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. Tern:ily,magazine produced by the West Island School PTA I Term Two February 2015

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IJ 8 WIS • STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

PTA Chair's Letter Well another busy time for the PTA has been had and another busy term lies ahead.

The staging of Blood Brothers was a great success and an enjoyable evening was had by all; congratulations to the cast and crew for a wonderful production.

The AGM was held on the 25th November. We had a good turn out and a number of changes occurred; we now have a number of new parent members, Karen Johnston, Anika Leung, Wynnie Chan, Tiffana Richards, Barbara Tavernard Thompson, Sandra Feran and David Bruce, who has kindly agreed to be our new Treasurer. Karen Carmichael and Vanessa Pepper were also re-elected.

William Wong, Wendy McCoy and Erle Pereira stepped down from the PTA. My thanks go to them, especially to Wendy for the enormous work she has contributed in organising parents cocktail evenings as well as other contributions to PTA events and running the community evening school. A thank you also goes to Erle for his invaluable input as Treasurer and keeping us on track with budgets and bank accounts.

A special thanks to Vanessa Pepper who stepped up as Acting Chair between Sarah Cunich and myself; Vanessa kept the ship afloat as well as continuing with her current responsibilities on the PTA as Spring Fair coordinator.

Our second year of the Ceilidh evening was held in December and again it was a fantastic evening. We had 150 in attendance and raised HK$25,000 compared to $20,000 last year. A huge thank you goes to Karen Carmichael and to lain Carmichael for putting the evening together and doing the calling. Let's see if we can reach 200 dancers next year!

We had our Christmas celebration put on by the performing arts department on 17th December and the PTA supported with mince pies and mulled wine, which were enthusiastically received by parents and staff alike.

Sports day was on 15th January and the PTA and all their volunteers kept hunger at bay by providing hot food and drinks for the whole school.

Our first parent forum lecture took place on the 28th January . If you enjoyed the lecture, please look out for more of these in the future. Hopefully the parent forum will be a regular feature in our PTA events calendar.

Our next event • Quiz night, will be held on the 6th February, so put the date in you diaries and swot up on the news, sport, films, familiar faces, etc. and book a table; it is always good fun.

Lastly, the Spring Fair is on the 7th March. We, well Vanessa and her team, have already been working hard on planning this event, as it is a huge task. We are already accepting donations, new and good used, prizes, second-hand toys and books, etc .. Donations may be left on the tables outside the PTA storerooms in the lower car park at school. Please, as always, no broken, incomplete or "copy" items. A sign-up reminder will be sent out soon for volunteers for set-up and on the day, so please put your name down to help even if just for an hour or so; the more volunteers, the better for all. It is our main event for the year and raises a significant amount for the school, which in turn only benefits the students. This year we are looking to improve the audio system in the auditorium, following on from our initial donation last year.

Raffle tickets for the event will be sent home soon, and we would really appreciate your help and support in ensuring that ALL THE TICKET STUBBS are returned as it is a condition of our license that we account for all tickets sold or returned which is quite a task. We had 100% success last year so we are hoping for the same this year.

It just leaves me to say a great thank you for all your help in the past and continued support for the future. I wish you all the best for Chinese New Year.

Michael Abbs Chair PTA

Principal's Letter At the end of the Autumn term, it is good to be able to look back on a very full and exciting term. Once again students have excelled themselves in terms of classroom learning and extra-curricular activities. Blood Brothers was a resounding success, sports teams contributed to school spirit, Horizons Week came and went to great acclaim and student service projects in and out of school thrived. Staff have offered numerous opportunities for our students to take and develop fully.

Schools are about relationships and building a community of learning. I have been proud of the school throughout the term in all its many facets. Not least is the relationship with parents who are so supportive of the school offering practical aid through events and fund raising and in supporting children to excel.

As the start of the term is upon us and we are looking forward to Chinese New Year break, may I thank all members of this strong community for your continued support and enthusiasm; it makes us a very special school indeed.

For any students or family leaving WIS, may I wish you well and ask you to keep in touch. For the school, we said farewell to Laura Timbrell, teacher of Art, Textiles , Design and Technology who left us to return to the U.K in December . We welcome this term Sophie Oxford, teacher of Art and Graphics and Emma Fordham, teacher of Textiles and Art as new members of staff.

Finally a thank you in particular to the PTA who continue to support us so well; including with this magazine.

Yours

Jane Foxcroft Principal

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IJ 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

WIS Diwali Ball The WIS 2014 Diwali Ball yet again was an entertaining.scintillating and captivating night at West Island School. With an astonishing number of people in the audience, the Diwali Ball managed to be a sold-out show, once again.

This year's theme was able to capture the audience with a humorous play that was acted, directed and scripted entirely by students. The story this year was of a young girl finding her other half through online dating. It included refreshing Bollywood dances performed by the youngest students in the school all the way up to the Year 13s.

Adding to the celebrations, the Diwali Ball this year had its annual fashion show, displaying the most extravagant Indian outfits modelled by our very own WIS students. Although it wasn't possible to get enough of all this entertainment, an interval was offered for the audience to enjoy the most mouth- watering and exquisite Indian food provided by lsta, with a wide range of savoury snacks and sweet delicacies for everyone's enjoyment.

Although it was incredibly difficult to come to terms with the fact that the show had to come to an end, the students finished it with an exciting finale that included all of the performers, making the night unbelievably memorable.

We are thankful to everybody who was able to make this night a huge success, especially the heads of the Events Council and the Diwali team - Tanya Bhatnagar, Jina Gurnani, Carla Ross, Pooja Antony, Minal Mirpuri and Erica Cham, who put in countless hours, including lunch times, after-school rehearsals and meetings to make the show as extraordinary as it was. Thanks go also to Riya Surtani for choreographing and organising an unforgettable finale, Miss Hannaford who oversaw the entire show and helped to make it the incredible night that it was and lastly to all of the performers who took direction well and put on a remarkable show.

Thank you to everyone who was able to come and enjoy this delightful night in West Island School. I'm sure this year's audience will agree with me when I say it was a night to remember and not something to be missed in the coming years.

Sapna Manglani Year 12

WIS EVENTS

IJ 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY WIS EVENTS

ll 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

SEDAN CHAIR RACE The Sedan Chair Race is a fundraising event held annually in October by the Matilda Hospital on the Peak. The race itself consists of 45 running teams, carrying sedan chairs (with 1 Okg of rice strapped to the chair), all running around a 2.1 km route around the hospital area.

This year, our WIS Sedan Chair Race team consisted of Chloe Martin, Daniel Ng, Kylie Cheung, Hamza Ebrahim, Leon Kennedy, Tilly Fiddler, Sophie Allen, Phoenix Chan and Michelle Tao. In order to prepare ourselves for the race, we trained hard and regularly. We would train during lunchtimes (carrying the sedan chair and running around the school cross-country route), and on Mondays after school (we would take a bus up to the peak, and carry the sedan chair around the 2.1 km route).

On the day of the race (Sunday 26 October), we were all filled with nervousness but excitement. During our race, we worked cooperatively as a team, encouraging each other when we were tired, and securing a second place in the category of school teams (we were only a few metres away from coming first). After the race, despite the soreness in our legs and arms, we all felt a great sense of achievement and accomplishment inside.

However, the Sedan Chair Race isn't only about running, it's also about fundraising. Everyone on the team had to raise a minimum of HK$1000, through sponsorship and selling raffle tickets. Together with the race, the Matilda Hospital holds a bazaar and the money they receive from it goes to support small charities in Hong Kong that are not well-known or recognized and with limited resources.

Well done to our school's Sedan Chair race team for doing such a wonderful job of running, helping and encouraging each other! And on behalf of the whole Sedan Chair race team, I would like to thank Ms Craig for organizing everything, accompanying and running with us during training sessions and her constant support! Mr Clarke was also invaluable with his winning tips and words of encouragement.

Michelle Tao and Phoenix Chan

WIS EVENTS

IJ e WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

WIS Family Ceilidh - Dec 2014

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WIS EVENTS

Our second family Ceilidh was held at WIS as a fundmiser for the PTA. It was a huge success. The evening was led by the Hong Kong Ceilidh Band which played lively Scottish tunes and called the directions to the dances, some of which we all knew and some that were new to us.

The dances involved swapping partners and so as the evening progressed, if you danced every dance you would have danced with most people in the room - what a great way to meet people and get to know each other! We had all ages there and credit to the young children who really helped us older ones get the steps right!

A big thank you to all the students and parents who entertained us during the breaks with their amazing talents of singing, dancing and playing musical instruments.

There was a fabulous buffet, provided by Chartwells, with a very tasty selection of pasta, curry, noodles, pumpkin soup, fruit platters and chocolate brownies to suit everyone's palate.

Our thanks go to lain and Karen Carmichael for organizing the event With such great community support, the WIS Ceilidh is likely to be an annual event. If you were not able to attend this t ime, do look out for it on the calendar - it is an event not to be missed!

ll 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY WIS EVENTS

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We help our students to become creative and experimental individuals.

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• . • • to the WIS School Fair on 7th March •.. more details to follow!

11 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

Huge congratulations go to our Year 8 students who in December created Christmas hampers in response to the Feeding Hong Kong (FHK) appeal. The hampers were distributed to families in need over Christmas and the festive period.

Over 15 hampers of nutritional food items were collected and filled by West Island students and beautifully dressed with Christmas cheer. This was an excellent response from the cohort, students and parents.

This effort was a continuation of their Year 7 Service Day back in June when they were introduced to Feeding Hong Kong and learned about the charity and its aims.

The result was amazing, with 107 kgs of food collected at WIS for families in need and a financial donation from WIS of $13,215 to help FHK to develop complementary programmes focusing on nutritional education and skills training for low income individuals, and continue their mission to raise awareness about the issues of poverty and food security in Hong Kong.

It is fantastic to see Year 8 continuing their service and building a strong relationship with Feeding Hong Kong .

WISTALKS

IJ 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY WISTALKS

Cultural Week A sensational week full of colours, traditions, delicacies and pride; Cutturar WleR is an annual whole school event that took place in the last week of Term 1. In support of the school's theme of 'pride', we asked students to demonstrate this by celebrating their own culture.

The week started off with students in Years 7 and 8 designing a 'collaboard' with their tutor groups, which displayed items from their own culture. It.-!(-.-'---_.. excellent way to display cultural diversity around the school, encouraging students to appreciate different cultures that are present in our WIS community.

The committee also organized face-painting at lunch, where students were fr9i to have their face painted with flags of different countries. It was great to see so many enthusiastic students eager to display their pride and interest In either their own cuttures or others.

Chartwells did a superb job throughout the week in providing West Island students.and staff with a range of meals that represented a variaty...ofA01111111-io-.:~...-.I such as French, Mexican, Italian, and Chinese. It is important to experience the diversity of cultures and appreciate their tasty specialties.

To end the festive week, and the long term 1, there was a dress-up day where the entire school came in dressed in their traditional cultural clothes. The schqOI was lit up with an array of colours and traditional patterns, with each student

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displaying a sense of cultural pride.

During lunch, there were perfonnances which featured the cultures of lndla, the -=.;=""~--~-~lippinee. America, Mauritius-,-11ftd even dieplayett pepular-muele owltwN.

It was truly a success and a fantastic way to end the week for which we thank the entire school for their anthusia&tic..particption. We are. fortun&mt-io....,-.;_..-.111

exposed to a range of customs and traditions and this week furthar;.encoureged. students to acknowledge, appreciate and embrace cultural dlffemnces wlU'llrf our communHy.

Thanks to all who participated! Happy New Year!

IJ 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

Year 7 camp was one of the greatest camps I've ever been on. When I first got there I realised that Mui Wo was the camping site I go to every year with my family. I put my bag down at the campsite and saw some people who looked like camp instructors. We were then told by one of the instructors to get into a circle. He showed us this awesome wake-up routine. Then we met our instructors; after that it was activity after activity after activity.

We had gorging, an adventure race, kayaking, hiking and an awesome activity called the Game of Lite and we even made a catapult.

Each day was a new adventure, giving us the chance to experience so many activities which taught us many lite skills, such as teamwork, communication and leadership skills. Over the five days, we learnt a lot about each other and ourselves.

Sleeping in a tent was really tun, especially with some of my form group. For some of Year 7, this was the very first time that they had slept in a tent! The food on camp was amazing, with each night having a different theme. My favourite was the barbeque evening where we got to eat lots of cooked meet and to roast marshmallows on our camp tire.

It was the greatest camp I've ever been on, and I have never seen the teachers having so much fun (especially Mr Madden). We really enjoyed the time spent with our teachers, group leaders and with one another. We would like to thank our teachers and our wonderful Head of Year, Mr Harding, for organising such a wonderful Year 7 Camp.

It I could, I would go back and do this camp 10 times over, because Year 7 camp was so many things. It you put it all together, I think only one word best describes it: AWESOME!

Robert Carmichael ( 701 )

WISTALKS

ll 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

Horizons Week: Year 8 Camp Camp: I'm not sure if I can really capture all of Year 8 Camp in 250 words. It was fun and exciting! We had our good times, our bad times, but the most important thing we did, were make friends. Now I know it sounds cheesy or whatever, but it's true, I made new friends with the youth leaders and some of the people from our year, and even if I did already know some of them, I made better and deeper friendships.

The dorms were nice, we messed around until it was time for lights out but some people still stayed late until the teachers came and talked to them. Luckily no one got into

serious trouble but unfortunately some people were sent home because of sickness. We might not have wanted our friends to go home but it didn't really change the experience so we still had a fun time. You have to make the most of these great opportunities.

I can't praise the food so highly because it wasn't cordon bleu, but some people liked it! The instructors didn't speak English, so we had to get someone in our class to translate: another example of great team work! As difficult as this sounds it actually worked fine and we got to get on with the activities.

To sum up and to refer back to my first point, there was just a great sense of community, friendship, and everyone worked together. We gained invaluable experience, but overall we had a fun time, and that's all that matters!

Tom Coughlan 8T

After hearing Ms Lee's talk about all the fun and exciting activities that we were going to do in Sai Kung, everybody's expectations were all so high. The activities included abseiling, raft-building, rock-climbing, hiking, team-building activities and many more.

During all the activities we learned to trust each other and cooperate and we developed numerous new skills. One of the highlights of the camp was the talent show. Everybody created fun raps, dances, songs and even skits to express their own originality and creativity. Here is one of them:

My dormitory don't My dormitory don't My dormitory don't stay clean when it's meant to be seen.

First day in camp, everything we were liking. Then we went out and got to go hiking. When we got back to our dorms, there we had a surprise. The girls dorms were so mank they couldn't open their eyes.

.... excerpt of Tang's Rap!

Hayley Lai 80

WISTALKS

ll 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY WISTALKS

The rock and sea challenge was a memorable experience. Every day questioned our ability to work together as a team and take part in activities that challenged us mentally and physically.

The first day consisted of non-stop kayaking. Out in the sun, we participated in a number of challenges in order to improve our agility skills in a kayak. We played a number of games including follow-the-leader and netball. All of us gained a new skill of controlling the kayak efficiently by learning quick ways to turn as well as balancing skills. We also learned crucial survival skills through learning how to cope with being capsized.

The second day was, in my opinion, the most exciting. We took part in a number of thrilling, high- element courses such as abseiling, rock climbing, and Tyrolean traverse. Abseiling was specifically memorable for me as I have a fear of heights. We had the option not to take part in some activities but I mentally challenged myself to overcome this fear. Rock climbing was physically challenging for my whole team. There were three different levels: easy, medium, and hard. I bravely convinced myself to do the hardest one towards the top. I took a large risk and jumped in order to reach an adequate rock. I made it. I climbed to the top and felt unstoppable.

The third day consisted of the first part of the adventure race. This tested our collaborating skills as well as our general fitness. The challenges presented to us were mind-boggling and very difficult to solve on our own.

This day allowed us to discover each other's skills as well as our own in order to complete the challenges effectively. Every team member had a certain skill that gave us an advantage. Harmeet showed great navigational skills whilst Brendan and I had mathematical and creative problem-solving skills. Together we worked to conquer each challenge. My team discovered the hidden talent of Matin: puzzle-solving. No puzzle could defeat Matin. He completed each puzzle we couldn't solve - in less than a minute.

Day four: gorging. We had specific instructions to stay in a single-file line and assist each man in front and behind us. This day had dangerous moments that required focus and attention. Trekking through slippery and steep rocks whilst carrying a fragile egg was demanding enough.

However, when we reached the waterfall where we ate lunch all the physical stress disappeared. It made us all realize the true beauty in nature. Several of us dared to swim in the icy waters whilst the rest relaxed in the sun with our lunch.

In order to return to our starting point, we had to navigate through the wilds using a vague map and a compass. We kept climbing non-stop, sharing stories, jokes, and riddles to entertain ourselves on the way.

The final day was part two of the adventure race. Our team was in fourth place overall when we started the race, yet our fighting spirit did not leave. By sticking together, when we came across a challenge that matched with someone's skills, we could quickly finish it. Different challenges required different numbers of people to complete. By completing the challenges that required large amount of members, we collected over 50 tokens that later helped us to buy materials to make an airplane.

The final challenge consisted of us making an airplane out of a very limited supply of materials. In addition, we had to design an airplane and make a parachute for our egg. The airplane and egg then had to be dropped from a great height. If the egg broke, your team would lose a large amount of points. This challenge was very demanding and brought us together as a team, as it required all aspects of creativity, engineering, and organisation.

Overall, I was very proud that my team moved from 4th place up to 1st place thanks to our strategic thinking, our individual skills, and the vast amount of encouragement and dedication the team leaders showed.

By Elisa KLOPHAUS Year 12

ll 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

Horizons Week: Thailand Community Service 2014 What a week!

Life changing

Joyous Exciting Challenging Adrenaline filled Culturally enriching

Eye opening Heartwarming Unforgettable Exhilarating Banter

Filled with happiness

Teaching Leaming Experiencing Inspiring Rewarding Open mindedness

Fun filled Tiring Skill enhancing THE highlight of our year

WISTALKS

II 8 WIS • STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY WIS SPORTS

ll 8 WIS - STRENGTH FROM DIVERSITY

CROSS COUNTRY HKSSF Division 1 Cross Country Championships

Team selection was extremely difficult due to the breadth and depth and quality of WIS Cross Country team runners. Eight runners were selected for each category, with outstanding individual and team performances ensuring that every runner left the event with at least one medal.

This is an incredible achievement as this competition is the Cross Country 'Olympics' for Hong Kong schools, with all local and international schools competing. Congratulations to all runners!

WIS GIRLS - 2nd overall

C Grade Girls

B Grade Girls

A Grade Girls

3rd

1st

4th

Individual medal winners: Jasmine Drew

Individual medal winners: Erin Brown; Amy Tau; Helen Doran; Shreya Rane; Jemima Ridley

Amazing result! All six runners were Top 11 with a total score of 33. 2nd place score was 104.

Individual medal winners: Chloe Martin; Lucy Ross

WIS BOYS - 3rd overall

C Grade Boys 3rd Individual medal winners:

B Grade Boys 1st Individual medal winners: Matthew Tan; Clayton Gibb

A Grade Boys 3rd Individual medal winners: James Tan

Cross Country Champions

A very successful ISSFHK Cross Country Championship was held at Pui 0 beach. WIS won six out of eight categories and are Overall Boys, Girls and School Champions. Congratulations to all involved.

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