2015-2016 Issue No. 13

THE VISION

Welcome to our thirteenth issue of Kowloon Tong School’s Newsletter—The Vision (Vivid Inspirational Stimulating Intelligent Outstanding Newsletter). This year, KTS celebrates its 80th Anniversary with a glorious display of our students’

extraordinary academic accomplishments and diverse talents.

Kowloon Tong School(Primary Section)

Happy 80th Birthday, KTS! To celebrate this significant milestone for KTS, students have prepared extraordinary and uniquely-designed presents for our school. From writing birthday messages, preparing class presents to designing glasses and 3D flowers, the anticipation and excitement were palpable all around the campus. It was no doubt a display of concerted efforts of all our teachers, English Ambassadors and our fellow students.

Students busy decorating cards and writing messages for KTS at our lunchtime birthday card station.

A Present for KTSEach of our 24 classes has prepared a special present for KTS on this special occasion. Presents include birthday cards, birthday cakes, special blinds, stars in a jar, finger painting and a tree-shaped booklet, just to name a few. Each class also recorded a video to wish KTS a happy birthday.

Glasses Designing and OrigamiDuring the lunchtime activities on our language days, students design glasses and make 3D paper flowers for KTS with the help of our wonderful English Ambassadors. They express their heartfelt birthday blessings for the school on them.

From Vincent Chang (6A)Dear KTS, Thank you for providing such a wonderful place for me to grow and a great environment for me to learn. Without you, I would not be able to become a confident and well-educated student as I am now. Thank you so much and happy 80th birthday!

From Paratchavee Wongkamyod (3B)Dear KTS, Happy Birthday to you! Thank you for fostering the next generation with ability and integrity so that we can unleash our potential. I love studying here and I treasure all learning opportunities. I always have wonderful moments at KTS.

From Lee Hei Ching (2C)Dear KTS, I found myself so fortunate to be a KTS student. Thank you for inspiring me and others not to give up on our dreams. With faith and confidence, we believe we can make our dreams come true. Happy 80th Anniversary!

Birthday Greeting Messages to KTS

Language Day Activities for 80th Anniversary

This year our school was celebrating its 80th Anniversary. It was a very important day for our dear KTS and everybody was eagerly anticipating the most important event of the year, the Open Day. Our devoted teachers worked hard all year to prepare everything for the big day. A day to celebrate the school’s eighty years of excellence in educating and bringing up the youth of Hong Kong. Mr. Ho, dressed as a traditional highlander from Scotland, piped in the VIP guests along with the headmistress and vice headmistress with a light march into the hall. Our beloved headmistress gave a heartwarming speech expressing her deepest gratitude to the supervisors, teachers, students and all the staff members who have worked incredibly hard to make this amazing day a memorable one. Our special guest Prof. Li Kwok Ming, Edmund from the Chinese University of Hong Kong gave an honorary speech to the school as a former student of KTS. Finally, a song written by the conductor and director of our schools’ Senior Wind Orchestra Mr. Tam Tze Fai, Victor, was performed and dedicated to the school. Our teachers had organized many fun and exciting games for the visitors of all ages to enjoy. We had different game booths placed around the playground and inside the classrooms. In addition to that, English, Chinese and Math exhibition rooms were set up for the visitors to learn more about our school’s curriculum, students’ work and achievements. The School History Room displayed artifacts of the school’s earliest work and materials. Furthermore, we had exhibition rooms showcasing our four Houses and exciting games they had prepared. Finally, we had different student performances throughout the day in the hall entertaining the visitors with their exceptional talents in music,

choral speaking and dancing. Our enthusiastic English Ambassadors were walking around the campus and interviewing visitors and guests to acquire feedback about thoughts and feelings about our Open Day. The 80th Anniversary Open Day is the culmination of all the hard and loving effort invested into our school with the headmistress as our guiding star and moral and educational compass. Thank you headmistress and thank you KTS! We will forever be grateful for your vision and guidance.

Open Day

Snapshots from the Open Day at KTS

For the first time in the history of Kowloon Tong School, our school has collaborated with TWGHs Wong Fut Nam College to create a radio drama script for the RTHK The Sunday Smile Programme. Five of our finest English Ambassadors were carefully selected to join forces with five very talented Form Four students from TWGHs Wong Fut Nam College to work hand in hand to plan, design and develop an intriguing radio drama script about the exciting history of Kowloon Tong School. For six months, the chosen students worked hard to produce a meaningful and interesting radio drama script. The radio script describes a time travelling adventure that goes back to the old days of our school. Two KTS students, Natalie and Jason, accidentally plucked the golden apple which transported them back to the year of 1942. Our heroes had no idea at the time that the school which had just recently been established was occupied by the Japanese soldiers. Two students from the past, Rainbow and Sam helped Natalie and Jason find their grandparents, despite all the adversities, so they could all return safely back to the spring of 2016. Students working on this multi-skill-intensive learning project were given a unique chance to partake in a breakthrough activity, which was to learn the necessary skills required to successfully produce a radio drama and perfom it on live radio. Throughout each stage of the development, students cooperated and collaborated together to acquire a broad range of skills which incorporated many different aspects of radio drama acting. The process goals attained were reading/writing, listening/speaking, analyzing/problem solving and collaborating which was the overall focus of the project. Finally, 30th March, the big day that everybody was waiting for had arrived. Our students’ hearts were filled with excitement and anticipation knowing that after months of hard work and preparation, it was time to perform and show the RTHK listeners how creative and imaginative our students are. After their performance, a great sense of accomplishment and pride was achieved. The show was aired on 15th May at Radio 3, RTHK and it immediately became a huge success.

RTHK The Sunday Smile Programme

UK Study Tour 2015

Our Very British Summer Holiday! Last summer, the headmistress, two teachers and 16 students experienced an absolutely amazing 16-day study tour around the United Kingdom. Once the KTS group arrived at Heathrow airport, they excitedly made their way straight to the world renowned Clifton College where they unpacked and got themselves ready for what would be the beginning of an incredible and exciting summer journey around Great Britain. This fully-packed itinerary included visiting some of the most popular and internationally famous tourist attractions in the country. To mention only a few, the group went on an exciting London and Oxford excursion, visiting some of the most famous and well-known landmarks in the country such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the British Museums. On other days, students had fabulous day outings to interesting places like Cardiff Castle, Stonehenge, Bristol Zoo and even the all new Harry Potter Studio. Below are two brief descriptions about some of the places visited on the UK study tour: On Day 5 of their first week, the group travelled far to Wiltshire, England to visit and learn all about the iconic prehistoric stone monument built between 4000 to 5000 years ago which is known today as Stonehenge. Throughout the study tour, there was a day out in London where the students experienced riding on the world’s tallest observation wheel called the London Eye as well as seeing one of England’s most famous and beloved icons Big Ben just to name some of the wonderful sights they saw. Furthermore, each and every day, students would be entertained with fun and interesting activities for everyone to enjoy such as, having BBQs, playing English sports, bird watching, making cup cakes, watching movies, taking part in talent shows, making handcrafts and going to school discos. After returning back to Hong Kong, three students were asked to write about the wonderful things they experienced on the UK study tour.

I joined the 16-day UK study tour during the summer holidays. We had loads of fun and

we met new friends from different countries. Among all the activities, I liked having classes

and doing exciting and interesting group activities the most because we got to know and

communicate with students from Spain, Turkey and Switzerland, etc. We also discussed the

topics together actively. The special activities like feeding the owl and painting our faces also

made the trip wonderful and unforgettable. The sightseeing part of the trip is well-organized

and I found very detailed explanations of the historical background information. I would

recommend this trip to everyone as you can get away from it all, explore and broaden your

horizons.Wong Chak Kwan,

Thomas (6A)

This summer, I joined a study tour which was held by Cliffton College. We visited Stonehenge, the British Museum, the famous Oxford College, etc. I met a lot of friends from different countries such as Spain, Swizerland and Italy. We participated in a great variety of activities such as playing hide and seek which was

totally different from the hide and seek we usually play. I also learnt some new circus tricks and some common grammar mistakes to avoid. I miss my new friends in the UK. I hope I can see them again. I recommend this trip to anyone who loves meeting new friends and wants to learn English.

Tsui Tsz Him (6A)

Last summer was a really unforgettable and special experience because my schoolmates and I went to the UK on a study tour which lasted for 16 days from 7th to 22nd August. During that time, we visited different scenic spots and museums. At the museums were many artifacts; there were as many as the stars in the sky. We also visited Cardiff, Bath and Warner Bros. Studios. I loved Buckingham Palace because it was truly amazing and

grand. The ornamentation on the palace was marvellous

and we were all fascinated by its design so we gazed at

it for a long time. This was a wonderful tour and I would

recommend this trip to all the students in KTS.

Chan Man Wing, Carly (6B)

Together with the local English teachers, the Native English teachers always strive to create a rich English learning environment to help build students' love for language learning. This year, the NET department has implemented a new reading programme — Novel Study — for P3 to P6 students to take advantage of the elements in novel, such as plot, characters and themes to arouse students' interests in reading.

Here's a list of classical novels for our P3 to P6 students this year.

Teachers find ways to help students connect the literature to their own lives in order to make the novel study meaningful. Through the study of novels, students interact with literature actively as they participate in the various activities that introduce the elements in novels.

Elements in NovelsCharacters and Character Development:

In most novels, there is the protagonist (the main character who experiences the conflicts caused by the antagonist) and the antagonist (the character who is the opposing force in the story). These characters can be dynamic (those who go through a personality change due to the events in the story) or static (those whose personalities do not change throughout the story).

As a character encounters conflicts, engages in challenges, overcoming some and succumbing to others, his/her personalities and abilities change or the character becomes more mature as a result through the course of the story, it is called character development. Character development often unlocks the novelʼs meaning and the important life lessons that the author wants the readers to learn.

Novel Study

Shared and Independent Reading Sessions

P3 1. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, adapted by Diane Wright Landolf2. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, adapted by Les Martin3. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, adapted by Cathy East Dubowski

P4 1. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, adapted by Cathy East Dubowski2. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, adapted by Judith Conaway

P5 1. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen2. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

P6 1. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Plot Diagram:

Understanding the plot diagram, that is the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution of a story helps students visualize and identify important events in the story.

Making Connections:

Students make connections between the novels and their own ideas, experiences, and knowledge. This engagement lets them relate previously known concepts to the new ones, analyse the author's messages critically and prepare for their roles in the society and in the world. The connection can be divided in 3 categories: ̔Text-to-Selfʼ, ̔Text-to-Textʼ and ̔Text-to-Worldʼ.* * Keene, E. O. & Zimmerman, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

3. ClimaxThe Plot Diagram

1. Exposition 5. Resolution

2. Risi

ng Acti

on

4. Falling Action

Text-to-Self: What does this reading remind you of? Does any part in the text remind you of something in your own life? How can you relate to the characters in the story?

Text-to-Text: What does this remind you of in another book you have read? How is this text similar to / different from other literature you have read?

Text-to-World: What does this remind you of in the real world? How are the events in this novel similar to / different from the things occurring in the real world?

Theme

The theme of a piece of literature can be described as the life lesson that the author wants the readers to learn. It is usually not explicitly written out in the story. Students need to make inferences to identify the theme(s) of the novel. Students practice critical thinking skills, contemplate the plot, what the characters say or do, the conflicts in the story and other parts of the story in order to discover the theme(s) of the novel.

There are many treasures in novel study that could change the way how readers perceive life and even the world. It’s important for children to read not only to develop their literacy skills, but to broaden their minds, be exposed to different ideas, and develop their own meaning in life.

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax,

all you need is a book.” Dr. Seuss.

Consultants: Headmistress Yeung Mee Kuen, Vice-headmistress Leung Yee Wah

Committee members: Ms Tong Ka Wai, Miss Che So Yin, Mr Kwan Chi Kin Mr Louey, Ms Jojo, Mr Whittle, Ms Tena

Address: NKIL 2721 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong

Tel: 2336 3802

Website: http://www.ktsps.edu.hk

Contact: info@ktsps.edu.hk

It seems that everybody’s question these days is how to feel great, get fit and be healthy. Let’s start with healthy eating first. After all, as someone worded it cleverly, we are what we eat. However, does that mean that your body will start resembling a broccoli you just had for lunch, you may ask yourself? Not to worry, you won’t turn into a French fry after eating one, but your body won’t be thankful to you for all that oil and salt you’ve just fed it

with. Think about the nutrients that your body needs to grow healthy and strong. Choosing a variety of whole, unprocessed foods will give us the optimum amount of energy and a daily dose of vitamins and minerals needed to perform at our best every day. Our cells are literally made from the food we eat and the water we drink. Have that in mind every time you choose what to eat and drink. There is a reason why processed food is also called “junk” food. It is because it’s not good for you, to say the least, it is actually very harmful

to people’s health. With that being said, here are some rules to follow in general, if you want to be a healthy and happy KTS student.

• Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal. Try to have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, two fruits and three vegetables of different colour.

• Get active every day. Physical activity is very important for our overall health and well-being. If you’re fit and strong your body can do all the things you want to do, such as playing and running around with your friends.

• Have a positive mindset. Having a positive mind can have a profound impact on our health. It is also said that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles. Positive people tend to have more physical activity, follow a healthier diet and generally enjoy a longer and happier life.

• Choose water as your drink and healthy snacks in between the meals. Drink water every time you feel thirsty. Around 60 percent of our body is water and that water needs to be replaced every day. If you drink soda drinks and juices loaded with sugar you are not giving your body what it needs, which is clean and pure water. Also, choose healthy snacks, such as nuts and fruits and avoid snacks that are high in sugar or fats.

Follow these simple tips and you’ll be well on your way to being healthy, fit and strong.

Be a Healthy KTS Student