Dear members of our school community

After a very difficult 2020 we have all arrived in 2021 with hopes for a more positive and prosperous new year. I wish for you and all of us together that we will tackle the new challenges that are undoubtedly ahead of us, that together we will move on, stay healthy and not let the virus get us down.

The year began with a few surprises. During our Christmas break, the Hong Kong government announced an extension of the mandatory hotel quarantine from two to three weeks. This hit hard some members of our school community who were visiting their relatives overseas for Christmas. Even more affected were those who traveled to the UK and are not allowed to enter Hong Kong for the time being due to the emergence of a new and even more aggressive variant of the virus.

Schools were further affected by the extension of the closure until Chinese New Year, but will be allowed to teach up to one-sixth of their student capacity on campus each day. This presented schools with difficult strategic decisions and complicated logistical challenges. Unfortunately, as per EDB decision, Kindergartens remain closed.

GSIS’ arrangement provides for online classes for Primary and Secondary students in the first phase from 11–15 January. In the second phase, starting 18 January, the Primary and Secondary departments will begin teaching one-sixth of the students on campus on a rotating system. In the first two weeks (18-29 January), priority has been given to those Secondary classes taking (or preparing for) exams. Grades K10 and K12 of GIS are preparing for the ‘Mittlerer Schulabschluss’ (German Intermediate School Leaving Certificate) and Abitur (exams starting 1 February) and Y11 and Y13 of EIS will be sitting the Mock Exams. You have already received more detailed information from the Heads of Department. 

In Secondary, to reach maximum on-campus presence, we opted for face-to-face classes from Lessons 1 through 7, rather than dividing the day into four morning and four afternoon lessons; this allows for more efficient and beneficial use of lesson time. 

I am confident that together we can work through this time successfully. The new arrangement demands tremendous effort and flexibility from our department heads and staff. We must expect our students to remain focused as well, even if they have to study mostly from home and on their own. Finally, all parents are very involved as they have to support and motivate their children while creating an appropriate learning environment at home. Unfortunately, the parents of younger and very young children are particularly affected by the pandemic and the resulting measures. It is certainly not easy for our students either to still have to do without school contacts to a large extent. Nevertheless, I am glad that all Primary and Secondary school students are being given the opportunity to come to school at least one day a week.

I would like to thank all of you, my colleagues at school, parents and students, for your everlasting support. Above all, I wish that you get through this time well and that we can hopefully anticipate and experience a way out of the crisis soon.

With best wishes