Dear Parents,
It has been an incredibly rewarding end to the academic year. Congratulations to our Year 11 and Year 13 students who have completed their IB and IGCSE examinations, the dedication and the perseverance they have shown is truly commendable. I would also like to applaud our Year 10 and Year 12 students for their commitment to completing end of year assessments.
Beyond academic achievements, it was fantastic to see so many students compete in the annual swimming gala, the atmosphere was electric, and the level of sportsmanship and competition was highly impressive. Additionally, the Year 12 student-led conferences were a resounding success, our senior students demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, organisation and professionalism. In a delightful turn of events, we had an unexpected guest visit the secondary campus - a friendly monkey! The presence of our furry friend added an element of excitement and wonder to the school day, I’m pleased to report everyone was safe and well; so far, we have not had a return visit!
INTERNATIONAL DAY
International Day will be celebrated in our Kwun Tong Campus on Thursday 13th June.
Students and staff can wear the traditional dress of their home country, or they may like to wear clothes in the colours of their country’s flag. We kindly ask that students and staff do not dress up as fictional/cartoon characters or as well-known people from their country.
There will be a series of events for students to participate in throughout the day, both inside and outside of the classroom. Please note that this is a student-only event.
A big thank you in advance to our PTA and parents who are running stalls and supporting the event.
SECONDARY SWIMMING GALA
On Friday 7th June was the annual Secondary Swimming gala at Kwun Tong Swimming pool. All year groups competed in a range of events from individual races like the 50m Breaststroke to team events like the 4 x 50m Freestyle relay. Year 7 & 8 competed in the first session of the day and by the end of their competition the reigning champions Balmoral were in the lead. Year 9 & 10 led off their session with the 50m freestyle event knowing that Balmoral were the current leaders. The teams swam well and by the end of the day the final results were:
4th Place: Caernarfon
3rd Place: Balmoral
2nd Place: Windsor
1st Place: Sandringham
Well done Sandringham!
PASTORAL SPOTLIGHT
Year 7 Update
Year 7 can appear daunting to many students ahead of a move to Kwun Tong from primary school. So, it was great to see students quickly realise what a wonderful experience they can have once their time in secondary school began. Highlights for the year have been seeing many members of the year group dedicate their time to rehearsals for the wonderful ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ production and our enrichment week to Kaiping in Guangdong Province, which for many was their first school residential trip away from home. The Year 7 stall reselling pre-loved books was a huge success as part of the PTA summer carnival with the number of volunteers from Year 7 overwhelming desire to help. Participation in music and sports has been very high – even today our U12 girls football team has been competing in the finals as part of the international school sports federation and many of our skilled musicians performing to parents as part of the Summer Concert.
Ahead for Year 8 students, they have selected three students they would wish to share a form group with next year. The intention is that students will have at least one of their selected friends in their new tutor group next year, and hopefully more. A number of factors are considered when reorganising the year group including European language options, Chinese language proficiency, friendship selections and more. These factors aid in ensuring that students in all classes flourish in the academic year.
Year 8 Update
It has been great to see Year 8’s enthusiasm for all parts of the school community across this year, and they continued to bring their positive energy to Kwun Tong last week. Students spent much time feverishly planning their swimming relay teams, competing in tutor time quizzes and rehearsing for upcoming singing competitions. A lucky group also attended a French study trip to CityU for an interactive exhibit on the Notre Dame cathedral. The group had a great time and particularly enjoyed the crepes at the end of the experience. We would like to say a special thank you to Mrs Jenkins and the MFL department for organising this treat.
Amidst the excitement, several representatives from each tutor group also took some time to gather and reflect on the year together. They discussed the major highlights and challenges for their cohort, finally making a ‘wishlist’ of what they might like to see happening in Year 9. It has been lovely to check in with this focus group over the past few months and hear their opinions first-hand. Many of their contributions have helped shape assemblies and tutor topics for the whole year group and will continue to make an impact moving forward. I wish Year 8 an enjoyable end to the term and a restful summer – they certainly have earned it!
Year 9 Update
Year 9 has had a fantastic year! It has been my privilege to see our students grow and mature throughout the year. They have shown resilience and determination in the face of the challenges they have taken on this year. They have grown into well rounded individuals ready to take on the challenges of IGCSE.
I am always in awe of the talent we have at our school, but this year 9 cohort has some truly talented students. From music to drama and sports, I have been delighted to see so many Year 9s putting themselves forward and taking part in the various events and shows throughout the year. Some particular highlights for me were Linda’s performance in the Chinese New Year Assembly. The wonderful performances of all involved in the “Little Shop of Horrors”. The sporting performances we have had from our football team, swim team, netball team, volleyball team and badminton team. The fantastic performances from our Battle of the Bands members rocking out on the roof top. The classical performances throughout the year at school events and showcases.
Enrichment week was also a huge success with students going to Cambodia, China and staying in Hong Kong. Our students had fantastic experiences and did themselves proud by taking on some unique challenges. They should be proud of themselves for taking on the “Via Ferrata” in Yangshuo and for their work ethic and effort when completing their service in Cambodia.
Our Year 9 students have also had some tough decisions to make, particularly with their IGCSE subject choices. With these choices now being confirmed, the hard work will continue next year.
I wish all Year 9 students, whether leaving or returning, all the very best with their studies and their futures.
Year 10 Update
Last week, our Year 10 students completed their internal assessments in a more formal setting than in previous years. This week, our students began the process of reflecting on the content of the assessments and their personal outcomes. The coming weeks are incredibly important as the Y10s continue their reflections, learn from their mistakes and celebrate their successes along the way. I was impressed by how our Y10 students approached this assessment process, as they showed a real commitment to doing their best. Well done Y10!
Year 11 Update
This week marked the end of a lengthy IGCSE Examination Series for our Y11 students. An audible cheer could be heard from the Auditorium when the announcement came to end the final examination. We are very proud of all our Y11 students for their commitment and drive to perform at their very best each day. Their mature attitude has not gone unnoticed, and we cannot wait to welcome so many of the cohort back next academic year. For those who are going on to pastures new, we wish you all the very best of luck in the future.
Visite de Notre-Dame et de la Crêperie
This week the MFL department took some of our Year 8 students to CityU for the Notre-Dame (Re)births exhibition. Having studied Paris and its famous landmarks earlier in the year, this was a great opportunity for our students to learn more about this wonderful symbol of Gothic architecture. They were able to take a virtual tour of Notre Dame using VR headsets and get some further insights using Augmented Reality tours. They were also fortunate to see some architectural spire designs by CityUHK students.
Following the exhibition, students then had lunch in la Crêperie in Wan Chai. They had some delicious Galettes and Crêpes. Here they learned about the origins of crêpes and were able to watch them being made firsthand. What a wonderful and tasty experience!
C'était une journée tout simplement magnifique! Merci!
If you would like to see more photos on Firefly, please click on the following link:
https://naishk.fireflycloud.asia/modern-foreign-languages-mfl/french/visite-de-notre-dame-et-de-la-creperie
IB TASTER DAYS AND STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES
On Friday 7th June the IB Team of Mr Spanos, Mrs Holt, Mr Tretheway and Ms Bennett welcomed the Year 12 students and their parents onto Campus to carry out student-led Higher Education presentations.
We were very impressed with both how the students presented, and the level of research students have carried out around their Higher Education Options.
Here are some examples of the questions students posed themselves and the answers they produced to help justify their decision making.
The IB Team are looking forward to working with Year 12 students and parents in finalising Higher Education decisions!
UPCOMING EVENTS – TERM 3
Have a fantastic week!
Fiona Thorndike
Head of Secondary
