Monthly Newsletter (October 2023)
> PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
> UPCOMING EVENTS & INFORMATION
> STUDENT CELEBRATIONS
> SIS SPORTS!
> MEET THE…STUDENT COUNSELLORS
> OCTOBER’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS
> KEY DATES & REMINDERS
Principal’s Message
Principal’s Vlog
Dear South Island School Parents,
We are almost at the end of our Make a Difference (MaD) week. As you know, at South Island School, we believe that education goes beyond textbooks and exams. We strive to create an environment where our students can apply their knowledge and skills to make a real difference in the world. Our Values in Action (ViA) curriculum provides a platform for students to do just that. Our MaD week is one of the highlights of the ViA curriculum.
This past week, our students have been engaged in various activities that have allowed them to put their learning into action. From community service projects to environmental initiatives, our students have had the chance to contribute meaningfully to the betterment of society. It fills me with immense pride to see the passion and dedication they bring to each of the experiences.
One crucial aspect of our Values in Action curriculum is the opportunity it provides for students to take calculated risks, make mistakes, and grow from the experience in a safe and supportive environment. We firmly believe that learning happens not only through success but also through setbacks. By encouraging our students to step out of their comfort zones, we equip them with the resilience and adaptability necessary for success in an ever-changing world. From the overseas trips to trying something new – our students pushed themselves this week.
We are very excited to welcome our students back and to hear about their experiences and the impact they have made and I have really missed that buzz of having all the students in school this week. However, I will need to wait a week as next week is mid term break for our school. It is a well-deserved opportunity for our community to rest, recharge, and spend quality time with family after such a busy week.
Please note that Monday, October 30, is a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) day for our teachers. As such, students will resume their classes on Tuesday, October 31. Please make a note to ensure a smooth transition back to school.
Thank you for your continued support and I wish you a lovely weekend ahead.
Carolyn Andrews
Interim Principal
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UPCOMING EVENTS & INFORMATION
(1) STUDENT GRANT APPLICATIONS 2023/2024
The 2023/2024 Student Grant application is now available. Please complete, sign and submit the application form to your child’s Tutor by 31 October 2023 to claim this year’s subsidy. For more information, please refer to the ESF App message or email sent to parents earlier this month.
(2) BOX OF HOPE
The annual Family Bauhinia Box of Hope collection will begin after the mid-term break. Box of Hope is a local NGO that looks to bring joy to children during the festive season who may not have the same opportunities and privileges as others. Their main drive each year is providing packages of gifts and essential items to children from low income families during the Christmas season.
Students and families wishing to participate can begin assembling their boxes during mid-term break. Box of Hope has shared with us that they are in more and more need of boxes targeting secondary school age students (11-18 years old). We encourage our community to put together boxes and help Box of Hope to meet this increasing demand. For more instructions on how to put together a box and what items to include, please check out the Box of Hope website HERE.
School collection details will be shared with the SIS community after the mid-term break.
(3) INCLUSIVE FIT
We are pleased to share IncluFit’s FIRST large-scale event, FITNESS FOR ALL! This special needs event is free and open to everyone! The event is designed to create a space where different families and individuals can connect, sweat and have fun with one another.
For more information, please check out their Google Form HERE.
(4) SIS-PTA – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) 30 OCTOBER
Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the South Island School Parent Teacher Association Limited (SIS PTA Ltd) is scheduled for 30 October 2023. We warmly invite all current parents and teachers to attend the AGM. Please click HERE for more details. Your presence and participation are vital in shaping the direction and success of our PTA. We look forward to seeing you at the AGM.
(5) SIS SWIMMING CAP PRE-ORDER
We are excited to announce that our new school swimming caps are now available for pre-order! To save parents the delivery fee for a single cap purchase, orders during the pre-order period will be delivered to school not incur a delivery charge.
We have arranged a pre-order period starting from Friday, 20 October until Wednesday, 1 November. During this time, you can place your orders for the school swimming cap via the link provided below. The caps will be available for pick-up at school after Tuesday, 7 November. We will send you a notification email with pick-up instructions once the item(s) are ready for pick-up at the School.
Link : https://www.schooluniform.hk/collections/sis-swim-cap-for-school-delivery
ORDER INSTRUCTIONS (refer to screenshot):
- To add the item to your shopping cart, select the cap you wish to order, fill in the required information and click on the “Add to Cart” button.
- After adding the item to your cart, proceed to the shopping cart page and complete the payment process. No delivery fee will be charged for this purchase.
Please note, the above link is strictly for swim cap pre-orders and free delivery is only through the link above. Parents cannot combine this pre-order with other uniform orders. After the pre-order period, the swim cap will be available on the main uniform page from 10 November onwards.
(6) ESF Explore
In celebration of our 30th anniversary as an integral part of The English Schools Foundation, ESF Explore is relaunching 30+ popular after-school courses for a 6-week period, starting 30 October. This exclusive programme, catering to children between 6 months and 17 years old, welcomes new and returning students to try out selected courses for a shorter period of time at your preferred location. Click here to see our 30th Anniversary Special programmes! You can click on the individual sections to view programmes by age group.
It’s not too late to sign up for our Autumn Camps, running this October 24-27th! We offer both one-off and one-week courses, with flexible schedules. Register for our Autumn camps here!
Check out our schedule for South Island School here. Click here to see our full range of term 1 programmes, feel free to click into the individual categories to view their available classes.
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Student Celebrations
(1) AMAANAT REKHI (12N2) – 11TH ANNUAL SCMP SPIRIT OF HONG KONG AWARDS
It is with great pleasure for us to share with you, that our very own South Island School student, Amaanat Rekhi (12N2), is a finalist for the Spirit of Youth award at the 11th Annual SCMP Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.
Amaanat is involved in various activities and leadership positions around school: leading the Sustainability Council as one of the co-head, serving as the Secretary of General of the SIS Model UN, and supporting her fellow students as one of the co-House Captains for Namas. That’s not even including all the work she puts in as a member of the Digital Leadership Council and putting together our student publication SIS Insight.
Whether your child is in Year 7 or Year 13, chances are they have been impacted by something Amaanat have been involved in at school.
Outside of SIS, Amaanat is actively heading two other student-led projects and working on a third with a local NGO. She, along with other SIS students, have founded The Gen Z Nexus, a youth-led consultancy that provides and assists companies with insight to reach the next generation of consumers. In her forward thinking fashion, Amaanat and other SIS Students have also established Youth4Youth, an organisation with the mission to inspire and empower future generations through the power of technology, leading STEM activities and workshops with various children’s groups and organisations. Furthermore, she continues to further her drive to create a sustainable future by working with MakerBay Foundation to find new uses for pre-used plastic products, expanding an initiative that she started in school and now exploring the possibilities of the programme with her partnership with a local NGO.
Amaanat is, in all facets, living out the South Island School motto “Making a Difference” and the ESF motto “Inspiring Futures” both inside and outside of school Lion Rock People’s Choice Award in the 11th annual SCMP Spirit of Hong Kong Awards is now open to a public vote, and all finalists, including Amaanat, are eligible for your vote. We invite you to read Amaanat’s introduction from SCMP HERE
Good luck Amaanat! We’re rooting for you!
(2) ANDREW LUO (12B1) – CITYU BIOMED RESEARCH
Andrew Luo (12B1) recently completed the 14 months Gifted program with City University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, sponsored by EDB Gifted Education Fund. Building upon his Year 11 MaD Week experience at the HK Centre for Cardiovascular Health Engineering, Andrew’s research focused on cancer cells. He worked on creating a 3D engineered bio-chip that enables single cell analysis of melanocytes. Using this biochip, he tested the efficacy of the drug Doxorubicin on melanoma, proving that it has significant promise in skin cancer treatment. At the final presentation to EDB and City University professors, Andrew was voted best speaker. Andrew is currently working with his programme mentors on publishing his cancer research write-up for a scientific journal.
Great efforts Andrew, we look forward to seeing you continue to make a difference in such an important field!
(3) CHLOE LAU (7N2) – 2023 HK JUNIOR AND RAPID SCHOOL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Chloe Lau (7N2) took home the Best Overall Girl in the Secondary Division at the 2023 HK Junior and Rapid School Chess Championship (organised by the HK Chess Federation) representing South Island School.
She finished as the top female player, finishing in the top 20 overall. Chloe was one of the youngest in the Secondary Division comprising players from Year 7 up to Year 13 with over 98 players in the division from 28 international and local schools, including teams from all of the other ESF secondary schools.
Great job Chloe! Looking forward to your next moves on the board.
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SIS SPORTS!
(1) GIRLS NETBALL – GRADE A & GRADE B
A Grade girls season kicked off first against the defending champions ISFA. Nerves were running a little high to start, but our girls settled in quickly with Elsie Hulme dominating the play on court as C and working hard, along with Sara Harries to force turnovers. SIS was down 6-4 at the end of the first quarter but finished the half up 12-11 thanks to some fantastic play in attack and shooting from Jessie May. The third quarter saw few goals being scored by both teams as both teams showed strong defensive pressure all the way up the court. ISFA did manage to even the score at 14-14 going into the final quarter. Samriddhi Rana and Sara Harries showed great defensive effort to keep the ball out of the circle, however ISFA went on a short run and pulled away with a win in the last few minutes and holding on to a 19-17 win. Although disappointed with a loss, the girls should be really proud of how they gelled and played together in their first match against the reigning champs. We are excited for the rest of the season ahead! MVP (voted by ISFA) goes to Elsie Hulme and Players of the week goes to Jessie May.
A Grade Netball – back row (L to R) Elsie Hulme, Ashley Bertagnoli, Alicia Bertagnoli, Destiny Nel, Samriddhi Rana, Izzy Pawlyn, Ruth Vanrell-Sanz, Hannah Fennelly. Front row: Amelia Chow, Zoe Lim, Iris Peel, Sara Harries. Not in Photo: Jessie May
The B Grade team then stepped on court and had a stormer of a game. Cassandra Skoett, Skye Semple and Julienne Chong were a force to be reckoned with in the middle, bringing the ball safely down court to Ahlia Koram who was on fire in her netball debut. Up 11-5 at the half, the B Grade Team’s confidence grew in the second half and ISFA found it hard to get the ball into the circle with Lucy Guest making multiple interceptions and forcing numerous turnovers. The girls continued to display great ball movement down the court, capitalising on any mistakes ISFA made and pulling well ahead in the last two quarters to finish with a 25-10 win. MVP goes to Lucy Guest with her strong defensive work in the circle. A strong start to the season for B Grade and we are looking forward to our next match after half term!
B Grade Netball (L to R) – Sophie Caplin, Giselle Hung, Ava Jakeway, Skye Semple, Lucy Guest, Julienne Chong, Cassandra Skoett. Not in photo: Ahlia Koram
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MEET THE…STUDENT COUNSELLORS!
As a run up to Mental Health Awareness Week (6 November – 10 November) at South Island School, we would like to continue to introduce to our community a few of our Well-Being personnel here at SIS. This week, we would like you all to meet our Student Counsellors, Ms Lorna Wong and Ms Kate Tse.
Please read their introductions HERE
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OCTOBER WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS
Linked below are this month’s weekly newsletters:
KEY DATES
October
- 21 to 30 – Mid-Term Break
- 31 to 03 November – Y7 MidYIS
November
- 02 Nov – Y11 SLC
- 06 – 10 – Mental Health Awareness Week
- 09 – Mental Health Awareness Week Fair
- 09 – 10 – ISSFHK Swimming Championships
- 10 – Y12 & Family Bauhinia Assembly
- 13 – 15 School Photo
- 14 – Student Flu Shot
- 17 – Assembly – Kuca, Maison, Bahay
- 21 – Guiding Day
- 21 – 23 – School Musical – Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
- 24 – Assembly – Casa, Namas, Shtepi
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
