the helm, Raphael worked well with his team as a crew member, placing first in the event. Great job Raphael!
(1) U16 CRICKET
The South Island U16 Cricket team opened their season against Delia Memorial School GP. SIS were sent into bat first, and openers Siddesh Muthukrishnan and Harishankar Venkatesh had a stellar opening partnership of 182 before Siddesh departed for 89. Harishankar finished on 63 not out, and SIS scored 208 off their 20 overs. With the ball, SIS took regular wickets throughout to restrict DMS to 111. James Walker was the pick of the bowlers with 3/17. A wicked start to the cricket season!
(2) U20 GIRLS FOOTBALL
The U20 Girls Football played their first competitive fixture since 2019, facing off against league leaders CDNIS at Happy Valley.
Composed of girls from Year 8 to Year 13, our team included a few girls who have no experience on the pitch, girls who haven’t kicked a ball in years, a Year 8 goalkeeper in full-sized goals, and a sprinkling of Year 10 and 11 ballers.
Lining up in a 2-3-1 formation, the Lady Stingrays looked strong from the opening kickoff, with Ava Jakeway scoring the opening with a low and powerful shot in the far corner. The rest of the first half, however, would be all CDNIS as they responded with a fury of goals, showing their class, exploiting our inexperience, and jumping out to a 5 - 1 lead at the half.
Half-time provided well needed refreshment and reflection with a formation change. With encouragement and pep talks from Mr Cornes and Mr Pate, the girls went back on the pitch with renewed energy. Ava, with some nifty dribbling, Ava got the South back on the scoreboard with her second goal right out of halftime. Rachel Li followed up with her own dribble moves before finding the net as the girls continued to chip away the lead.
CDNIS responded with a goal of their own, one of their rare forays into the SIS side in the second half. With time running out, SIS began selling out on defence with 2 extra attackers. With just under 10 minutes left, Emma Harries scored off a clearance to cut the deficit back to 2. With 3 minutes remaining, Rachel once again dribbled past her marker and landed a beautiful ball to Ava, who completed her hat-trick and gave the girls hope with minutes remaining.
Any half-time talk of 'mercy rule' was truly quashed. However, time eventually ran out, and the girls were not able to complete their incredible comeback.
It was a fantastic performance from a group of girls who have never even trained together. They showed great spirit despite their earlier struggle. On to ESF rivals West Island School next week.
Special mentions for Gia Brewster in goal, who was superb and Skye Semple (C,) who was dominant in defence . Also shoutout to Elsie Hulme and Ashley Bertagnoli in their first ever football match.
MVP: Ava Jakeway - worked her socks off all game
(3) B-GRADE GIRLS RUGBY
SIS B-Grade girls continued their excellent rugby season with another resounding victory against Harrow 6 tries to 1. Sophie Aranha scored two tries, with Siena Poulton, Sara Harries, Hannah Price, and Cassandra Skoett touching down. The team remained undefeated going into the final group games next week.
Our team also got in some extra game time when KGV was short of players for their match. Our girls stepped up and were happy to help KGV grab a 4-3 win over Kellet School. A significant ESF victory!
(5) HKSSF Athletics
The HKSSF Athletics Championship continued this week with South Island School students competing in the finals this week. With over 20 students across in 10 events in the three divisions, our athletes were amazing as they competed, claiming 5 medals and many making standard marks in their events. Great job to all our athletes who competed these past two weeks! The next Athletics event will be the ISSFHK Athletics Championship in the Spring. Looking forward to seeing everyone back on the track soon!
Notable Marks:
C Grade
Arley Webster: 800m, 8th place (2.27.82)
Warren Wong, Sheldon Cheung, Isaac Wong & Ambrose Wong: 4X400m Relay, 6th place in final (4.15.03) 2 seconds faster than the heats!
B Grade
Chaemin Jun: 100m, Silver medal (11.13) & 200m Gold medal (22.55)
Rori Town, Zac Leung, Maxi Hurle & Hugo Teng: 4X400m Relay, 7th place in final (3.55.36) 3 seconds faster than the heats
A Grade
Jeremy Lui: 200m, Silver medal (23.41)
Christopher Ng: 100m, Bronze medal (11.36) & 200m Bronze medal (23.57)
Gary Lo: Discus, 5th place (28.73m)
Enzo Wong: 5000m (19.31.79)
Max Julienne: 5000m (20.19.89)
As of writing, the Girls' Final is still ongoing. We will further celebrate our girls’ achievements next week.
3…2…1…BLAST OFF! This week, our Year 8 science class had a BLAST! with this hydrogen rocket demonstration from our student teacher (Ms Fang).
MARCH
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