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 #93
3rd February 2023Principal's Column
Dear School Community
First of all, I would like to wish you health, happiness and success in implementing your good resolutions in the Year of the Rabbit. Good resolutions and a positive outlook on life are, in my opinion, very important for a successful year.
Announcement of a Farewell
Some time ago, Priska Erni, the Head of the German Primary informed us that after many engaging and fulfilling years at GSIS, she intends to take some time starting next school year. I want to thank her for her invaluable contributions to GSIS and the German Primary Department and and wish her all the best. A personality like Priska cannot be replaced, but I am pleased to inform you that we are in the process of interviewing promising candidates for the replacement.
The Fundraising Initiative
The GSIS Annual Fund has been a great fundraising initiative. Our goal is to reach the fundraising target of HKD 12 million. We are thankful for some generous donations already received. Every contribution is a step towards the goal. For further details, please visit GSIS Donation Fund on our website. If you intend to donate a larger amount and would like to discuss its use personally in advance, please feel free to contact me.
School and Pandemic
We are all pleased that through medical progress in vaccination research the pandemic situation is slowly coming to an end. It is wonderful to see that restrictions are lifted bit by bit without causing a greater risk to society.
A few regulations still remain in the school, which soon surely will be lifted as well. The SLT decided that it will not impose further internal restrictions, however we ask you to consider carefully if you send your child to school if she or he is a close contact. The school does not restrict close contacts from coming to school if they are negative. If you decide not to send your child to school, the absence of your child will be marked as excused.
Please remember to continue to report the daily negative RAT test and temperature recording in Veracross.
Let us jump with joy into the New Year, as it is appropriate in the Year of the Rabbit.
With best regards
| Dr Dirk Bennhardt Principal |
Schoolwide News
A letter from the University Counselling Office
ADMISSION INFORMATION SESSIONS
1) HKU SUMMER INSTITUTE (ON-CAMPUS)
HKUSI is offering various on-campus study programs from 19 June to 4 August 2023.
Register on or before 28 February 2023 for a 5% Early Bird Discount.
Find out more
2) STUDY IN AUSTRIA (IN-PERSON)
The HKTDC Education & Careers Expo in Hong Kong is a unique occasion to learn more about the offer of universities and schools from Austria, specialising in a wide variety of disciplines such as economics & business, technology, music, and arts. Austrian schools and universities offer a broad range of educational opportunities for international students, with a large number of courses being taught in English.
Date: 2 to 5 February 2023 (Thursday to Sunday)
Time: 2 to 4 February: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, 5 February: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, booth 1E-D24 -D26
Find out more
Admission to the expo is free.
3) SEMINAR: A TASTE OF AUSTRIA!
Date: Saturday, 4 February 2023
Time: 12:10 to 1:10 pm
Venue: Education Forum, Hall 1DE @ Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Admission to the expo is free.
ENRICHMENT & ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
1) Volunteering: The Key to Success in Youth (IN-PERSON)
Continuing with the ACF “Your Voice Speaker Series”, the next seminar titled “Volunteering: The Key to Success in Youth” will highlight how community service can help build resilience and good mental health in kids and teens. Join in for conscientious cocktails at The American Club Town Club.
Date: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Find out more
2) WARWICK PRE-UNIVERSITY SUMMER SCHOOL
Want to know more about Pre-University Summer school at Warwick for students aged 15-17,?
Find out more
3) USC SUMMER PROGRAMS: 2023 Applications are Now Open
USC Summer Programs offers students a preview of "freshman year" through its college immersion experience. Programs are designed to combine college-level coursework, academic field trips, and structured extracurricular activities. There are over 20 courses in multiple disciplines from which students can choose 1 course for intense study and receive 3 units of transferable USC elective credit upon successful completion of the 4-Week program.
Find out more
 Claire Wilkins |
 Beatrice Ugolini |
Easter Camp 2023 - Open for Enrollment
The GSIS Easter Camp is a wonderful opportunity for GSIS students and siblings to participate in sport and intellectual activities to discover their own strengths and find new interests. We offer a fun-filled Easter break with qualified teachers and a secure environment in our Peak Primary school campus.
Our camp director, Mr. Davidson (Head of Individual Needs and Data Management), along with his team, welcome all students between 5 and 11 years (Y01-Y06 / DVOR-K05) to participate in physical activities (e.g. football, yoga) as well as other fun-filled daily activities (e.g. cooking, arts & crafts, and team trivia challenges).
The GSIS Easter Camp will be held in both English and German, with Mr. Budwill running bilingual sports activities.
| When | 3, 4 and 6 April 2023, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm |
| Age Range | 5-11 Years (Y01-Y06 / DVOR-K05) |
| Camp Location | German Swiss International School, 11 Guildford Road, The Peak |
| Camp Fee | HKD 3,500 (GSIS students)
HKD 3,700 (GSIS students’ siblings) |
| Camp Registration | From 13 January 2023 until Friday, 10 March 2023 |
 GSIS Students Book Here Siblings of GSIS, please contact our Student Services Team regarding booking. |
Additional Notes:
- Parents are responsible for the transport to and from the Easter Camp.
- Children must bring their own food and drinks - lunch will NOT be provided by the school.
- Terms & conditions
Find out more on our website!
If any questions please contact our Student Services Team by email at ecacoordinator@gsis.edu.hk or afternoonactivities@gsis.edu.hk or by phone on (852) 2180 0506.
|
Angelin, Emily, Minerva and Conny Student Services Team |
Attachments
https://www.gsis.edu.hk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GSIS-Easter-Camp-2023_daily-schedule-example.pdf
Improve Relationships with Gratefulness
Nothing adds more to your happiness than good relationships. The best way to improve relationships ist gratefulness. When we show gratefulness to another person, we increase the possibility, that this person is grateful for us as well. Our relationship will automatically become better. But why?
The neuroscience shows that there are two settings in our brain: the defensive and the prosocial direction. In the prosocial mode we lean more toward the people whereas in the defensive mode we rather turn away from others
These settings and its implications happen subconsciously. In the defensive mode we narrow our eyebrows, we are stressed and the other person can notice it. In the prosocial mode our lunge is getting enlarged and we get more air and appear more relaxed.
In order to train the prosocial mode it helps to express true gratefulness. It doesn't matter if we tell another person or write it down for ourselves first. The more often we do that, the more open and likeable we appear and we can build or solidify relationships easier. As mentioned in the beginning: nothing makes us more happy than having good relationships.
During this year's Wellbeing Week from 20 to 24 February 2023 with the theme "Connect with each other and building healthy relationships" we would like to build and improve good relationships. More information to follow in the upcoming Gazette, we look forward to it!
| Alexandra Neumann-Hillebrand |
Staff Representatives Lai See Distribution
It was with great pleasure that the Staff Representatives distributed Lai See to celebrate good fortune for The Year of the Rabbit. The Staff body would like to reiterate their gratitude to all support staff for helping make GSIS a centre of excellence.
|
Brendan Ghazavi-Gill English Teacher, Extended Essay Coordinator |
First Alumni Gathering of 2023
To kick start the Year of the Rabbit, our first Alumni gathering of 2023 took place on Wednesday, 1 February 2023 at The Globe. The fellow GSIS alumni community came together to eat, drink, mingle and re-ENGAGE.
More events to follow!
GSIS Annual Fund
We know many of you contribute to the school in different ways. Today, we ask that you continue your support with a donation, no matter how big or small. Our goal this school year is to raise HK$12 million and until now, we have achieved almost 5% in reaching that target which we are very grateful for, but we have a long way to go.
As a non-profit institution, the GSIS Annual Fund is a critical component in our continuous effort in delivering a world-class education so please send your monetary gift today as a single or recurring payment which would be tax-deductible.
Goethe Institut Offer
10% Discount for GSIS Students
The Goethe-Institut Hong Kong is now offering new German language courses for children and teens in the coming term. All current GSIS students can enjoy a 10% discount for any of their German courses.
Kinderspiel Jenga Offer
The Kinderspiel Positive Affirmation Jenga comes with encouraging phrases engraved on blocks to inspire positivity and builds fine motor skills. 20% of all purchases will be donated to GSIS (valid until 31 December 2023).
Important Dates
6 to 15 February 2023: Written Abitur exams
14 February 2023: Celebration of Mr. Yorke’s life and contribution to the school
20 to 24 Februar 2023: Wellbeing Week
9 and 10 March 2023: Primary Sports Days
17 March 2023: Kindergarten Sports Day
German International Stream
From Head of Stream
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI - 恭喜发财
I wish you all a great start to a happy and healthy Year of the Rabbit, which is predicted to be a year of hope and peace.
While most of the students enjoyed a relaxing holiday week, our Abitur Graduates spent the time with last preparations for the final written exams. These begin on Monday and will start the last chapter of their school life. We hope that our examinees will be supported by the good fortune of the new year and wish them every success.
Besides the examinations the school calendar entails the following dates and events in the coming weeks until the Easter holidays:
- 6 to 15.2.2023: Written Abitur exams K12
- 2 to 24.2.2023: Wellbeing Week
- 3 to 9.3.2023: “Zentrale Klassenarbeiten” K10
- 3 to 24.3.2023: Peer Review
- March 2023: Spring concert
- March 2023: CPD Day
- Parent Information Days
- Easter activities in the Kindergarten and Primary
As usual, in addition to the above dates, there will be plenty of added projects and activities organised by the departments to ensure that the time until Easter includes a variety of academic and extracurricular activities.
| Grit Cichon Deputy Principal / Head of German International Stream |
Kindergarten Corner
The Year of the Rabbit seems promising as the Hong Kong Government has reversed numerous preventive measures.
We are delighted that with the changes above, our Kindergarten students are increasingly experiencing more and more of the regular school events which we were not able to hold in previous years.
Besides the start of the Afternoon Activity Programme (AA), we are delighted to announce that we will hold our Kindergarten Sports Day on 17 March 2023 at Stanley Ho Stadium, and parents are allowed to join. We will send more detailed information closer to the date, but please mark your calendar and keep this date available as we look forward to your attendance and participation. Let’s join hands in cheering on our children during the sports activities.
We would like to thank you for your continued support of our school policy to keep up with the daily temperature check and RATest till the end of February.
This Sunday is the fifteenth and final day of the Chinese New Year, also known as the “First Night Festival” (yuánxiāo jié), which marks the first full moon of the New Year. Lanterns are lit and carried, also known as the Spring Lantern Festival. On this day, families gather and eat “tangyuan”, glutinous rice balls in sweet soup, symbolising reunion. We would like to wish everyone a Happy Spring Lantern Festival.
 Sophie Burdel |
 Eileen Mah |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Primary Corner
We wish you a happy Chinese New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi!
GPD Learner profile
Over the next few weeks, the German Primary School will be focusing on feelings. Our new emphasis is on perceiving one's feelings and reading them to others. The perception of one's person, character and feelings together with self-observation for our own awareness and self-confidence is indispensable. Thus, we can strengthen body awareness and self-confidence, which leads to better self-control. Students can perceive others' feelings, thoughts, abilities, skills and actions and respond age-appropriately. They train to recognise and name strengths and weaknesses and adjust their actions accordingly.
Fittingly, from 20-24 February 2023, our Wellbeing Week will be held for this purpose under the motto "Connect with each other and build healthy relationships". Our sports days, which will take place at the beginning of March, are also about building good relationships.
Leave requests
Please refer to the house rules on our homepage for regulations regarding leave requests. We require a vacation request with good cause no later than three days in advance. Any requests received later in the future will not be approved and will be classified as unexcused.
Chinese New Year charity donations
Thanks for collecting money over the Chinese New Year break. It would be great if the students would return the lai see packets before Wednesday, 8 February 2023.
 Priska Erni |
 Beate Weinhardt |
Departmental News and Announcements
Looking for what's been going on in class this month?
Secondary Corner
I hope you have all spent pleasant and relaxing CNY vacations with your loved ones.
For our four GSD seniors, the second half of the school year starts with a whole life prepared and long-awaited event. The written DIA exams in German, English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Physics are taking place the next few days. Lots of excitement is guaranteed!
 Udo Krebs |
 Arnold Leitner |
Departmental News and Announcements
English International Stream
From Head of Stream
Kung Hei Fat Choi! I trust that the Year of the Water Rabbit has started well for you and your family, we can look forward to a year of hope and optimism.
Morning drop off
A number of cars are dropping students off after 7:00 am by driving all the way down to the end of Guildford Road. Please be reminded that from 7:00 am cars should turn into Mansfield Road, drive to the end and U-turn before dropping students on the left hand pavement near the bus stop; at least one of our facilities staff will be there to guide you. Cars ignoring this protocol are interfering quite severely with the bus drop off in the morning.
University Pathways
We are looking forward to speaking with parents of primary age pupils about university pathways next Wednesday afternoon, a face-to-face event at which we are expecting to see a strong representation. We would like to run this as a participatory event as we would like to encourage a genuine exchange, we have invited participants to share questions through their KPRs so that we can provide a personalised presentation. I know that there has been some disappointment regarding the timing but we can put on additional events later this term as necessary.
Secondary parents are aware that they are able to attend any of the advertised events run by our University Guidance Team throughout the next semester.
Celebration in honor of Mr. Yorke
We will be holding a Celebration of Mr. Yorke’s life and contribution to the school on Tuesday, 14 February 2023. On this day, all students and staff will be asked to wear purple, Mr. Yorke’s favourite colour. We will take this opportunity to emphasise Mr. Yorke’s qualities of kindness, compassion and actively caring for others. Thank you to all parents who have shared their kind and supportive words with us; these will be included in the Book of Remembrance.
Discovery Week survey
I will be sharing a Discovery Week survey with all ESD & GSD parents early next week. Our focus for the October trips will be Germany, Switzerland and Austria but we will also be offering selected trips to SE Asia to resume our social responsibility projects as well as resume community connections in Hong Kong. The purpose of the survey is gauge parents’ interest in the different destinations.
The process of organising Discovery Week is a huge undertaking, particularly with overseas travel arrangements, but your feedback will help us to establish a clear programme of activities before Easter.
| Simon Misso-Veness Deputy Principal / Head of English International Stream |
Kindergarten Corner
The Year of the Rabbit seems promising as the Hong Kong Government has reversed numerous preventive measures.
We are delighted that with the changes above, our Kindergarten students are increasingly experiencing more and more of the regular school events which we were not able to hold in previous years.
Besides the start of the Afternoon Activity Programme (AA), we are delighted to announce that we will hold our Kindergarten Sports Day on 17 March 2023 at Stanley Ho Stadium, and parents are allowed to join. We will send more detailed information closer to the date, but please mark your calendar and keep this date available as we look forward to your attendance and participation. Let’s join hands in cheering on our children during the sports activities.
We would like to thank you for your continued support of our school policy to keep up with the daily temperature check and RATest till the end of February.
This Sunday is the fifteenth and final day of the Chinese New Year, also known as the “First Night Festival” (yuánxiāo jié), which marks the first full moon of the New Year. Lanterns are lit and carried, also known as the Spring Lantern Festival. On this day, families gather and eat “tangyuan”, glutinous rice balls in sweet soup, symbolising reunion. We would like to wish everyone a Happy Spring Lantern Festival.
|
Sophie Burdel |
Eileen Mah |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Primary Corner
It was lovely to welcome the children back this week after the Chinese New Year break and to hear about their adventures during the holiday.
Leave requests
We know many of you have been making the most of the reduced travel restrictions to reconnect with family and to take much needed time away from Hong Kong. We have been very supportive of the high number of leave requests we received prior to the break, but we would like to remind you to apply for leave at least 3 days in advance. This will allow us enough time to process your request and to prepare for your child’s absence. Going forward, any requests received less than 3 days in advance will not be approved and will be classified on reports as unexcused. Please refer to the house rules on our homepage for guidance on applying for leave.
Chinese New Year charity donations
Thank you to all of the children and families who have already sent in their donations for the Hong Kong Student Aid Society. For those of you still wishing to donate, the deadline for returning the lai see packets is Wednesday, 8 February 2023.
Coming up this term
Whole School Wellbeing Week
This year, in addition to our Primary Wellbeing Week held in Term 1, we will also hold a whole school Wellbeing Week. The focus of this will be to "Connect with each other and build healthy relationships". This will be held from 20 to 24 February 2003. More details will be shared shortly.
Primary Sports Days
Our long awaited sports days will take place on 9 March 2023 for Upper Primary and March 10th for Lower Primary and will be held at Stanley Ho Sports ground. Mr. Champion and Mr. Deingruber will share more information later this month.
Soloist concerts
We hope to be able to hold our soloist concerts again in March. Ms. Mclachlan will share information very soon.
It looks like an exciting time ahead for children, parents and staff in the Primary department!
 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
I hope that you are well and have had an enjoyable Chinese New Year Break. Some brief housekeeping requests is about all this week:
- Student absences
If your child is sick or is absent for an unforeseen reason, please could parents (not students) contact our secretary via email (ESD_secretary@gsis.edu.hk) or 2849 6216 (preferably before the start of school). For longer absences, or for planned absence, please try to give a minimum of 5 days notice to our secretary. - RAT declaration
Hopefully this one is more short-term, and will soon become defunct, but please aim to submit the daily RAT declaration prior to 7:00 am each morning (through Veracross). This can be done the evening before if this is more convenient.
Thank you for your support. Have a good week!
 Ken Stevenson |
Departmental News and Announcements
No updates / announcements this week
Student Achievements & Initiatives
Inter-School Fencing Competition 2022-2023
Ryan Guo (Teacher)
Lukas Tsang (9C) joined the Inter-School Fencing Competition 2022-2023 and won second place in the 'Sabre' category. Congratulations!
Fencing Competition "Mohun Fencing Minime & Open"
Veronika Fehse (Head of Music, Music Teacher, German Teacher)
Congratulations to Luna Gao (K06A) - she won the bronze medal at the "Mohun Fencing Minime & Open" competition in Thailand on 28 January 2023!
Chinese Debate Team Competition
Yolanda Wang ()
Recently, the GSIS Chinese Debate Team celebrated an exciting victory against the Heep Yunn School in the United Cup Inter-school Chinese Debate Competition! The team won 9-0 in the debate motion of “Should selfish actions during disasters be condemned?”. The team members collaborated seamlessly and maintained a clear stance and logic throughout the competition. From this victory, the Chinese Debate Team was able to enter the finals as the highest scoring team in their division. Once again, congratulations for this amazing victory!
