Our 15th Anniversary - Dhanara - Australian International ...

1

Since opening its doors in 1995 at the Boundary Road premises to just 25 students, the School has gone from strength-to-strength and now caters for more than 1,100 students and stands as one of Hong Kong’s leading international schools.

Co Head of School, Leonie Drew, acknowledged the A ISHK community for its continual support, which has “helped

shape the school as we know it today”.

“Over the years, an incredible number of parents, students, staff and friends of the school have given so freely of their time

for school events and initiatives. We should pay special tribute to the Parent Association and former parent bodies which, through their continued efforts, have generated and donated large funds to the school for many projects,” she said.

Co Head of School, Phil Waugh, outlined some of the exceptional student achievements over the past 15 years, but gave the following reminder: “However, the past is the past and while we have achieved some exceptional outcomes over the past 15 years, we cannot rely on these results to ensure the continued success of our students in the future. We must constantly strive to improve every aspect of the school to maintain our leading edge,” he added.

Our immediate past Chairman, Dr Dan Hooley also shared his most vivid memories of the school, including painting toilet doors at the Cheung Sha Wan campus. “When this wonderful award winning facility opened in 2001 at the cost of $200M it really was, in every sense of the phrase, a dream come true. Our new home is now ever more impressive with our fantastic new aquatic centre,” he said.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all founding members, friends and the AISHK community, who have, over the years, have made great sacrifi ces and gave generously for the betterment of the school.

Celebrating Our 15th Anniversary

June 2010 | Volume 6

To coincide with the 95th anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, a group of 23 students from Years 9 to 12 and four staff, led by Mr David Shales, travelled to Turkey for a heritage tour. They visited the battlefields and experienced what the

original ANZACs went through, sleeping overnight at ANZAC Cove the night before the Dawn Service.

“I was told about the Gallipoli environment, but until you actually see it, you don’t understand the challenge the ANZACs or even the Turks had,” Ryan James of Year 10 said.

Amanda Chancellor, also from Year 10, found the Gallipoli Dawn Service was “one of the most moving things” she had ever experienced. “You come as close as you can to understanding what the ANZACs went through and the constant battle they were fi ghting.”

Most students didn’t get much sleep the night before the service. Tammy Vanderhoek said it was “one of the worst nights” but also “one of the best nights” she has experienced. “I stuck through without complaining because in the back of my mind I knew that 95 years ago ANZAC soldiers were about to land where I was sitting and give up their lives. The whole night I was trying to imagine what they would have been feeling whilst waiting to get off the boats.”

It was an emotional journey for the students, leaving them with a renewed sense of Australian pride and insight into what happened on those shores 95 years ago. They all agreed that the Gallipoli trip was “amazing” and “not to be missed”.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the students, teachers, alumni and the school community were joined by Australian Consul General Mr Les Luck, and New Zealand Consul General Ms Adele Bryant at the School’s traditional ANZAC service.

Honouring ANZACs inGallipoli and Hong Kong

OutstandingAcademic Results in 2009

The construction of our current award-winning campus

AISHK's fi rst students in 1995

AISHK is renowned as a leading international school in Hong Kong, and our outstanding

academic performance in public examinat ions last year has reaffi rmed this.

The School was ranked first in Design and Technology, 47th in Mathematics, 99th in English, and 61st overal l from more than 400 schools in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Merit List for Distinguished Achievers (i.e. ranked percentage of students who scored more than 90 in a subject).

As a learning community we are very proud to recognise and celebrate such exceptional academic outcomes.

HSC Results

Nelson Boyd was placed on the prestigious All Rounders List (i.e. scoring more than 90 in every subject)

AISHK ranked 47th in Mathematics results and 99th in English results from over 400 schools

IB Diploma

Andrew Cheng received 45 points (maximum possible)

15% of IB students received 43 or higher points

30% of IB students received 37 points or higher

69% of IB students received 31 points or higher

University Entrance

37% of AISHK students (HSC & IB) received an Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR) of 90 or above. This placed them in the top 10% of all applicants to Australian Universities.

54% of AISHK students (HSC & IB) received an Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR) of 85 or above. This placed them in the top 15% of all applicants to Australian Universities.

67% of AISHK (HSC & IB) students received an Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR) of 80 or above. This placed them in the top 20% of all applicants to Australian Universities.

Congratulations on your outstanding achievements!

2

G E N E R A L N E W S

AISHKPA Aquatic Centre

Opens with a Splash!

Af t e r f o u r y e a r s o f p lann ing and e igh t months of construction, the school’s outdoor

swimming pool was converted into a fully functional Aquatic Centre complete with covering and heating, extending its use all-year-round and to the wider community for after school hours and on weekends.

As a non-profit school, all funds generated from AISHK operations are reinvested into the School’s development projects such as the Aquatic Centre.

“We can be as ambitious as we want, but these ideas and dreams will not become reality without the support of donors,” AISHK Board Chairman Tom Corkhill said. “The notion of contributing to the school is a distinguishing feature of AISHK and this has been a cornerstone to our growth and success. Now, at 15 years old, we have grown from very humble beginnings into one of Hong Kong’s finest international schools, and throughout those 15 years we have had to embrace change. Yet, we will not forget the traditions and the culture that has made us what we are today – because this is the key to our ongoing success,” Mr Corkhill added, thanking all Aquatic Centre donors, including the AISHK Parent Association, the Aquatic Centre’s main sponsor.

“It is wonderful to have such an active and supportive Parent Association, made up of many individuals who are passionate about the school and donate a great deal of their own time

and effort into initiatives that provide great colour and life to the school community,” Co Head of School Leonie Drew said in acknowledging the Parent Association’s contributions to the School.

“Since then countless numbers of parents have contributed to events and fundraising activities which have enabled the school to purchase resources and add funds to small capital projects around the school. Today is a fi tting occasion to acknowledge many years of fundraising for the school,” Mrs Drew said.

School FieldRe-opens

The School Field was offi cially re-opened in May after it was re-turfed over the Term 1 break, with the generous support from the Hong Kong Rugby Football

Union (HKRFU).

“From our inception, when we were granted this piece of land on which to build a school, the fi rst thing that was thought of was the fi eld,” Co Head of School, Phil Waugh, said at the offi cial opening. “The rest of the buildings were then designed around it, and it is no surprise that the designer Patrick Lau and our school received an award for outstanding architectural design.”

“Over the years the field has taken on a life of its own... and it is here that so many special moments, events and ceremonies in the AISHK calendar are celebrated by everyone within the school community and beyond,” he said.

“However, time and wear and tear wait for no one and last year it became obvious that we needed to upgrade the facility and resurface the pitch to return it to its former glory.”

“Fortunately for us we were able to form a partnership with HKRFU who kindly provided our school signifi cant funding to allow our redevelopment to begin,” he added.

Former Australian Rugby Union Coach Eddie Jones was the guest of honour at the reopening. Eddie provided coaching sessions for rugby players from Years 4 to 11 and also conducted a “Coach the Coaches” session with teachers who coach a variety of sports.

BeijingSister School

During Term 1 Principal Nui and a group of 40 senior secondary English teachers from our sister school, Beijing Number 2 Middle School, came to visit

for an observation and English teaching forum. The teachers attended classes and shared their experiences in teaching English as a second language at a forum at the end of the day.

The visitors from Beijing Number 2 Middle School were so impressed they returned in Term 2 for a similar workshop. The English Language Symposium, organised by Mr Denis Oxenham, looked at English lessons in junior secondary classes.

Dr Dan HooleyBoardroom

Dr Hooley has been part of the School since the very beginning and he will continue to play an active role on the board as immediate past chairman and School Supervisor. The School has taken great strides since

I was last acting Chairman of the Board, which was for a brief period between 1998 and 1999, and while many people are due credit for our remarkable achievements, Dr Hooley has been at the helm overseeing much of this development.

The boardroom on the 9th floor has been named the “Dr Dan Hooley Boardroom” in recognition of his service. The plaque that honours him contains a quote from his 15th Anniversary speech in February, which reads as follows:

“When I look back at my life, I promise you that I will hold among my most satisfying memories, my connection with this incredible school and the lives of the remarkable people in our school community.” - Dr Dan Hooley, AISHK 15th Anniversary Speech 2010.

On behalf of all board members I would like to extend a thank you to Dr Dan Hooley for the past 12 years of service to the School as Board Chairman.

Tom Corkhill, Board Chairman

Sp

otl

igh

t o

n

De

sig

n &

Te

ch

no

log

y A ISHK ranked fi rst in Design and Technology from all schools presenting fi ve or more candidates in the HSC, with more than 88% of AISHK students scoring in Band 5 or 6. Design and Technology Teacher, Ms Kate Vaughan, says that

designers can “effect a change” to the world, and often act on a “far larger scale than any individual could”, but what is Design and Technology, and what career paths can it lead to? Ms Vaughan reveals: What is the study of Design and Technology, what is learnt?Design impacts on all areas of our daily lives. When a bicycle helmet saves a life or when we Skype a relative on the other side of the world, we realise just how important designers are. It develops students’ appreciation of the interrelationships of design, technology, society and the environment. As students move through the design cycle, they learn how to identify needs, to solve problems, to work collaboratively and to evaluate. Who would you recommend the subject to?There is a wide range of students who are suited to study Design and Technology. Designers are usually creative problem solvers who are goal orientated and self-directed. Design and Technology students are usually interested in technology and processes; they can adapt and take visual risks and are team players.

Is Design and Technology different in year 11 & 12 compared to junior high school years?Year 7 and 8 Design and Technology offers students a “tasting plate” of design disciplines, while in middle school, students work with a variety of materials but on larger design projects. HSC Design and Technology is a student negotiated design brief. Students are responsible for identifying a design need, which they investigate, develop and resolve over one year to form their Major Design Project. What is the best part about studying Design and Technology?The best part about Design and Technology is that it offers all students the opportunity to achieve and to be creative. It is an unique learning experience away from a conventional classroom. What are the possible career paths for those who study Design and Technology?The scope and variety of possible career paths is very broad for students who study Design and Technology. Designers have a hand in virtually every industry from fashion design to software development. Some design specialties require highly technical knowledge like electrical engineering; others, like graphic design, are more about understanding how to use visual language.

Eddie Jones coaches some of younger our rugby players

Anson Bailey unveils the HKRFU plaque

3

Semester 1 of 2010 has been filled with exhilaration as we embarked on the Year

of School Pride. Finally the crane went and we had the fi eld back for activities and play! A record number of new students and their families joined the school as additional classrooms became available. New teachers quickly embraced the energy of what is a typical school year at AISHK.

We celebrated Australia Day with added panache and Aussie style, which is something we hope to develop in the years to come. We had a barbie, meat pies and lamingtons and dressed to represent Australia, our favourite sports team or as some Australian icon. At assembly our Year 6s hosted an Australiana extravaganza - a fi tting celebration of National pride!

WiFi was also made available throughout the campus and our Year 3, 4 and 5 students have been immersed in the use of technology as a tool for their learning as they have personal computers to use.

Celebrating the school’s 15th birthday was also a highlight for the Primary Division. This event gave us another excuse to celebrate and show great pride in our school.

The Parent Information evenings that herald the commencement of the school year were once again overwhelmingly supported, and this year the Chinese Department held an information evening to keep parents well informed and up to date. The Chinese program commenced its renewal process and new text books and program development began. Chinese teachers now plan and pool resources in year level groups and more emphasis is being placed on collaboration and continuity.

Primary school leaders and SRC representatives were dut i fu l ly e lected and instated and soon managed their portfolios with pride.

There was of course great exc i t emen t when t he f inishing touches were put on the Aquatic Centre which became available in

Term 2. With the appointment of Aquatic Centre Manager, Alex Chung, we look forward to maximising the use of this fabulous facility for all students and the wider community. Preps, Year 1s and 2s were the first to make a splash as their swimming lessons commenced in Term 2.

Special author visits have punctuated the two terms and we continue to relish the literature that they promote. Both Deborah Ellis and Sarah Brennan once again visited our school this year. In this semester we have enjoyed the Waratah and Jacaranda mufti days, as well as a Fun Run for Haiti; all of which raised lots of money for various charity causes. There has also been the Music Concert for Year 3 to 6 to enjoy. A myriad of out of school learning experiences have added depth and meaning to the Inquiry Units studied.

Year 5 travelled to the Hong Kong History Museum, Year 3 visited the Wetlands Park, Year 2s to the Science Museum, Reception went to the zoo and Preps visited Kadoorie Farm and the Botanical Gardens. Year 3 camped at Ma On Shan and Year 5 had its annual camp at Treasure Island, Lantau.

Our weekly assemblies are always a highlight and they continue to draw great crowds of parents and family members. All year groups have had at least one turn of hosting an assembly.

A major activity across the primary years in Term 2 was the Peer Support program. Our Year 6 students are trained as group leaders and they undertake a teaching session each week with a group of students from Prep to Year 5. In the Year of School Pride we are focussing on the school values and how we can embrace and ‘live’ them. The benefi ts of programs such as this and of course our buddies program, help develop resilience and a caring and compassionate community where children look after and support one another.

Primary is very proud of all the rich learning that we have embraced and we look forward to showing off our achievements when we meet with parents at our Student Led Conference Day in the fi nal week of this term.

Leonie DrewCo Head of School, Principal Primary

P R I M A R Y

Count Me in TooYear 1

Message from the Principal, Primary

Camping AdventuresYear 3 and 5

“Images of Greatness”Year 6

In Term 1, Year 5 s tudents travelled to Treasure Island, Lan tau , f o r a f ou r day program, giving them the

opportunity to experience and see things they normally wouldn’t on a day-to-day basis.

They learnt about basic survival and safety skills, team spirit and developed individual confi dence through land and water activities, such as kayaking, silk screening, bike riding, beach Olympics and sand sculpting.

In term 2, Year 3 travelled to Ma On Shan for a three day camp. They went swimming, orienteering, kayaking in Sai Kung and visited a Folk Museum. They also built their confi dence on a high rope course and learnt some archery skills.

Each year, Year 6 students culminate their Term 1 Inquiry Unit with a Learning Centre. Early in the term each student chooses an “Image of Greatness” personality, someone they admire, alive or dead. Throughout the term they study this person, completing work that will

persuade other people that their choice deserves being called an “Image of Greatness”.

The Year 6 teachers were very impressed w i th the en thus iasm a n d c o m m i t m e n t demonstrated by their talented students. The school auditorium was filled with parents and students, and our Year 6 boys and girls confidently taught, entertained and convinced all present that there are always great people in the world!

This Semester Year 1 ch i ldren en joyed participating in Count Me In Too, an innovative numeracy project that incorporates different resources such as p lay ing cards and

dominoes. It is an entertaining, fun and relaxed platform for children to learn, but also a very powerful teaching tool. It helps develop student mental computation skills, teaches students how to use associated language, promotes active listening and improves students' self-esteem and confidence. The element of chance gives every player the opportunity to be a winner.

Charlotte Brown gave us all a wonderful impression of Amelia Earhart

Caitriona Laing enjoyed teaching our younger students about her Image of Greatness; Princess Diana

Leonie Drew

4

Athletics Carnival

P R I M A R Y

“Hands-On”the Human Body

Year 2

In Term 1 , Year 3 students went to the Wetlands P a r k i n t h e

New Ter r i to r ies to learn about Natural Environments as part of their inquiry studies. They trekked through mangroves, learnt about different plants and animals and saw a crocodile, fish and birds. They explored different natural environments and their features, and learnt about the impact of people on the environment.

Wetlands Excursion

Year 3

Year 2 have been studying the human body, and in Term 2 went to the Hong Kong Science Museum’s Life Sciences Hall. They enjoyed the hands-on displays, checked out

their blood pressure and endurance levels, and found out how long human intestines actually are. They also saw real brains, hearts and skeletons of various animals.

Students Christenthe New Aquatic Centre

Stage 1

to the Zoo

Both Reception classes visited the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. The children were very excited as it was their

fi rst outing as a class. In Term 2 they were looking at ‘How are animals different to humans?’

Mums and Dads joined the students for a picnic before the children moved around

the zoo in small groups. They each h a d t h e i r o w n clipboard to record information pictorially as well as using tally marks to search for a particular animal and note how many in the enclosure as well as observe particular characteristics and habitat. The weather was lovely and a great day was had by all!

In Term 1, stages 2 and 3 had their athletics carnival at Ma On Shan. The day was nice and sunny, and students from all four houses tried their best in all the

running and field events. There were some terrific individual efforts and quite a few records were broken, as students cheered on their fellow house-mates with colourful banners and war cries.

Jacaranda house was the overall winner of the day, closely followed by Eucalypt, Waratah and Wattle.

Stage 2 and 3

Stage 1 students (Preparatory to Year 2) were among the first students to try out the new Aquatic Centre in Term 2. They had swimming lessons twice a week, learning correct breathing,

kicking and arm strokes as well as water safety and survival skills.

The students had their swimming carnival in Term 2 in the Aquatic Centre – the fi rst swimming carnival since the centre opened. Luckily, because of the roof the carnival could go ahead, as it rained for most of the day.

Students had a wonderful day and everybody participated in at least two races, including freestyle, breaststroke, freestyle house relay and novelty races such as the noodle and kickboard relays. The students embraced team spirit as they loudly and proudly chanted their house chants throughout the day and wore their house colours with pride. Waratah placed first overall on the day, followed by Eucalypt, Wattle, and Jacaranda.

The Year 6 School and House Captains assisted the Year 2 leaders with house chants and they also acted as markers in the pool for the younger children and supported those who needed assistance.

Reception’s First Excursion

The Primary Peer Support Program returned in Term 2, which involved students from Preparatory to Year 6 every Thursday morning. Peer

Support is a highly successful program that has been implemented at AISHK for eight years. It is a time when the whole Primary Division meets to learn how to get along with others, work together, build friendships and develop reliance. The Peer Support Groups looked at the school values from our AISHK Values Star. The topics covered in Term 2 include cyber bullying, bullying, and safety.

ProgramPeer Support

Year 6 went on an excursion to Sai Kung Country Park to look at Biodiversity.

5

S E C O N D A R YS

tud

en

t S

po

tlig

ht

Message from the Principal, Secondary

Young EngineersSe m e s t e r 1 i n t h e

Secondary School always seems to pass so quickly.

This , I would suggest , is a refl ection of how busy our school community is.

The semester commenced with a celebration of our outstanding 2009 public examination results. AISHK students continue to excel in public examinations in both the I.B. Diploma and the NSW Higher School Certificate and these exceptional academic outcomes are now an expectation at this school. It has become a tradition to recognise our student’s achievements both in the school Annual Report and at each of the parent teacher cocktail evenings held during fi rst term.

This year we were also proud to celebrate another milestone for the very fi rst time, namely having AISHK rank as No 1 School in the subject area Design Technology based on student results. This is a feat of extraordinary value that underlines yet again the quality of the education program on offer at AISHK.

Semester 1 also incorporates Secondary Activity Week and this year our students embraced a range of personal challenges and communi ty serv ice o r ien ta ted programs, which are outlined elsewhere in this publication. Although not part of the official Activity Week program for our school, for the fi rst time this year, we sent teachers and students to Anzac Cove to commemorate the ANZAC landing on 25 April. This program proved such an overwhelming success that we plan to offer this opportunity each year for students and parents who may be interested.

The AISHK sporting program continues to expand and our school competed successfully in a range of different competit ions in our core representative sports. We successfully hosted the ACAMIS High School Soccer competition here in Hong Kong and sent boys and girls teams to locations throughout China to compete in a variety of different sports offering our students an amazing opportunity to engage in sporting competitions with schools outside Hong Kong.

This semester also saw the production of Hello Dolly! and what a massive undertaking it has been. With two different casts the logistics involved should have been almost overwhelming. However, the Performing Arts Department and other AISHK teachers and community members, who gave so freely of their time, should be congratulated on such a fine achievement. With such a major commitment to a full scale musical production it’s no wonder these days it is becoming much rarer for schools to offer their students the opportunity to benefi t from participation in a learning medium of this scale. Well done to all concerned.

The events I have listed are but a snapshot of the myriad activities that AISHK students have engaged in already this year. If we added in Athletics Carnivals, MUN and other activities too numerous to list it is easy to see how busy teachers and staff have been at AISHK. Little wonder the weeks pass so quickly.

Phil WaughCo Head of School, Principal Secondary

AISHK students from Years 7 to 11 were given the opportunity to enter the Engineers Australia Hong Kong Chapter Design Competition. About 30 students entered, submit t ing drawings,

photographs and digital media creations following the theme of Engineering in Hong Kong. Jack Martin, Amy Yap and Janessa Chou, of Year 8, were presented with their awards at the Engineers’ annual general meeting.

Model United Nations

Semester 1 is a very busy time for the School’s Model United Nations (MUN) teams. MUN is a simulation of the United Nations, with participating schools being assigned a country to represent.

This year, Year 9, 10 and 11 students represented the Republic of Columbia at the Hong Kong MUN Conference in February, while Year 7, 8 and 9 students represented Uganda and NATO at the Malaysian Model United Nations (MYMUN) in Kuala Lumpur.

Our Colombian representatives raised the issues of food security, extradition, peacekeeping, and successfully got an amendment regarding outer space

passed. The Ugandan delegates discussed, amongst other issues, security and stability in Haiti and Sudan, reviewed the protocol for United Nations

peacekeeping forces and the violation of international law in the Gaza Strip.

Deborah EllisAuthor Visit:

In Term 1 Year 6, 9, 10 and 12 students were g iven the oppor tun i ty to hear renowned Canadian author Deborah Ellis. She is well known for writing about how

young people cope with their traumatic lives, such as war refugees escaping the Taliban in Afghanistan, and escaping the cocaine lords in Bolivia. The students were spellbound listening to her inspirational words of how anyone can make a difference. Deborah also conducted writing workshops with two small groups of upper secondary students.

HKAYP Silver Award Recipients

Year 11 students Clayton Chiu, Gary Geng, Martin Lai, Jacqueline Lim, Jerry Poon, Peter Wat, Quentin Yiu and Michelle Yu achieved their Silver HKYAP (Hong

Kong Award for Young People) award, formerly the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

To achieve the Silver Award, the students must participate in community service, expedition, skills-based and physical recreation activities. Most of the students are committed to going on and obtaining their Gold Level, which will also include a “residential project” component in which they engage in some form of “purposeful activity in the company of others who are not already known to them”.

Budding Author Wins SCMP Competition

Bu d d i n g a u t h o r M e l i s s a

Tan o f Yea r 10 was the w inne r o f S o u t h C h i n a M o r n i n g P o s t ’ s Holiday Short Story Competition at the end of last year. Her story, The Christmas Mission was featured o n t h e S C M P ’ s Young Post website.

Year 10 English were writing about their travels in Term 1, and were visited by journalist and travel writer Claire Scobie, who shared with them her secrets to travel writing. Some students were also selected to participate i n a w o r k s h o p w i t h C l a i r e , discussing their travel pieces and how they could develop them further.

Travel Writing with Claire Scobie

Deborah Ellis speaks to students about her experiences and writing

Engineers Australia Competition Winners From Left to right Amy Yap (2nd), Jack Martin (1st) and Janessa Chow (3rd)

Malaysian Model United Nations team - Representatives of Uganda

Phil Waugh

6

HONG KONG

HONG KONG HONG KONG

FRANCE

VIETNAM

S E C O N D A R Y

ACTIVITY WEEK FEATURE

Year 7 Camp at Lantau IslandThe Year 7s developed new and

strengthened existing friendships on their camp at the YWCA on Lantau

Island. They engaged in exciting activities, including rock climbing and waterfall hiking. The students encouraged and helped each other, displaying great teamwork. They also travelled to Tai O to visit the local village, where they saw dolphins and learnt how to make fi shing nets from the local fi shermen.

Year 9 Overcome Challenges at Outward Bound

F1 Activity Week

Bonjour! Comment ça va?A ISHK students travelled to Paris for an

amazing nine-day journey full of discovery, culture, sophistication, and lots of fun

and memorable moments. Students learned, experimented and immersed themselves in not only the city itself, but also in its language, past and its people. The students absorbed French culture through active participation and interaction, which included: trying their best to communicate with host families in French; taking French lessons; and interacting with local students.

VietnamDuring Act iv i ty Week

a g r o u p o f A I S H K students set out for

an amazing trip to Vietnam. This trip was not a tour or a holiday; it was a memorable e x p e r i e n c e a n d a g r e a t opportunity for students to br ing happiness to some children at the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF).

The Foundation offers the basic care and love for underprivileged children, protecting them from the risk of economic and sexual exploitation. Students spent most of the week working with the children, each time within a different department. Students also spent time with CNCF Sunshine primary school children at a water park. When the students were not spending time working with CNCF, they were out and about shopping and sightseeing, visiting local markets and building their own unforgettable experiences and memories throughout the week.

Year 9 students travelled to Outward Bound, Sai Kung, where they completed a four day, three night expedition, either kayaking or hiking. High pollution levels early in the week meant that all strenuous activities had to be restricted until the

pollution index improved, but this didn’t stop them from having an amazing time that will truly be remembered forever.

“What made this expedition so memorable were the obstacles that we overcame. Instead of us being reliant on others, like instructors and teachers, we learnt how to rely on ourselves and work as team,” students said.

Model F1 cars raced rim by rim down a 14 meter track, released from fi ring gates and

powered by CO2 cylinders. Students created these F1 cars using balsa wood and designed and crafted them to form aerodynamic, model cars. After three days of designing and making the cars, the competitors raced in heats to qualify for positions in the cup and plate. Ryan Luk’s “Rat” proved too fast and was awarded the plate. No car, however, could reach the velocity of the Hornet, designed by Raymond Wilson. Race day was celebrated with a pizza lunch and conversations about track speeds, stacks, false starts and crashing fi nishes.

7

CHINA

A group of about 20 students set off for an adventure in India, exploring the natural and cultural heritage of the country. They gained insight into the magnifi cent historical and cultural landmarks and social experiences of India,

as well as learning about the natural environment at the foothills of the Himalayas. Students also visited a nearby orphanage and spent time with the resident children.

HONG KONG

Yunnan

A g r o u p o f s e c o n d a r y students travelled to the nor th-western par t of

Yunnan province in China, where they experienced the intense and colourful Tibetan culture. They visited a Buddhist Temple after trekking over some hilly terrain. “The moment we stepped into the temple area it was as if we had travelled back in time and entered into a completely different world,” said Tiffany Lee from Year 10.

Golfi ng at Kau Sai ChauThe inaugura l go l f

act iv i ty week was held at the Jockey

Club’s breathtaking Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, with a fi nal day tournament played at the Nine Eagles course in Chek Lap Kok. A group of 29 students and 3 teachers drove, chipped a n d p u t t e d t h e i r w a y through a rewarding week in which the focus was on learning the core skills of the game. Under the expert tute lage of the Jockey Club’s head professional, Paul Riley, and his highly profi cient team of teachers, t h e g r o u p a c h i e v e d

remarkable improvements in a short time frame. A number of students were selected to go out and play on the challenging South Course at Kau Sai Chau. Offi cially, Tae Hoon Kim and Sabina Yu were awarded the titles of Best Male and Female Golfer, but every student can be duly proud of their efforts.

Skiing in Hokkaido, Japan

“Snow, good food and lots of fun, that sums up the Japan Ski Trip 2010,”

according to Benno Sander of Year 12, who was part of the Japan ski trip to Niseko, Hokkaido, where they mastered the techniques to start and stop, and practised these on the slopes and at night skiing. The students experienced first-hand the people, lifestyles and geography of Japan, and learnt new skills that will last them a lifetime.

JAPAN

INDIA

Adventure in India

BASKETBALL

8

S P O R T S

AI S H K e n t e r e d t h e Skandia Interschool Sail ing Festival for the first time in late

January. The two-day event was hosted at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s (RHKYC) Middle Island Clubhouse. Organised by team member Kenton Shue and captained by Jonathan Shue, the School team – Benno Sander, Retham Lai, Jonathan Cheah, A lan Yu and Sean Eberwein – entered the Division A competition. After a slow start, the team picked up two first place positions and eight third place positions to be placed equal fi fth overall.

In February, the AISHK badminton squad hosted KGV for the inaugural “Ashes” series between the two schools. The format of the game is unique, with boys and girls competing together in combined teams. The fixture celebrates friendship in badminton and will hopefully grow into an annual event. On the day, the well-

oiled KGV team proved too slick, taking out all 7 of the rubbers. Dick Chan and Jasper Chiu starred for AISHK, losing their singles matches narrowly in high-quality games.

Under 16 Girls Undefeated ISSFHK Champions

Th e I S S F H K u n d e r 1 6 g i r l s basketball team went through the competition undefeated and became

AISHK’s first ever basketball champions in the International Schools Sports Federation. The team had to overcome the loss of players through injury in the semis and a nail-biter in the fi nal against HKIS to take out the championship.

InterschoolSailing Festival

AISHK v KGVBadminton “Ashes”

2010ACAMIS Soccer Tournament

ACAMIS Tournament

In January our ACAMIS basketbal l teams travel led to International School Beijing to take part in the annual tournament against teams from Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin and

Beijing. Both the boys and girls teams were very excited and keen to play and displayed excellent sportsmanship and skill. The boys’ team improved with every game. Although they did not win enough games to make the finals they can be proud of their efforts. The girls’ team, although being very young, showed very early that they would be hard to beat. They played with skill and teamwork and only lost one game on the way to the fi nals. They ran out as convincing winners over Yew Chung International School Shanghai 33 to 22. Special mention must go to Stephanie Locandro, the most dominant player in the tournament.

SDRC Tournament

Our middle school basketbal l teams travelled to Guangzhou to compete in the SDRC Basketball

Tournament. The players displayed excellent skills and teamwork throughout the competition and supported each other, showing true team spirit.

The g i r l s t eam wen t t h rough t he compet i t ion undefeated and were crowned the 2010 champions. The boys team won the playoff for 5th and 6th as decisive winners.

AISHK was the proud host of the 2010 ACAMIS High School Soccer Tournament. Girls and boys teams from international schools in Nanjing, Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou and Shanghai travelled to Hong Kong to compete. In true soccer weather conditions, Thursday’s matches were greeted by wind and rain. Friday and Saturday’s matches however, were played under brilliant blue skies.

On Friday afternoon, there was a wonderful show of support as primary and secondary students were released from lessons to cheer on the AISHK teams. The home support propelled the boys and girls teams to stunning victories with Clayton Chiu and Ryan Luk scoring for the boys and Olivia Bolton scoring the winner for the girls.

The final day of play saw AISHK Girls being beaten by the eventual winners, Yew Chung International School Shanghai in the semi-fi nal, before defeating International School Beijing 1 – 0 to fi nish third place overall.

AISHK Boys played well throughout the tournament and were very unlucky to be defeated on penalties in the 5th / 6th playoff by International School Tianjin. Teams from all schools played true to the theme of the tournament which was to “Play hard, play fair and everyone wins”. We extend our thanks to the host parents who opened up their homes to the visiting players from China.

RUGBY

VOLLEYBALL

Stu

de

nt

Sp

otl

igh

t

NETBALL

9

AISHK Sportsmanship Recognised at Volleyball

In February, middle school volleyball teams travelled to the American International School Guangzhou to take part in the SDRC Volleyball Tournament. Although our teams were inexperienced they competed well and improved with every game. They showed a positive

attitude, determination and outstanding sportsmanship resulting in the girls winning the Sportsmanship Trophy.

Cross Country Success

November last year, saw Steven Ing take part in the Hong Kong Jing Ying Cross Country Tournament held at St

Stephen’s College. Steven was AISHK’s only entrant, beating a fi eld of more than 150 boys, completing 7kms in 23'30.77.

Humphrey represents Hong Kong in Golf Championships

A ISHK’s budding golfer H u m p h r e y W o n g w a s s e l e c t e d t o

represent Hong Kong in the 2010 Asia Pacific Junior Golf Championships in Bangaluru, India after winning a competition over the Term 1 ho l idays. H u m p h r e y c a m e s e v e n t h overall in India. He will also be representing Hong Kong at the 2010 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship in USA in July. Good luck Humphrey!

Adventure Racer, Ahead of His Time

E than Kelly ran, hiked, scrambled along rocks in a river gorge and went coasteering about 13km at Repulse Bay in March. He edged out many other adventure racers in the Action Asia

Sprint Series to come third in the 14-19 age group, despite having only just turned 13.

Young Dragons at AISHK

Year 11 student Chris Adams travelled to the Philippines as a member of the Hong Kong Dragons Australian

Rules Football Club to compete for the annual Manila Cup against teams from Singapore, Jakarta, China, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Chris played in all the fiercely competitive round-robin games in very hot conditions and helped the Hong Kong Dragons win the Cup for the third year in succession in a great fi nal match against Malaysia.

Chris was the youngest player in the competition at 16 years, but he’s not the youngest player at the Dragons Club, with 13 year old AISHK student Thomas Murphy now in training and coming off the bench for the Dragons in a recent game against a touring Vietnam side.

Rugby Brothers

In a unique situation that few schools could rival, AISHK has two sets of talented brothers all playing rugby for the school: the Loitertons and the Sangers.

Former student Hugh Loiterton is a powerful forward who has represented the Hong Kong National Under 14 side. Harry Sanger (Year 10) is a versatile forward and back who is also a highly talented equestrian rider (a member of the Hong Kong junior team) as well as rugby player.

Fred Sanger (Year 9) is a dynamic half back who, at the recent ACAMIS tournament in Beijing, scored 7 tries in 5 games and was selected in the tournament All Star team. This is an amazing performance for a player who was only 13 playing in an under 17 tournament.

Will Sanger (Year 7) and Jake Loiterton (Year 7) are hard running forwards who love scoring tries and are members of the school C and D grade teams. Finn Loiterton (Year 6) is a fl ying winger in the school primary and D grade team who fi nishes off back line movements brilliantly.

Bertie Sanger (Year 5) and Max Loiterton (Year 4) round off their families but they are both excellent players, constantly following the ball around the fi eld eager to be involved in both attack and defence.

School ECA Uncovers Hidden Talents

Two years ago Chloe Lam decided to participate in fencing as her extra-curricular activity (ECA) - she enjoyed it so much she sought professional training. Now in Year 6, she

entered her first competition in April, the All Hong Kong Primary Inter-Schools Fencing Competition. Chloe exceeded her coach’s expectations, advancing in both the round-robin and elimination stages to make the quarter finals – this was an excellent result considering she had only received five months of training with electronic equipment prior the competition. Congratulations!

On the left from the bottom: Max, Finn, Jake and Hugh Loiterton.On the right from the bottom: Bertie, Will, Fred and Harry Sanger.

First semester has been a very busy time for rugby at AISHK. In March the school won their fi rst division 1 rugby title when the D Grade side (made up of students from Years 5 to 7) defeated Chinese International School in the grand fi nal 5-0 in a very tight match.

Netballers Dominate the Hong Kong Competitions

The School netbal l team has made a clean sweep of the Hong Kong netball primary and league competitions, with the

Kookaburras and the Koalas winning both the spring and winter competitions.

In Term 2, six netball teams, travelled to the Dulwich Beijing International Netball Tournament and played in the blistering heat over two days. Our under 11s Kookaburras were the Plate winners and the under 15s Red Backs won the Cup in their division. A special mention must go to the under 15s Wallabies, who were runners-up in the plate division. Their fi nal game went into extra time. The team lost on a coin toss and a golden goal, which was a heart-breaking end for a team that played so well throughout the competition.

PERFORMING ARTS

10

VISUAL ARTS

A R T S

Year 12Art Workshop with Sarah Fordham

Stu

de

nt

Sp

otl

igh

t Jacky Lai of Year 6 was awarded fi rst place at the 62nd

Hong Kong Schools Music Festival in March this year after performing a grade six piano solo. He was very excited because i t was the f i rs t time he has won such an award. Congratulations Jacky, we ’ re sure there will be many more awards in the future!

Over six matinee and evening performances in Term 2, audiences were entertained by the School’s production of Hello Dolly! The production was a runaway success,

with more than 100 students from Years 4 to 12 involved, from the choir, orchestra to costume design and production and photography.

What was unique about AISHK’s Hello Dolly! was the double cast. “Many schools are lucky to have one set of leads, whereas we have a double set,” said Mr Graeme Tyler, Head of Performing Arts.

“This of course meant almost double the amount of work was required, because everyone has to be given equal amount of rehearsal time. But it did mean the students learnt from each other, and that twice as many students had the opportunity of taking on a leading role.”

A week before Hello Dolly! the cast were given the opportunity to meet some members of the professional touring show Chicago, who gave them words of encouragement and tips for their performance.

with Steve Dix

Twenty students f r o m Ye a r s 7 to 9 spent a d a y w i t h

Austral ian abstract a r t i s t S t e v e D i x . H e d e m o n s t r a t e d different approaches and techniques, and helped the students complete their canvas paintings based on their photographs of Hong Kong.

Painting the City

Years 3 to 6Music Concert

Students in Years 3 to 6 were taken back in time and around the world at the Music for the Millions Concert in Term 2. The students began in Paris 1875, then moved on to

Vienna in the early 1900s and back to the present day in Asia. Students enjoyed tunes from famous musical productions including Evita and Fiddler on the Roof and a traditional Chinese folk song The Flower Drum of Feng-Yang.

In Term 1 Year 12 ar t s tudents had the opportunity to work with Australian artist Sarah Fordham. She helped students develop their ideas for their major artwork for the HSC.

Ms Fordham was a visual arts teacher in Sydney for several years. In 2007 she moved to the country to Yarramalong Valley to paint full time, and has held fi ve solo exhibitions since.

The Hello Dolly! cast at a special workshop with Craig McLachlan and some of the stars of Chicago.

Hello Dolly!

Mr Dix’s paintings were part of the Springtime in Australia Group Exhibition at the State of the Arts Gallery in Central.

11

This year our overseas reunion for all former students, teachers and friends of AISHK will be held in Melbourne’s Watermark Bar on Saturday 11 September. Come join Co Head of School Mrs Leonie Drew, and Director of Development, Mr Alex Gibbs for afternoon cocktails, and catch up with former colleagues, network with other alumni members, and hear what's

happening back in Hong Kong. For more details email [email protected].

The annual Old Boys vs Staff five-a-side soccer tournament kicked off the Alumni gathering in Hong Kong on the school field. Once the hard fought round robin tournament was completed, players and spectators made their way to the new

9th floor function room for the reception. Almost every year from the school’s history was represented on the night - some of the attendees

h a v i n g s t a r t e d back in 1995 and some from the 2008 graduating class.

The evening gave those who attended a chance to catch up on what each other had been doing since leaving AISHK, however long ago that may have been. Many also shared their favourite stories or anecdotes from their time at the school. The soccer tournament and gathering will take place as usual at a date to be announced in early December.

Stu

de

nt

Sp

otl

igh

t

100% IB

IB student Andrew Cheng received 45 points (maximum possible). He believes “if you put in the effort in you’ll get the results you genuinely deserve”.

“I believe the key is to fi nd a productive way of revision that can maximise your learning capability. For example, I often find it useful to prepare answers for the typical questions I encounter constantly in past papers. Chances are such questions are likely to come up in the fi nal exam,” Andrew told Lion Rock.

He warns students not to leave revision to the last minute, otherwise it’ll end up rote learning subconsciously, which is quite ineffective. “It is better to clarify (with your teachers) concepts that you are unsure of earlier in your studies, than fi nding out later that you have no clue about the theories covered in class and trying to memorise them.”

Andrew has adjusted to his new life studying commerce and law at the University of Sydney.

Date: Saturday, 11 September 2010Time: 16:00 – 18:00Venue: Watermark Bar Victoria Harbour Docklands, 800 Bourke Street, Melbourne

All-Round Achiever

Congratulations must go to last year’s AISHK’s Head Boy, Nelson Boyd, who placed on the Board of Studies 2009 prestigious All Rounders list after

scoring more than 90 in every subject.

Nelson said the secret to his success was getting enough sleep, exercise and listening to his teachers. “I would make sure I would get my 8 hours sleep, even if there was a test in the morning,” he said, also suggesting sitting at the front of class for better focus, especially if your friends tend to be distracting.

With regard to studying, he urges students to talk as much as possible: “I found talking to mates about economics was more valuable then reading the textbook alone.”

Nelson is currently enjoying university life, studying engineering and commerce at the University of Sydney.

Hong Kong Alumni Reunion –2009

AISHK Alumni Reunion 2010 – Melbourne

The Australian and New Zealand teams were represented by AISHK students at the Makaraba Mini World Cup at King’s Park Sports Ground in June. The under 12s, Seven-to-a-side competition was organised by the South African Consulate-General and the Home Affairs Bureau,

and was based on the actual Groups of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The students were all very excited to be able to represent Australia and New Zealand at the Cup.

at the Mini World CupAISHK

In the lead up to the Rugby 7s and 10s competitions NSW Country Legends and the New Zealand 10s

teams visited AISHK, providing the Year 3s and 4s with some rugby training. Students were put through a series of training drills, including ball handing, tackling and team skills. The students were treated to a performance of the Haka by the Aliens at the end of their visit.

AISHK also played host to the Kowloon Rugby Fes t coaching clinic, which was led by rugby legends David Campese, Sean Fitzpatrick and Gareth Edwards. The players took AISHK students and participating rugby players through a ser ies of dr i l ls and then spent time signing autographs.

All-Star Rugby Visits

Daniel Ramsey’s 36m pass in action

This year the school introduced the “AISHK Al l -Star Rugby Passing” competition. Visiting rugby players, their team managers and coaches are invited to participate. We have been measuring and recording the length of each pass, of which, the best results will be displayed on a top 10 leader board.

Currently, at the top of the board, with a very safe lead, is Daniel Ramsey of the Aliens with a pass of 36 metres, closely followed by none other than David Campese with a pass of 32 metres.

A l u m n i N e w s

12

C O M M U N I T Y

Message from the AISHKPA President

I t is hard to believe Semester 1 has come to an end. It only seems like yesterday when a group of us

were tying yellow and green balloons to the balconies to celebrate the opening of the 15th Anniversary year. As many will recall, our first event of the year was the Welcome BBQ, where we celebrated with lots of balloons, wine tastings and plenty of sausages for all and not to mention the lamingtons for the kids. It was a great event put together by the PA

and the school to kick off our 15th Anniversary year.

As we moved through the Semester, the big highlight for the Parent Association has been the opening of the Aquatic Centre with the PA as the signature sponsor. It is great to see such a fantastic facility finally available for the school community. The Aquatic Centre is the culmination of many years fundraising by many parent volunteers. The fruits of these labours will be enjoyed by many hundreds of current and future students.

During the semester we also had Welcome Coffee mornings to welcome new families, at both the school and in people’s homes. We have had many parent forums on a wide range of topics and we also launched our New Parent Group in term 1.

The big event that we are now preparing for is the Fair to be held on 6 November. There are a number of sub committees in place working away to organise a day of fun for every member of the community. So watch out for details coming through in the Dhanara. We will be looking for helpers closer to the day, so even if you have an hour to spare, we would love to hear from you.

On a personal note, my family and I are departing Hong Kong for the balmy climate of Singapore at the end of the Semester. Karen Ryan and Jo Chin will jointly preside over the PA until the AGM later in the year. Thank you to everybody for the good wishes and support.

Sue BurgessPresident

Sue Burgess

Community Service and Fundraising

Following the devastating earthquake which hit Haiti earlier this year, students, parents and teachers of AISHK came together to complete a series of Fun Runs and a Walkathon to raise donations for the World Vision Hong Kong, Haiti Relief Fund.

In March, all students from Preparatory to Year 12 visited Kowloon Tsai Park where they either walked or ran for this great cause. Urged on by their teachers, the students put their best foot forward to be at one with the people of Haiti. The response from the AISHK community was so overwhelming that the students, teachers and parents raised in excess of HKD$245,000.

At the same time the students were running for the people of Haiti, another devastat ing earthquake hi t the region of

Qinghai in China. Due to the overwhelming success of

the Fun Runs and Walkathon, it was decided that some of the funds raised could be forwarded to help those affected in Qinghai, with HKD$200,000

to World Vision Hong Kong’s Haiti Relief Fund and HKD$45,000 to the Wofoo Foundation’s Qinghai Earthquake Relief Fund, which matched the donation

dollar-for-dollar. Thank you to all of the AISHK community for assisting in such a worthy cause.

Other student fundraising initiatives this year included Friendship Day, Waratah and Jacaranda Mufti Days, raising a total of about $50,000, which will go towards the School’s three sponsored children and other projects.

WIFI @AISHK

Australian International School Hong Kong 3A Norfolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong | Telephone +852 2304 6078 | Website www.aishk.edu.hk | Editor Alex Gibbs | Email [email protected]

In Early Term 1 the school campus was WiFi enabled thanks to project partner PCCW and the Parent Association, who assisted the school’s costs by donating $125,000 and $100,000 respectively. Students are able to log on to the WiFi system throughout the school both in and out of lesson time through laptops, PDAs, or in the Primary, through their Classmate PCs. The School’s fi rewalls are maintained

throughout the WiFi network, restricting access to inappropriate content. Parents and school community members can gain access to the WiFi service by retrieving a password from the 5th fl oor Library. Our thanks go to PCCW who have been a wonderful partner in this project and a valued Corporate Supporter of the school. Again we thank our Parent Association which, following the sponsorship of electronic whiteboards last year, remain committed to enhancing technological development throughout the campus.

and

Shoes for Nepal

During April, two Secondary students, Aidan and Meg McCarthy together with their family started a campaign to collect unwanted shoes and socks for the Buddhist Child Home, an Orphanage in Nepal, which is dedicated to providing care for orphans, abandoned children, street children and children from armed confl ict situations.

On a recent visit to Nepal, the McCarthys visited the Home and found that the children living there had recently started school and 46 of them were going to school with shoes repaired with cardboard or without shoes. Aidan and Meg were aiming to engage the wider AISHK community to help them collect over

100 pairs of unwanted black school shoes for the orphanage.

The response from the AISHK community was again tremendous. At the end of May, 256 pairs of shoes, 550 pairs of socks and 268 pairs of new underwear were delivered to the Buddhist Child Home. The McCarthy family would like to thank everyone who assisted in this campaign.

Proudly Sponsored by