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📅 Save the date! Our highly anticipated annual Christmas Bazaar will take place on Saturday, 2 December 2023. 🎄 The GSIS community of students, parents, staff, alumni, and friends, will come together for this special event. It promises to be a delightful occasion filled with laughter and festive cheer to ring in the holiday season as well as support our school!
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GSIS Gazette – Issue #1
30th August 2019Principal's Column
Welcome to our first issue of GSIS Gazette. The Gazette will be sent to you every Friday at 4pm via email during term time and historical copies can be found in the Veracross portal. This year, one of the school’s aims is to keep parent emails to a minimum and the GSIS Gazette is now your immediate go-to resource for vital information.
I hope you have had a wonderful Summer, enjoying the holidays and spending time with family and friends. I have been looking forward to welcoming our students back to GSIS and in particular, offering a very warm welcome to the new students joining us for their first time this term.
Last week, we had a very productive few days in school as a staff body preparing for the start of the new year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked so tirelessly over the holidays to look after the school to ensure that it is ready for our students.
GSIS has an enviable reputation as an exceptional school at the forefront of international education. As Principal, I am looking forward to another year of building upon this fantastic foundation and taking the school from strength to strength. It is with great pleasure that I can announce that our 4 year Strategic Plan will be published and shared with you shortly. I am looking forward to developing this Strategy further, working within the five pillar framework, and I will be sharing my plans and educational philosophy with you over the next few issues of this Friday GSIS Gazette.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate all our students on exceptional exam results over the summer across International Abitur, IB and IGCSE. These results are fitting reflection of the drive, calibre and effort of our students and the dedication of our staff.
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Ulrich Weghoff
Principal
From the Chair of the Boards
Firstly, as Chair of the Boards, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all the Board members to warmly welcome our entire community back to GSIS. A special welcome to new students, parents and staff to our school; I hope you will be very happy here.
It is a great privilege and an honour for each of us to be elected members of the GSIS Boards. We are very proud to be part of the community of this thriving and well-respected international school. Individually, we are fully committed to determining the strategic development of the school and with the combined experience, skills and knowledge of the Board of Directors, the Senior Management Team and staff, we will ensure that we offer the very best to all members of the GSIS community.
I wish everyone well for the upcoming school year and I look forward to meeting many of you at the various school events I attend.
Roland Müksch
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS
Parents@GSIS
On behalf of Parents@GSIS a very warm welcome to what is an exciting milestone year for GSIS. It was wonderful to see so many old and new parents as well as staff join us at our welcome back to school party on Friday. A huge thank you to Jordan Delfino and the student bands from the senior years for providing us with outstanding live music performances during the evening.
For those of you who are new to the school, Parents@GSIS as a group are here to support the school by sponsoring and organising a variety of events to help strengthen and build our diverse community. As well as joining in the 50th anniversary celebrations we hope to be able to bring you a fantastic array of events from educational talks to quiz nights and fun runs for the whole family. Our team has been busy planning and have a number of activities that you can join during September including:
- Book clubs (English, German & Mandarin)
- Photo tour to Happy Valley Racecourse: Grab your camera and capture the atmosphere of excitement and the beautiful horses.
- Walk on Cheung Chau : Explore the northern part of the island and walk along the scenic Mini Great Wall”.
- Film night: Showcasing The Lives of Others, part of our Berlin Wall movie series. The film debut of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and the winner of best foreign film in 2007.
For a full overview of upcoming events or to sign up for email reminders you can visit our Parents@GSIS blog at https://parentsatgsis.blogspot.com/search/label/EN. If you would like to get more involved or have ideas for future events you can email us at parents@gsis.edu.hk.
Anouska Mutreja
Chair of Parents@GSIS
Announcements
Potential School Closure - Monday, 2 September
As you know, there is a proposed General Strike on Monday, 2 and Tuesday, 3 September. We will be monitoring the situation very closely over the weekend and should the Senior Management Team decide that the school needs to close due to traffic disruption, you will be informed by Sunday, 1 September at 6:00 pm by email.
School Buses
As from Monday, 2nd September, the school buses will leave at 1:25/3:30 pm sharp.
Primary students will be guided to their buses in time for departure.
Secondary students must go to their buses immediately after the first bell rings at 1:15/3:20 pm. The secondary buses will only wait for 10 minutes after the first bell has rung.
Students who are picked up by private car can only leave school after the second bell rings at 1:27/3:32 pm (originally 1:30/3:35 pm).
PE Uniform Now Available Online
We are pleased to announce that negotiations with Kukri have concluded and as such the GSIS PE uniform items will soon be available from their online store. For any urgent uniform requests please send an email to parents@gsis.edu.hk before 5:00 pm Friday 30 August. During next week a stocktake and handover will be completed with Kukri, following which you will each be sent details of how to login to the online store.
Communication Guidelines with Parents
GSIS is committed to providing reliable, regularly updated information through two key sources:
- GSIS Gazette
- Website
We supplement these official sources with emails and, in emergencies, SMSs, as necessary. We also share information with our students, especially secondary students, so that they can increasingly accept their responsibilities.
What is the purpose behind forming WhatsApp parent groups?
These groups are intended as a convenient way to distribute important school information quickly and efficiently and for parents to communicate easily with each other regarding class matters.
What are the challenges of these groups?
The majority of the time, these group chats can be a great resource and an enjoyable place to be in. However, there are those unfortunate times when they can degenerate into rumour mills, or forums for grievances, someone may even say something inappropriate.
What are the GSIS guidelines for these groups?
In the interest of establishing respectful guidelines around the use of WhatsApp within our community, the following guidelines have been developed.
- Be mindful of your audience
- Refrain from “chatting” with one or two people in a group
- Avoid gossip and the rumour mill
- Do not mention/address sensitive issues
- Be conscious of how frequently you send messages and when you send them
- Evaluate your information before you hit ‘send’. Is the information accurate and reliable? Could it unintentionally cause others unnecessary worry or anxiety?
- Don’t send anything you would feel uncomfortable saying to a person’s face
- Avoid debate and argument as WhatsApp is not the right forum for this
- Keep your posts short and to the point
- If your message is not relevant to the majority of group members, please consider sending a personal message
Can I leave the group?
By accepting a request to join the group, you are sharing your phone number with other parents within your class. Once you join, you always have the option to leave the group.
From Head of German International Stream
Kindergarten Corner
Dear Parents
On behalf of all Kindergarten staff members it is our pleasure to welcome all of you to the new Kindergarten year 2019/2020.
Together as a Team Ms Mah and I are here for you and if you have any questions and suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
As you know the Early Years play an important role, as they lay the foundation, in your child’s education. At GSIS Kindergarten we have an excellent Team of Teachers and Assistants and we will all do our best to support your children in their personal development and to make this year fun filled and exciting. One highlight for our students will be the events for GSIS 50th anniversary and we already have a number of events planned for the children which will add on to our regular curriculum.
Looking forward working with you.
With kind regards
Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten
Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten
Primary Corner
Dear Parents
I would like to welcome you very warmly to the new school year. We had a great start last week and on Wednesday we welcomed the new pre-schoolers in Pok Fu Lam and on Friday the new first graders at the Peak campus.
During my welcome speech at the pre-school welcome morning, I compared the cooperation of the school with parents, with the wisdom of the blind wise men and the elephant. Every wise man described the elephant from his own perspective, but it was only when the emperor learned from all of them what they knew that he had an idea how the elephant looked like. This is often the case at school, only when we have all the small pictures from all sides can we work on the big picture. On this basis I hope we can continue our positive cooperation in this school year.
Dates and Information
- All important dates can be found in the Veracross calendar.
- Furthermore, the Gazette provides you with all important information on the Primary Department. For class related matters, teachers will continue to write to you directly.
- Furthermore, soon you will be able to access all important documents of the Primary Department in the Veracross Parents Portal.
I look forward to seeing you over the next few days at the various Parent Evenings.
With warm regards
Priska Erni
Head of German Primary Department
Secondary Corner
Dear Parents
I am very pleased to welcome you to the beginning of the new school year. We are very happy that we were able to welcome new students in all our classes from K05 to K11. Some are from Germany and Switzerland, others join us from German Schools Abroad in Brazil, Singapore and Shanghai.
We also welcome several new staff members: Mr Indrich, Mr Mariaca, Dr Rautenberg and Ms Rötsch will strengthen the German Secondary Department this school year. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our new students and new colleagues!
I would like to wish you and your children a great start into the new school year and look forward to meeting you at one of our upcoming events! In addition to the 50th Anniversary celebrations at GSIS, we are also celebrating another historic milestone this year. 2019 marks 30 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall, an important event in German history. GSD and ESD students are already preparing for an exhibition, which we will ceremoniously open on 3 October. We will keep you updated about this project and any other upcoming events.
With warm regards
Wiebke Langer
Head of German Secondary Department
From Head of English International Stream
Dear Parents
It has been a tremendously positive start to the year in the English International Stream. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing many new and returning students to hear about their holidays as well as meeting a number of parents at the various welcome events at Pokfulam and The Peak.
We are all very proud of our students who experienced exceptional levels of success in a range of external examinations from the IB Diploma, AS & A Levels and I/GCSEs, alongside the German Sprachdiplom I & II and the International Abitur. The GSIS community certainly prepares its students well for academic success and this is an achievement in which the whole school can share.
The current academic year promises to be an exciting one throughout the school as we head towards the Fiftieth Anniversary celebrations and launch our Strategic Plan that seeks to further develop and enrich our academic, pastoral and extra-curricular provision for your children.
One such aim is to further improve the security of our buildings by monitoring all visitors to school. If you visit any one of our three sites, please make your way to the reception area to sign in and confirm the member of staff you wish to meet. After showing your HK ID you will receive a Visitor Pass, that needs to be returned as you leave, and the member of staff will be contacted to meet you at the reception area.
The following Code of Conduct must be agreed to during your visit:
| You should be accompanied by a member of GSIS staff at all times during your visit. |
| Do not take photographs or videos of any students whilst you are here. |
| Do not seek to gather personal information or contact details from any of our students. |
| Do not make physical contact with any child or invade their personal space. |
| Never be alone with a student. |
| Only use toilets designated for adult use. Do not use student toilets. |
| Never raise your voice to a child. |
As the Child Protection Officer for the whole school please do share any feedback about the schools procedures with me or any concerns you may have about any of our students: smisso-veness@gsis.edu.hk or 2825 8130.
With this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify one of the points we ask parents to agree to on our online Enrollment Agreement.
If both parents are away from Hong Kong at any time, a temporary guardian must be appointed and the school must be notified by using the form provided. Under Hong Kong law, domestic helpers may not be identified as temporary guardians. Failure to fill out this form could result in the Hong Kong government taking minor children into protective care.
The form can be found here: Guardianship of Minors Ordinance (Cap. 13) [HK Labour and Welfare Department]. This form should be completed and sent to the relevant school secretary at least three school days before any travel:
We understand that it may be necessary for both parents to be overseas for business or family commitments but we would find it impossible to send any of our students from Kindergarten to Year 13 to be home alone at any time without supervision.
We are very much looking forward to seeing a strong turnout at the upcoming KPR elections.
Have a great week
Simon Misso-Veness
Deputy Principal / Head of English International Stream
Kindergarten Corner
Dear Parents
On behalf of all Kindergarten staff members it is our pleasure to welcome all of you to the new Kindergarten year 2019/2020.
Together as a Team Ms Mah and I are here for you and if you have any questions and suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
As you know the Early Years play an important role, as they lay the foundation, in your child’s education. At GSIS Kindergarten we have an excellent Team of Teachers and Assistants and we will all do our best to support your children in their personal development and to make this year fun filled and exciting. One highlight for our students will be the events for GSIS 50th anniversary and we already have a number of events planned for the children which will add on to our regular curriculum.
Looking forward working with you.
With kind regards
Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten
Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten
Primary Corner
We are happy to welcome all of you to the 2019/2020 school year at GSIS. Our English Primary Department is excited to welcome our new families and see so many returning smiles. Your children may have told you about a few improvements which began on their first day at the Peak - longer breaks, music instead of the bell and the staggered dismissal for bus riders and parent pick-ups to alleviate congestion.
Next week at our KPR evenings we will have more information to share with parents regarding new staff members, our curriculum, the 50th-anniversary celebrations, specialist lessons and Christmas celebrations.
Please join us next week for our KPR evenings:
- Year 1 at PFL on Wednesday, September 4th from 6-7:30 pm
- Year 2 - Year 4 on Thursday, September 5th from 6-7:30 pm
- Year 5 - Year 6 on Thursday, September 5th from 7-8:30 pm
We look forward to seeing all of you next week!
Kim Cunningham
Head of English Primary Department
Donna Morley
Deputy Head of English Primary Department
Secondary Corner
Welcome to the Academic Year 2019-2020. I hope that you have all enjoyed a fantastic summer and are looking forward to another great year at GSIS.
It is wonderful to read through the outstanding IB Diploma results of our graduating class of 2019. As they move onto the next exciting chapter in their lives, our graduates take with them not only our congratulations for their achievements but also our heartfelt wishes for future success in everything they do.
I would also like to congratulate our students from the current Y10-13 who achieved outstanding results in public examinations other than the IB Diploma. These include the I/GCSE, AS Level and Deutsches Sprachdiplom examinations.
Finally, in this 1st edition of the Gazette, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce our new colleagues in the ESD:
- Mr Nils Mayer will be teaching German in the ESD. Mr Mayer will also be the Class Teacher for Y12D.
- Ms Yolanda Wang joins our Chinese team and will be the Class Teacher for Y07C
- Ms Natalie Comty has joined our Student Support Team and will work with individual students to aid and enhance their academic learning.
- Mr Stephen Megson returns to GSIS as an Art Teacher. Mr Megson will be covering for Ms Vanessa Phung whilst she is on leave.
In addition, some of our teachers will take on new roles and responsibilities:
- Ms Susan Hood will take on the job of Deputy Head of ESD. Her particular focus will be on our Pastoral Provision and our Extra-Curricular programmes.
- Ms Hannah Booth is our new Head of Y12 & Y13
- Mr Charles Yorke takes over as Theory of Knowledge Coordinator in the IB Diploma Programme
- Ms Chelsia Lau will be the Year 7 Science Coordinator, overseeing the General Science programme in that year.
I hope that all of our students, parents, families and staff enjoy a rewarding and successful year.
Ken Stevenson
Head of English Secondary Department
- Front Page News
-
Principal's Column
Welcome to our first issue of GSIS Gazette. The Gazette will be sent to you every Friday at 4pm via email during term time and historical copies can be found in the Veracross portal. This year, one of the school’s aims is to keep parent emails to a minimum and the GSIS Gazette is now your immediate go-to resource for vital information.
I hope you have had a wonderful Summer, enjoying the holidays and spending time with family and friends. I have been looking forward to welcoming our students back to GSIS and in particular, offering a very warm welcome to the new students joining us for their first time this term.
Last week, we had a very productive few days in school as a staff body preparing for the start of the new year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked so tirelessly over the holidays to look after the school to ensure that it is ready for our students.
GSIS has an enviable reputation as an exceptional school at the forefront of international education. As Principal, I am looking forward to another year of building upon this fantastic foundation and taking the school from strength to strength. It is with great pleasure that I can announce that our 4 year Strategic Plan will be published and shared with you shortly. I am looking forward to developing this Strategy further, working within the five pillar framework, and I will be sharing my plans and educational philosophy with you over the next few issues of this Friday GSIS Gazette.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate all our students on exceptional exam results over the summer across International Abitur, IB and IGCSE. These results are fitting reflection of the drive, calibre and effort of our students and the dedication of our staff.
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Ulrich Weghoff
PrincipalFrom the Chair of the Boards
Firstly, as Chair of the Boards, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all the Board members to warmly welcome our entire community back to GSIS. A special welcome to new students, parents and staff to our school; I hope you will be very happy here.
It is a great privilege and an honour for each of us to be elected members of the GSIS Boards. We are very proud to be part of the community of this thriving and well-respected international school. Individually, we are fully committed to determining the strategic development of the school and with the combined experience, skills and knowledge of the Board of Directors, the Senior Management Team and staff, we will ensure that we offer the very best to all members of the GSIS community.
I wish everyone well for the upcoming school year and I look forward to meeting many of you at the various school events I attend.
Roland Müksch
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDSParents@GSIS
On behalf of Parents@GSIS a very warm welcome to what is an exciting milestone year for GSIS. It was wonderful to see so many old and new parents as well as staff join us at our welcome back to school party on Friday. A huge thank you to Jordan Delfino and the student bands from the senior years for providing us with outstanding live music performances during the evening.
For those of you who are new to the school, Parents@GSIS as a group are here to support the school by sponsoring and organising a variety of events to help strengthen and build our diverse community. As well as joining in the 50th anniversary celebrations we hope to be able to bring you a fantastic array of events from educational talks to quiz nights and fun runs for the whole family. Our team has been busy planning and have a number of activities that you can join during September including:
- Book clubs (English, German & Mandarin)
- Photo tour to Happy Valley Racecourse: Grab your camera and capture the atmosphere of excitement and the beautiful horses.
- Walk on Cheung Chau : Explore the northern part of the island and walk along the scenic Mini Great Wall”.
- Film night: Showcasing The Lives of Others, part of our Berlin Wall movie series. The film debut of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and the winner of best foreign film in 2007.
For a full overview of upcoming events or to sign up for email reminders you can visit our Parents@GSIS blog at https://parentsatgsis.blogspot.com/search/label/EN. If you would like to get more involved or have ideas for future events you can email us at parents@gsis.edu.hk.
Anouska Mutreja
Chair of Parents@GSISAnnouncements
Potential School Closure - Monday, 2 September
As you know, there is a proposed General Strike on Monday, 2 and Tuesday, 3 September. We will be monitoring the situation very closely over the weekend and should the Senior Management Team decide that the school needs to close due to traffic disruption, you will be informed by Sunday, 1 September at 6:00 pm by email.
School Buses
As from Monday, 2nd September, the school buses will leave at 1:25/3:30 pm sharp.
Primary students will be guided to their buses in time for departure.
Secondary students must go to their buses immediately after the first bell rings at 1:15/3:20 pm. The secondary buses will only wait for 10 minutes after the first bell has rung.
Students who are picked up by private car can only leave school after the second bell rings at 1:27/3:32 pm (originally 1:30/3:35 pm).
PE Uniform Now Available Online
We are pleased to announce that negotiations with Kukri have concluded and as such the GSIS PE uniform items will soon be available from their online store. For any urgent uniform requests please send an email to parents@gsis.edu.hk before 5:00 pm Friday 30 August. During next week a stocktake and handover will be completed with Kukri, following which you will each be sent details of how to login to the online store.
Communication Guidelines with Parents
GSIS is committed to providing reliable, regularly updated information through two key sources:
- GSIS Gazette
- Website
We supplement these official sources with emails and, in emergencies, SMSs, as necessary. We also share information with our students, especially secondary students, so that they can increasingly accept their responsibilities.
What is the purpose behind forming WhatsApp parent groups?
These groups are intended as a convenient way to distribute important school information quickly and efficiently and for parents to communicate easily with each other regarding class matters.What are the challenges of these groups?
The majority of the time, these group chats can be a great resource and an enjoyable place to be in. However, there are those unfortunate times when they can degenerate into rumour mills, or forums for grievances, someone may even say something inappropriate.What are the GSIS guidelines for these groups?
In the interest of establishing respectful guidelines around the use of WhatsApp within our community, the following guidelines have been developed.PLEASE RESPECT THE FOLLOWING WHATSAPP GUIDELINES- Be mindful of your audience
- Refrain from “chatting” with one or two people in a group
- Avoid gossip and the rumour mill
- Do not mention/address sensitive issues
- Be conscious of how frequently you send messages and when you send them
- Evaluate your information before you hit ‘send’. Is the information accurate and reliable? Could it unintentionally cause others unnecessary worry or anxiety?
- Don’t send anything you would feel uncomfortable saying to a person’s face
- Avoid debate and argument as WhatsApp is not the right forum for this
- Keep your posts short and to the point
- If your message is not relevant to the majority of group members, please consider sending a personal message
Can I leave the group?
By accepting a request to join the group, you are sharing your phone number with other parents within your class. Once you join, you always have the option to leave the group. - German International Stream
-
From Head of German International Stream
Kindergarten Corner
Sophie BurdelEileen MahDear Parents
On behalf of all Kindergarten staff members it is our pleasure to welcome all of you to the new Kindergarten year 2019/2020.
Together as a Team Ms Mah and I are here for you and if you have any questions and suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
As you know the Early Years play an important role, as they lay the foundation, in your child’s education. At GSIS Kindergarten we have an excellent Team of Teachers and Assistants and we will all do our best to support your children in their personal development and to make this year fun filled and exciting. One highlight for our students will be the events for GSIS 50th anniversary and we already have a number of events planned for the children which will add on to our regular curriculum.
Looking forward working with you.
With kind regards
Sophie Burdel
Head of KindergartenEileen Mah
Deputy Head of KindergartenPrimary Corner
Priska ErniDear Parents
I would like to welcome you very warmly to the new school year. We had a great start last week and on Wednesday we welcomed the new pre-schoolers in Pok Fu Lam and on Friday the new first graders at the Peak campus.
During my welcome speech at the pre-school welcome morning, I compared the cooperation of the school with parents, with the wisdom of the blind wise men and the elephant. Every wise man described the elephant from his own perspective, but it was only when the emperor learned from all of them what they knew that he had an idea how the elephant looked like. This is often the case at school, only when we have all the small pictures from all sides can we work on the big picture. On this basis I hope we can continue our positive cooperation in this school year.
Dates and Information
- All important dates can be found in the Veracross calendar.
- Furthermore, the Gazette provides you with all important information on the Primary Department. For class related matters, teachers will continue to write to you directly.
- Furthermore, soon you will be able to access all important documents of the Primary Department in the Veracross Parents Portal.
I look forward to seeing you over the next few days at the various Parent Evenings.
With warm regards
Priska Erni
Head of German Primary DepartmentSecondary Corner
Wiebke LangerDear Parents
I am very pleased to welcome you to the beginning of the new school year. We are very happy that we were able to welcome new students in all our classes from K05 to K11. Some are from Germany and Switzerland, others join us from German Schools Abroad in Brazil, Singapore and Shanghai.
We also welcome several new staff members: Mr Indrich, Mr Mariaca, Dr Rautenberg and Ms Rötsch will strengthen the German Secondary Department this school year. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our new students and new colleagues!
I would like to wish you and your children a great start into the new school year and look forward to meeting you at one of our upcoming events! In addition to the 50th Anniversary celebrations at GSIS, we are also celebrating another historic milestone this year. 2019 marks 30 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall, an important event in German history. GSD and ESD students are already preparing for an exhibition, which we will ceremoniously open on 3 October. We will keep you updated about this project and any other upcoming events.
With warm regards
Wiebke Langer
Head of German Secondary Department - English International Stream
-
From Head of English International Stream
Simon Misso-VenessDear Parents
It has been a tremendously positive start to the year in the English International Stream. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing many new and returning students to hear about their holidays as well as meeting a number of parents at the various welcome events at Pokfulam and The Peak.
We are all very proud of our students who experienced exceptional levels of success in a range of external examinations from the IB Diploma, AS & A Levels and I/GCSEs, alongside the German Sprachdiplom I & II and the International Abitur. The GSIS community certainly prepares its students well for academic success and this is an achievement in which the whole school can share.
The current academic year promises to be an exciting one throughout the school as we head towards the Fiftieth Anniversary celebrations and launch our Strategic Plan that seeks to further develop and enrich our academic, pastoral and extra-curricular provision for your children.
One such aim is to further improve the security of our buildings by monitoring all visitors to school. If you visit any one of our three sites, please make your way to the reception area to sign in and confirm the member of staff you wish to meet. After showing your HK ID you will receive a Visitor Pass, that needs to be returned as you leave, and the member of staff will be contacted to meet you at the reception area.
The following Code of Conduct must be agreed to during your visit:
You should be accompanied by a member of GSIS staff at all times during your visit. Do not take photographs or videos of any students whilst you are here. Do not seek to gather personal information or contact details from any of our students. Do not make physical contact with any child or invade their personal space. Never be alone with a student. Only use toilets designated for adult use. Do not use student toilets. Never raise your voice to a child. As the Child Protection Officer for the whole school please do share any feedback about the schools procedures with me or any concerns you may have about any of our students: smisso-veness@gsis.edu.hk or 2825 8130.
With this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify one of the points we ask parents to agree to on our online Enrollment Agreement.
If both parents are away from Hong Kong at any time, a temporary guardian must be appointed and the school must be notified by using the form provided. Under Hong Kong law, domestic helpers may not be identified as temporary guardians. Failure to fill out this form could result in the Hong Kong government taking minor children into protective care.
The form can be found here: Guardianship of Minors Ordinance (Cap. 13) [HK Labour and Welfare Department]. This form should be completed and sent to the relevant school secretary at least three school days before any travel:
We understand that it may be necessary for both parents to be overseas for business or family commitments but we would find it impossible to send any of our students from Kindergarten to Year 13 to be home alone at any time without supervision.
We are very much looking forward to seeing a strong turnout at the upcoming KPR elections.
Have a great week
Simon Misso-Veness
Deputy Principal / Head of English International StreamKindergarten Corner
Sophie BurdelEileen MahDear Parents
On behalf of all Kindergarten staff members it is our pleasure to welcome all of you to the new Kindergarten year 2019/2020.
Together as a Team Ms Mah and I are here for you and if you have any questions and suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
As you know the Early Years play an important role, as they lay the foundation, in your child’s education. At GSIS Kindergarten we have an excellent Team of Teachers and Assistants and we will all do our best to support your children in their personal development and to make this year fun filled and exciting. One highlight for our students will be the events for GSIS 50th anniversary and we already have a number of events planned for the children which will add on to our regular curriculum.
Looking forward working with you.
With kind regards
Sophie Burdel
Head of KindergartenEileen Mah
Deputy Head of KindergartenPrimary Corner
Kimberly CunninghamDonna MorleyWe are happy to welcome all of you to the 2019/2020 school year at GSIS. Our English Primary Department is excited to welcome our new families and see so many returning smiles. Your children may have told you about a few improvements which began on their first day at the Peak - longer breaks, music instead of the bell and the staggered dismissal for bus riders and parent pick-ups to alleviate congestion.
Next week at our KPR evenings we will have more information to share with parents regarding new staff members, our curriculum, the 50th-anniversary celebrations, specialist lessons and Christmas celebrations.
Please join us next week for our KPR evenings:
- Year 1 at PFL on Wednesday, September 4th from 6-7:30 pm
- Year 2 - Year 4 on Thursday, September 5th from 6-7:30 pm
- Year 5 - Year 6 on Thursday, September 5th from 7-8:30 pm
We look forward to seeing all of you next week!
Kim Cunningham
Head of English Primary DepartmentDonna Morley
Deputy Head of English Primary DepartmentSecondary Corner
Ken StevensonWelcome to the Academic Year 2019-2020. I hope that you have all enjoyed a fantastic summer and are looking forward to another great year at GSIS.
It is wonderful to read through the outstanding IB Diploma results of our graduating class of 2019. As they move onto the next exciting chapter in their lives, our graduates take with them not only our congratulations for their achievements but also our heartfelt wishes for future success in everything they do.
I would also like to congratulate our students from the current Y10-13 who achieved outstanding results in public examinations other than the IB Diploma. These include the I/GCSE, AS Level and Deutsches Sprachdiplom examinations.
Finally, in this 1st edition of the Gazette, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce our new colleagues in the ESD:
- Mr Nils Mayer will be teaching German in the ESD. Mr Mayer will also be the Class Teacher for Y12D.
- Ms Yolanda Wang joins our Chinese team and will be the Class Teacher for Y07C
- Ms Natalie Comty has joined our Student Support Team and will work with individual students to aid and enhance their academic learning.
- Mr Stephen Megson returns to GSIS as an Art Teacher. Mr Megson will be covering for Ms Vanessa Phung whilst she is on leave.
In addition, some of our teachers will take on new roles and responsibilities:
- Ms Susan Hood will take on the job of Deputy Head of ESD. Her particular focus will be on our Pastoral Provision and our Extra-Curricular programmes.
- Ms Hannah Booth is our new Head of Y12 & Y13
- Mr Charles Yorke takes over as Theory of Knowledge Coordinator in the IB Diploma Programme
- Ms Chelsia Lau will be the Year 7 Science Coordinator, overseeing the General Science programme in that year.
I hope that all of our students, parents, families and staff enjoy a rewarding and successful year.
Ken Stevenson
Head of English Secondary Department
