CONTENTS
- Principal's Column
- Schoolwide News
- German International Stream
- English International Stream
- Student Achievements & Initiatives
- Highlights of the Week
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 #86
6th October 2022Principal's Column
Dear School Community
The Hong Kong government's decision to continue easing tensions regarding the pandemic situation has certainly brought relief to all of us. It is however still having significant repercussions on school life. Please follow the guidance of the different departments carefully regarding vaccinations and participate conscientiously in our surveys. This is the only way that we can guarantee that the school will continue to operate as usual.
German Swiss Identity
I am particularly pleased when the German Swiss origin of our cosmopolitan and internationally oriented school comes evident. On October 3rd, the Deputy Consul General, Mr. Stefan Bredohl, came to the GSIS for a celebration of the German National Day. The students of the GSD, under the excellent guidance of their teachers, presented an inspiring ceremony. This can only be improved upon by making it a celebration within both streams again next year.
Discovery Week and International Field Trips
I would like to thank all the teachers for their dedication in setting up such a wide range of activities for the students at GSIS. This represents a considerable extra workload in addition to conducting normal classes. In my opinion, there is hardly anything standing in the way of good success. -- For next year, cultivating international trips should return to the selection of activities. I look forward to these opportunities be part of the offering in Discovery Week again.
Strengthening the school community and Christmas bazaar
The last Christmas Bazaar held at GSIS was in 2018. This famous event has increased the awareness of GSIS and brought the school community together. This year, the Parents' Committee is organising a Christmas Bazaar for the Saturday before the first of Advent, as it was the custom in the past, and this year it will be held exclusively for the school community. Many thanks to all the dedicated parents. Everyone is very excited to finally be able to participate in this event for the school community.
With best regards
| Dr Dirk Bennhardt Principal |
Schoolwide News
Update on Vaccination Requirement
Dear Parents
Thank you to the parents who completed the survey for the updated vaccination records.
However, several students still do not meet the EDB’s requirement for participation in ECAs/AAs and mask-off activities. This means these students will not be able to participate in ECAs/AAs, swimming lessons, and some PE lessons from 1 October 2022.
With effect from 1 November 2022, the EDB would have another requirement that 90% of secondary students should have 3 doses of vaccination for attending whole-day lessons and serving lunch in the school.
We encourage parents to get their children fully vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid any impact on their teaching and learning. The kindergarten parents may also consider taking advantage of the vaccination programme for children under 5 years.
We may also email parents whose children do not meet the vaccination requirement.
With kind regards
 Jaspal Singh |
University Guidance: Upcoming Events (External)
ADMISSION INFORMATION SESSIONS
UCLA Undergraduate Information - Virtual Session
(I) International Information Session
(II) International Student Panel Session
The CUHK-Tsinghua University Dual Undergraduate Degree Programme in Economics - Admissions Talks
Study in Austria - Education Fair
ENRICHMENT & ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
WBB Taster Lecture - Effective Business Negotiation
Investin: Success Beyond School
(I) Career Evenings for Parents
Making it in Medicine
Expert advice on how to get into medical school
Future-Proofing Students
Preparing students for the jobs of the future
Finding a Future in Finance
Gaining the skills for a career in Finance
(II) Summer Career Experiences in London
Ritsumeikan University - Mock Lectures
(I) College of Global Liberal Arts: What is Democracy? Power and Different Understandings of 'People's Rule'
(II) College of Policy Science: Facilitating Nature Conservation in our Society
(III) College of International Relations: The Role of the UN for Peace and Security
Yale Young Global Scholars Summer Program
Immerse Education Essay Competition
DOWNLOAD ALL DETAILED INFORMATION (PDF)
 Claire Wilkins |
 Beatrice Ugolini |
GSIS Autumn Break - ALBA Berlin Basketball Camps
German basketball champion ALBA BERLIN will host Basketball Camps for GSIS Primary and Secondary students (boys and girls from K03 - K08 and Y04 - Y09) during our GSIS autumn break, from Monday, 24 October to Friday, 28 October 2022.
Build the Basics Camp for Primary School
Group 1: K03/K04 & Y04/Y05 co-ed (Boys & Girls) - 09:30-11:30 am
ALBA BERLIN Pro Camp (previous basketball experience recommend)
Group 2: K05-K08 & Y06-Y09 Boys - 12:00-2:00 pm
Group 3: K05-K08 & Y06-Y09 Girls - 12:00-2:00 pm
General camps details:
- Date/s: 24 -28 October 2022 (Monday - Friday)
- Times: as stated above per each individual group
- Location: GSIS Peak Campus, L400 Sports hall
- ALBA BERLIN Camp Shirt included
- Camp Awards & Certificates
- Chance to win exclusive ALBA BERLIN prizes
- Price: 4,100 HKD per person
Enrolment for all camps are open from Friday, 7 October 2022 to Wednesday, 12 October 2022 (12:00 pm) via Schools Buddy. For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Students Services Team under Secondaryprogrammes@gsis.edu.hk.
With kind regards,
|
Angelin, Minerva and Conny Student Services Team |
Attachments
https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ALBA-BERLIN-Basketball-Academy-HK-Waiver-Release-Form.pdf
Registration for the 75th Hong Kong Music Festival 2023
Dear Parents
Registration is now underway for the 75th Hong Kong Music Festival. We realize that a number of you may wish to register your son/daughter for the Festival and as registration can only be done through the school, we are very happy to support this. Further details and guidelines can be found on the HKSMSA website.
The HKSMSA will be accepting online applications only. Please use the below links if you wish to enrol your child/children. Please complete the link/s the latest by Friday, 14 October 2022. Due to the strict deadlines set by the Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Association, entry forms will not be accepted after this date. Our accounts team will invoice you separately for the class fee/s once enrolment has closed.
Links:
Years 2-7/K01-K06 (Primary 1 to Primary 6 in the Hong Kong school system)
Years 8-13/K07-K12 (Primary 6 to Lower 6th Form in the Hong Kong school system)
Kind Regards
|
Simon Misso-Veness Deputy Principal, Head of English International Stream |
German International Stream
Kindergarten Corner
Dear Parents
Another week has come to an end, and the children had their school photos taken on Thursday and Friday.
KPR Secretary Election
We would like to thank all Kindergarten KPR's who were able to join the Kindergarten KPR Secretary election.
Our Kindergarten KPR Secretaries are:
Mrs. Olive Lee, DKGL-KPR2223@learning.gsis.edu.hk as representative for the German Int. Stream and Ms Shweta Singh, KG2D-KPR2223@learning.gsis.edu.hk as representative for the English Int. Stream of the Kindergarten.
We look forward to a close cooperation.
In the coming weeks, there are more events for the children to look forward to:
- Visit to the Science Museum to see The Big 8, Dinosaur Revelation
17th October for the English International Stream and
18th October for the German International Stream.
The letter regarding the event will be sent to you in a separate email.
- We are arranging for the Hong Kong Fire Department to pay us a visit to Pok Fu Lam Campus. The Fire Safety Education talk will primarily focus on proper behaviour during a fire and the fire department's duties. This event will also prepare for our trial Fire Drill that we will soon be conducting at Pok Fu Lam Campus.
- Please note that the last day before the Autumn Break is the 21st October. We look forward to seeing the children back at school on the 1 November.
Have a nice weekend and we look forward to the cooler weather.
With kind regards
 Sophie Burdel |
 Eileen Mah |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Primary Corner
Dear Parents
Music for Millions
This morning K03 and Y04 listened to a concert by the String Quartet. All classes had the chance to watch the concert via live stream or later via video.
Week before the autumn holidays, 17 - 21 October
The week before the autumn holidays will be eventful. We will focus on our mental and physical health this week. We are looking forward to getting active in sports on the last two days and playing various games and activities to not only get to know our bodies better and challenge ourselves but also to get to know each other and cooperate with the other students.You will receive more detailed information about this week later by email.
GPD Learner Profil
In this section, I will introduce our German Primary Learner Profile. While everybody knows what we are teaching in the curriculum and workbooks and students' work gives the parents a good insight, I also want to point out what expectations we have regarding personal management and social skills.
- Pragmatic daily organisation: Students cope independently with the daily responsibilities, structures and learning routines of school life.
This skill you can see when students write down their homework and of course bring them back to school without any help from their parents. Or they have the skills and knowledge of how to get help by asking other students, and teachers. You will see more of the GPD Learner Profile in the next Gazette. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
 Priska Erni |
 Beate Weinhardt |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Looking for what's been going on in class this month?
Secondary Corner
Last Monday, celebrating the occasion of German Unity Day, a great event took place by students for students. The students presented a variety of performances that took an age-appropriate look at important stages of the German reunification, from the construction to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Department of Music, along with the student orchestra, choir and band, provided the musical background. Music performed included songs by Haydn, Karat and Elvis Presley.
As you may have heard from your children, the Department of History has been busy preparing for this week with historical topics such as the construction of the Berlin Wall, youth in the GDR/BRD and the peaceful revolution. The students presented entertaining presentations and role plays. The Department of Art helped to visualise the historical representation of division and unity. You can find a sneak peek of the event on the GSIS Instagram page. Speeches by the Principal, German Deputy Consul General and student representatives completed this wonderful assembly.
Kudos to all students, colleagues and participants who put the event together!
 Udo Krebs |
 Arnold Leitner |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
English International Stream
From Head of Stream
Dear Parents
The last two weeks have been particularly exciting at school during which time we feel like we have been returning to some degree of familiarity. A successful Wellbeing Week in Kindergarten the week before last was followed by the first sports fixtures for more than two years, a volleyball competition we hosted at school, a swim meet and a series of socially distanced year group assemblies.
It was at the Secondary assemblies that we heard from Year 9 students about their Food Drive initiative for Feeding HK. There is still time to donate food so please do send in your canned or sealed food to Primary and Secondary Reception where we will collect and send on to those who are in need. Your children have all the details!
Our Afternoon Activity and ECA programmes are now in full swing in the Primary and Secondary Departments, led by staff and senior students, and our primary mentorship programme is ongoing with Year 12 students supporting classes in the Primary Department as part of their CAS programme.
Discovery Week is happening! Thank you for completing the sign-up and payment so swiftly. Over 95% of students got their first or second choices and we are working with those who were disappointed not to get theirs. Thanks must go to the staff who have offered to run trips and activities, without whom this ambitious learning beyond the classroom would not be possible. Discovery Week is about exploring opportunities to do something different, whether through creativity, activity or service. As a school, we have certainly embraced this goal and it promises to be a memorable experience for all. Thanks must also goes to Conny Zavou, Angelin Yam and Ian Tam who have been working tirelessly on service agreements, costings, insurance coverage, transport and IT support.
Have a fantastic weekend!
| Simon Misso-Veness Deputy Principal / Head of English International Stream |
Kindergarten Corner
Dear Parents
Another week has come to an end, and the children had their school photos taken on Thursday and Friday.
KPR Secretary Election
We would like to thank all Kindergarten KPR's who were able to join the Kindergarten KPR Secretary election.
Our Kindergarten KPR Secretaries are:
Mrs. Olive Lee, DKGL-KPR2223@learning.gsis.edu.hk as representative for the German Int. Stream and Ms Shweta Singh, KG2D-KPR2223@learning.gsis.edu.hk as representative for the English Int. Stream of the Kindergarten.
We look forward to a close cooperation.
In the coming weeks, there are more events for the children to look forward to:
- Visit to the Science Museum to see The Big 8, Dinosaur Revelation
17th October for the English International Stream and
18th October for the German International Stream.
The letter regarding the event will be sent to you in a separate email.
- We are arranging for the Hong Kong Fire Department to pay us a visit to Pok Fu Lam Campus. The Fire Safety Education talk will primarily focus on proper behaviour during a fire and the fire department's duties. This event will also prepare for our trial Fire Drill that we will soon be conducting at Pok Fu Lam Campus.
- Please note that the last day before the Autumn Break is the 21st October. We look forward to seeing the children back at school on the 1 November.
Have a nice weekend and we look forward to the cooler weather.
With kind regards
|
Sophie Burdel |
Eileen Mah |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Primary Corner
Dear Parents,
This week:
Y4 Camp
Year 4 children had an excellent day orienteering, exploring and carrying out team challenges on Wednesday. The children planned their own route and followed directions to reach their destination in teams, with several tasks to complete along the way. We were all impressed with their map reading skills and their enthusiasm for the natural world. It was also wonderful to see self management, collaboration and persistence clearly demonstrated throughout the camp.
Music for Millions
This morning, Y04 and K03 students had the wonderful experience of watching the ‘Music for Millions’ String quartet concert live in the Atrium. Other classes were also able to enjoy the concert via live stream or video in their classrooms.
Coming up:
Curriculum Information Sessions - Friday 14th and Wednesday 19th October
We will be holding our next Curriculum Information Session on Wednesday 19th October with a focus on music and PE. You will receive the curriculum presentations to view before the session and we ask you to ask any questions in advance of the online meeting. Further details and the presentations will be emailed to you on Friday 14th October.
Wellbeing Week & Activity Days - Monday 17th to Friday 21st October
Our Year 5 students are working alongside the teachers to plan a primary Wellbeing Week as a result of their learning in Integrated Studies so far this term. The week will also include ‘Activity Days’ for the EPD and GPD students to take part in sports activities in their house teams. More details will be emailed to you next week.
 Donna Morley |
 Eleanor Cowling |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Looking for what's been going on in class this week?
Secondary Corner
Dear School Community,
Visiting Wellcome During the School Day (message primarily intended for students)
Since the start of this academic year, the school has relaxed the temporary restrictions with regards to visiting Wellcome that have been in place over the past two years or more. Effectively, we have reverted to the rules as stated in the GSIS House rules, which state that:
….; students from K08/Y09 and K09/Y10 may visit Wellcome during the lunch break only. Students in K10/Y11 and above may visit Wellcome during the morning and lunch breaks and also during study periods. The use of the sitting area in the Country Park below the Lower Building or similar spots is not permitted.
Regrettably we have recently received several reports of students gathering in the vicinity of Wellcome in groups, often whilst not wearing masks, as well as eating/drinking in the area around Wellcome or in the vicinity of the school gates. There are still regulations in place that must be followed.
Students are putting themselves and their peers at risk through not adhering to the stringent rules that remain in place in Hong Kong. It is not our intention to have our teachers stationed at Wellcome, in the Country Park or at the school gates to police these rules. If some students cannot find it within themselves to behave responsibly whilst visiting Wellcome, then that privilege will be revoked for some, or all, year groups. We very much hope that this will be unnecessary.
References and Recommendations
We have received several requests for references or recommendations for students applying to schools overseas. Preparing references and recommendations and the associated copies of reports or transcripts is quite time consuming, so we do ask that students/parents follow the steps below:
- The parents should then write to our secretary, ESD_secretary@gsis.edu.hk with details of the requirements and the address, email or fax number where the completed documents should be sent. We usually require at least 10 working days of notice prior to the deadline associated with the application. If parents would like to request a particular teacher to write the recommendation, please include this request in the email to our secretary. Parents are asked not to approach teachers directly
- If the student is asked by the institution to complete an aptitude test or entrance exam, parents should contact our Examinations Officer, Ms Crouch (dcrouch@gsis.edu.hk) to discuss this. Again, significant advance notice is needed in order to make the necessary arrangements.
Recently we have received some requests directly from the destination schools, without prior request from the student or parents. This is not ideal from a number of perspectives. Please note that we do not supply official transcripts to students or parents directly. Protocols dictate that such documents are only given to the admissions office (or similar) of the institution to which a student has applied. Please contact Mr Stevenson or Mr Misso-Veness if you have any questions about this process.
Please also note that this process is for applications as listed above, the process for University applications for graduating students is overseen centrally by the University Guidance Team and is communicated and explained to students and parents at various occasions during the senior years. Please contact our University Guidance Counsellors if you have questions about University applications.
 Ken Stevenson |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Student Achievements & Initiatives
Medal Winners of the 10th HKSSF Inter-School Primary Tennis Tournament
Andrew Champion (PE Subject Leader and Teacher, Head of Sports ECAs)
Dear GSIS Community,
Last week we had our first inter-schools sport event with the 10th HKSSF Inter-School Primary Tennis Tournament. This is a very high-level competition for this age group and we were able to enter 7 players in total from our primary school:
A Grade Boys
Jai Abraham
Wesley Wong
B Grade Boys
Neil Dinakar
C Grade Boys
Cameron Prattley
Harry Geng
A Grade Girls
Iman Al-Ali
C Grade Girls
Rayan Al-Ali
GSIS had two medal winners with Cameron Prattley winning the C Grade Boys Tournament and Rayan Al-Ali reaching the semi-finals and taking 4th place in the C Grade Girls Tournament. Wesley Wong also made the quarter-finals of the A Grade Boys tournament.
Kind regards,
https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Cameron-and-Rayan-Medal.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Cameron-Medal.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Rayan-Medal.jpg
(Click thumbnail/s to enlarge image)
Wellbeing Corner
Work-Life-Balance
After the past holidays and just before the fall break, the school routine has picked up full speed and our new team members of the School Counselling Team are already in full operation. But especially the students are full of energy and in the middle of preparations and learning for the upcoming tests, projects, presentations and exams in the next weeks.
This also means stress and the feeling of pressure to perform sometimes spreads through the classes. Positive stress and a certain amount of excitement and tension are good to prepare for the upcoming tasks full of energy, but it is not helpful if the stress becomes too much, leads to anxiety or even paralyses us. In order to avoid this, it is especially important to find a balance between work and free time, even in stressful times. In order to get back to work with full focus, breaks are important to recharge the batteries. Everyone has to find out for themselves what is good for them and what they need in order to be able to concentrate again after a relaxation phase.
If you find it difficult to find the right answer on your own, talk to each other. What do your environment, friends, parents and colleagues do to balance out stressful work phases? Teamwork is also a good way to have fun at work, divide up tasks and take the pressure off yourself. Together it is often easier and you can ask each other for help, in the classroom, in the staff room or in your office. With this in mind, we wish you a successful and not too stressful time in the coming weeks. Below please find suggestions on mental health for World Mental Health Day next Tuesday, October 10.
www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/world-mental-health-day
Your School Counselling Team
Jeanette Dellinger
