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Hip, hip, hooray! Congratulations to our IBDP Class of 2023 🎓! Last Thursday marked a milestone in the lives of 58 students from our English International Stream as they marched down the stage in the IB Hall. Family and friends were gathered to celebrate this memorable moment. We wish all our graduates the very best as they embark on their next adventure!
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Congratulations 🎉🎈🎊
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GSIS Gazette – Issue #28
9th October 2020 
School resumption has been in full swing for almost 2 weeks now. Our students visibly enjoy being back in the social and communicative environment of interactive living and learning. Our everyday reality has changed over the past year and has now become a new and often virtual reality. This may just be a view of an older generation of digital non-natives. I personally was in my thirties when I held my first mobile phone (not yet a smartphone) in my hands. Nowadays, by the age of 3 already children reach for their parents' smartphones and can appreciate its multimedia functions.
When I joyfully observe our students roaming the corridors and classrooms of our school, I notice their diversity. Students and teachers are from many different nations and family backgrounds. Currently, 27 different nationalities can be found at GSIS. Our students from Germany come to us out of 16 German states.
Being a student at a school abroad can be challenging: people from different educational systems and cultural backgrounds work closely together. Multilingualism is key. At GSIS it is not unusual, for example, to encounter children with a German father and Chinese mother who are used to switching back and forth between German, English and Chinese at home. In times of globalisation this intercultural experience is invaluable, which is why multilingual and intercultural exchange are essential goals of our school life and learning. We attach great importance to language:
- in the German International Stream (GIS) starting with the bilingual programme (German/English; German/Mandarin) in Kindergarten and in DVOR;
- in the Primary departments of both streams with early foreign language acquisition (GPD: English; EPD: German) and even third language acquisition (Mandarin);
- in the Secondary departments of both streams with increasing linguistic skill in the first foreign language (English in GSD, German in ESD);
- in the Secondary department of both streams introducing a mandatory second foreign language (GSD: choice between French, Latin, Mandarin from K06; ESD: French or Mandarin from Y07);
- in GSD, bilingual or English language instruction in Biology (from K05), Geography (from K07) and History (from K08);
- in GSD the option of taking up a third foreign language (French or Mandarin);
- in both streams with an intensive DaF programme.
Through language we explore the world. This means that the limit of an individual’s language defines the limit to their world. Bilingualism and multilingualism open new cognitive, social and communicative doors and provide our students with new horizons for their future in an ever-changing and globalising world.
In this spirit I wish you all a wonderful weekend.
Ulrich Weghoff
Principal
Email
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Kindergarten Corner
Updates and Announcements
Primary Corner
Dear Parents
We have finally completed a full week of school with all of our children in the building. We had some challenges but have been able to make adjustments to our breaks, morning arrivals and afternoon dismissal.
Breaks
Some of your children may have told you that we have added the roof of the middle building to our play areas. We have extended our break times to provide more movement and added areas to ensure for more physical distancing. Of course, when it is raining at break this changes many of our plans!
Arrival
On Monday morning during arrival we had quite a rainstorm after the majority of the buses arrived. At this point we had all students come in through the Guildford Road entrance so that they would not have the extra walk around to the Watford Road entrance We will adjust our procedures based upon circumstances, so please remind your children to pay attention to the signs we have in front of the building - we do have a message in place when the Watford Road entrance is closed - such as at 7:40 am. I want to let you know that Mathew Chow kept many of your children dry by personally escorting students, with an umbrella, down the sidewalk to the covered area.
Dismissal
Our dismissal processes changed at the beginning of last year when we introduced the staggered system. They changed further in May, when we changed the location of the parent-pick so that we had more space for students. We continue to make refinements and made some adjustments over the past week.
12:40 pick-up is until 12:50 only. After that time, students will be returned to class.
1:30 pick-up has many more children this year. We began a staggered dismissal on Monday, releasing Y02/Y03 students, then Y04/Y05, and finally Y06. To help keep parents and students physically distanced, we ask that you not approach the Watford Road entrance if you are a Y04-Y06 parent until the previous group has dispersed. Please do not congregate at the exit, as this prevents students from reaching their adult. Parents must pick up their child, we do not allow children to cross the road without their parent or helper. Please use the sidewalks so that you do not impede traffic.
With the staggered dismissal, we have still been able to have all but a few students picked up by 1:35. We will continue to monitor and make refinements to our systems as we deem necessary and appreciate your patience when we make those adjustments.
Thank you for all of your flexibility with the adjustments we have faced!
|
Priska Erni |
Inga Riedel-Narayan |
Secondary Corner
Project week 19–23 October
Dear Parents
This year Discovery Week was cancelled, but we have planned a special programme for the week of 19 to 23 October: There will be two project days each year group in grades 5 to 7 and special activities for almost all other year groups.
With support by Mr Summe, Mr Schlichting and Mrs Langer, classes K05A and B will draw a topographical map of their own fantasy island and use 3D printing to create a model (Geography/ICT).
The programme for classes 6A and B ranges from creative and playful reading with Mrs Nicolaus (German) to robotics with Mr Indrich (Mathematics/ICT) and the creation of a skipping rope group freestyle with Mrs Cox (PE).
Together with Mrs Rautenberg, class K07 will be working on "Beginnings and ends of the world – records of a journey not undertaken" (Art/German). The students additionally have the option to work on championship tasks as part of the Math project with Mr Lederer.
The programme for older year groups will be focussing on other areas:
Classes K08 and K09 will attend an addiction prevention workshop. As part of our addiction prevention concept at GSIS, we hold a two-day camp every year in grade 8. The goal of this school event is to educate the children about various addictive substances, to raise their awareness of the dangers of addiction and to make them strong against addiction by applying methods of self-reflection. Since the addiction prevention camp could not take place last school year and no camps can be planned for this school year either, classes K08 and K09 will work on this topic during the project week. The workshops will be led by our School Counsellor, Mrs Dellinger, supported by the class teachers.
Class K10 will complete a one-week company internship as an important part of our school programme. Mr Jentsch, our GSD study and career advisor, will supervise and go see the students during their internships.
For upper Secondary, focus will remain on lessons and exams:
K11 will follow their regular timetable. K12 will write “Langklausuren” (exams over a period of 240 minutes) in the subjects German, English and Mathematics as part of the Abitur preparation.
A project week overview is attached.
|
Wiebke Langer |
Attachments
https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GSD-Projektwoche-2020_Programmübersicht.pdf
From Head of English International Stream
World Teachers' Day
Dear Parents
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”
Japanese proverb
We all have a favourite teacher, that person who made time for us and inspired us to see the world differently or become the best version of ourselves, people who continue to have an influence on our lives. These memories are being forged every day at our school with your children.
On Monday it was World Teachers’ Day, a global event launched by UNESCO in 1994, celebrating the role of educators in society. After this particularly challenging year, what an impact it would have on a teacher’s week if they received a card from a student with some words of gratitude. Could students and parents take some time this weekend to write to a GSIS teacher to thank them for their commitment to learning over recent months and to say a few words about how they have made an impact on their lives?
I would also like to draw attention to the numerous staff who are keeping our buildings clean, fixing equipment, maintaining records, answering phone calls, arranging admissions and directing traffic each morning, rain or shine. Please encourage your children to acknowledge these important people by saying ‘Hello’ or ‘Thank you’. It is so important for us to notice each other’s contributions to the school and the concerted, sustained effort that is keeping us operational.
EIS Strategic Development Goals
Over the coming months the English International Stream will continue to work towards our broad strategic goals, which will focus on:
- Improving student and staff wellbeing through a Positive Education approach
- Further refinement of our approaches teaching & learning
- Ensuring curriculum consistency and continuity across departments
- Implementing a coordinated system of staff appraisal, reflection and professional development
- Establishing stronger links with the local and regional communities
- Developing practices that support an environmentally sustainable school
Each department will interpret these whole stream aims in a manner that focuses on and improves their own priorities.
HK Academy for Gifted Education
We have been invited to nominate students for the HKAGE. This is open to students aged 10 – 18 and they offer ‘diverse enrichment programmes, in-depth advanced learning opportunities and personalized learning in the form of projects and research’. Nominations must be made through the school and the final deadline is 30th October. If you would be interested in finding out more details, please contact me.
Have a great week ahead.
Simon Misso-Veness
Deputy Principal / Head of English International Stream
Email
Kindergarten Corner
Updates and Announcements
Primary Corner
Dear Parents
We have finally completed a full week of school with all of our children in the building. We had some challenges but have been able to make adjustments to our breaks, morning arrivals and afternoon dismissal.
Breaks
Some of your children may have told you that we have added the roof of the middle building to our play areas. We have extended our break times to provide more movement and added areas to ensure for more physical distancing. Of course, when it is raining at break this changes many of our plans!
Arrival
On Monday morning during arrival we had quite a rainstorm after the majority of the buses arrived. At this point we had all students come in through the Guildford Road entrance so that they would not have the extra walk around to the Watford Road entrance We will adjust our procedures based upon circumstances, so please remind your children to pay attention to the sign we have in front of the building - we do have a message in place when the Watford Road entrance is closed - such as at 7:40 am. Mathew Chow kept many of your children dry by personally escorting students, with an umbrella, down the sidewalk to the covered area.
Dismissal
Our dismissal processes changed at the beginning of last year when we introduced the staggered system. They changed further in May, when we changed the location of the parent-pick so that we had more space for students. We continue to make refinements and made some adjustments over the past week.
12:40 pick-up is until 12:50 only. After that time, students will be returned to class.
1:30 pick-up has many more children this year. We began a staggered dismissal on Monday, releasing Y02/Y03 students, then Y04/Y05, and finally Y06. To help keep parents and students physically distanced, we ask that you not approach the Watford Road entrance if you are a Y04-Y06 parent until the previous group has dispersed. Please do not congregate at the exit, as this prevents students from reaching their adult. Parents must pick up their child, we do not allow children to cross the road without their parent or helper. Please use the sidewalks so that you do not impede traffic.
With the staggered dismissal, we have still been able to have all but a few students picked up by 1:35. We will continue to monitor and make refinements to our systems as we deem necessary and appreciate your patience when we make those adjustments.
Thank you for all of your flexibility with the adjustments we have faced!
