Dear Parents,
We launched the week by welcoming the formidable Dr Jamie Frost, the students absolutely loved having this mathematic superstar in school, he is truly an inspiring educator. It was a pleasure to hear his story about the inception of his online learning platform. Please ask your child to demonstrate their Dr Frost account, which is an invaluable resource.
It was also wonderful to welcome back Year 6 students to the secondary campus; over the past few weeks they have participated in various lessons and have had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the school environment. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead, filled with learning growth and memorable experiences.
My personal highlight of the week was the Year 13 graduation ceremony, it was a beautiful event which celebrated all the successes and challenges faced by our incredible young people during their time at NAISHK. A huge thank you goes to Mr Spanos and Mrs Holt for their leadership and guidance of the IBDP students and as always, thank you to our generous PTA for providing some bubbles to toast this special occasion.
YEAR 13 GRADUATION
by Mr. Spanos
On the evening of Thursday 30th May our Year 13 students attended their Graduation ceremony at Kwun Tong Campus.
It was a truly a wonderful event where we celebrated student commitment to the IB program and contributions to the NAISHK community.
Proceedings were kicked off with the Year 13 students receiving a ‘clap through’ of the school to celebrate their time at our school.
Students then attended the formal graduation which included inspiring speeches from our Principal Mr Duncan, Head of Secondary Mrs Thorndike, Head Student Natalie Poon and Valedictorian Sonia Cheung.
It has been a pleasure being a part of their educational journey, and this was a fitting tribute to everything our Year 13s have accomplished.
We are so proud of our 2024 graduating cohort and the bright futures that lie ahead for every Year 13 student.
Once again, congratulations to our amazing 2024 IB graduates and thank you to Mrs Holt for being the driving force behind the organisation of the event!
SWIMMING GALA, JUNE 7TH JUNE
by Miss Wiltshire
Our Secondary Swimming Gala will take place at Kwun Tong Swimming Pool on Friday 7th June, from 8:00am – 2.30pm. All Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students will attend the event, either as participants or spectators.
The event will be split into two sessions. Students from Years 7 and 8 will compete in Session 1 (8am – 11.30am) and will then return to campus.
Years 9 and 10 will be on campus in the morning and then will compete in Session 2 (11am – 2.30pm).
Year 7 and 8 students should arrive at Kwun Tong swimming pool for 8.00am. Year 9, 10 and 12 students should arrive on campus for registration as normal.
Students should bring their swimming costumes and PE kit with House top/colours for the day.
Please note that this is a student only event and that parents should not attend.
Session 1
Year 7 and 8 students should make their own way to the Swimming Pool for 8.00am, where they will be registered before the start of the gala. For students who take the morning bus to school, please change buses at Lam Tin as normal, but they are to inform staff they are heading to Kwun Tong Swimming Pool to ensure they are on the correct bus.
After the session, students in Year 7 and 8 will be escorted by teachers back to school.
Students will be dismissed from school at 2.30pm.
Session 2
Year 9 and 10 students should arrive at the Kwun Tong campus as normal. At 10.40am the Year 9 and 10 students will be escorted by teachers to the swimming pool for their session.
At 2.30pm, once the swimming gala is finished, Year 9 and 10 students will be dismissed from the pool to go home directly.
Key information about the Swimming Gala
The closest MTR station is Kwun Tong. The Swimming Pool is about a 5-minute walk from Exit D1. Please note there is no parking at the Swimming Pool.
Students should wear their PE kit shorts with House top for the whole day and are advised to bring the following:
We look forward to seeing the students competing in what I am sure will be a fantastic day!
SPORTING UPDATE
by Miss Wiltshire
U14 Boys Touch Rugby Monday 27th May Vs AIS
The boys were positive and keen going into their second to last match of the season. Captain Efe led the team out in a warm-up and ran through some strategic drills to get the team focused. The first half began with AIS taking an early lead, but Josiah came back with a try for the Knights. The first half finished 2 - 1. Shortly after the second half began Rafa was substituted on and with his first touch on the ball scored a try - his first of the season. However, with some quick footed agility and speed from AIS, the game finished 4 - 2 to AIS. The boys reflected on their play and what they need to do to improve as a team. Well done Knights.
On Tuesday 28th May the U14 girls Netball team headed to VSA for their final group match of the season. Captain Isabel led the girls through a warm-up and drills to get focused and prepared for the game. The first 2 quarters of the match the girls were fast, getting into space, passing the ball long and getting it to our shooters as quickly as possible. As we came into half time the score was 16 - 2 to Knights. The girls were pumped with the score line and were determined to score the same amount in the second two quarters of the match. With swift movements getting free from their opponents and really accurate shooting from Maya and Kaira they scored another 19 goals. The match finished 35 - 2 to the Knights!
In a thrilling and fast-paced match, the U/14 Boys Touch Rugby team faced WIS on Tuesday 28th May in a highly competitive game. Despite their best efforts, the Knights narrowly missed out on victory in the last play, with a final score of 3-2. The Knights displayed excellent attacking phases and maintained a strong defensive line throughout the game. However, a few costly turnovers provided opportunities for WIS to capitalise on their possession. This match served as a valuable learning experience for the Knights, highlighting areas to focus on for the upcoming finals.
The U12 boys travelled to Kowloon Tsai Park on Tuesday 28th May, in determined fashion to turn their recent hard work into an improved performance on the pitch against American International School. The team got off to a flying start scoring within the first few minutes with a neat finish by Hugo following good work on the left-hand side. Two more goals swiftly followed for an early 3-0 lead. AIS battled hard and scored twice themselves to make the first 20 minutes a good competition for both teams. In the next five minutes, our boys scored twice more to go into half time leading 5-2. The warm humid conditions meant lots of rotation of players and positions which will only benefit player development. The second half continued to see lots of attacking play and a dominant performance by our Knights both in terms of possession and territory. The game ended 10-3 as a reward for the good work and effort throughout the second half, with goals shared around the team. It was pleasing to see the more experienced players starting to lead and advise our less experienced players to help them develop their game understanding.
The U12 Girls volleyball travelled to Island School on Wednesday 29th May for their final league match of the season. The girls started off strong in the first set narrowly missing out on a set win with the final score 25-22 to IS. It was clear throughout the match that the girls had been practicing in training and working on the skills needed to be successful and this was evident in the way they played. Despite their hard work the final score was 3-0 to IS. The girls have shown fantastic progression throughout the season and should be proud of their efforts. It has been a pleasure watching you grow.
Following their convincing win against AIS on Tuesday, the U12 Boys football team travelled to Happy Valley to play against South Island School on Thursday. As has been the approach all season, the game was used as an opportunity to rotate players in positions and for game time to increase experience for their development. Our team competed throughout, winning many of the 50/50 challenges whilst also trying to play a mature passing game and defending high up the pitch. The half-time score was 3-0, with a final score of 5-0. Congratulations to Edwin on scoring a hat-trick (3 goals) and to Jovian and Pedro who scored their first goals of the season.
YEAR 6 TRANSITION EVENT
by Mr. Cunningham
Year 6 visits
Year 6 students had another successful visit to Kwun Tong this week. After travelling on the MTR, they were welcomed into the cafeteria area of the campus.
For this visit, they were lucky to follow a timetable from the Humanities department with one lesson in History and another in Geography.
In Geography, students with Mr. Cross and Mr. Doherty were introduced to the importance and uniqueness of Geography as a subject. Students learnt about how visual, varied and vital Geography is for students in the 21st Century. Students learnt about some key components of physical and human geography and engaged in a mini-fieldwork exercise; finding key geographical facts about our planet around the secondary campus. With Mr. Goodson, students got to show off their understanding of the impact of plastic on our natural environments and thought carefully about how they could make a positive impact through their individual choices.
The History department sparked their curiosity about heraldry. They learned about the symbolism of coats of arms and designed their own, reflecting their personal characteristics and aspirations. This engaging activity served as a prelude to their upcoming comparative study of Feudal England and Feudal Japan, piquing their interest in the complex social structures and cultural traditions of these fascinating historical periods. With a deeper understanding of heraldry, they are now well-equipped to explore the world of medieval history.
We look forward to welcoming all students officially to Kwun Tong when they begin Year 7 on Friday 16th August.
DR. FROST VISIT
by Mr. McIntosh
Dr. Frost's visit to NAISHK was a highly anticipated event, and the students were thrilled to finally meet the creator of the popular DR Frost maths online program used at NAISHK. As he walked into the Juilliard Suite, the students erupted into cheers and applause, eager to learn more about his life and work. Dr. Frost was warmly received by the students and staff, and he began by sharing his inspiring story of how he became a mathematician and educator.
The students were fascinated by his journey and were excited to participate in workshops where they could learn more about mathematics and problem-solving skills. Many of them even got autographs from Dr. Frost, proudly holding their signed books and notes. The visit was a memorable experience for the students, and it was a great opportunity for them to connect with someone who has made a significant impact on their learning journey. The school hopes to continue its partnership with Dr. Frost and his team, providing more exciting opportunities for students to develop their math skills.
MUSIC SPOTLIGHT HIGHLY COMMENDED
by Miss Yu
The Music department has been abuzz with jazz music, guitars, songwriting and much more.
Year 7s have been completing their Jazz ensemble work and learning to play Guitars and Ukuleles.
Year 8s continue their music technology and composition skills creating leitmotifs and foley sounds using GarageBand.
Year 9s have also been composing, working in groups to write songs which they will record and release on SoundCloud.
Highly Commended
Our highly commended Music awards go to the following students:
Year 7: Ray T has been a superstar all year, he always puts in maximum effort and is fully engaged in all music lessons. Well done, Ray!
Year 8: Ho Chuen G has engaged well with our most recent unit on film music. He has created some fantastic work with foley and his composition work has also been truly innovative. Keep it up, Ho Chuen!
Year 9: Roselyn S. I am proud to award Roselyn this well-deserved Music award to recognise her continuous dedication to the music department, we are so proud that she has completed her LTCL diploma and continues to perform and create high class performances here at NAISHK. Thank you and well done, Roselyn.
Year 10: Adidev R has made fantastic progress over the first half of the IGCSE Music Course. He has proven adaptable to learning about many genres of music, an excellent collaborator in being a part of so many different ensembles and a great musician with his performances in our lunchtime recitals. Keep it up, Adidev.
Lunchtime Recital
This past Friday marked our monthly Lunchtime Recital showcase, during which we enjoyed performances from many gifted musicians. Year 8 vocalists Valarie and Audrey delighted us with an exciting duet and Year 7s Gabrielle, Nicholas, Aiden and Leo formed a band to perform an upbeat Crash Adams song. In addition, we welcomed the return of a couple of our Year 11 instrumentalists, Natalie and Harrison, who dazzled with impeccable solo pieces on the piano and violin. Year 7 Margaret and Year 8s Aiden and Max showed off their virtuosity in performing on the guitar and cello to a fantastic audience. As always it was a pleasure to provide our students with an opportunity to share their talents and for the school community to experience the high calibre of musicians that exist within our school. I am continually grateful to all our performers for participating in events that celebrate their passions and skills. Which leads me on to...
SECONDARY SUMMER CONCERT ON JUNE 11TH
by Miss Yu
I am delighted to invite you to our Summer Concert where several of our Music ECAs will be performing a variety of songs and pieces.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday 11th June 2024
Venue: 2/f Auditorium, Kwun Tong Secondary Campus
Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm
Uniform:
Please ensure that pupils involved in performing are in full school uniform (no stains) with polished black school shoes (no PE kit or house t-shirts) on the day of the concert.
Attendance:
If you wish to attend the event please complete this form so we can keep a tally of how many guests to expect. Please note the Microsoft form will close on Friday 7th June at 12pm.
There is no reserved seating and entrance will be on a first come, first served basis. The performance will end at approximately 7:00pm.
If you have any questions, please contact me further via email. I look forward to welcoming you into the school for a wonderful evening of live performances.
Warm regards,
Debbie Yu
Director of Music
debbie.yu@nais.hk
UPCOMING EVENTS – TERM 3
Have a great week ahead.
Fiona Thorndike
Head of Secondary
