Dear Parents,
The first two weeks of the 2024/25 school year have been a great success! Students have been working hard to get up to speed in their classes. Teachers have been impressed by the focus and engagement shown and it has been a pleasure to observe lots of lessons and speak to students about their learning experiences. Student voice is hugely important to shaping our school- thank you, Year 13 student Bronte, for introducing us to our first Student Takeover of the year.
IB Student Takeover – Y13 – Bronte M
The first 10 days of Year 13 have been full of intensity. We all threw ourselves into the work and got right to it. Around the school, some changes we have seen are the new noodle bar and a new Deputy Head of Secondary, Ms. Thomasson. We also had our first ‘Future’s Framework’ session where we had a whole school assembly to celebrate the IB and IGCSE 2023 cohort’s results and the 10th Anniversary of NAISHK.
There have been a range of feelings and emotions in the first few weeks of Year 13. Firstly, excitement. We are in the final year of our secondary career, and we are all thrilled about the range of opportunities that are ahead of us. However, with this excitement about the future there is also some nervousness around mock exams, our university applications and knowing that we must work hard this year to achieve our goals. We know that our amazing IB team are here to support us every step of the way!
Over the summer holidays, IB students were very busy, keeping up with schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Here are some examples below.
(From left to right):
1. Jasmine 13A took part in a 2-week Chemistry course at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and has managed to get her final essay assignment published on the college official website!
2. Bronte 13A completing some primary data collection at Ma Dai River for a Geography Extended Essay.
3. Vivian 13B preparing to dissect organs at the Beijing Forensic Identification Centre.
Here is some more feedback below from Year 13 students from their first two weeks back.
‘The first few days of year 13 have been very good. I have enjoyed my classes and experiences so far. Also to add some enjoyment, my friends and I began a ‘lunch war’ tradition where a friend judges and scores everyone’s lunch for different amounts of points. We thought that by doing things like this it would make school even more enjoyable and encourage people to bring better lunches with them.’
‘Moving to a new school in the middle of the IB course was quite hard and I knew that it would be challenging, however the students here have been very welcoming and helpful. This has made the moving process a lot easier and makes me excited about my new friendships and the rest of the upcoming year!’
‘I am feeling a little bit bittersweet. I am excited to think this is my last year but also a bit sad to think that my journey at this school is almost over and having to leave this all behind.’
We are very much looking forward to the Year ahead!
Bronte M. (Year 13)
University Fair
We are excited to announce our inaugural NAISHK Universities Fair on Friday 13th September. Representatives from over 80 universities and colleges from around the world will be connecting with our students in Years 11, 12 and 13. Our students will be able to ask questions and hear directly from these institutions from Hong Kong, Europe, USA, Canada, Australasia and the UK.
Parent Focus – Encouraging Independent Learning – Homework Hacks!
Being a parent can be challenging - especially when you're expected to have all the answers. If, however, you can help guide your child into good studying habits, then you can start to trust that they're finding their own solutions and will be on their way to discovering their independence. So, how can parents do this? See the article below for some top tips!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zqqnn9q
Futures Intro
The Futures Framework lessons got off to a great start last week. The students were taught about CAS, the CAS learner outcomes and learned how to plan and prepare a CAS project. The Y13 students also provided some insight into what goes into planning a CAS project and shared their personal experiences with CAS and the CAS project.
Meet the tutors
We are excited to invite you to our upcoming "Meet the Tutors" evenings, scheduled from September 23rd to 26th, between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. Each year group will have a dedicated evening, offering a wonderful opportunity for you to connect with your child's tutor. Additionally, the Head of Year will present an overview of the year ahead, highlighting how we, as a community, will support your child's journey. Dates for each Meet the Parent Evening are confirmed below:
23rd September: Year 7
24th September: Year 8
25th September: KS4 and KS5
26th September: Year 9
We look forward to seeing you there and strengthening our school community together!
PE Updates
Please follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naishk_knights/
Next week's fixtures
Monday - U16 Girls Netball vs DBIS and U14 Boys Football vs WIS
Tuesday – U14 Boys Volleyball vs MCHK & DC
Thursday – U14 Boys Football vs HKA
Fixture Results
Tuesday 27th August - U14 Girls Volleyball vs ASHK and KIS
The U14 Girls Volleyball squad travelled to CDNIS for their first ISSFHK matches of the season. In the opening game against ASHK, the girls were led by Roni and secured a 2-0 victory, winning the sets 25-12 and 25-16. The second match against KIS, the girls emerged triumphant with another 2-0 win, taking the sets 25-6 and 25-9. The MVP of this match was Megan, who secured at least 6 aces in a row with her fast and accurate serves. Throughout the two matches, the girls demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, and the team is excited for the season ahead.
Wednesday 28th August - U16 Girls Volleyball vs SIS and AIS
The U16 Girls Volleyball squad travelled to SIS for their first ISSFHK matches of the season. In the opening game against SIS, the girls dominated the match due to an array of aces off the serve from Sophie and Alyssa, securing a 2-0 victory, winning the sets 25-11 and 25-18. The second match against AIS was a thriller, going all the way to 3 sets with just 3 points in it at the end, but unfortunately the match did not end in our favour with AIS winning 2 - 1. Throughout the two matches, the girls demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, and the team is excited for the season ahead.
Thursday 29th August – U14 Boys Football vs ISF
A strong performance by the U14 boys football team in their season opener. Some periods showing impressive technique and positional awareness from all players saw a deserved 5-3 win, after initially going 1-0 down. Goals from Julien, Lucas and Hugo saw the team home, and a strong defensive effort restricted the opposition to few opportunities.
Looking Ahead
Have a fantastic week!
Kind regards,
Fiona Thorndike
Head of Secondary
