Connect with GSIS
Our Y13 leavers took to the roof for a friendly, yet competitive, football match ⚽ against a team of cross-stream faculty. There were goals and tackles, but most importantly, laughter and handshakes all around. Best of luck to our Y13 final-year students as their journey in Secondary soon comes to an end.
#GSIS #GermanSwissInternationalSchool #InternationalSchool #HongKong #EducationalExcellence
GSIS Gazette – Issue #8
18th October 2019Principal's Column
Over the past nine weeks, the school has been buzzing with activity and working with such gifted students, parents and staff makes me so proud to be Principal of this exceptional international school. This week, in particular, has been a busy one for all our students and these activities further enrich the curriculum that we deliver and enhance the students’ learning experience.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you that have taken the time out to contact me or other members of the Senior Management Team with very positive messages. Hearing what we do well is always fantastic to hear and we are all immensely proud to provide a home of educational excellence within a caring community.
As you know, school closes for half term today and the students will return to school on Tuesday, 29th October. Monday, 28th October is a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) day for all GSIS staff and therefore no students are expected at school on this day. I hope you all have an enjoyable half term and for those of you who are celebrating Diwali, the staff and I hope you enjoy celebrating.
Ulrich Weghoff
Principal
From the Chair of the Boards
Introducing our new Managing Director, Clare Chiu
On behalf of the Boards, I am extremely pleased to announce that Clare Chiu has joined GSIS as our new Managing Director.
The Board set out to find someone with the right vision and experience to help lead the school through the next phase of its development. We have found that leader. Clare brings with her extensive experience of living and working in Asia, as well as over 20 years of experience in educational publishing and management. Clare joins us from RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) where she was the Global Director of Markets Performance, she held senior leader positions at Oxford University Press, Hult International Business School, Education First and several leading educational organisations in the world. Clare studied at National Cheng Chi University in Taiwan and continued her education in the UK at the University of Manchester where she graduated with a Master's degree in Educational Technology.
She has a proven ability to positively impact an organisation’s vision and goals by achieving business and operational excellence. Clare is passionate about education and has high expectations, not only for herself but for her team as well. Her aim is to build on the secure foundations and current achievements by ensuring that GSIS is forward thinking and ambitious within a collaborative and positive environment.
Please feel free to reach out to Clare and introduce yourself to her. I am sure you join the Board in welcoming Clare to GSIS in her new role as Managing Director.
Roland Müksch
Chair of the Boards
Parents@GSIS
Whether you are in Hong Kong or travelling we hope that you all have an enjoyable half term week. We have a couple of fun activities lined up for the first week back.
Diwali at GSIS - Celebrating diversity
We will be celebrating Diwali at the Peak campus across both streams on Thursday 31st October. I would like to thank everyone who has volunteered to help with the food, decorations, dance and information board. We hope the students will dress up in Indian clothes or something colourful for the day and enjoy the festivities whilst learning more about Diwali and how it is celebrated. If you would like to help you can still sign up through the linked form https://forms.gle/Kj8WAMSEUo4tfaEC9 . We would also love to hear from you about other traditions and festivities that you would like to see being celebrated at GSIS - please email us at parents@gsis.edu.hk
Fun family hike with a treasure hunt in Lantau
Students, siblings, parents, teachers, staff, friends and even dogs are very welcome on this fun day out on Sunday 3rd November. The plan is to take the ferry to Lantau for a gentle hike with some fun activities and puzzles for you to solve in order to win the treasure. We have had a great sign up already - please fill in the linked form if you would like to join in the fun https://forms.gle/gLQD7iTzj98sdirSA
Anouska Mutreja
Chair of Parents@GSIS
Updates and Announcements
From Head of German International Stream
Dear Parents
Nine weeks of school are already behind us, during which we have achieved and experienced so much. Here are just a few examples:
- Final preparations for our 50th Anniversary celebration
- Finalisation of the comprehensive documentation for the BLI (Federal State Inspection)
- Highlights such as the Wellbeing Week, the "Fall of the Berlin Wall" and Discovery Week
- Various musical, artistic and sports events
- School groups from Germany visiting GSIS
- Nine weeks during which our students worked and studied hard, acquired new knowledge and wrote exams
Nine weeks that were also marked by the recent events in Hong Kong. Questions were asked, worries shared, experiences critically reflected upon and answers sought. This and other current topics are of concern to our students, whether in the Primary or in the Secondary departments and it is not always easy to address these age-appropriately. In case you are looking for ideas and tips on how to successfully conduct difficult conversations, we would like to recommend the following website, which provides many great resources for parents and teachers:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-violence-crime-and-war
Now I would like wish you and your children an enjoyable and relaxing Autumn break and time for each other, for shared experiences and good conversations.
Grit Cichon
Deputy Principal / Head of German International Stream
Kindergarten Corner
Dear Parents
Our bi-annual Parents‘ Information Days will take place on Thursday, 7 November and Friday, 8 November 2019 at our Pok Fu Lam Campus. The booking system will open on Thursday, 31 October 2019 at 10:00 am. Please mark down this date in your calendar in order to book an appointment through the system “SchoolsBuddy” with your child’s teachers. Further details can be found below under “Updates and Announcements”.
We wish you and your family a wonderful and relaxing Autumn holiday and we are looking forward to welcoming the children back in Kindergarten on Tuesday, 29 October 2019.
Yours sincerely
Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten
Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten
Updates and Announcements
Primary Corner
K03A Parents' Evening
We are looking forward to Mrs Isabelle Vögelin introducing herself to all K03A parents. She will provide you with more information about lessons and objectives in K03A.
Parents' Information Days
In this issue you will also find information on how to register for the Parents' Information Days after the Autumn break. We all look forward to an informative, beneficial and cooperative exchange.
Unrest in Hong Kong
Not only adults are concerned about Hong Kong's future, but also our students. Please read the relevant information under Updates and Announcements.
Lunches
Below you will find the lunch order form for the cafeteria for November. Many students also bring their own lunch to school. In the entrance area we have set up a container in case students have forgotten their lunch at home and someone has to bring it to school. Many students bring their lunch in environmentally friendly packaging and we are very pleased that we produce as little waste as possible at lunch. It takes careful coordination and regular talks with your child to have the right amount of food and snacks - here you and your children know best.
Digital Media
Some students bring mobile phones to school which have to remain in the school bag during the school day. If a child needs to make a phone call to a parent, a telephone is available in the school office. Any phone calls from your child during the school day should be made from the office phone. Parents should not call or text their child during the school day. In case of any urgent messages, please call the Primary Secretary and she will forward the message to the class teacher. We have also seen students wearing digital devices that allow them to receive and send messages/calls and take photos, such as VTech watches. These should remain at home or in your child's bag. We appreciate your cooperation.
Priska Erni
Head of German Primary Department
Updates and Announcements
Secondary Corner
Updates and Announcements
Kindergarten Corner
Dear Parents
Our bi-annual Parents‘ Information Days will take place on Thursday, 7 November and Friday, 8 November 2019 at our Pok Fu Lam Campus. The booking system will open on Thursday, 31 October 2019 at 10:00 am. Please mark down this date in your calendar in order to book an appointment through the system “SchoolsBuddy” with your child’s teachers. Further details can be found below under “Updates and Announcements”.
We wish you and your family a wonderful and relaxing Autumn holiday and we are looking forward to welcoming the children back in Kindergarten on Tuesday, 29 October 2019.
Yours sincerely
Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten
Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten
Updates and Announcements
Primary Corner
Dear Parents,
This week we held our first KPR meeting of the year. Minutes and notes from the meeting will be distributed by your class KPRs. A couple of items came up which I would like to address with our whole community.
Lunch drop offs - We have a drop box for lunches inside the entryway. This is a great way for parents/helpers to drop off a lunch which may have inadvertently been left at home. This past week I discovered numerous students are having their lunch delivered on a regular basis. We are trying to encourage our students to become good environmental stewards by eating hot lunches from the cafeteria in an effort to decrease our use of disposable plates/cutlery and asking students to minimize single use containers at lunch. A lunch which is driven to school is counterproductive to our efforts. Please discuss with your child a way they can bring their own lunch. If they prefer hot food, many of our students use a thermos to keep items warm. A great way to build responsibility is to have your child prepare their lunch the evening before. This reinforces their learning about healthy lifestyles.
Digital devices - Some students bring cellphones to school, which must stay in their school bag during the school day. If a child needs to call a parent, we have a phone available. Any phone call from your child during the school day should originate from the office phone. Parents should not be calling or texting their child during the school day. If there is an urgent message you need for your child to receive, please call the primary secretary and she will relay the message to the class teacher. We also have students wearing digital devices which have the capability of receiving texts/calls and taking photos, such as Vtech watches. These should remain at home or in a student’s bag. We appreciate your attention to this.
Below you will find information regarding Parent Information Days, how to talk to your child about civil unrest, and the November lunch order form.
Have a wonderful mid-Autumn break, and we will see the students again on the 29th of October!
Kim Cunningham
Head of English Primary
Donna Morley
Deputy Head of English Primary
Secondary Corner
I hope that Discovery Week has gone well and that your children have enjoyed their experiences. I also hope that they all have a well-earned rest over the holiday.
November promises to be a very busy month. Straight after the holidays, we have our staff training (INSET) day on Oct 28. Students will not be in school this day and they may use the time for study at home.
On the evening of 5th Nov and the day of 6th Nov we have out 1st Parent Information Day (Y07-11). This will give you the opportunity to speak with your children's subject teachers and discuss their progress. Parent information days for Y12 and Y13 are on the afternoons of 18 Nov and 5 Dec respectively.
Nov 13 is our Secondary School Sportsday at the HKU Stanley Ho Sports Centre. Parents are welcome to attend as spectators.
Throughout November, we have various events to mark the 50th Anniversary of GSIS, culminating in the Celebratory Events and Concert at Ocean Park on Friday Nov 29.
Outing Day (Wandertag) takes place on Tues 3 Dec. This day, which is a long-standing tradition in GSIS and an even longer-standing one in schools in Germany, gives students the opportunity to experience the outdoors and also to come together as a class through hiking or similar outdoor activities.
Ken Stevenson
Head of English Secondary
