27 Jun 2019

Family Bauhinia Newsletter (June 2019)

Family Bauhinia’s latest newsletter is available to read now. Find out the latest news and upcoming events on Volume 7, Issue 9.

> Message from the Vice Principal

> Message from Head of Years 7 and 8

> Celebrating Family Bauhinia Achievements

> After School Activities (Term 1, 2019-2020)

> Start of Term Arrangements (2019-20)

> Happy Birthday (June & July)!

> Important Dates for your Diary

Message from the Vice Principal

Dear Family Bauhinia Parents,

We are now closing in on the final week of this school year – it has been an amazing year for Family Bauhinia! A big thank you for your support and the trust you have given to us for the care we provide your children. Every year we grow stronger because of the commitment from you and our talented teachers to provide the best care for our students.

This time of year marks the departure from Family Bauhinia of our Year 8 students and Tutors while at the same time we welcome our new Year 7s and Year 8s into our Family.

The Year 8 students have grown so much in confidence and self-awareness and are ready to take on the new challenges that face them in their new Families and House structures in Year 9.

It is also time to welcome new Tutors to the Family Bauhinia Team

We are also sad to say goodbye to a few of our families and students who will continue their schooling outside of SIS – we wish them all the very best and hope to see them again in the future.

In this last newsletter of the year, we will highlight some of the successes over the past month in Family Bauhinia as well as note some important dates and upcoming events to prepare us for the remaining week as well as the beginning of the next year.

As a reminder for our New Years 7 and 8 parents for 2018/19, all information regarding the Induction can be found here including application forms for Personalised Octopus Card (requires 2 weeks) and Hong Kong Public Library Card, Families Structure and New Parents Evening Presentation. The link to the SIS Parent Handbook containing important school information can be found here. You should also have received the laptop ordering information from our ICT Department. If you have not, please contact ICT Department at ictsupport@sis.edu.hk.

At this time I would also like to highlight some of the changes to the Leadership Structure in our school so you know who to contact with specific questions.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Family a happy and safe holiday. See you in August!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions regarding the above information.

Carolyn Andrews
Vice Principal
South Island School

Message from Head of Years 7 and 8

The Family Bauhinia end of year celebration took place on Thursday 20 June. This year our theme was based on the exciting game show ‘A ‘Minute to Win It’.

The event was an enormous success. The contestants were outstanding at doing their very best when taking part in the numerous challenges that they faced.. The Family Bauhinia audience were hugely supportive and enthused to cheer on their peers, singing songs with smiles on their faces whilst enjoying the hilarity to the max. It was clear that everybody enjoyed the celebration, as the fun and laughter continued throughout the whole event. A superb way to unwind at the end of another busy year and celebrate all the hard work and effort put in by all our Family members. The students’ singing was awesome!

A huge thank you to the Family Bauhinia prefects, YR9 helpers, Louisa Lee and all the people behind the scenes who make an event like this possible.

Finally, we would like to say it has been a great year working with such amazing, talented and wonderful children. A sad farewell to our Years 7 & 8 students who are going further a field, please do keep in touch and let us know how you are settling into your new schools. Finally, have a wonderful holiday and see you in August for another wonderful year ahead in Family Bauhinia.

Please click here to view the photos from the event.

Andy Thums (Head of Year 7) & Victoria Butcher (Head of Year 8)

Celebrating Family Bauhinia Achievements

Year 8 Speech Competition

Recently we held our Speech Competitions which are part of the English Curriculum. All students in Year 8 had the opportunity to prepare and deliver a speech to their classes with one student from each class chosen to represent their class in the final competition. The speeches were fantastic – very well researched and delivered with passion! We are proud of all of our students for all the work they have done with special mention of our overall winner Tisya Gupta 8B2.

Year 7 and 8 Spanish and French Spelling Bee

Well done to all Year 7 and 8 students who took part in the French & Spanish Spelling Bee on Monday 17 June. A magnificent effort by those who made it to the finals, in particular our winners Karen Kan, Jason Au Yeung (an extremely impressive 30 words in a minute!), Emma Harvey and Britney Chan. A big well done to everyone involved!

South Island School Swim Gala

We have completed another successful Inter-House Swim Gala earlier this month. As always, our Years 7 and 8 students were fantastic; they swam, they cheered and most importantly they had a great time! You wouldn’t have known this was the Year 7 students first Swim Gala – they were little troopers and fully got stuck in! When they were not in the pool swimming, they were taking full advantage of the Swim Gala Photo-booth, I hope they went home with lots of fun memories. This event is one of the most important events in the Inter-House calendar as it is an opportunity to win many House points! A special shout out to Henry Chy who broke the Year 7 Boys 50m Freestyle record. He successfully swam in 30.43s, beating the old record by one second! Well done Henry – fantastic job!

The races were close and all the swimmers gave their best; however, the results of the day were as follows:

Namas
Bahay
Casa
Kuca
Shtepi
Maison

Well done to everyone who took part in what was a truly fantastic day! Looking forward to seeing what you can achieve in next years gala already!

(Click on the photos to enlarge and view.)

Nicola Bosson
Interhouse Coordinator

On 13 June, we celebrated our 12th SIS Film & Media Award ceremony at The Hall. In total, 16 categories were awarded including the Bodega Media Foundation Film Award, which recognises the filmmaking achievements of our Year 8 silent films, made as part of their InterD course. In an exciting Oscar’s style show, 4 teams were nominated by class teachers.

Congratulations go to Stephy Lee (8S2), Emily Kwon (8B2), Adison Ng (8S2) and Andrew Han (8S2) for winning the category!

Also, a great achievement by the other three teams: Lily Haylett, Jaslyn Lam, Kristie Lee & Sophie Lam, Elvis Lee, Dayeon Lee, Chloe Cheung, Brady Chiu, Hugo Van de Velde and Arim Lee, Tate Lo and Siena Park

Click here for more information.

(Click on the photos to enlarge and view.)

Mr. Iain Williamson
Head of Film/TV/Media Studies

Curriculum Update

Community Project

Year 9 InterD classes engaged in the Community Project this term. This involved working in groups to investigate, propose, plan and implement a project that serves a need within the South Island School community or the larger Hong Kong community. This project will be something our Year 8 students will engage with next academic year. As you can see, students have really thought about issues that have an impact on our community!

The students shared some of their research and findings with parents and Year 8 students at the Community Project Sharing Platform. It was an eventful and informative afternoon in which students demonstrated their passion, creativity and communication skills in explaining their projects to others.

Some groups have put their plans forward to the Student Council and the Green Ambassadors who will continue with their ideas, other groups have volunteered to meet with students next year to carry forward their projects.

In their reflections, students have indicated that they now have a greater awareness of their strengths and limitations. They also have further developed their time management, cooperation, leadership and organisation skills. These skills will enable them to take on future projects, including the Group Project in Y10/11 Global Perspectives course which they will start next academic year.

Ms. Chile Le
Head of Interdisciplinary

Chinese Rap – PTA event

Thanks to Kevin Tong (KT) for coming to SIS to do a Cantonese rap masterclass on 11 June with some of our students. A great time was had by all…watch this space for the next generation of Cantonese singers!’

Sam Thater
Head of Languages

Technology Update

The Digital Leadership Council launched its pilot run of the ‘Zonal Tech Recommendations’ on 11 June to the school community. This will continue to run until the end of this term after which it will be evaluated. The list of recommendations identifies spaces deemed appropriate for the use of technology in school and is motivated by health and safety concerns, as well as the promotion of social skills.

The details of the recommendations are as follows with the following locations considered appropriate for technology use between the hours of 7:55am and 3:15pm.

Classrooms (when requested by a teacher)
The Space (Year 7/8)
Diploma Centre (Year 12/13)

However, the areas identified as inappropriate for digital technology include:

Refectory
Atrium (outside of lesson time)
Hallways (unless directed by a teacher)
Foyer
The Hall
Sports Hall and other Spaces used for Sporting activities (unless for coursework purposes)

We are hoping to avoid cases involving students damaging their digital devices (i.e phones, laptops) in staircases or areas in which food is consumed, whilst also promoting social interaction.

Sam Bonnekamp & Karina Au
Head Digital Leaders

Notable Events

Reporting Items

The final reporting items on the Year 7 and 8 reporting schedule will be available this month; Evidencer and Progress Check Card 3. Please note the following:

Year 7 Reporting Schedule:

Progress Check Card 3 will be available on iSAMS Thursday 27 June. This is a data report including tutor comment
Evidencer will be available for viewing on the VLE using your child’s log in details on Friday 21 June.

Year 8 Reporting Schedule:

Progress Check Card 3 will be available on iSAMS Friday 21 June. This is a data report including tutor comment
Evidencer will be available for viewing on the VLE using your child’s log in details on Friday 14 June.

For the Progress Check Cards, teachers have given a rating in the following areas:

Attainment : Based on assessments for each criterion (A,B,C,D) on a scale of 1-8
Engagement : How a student has engaged with the subject material since the last reporting period
Attendance : The attendance record is dated from August 2018 until the date of this PCC

TO ACCESS THE PCC IN THE ISAMS PARENT PORTAL (LAPTOP OR DESKTOP), PLEASE FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW:

1) Login in to iSAMS (Parent Portal)
2) Click ‘School Profile‘ (at the top banner)

– click ‘School Reports‘
– click ‘View (child) School Reports‘

3) You can choose between ‘view‘ or ‘download‘ the reports

– ‘view‘ is a quick view
– ‘download‘ is a full report with the explanation of ratings

TO ACCESS THE PCC IN THE ISAMS PARENT APP (QUICK VIEW ONLY), PLEASE FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW:

1) Login in to iSAMS (Parent App)
2) Click ‘My children‘ at the bottom banner
3) Select your child’s name
4) Select ‘Assessments & Reports‘
5) Select ‘PCC3 Y07 (2018)‘ and you can view the report (quick view only)

Evidencer: Making Learning Visible

This year our Years 7 and 8 students have written over 2, 000 reflections and uploaded nearly 5,000 pieces of evidence documenting their learning over the course of the year – this is simply outstanding.

Examples of uploaded evidence:

Quotes from Term 3 reflections:

“Looking back, I think this year passed by extremely fast because of all the new and challenging things I have experienced.”

“I’ve learned that teamwork is as important as being independent.”

“The most evidence I have collected is about being reflective because we always do reflections after we do assessments to help us improve.”

“There has been some ups and downs this year, but overall it has been a great start. In the future, I would like to upload more evidence of me being balanced; this could be managing my time in school and outside of school on homework, sports and music activities.”

“I am always amazed by the work our students produce day in day out – and through the Evidencer sharing process students get to share this amazing work and reflections with you. The reflections for term three are now ready for parents to view and comment on.”

Support on how to access the reflections, along with potential questions you can ask, can be found here (scroll to the bottom of the page): https://www.sis.edu.hk/academic/

Shaine Bushell
MYP Academic Coordinator

After School Activities (Term 1, 2019-2020)

All details regarding activities can be found here including how to sign in to the Activities Page.

When to Sign Up for After School Activities:

23 August (Friday afternoon) – 25 August 2019 (Sunday, 11:59 pm)	SIGN-UP Period
27 August 2019 (Tuesday)	Allocations Confirmed
30 August 2019 (Friday)	Payment Due
2 September (Monday) – 29 November 2019 (Friday)	Activities Period

● Students may sign up at any time during this period. Please note that sign up is NOT first-come-first-served, so it does not matter when a student signs up during the sign-up period.

Activities Allocation

Students may choose up to 4 activities.
Allocation for each activity will be selected in random order. This is to make it fair for all students. It is NOT first come first served
On Tuesday 27 August, allocations will be finalised. Students are to check the status of their activities after this time on VLE.

Activities Cancellation

E-mail Mr Samuel Wong (sawong@sis.edu.hk) or visit the PE Office to cancel booked activity.

Activities Buses

Activities buses for after school activities will operate starting from Monday 2 September (this service is for bus pass holders only).

All activities must be paid for and appropriate forms signed by Friday 30 August or the allocation will be given to the next student on the list. Please refer to specific activities for fees and appropriate forms. Please contact Mr Samuel Wong (sawong@sis.edu.hk) for any activities related enquiries.

All Year 7 students will be given their log in details on Tuesday 20 August with a full explanation of how to sign up. They will take a hard copy home with the details and a handy ‘how to guide’ to support the process. ALL passwords for Year 7 are the same (sis12345), please ensure your child changes the password AND copies it down so they do not forget. This log in is used for ALL systems in the school.

New Year 8 students will receive their log-ins on their first day of school. Please check to ensure all students can login. Please contact ICT Department (ictsupport@sis.edu.hk) if you have any questions.

End of Term Arrangements

Textbook Return for Years 7-9 Students

Students should have received a Textbook Loan Form from their Tutor. Students are to return their textbooks to school at the Textbook Centre (C48) during the hours specified on the Loan Form (*please see below for reference). Students should bring along the Textbook Loan Form for stamping at the Textbook Centre every time they return textbooks. All returned textbooks should match the registered student’s name and Octopus card. Any textbooks not returned after 28 June 2019 will be charged to the student. Textbook deposits cannot be used to offset non-returned/lost textbooks.

Students should keep the Textbook Loan Form as proof of receipt. In case of dispute, the Form should be presented to the School Office as proof of return. If the student fails to produce the Textbook Loan Form as evidence, the school’s computer record shall be final.

* Textbook Centre (C48) Opening Hours:

Every Monday and Thursday

Break Time

10:05 am – 10:35 am

24-28 June (Monday to Friday)

(last week of term)

Whole Day

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Yearbook Distribution

Please note that Yearbook 2018-19 will be available for collection. Please follow the specific dates and time slots for different year groups.

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PRE-ORDER collection:

Please collect the yearbook in person. If you authorise someone to pick up the yearbook, an authorisation letter stating the buyer’s and collector’s names is required to present at the counter at the Foyer.

For Year 7 and 8 students

Pick up date: Thursday, 27 June
Location: Foyer area opposite to PTA office
Time: Break, lunch time

For Year 9, 10 and 12 students

Pick up date: Thursday, 27 June
Location: Foyer area opposite to PTA office
Time: After school till 4:00pm

For Year 11, 13 students

Pick up date: Friday, 28 June
Location: Foyer area opposite to PTA office
Time: Break and lunch time

There will be alternative pick-up dates from 2 July to 27 September 2019 for those students who are not able to collect the yearbook on the above assigned dates. You may collect the yearbook during school office hours during the summer holiday and when the new term starts, until 27 September 2019.

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On-the-Spot purchase / Wait-list:

Date: Friday, 28 June

Location: Foyer area opposite to PTA office
Payment method: 300 HKD cash only
Time : Lunch time and after school till 3:45pm

As there are limited supply, this will be on first-come first-served basis.

PTA SHOP (Uniform & Stationery) – Opening Hours

Summer Holiday

2 & 3 July – CLOSED
4 July – 0800 to 1530
5 July – 0800 to 1330
6 July to 4 August – CLOSED (both dates inclusive)

Normal Operation

The PTA SHOP will resume normal operation from 5 August 2019.

Monday to Thursday: 0800 – 1530
Friday: 0800 – 1330

PTA Office (School Bus) – Opening Hours

Summer Holiday

2 – 4 July – 0830 to 1600
5 July – 0830 to 1400

6 July to 4 August – CLOSED (both dates inclusive)

Normal Operation

The PTA Office will resume normal operation from 5 August 2019.

Monday to Thursday: 0830 – 1600
Friday: 0830 – 1400

Start of Term Arrangements (2019-2020)

13 August (Tuesday) – First day of school for Year 7 and New Year 8 students.

This day is set aside for new students starting South Island School for the first time. It gives the children a chance to become familiar with their new learning environment as well as meet the adults that they will be working with over the next year in a more relaxed atmosphere. The details of the day are:

8:30am

Students and Parents arrive at school and assemble in the SPACE (NO school buses on this day)

8:45am – 9:15am

Parents meet with their child’s tutor (Year 8 parents meet with Head of Year 8, Mr. Andy Thums)
Students work with Family Bauhinia Leaders and Prefects

9:15 am – 2:00pm

Students in session with Tutors and Prefects
Students must wear School Uniform and bring their snack/lunch or Octopus card to purchase lunch
Forms and start of year payments will be collected for Year 7 students

2:00pm

Parents pick children up from school or students make their own way home

14 August (Wednesday) – School day for All students

This is the first official day for the academic year 2019-20! School buses will run on this day. The first session for students will begin at 7:55am.

Happy Birthday (June & July)!

Important Dates for your Diary

JUNE 2019

25 Jun – Gala Concert
27 Jun – Year 7 PCC3 live on iSAMS at 4:00pm
28 Jun – Last day of Term 3
28 Jun – Casual dress day

AUGUST 2019

13 August – Start of Autumn Term (new SIS students) – no school bus on this day
13 August – Year 7 start of year forms and payment due
14 August – Start of Autumn Term (whole school)
14 August – Year 8 start of year forms and payment due
20 August – Family Bauhinia Assembly

SEPTEMBER 2019

13 September – Curriculum Open Day
25 September – Year 7 Laptop Induction and Distribution Evening (Kuca, Maison, Namas)
26 September – Year 7 Laptop Induction and Distribution Evening (Bahay, Casa, Shtepi)
27 September – CPD day – school closed for students
30 September – CPD day – school closed for students

All dates including whole school events and information can be found on our school calendar. To view the calendar, please go to our website and click on the link School Calendar.