Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Oct 2011
My parents and I were extremely happy with my IGCSE results. I am especially happy with both sciences and additional mathematics, which are my favourite subjects, as I obtained A* and a score of 100 for the percentage uniform mark. I was also surprised that I received a good grade in some of the subjects that I am weaker in, such as English Literature. I think my good results in the exam is mainly due to the hard work that I have put in, not only before the exam, but also throughout the two years of studying the IGCSE curriculum. All the teachers have given me a lot of help and support, answering all of my queries patiently. I also listened attentively to the teachers in class and was exceptionally meticulous when completing each exam paper, utilising all of the time given for each paper. I think this is the key to achieving good results in the exams. Thanks, Dominic Lui
In most subjects, our students performed significantly better than the worldwide averages in terms of quality passes (either an A or A* grade). In three subjects, namely Mandarin Chinese, Music and Physics, all of the students scored an A* grade. For Physics, 11 out of the 17 students obtained a perfect 100 for the percentage uniform mark (PUM) All our SISHK students were also enrolled for the International Certificate of Education (ICE) where they had to take subjects from at least 5 different subject groups, 37% of our students obtained a Merit grade and 63% garnered the Distinction grade for ICE. What is even more amazing is the fact that of the 28 S3 students who sat for their IGCSE Mathematics papers one year ahead of their cohort, 24 of them obtained an A* and the other 4 an A. Wong Hok Yiu, Horace scored a perfect 100 for the percentage uniform mark (PUM). Kudos to all our teachers who put in significant time and effort to coach the students in attaining this outstanding level of achievement.
Dominic Lui
9A SIS
Upgrade of the play structure and replacement of flooring in the PY playground at level 1
A new play structure has been installed in the PY playground at Level 1. We would like to thank Mr and Mrs Lee, who have three students at our school, for donating HK$100,000 towards the improvement of the PY playground. The improved set-up will greatly enhance the enjoyment of the PY pupils during playtime.
Primary Canteen
Secondary Canteen
P2S
SIS !
Charmian Lam Tze Ning DP1 on the 2-year IGCSE Elective Music Programme One thing that I have learnt during the IGCSE Music course is that I really have to manage my time well as there is a lot or coursework and I took nine subjects, so I did not have a lot of time. I had to make sure I handed in all my drafts on time or I would not be able to get timely guidance on my composition work. These time management skills are also useful to me now in IB as we have a lot of work to do, although we only take six subjects. Lau Lok Hang S4G on Contemporary Band CCA When I joined the band three years ago, I thought it was cool to play in a band with people. However, we did not work well together in the beginning, and we just played what we each knew. Over the years, Ive learnt that being a band member is not only about how well you play an instrument individually. It is more about learning to work together as a team to produce a good performance. Personal success is not important, group success is. Justin Chan Kai Jie S4W on Music Ensemble CCA and IGCSE Elective Music Programme I have been learning the violin outside of school and I am very interested to know more about music. Studying IGCSE music was a natural path to take as I wanted to learn the various techniques of composing, e.g. harmony and melody writing, as well as knowing the distinct features of the different musical periods. The other natural course of action was to join the Music Ensemble CCA. This CCA has helped me to enjoy playing my instrument more, as I am not playing alone, but with a group of friends. It has also helped me to appreciate music more, as I can get firsthand experience listening to other types of instruments that I am not familiar with.
Phoebe Chow Yin Hay P5T I have been in the SIS Choir since Primary One and I have a lot of happy memories. The Choir gets plenty of opportunities to perform in public. I have even had the experience of being the MC for some performances. I was also chosen to play the violin and recorder obbligato part for the choir. All these experience have helped build my confidence. Being in the choir has also given me a great opportunity to make friends from different Flora Cheung Qian Ling S3T Edward Cheung Jun Wei S1D Edwin Cheung Jun Xi S1S We feel that the school has an amazing music curriculum which allows us to practise music in more than one aspect, from listening and understanding music to creating and performing. This has nurtured us and many of our schoolmates to respect the music of other cultures. Having been music students for more than six years at SIS, we feel that music has become a very important part of our lives and the music curriculum has ensured that we develop as well-rounded individuals. Mui Kai En P5L I have enjoyed the SIS Chinese Orchestra for the past four years. I learnt a lot about Chinese music and have been exposed to different interesting techniques in playing the erhu for three years and yangqin for one year. I strongly recommend any fellow school-mates to try picking up a Chinese instrument to learn about Chinese musical culture in this CCA.
Part II
TEACHERS COMMENTS
Phil McDermott is an accomplished storyteller, stage actor and television performer but he was greeted more like a rock star on his visit to Singapore International School. Children who had seen him perform in past years were eager to listen to his stories again, reminding us all of the enduring power of a simple story when told well. No doubt many of the children he met and entertained during his visit were inspired to read and listen to more stories, and maybe create some of their own. Mr Andrew Douglas Phil McDermott brings power and life to stories, allowing children to be enriched with literature and giving them a voice for their own writing and reading. He inspires children to be better listeners and makes learning fun, while encouraging children to use divergent thinking. Phil is a wonderful role model for the students. He is a very open-minded individual who was excited to see the development in speech and drama at SIS and the new ideas and enthusiasm being used in the classrooms. Ms Kate Sullivan Phil McDermotts approach to the art of storytelling is very much informed by a desire to inspire listeners to create written stories themselves. His enthusiasm when performing for an audience of young children is infectious, and it carries with it effectiveness; he hooks his audience so completely that they literally hang on every word and use their powers of concentration absolutely. As an SIS drama teacher, I share Phils belief that practical creativity within literature and drama is the strongest way to inspire young students to improve their vocabulary and, just as importantly, their imagination. Stories are in existence to be shared, re-written, created from scratch and understood by as many people as possible, and Phils high-powered, live storytelling creates that excitable spark in a person, in the same way as drama aims to open up the imagination of a child. Mr Andy Fullard
STUDENTS COMMENTS:
Phil the storyteller came to SIS to tell funny and interesting stories to the students. When he first came to SIS, I was in Primary 4 and this year he came again, because all the students enjoyed his stories. I am very glad he came back this year, and I hope he will come back next year to tell us more stories. I am sure every student would love him to come back too! Rosslyn Sinclair P5T Phil was amazing. He captivated us with actions, sounds and a range of voices. Being given an opportunity to have a go was a wonderful experience and it gave our confidence a boost. We left the room with a smile. Joseph Lai S1H Phil is an amazing storyteller. He was descriptive and brought the whole story to life. It was so easy to visualize the places and the people in the story. It was a fun session and I look forward to listening to Phil again. Shyan Kim Chong S1K
PARENTS COMMENTS
In our fast paced society, we certainly need to slow down and do more storytelling with our children. We will bond better with our children. Ms Melissa Toms It is great to be reminded that story-telling is so important for our children; it encourages eloquence, effective communication and engagement. Ms Joanne Hui
I decided to get a part time job during the summer and I really like cooking and the food business, so I went to online job sites and went to the part time sections. I discovered that I needed a resume, and having no qualifications to speak of and no IGCSE results yet, I had a hard time applying to restaurants that cater to a professional standard. During the two interviews I was asked to go to, the lessons learned were quite powerful. I needed to give the impression that I was skilled, passionate and confident, even for a part-time job. The biggest thing about a part time job is that you need to know what you are doing for the job and be partly skilled for it. It was quite a good experience meeting nice business people and being paid for hard work always feels so much better than getting a grade for working hard. Chay Wei Kang DP1A
ar s
During the summer holidays, I spent nearly a month working as an intern at Robertson's Solicitors, a law firm. In the capacity of my internship, I was working under the tutorship of some of the best criminal lawyers in Hong Kong. Everyday was a different day for me, besides the usual office tasks such as filing, conducting research and IT related tasks, I also attended client meetings and court proceedings. Overall, my first job was a fun and fascinating experience and I feel that I am better prepared for work in the future. Shaun Whitmarsh DP1A
Zh
X
, S3T
S3T S2T S3T
Low
Sh a
un
hit W
ia n
I was very excited when I was offered work as a temporary Arts Assistant until the end of August this year at SIS. It was my first job and I was happy to meet up with my former classmates and work in a familiar environment. Although my job involved simple but tiring tasks like unpacking, organising shelves and photocopying, it gave me the opportunity to gain an insight into what working life is like. Ms Kee, Mr Robinson and the staff were very friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand when I needed it. I must say this working experience in SIS was very enriching and I will always remember it. Low Zhi Xian S4N (10/11)
, DP1A
Comments by Students:
On the 16th of July, Saturday, I went to Swensons at Marina Square for a tea session with Ms Tay, Ms Lim and the rest of the SIS students on SHIP. It was nice to meet up with some of my friends from SIS again. It was indeed a very valuable and memorable holiday for me as I got to experience school life in Singapore. I am thankful for this opportunity given by SIS. This was one of my best trips back to Singapore! I hope that I can participate in the SHIP programme again next year. Sean Seah, P3L (10/11) During my stay at Juying Primary School, I noticed that the students there have classroom duties, and they have to remain in class during recess to tidy the room for ten minutes. In order to help the environment, they bring old newspapers every day to school for recycling. Chim Xing Yi Kelly, P3A (10/11)
5Courage Mother Tongue
Sidney Yuen, P5C (10/11) During SHIP, I learnt that Singapore schools start very early in the morning. This is a far cry from our school. I usually wake up at 7am to go to SIS; however, in Singapore, I had to wake up at 5.30am! Although it was tiring, it was a great experience to be a regular Singaporean student. It was very difficult for me to step out of my comfort zone as I was a complete stranger in a new school. I learnt that making friends is not easy, and it takes time to adapt to a new environment. I also learnt that Singaporean students are very hardworking and devoted to their studies. In class, they listen attentively to their teachers and always hand in their work on time. Jean Low, S3W (10/11)
SHIP
Aedon Thomas Sneddon, P5C (10/11) I enjoyed meeting people of different races. Aside from the Chinese, there were also Malays, Indians and Eurasians in my school. I got to learn more about their culture and traditions. Racial Harmony Day was also enjoyable. It was the first time I had experienced Racial Harmony Day and I found the atmosphere very lively. People from the different races prepared delicacies and performed traditional dances. I also got to see and experience Batik painting. It was very interesting. Yip Tsz Chen, S3W (2010/11)
, S3T (10/11)
PARENTS COMMENTS
SHIP
(S3T)(P5C)
916 63
DP1A
91610.0 919
Cooking CCA
Yummylicious!
by Ms Lisa Haitana, SH Student Development & Programmes We found a little corner Some recipes, so rare. And make them to perfection, For us all to share. Weve had scones, beef and cookies, Nothing we cannot make. But oh! Next is delectable Banana or Chocolate Cake. Each week our task is harder, we try and take lots of care; With hope that our food is delicious, And not a big nightmare.
Sport Stacking:
the newest activity in school!
by Ms Candice Chong This sport is good for developing focus and concentration. It requires hand-eye coordination. You need to use both hands to play it. Do you know what it is? It is Sport Stacking! Mike, the coach, first laid a special mat on the table and placed three stacks of three cups on it. In less than five seconds, he up-stacked all nine cups to form pyramids, and down-stacked them gracefully with speed and ease!
The children watched and everyone was keen to have a go at their own tables. How fun, look! said Bryan. My cups dropped! said Noah. Megan and Elias shouted, Cool, Im done. Later, we played doubles, and we also teamed up, boys against girls! Once we got the knack of it, we couldnt stop. If you would like to join us, meet us after school on Mondays at L405.
Ms Lisa Lo Please provide a brief introduction of yourself and your role as the PTA Chairperson. I am a full time housewife with two children studying in SIS (HK). As my children spend most of their time at school, one of the most meaningful ways of growing up with them is to get involved in school activities. Joining the PTA Executive Committee thus started my service to the school. As the PTA Chairperson, I have to work closely with my team. First, we work out our plan and budget for the year. Members of the PTA Exco are assigned respective duties and my role is to ensure all activities planned are promptly delivered and match our expectation. I try to reach out to as many parents as I can, talk to them and understand their concerns as this also helps the PTA to plan appropriate activities, talks and workshops and to provide constructive feedback to the school. What were the highlights of your stint as the PTA Chairperson? Badminton Day and Table Tennis Day were two new events organized by the PTA with the aim of promoting sports to the SIS community. On top of academic achievement, we hope to foster a passion for sports among our pupils. What were some of the challenges you and the PTA faced? In planning activities, we face the dilemma of whether to have an event in the morning, afternoon or evening. Weather poises another challenge to us when it comes to our annual fund raising Christmas Fair which is held partly outdoors. As it is beyond our control, we can only pray and hope for the best. What was the most memorable achievement of the PTA under your chairmanship? I would say the Thank You Teachers Dinner held on 18 June 2011. Not only did we pay tribute to our teachers and support staff for their hard work, we also celebrated the 20th anniversary of SIS in Hong Kong. The dinner was graced by the presence of Ms Ho Peng (Director General of Education) from Singapore and Mr Robert Ng (Chairman, Board of Governors). The superb performances by our parents, teachers and support staff melted the hearts of many. It was the most special Thank You Teachers Dinner that I have attended in the past 10 years.
Ms Teresina Chan Please provide a brief introduction of yourself. I joined the PTA Exco three years ago. I was very impressed to find that there were so many dedicated parents in the PTA Exco. It has been a pleasure working with them and I have learnt so much in the past three years. How do you feel about taking up the challenge of the PTA Chairpersonship? This year, I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve as the Chairperson. I know it will be a tough task, but with a team of devoted parents by my side, I am empowered to face any challenges ahead. What are your plans for the PTA? My plan is to carry on all the activities that the PTA has been doing and I will try to explore the opportunities of introducing new activities suitable for the SIS community. Why is it important for parents to take a part in the PTA? It is important to take part in the PTA because you can be directly involved in the planning and execution of PTA activities. We look forward to more parents joining us in making SIS a wonderful place for our children!
isa
Lo
r es
i na
Ch
an
10
Welcome
The school would like to extend a warm and hearty welcome to all new staff to the SIS Family.
Primary
Front row left to right: Veronica Yeo, Abigail Wiles, Jamie Boelens, Kaili Hwang, Kate Sullivan, Serene Yee, Sam Mei Yin, Lauren Creamer Back row left to right: Andrew Douglas, Ronnie Lim, Andrew Fullard Not pictured: Cindy Aoki
Secondary
Back Row: Simon Griffin, Paul Robinson, Sheung Wa, Teh Yi Wen, Simon Browning, Richard Dook. Middle Row Vanessa Cheng, Stephen Scott, Sherlene Ng, Vivien Tok, Cheong Choo Mui, Daniel Davies. Front Row Maumita Manna, Clara Tai, Ariel Chan, Ngan Lee, Feng Feifei.
Farewell
It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to our colleagues who left the school. We would like to wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
PY and Primary
Cara Patil Cheung Wing Jasmine
Seconday
Agnes Yam
Joyce Yang Fleur Clarke Fong Yoon Yee Joey Chua
Paul Wang
Matthew Grey
Neltje Fu
Rachel Grantham
Wang Binxi
Angelie Chan
Elaine Ho
Lili Lim
11