28 Jun 2024

Monthly Newsletter (June 2024)

> UPCOMING EVENTS & INFORMATION

Principal’s Message

Principal’s Vlog

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As I write this final newsletter, I find myself filled with a range of emotions – sadness that my time as principal of this wonderful school is coming to an end, but overwhelming gratitude for the incredible experience I have had. When I first arrived at South Island School, I was struck by the dynamic, supportive community that exists here. Now, as I prepare to move on, I can say with certainty that this community has had a profound impact on me as a leader and as a person.

The quote, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened” by Dr Seuss, has been on my mind a lot lately. It is a sentiment that perfectly captures my feelings about leaving South. Of course, there is sadness in saying goodbye, but I choose to focus on all the wonderful memories I have made and the growth I have experienced during my time here. The laughter, the collaboration, the breakthroughs – these are the things I will cherish.

I am honoured to have served as the principal of such an exceptional school. The people in this community – the students, the families, the faculty and staff – have all played a role in making my tenure so rewarding and successful. I am forever grateful for your dedication, your passion, and your support.

As I look to the future, I am excited to see how SIS will continue to grow and flourish. I have no doubt that with the incredible people in this community, the school will reach new heights. Though I am leaving, a piece of my heart will always remain here.

Thank you, South Island School, for an unforgettable experience. I will miss you dearly.

Carolyn Andrews
Interim Principal

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UPCOMING EVENTS & INFORMATION

(1) TERM 1 START DATES

Kind reminder to parents of the following start dates for the new academic year:

August 14th: Year 7, new students, and Year 12 Induction day
- No school bus service on this day
August 15th: First day of school – All students
- School bus service begins

(2) STUDENT TIMETABLES 2024-2025

Student timetables will be released per the following schedule:

Returning Year 8 – 13 students: 9 August, through the iSAMS Student App

If students in years 9, 10, and 12 require a change of subject, they must obtain signatures from their tutors, Heads of Department, Heads of House, Heads of Year, Heads of Phase, and parents. As a result, any subject changes can only be processed after staff return on August 12th.

(3) SUPPORT OVER THE HOLIDAYS

The summer break provides much-needed rest, relaxation and fun-filled activities, but we understand this can also be a demanding time for families. The school term officially ends on Friday 28 June. Please note: In times of crisis or emergency, school staff should not be the first point of contact over the holidays. Please click the link Support available in HK for more information about access to support available in Hong Kong. Our school counselling services will resume at the start of the term in August.

(4) NIGHTFEST – DATE CHANGE!

Due to various scheduling conflicts, Nightfest has been rescheduled to Friday 15 November 2024.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who have already expressed interest in participating in response to our previous communication. Your enthusiasm is truly valued and plays a vital role in the success of our school events.

If you wish to get involved and contribute to the event, please do not hesitate to reach out to us (registration link). The more the merrier!

We look forward to working with the student council, teachers, and parents as a community to create an unforgettable evening for all. Your support is invaluable!

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RECENT HAPPENINGS

(1) HE YEAR 10 INTERVIEWS

Over the past couple of weeks, the Higher Education and Careers team held individual interviews with the Year 10s to help them begin thinking about their options and choices for senior school and to start planning for life after SIS. With the completion of this year, our Year 10s are now more than halfway through their SIS journey. These interviews allow our students to connect with their specific counsellor, who will guide them through this process in their Year 11 to Year 13 years. A range of parent events in Term 1 of Year 11 will give students and families opportunities to learn more about the senior school pathways offered.

(2) FAMILY BAUHINIA PANTO

To wrap up another year, this past Wednesday, Family Bauhinia and many of our SIS Teachers and staff put together the annual Family Bauhinia Pantomime! This year’s pantomime, led by Mr Thums, featured Snow White and the Seven Besties, a comical re-imagination of the classic fairy tale. Teachers took to the stage dramatically and comically, and the PE staff popped in to show off their moves. Students got to join in as Ms Percival guided the audience to cheer and jeer at various portions of the play, and the students joined in on the grand finale in song—a fantastic way to wrap up a great year.

(3) YEAR 8 PROBABILITY FAIR

This past Wednesday, our Year 8 Maths students hosted a Probability Fair in the Space for their probability unit. Over the course of 2-3 lessons, teams of 3-4 students designed a game with a hidden bias, a favoured outcome that is not immediately obvious to players. After working out the different probabilities, the teams presented their games for their Year 8 peers to attempt to beat the odds. Some games were deceptively simple, while others games piggy-backed off of other popular childhood games like Snakes and Ladders. Many were also original and thoughtfully designed. Through these games, the students were able to take math concepts and apply them to real-life experiences.

(4) YEAR 7 INSOC

Year 8s weren’t the only ones playing games this week. In Year 7 InSoc classes, students created board games to demonstrate their understanding of the ‘Big Bang Theory’ of the origin of the universe. All students demonstrated excellent enthusiasm for the creative task.

Students Uma Bakshi (7C1), Hana Arisawa (7C1), and Lavonne Cheng’s (7B1) games showed a great range of understanding of not just the material but many of the learner profile attributes the Year 7s have been developing this past year, showing their ability to be knowledgeable, principled thinkers. Their handcrafted board games comprised educational facts, challenging trivia, handmade player pieces and even painted backdrops! A huge well done to you, girls and all the year 7 students – a great way to wrap up the year.

(5) ESF E-SPORTS

ESF Centre held the second annual ESF ESports Tournament this past weekend. Players were tested in Minecraft skills, and two games were included: Bridge Your Friends and Railrunner. Both games required excellent teamwork and communication, requiring some daring attacking strategy and defensive coordination.

SIS was well represented by two Year 7 teams:

Hedgehogs – Lachlan Soon (7K2), Ethan Price (7N2), Bazyl Harsono (7N2), Nathan Tse (7M2). (Coach- Alex Yang- 10N1)

Froglanders- Pedro Chung (7M2), Ronni Chow (7M2), Brian Wong (7M2) and Jonas Chiu (7N2)

Both teams had success early in the day as they reached the knockout stage. However, a quarterfinal matchup against the two South Island teams meant only one SIS team was in play for a medal.

The Hedgehogs emerged victorious against their fellow brethren from South and moved on to the semi-finals. Though they would fall to KGV in the semifinals, the Hedgehogs were able to pull out an exciting victory against Sha Tin College in the third-place match to take home some hardware!

Shout out to both the players and our student coaches, Alex Yang (10N1) and Jasper Siu (10K1), as the teams were in training for two months before competing and dedicated Tuesday lunchtimes and Friday breaks to make sure they were game-ready.

Special shoutouts to Shriyans Gadnis (12M2), who was on the call all day, offering excellent breakdowns and analysis of the tactics on display from the various teams. Cayden Kan (10N1), Isla Stewart (12C1) and Lois Beattie (12N1) all volunteered to support the event, selflessly giving up the day and offering some invaluable support to the event organisers.

(6) YEAR 9 SCIENCE FAIR

The Year 9 Science Fair final kicked off the last week of school on Monday. All Year 9 students worked in teams on a scientific investigation that they designed and carried out themselves. The focus was on teamwork, collaboration, and improving the students’ science investigation skills. The units of inquiry covered in Year 9 all have a sustainability theme, and many of the groups focused on sustainability when choosing their investigations. Each class selected their best two projects, which then represented their class in the final.

Five awards were allocated to the groups:

Best presentation Award: Carbonate and Acid group (Warren Wong 09B2, Yoda Yiu 09S2, and Jadon Leung 09S2).

Best Teamwork Award: Recycled Paper group (Chloe Lin 09B1, Charlotte Lam 09B1, Zoe Villemeur 09C1 and Philona Behrens 09C1).

The Most Creative Idea Award: AI vs Humans Group (Vee Lee 09S1, Letitia Chiu 09B1, Rhianna Chen 09C1, Tyra Choi 09C1 and Dana Cheung 09S1).

The Best Science Award: Good Plastics Group (Marcus Lee 09N2, Sophie Chan 09M2 and Vanessa Wong 09M2).

Science Fair Winners: Algae Group (Ernest Ho 09B2, Clarissa Lee 09C2 and Tony Lam 09C2).

There was lots of good science on display and all of the finalists did a great job presenting their projects. Yeah, science!

(7) SUMMER FESTIVAL

On June 20th, A group of SIS students participated in the West Island School’s annual Summer Festival. It was a great day to end the school year with fun, games and a healthy football competition between ESF schools.

Highlights included a series of engaging team challenges, such as the Hula Hoop Pass, Human Tire, and Catch the Balloon. These events tested the students’ cooperation and coordination skills. The festival also featured a STEM challenge, where teams competed to build the tallest, most stable tower using limited supplies. To end the day, the students competed in a 5-a-side football tournament, in which our SIS team placed third overall.

Throughout the day, the Summer Festival allowed the ESF community to come together, have fun, and celebrate the spirit of friendly competition. It was an amazing event that left our students eager for next year.

(8) SIS FILM AWARDS

As shared with the community last week, the SIS Film Awards honoured over 20 students for their media work this school year. The SIS Film & Media has prepared a page to share with our community all the works of our winners and nominees. Take a look at it HERE

Throughout the years, the SIS Film and Media students have produced great work in school. Through this experience, many have pursued careers in various media-related industries. To see what some of our alums are up to, check out the Alumni Updates below

(9) MINDFUL FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

Last week, our school social workers, Ms. Stephanie Wan and Ms. Kamy Yeung, organised a “Flower Arrangement & Mindfulness” workshop during the lunch for Year 8 and Year 9 students. This workshop introduced mindfulness through the art of flower arrangement, allowing students to create stunning floral masterpieces while immersing themselves in the present moment. Students welcomed the opportunity to relax, unwind, and discover the beauty of mindfulness and how to integrate mindful practices into their daily lives.

(10) END OF TERM ASSEMBLY

We wrapped up the term and the school year with a fantastic Term 3 assembly. In their first big event as a team, the Head Prefect team took students and teachers on a journey around the world, heading north to Shenzhen to watch the latest performance from our award-winning Chinese Dance Team then a stop at Paris for the Belle Candra Eras Tour. Throughout our short one-hour journey around the world, we also heard some updates from some of our student-led councils as well as the final inter-house results (Congrats Bahay!). We also took some time to say farewell to our leaving teachers and Ms Andrews, with a special performance from our Year 12 band featuring Mr Crichton on the sax and a video tribute from Mr Thums and Helio. It was an exciting and heartwarming way to wrap up the year.

(11) THE RETURN OF THE LIMITLESS STUDENTS!

Today we welcome back our students who have attended the Limitless Expedition for the past 6 weeks. Many of the students came back to school after the long journey! It was wonderful to hear the stories, and we look forward to hearing more when they return in August. A huge well done, and congratulations to all the students! The next trip is already being planned, and students in Year 9 this coming August will have the opportunity to sign up for the amazing adventure.

(12) SIS-PTA

**On the behalf of the SIS-PTA**

Dear Parents,

The PTA recently held a special farewell at our last PTA meeting to honour Principal Carolyn as she departs our school. We gathered to express our heartfelt gratitude for Carolyn and presented her with a small token of our appreciation as a symbol of her lasting impact on SIS. During her tenure, Principal Carolyn has been an inspiring leader, a pillar of support, a voice of reason, and a true champion for our students, teachers, and families. Her tireless efforts to ensure our community’s well-being and academic success are truly commendable.

As we bid farewell to Principal Carolyn, we extend our warmest wishes to all our families for a wonderful summer. To our esteemed Year 13 students, we wish you a seamless transition and a thrilling new chapter ahead.

ALUMNI UPDATES

Occasionally, some of our alumni will share with us what they’re up to these days. In this month’s newsletter, alums Karen Chan and Tomoko Fukuda share some of their recent experiences in the entertainment industry while Burton Cheung shares his success in golf.

Karen Chan (Class of ‘20)

SIS IB Film alumna Karen Chan has recently completed an internship at Saturday Night Live in the US, where she has been involved in the fast-paced world of producing a weekly television show. “My responsibilities differ from day to day, from conducting script breakdowns for the producers and coordinators. to production runs doing pickups around New York for various departments,” Karen explains. “I’m always a PA on Fridays when the chosen pre-tapes are shot. We work for 12 hours, and call times can begin as early as 3 am, or we shoot overnight. On Saturdays, the post-production team is editing the entire day. I go in quite late on Saturdays when we do food runs and deliver rundowns for the dress rehearsal at 8 pm and then another for the live show at 11:30 pm.”

Karen just wrapped up her degree in Film & Television Production from NYU. As part of her coursework, she worked on various student shorts, mainly as a producer and assistant director. She has also previously interned at Cinetic Media and Hong Kong Disneyland while studying abroad in Berlin.

The SNL experience is a fantastic boost for Karen, allowing her to network with professionals from both the corporate and film production sides, as well as other interns. “People are so willing to teach me the ropes of the business. I have learnt to become a better collaborator and communicator.

Tomoko Fukuda (Class of 2014)

SIS BTEC Creative Media alumna, Tomoko Fukuda is forging a successful career in the creative industries.

Tomoko currently works as the Regional Brand Partnership and Sync manager at Warner Music Asia, where she helps drive creative and strategic partnerships between artists and brands and helps clients find the right music to license for their visual media. One of the best parts of her job is collaborating with the most talented artists in the world.

Tomoko holds a degree in Cinema Arts and Television from Columbia College, Chicago. After graduation, she worked in the production sound department for shows like Netflix’s ‘Easy,’ NBC’s ‘Chicago Med.’ and independent productions in the US. After returning to Hong Kong, she transitioned as a full-time producer, producing projects ranging from a documentary about sledge dogs in Alaska to working with the most subscribed YouTuber, MrBeast.

Tomoko says to succeed in the creative industry, “You have to be resilient; it is a tough industry. I’ve seen so many people quit or give up, and it can be lonely sometimes, but you have to believe in yourself to succeed.

Burton Cheung (Class of 2022)

On Wednesday, Burton Cheung shot a score of 70 at the Kau Sai Chau Golf Course for a qualifier hosted by the Hong Kong Professional Golfers Association (HKPGA). This was his 5th time passing the HKPGA scheduled qualifiers and now Burton is a full HKPGA member and a Hong Kong golfing professional. He is currently studying at University College London and has continued to support this sport through his role as the captain of UCL’s golf team.

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Student Celebration

(1) SAMUEL MADDEN – AFG SUMMER SLAM

A big round of applause to Samuel Madden (13C1) and Mr Chris Taggart as they competed at the Asia Fight Gear (AFG) Summerslam. Competing in the No-GI White Belt Jiu-Jitsu Mediumweight competition, Samuel was able to lay the smackdown on his opponents on his way to a bronze medal. At the same time, Mr Taggart had even greater success in the open weight division, taking home the gold!

(2) JAEWAN PARK – HK PREMIER YOUTH LEAGUE FA CUP

A big shout out to Jaewan Park (09C1) as he and his team wrapped up the 23/24 HK Premier League Season. Jaewan and his teammates from BC Rangers enjoyed great success this season, finishing second in the Premier Youth League table and second in the HK Premier Youth League FA Cup. Great job Jaewan!

Jaewan with fellow SIS student Owen Park (09K2)

(3) MATTHEW LEUNG – MEDICAL SHADOWING

Thumbs up to Matthew Leung (11C2), who recently completed a one week shadowing of Dr. Edwin Lee, the Consultant in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Gleneagles Hospital, observing various endoscopic procedures like gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Throughout his week following Dr Lee, Matthew had multiple opportunities to connect his observations with the concepts he learned in his classes.

Matthew also engaged in patient-doctor interactions, deepening his understanding of gastroenterological concepts such as fatty liver, hepatitis B, and GERD. He also witnessed the collaborative efforts of different specialities, including anaesthesiology in procedural care and nursing in post-operative support. Through it all, it was a fruitful week shadowing with Dr Lee.

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