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GSIS Gazette – Issue #43

26th March 2021

Spring Concert 2021

Spring Concert 2021! Please enjoy our students’ performances. The video features a variety of individual entries into our inaugural (virtual) Inter House Music Festival, as well as some band performances, recorded at a professional studio. Well done to all students who overcame the barriers we have faced this term to still share their musical talents with the GSIS community. Thanks also to the staff who supported these performances.

William Goldring
Director of Music

Principal's Column

Dear Members of the School Community

 

Time has moved so fast that one can hardly prepare an article for the Gazette in advance without running the risk of it being outdated by the time it is published.

 

Internally at the school, we have been working intensively on the question of testing as a condition for the extended opening of the school. To this end, there have been discussions between the School Management and all departments as well as numerous individual meetings. Never before in my career as Principal have I experienced such a difficult and challenging phase in the responsibility for the school community as well as for all teachers and staff of the school. 

 

As expected, the EDB's decision to grant schools the option of an extended opening on the condition that 100% of school staff voluntarily test has led to considerable upheaval and uncertainty. In the numerous discussions we had in the school on the subject of testing, it became apparent that the high appreciation of the low incidence rate in Hong Kong was countered by a thoroughly critical assessment of the measures, both among the teaching staff and among parents. It has also become clear that the urgent wish of the School Management to carry out testing for all in order to achieve a further opening of the school has been met with mixed feelings and has raised many complex issues.

 

To avoid premature rumours, I would like to state that a cautious or critical attitude towards testing runs through all departments and both streams of the school and also circulates among the parents, although a predominantly positive attitude or acceptance of regular testing is to be noted. All perspectives deserve respect because, in line with our vision, we are not only a vibrant and creative community, but also a caring one.

 

We continue to work on scenarios for the school’s opening after the Easter holidays, which may also still be influenced by decisions of the EDB.

 

We will of course keep you informed and will do our utmost to bring as many students as possible back to the campus for face-to-face classes.

 

For now, I wish you all a lovely weekend and a happy Easter.

Ulrich Weghoff
Principal
Email


Dear Members of the School Community

 

Time has moved so fast that one can hardly prepare an article for the Gazette in advance without running the risk of it being outdated by the time it is published.

 

Internally at the school, we have been working intensively on the question of testing as a condition for the extended opening of the school. To this end, there have been discussions between the School Management and all departments as well as numerous individual meetings. Never before in my career as Principal have I experienced such a difficult and challenging phase in the responsibility for the school community as well as for all teachers and staff of the school. 

 

As expected, the EDB's decision to grant schools the option of an extended opening on the condition that 100% of school staff voluntarily test has led to considerable upheaval and uncertainty. In the numerous discussions we had in the school on the subject of testing, it became apparent that the high appreciation of the low incidence rate in Hong Kong was countered by a thoroughly critical assessment of the measures, both among the teaching staff and among parents. It has also become clear that the urgent wish of the School Management to carry out testing for all in order to achieve a further opening of the school has been met with mixed feelings and has raised many complex issues.

 

To avoid premature rumours, I would like to state that a cautious or critical attitude towards testing runs through all departments and both streams of the school and also circulates among the parents, although a predominantly positive attitude or acceptance of regular testing is to be noted. All perspectives deserve respect because, in line with our vision, we are not only a vibrant and creative community, but also a caring one.

 

We continue to work on scenarios for the school’s opening after the Easter holidays, which may also still be influenced by decisions of the EDB.

 

We will of course keep you informed and will do our utmost to bring as many students as possible back to the campus for face-to-face classes.

 

For now, I wish you all a lovely weekend and a happy Easter.

Ulrich Weghoff
Principal
Email


News from the Board

Community Committee

Easter activities from the Community Committee

Thank you to everyone who has attended recent events held by the Community Committee. Whilst our events remain online we do hope that after the holidays we will start to have the opportunity to meet in person. In the meantime we have some ideas of activities that you may like to try during the Easter holidays.

Anjali Mittal and Kerstin Lehmann have very kindly continued to host the English and German book clubs online and have provided some great reading recommendations:

  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (EBC)- A family desperate for a better future move to Alaska
  • Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (EBC) - The compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed
  • Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro  (EBC current reading) -Artificial being called Klara who longs to find a human owner 
  • Der Wal und das Ende der Welt by John Ironmonger (GBC) - A young man washes up one morning on a beach in Cornwall. It emerges that he is a computer analyst and one of the programs he’s designed is telling him that the collapse of civilisation is imminent.
  • Sarah’s Schlüssel by Tatiana de Rosnay (GBC) - Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a 10 year-old girl, is arrested with her family by the French police and locks her younger brother in a cupboard, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
  • Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (GBC)- Kim Jiyoung is a girl born to a mother whose in-laws wanted a boy. The life story of a young woman born at the end of the 20th century- the South Korean sensation that has the whole world talking. 

The weather is perfect for hiking at the moment and we have a great family walk that you may wish to try over the Easter break. It is one of the lesser known hikes but great fun for the whole family - the Eagle’s Nest Nature Trail - a shaded trail inside Lion Rock Country Park which takes you just high enough for expansive views over the Kowloon Reservoir, the central New Territories mountain range, and bustling Kowloon Peninsula. There is plenty of stunning flora and bird life and if you are lucky you may even spot a monkey swinging in the trees. More details of the hike can be found at https://bit.ly/3vYWxpC. Fingers crossed that our hiking club will be able to organise some small group hikes before it gets too hot.

Finally last week we hosted our first online interactive cooking class with Summer demonstrating how to cook a traditional Chinese dish of steamed egg and minced pork. It was a lot of fun and a great way to learn a new dish. Everyone who took part ended up with a delicious dinner for the whole family. Please do let us know if you have any family favourites that you would like to share with the community or if you have any requests for future cooking sessions.

If you would like to share any ideas or suggestions for community building or have a loved one in quarantine who you would like to receive a care package please reach out via communitycommittee@gsis.edu.hk

However you decide to spend the break whether it be reading, hiking, cooking or painting easter eggs we wish you all an enjoyable Easter holiday. 

Community Committee
Email


Schoolwide News

University Guidance: Upcoming Events (External)

German International Stream

Kindergarten Corner

Dear Parents

This term has proven to be the most fruitful and successful in celebrating school events at school so far this school year.

We have been able to host the Sports Day and our Easter Celebration/Easter Egg Hunt.

Our Kindergarten children waited anxiously for the Easter Bunny's appearance, but instead, they found Easter baskets and chocolate eggs in the playground! The Easter Egg hunt brought much fun and joy. However, the mystery surrounding the Easter Bunny has still not been solved……

We hope that this beautiful experience will remain in their memory for a long time. The teachers and TAs have been a mastermind behind these events' success, and we would like to thank them for their continued dedication to the children and the school.

We wish all of you a very blessed Easter and a wonderful time over the Easter holidays and would like to leave you with some pictures of the Easter Baskets.

We are looking forward to seeing our students back after the Easter Holidays.

Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten
Email
Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten and Deputy Child Protection Officer Pok Fu Lam Campus
Email

Departmental News and Announcements

No updates / announcements this week.

Primary Corner

Dear Parents

We have enjoyed our additional time with the students over the past few weeks!

We are in preparation of our learning plan after Easter. Information and updates on scheduling and arrangements will be sent by email during the Easter break.

 

Priska Erni
Head of German Primary Department
Email
Inga Riedel-Narayan
Deputy Head of German Primary Department
Email

Departmental News and Announcements

No updates / announcements this week.

Secondary Corner

Dear Parents

The first weeks of the second school term were intensive and productive. During face-to-face lessons, it was clearly noticeable that our students enjoy being at school, which had a very positive effect on the learning atmosphere. Also during the online days, the students showed great effort and focus. Several class tests have already been written in all classes, and K10 completed their 'Zentrale Klassenarbeiten', which are an important part of the 'Mittlerer Schulabschluss'.

We are very happy that the change between face-to-face and online classes is going so well and that all exams could be held on schedule.

Farewell and thanks

With the beginning of the Easter holidays, we unfortunately have to say goodbye to our  Learning Support Teacher Mrs Rötsch, who is going on maternity leave and returning to Germany. We would like to thank her for her outstanding commitment to our students and her valuable support for her colleagues. She has tirelessly taken care of the individual support students, advised parents and supported the staff in many pedagogical questions and in team teaching in Lower Secondary.

We do not have a replacement for the position of Learning Support Teacher until the end of this school year, however, we are confident that we will be able to manage temporarily without a trained specialist teacher in the area of support.

We wish Mrs Rötsch all the best for her personal as well as professional future.

I wish you and your families a wonderful time together during the Easter holidays! Stay healthy!

Kind regards

Wiebke Langer
Head of German Secondary Department
Email


Departmental News and Announcements

La journée franco-allemande / German-French day
Interview by K09 with Eliana Burki

English International Stream

From Head of Stream

Dear Parents

Do You Know Your Child’s Digital Footprint?

Over recent weeks we have received reports of students being approached by uninvited third parties via chatrooms of games such as Roblox or through Discord as well as other social media apps. Whilst this is concerning, it is something all users need to be aware of and although we have been addressing this in school our advice is for you to have a conversation with your son or daughter to ensure that they understand the risks of sharing data with third parties, particularly our younger students who seem to have access to a range of platforms. Here is a useful video that might help initiate a conversation in which teenagers share their thoughts.

I am also sharing a link to a website that outlines security settings and advice for parents and young people for a range of these apps; please review those that are relevant to your children and ensure you have enabled the correct privacy settings: https://www.webwise.ie/category/parents/explainers/. If anyone wants to further advice or discuss a particular incident, please do contact me at any time for a confidential discussion.

EIS Staff Departures & Recruitment

Kindergarten

Troy Decoff will be leaving us after many years’ of valuable service to return to Canada; the recruitment for his replacement as Kindergarten Student Support teacher is currently in progress.

Primary School

As many of you will know, Mini Franks left us at Christmas after 18 years’ service and is enjoying semi-retirement in Spain. Her position as Head of PE was taken over by Andrew Champion and Jamie Tsang joined us in January to bring the EPD PE Team up to full strength. Our German language teacher, Simone Schock, will be departing at the end of the academic year; the recruitment of her successor is nearly closed.

Secondary School

Zara Clayton, our IB Diploma Coordinator will be leaving Hong Kong at the end of this academic year. Zara has taught English for ten years and led the Diploma programme since early 2017 and under her supervision, our students have flourished. Zara will be replaced by Sean Wray who currently works within the ESF group leading a Curriculum Team and serving as Chair of the Committee of Teachers. Sean has just completed co-writing an IBDP Economics textbook and is studying for a Masters degree in Ethics. Zara’s English teaching responsibilities will be taken over by Francessca Adamson.

Our Head of University Guidance, Sue Prinsloo, will be leaving the school in mid-September to join her husband in South Africa. Sue will continue to work with her current cohort of Year 12 students until the end of the calendar year as they complete their university application process. We are very pleased to announce that Claire Wilkins will be taking over from Sue. Claire has been with us since the start of the school year and brings with her extensive knowledge of international admissions and a large global network that will have a positive impact on our students and university guidance programme. We have started the search for an additional university guidance counsellor to bring this team up to full strength from August.

Hedda Schuurmann left the school just before Christmas after many years’ service in order to be with her family in Canada. Alongside her role as a teacher of History, Hedda established the popular Social & Cultural Anthropology course in the Diploma programme and acted as the Extended Essay Coordinator. Jonathan Chan-Combrink has taken over Hedda’s SCA classes since the start of 2021.

German teachers Petra Lemm-Markus and Barbara Hlavaty will be returning to Europe at the end of the school year. Petra was a previous leader of the subject and Barbara has led the Hamburg exchange in recent years, we are very grateful for their service. They will be replaced by Lisa Mangles and, someone you may remember, Petra Leunig, who will return to the school.

Earlier in the school year, Brad Munt’s PE position was taken over by Katie Etchells-Bailey when Brad returned to New Zealand with his family and Kerry Haines’ music role was filled by Elise Kelly following Kerry’s departure to Japan just before the Chinese New Year. We have also recruited a Visual Arts teacher to replace Vanessa Phung who has returned to the UK to support her family.

We wish all our departing staff well for their future endeavours and warmly welcome all our new staff to the GSIS family.

Student Success

Earlier this week some of our students took part in the first online version of the Hong Kong Model United Nations, an event that has been running since the late 1980s. Shayona Sengupta was the Secretary-General, Arya Killa and Dylan Robinson were Committee Chairs and David Won and Aristobulous Lam each won best delegate awards. Congratulations to all of these students for their achievements and for representing the school so well.

On Saturday we have a team of debaters in the semi-final of the Singtao Debating competition. They are up against Diocesan Girls School so the competition will be fierce. Thanks go to Krystyna Butchart for leading the team and for supporting them throughout the year as well as during the upcoming break.

School & Public Examinations

Our Year 12 students will commence their School Exams straight after the break and our Year 11 and 13 students will start their Study Leave a week later. We are fortunate that we will be able to run most of our public examinations this year and would very much like to keep the school open during this time. The whole community can help ensure this by observing all the appropriate social distancing measures both in school and outside. Please do be cautious about your engagement with large groups of people and remind your children to wash their hands regularly, wear a mask and keep their distance.

Wishing you a peaceful Easter break

Simon Misso-Veness
Deputy Principal / Head of English International Stream
Email


Kindergarten Corner

Dear Parents

This term has proven to be the most fruitful and successful in celebrating school events at school so far this school year.

We have been able to host the Sports Day and our Easter Celebration/Easter Egg Hunt.

Our Kindergarten children waited anxiously for the Easter Bunny's appearance, but instead, they found Easter baskets and chocolate eggs in the playground! The Easter Egg hunt brought much fun and joy. However, the mystery surrounding the Easter Bunny has still not been solved……

We hope that this beautiful experience will remain in their memory for a long time. The teachers and TAs have been a mastermind behind these events' success, and we would like to thank them for their continued dedication to the children and the school.

We wish all of you a very blessed Easter and a wonderful time over the Easter holidays and would like to leave you with some pictures of the Easter Baskets.

We are looking forward to seeing our students back after the Easter Holidays.

Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten
Email
Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten and Deputy Child Protection Officer Pok Fu Lam Campus
Email

Departmental News and Announcements

No updates / announcements this week.

Primary Corner

Dear Parents,

We have enjoyed our additional time with the students over the past few weeks.!

We are in preparation of our learning plan after Easter. Information and updates on scheduling and arrangements will be sent by email during the Easter break.

Kim Cunningham
Head of English Primary Department
Email
Donna Morley
Deputy Head of English Primary Department
Email

Departmental News and Announcements

No updates / announcements this week.

Secondary Corner

Departmental News and Announcements

No updates / announcements this week.

Book Reviews

Departmental News and Announcements

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
SHORT von Holly Goldberg Sloan

Alumni

Upcoming Events 2021

Careers Workshop

Thursday 20 May 2021
12:00 - 15:20 HKT
TBC
More Info »

Class of 1996 & Class of 2001 Alumni Reunion

Thursday 17 Jun 2021
18:00 - 21:00 HKT
German Swiss International School
More Info »

Community Networking Breakfast

Friday 17 Sep 2021
08:00 - 11:00 HKT
LRC, Mid Levels
More Info »

Annual Alumni Reception

Wednesday 24 Nov 2021
18:00 - 22:00 HKT
Watermark, Central
More Info »

Community Committee's Christmas Bazaar

Saturday 27 Nov 2021
German Swiss International School
More Info »

GSIS Rocks

Saturday 11 Dec 2021
18:00 - 20:00 HKT
TBC
More Info »

THIS WEEK IN IMAGES

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