CONTENTS
- Principal's Column
- Schoolwide News
- German International Stream
- English International Stream
- Student Achievements & Initiatives
- Highlights of the Week
Connect with GSIS
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!
#GSIS #GermanSwissInternationalSchool #InternationalSchool #HongKong #EducationalExcellence #InternationalBaccalaureate #IBDP #GraduationDay
Congratulations 🎉🎈🎊
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GSIS Gazette – Issue #91
16th December 2022Principal's Column
Dear School Community
in the last Gazette we reflected on the Christmas Bazaar with great joy, on Tuesday we were able to enjoy an excellent Christmas concert and today we are already looking forward to the celebration of Christmas.
Christmas, the family celebration
Especially at Christmas the occasion presents itself to not only spend time with the immediate family, but also with grandparents, siblings, uncles and aunts. As the Principal, I often receive leave requests around the Christmas Holidays for students to be given a few more days off from school to make the trip to Europe, for example, worthwhile. In general, there are no objections against this request for our wonderful students and responsible parents. Nevertheless, I would like to ask for a timely notice. This is also important for the sake of the students, as they can only be guided to meaningful self-study by the teachers if they are announced in sufficient time.
The Christmas Concert
Our Christmas concert was so great again this year that words cannot describe it. Everyone present was thrilled. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the students, the music department, and everyone else working in the background.
A look at the new year
For a long time now GSIS has been one of the leading schools in Hong Kong due to the quality of the teachers and excellent results. Yet, the extent of GSIS's offerings is not well-known to many in Hong Kong. In addition to the IBDP, we are the only Hong Kong school to offer another globally recognized international qualification with access to the best universities in the world, the German International Abitur. In the coming year, we intend to provide more profound information about this course of education to the school community as well as to the rest of Hong Kong.
With the announcement of this objective for the New Year, I would like to end my column for this year. I wish you and your families a reflective Christmas and a happy start to the New Year.
| Dr Dirk Bennhardt Principal |
Schoolwide News
What makes Christmas merry?
Christmas break is a perfect opportunity to connect with your loved ones. It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas with your family or not, there are a few ways to make December break special. Numerous studies have shown the effects of the Christmas spirit on our wellbeing. Let’s have a look at some of them.
- Singing together - Singing is a part of the Christmas tradition in many families, but communal singing or chanting is common in all cultures around the world. Just look how fun karaoke is. Neuroscientists have discovered that singing with your family and friends decreases stress and increases social bonding.
- Spending money on gifts for other people - We can argue if money brings happiness but research from 2008 has shown that those who spend money on others experience greater happiness than those spending them on themselves.
- Putting Christmas decorations up - Christmas lights not only look good but, according to science, they also help us to make friends. By decorating our houses or doors you make yourself look friendlier and more approachable to neighbours. Therefore, it is easier to integrate into the neighbourhood’s social activities.
We wish you joyful Christmas and a great start to the new year!
| Karina Elwert |
GSIS Book Drive
Share the gift of reading this Christmas! 'HumanKind' has partnered with 'On The Same Page' to hold a GSIS Book Drive, with the aim to collect old English books for under-resourced local schools in Hong Kong. Do you have any English books lying around at home? Bring them in and give another student a chance to enjoy it!
IMPORTANT DETAILS:
Guidelines:
Books should be in English, in relatively good condition and preferably targeted towards students aged 9-16 (English as a second language)
Collection point Secondary:
- Outside the Lower Building reception
- At the Senior Library entrance
- Outside the staff room (Lower Building 2nd floor)
Collection point Primary:
- Main entrance on Guildford Road
- Collection tubs in each classroom
Thank you for your support!
Download Book Drive Information Sheet
| HumanKind and On The Same Page, Students-led ECA |
University Guidance: Upcoming Events
A recap on the year so far:
We have connected with Year 11, 12, and 13 students during Class and IB Periods, hosted several Virtual Coffee mornings including Year Specific sessions for Year 10, 11, 12 and 13 parents, as well as general sessions surrounding topics such as The GSIS Transcript, Admissions Testing and more. Our Year 12 students have been having their individual counselling meetings, setting the stage for their in-depth university research. Our Year 13 students have been working furiously on their university applications and connecting with university counsellors for essay reviews and interview preparation. We have also hosted our first in-person university visits in several years with CUHK Medicine and Bath University. This past week our GSIS Alumni joined us, both virtually and in-person, to share their stories and advice with Year 11, 12, and 13 students.
Virtual Coffee Mornings (open to parents from Year 07-12 and K09-K11):
Wednesday, 4 January 2023 - Summer Enrichment
Wednesday, 1 February 2023 - Destination US
Wednesday, 1 March 2023 - Destination UK
Wednesday, 3 May 2023 - Destination Canada / HK
Year 13 Parent Virtual Coffee Mornings:
Wednesday, 29 March 2023 - University Decisions
Wednesday, 7 June 2023 - Next Steps and Transitions
We will also be hosting a special session for Kindergarten and Primary parents sometime in the New Year, likely after Lunar New Year. Please feel free to email us with any questions. We can also help you set up an appointment through our Calendly link if that is necessary.
 Claire Wilkins |
 Beatrice Ugolini |
German International Stream
From Head of Stream
"The blessing of the Christmas season is to take time to do things that truly make you happy."
When the fourth and last candle will be lit on the Christmas wreath on Sunday, our well-deserved Christmas holidays will have begun. The ease of travel restrictions in the past few weeks makes it possible again to celebrate perhaps the most wonderful holiday of the year together with family, friends and acquaintances outside Hong Kong, or to enjoy a nice vacation on the beach or in snowy mountains. I hope that you will take time in the next two weeks for things that often get neglected in the stress of everyday life and wish you a merry and reflective Christmas, time to relax, happiness, health and many ray of lights in the coming year.
| Grit Cichon Deputy Principal / Head of German International Stream |
Kindergarten Corner
On 7 December, the children had their first Assembly since Covid, and we were blessed with a visit from St. Nicholas. He stopped by each class and read from his Golden Book. St. Nicholas praised the children for their progress in learning and interacting with others, but he also reminded them that there is still room for improvement in other areas. Of course, St. Nicholas also distributed gifts, and each class sang a song to St. Nicholas as a thank you.
Another highlight were the “Parent-Child Christmas Activities” where each class planned and carried out individually, which have been a meaningful experience for children and parents alike.
Upcoming events:
Tuesday, 10 January 2023 - Outing to Safety Town (KG2D)
Friday, 13 January 2023 - Outing to Safety Town (KG2L)
Thursday, 2 February 2023 - Outing to Safety Town (GKG, Maxi-children)
Thursday, 19 January 2023 - Chinese New Year Assembly and Lion Dance
Friday, 20 to Friday, 27 January 2023 - Chinese New Year Holidays
Friday, 17 February 2023 - Karneval
As we approach the end of 2022, we thank you for your support and collaboration. With grateful hearts, we want to thank our teachers and TAs for their undivided dedication to our children's full development and potential.
 Sophie Burdel |
 Eileen Mah |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Primary Corner
We had a wonderful advent time with a lot of singing and doing Christmas arts and crafts. Thank you again to all parents who helped last Wednesday. Seeing all the children walking around with their artwork was a joy.
We are pleased to welcome you to two Parent Workshops. More details about this event we will share after our break by email.
Parents workshop - CNY (Peak)
Chinese New Year traditions, legends and decorations
Date: Friday, 13 January 2023
Time: 8:00 - 9:30 am
Location: Upper Building, Primary Peak Campus
Parents workshop - CNY (Pok Fu Lam)
Chinese New Year traditions and decorations
Date: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
Time: 7:45 - 9:00 am
Location: Hall, Pok Fu Lam Campus
School newspaper
We are pleased to present the next issue of "Wir Schlaumeier". Many thanks to all the students who wrote the report. We hope you enjoy reading this issue.
 Priska Erni |
 Beate Weinhardt |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Looking for what's been going on in class this month?
English International Stream
Kindergarten Corner
On 7 December, the children had their first Assembly since Covid, and we were blessed with a visit from St. Nicholas. He stopped by each class and read from his Golden Book. St. Nicholas praised the children for their progress in learning and interacting with others, but he also reminded them that there is still room for improvement in other areas. Of course, St. Nicholas also distributed gifts, and each class sang a song to St. Nicholas as a thank you.
Another highlight were the “Parent-Child Christmas Activities” where each class planned and carried out individually, which have been a meaningful experience for children and parents alike.
Upcoming events:
Tuesday, 10 January 2023 - Outing to Safety Town (KG2D)
Friday, 13 January 2023 - Outing to Safety Town (KG2L)
Thursday, 2 February 2023 - Outing to Safety Town (GKG, Maxi-children)
Thursday, 19 January 2023 - Chinese New Year Assembly and Lion Dance
Friday, 20 to Friday, 27 January 2023 - Chinese New Year Holidays
Friday, 17 February 2023 - Karneval
As we approach the end of 2022, we thank you for your support and collaboration. With grateful hearts, we want to thank our teachers and TAs for their undivided dedication to our children's full development and potential.
|
Sophie Burdel |
Eileen Mah |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Primary Corner
It has been a fabulously festive couple of weeks in school! We have enjoyed opening our doors to parents again to share music performances and class parties.
The class concerts were a fabulous way to celebrate the season and to share the children’s learning from music lessons this half term. Thank you to Mrs McLachlan, Ms Poon and all the class teachers for their hard work and support. A further big thank you to the unsung heroes who make the performances possible, our tech team and facilities staff. We hope you enjoyed seeing your children perform on stage again and we look forward to more opportunities for performances throughout the year.
Box of Hope
A huge thank you to all students, teachers and families who participated in the Box of Hope 2022 campaign. This is the 15th year of Box of Hope in Hong Kong and this year they were able to send over 31,100 boxes to underprivileged children living in Hong Kong, Cambodia and the Philippines. We are grateful to each and every one of you for helping to make a difference and bringing a smile to so many children over the Christmas period.
 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
The most important message to give at this time of year is quite simply: Happy Christmas. I hope that you all have an enjoyable time with your family & friends.
Thank you to all students for their efforts, and all parents for their support, over the past term. It has been a challenging one at times, but it has been great to see some semblance of normality return through sports fixtures, field trips, the Bazaar, Wandertag and music events. On the last note, it was wonderful to see so many of you at the Christmas concert and congratulations and thanks to all the performers (and, of course, the music teachers and support staff).
 Ken Stevenson |
Departmental News and Announcements
Student Achievements & Initiatives
Inter-School Sport Is Back
Andrew Champion ()
It has been great for us to return to primary inter-school sports after a 3-year break. There has been a real focus from Heads of PE to move away from the previous overly competitive nature of these events to a participation-driven model to include all students as we get back into these events.
Over this term, we have entered 10 events and I have been so proud of the enthusiasm shown by our GSIS students and the amazing levels of teamwork and support they have shown each other in what for some has been the first experience of inter-school sports. The sports events we entered included football, gymnastics, netball and tennis and we had some outstanding results in some of these events, they included:
- Cameron Prattley in Y05 won his age group in the HKSSF Island East Tennis Tournament
- The GSIS team won the Harrow Y05-Y06, K04 Tennis Tournament
- Caitlin Edwards in Y05 won the Gymnastics overall title, along with 2 individual titles, at the Kellett Y04-Y06, K03-K04 Gymnastics Competition
- The GSIS girl's team won the Harrow Y04, K03 Football Festival with Lyla Colin-Jones scoring 5 goals in one match
- Joni Singleton scored 9 goals in 1 game at the HKPSSA Y04-Y06, K03-K04 Netball Festival
There were many other notable individuals and team performances in this first term of events, but it was the overall enjoyment and positive team spirit which was so good to see from our players at all of the events.
https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Harrow-Y04-K03-Football-scaled.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Harrow-Y05-Y06-K04-Tennis.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/HKPSSA-Y04-Y06-K03-K04-Island-Netball-scaled.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/HKSSF-Y05-Y06-K04-Tennis.png, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Kellett-Y04-Y06-K03-K04-Gymnastics.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_8038-scaled.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_8042-scaled.jpg, https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_8094-scaled.jpg
(Click thumbnail/s to enlarge image)
ISLMUN 2022 Conference
Martin Cox (Geography Teacher)
In one of the first in-person MUN conferences held since the beginning of the pandemic, our GSIS Senior MUN team performed superbly at ISLMUN (Island School MUN) 2022. Participating in 2 days of high-quality debate across committees such as the UN General Assembly, Security Council, and the House of Commons.
Congratulations to David Won (Y12), Alvin Hui (Y12), Akari Yamao (Y11), and Charlotte Fung (Y12) for winning the Outstanding Speaker award in their respective committees and councils, as well as to Jeremy Sze (Y11) and Naaisha Garg (Y11) for their honorable mentions representing the Netherlands in NATO!
