AISHK Lion Rock 2019 Term 2 Volume 31

Rock

THE LION

AUSTRALIAN iNTERNATIONAL sCHOOL hONG kONG tERM 2 2019 | vOLUME 31

Meet Henry Choi

Our first Alumnus to enrol their child at AISHK

One School Q & A with the diverse AISHK Community

2019 sECONDARY Students share their stories from around the globe

Community Spotlight

Get to know the students and families of AISHK

chinese Week @ aishk Students celebrate a week of culture and curriculum

BACKYARDS, BUCKS & BUBBLES

An alternative guide to housing & currency If you’re from Australia, lived in Australia or just visited Australia, you know that housing matters. Housing is approximately 60% of Australian household assets.

From reality TV to the Reserve Bank and Darryl Kerrigan - Everyone has a view about housing. And if you live in Hong Kong, what about currency?

In this seminar series, we ask you to forget what you think you know about Australian housing and the Aussie dollar. Our economics and investment expert Dr Isaac Poole will take you through an alternative look at what really matters for these major markets.

Dr Isaac Poole has worked in central banking, risk management, institutional investing and wealth management in major firms in Australia, the UK and Hong Kong. As Chief Economist at NSW Treasury Corporation and Head of Capital Markets Research at Willis Towers Watson, Isaac covered the Australian dollar and the Australian housing market for major global investors.

Isaac holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sydney in NSW, Australia. Isaac’s PhD had a significant focus on optimal selling mechanisms for the NSW housing market. Isaac has also studied at the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of Tasmania in Australia. Isaac is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® holder through the Investment and Wealth InstituteTM.

Please click below for event booking

Breakfast Seminar Tuesday 9th July – 8.30am-9.30am AustCham Business Center, Central Lunch Seminar Wednesday 10th July – 12.30pm-1.30pm AustCham Business Center, Central Evening Seminar in partnership with The Wine Brothers Thursday 11th July – 6.30pm-8.30pm The Wine Brothers Tasting Room, Sheung Wan Password for booking: Oreana *snacks and refreshments to be provided at all events.

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Dr Isaac Poole, Oreana CIO

THE LION

www.aishk.edu.hk

THE LION

Rock

Rock Volume 31 | june 2019 @ais_hk

Produced by the Development Office. Feedback and submissions to: development@aishk.edu.hk

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIRMAN

Professor Richard Petty AISFL Board Chairman

On behalf of your Board of Governors, welcome to this year’s second edition of The Lion Rock. As we reach the midway point of the 2019 school year, a reflection of the past ten weeks looks much like the pages of this publication – energetic, varied, exciting, indeed busy - but also very rewarding. A notable aspect of AISHK and its students which I have observed, is their distinct sense of teamwork, even amid the busiest times and in the face of the most challenging of tasks. Examples of this abound at AISHK, from the Secondary Athletics Carnival occurring early in the term, to the tenth Annual AISHK Model United Nations conference “AISMUN X”, held in May. Both events showcased technical skill and camaraderie, with AISMUN attracting over 200 student delegates from international schools around Hong Kong.

The Early Childhood Swimming Carnival was proof that it is never too early to learn the importance of working together, with students from Reception to Year 2 making a splash for many a collective victory. Term 2 saw many events take place which involved broader teams, engaging parents, staff and students alike. Several Secondary curriculum information sessions and parent-teacher interviews took place, whilst in Primary, Student-Led Conferences gave students an empowering opportunity to share their learning with parents, alongside their teachers. Students have learned the importance of teamwork by example, and that much can be gained when more perspectives are taken into consideration collaboratively.

A well-deserved break is in order for all! I wish the AISHK community a safe, relaxing and happy summer holiday and look forward to seeing you in Term 3.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Mr. Mark Hemphill Head of School

I often get asked by prospective families ‘how many of your students are Australian?’

This is such a difficult question to answer, as what is actually meant by this. Are they asking about passport holders, ethnicity, time lived in Australian, parentage?

Being the Australian school there is an assumption that we are all Australian at AISHK, but we are so much more that this. We have around twenty-five (25) different nationalities represented in our school community, whilst seventy-eight (78) percent of our students are Australian passport holders.

Many of our students and their families have lived in multiple countries around the world and although having an Australian passport, have never lived in Australia.

Although this perception is that we can all be painted with one brush, the reality is that we have a rich and diverse community which is international in every sense of the word.

This depth of diversity is something we are incredibly proud of and provides our students with the opportunity to develop important intercultural awareness and understanding.

In this edition of ‘The Lion Rock’ we will be highlighting some of the stories of our different families. We are also very excited as 2019 is a milestone year for AISHK as we have our first second-generation family who commenced with us this year, the Choi family, who feature.

For all families, irrespective of passport, nationality or where you were born, we hope that your time at AISHK becomes a very important part of your story and that you will remember your time at AISHK with happy and fond memories.

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Contents 11

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SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MESSAGES

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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STUDENT Q&A

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AISHK IN ACTION

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ALUMNI UPDATES

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AISMUN X

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AISHK ALUMNI HENRY CHOI

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CHINESE WEEK

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SPORTS NEWS

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ACTIVITY WEEK

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IN MEMORIAM

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AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FOUNDATION LIMITED A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION

Look out for the following icon to watch exclusive video recaps!

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Board Members Professor Richard Petty Board Chairman and Governor

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Mr Tom Corkhill Immediate Past Chairman and Founding Governor

Dr Dan Hooley School Supervisor, Past Chairman and Governor

Dr Joseph Lee SBS, JP Development Committee Chair and Governor

Mr Andrew Macintosh Finance Committee Chair and Governor

Mr Adrian Jenkins Facilities Committee Chair and Governor

Mr Ken Gordon

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Governance Committee Chair and Governor Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Consulate General - Hong Kong

Mr Charles Ng Governor Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Federation of Australian Alumni Associations

Ms Helen Lee

Governor Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. Australian Chinese Association of Hong Kong

Mr Gautam Dev Governor

Mr David Chan Governor

Mrs Tracy Gliddon Governor

Mrs Veronica Monaci

Governor Subscriber and Ex-Officio Governor Rep. AISHK Parent Association

School Leadership Team Mr Mark Hemphill Head of School

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Mr David Christmas Business Administrator

Mr Brendan Kean Head of Primary

Mr Cameron Reed

Dean of Studies (Primary)

Ms Cathryn Moore

Head of Early Childhood

Mr Howard West Head of Secondary

Mr Chris McCorkell

Dean of Studies (Secondary)

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Upcoming Events Term 3 @AISHK iNTERHOUSE vOLLEYBALL 5-9 AUGUST

Jacaranda Mufti Day 31 jULY 3 aUGUST sENIOR fORMAL

sPORTS aWARDS 29 aUGUST

bOOK wEEK 19-23 August

28 aUGUST eUCALYPT mUFTI dAY Father’s Day cELEBRATION (aUSTRALIAN)

Valedictory Assembly

20 September

1 September

Early Childhood Pantomime

11-12 September

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Click Here to Sign Up Now!

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AISHK in Action AISHK Commemorates Anzac Day AISHK students, staff and community were humbled to help to keep the Anzac tradition alive during the Dawn Service in Central and at AISHK’s Ceremony on Thursday 25 April.

Attendees included Australian Consul-General, Ms Michaela Browning, New Zealand ConsulGeneral, Mr Carl Worker and representatives of founding Associations of AISHK. We were honoured to welcome Major Adam Young to AISHK as he addressed the audience during our ceremony. Major Young, currently based in Beijing, has served in the Australian Regular Army for 18 years and has provided active service on deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Timor Leste.

Lest we forget.

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AISHK Celebrates Mother’s Day! The 2019 Annual Mother’s Day lunch was another spectacular event, held on Friday 10 May at Oolaa restaurant in SoHo. On behalf of the school, the AISHK Parent Association would like to thank all donors, sponsors and contributors towards the event – many of whom are AISHK parents. Please find their details below – do keep them in mind for your next event or referral to friends and family.

With more than $45,000 worth of prizes to be won, the raffle provided many a treat for some lucky mums. Back by popular demand, the Heads or Tails game saw a lucky mum win a White Gold Ring with Tear-Cut Amethyst and Diamond Detail Valued at HKD $8,000 – generously donated by Rebacca Jewellery.

The raffle and game were both enjoyable and successful fundraisers for the event with $65,000 raised on the day.

Thank you to all who attended, donated and gave of their time to ensure such a successful event for so many mums in our AISHK community.

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Careers Expo 2019 Secondary students in Years 10-12 enjoyed another informative and well-attended Careers Expo this year. With numerous representatives from various global universities and speakers from a range of professions joining us at AISHK, students gained great insight into their chosen careers and the many opportunities available to AISHK graduates around the world.

The Careers Expo is an important event held for our senior students to help them make informed decisions about both tertiary destination choices as well as giving guidance for their future career paths. Spread throughout the afternoon, students listened to industry insights from lawyers to toy manufacturers.

“With over 20 speakers attending, students had a wide variety of choices to choose from, including lawyers, admissions officers for various universities, journalists, veterinary scientists, university lecturers, CEOs and consulate officers.�

In addition to these speakers, many exhibitors had booths for students to discuss more about specific admissions inquiries and requirements.

Students were able to learn more about their options for tertiary destinations and career paths for their future through this important event. Thanks to all speakers and representatives who gave up their valuable time to attend the 2019 Careers Expo.

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Beijing Shijia Sister School Visits AISHK On Friday 3 May, 64 year 6 students and 8 teachers from Beijing Shijia Primary School spent a lovely morning at AISHK. Beijing Shijia Primary school is a famous primary school in Beijing and has been our sister school for the past 20 years.

In previous years, our Year 6 students visited their school every year during their Beijing trips and, Shijia Primary School has always welcomed us warmly.

“This is the first time Beijing Shijia Primary school visited AISHK and we are very happy that they enjoyed their time at our school.”

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Students joined in many AISHK activities, including Primary Assembly, where they were especially impressed

by Year 5’s camp photos and videos. They spent the rest of the day with our Year 6 students and had a chance to experience our students’ daily school life. The students were given a tour around the school and shared various lessons with our Year 6 classes throughout the morning.

We hope we will have the opportunity to see our friends from Shijia Primary School in Beijing in October during Year 6’s Beijing trip!

Wattle Mufti Day In support of the One Sky Foundation

The 2019 Wattle Mufti Day was a roaring success with $28,000 raised on the day. Students across primary and secondary dressed up to express their ‘wild side’ and celebrate the international day of biodiversity- which is of increasing importance given the present state of the natural world. During the day, students also purchased items from the bake sale and sausage sizzle, which helped to raise valuable funds for the OneSky charity organisation.

OneSky works diligently to improve the lives of young children who have a desperate need for care, attention and most importantly, love. By providing love and nurturing, it is hoped that the children who OneSky support will grow up to be resilient, empathetic and caring adults.

Further information about OneSky can be found here

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French Exchange Students Share Their AISHK Experience En Français

Je suis venue 1 mois et demi à Hong Kong avec une amie dans le but d’améliorer mon anglais.

Nous sommes restés du 10 mai au 22 juin et nous sommes restés avec une professeur.

Cette expérience m’a beaucoup apporté. Le but de ce voyage était évidemment d’améliorer la langue mais également de me donner plus d’autonomie.

Alice Poinsatte and Agathe Fresneau spent Term 2 at AISHK as part of an exchange program. Alice shares her perspectives on this cultural experience.

I spent one month and a half with a friend of mine in Hong Kong to improve my English. We stayed here from the 10th of May until the 22nd of June and we lived with a teacher.

Durant ces 6 semaines, j’avais les mêmes leçons que les autres élèves et le fait d’écouter une autre langue toute la journée m’a beaucoup aidé à m’améliorer.

Au début tous les élèves étaient très timides mais au bout de quelques temps ils sont tous devenus très gentils, autant les élèves que les professeurs.

Tous les jours, on arrivait à 7h et on repartait à 15h30, quelques fois on prenait le bus et le métro.

Ce fut une très belle expérience à travers lequel j’ai pu découvrir un autre pays et ses traditions, on This experience taught me a lot. The purpose was of rencontrait de nouvelles personnes et on pouvait course to improve in the English language, but it gave voir les différences entre ce pays et le nôtre à l’école et dans la vie de tous les jours. me more autonomy as well.

J’ai remarqué énormément de différences entre cette école et la mienne en France. Ici, les classes I had the same lessons as other people and it was sont petites avec approximativement 15 élèves par very good to hear every lesson all day in English. classes alors que dans ma classe nous sommes 35.

Everyone is nice to us; both the teachers and the students.

Les élèves et les professeurs ont une très bonne relation pour la plupart, tous les élèves ont un We arrived at school at 7am and left at 3.30pm, ordinateur alors qu’en France on travaille encore sur sometimes we go home by metro and bus. papier.

It has been a good experience to discover another country and its traditions, we were able to meet new Ce fut une très grande opportunité et je suis très people and see the differences between our country chanceuse d’avoir pu faire ce voyage scolaire. C’est vraiment très gentil de la part de AISHK d’avoir and this country at school and in everyday life. accepté de nous accueillir ici pour 6 semaines.

I noticed that there were a lot of differences in this C’est une expérience inoubliable que je referais sans school compared to my school in France. Classes hésitation. are small here, with approximately 15 students.

In my school in France, 30 to 35 students in our classes is normal. Students and teachers have a good Alice Poinsatte relationship between them and in Hong Kong all students have a laptop, while we still only work on paper.

It has been a really good opportunity and I am really lucky to have experienced this school trip. It is really nice that the AISHK school welcomed us here for 6 weeks.

This is an unforgettable experience which I would do again without hesitation.

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Early Childhood Presents

September 10 - 12

Stay tuned for more details and ticket sales in Term 3 13

World Environment Day World Environment Day, this year held on 5 June, is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. Since it began in 1974, the event has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. Above all, World Environment Day is the “people’s day” for doing something to take care of the Earth. That “something” can be local, national or global. It can be a solo action or involve a crowd. Everyone is free to choose.

Each World Environment Day is organised around a theme that draws attention to a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for 2019 was “Air Pollution”. Every World Environment Day has a different host country, where the official celebrations take place. The focus on the host country helps highlight the environmental challenges it faces and supports worldwide efforts to address them. This year’s host is China.

Here at AISHK, we are all doing our best to take care of the Earth. Earlier this term a schoolwide Sing for the Environment competition was held. Year 6 students Remi Apostolopoulos and Matilda Dear were the winners with their song ‘Change for Good’. To celebrate World Environment Day, we released a sneak preview of the song and music video, showcasing a lot of “something” we at AISHK are doing to take care of the Earth. There is a longer version of the song and video in production and we look forward to sharing this schoolwide project with the wider community in the near future.

What action are you going to take to #BeatAirPollution on #WorldEnvironmentDay?

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Year 6 Australian Stories The auditorium truly became a living museum on Monday 10 June. Strolling through the aisles of this unique moving exhibition, listening to the stories of legends from our present and past Australia and humming along to the soundtrack of some true Australian hits; it really was an experience to remember.

With the implementation of Human and Social Sciences through ACARA and teaching History explicitly, our Year 6 students were the pioneers in this Australian themed project. They presented to our community, a treasure trove of incredible Australians who have made significant contributions to Australia and beyond.

Turning a corner, you could be met with the likes of Cathy Freeman, Eddie Mabo, Edward Hargreaves, Fred Hollows, Steve Irwin or even Ned Kelly. Teachers and parents alike were certainly treated to an informed and engaging presentation in which they learnt all about iconic Australians, some who are far less known than others. Did you know that Mark Oliphant created microwaves? Graeme Clark invented the bionic ear, Mary Mackillop is Australia’s only named saint and Ian Frazer made a breakthrough in vaccines? The list goes

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on: John Flynn, Weary Dunlop, David Udaipon, Vincent Lingiari, John O’Sullivan, Muriel Matters, Mary Lee, John Landy, Jade Haimister are just a few more of the significant Australians that were on show.

Congratulations to the students of Year 6. They have persevered and worked hard throughout this massive project. From the research, note taking, writing, drafting and all of the fine detail that went into making incredibly aesthetically pleasing boards. Each student spoke articulately and confidently about their chosen person and the Year 6 teachers are incredibly proud of you.

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TASMUN 2019

On Friday 26 April, 25 students left Hong Kong bound for the Taipei American School Model United Nations (TASMUN) 2019 conference, held at the Taipei American School. This was the first time AISHK has been to TASMUN and we were all eager to see what it would be like as we have heard a lot of good reports. Any concerns we had we quickly dashed, and TASMUN was an enjoyable experience.

and his left hand and foot being crushed. This meant portions of his limbs needed to be amputated, forcing him to move around on crutches. To hear Mr Ji talk about life in North Korea and his tireless efforts to help North Korean refugees reach freedom shows what MUN is all about.

On a personal level, between staying at an awesomely retro hotel with a first-class ball pit and One of the unique things about TASMUN was its spending countless hours on debates that were both emphasis on the United Nations Sustainable Goals and constructive and entertaining, it was hard to find a seeing how local communities could make a difference downside of the conference. Although awards were at their local level. The conference this year had a not part of this conference, every delegate knew they special involvement with the MUN Impact Initiative. had something to be proud of.

Using the knowledge learnt from the amusing rap of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we had to Overall, this conference has produced fruitful debate, each create our own programs focusing on one of the an unforgettable adventure and a chance for real goals. These programs aim to make a difference around improvement in many countries and cities, across the people’s local areas and help delegates gain a hands- globe. On behalf of all the students, we’d like to thank on experience in solving these issues. Many initiatives Mr Flak and Mrs Cilauro for making this trip possible. have been thought of between the committees, such By Elke Chaplin (8E) and Tom Camo (8J) as; eliminating the issue of cage homes by first tackling the issue of joblessness in Hong Kong or by organising monthly beach clean-ups.

One of the highlights of TASMUN was the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony.

“We were so fortunate to hear from Ji Seong-ho who is a North Korean defector and freedom activist.”

Mr Ji grew up in North Korea and he told us about his experiences living in North Korea and his decision to flee Korea which resulted in him falling off a train

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AISMUNX

11 Schools 250+ Participants 3 Day Conference 16

Conference Theme:

Freedom is Strength, Ignorance is Slavery On the 31 May to 2 June, AISHK hosted our tenth annual Model United Nations conference. The goal of AISMUN is to simulate the real United Nations as realistically as possible. This year, delegates from 11 schools across Hong Kong debated in committees such as the Economic and Social Council, Arab League and Security Council. Approximately 250 people were involved in the participation of this conference, including the delegates, chairs, admins, press team members, the Deputies Secretary-Generals- Madeleine Dudman, Edwina Sze, Matthew Vermeulen, Sophia McKenzie, Emily Kwok and Alice Lunt, the Secretary-Generals- Lizzy Kwok, Ella Bindley and Kylie Lau, and Mr Henryk Flak, our incredible MUN coordinator and director.

AISHK was honored to welcome Ms Jacinta Reddan, Chief Executive of AustCham Hong Kong, as keynote speaker for the Opening Ceremony, and Ms Johanna Koranko, Consulate General of Finland to Hong Kong and Macao, as Guest Speaker for the Closing Ceremony. Both speakers provided inpiration to our audience with their wealth of experience in international relations. Throughout the three days, it was a delight to see topics such as addressing the prominence of gang violence in Latin America, ensuring the protection and religious freedom of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and the aftermath of World War One- rewriting the Treaty of Versailles - addressed in committees. Delegates crafted resolutions (documents that outline facts and solutions on their respective topics) in line with stance of the country they represented. Aside from debate, the Saturday saw an impressive number of skilled karaoke singers belting out various Queen songs while devouring pizza and socialising with newly made friends.

“It was a delight to see topics such as addressing the prominence of gang violence in Latin America, ensuring the protection and religious freedom of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and the aftermath of World War One addressed” The conference was a huge success. Model United Nations gives a range of skills to delegates; not just good social skills and an ability to speak diplomatically, but also the ability to see multiple sides of an issue. Embodying a country, researching their stance while listening to others can improve judgement and widen one’s view of the world, which is invaluable in the world we live in. On a personal note, I truly hope everybody enjoyed AISMUN this year and delegates will continue to grow their love for debating and public speaking.

Ella Bindley Co-Secretary General

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2019 Chinese Week 18

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With a “clash” of the cymbals and a “boom” of the drums, Chinese Week 2019 had begun! Students, staff and parents enjoyed the start of this special week with a lively Lion Dance. Green and gold in colour, the lions leaped and danced to mark the start of this special week at AISHK. On Tuesday, the excitement continued with a Lion Dance workshop. Students soon found out that, in Chinese (Mandarin), the cymbals used during the Lion Dance are called “bo” (钹) and the drums are called “gu” (鼓).

“From dumpling-making and calligraphy to parasol painting and dance classes, students from Reception to Secondary enjoyed many opportunities for cultural learning and to immerse themselves in creative activities in groups, teams and as individuals.”

With plenty of opportunity to interact with the lions and instruments, the workshop also provided students with the meaning and symbolism behind aspects of the Lion Dance, including traditional phrases and greetings.

Wednesday saw a wide range of Chinese cultural activities take place all around school.

From dumpling-making and calligraphy to parasol painting and dance classes, students from Reception to Secondary enjoyed many As you can see from our recap video, there are so opportunities for cultural learning and to immerse many aspects of this week for students to enjoy! themselves in creative activities in groups, teams Thank you to all who contributed their support and as individuals. during the week, especially the parents and By the time Thursday arrived, students were ready families who attended our events and volunteered to proudly wear their traditional Chinese clothing their help. We appreciate your part in creating a to school, making for a very colourful day around wonderful 2019 Chinese Week!

AISHK. Early Childhood students took to the stage for a Chinese Assembly in the morning, showcasing their Chinese speaking and singing skills.

In the afternoon, Year 3-6 students wowed the crowd with a multitude of performances for the Chinese Talent Show, including their very own Lion Dance, comedy skits and singing Chinese songs.

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Activity Week Recap Secondary students have ventured far and wide, as they spread around Hong Kong, through Sai Kung, Lantau, Clearwater Bay, Kowloon and Wan Chai, and further afield to India, Sri Lanka, Paris, the Philippines, Japan (both north and south), Yangshuo and Chiang Mai.

Japan Cycling The Japan Cycling Activity Week trip was a perfect combination of activity and culture. Not only were we able to cycle over 240km of beautiful roads and hills in the span of four days, but since we slept at different hotels each night and rode new paths every day, we also were able to tour a large area of Kagoshima and experience both historical and modern Japanese culture.

After travelling to Japan on the Monday, the real cycling began on Tuesday morning as we rode from Minamisatsuma through Makurazaki and then on to Ibusuki on Wednesday. The rainy weather arrived on Thursday as we took the ferry to Nejimekawaminami but quickly cleared as we continued cycling to our overnight stay in Kanoya.

Dry weather returned for the final stage of our ride,

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which took us around Mt. Sakurajima; one of the world’s most active volcanoes, it erupted more than 400 times last year. Fortunately, we only witnessed a regular, mini eruption!

The cycling itself was challenging, including several steep climbs, but all of the students, and teachers, withstood the challenge, digging deep to reach the top.

During the trip we enjoyed mango curry, visited a surprisingly interesting water bottling factory, ate fresh green tea soft cone-ice cream, and bathed in onsen spas, which was certainly an interesting experience. Overall, the trip was full of personal growth, a cycle of hard work and persistence followed by rewarding scenery and great food.

philippines On the 17 March, 13 students from Year 10 and Year 11 set off to the Philippines for an incredible trip of diving, snorkelling and and wonderful moments that we shared together.

up to 18 metres deep was an incredibly surreal experience, we were able to see a completely different world and acquired a skill we will be able to use throughout our lifetime.

After settling into the stunning Atmosphere Resort on Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a delicious dinner before a night’s sleep to prepare for the next few days. During the next 2 days we completed our skills for our diving certificate in the pool including mask removal underwater, hovering with buoyancy and the 5-point descent among others. Once completing the pool skills section of our certificate, we experienced our first open water dive. We were able to see the most stunning marine life including an extensive array of coral, brightly coloured fish, jellyfish and even moray eels.

In between our dive training we were able to enjoy some great yoga and fitness classes, and we enjoyed relaxing beside the pool whilst taking in the spectacular Philippines scenery.

Before flying home all slightly sunburnt on the 23 March, our final day took us to Oslob in Cebu where we enjoyed time snorkelling with whale sharks on the coast. This was one of the biggest highlights of the trip, it was a breathtaking experience to be so close to such stunning, gentle animals.

Our trip to Dumaguete, Philippines was a spectacular experience to share with each For the next few days we enjoyed the daytime other and a great opportunity to create out on a boat, diving in different sites around memories and connections we will continue the islands. Our visit to Apo Island marked our to value. Such an amazing trip would not have achievement of becoming certified divers, and been possible without Mrs Carter and Mr we were lucky enough to sight numerous green Taylor. Thank you for such a brilliant activity sea turtles throughout our dives there. Diving week.

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hk golf American legend Bobby Jones once said: “Golf is the good humour they displayed in tackling this most closest game to the game we call life. You get bad frustrating of sports was extremely pleasing to see. breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.” As the week unfolded, the group developed a tremendous camaraderie and esprit de corps, regaling For one glorious week in March, AISHK students each other with tales of their best shots and triumphs experienced the full breadth of Jones’ wisdom, as they over meals and drinks in the clubhouse each day. learned to drive, chip and putt at the magnificent (and undulating!) Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club.

The immersion in a golf culture and environment ensured that students came to appreciate the varied Under the expert guidance of club professionals challenges and rewards of this ancient game, with Nathan Goulding and Kingsley Long, our group of many declaring at week’s end that they would pursue sixteen enthusiastic students honed their skills on future opportunities to keep learning the sport. the fairways and greens, with a thoroughly enjoyable time had by all.

Many thanks to all students and staff for a memorable week, and to the wonderful staff at Clearwater Bay For many students, this was their first time on a golf Golf and Country Club for making us feel so welcome. course, and the determination, resilience and

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India The plane took off under the relentless sunshine around midday and landed late evening in the bustling land of India. Eyes wide with a sparkle behind them, we boarded the bus. Soon after, tiredness took over and soon enough we were laying on our hotel beds, eyelids feeling heavy.

Not only did we get to go rafting, we also got the chance to zipline several times across the Ganges.

Some of us felt a rush of adrenaline, while others felt calmer, like time had slowed down. The air rushed past our faces as we admired the spectacular view, suspended under the cable by a single rope.

The next morning, we visited a local market in Delhi where an assortment of colourful fabric products were on show. Soon after, we were on another flight to Dehradun. The bus rides were filled with hours upon hours of music that both the teachers and students could enjoy, played over the speakers which we brought.

To our delight, our trip coincided with the Holi festival in India, where we all had lots of fun throwing and plastering handfuls of coloured powder onto each other. Even the tour guides could not escape from our wrath and ended up like us, covered in colours. There was simply no escaping.

On behalf of all the people who went to India, I would As part of the adventure, we had a highly fulfilling like to thank Mr Murphy, Ms Carini and Mr Stoevelaar time at the Divya Prem Sewa Mission, a school and for making this a highly successful and enjoyable trip housing for the children whose families were affected filled with learning and new experiences. by leprosy, a highly stigmatised disease in India. We played cricket with the children and, quite frankly, had trouble trying to beat them. We tried our best and ended up tying with one game won and one game lost. The same day, we got to experience a safari in the Rajaji national park. Though the animal turnout was rather low, it was still a fun experience to ride in the jeeps with friends.

We had a great time rafting for two days of the trip.

Between the raging rapids were calm sections of the river that allowed us to safely push each other into the water. On certain rapids, we could stand up on the edge of the rafts in an attempt to balance. Quite often, one of us would fall over, taking down with us half the people in the raft.

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Japan Culture The Japan Culture Tour was an exciting and relaxing tour where a group of students, consisting of eight Year 10 students, six Year 11 students and four Year 12 students, toured Japan and learnt about Japan’s culture and history.

Throughout the trip, we picked up some of the Japanese Language such as “Thank You” （ありがとう）(arigatou), “Excuse Me”（ すみません）(sumimasen), “Hello”（こんに ちは）(konnichiha), “Good Morning”（おは よう） (ohayou) and “Good Night”（おやす み）(oyasumi).

We visited many sites including the KiyoMizu Dera Temple, Fushimi-Inari shrine, Golden Pavillion, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, Osaka Castle and Sumo District.

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We meditated in the Daisen-In Temple, took part in a Samurai Kembu Theatre, watched how Japanese tea was made, viewed Japanese comedies, dances, music and puppet show. We made our own unique cup noodles and took a bullet train from Osaka to Hiroshima and back.

On behalf of the Japan Culture Tour group, we would like to thank our tour guides Ms. Fumi (ふみさん), Ms. Minako（みなこさ ん）, and Mr. Ezaki（えざきさん.

And on behalf of the students who participated, we would also like to thank Mrs. Lulu Zhang for her wonderful leadership and Mr. Chris McCorkell and Mr. Caleb Mui for their amazing support and guidance throughout this trip. This trip was truly an exciting trip and one to remember. Thank You.

Paris Armed with big suitcases and indistinct French phrases, we touched down in Paris bright and early at 5:30am on a Sunday morning. Spending our first day getting to know our generous host families, we practised our best French (bonjour!), and observed our families’ habits and lifestyles. In the Parisian suburbs, we experienced a typical French Sunday lunch with the families, and strolls through alluring markets.

brief tour of Paris’ Louvre, home of the renowned ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Venus de Milo’.

We took the opportunity to visit Notre Dame and the extravagant Palace of Versailles. Once home to the monarchs of France, its dazzling painted ceilings and stunning gilded architecture were jaw-dropping.

We then went shopping!

Our last full day in the City of Love was packed with Monday dawned with a cold breeze of two degrees, visits to the beautiful Musée D’Orsay, followed by so we sat in the comfort of our bus. Driving past the Musée Marmottan Monet, which boasted many famous monuments of Paris (The Paris Opera, the Monet pieces. Finishing off the night with a group Arc de Triomphe etc.), arriving at the Eiffel Tower, dinner, we hastily devoured our French crepes. This a panoramic view of Paris was at our disposal. The was a cheerful ‘fin de sejour’ as we gossiped and cream-coloured streets were #photoready, as we reminisced, dreading the flight home. posed with friends, taking the requisite snapshots.

We were also given another perspective of Paris, We are extremely grateful for the wonderful host passing the beige blushed parades of Parisian families who made us feel welcome in their homes. houses from the River Seine aboard the “Bateaux One of the host family’s daughters and her friend Mouche”. will be also will be joining us at school for six weeks in May and we hope to present them with an The next two mornings were filled with French experience matching the incredible one they gave language lessons, beginners learning helpful us. Many thanks to the teachers who accompanied phrases, and those who had been learning French and cared for us whilst we were travelling, and to practising their skills with a local teacher. We spent our parents who made this fantastic experience our afternoon roaming Montmartre, exploring the possible. famed Sacré-Coeur basilica, after experiencing a

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Japan Skiing During Activity Week 2019, 38 excited Year 12 students embarked on a week-long whiteknuckle ride getting up and down the fierce and daunting snowy slopes of Niseko, Japan.

During the week, we encountered all manner of climatic conditions, as we moved from balmy sunshine, to driving rain and finally and most poetically, beautiful heavenly snow!

During the course of the week, we had to work as a group in our lodgings, to ensure everyone had a good, cooked breakfast before setting out for the mountains of Niseko for the day.

Additionally, it was important we stayed on top of the cleaning chores, for we were never quite sure when and where the teachers would be around to do their spot checks of the apartments!

or snowboarding, as the week progressed.

There were so many highlights during the week. There were some spectacular tumbles, and we all had so many bumps and bruises to regale each other with! One major highlight was definitely being lucky enough to night-ski and to feel our skis and snowboards cut through the icy conditions that night-time brings to the slopes of Niseko. It was also great to bond with our classmates over dinner and back at the lodges, playing cards or watching movies after a long day on the slopes.

On behalf of all the students who went on the trip, we would like to sincerely thank Mr McGunnigle, Ms Livermore, Ms Crawford and Mr Freer for organising the trip, putting up with our antics and allowing us to make memories We were very lucky to have the expertise of to last a lifetime on our fantastic final Activity the Niseko Black Ski & Snowboard instructors Week trip! who took us in groups and provided guidance in a safe, yet fun-filled manner, which enabled By Natalie Kehoe & Pamela Murphy everyone to enhance their skill levels in skiing Year 12

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Sri Lanka This trip provided AISHK students with a taste of Sri Lankan history, exposed them to Buddhist influences in the country, and gave them an opportunity to test their physicality and nerve in the surf.

The highlights of the trip for many were the surfing and stand-up paddleboard activities.

Skills were quickly mastered, and students got to experience the larger, clean green waves “out back”. With fearlessness and tenacity, our students did themselves proud in taking on the First stop was the walled-city of Galle. Rich in elements and were totally stoked as they dropped colonial history, with Dutch and Portuguese into impressively sized waves. influences dating from the 16th century, students The glorious glamping facilities at Camp Poe were got the chance to understand some of the recent our home from home for the week. This jungle gem, history of the island. They also got the opportunity and its amazing staff once again provided AISHK to have their senses awakened through visits to students with amazing hospitality. From their local spice and tea plantations – the cornerstone delicious vegetarian cuisine to all the activities of Sri Lanka’s colonial heritage. they co-ordinate, their services go beyond just accommodation and a strong relationship with Students experienced influences of the local the school has been firmly established.

Buddhist culture through many of the camp activities. Varied yoga classes brought wellness to A beach clean-up was a great opportunity for the body and mind. They were challenged mentally students to give back to the community and and physically from practicing headstands to remind them of the care and respect we need channelling their inner animals. They also got to have for mother nature, to ensure future to try their hand at mandala style artwork and generations can have similar experiences. participated in a drumming circle.

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Hong Kong Secondary Activity Week is a time of the year all secondary students always look forward to. It gives us a chance to step out of our comfort zones and make new friends whether it is by going abroad or by staying here in Hong Kong. This year, Year 7 attended San Shek Wan the YWCA Youth Camp. This wonderful trip was coordinated by the team at Dragonfly.

We started our journey by taking a 40-minute bus ride from AISHK to Mui Wo Sports Ground on Ngan Shek Street, Mui Wo. There, we were introduced to our instructors and group members. On that day we participated in several team-building activities and later made our way to YWCA, where we were treated to a hearty barbeque and we made ourselves at home in our cabins with our friends. The fun didn’t stop.

There was always a new adventure just waiting to show itself as each minute went by.

The activities that we as a grade enjoyed on this camp were kayaking, canyoning and hiking. Kayaking gave us a new perspective on adventure and the ocean, as we learnt about PFD safety and how to be responsible with other people. Canyoning brought us to the valleys where we learnt how to work together overcoming challenges and building closer relationships among the jagged rocks. Hiking taught us about perseverance and how to never give up even in the toughest of situations.

Overall, this camp was great. Thank you to all the people who made this camp possible: the AISHK Staff, the team at Dragonfly, YWCA and all supporting staff behind the scenes. I think I can speak for everyone in Year 7 when I say that this was one adventure that we will never forget.

By Baxter Fuge 7J

Yangshuo Endeavouring, adventurous and cultural. Three perfect words to describe our trip to Yang Shuo during activity week. Whilst overcoming challenges and stepping out of our comfort zones, we have learnt and experienced many new things during our trip.

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The experience in Yang Shuo was a truly spectacular one, from boarding the newly installed bullet trains from Hong Kong to Guilin to getting soaked from head to toe in a mud pit during caving. Not only did we have fun with the activities, but we also got to Adaptability, problem solving, and teamwork were learn lots about local culture. Visiting a local school, our three main focus points set for the week. No farming and attending a cooking class opened us all matter how scared, anxious or worried we were, up to new perspectives and taught us appreciation we pushed through our fears to get to the end line. and communication skills.

For the following days, we were involved in many different activities: caving, biking, cooking, climbing, A huge thank you to Mr Skellern, Mr Flak, Mr farming and visiting a local school. Through all these Campbell and Ms Xu for making this trip a memorable activities, we maintained our three focus points and and enjoyable one! by the very end of the trip, we had achieved our goals.

Chiang Mai The excitement buzzed through the air as half of Year 8 stepped off KA232 into sunny Chiang Mai. We all arrived at the Prem International School, Tradios and got ready for the amazing week ahead of us.

On the first day, our group was split into two separate groups and each went to the separate activities. Group two was hyped to go ziplining but unfortunately this was cancelled as the weather wasn’t quite up to standards. So, while group 2 headed off to the 3D art museum, group 1 headed to the Elephant Retirement Park where we fed and gave the elephants a mud bath. Later that evening group one watched a movie, Pacifier. In a separate room group two took a Thai lesson about culture, religions and traditional clothing.

knowledge and research about Thai culture. While group one was doing this, group two headed to a local village to learn about their culture. They learnt about medical herbs and plants, traditional foods of the Karen people and making natural dyes for wool. Both groups arrived exhausted and well educated.

On day three, group 1 headed to a local school and completed some community service. We painted the school cafeteria and interacted with some of the students, we taught them some dances and games which brought smiles on their faces. While group 1 was busy painting walls and dancing, group 2 learnt how to cook three traditional dishes. After cooking up a storm and then inhaling the three fresh dishes, they did another Great Race. When both groups met back at the school, we jumped The second day, both groups rose early for their into vans and headed to Khantoki shopping. We activities. Group one learned more about Thai got Hennas, fish massages and many peculiar culture by having a cooking class from local Thai products. After two hours of shopping we headed people. Through this they learned about the back half asleep and slept through the next day. traditional ways that the meals would be made and enjoyed a delicious meal. While group one On the last full day of Chiang Mai, group two ate, Group 2 revisited the elephants and bathed headed off to community service and finished off and fed the elephants. This was the highlight of the painting while group one was mountain biking. the trip for many of us. Learning and interacting Along the 6 kilometres we saw lots of crops and with elephants was an incredible experience to farm animals. Half way through, group two piled in remember and would be remembered for a lifetime. vans and drove to the ziplining course, having an Group one headed to the ziplining course, we had amazing time which gave them an awesome time magical views and a huge adrenaline rush. After all concluding the trip. the excitement we headed back and participated in a “Great Race” which involved teamwork and As Year 8 flew back to Hong Kong, they knew that determination. There were multiple activities that they would never forget this memorable trip. we had to face which included eating bugs, general

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Year 9 AYP After the 2019 AYP expedition, Year 9 can safely say that we don’t find school bags heavy anymore.

Throughout the experience organised by Outward Bound HK, the six groups each hiked at least 30km, with one of the groups even completing 43km.

Along with the hiking and tenting, Year 9 mastered camp crafts, navigating and orienteering. Through cooking our own meals, participants found how hard it is to cook for a group of hungry people. We all experienced the thrill of jumping off a 3m tall jetty, though some of us needed a bit of encouragement.

With bricks for bags, and blistered feet, Year 9 had to be hopeful and persistent in climbing up and clambering down mountains. Although the goal was to sleep in tents at camping sites every night, a few groups, on separate occasions, bivvied in pagodas and tented on beaches.

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We had a variety of group leaders, from different ethnicities, of different ages and even ranging levels of experience. All of the instructors were fun and knowledgeable, but also looked after our safety above all other things, making our experience as enjoyable as possible.

Overall, our AYP experience comprised many rewarding and enjoyable aspects, but also very gruelling and exhausting experiences, which drew members of the groups closer together, bringing out strong character strengths of each participant.

By Briana Tran 9H

Martial Arts of the instructors, but we quickly realised that we were being taught by highly commended professionals that were far from disciplinarians.

Under the careful instruction of professional Muay Thai fighters and Hong Kong’s first Chinese Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) black belt, we were guided with encouragement and professionalism in achieving basic proficiency The 2019 Hong Kong Martial Arts course took in each form on our first day. place in Week 8 of Term 1. Eleven students from Year 10 and Year 11 were joined by three Over the course of the week, we also learnt teachers, and all the participants experienced the basic skills of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), ten distinctive martial arts over the week-long Capoeira, Taekwondo, Karate, Kalis, Krav Maga, course. The aim of learning a martial art is to and stage fighting. However, one of the biggest improve physical agility, as well as strengthening highlights was our evening with martial arts one’s overall defence against unfavourable students at the PHAB centre in Wong Tai Sin. circumstances. Originating from all over the The PHAB (Physically Handicapped and Able globe, vastly diverse cultures and traditions Bodied) Association is a non-profit organisation have, over time, influenced these physical arts. which provides taekwondo coaching for In the introductory sessions for each discipline, students in wheelchairs. Our evening was participants learnt and practiced various enjoyable, memorable and moving as we techniques, and the instructors also gave brief were given the opportunity to practise martial overviews of some of the historical and cultural arts and share experiences with the other influences of each method of combat. participants at their weekly training session.

On our first day of training, we were greeted Overall, our 2019 Activity Week experience by the cool breezes of Hong Kong’s cloudy was very enjoyable, and we highly recommend weather. As we arrived at Muay Thai Station others to participate in Hong Kong Martial Arts! gym in Wan Chai, we initially felt quite daunted by the professional boxing ring and stern faces

By Tommy Lau 10H

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Community & Spotlight

QA

The spotlight turns onto the families of AISHK! Read on for a glimpse into many of the varied paths that led these families to Hong Kong and AISHK, and their different perspectives about this vibrant city As Semester 1 comes to an end, new families also share with us how they have found their time at school and their new surroundings so far.

Cowney Family

Please tell us a bit about your family and what brought you to Hong Kong.

We moved to Hong Kong in January this year due to my husband’s work transfer. Our kids were aged 6 and 4 at the time and full of excitement about the move!

Was there anything that particularly surprised you about Hong Kong when you arrived?

As for most people who first arrive in Hong Kong, the cost of living was a shock to the system, even though we’d had a fair idea about prices already. For instance, we hadn’t fully appreciated the price hike in basic groceries like dairy and meat compared to Australia. The other unexpected thing was the presence and often unpleasant attacks of the sand flies, but we are now finding solutions, such as applying Neutrogena oil as repellent. Pleasant surprises include the efficiency of public transport, how safe the city feels and how open and friendly the expat community has been.

Tell us a bit about your new neighbourhood in Hong Kong/What do you like to do as a family during weekends in Hong Kong?

We live in Mid Levels very near the Ladies’ Recreation Club or LRC. We are members of the LRC and spend a lot of our time there on the weekends. We all play tennis and there are many family tennis events organised by the Club. For instance, yesterday my daughter and husband won the Father and Child aged under 8 tournament, and they are both very proud of their trophy! If not at the LRC, we love hiking and exploring new neighbourhoods of the city, relaxing by the beach or socialising with friends.

Are there any friendly tips you would share with families new to Hong Kong?

If you’re thinking of not taking something from Australia (or other home country) because ‘you can buy it in HK later’, do take it because chances are it will be unavailable or much more expensive here!

What do you think sets AISHK apart as an international school/what drew you to AISHK? Many things come to mind: teaching excellence and facilities at the school create a very good baseline, but it is the fact that children are always put first, that the school’s community focus and inclusivity make it really easy for new families to settle in and the generally lovely atmosphere around the school grounds that sets AISHK apart.

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Hobson Family Please tell us a bit about your family and what brought you to Hong Kong.

We, Ellen and Peter Hobson, are both longterm Hong Kong residents and a Hong Kong love story, having met in a Soho bar while watching the Wimbledon finals almost 12 years ago. Ellen has been in Hong Kong for 23 years and is a group scout leader for a scout group based in Sai Kung. Peter is an ex-shipbroker, who has been here for 15 years and recently completed a History MA at CUHK. Do you have any tips/advice for those that are new to Hong Kong?

Immerse yourself in Hong Kong’s rich culture, sights and smells and when the buzzing intensity of the city gets too much, explore the hills and waters around Sai Kung, the garden of Hong Kong. Set yourself a goal to hike different stages of the Maclehose Trail, or spend a day out on some of its pristine beaches, such as Tai Long Wan or Trio. Its such a busy city, it’s important to find balance and invest in your own health and wellness.

Take time out for a foot massage or sail away on a junk for the day to get away from it all.

What do you love most as a family about living in Hong Kong?

We live in Sai Kung which has a lifestyle very similar to living in Australia. We love Sai Kung’s lush greenness, Lions Nature Education park, and accessibility to hiking trails, kayaking, camping, and local community sports such as Stingrays rugby club and netball. It’s very hard to beat the views across the water from the balcony at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club – especially with a glass of wine in hand!

What do you think is the most unique aspect of AISHK as a school/what drew you to AISHK? AISHK is a very happy school. You only have to witness the happy melee as the students spill out of classrooms at the end of the day and start playing on the field with no inclination to leave the school at all! In addition to its solid academic and sporting profile, AISHK has a real commitment to developing student character and wellbeing. It’s a very friendly and supportive environment: Gemma and Jeremy have settled in the blink of an eye and we feel very privileged to be here.

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Karanko Family Please tell us a bit about your family and what brought you to Hong Kong.

My son Onni (Year 11) and I arrived in Hong Kong last summer. I was nominated ConsulGeneral of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao from September 1, 2018, but we arrived early to make the start of term 3. We moved to Hong Kong from Helsinki, Finland where we lived for five years. My work as a career diplomat has taken us regularly to live abroad. Prior to our home posting in Finland, we have lived in New York, Paris, Strasbourg and Geneva.

Onni’s father and brothers live currently in mainland China so it is easy for them to see each other.

Was there anything that particularly surprised about Hong Kong when you arrived?

We both knew that Hong Kong was a big city, the New York of Asia, but we were surprised with the amount and easy access to nature in the city. The country parks are a real gem.

Another thing that surprised us and that we were impressed with was the fantastic public transport network and smooth transfers. Even though Hong Kong is still in many ways environmentally unsustainable, having most people use the great public transport network is a good step towards a more sustainable and carbon-neutral lifestyle.

What do you think sets AISHK apart as an international school in Hong Kong?

Even though AISHK is quite a large international school, it still maintains a friendly and welcoming small school atmosphere. The AISHK staff really make an effort to make all students thrive and judging from the results of the graduates the encouraging approach is very successful. The AISHK campus is great –modern, functional and well located near public transport which makes the school easy access from many parts of the city. Also the high school does not seem to have some of the problems other Hong Kong international schools have. We enjoy being part of the AISHK community and can warmly recommend the school to other internationally mobile families.

Tell us a bit about your neighbourhood in Hong Kong/What do you like to do as a family during weekends in Hong Kong?

We live in Mid-levels. Mid-levels is quite conveniently located half-way between Central and the Peak. Even though we are not on the Kowloon side of the city, it only takes 30 minutes to get to school in the mornings with our building shuttle and MTR. The only problem related to the location is that most of older AISHK students seem to live on the Kowloon side, and hence, meeting friends is only possible during weekends.

Our home is very close to the hiking trails up on the Peak and hiking is actually something we like to do as a family on weekends.

We also enjoy sampling the variety of different cuisines available in Hong Kong and walk down to Central or Wanchai on weekends for lunch or dinner and like to take the mid-levels escalator up.

Are there any friendly tips you would share with families new to Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is an international city that it is easy to integrate into.

Hongkongers are used to foreigners, and hence, it is easy to get to know also locals and not live in an expat bubble.

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Celebrate 70 years of flying to HK

2019 marks the 70th Anniversary of Qantas service between Hong Kong and Australia!

Our first regular service to Hong Kong commenced on 26 June 1949 via Darwin and Labuan. Today, we have 4 daily non-stop flights connecting Hong Kong directly to not just Sydney but also Melbourne and Brisbane. Just this past December, the first Qantas Dreamliner also joined the Hong Kong to Australia route, opening an exciting new era of travel for everyone here.

Watch our anniversary video and take a journey with us to explore our past, present, and future.

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Q&A Session with our STUDENTS

C

A. Jacob, Year 1

I like writing, reading and swimmming this year

B. Feena, Year 3

A

I like lunch because I love food!

B D

G E

F

C. Monty, Year 3

I liked cross country because it was really fun to run around

G. May, Year 6

My favorite part of this year was cross country

D. Tianna, Year 5

I enjoyed art because we got to draw ourselves on a wooden board

E. Jed, Year 3

I liked going to the library because I enjoy reading books

What has been your favourite part of school this year?

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K. Briana, Year 9

I think my favourite part of school this year has to have been on the Beijing Netball trip seeing as it is most likely my last time attending the tournament and I enjoyed it immensely.

K

J. Daniel, Year 10

My favourite part of school this year was performing for the SEAMS charity fashion Show

J

H L

I

H. Luke, Year 9

My favourite moment this year was Activity Week because I got to experience another side of Hong Kong with my friends

F. OIiver, Year 1

My favorite thing is music because I get to play music

L. Isabelle, Year 5

I like recess and lunch because I get to hang out with all of my friends

I. Prue, Year 11

My favourite part of school this year has definitely been Activity Week. I went to Sri Lanka and it was 100% a trip that I will never forget.

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AISHK Alumni Reunions

The 2019 Alumni events were attended by many familiar faces with graduates as recent as the class of 2018 all the way back to those that taught at AISHK in the early 2000s.

their cohort along with regularly meeting up.

A common theme between both Melbourne and Sydney reunions was the complaints about Australian public transport! Some of the alumni also complained about the ‘quietness’ of Sydney The night was filled with many success stories in comparison to the constantly bustling and high about the ease of transitioning into university paced Hong Kong life. and life in Australia. Recent alumni commented on how they all felt that their experiences at “It was most encouraging to hear the AISHK had prepared them well for their transition alumni all speak so fondly of their time to university and that the education they had received as international students living in Hong at AISHK, how much they enjoyed Kong was vastly different and far richer in many living in Hong Kong, and to see that ways compared to their university peers who had many of them have made life-long been educated in Australia. friends from their time at AISHK.” In addition, many students also expressed how many of them still keep in touch with others from

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- Mark Hemphill

Calling AISHK Alumni!

Do you have a story to share?

Are there any exciting updates?

Share your stories with us! alumni@aishk.edu.hk The Alumni Association serves as a platform for former students and current and former teachers and staff to stay in touch with each other, the school and the wider school community. It gives participants a chance to continue to be a part of each other’s lives and share in their successes as well as opportunities to network.

AISHK Alumni stay connected to their former classmates and the school via a number of means, including our Lion Rock magazines, visits to the school and our annual reunions held in Australia and Hong Kong.

The Association also supports the development and advancement of Australian education.

We warmly invite all past AISHK students to become members.

Visit AISHK Alumni on Facebook.

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AISHK Welcomes Its First Alumni Enrolment In this issue of The Lion Rock we celebrate a special milestone. We are pleased to introduce Henry Choi, AISHK’s first alumnus to have a child at enrolled at AISHK! Henry’s daughter, Hannah Choi started in Reception this year. Henry attended AISHK for his entire Secondary education, from Year 7 (1999) to Year 12 (2004). Join us for our Q & A with Henry as he reflects on memories of his time at AISHK, and the next generation of his connection with our school.

Q&A With Alumni Henry Choi From your previous experience of AISHK, what aspects of the school played a part in choosing AISHK as a learning environment for Hannah?

The school’s focus on student well-being has been my key reasons in choosing AISHK as a start to Hannah’s learning life.

The Choi Family: Anna with Austin, Hannah and Henry

Quick Facts Family Status

A father of two children named Hannah and Austin, who were born in 2015 and 2018.

Further study/University after leaving school

I graduated from the bachelor of Commerce major in Finance and Information System at University Of New South Wales.

What is your occupation/industry area/ career path since leaving school?

I worked in the manufacturing field at Calbee Four Seas Company as a management trainee in Hong Kong for one year after university graduation. I joined in my family business after leaving my first job in 2009, manufacturing garment accessories in Shenzhen, China.

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During my life at AISHK, although the resources and facilities in Cheung Sha Wan campus were very limited, the learning atmosphere was still positive as teachers and staff had been caring, supportive and thoughtful to individual student’s development.

What attribute do you hope Hannah will leave with having studied at AISHK? I hope Hannah will have positive attitudes towards different aspects of life. I also hope Hannah will be a caring person to her friends and family.

What do you think sets AISHK apart and makes it different from local schools?

Compared to local schools, AISHK provides a balanced learning environment which it encourages students to develop their own characteristics. In addition, students are encouraged to join more extracurricular activities and community services that I believe will help Hannah with her lifelong learning.

Were there any specific skills or “tools for life” you gained at AISHK which you were able to utilise in your life after school?

I would say mainly communication skills as I have got the opportunity to interact with people from different cultural background in a global community at AISHK. This allows me to effectively understand people’s perspective and ideas in any circumstances.

Do you have any funny/fond memories of your time as a student at AISHK? School life is full of memories and good memories always inspire me how to become a better person in life. One of the best memories I had in AISHK was my first participation in volunteering program at Crossroads Foundation Hong Kong where I got a chance to know students from other international schools and worked together in the warehouse. After my first participation in volunteering work, I continued to actively join different kinds of community services until my high school graduation.

Are there any specific staff/teachers who you particularly remember, and why? Have you gotten in touch with any of them recently?

Mr. Chris McCorkell – He was my class teacher during my last year of my high school life. His charisma with the wooden guitar on the stage had always been very attractive to students and parents in AISHK. Mr. Howard West - He was my interviewer when I applied to enter AISHK in Cheung Sha Wan in 1999. Strictly speaking, he was actually the first person I knew in AISHK and was the one who guided me to the Year 7 classroom on my first day.

What are you looking forward to most about having a new connection with AISHK? As a parent, I would love to have similar kind of connection I have had as a student with AISHK. I look forward to join fundraising activities, sports carnival and community service with Hannah as I personally think these are the most enjoyable parts of my school life with AISHK.

Henry’s Year 7 Class Photo

Class of 2004 Henry, front and centre in his Year 12 class photo

2004 School Prefects

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NEWS

Secondary Athletics Carnival

Rain greeted the PE staff on 2 May as they set up for the 2019 Secondary Inter House Athletics Carnival held at Kowloon Tsai Park. However, with this carnival being a major fixture in the school’s year-long House competition, everyone had eyes cast skyward, wishing the rain clouds away.

As students made their way to the venue, the rain certainly did begin to clear. Students streamed into the Athletics stadium in their House shirts with some added colour in the form of some fun fancy dress outfits – everything from a blue T-Rex to green tutus – and an eagerness to compete.

Field events ran throughout the day, with many students displaying the skills they had developed in PDHPE classes during Term 1. High jump was a particular draw-card for spectators with impressive heights scaled throughout the day.

The track events kept chief starter, Mr Pilgrim, and his timers busy across the day culminating in the 100m sprints and relays. The feature event for the 100m sprint is the Year 12 dress-up race which again showcased some impressive House-coloured outfits.

The day was won by Eucalypt House under the leadership of Mr. Stoevelaar. Special thanks to the other House Patrons, Mr Campbell, Mr Skellern and Mr Bailey, who encouraged their students throughout the day. Thanks also to Mr Tait, Mr Boon and Mr Pilgrim for assisting in the planning and organisation of the day, as well as all the secondary staff who helped in the smooth running of the day.

Finally, congratulations to all students for their enthusiasm for the carnival. The following students produced fine results on the day in several events culminating in age-champion accolades.

12-13 years Girls 1st - Hope Spiller - WH 2nd - Avani Ahulja - EU Boys 1st – George McDowell – EU 2nd – Thomas Busby – JA 14-15 years Girls 1st – Lorraine Tang – WT 2nd – India Knowling – JA Boys 1st – Oscar Chaplin – EU 2nd – Alex Prendergast – WT 16-18 years Girls 1st – Petah Mallios – JA 2nd -Pamela Murphy – EU Boys 1st – Temana Short – WT 2nd – Max Walker – JA

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AISHKTV

SDRC Basketball AISHK was proud to host this years SDRC Basketball Tournament involving schools from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

As part of this event, and crucial to the success, we thank all our homestay hosts for catering to the 80 students from China who come to compete in the 11th year of SDRC tournaments. As hosts, we entered two girls’ teams and one boys’, all who performed exceptionally well. Congratulations to our coaches, Mr Pilgrim, Mr Morgan and Mr Wookey who gave all our athletes the best opportunity to perform to their potential.

AISHK Boys Basketball The SDRC boy’s basketball team displayed a high level of skill, teamwork and grit to fight through their 5 pool games undefeated. All players executed important roles for the benefit of the team and contributed to important minutes on the court.

Since the inception of the SDRC competition in 2008 AISHK had not been victorious in the boys’ part of the draw. Whilst AISG had dominated the competition over the preceeding years AISHK had a clear game play for the championship match. Nullifying AISG’s scoring power with stifling defence and our ability to pass long in transition AISHK boy’s claimed their first ever SDRC Basketball title.

AISHK Girls Green Basketball The SDRC girls’ basketball team went into the competition with low expectations and a bit of doubt that they could make it through until the finals. But with the focussed trainings and support from friends, family and coaches, they managed to make it into the finals. Winning 4 out of 5 of their pool games they entered into the high-tension final with confidence, and missed first place by only two points. Although they were very disappointed, the girls were extremely proud of their efforts, for some their last SDRC tournament. A huge congratulations to all the players for all the efforts involved in this competition.

AISHK Girls White Basketball The AISHK Girls White team came into this year’s SDRC tournament relatively inexperienced with many players playing in their first ever competitive games of basketball. It was a great learning experience for all of the team who really bonded and improved across the course of the 7 games. Built around their athleticism and a competitive attitude the team managed to put all of our opponents under pressure throughout all of our games. It was pleasing to see each of our players showcasing some impressive improvement and game play across the weekend. The team finished in 4th place out of 6 teams with some highly competitive games in the Semi Final and 3rd/4th Play off which demonstrated just how far the girls had come. Given more time to practice and work on our skills this will be a team to be feared in the future.

A huge thank you to the girls and boys for their excellent attitude and hard work across the tournament as well as the amazing support provided to the team by their parents, friends and AISHK staff.

AISHKTV

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Stingray’s Swim Meet AISHK sent our Junior and Senior swimming team of 33 swimmers to the Stingray’s Invitational Swim Meet at Hong Kong International School in Tai Tam from 10th to 12nd May. The meet was three days long and 13 schools and swim clubs from overseas joined such as those from Tokyo, Philippines, Korea, and China.

The team started their races on Friday afternoon, and it was a good warm up session for our team to complete the 200m Individual Medley (IM) and 4x50m Medley Relay.

On Saturday morning, Bernice Siu won the Bronze medal in the 10-12 years age group for 200m Breaststroke. Lorraine Tang followed shortly after, winning the Gold in the 100m Backstroke in the girls 13-14 years age group. She also won Silver in the 100m Freestyle. Alistair Chan won Silver in the 100m Backstroke in the boys 13-14 years age group. He also won Bronze in the 100m Freestyle.

For Saturday afternoon’s session, our team performed extremely well. There were more and more Personal Best times (PB) for our team. Lorraine and Alistair won gold in their 100m Breaststroke events.

On Sunday morning, we finished off the Stingrays Meet with Lorraine winning gold in the girls 50 f/s in 27.72 seconds. In the 13-14 years boys 50 f/s, Alistair finished with 26.53 second hitting the wall in the first place to take the gold medal. Also, our fastest swimmer, Temana Short finished with 25.13 second in the Boys 15 and over the 50 f/s event and got the Silver medal. The most exciting event was the 4x50m Freestyle relay at the end of meet. Our 14 and over years boys team with Temana Short, Connor McGrath, William Phillis, and Henry Phillis got the Silver in the 4x50m Freestyle relay. And this is the last year for them to swim together as a relay team. It was a very wonderful and memorable time for them.

At the presentation ceremony, Lorraine received her trophy for the 13-14 years girls’ age champion, while Alistair received a trophy for 1st runner-up in the 13-14 years boys’ age group. The thirty-three AISHK swimmers finished the meet with five Gold, six Silver and ten Bronze medals.

Well done, everyone! Although this meet was long and tough, our effort was worth it and it is a good experience for swimmers to learn from each other throughout the meet.

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Interhouse Basketball

Another exciting interhouse competition took place in Week 3 with students all across secondary cheering for their respective Houses. Students put on a show of their basketball skills throughout the round robin competition being played from Monday to Thursday. Players and student spectators showed House spirit throughout the round robins by enthiusiastically supporting their teammates on the sidelines.

With teams battling it out for spots in the finals held on Friday, Eucalypt eventually earned spots in all of the senior and junior finals while Wattle gained places for both senior events to join them. Finally, Waratah took the remaining two junior spots in the finals.

On Friday, the finals were played out through the afternoon. The junior girls’ game was close with Waratah eventually coming out as victorious by a margin of less than five points. The junior boys game saw a bombard of scoring by both Eucalypt and Waratah with basketball players Issac and Cheuk crossing and ankle breaking opponents. Eucalypt pulled an early lead and the lead remained throughout all the way until the final buzzer, earning Eucalypt a victory.

The senior girls’ game was extremely close between Eucalypt and Wattle with neither team willing to allow the other to score. After four quarters, the Eucalypt senior girls hit crucial layups and pulled away with a narrow victory.

The senior boys’ game saw Eucalypt competing against Wattle in a fierce battle. However, Eucalypt pulled away with an early 11-0 start and Wattle struggled to comeback, leading to Eucalypt’s victory both for the senior boys and the interhouse basketball competition overall.

Congratulations Eucalypt!

All students are commended for their demonstration of skill, sportsmanship and support during the 2019 Interhouse Basketball Tournament. Many staff and teachers also volunteered their support for which we are very grateful.

AISHKTV

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Dulwich Netball Under 15s The Under 15s AISHK Netball team went into the Dulwich College Beijing Spring Cup Competition with a numbers of years’ experience behind them. Many of the girls have been involved in this tournament since primary school, and were just as enthusiastic as ever to don the green and gold and represent AISHK. Limited training time meant that some combinations had not been tested, but with the depth of talent across the team, we were confident that we would be able to meet the demands of competition. Day one saw the team stamp their authority with solid wins over Wellington International School Shanghai and Dulwich College Suzhou.

Day two was a series of finals between two pools. AISHK again showed their dominance with smooth and swift transitions down the court and sharp attacking moves. Defensively, the team were able to employ a number of court presses that we developed during training sessions to make quality turnover.

AISHK again put on a strong display in the final beating Wellington International College, Shanghai 19-6. The final was a whole team effort with all players contributing to a solid win.

India Knowling, Charlize Taper and Ellen Christmas were rewarded for their efforts, being named in the All-Star team.

Kath Ellis | Coach U15 Under 13s Gold The Under 13 Gold Team arrived in Beijing with a squad of only 8 but the enthusiasm of 18 players! U13 Pool B had us up against five other schools from the wider China area. Day 1 we played four games enabling us to rotate our players to have only one half off the court. This saw some players playing out of position but suitably rising to the challenge and realising their potential. Our first game against Dulwich College Beijing A (who went on to win the U13 title) we lost 7-5, while our second game against Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong A we lost 16-1. After a well-deserved lunch break we played the British School of Beijing and won 10-2 followed by a win against Wellington College Shanghai B 6-0.

Going into Day 2 we were sitting in the middle of Pool B facing our last pool game against Wycombe Abbey International School who had also won two and lost two games. It was a good match which saw us lose by only one goal, 10-9. At the end of the pool games we were sitting in 4th place in Pool B and facing a match against 3rd place from Pool A. Wellington College International Shanghai A proved to be too strong and we lost the game 7-4. Our final game was against Wycombe Abbey International School, a rematch we were looking forward too. Unfortunately, we were unable to reverse the result and as Murphy’s Law would have it, we lost by one goal again! We placed 8th out of the twelve U13 teams. All Star Player of the Tournament was Abby Forster who played hard and fair in all seven matches. The U13 Gold Team played an outstanding tournament and will come back stronger and better for it next year.

‘Go the Golden Roos!’

Kiely Murphy | Coach U13 Gold 46

Under 13s Green After only 4 weeks of training the U13 Green AISHK netball team came together and did amazingly well in our annual netball tournament to Beijing. With 12 teams competing in the U13 age group, U13 Green were able to secure 3rd place overall which was just fantastic! With only one loss on Day 1 to Dulwich College Puxi, U13 Green went into Day 2 at the top of the ladder. With an extremely tight semi-final that went not only into extra time but also to ‘golden goal’ to determine the winner, it was an exciting and nail biting game, but unfortunately Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong came out trumps beating us by that one goal. All the girls played their best, they showed excellent sportsmanship and formed some lovely friendships with players from the other teams. It was a hot, fun, fast, tiring and wonderful netball tournament which saw the girls gain wonderful experiences both on and off the court. Congratulations to Angelina Valentine (Year 8) for securing the coveted ‘ALL STAR’ cap for consistently showing 100% effort in every game. Well done Angelina and to all the girls in U13 Green! Fantastic effort.

Mandy Mansbridge | Coach U13 Green Under 11s Gold Up, up and away! We were off to literally a flying start to our Netball Tournament in Beijing. The athletes were abuzz with excitement, and a few nerves, as we landed, ate then settled into our Hotel rooms. The girls laid out their Netball kit for a full day of play and tried to have a good sleep.

The sun was shining, as we arrived at the courts, the players were in awe of the huge dome which was to be the home of all things Netball for the next few days. After settling into our space, the U11 girls started to warm-up and get prepared and play for what can only be described as a dominate start to the competition with an 18:0 win in our first game against DCIS. We followed this will 2 more great games against DCB 10:3 and DCSPD 9:2. A change of pace by JESS school Dubai ended up with a score of 1:17 where they showed some nifty court plays and challenged our AISHK fighting spirit.

After regrouping on the morning of Day 2, we forged ahead with another win against WCIS 12:0. This was the conclusion of our Pool Rounds. We had made it into the 1st Round finals after being placed 2nd in our pool. With an unfortunate loss against JARR, Dubai 9:3 we moved to the playoffs for Bronze. The girls were on fire throughout the final match in Beijing. They played their hearts out, chased down every ball, contested every rebound and with precision passing came away with the Bronze Cup, beating DCSPD A 7:4.

Awards: Bridie Benfield – Consistently Best Player on Court A big thanks to all of our parent crew who travelled to Beijing. We loved your cheering, tattoos, presents for other teams and your support.

Congratulations to U11 Gold for being a credit to yourselves, your school and your families.

Joanne Reed | Coach U11 Gold 47

Under 11s Green The Under 11 Green team proved that they will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come. Being the youngest overall of our travelling teams to Beijing for the Dulwich Spring Cup, they were always going to have to work hard and dig deep!

After a few weeks training together, and many of the girls doing ECAs and club training together, they were certainly up for the challenge.

After rotating players and testing a number of combinations, the team started to find the groove coming away with three wins out of six in their pool matches, with some losses being by minor margins.

With the whole team contributing to our success, we enjoyed a great few days of netball in what for many was their first international sporting trip. Sophie Flinn was recognised for her fabulous shooting statistics and efforts by being nominated for the All-Star team.

Miss Joanne Spencer | Coach U11 Green

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U13 & U11 Rugby

Dulwich Rugby

The U13 & U11 Rugby Tour to Beijing saw 21 players lock horns against other international schools from throughout Asia as well as the Middle East.

The first day saw a nervous start for both teams as they began to develop structures and confidence in contact. Four games of rugby in a day is a huge ask for anyone and in the 37 degree heat with high humidity it was an awesome effort from all of the players and both coaches to have both teams firing late on day one and starting to play their best rugby.

Day two saw both of the teams really hit their straps with the 11’s showing some great attacking flair and the 13’s dominating teams with their defence. In the final games of the tournament both sides found themselves in the 3rd v 4th playoff. The U 11’s showed some champagne attacking flair and some real grit to survive a late comeback and win by a try against a well organised Dulwich Shanghai team. The U13’s turned in an effort for the ages, despite a meagre 30% of possession AISHK defended with discipline and determination and the 4 tries to 1 victory probably does not reflect how dominant their performance was.

Both teams securing a 3rd place finish is a pleasing result against some strong opposition.

Special mention to young guns Xavier Gyngell and Kingston Hoffman who played up to assist the U13’s who had played the majority of the tournament with no subs.

The All Star team nominations were hotly contested with many students being eligible for selection.

However, in the end William Holt (U11’s) and Sebastian Gyngell (U13’s) emerged as worthy recipients of all star selection for their outstanding work on the field and sportsmanship.

Congratulations to coaches Price and Wnek on some impressive team performances across the two days and with such a young playing group there is already some excitement and anticipation ahead for the Beijing trip in 2020.

Andrew Wookey| HPE Teacher

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In Memoriam Theodore Vasilopoulos

Vale Theodore Vasilopoulos: 1999-2019 AISHK alumnus: Graduating Class of 2018 As we commenced Term 2, our school community was devastated to hear of the death of Theodore Vasilopoulos during the April holidays. Theodore, who graduated in 2018, had fought a valiant battle against cancer since 2015.

Theodore was greatly loved by his teachers and his classmates. He was a true inspiration for us all; a gifted linguist, a lover of History and a devoted and passionate Greek.

Although struggling with a debilitating disease for many years, Theodore was an exceptional student who achieved outstanding academic results in the HSC. Consequently, Theodore was awarded a place at the prestigious King’s College in London in the Bachelor of Arts programme to study History. Sadly, Theodore was not able to take up this amazing offer.

On Wednesday 15 May we honoured Theodore with a Memorial Service at AISHK which we have recorded and included here.

Those who had the privilege to know Theodore were incredibly lucky. Our lives are richer for this experience.

We will always remember him for his sense of humour, his positivity, his tenacity and resilience and for being a remarkable young man who no doubt would have been the leader of Greece sometime in the future.

Howard Lau Vale Howard Lau: 1999-2019 AISHK alumnus: 2009-2017 Sadly, Howard’s life passed last month. He brought enthusiasm and joy to the daily life of his friends and teachers and is warmly remembered for his passion for flying and aircraft. Howard initiated the AISHK Aviation Club in his senior years of school and promoted their activities to other students who had an interest in an aviation career.

As a successful graduate, a loyal friend and engaging student, Howard will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.

In Howard’s honour: “just draw a star and look up to the sky”.

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