& White Spring 2019 | Issue 6
Inspire Excellence My Three Years at the Helm Cultivate Character Farewell to a Legend Empower Engagement Going Green
To inspire excellence, cultivate character, and empower engagement locally and globally.
Welcome Note It is bittersweet to be writing my last welcome note in Red & White. I’ve had the pleasure of being Head of School at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) for three wonderful years now, and this school community never ceases to amaze me. While it saddens me to be leaving CDNIS, I am incredibly proud of the strides forward made in the last three years. I hope you’ll enjoy reading my extended reflection on my time at CDNIS, as well as how I see the school progressing in the future. As you will be aware, plans are already afoot for improvements of CDNIS. As a school, we are not content with resting on our laurels, and we are constantly looking at ways to keep apace with the changing world. Strategy 2021, our strategic plan, sets out many of the improvements. Two core projects which are detailed in these pages include the Grade 6-8 Transition and the new Early Years Environment. Bringing Grade 6 students into our revamped MYP fold will be crucial in addressing their unique educational needs, and I know that the new Early Years space will be a stimulating environment for the youngest learners at our school. I trust that everyone in our community will take the time to read these articles and stay abreast of new developments at CDNIS, innovations which will take our school to even greater heights.
& White Editors Marie Baird Melanie Hnetka Design and Art Direction Tiffany Lam Photography CDNIS Communications Department Upper School Media Team Story Tellers David Baird Robert Dacho Zoe Heggie Tim Kaiser Chris Niem Smriti Safaya
A special thanks to all the students, faculty and staff, Administration, Board Members, parents and alumni who are featured in these pages. For any questions or comments, or if you have a story you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to contact the Red & White editor, Melanie Hnetka: melaniehnetka@cdnis.edu.hk
CDNIS is an incredibly diverse community, and I hope that you will enjoy reading about some of the highlights of the second term in these pages. We are proud of all of our graduates, especially the select group of 18 students who have been with us since our inaugural Pre Reception class! You can read all about their journeys at CDNIS. This issue also marks the end of an era, as Catharine Ho packs up her easel. Take a look at what she has to say about how CDNIS has changed during her 25 years at our school. I could not have pictured a more satisfying end to my formal career in education than the one I’ve experienced on Nam Long Shan Road. After 37 years as an educator, I’m returning to Canada to give retirement a try! From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank the entire CDNIS community: students, parents, teachers, support staff and the Board. It has been my great pleasure to serve the school community and I’ll be watching your future progress with affection and great interest. David Baird Head of School CanadianInternationalSchoolOfHongKong @CDNISComm @cdnishk @cdnishk cdniseduhk company/canadian-international-school-of-hong-kong
Contents 04
Inspire Excellence 04 My Three Years at the Helm David Baird reflects on his time as Head of School 06 Transitioning to the Upper School Explaining the shift to a five year MYP programme 08 Leaving the CDNIS Nest Students reflect on their 15 years at CDNIS
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10 New Early Years Environment A new learning space for our youngest students
12 10 Cultivate Character 12 Music to Your Ears Learn more about the unique music department at CDNIS 14 Farewell to a Legend Catharine Ho puts down her paintbrush after 25 years at CDNIS 16 Renewable Energy Grade 6 students dig deep into renewable energy solutions 18 SEASAC Tennis Glory CDNIS Boys team triumphant in Jakarta 20 CDNIS at the IB Conference Students and teachers wow audiences
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Empower Engagement Locally and Globally 22 Going Green What are the green initiatives at CDNIS? 24 Wearable Art Fashion Show Students imagine the future in interdisciplinary project 26 Fun For All Ages Find out more about the varied offerings at the CDNIS summer programme 28 Photovoltaic Farm Harnessing the energy of the sun on CDNIS’ roof
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29 An insight into RBC Upper School students explore a career in finance
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04 | Inspire Excellence
Watch David’s farewell video.
MY THREE YEARS AT THE HELM David Baird reflects on his time as Head of School It’s hard to believe that Marie and I are nearing the end of three busy, rewarding years at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS), and I approach retirement with mixed feelings. There’s so much we’ve loved about our international lives as educators, but grandchildren and family await us back in Canada. A reality of being overseas for so long has been missing family events and not seeing grandchildren grow. Now it’s our opportunity to spend time with these four and give our own children a break from the daily demands of parenthood. When CDNIS opens in the fall, we’ll be starting a three-month camping trip across North America pulling our teardrop trailer and visiting friends, relatives, and former students spread across Canada and the United States. That’s the first of many plans on our growing bucket list. When I first walked into CDNIS in May 2016, I felt its potential. Even after those difficult times, all the ingredients for a high performance educational institution were still in place and this has been reinforced time and time again during my tenure as Head of School. The teachers are skilled, the administration team is committed to excellence, the B&O staff are dedicated, parents are involved, and the Board of Governors has been so supportive, allowing the administration team to
get on with the job. And all around us, were the students - some of the most driven, talented and committed of any student body I’ve ever worked with. I truly enjoyed time spent out of the office with students: on the water with the sailing and rowing teams, on hikes and overnight expeditions with AYP students, with younger students on the 9/F playground, and with the construction crews that built the sets for the Upper School plays and musicals for the last two years. I may be an administrator, but working with students is what I love most. Once a teacher, always a teacher!
Inspire Excellence | 05 When people ask what’s given me great satisfaction during my time here, it has to be seeing the community regroup and reestablish its route, rebuilding trust and getting everything and everybody pointed in the right direction. Was it an easy task to reset the course of this institution? No. But out of every crisis is an opportunity and it’s been amazing to see how CDNIS has emerged far stronger in many respects than ever. And this was possible because everyone worked together, with the aim of resetting our course. It was very affirming to achieve so highly with the CIS/WASC and IB evaluations.
And as well, I’ve taken pleasure in getting people and processes charged up about redeveloping the physical structure of CDNIS. First and foremost, schools are about people. But while a great culture and tone can exist in any physical setting, no matter how flash and modern (or tired out) the buildings are, it helps to have a great location and access to the resources that comprise CDNIS. The physical setting and the associated feng shui of CDNIS inspire awe and admiration, but just as parents like to renovate their homes and add new appliances and lighting, schools also must change and remodel to adapt to advancing pedagogies and technology and we certainly accomplished a lot in the last 36 months. Redesigning the Science Wing and other corridors, building the carpentry workshop and The Hive, creating the Design Studio and Bistro, adding the composting machine, establishing new music practice rooms, and altering offices – these opportunities have been creative outlets, and fun to undertake! I need to thank the CDNIS Board, the Premises Committee, and the Finance and Administration Committees who have been so supportive and enthusiastic to allow these projects to move be realized.
Looking ahead, there is a new photovoltaic installation occurring this summer on the Lower School Tower and LLAC roofs (the second largest solar installation on Hong Kong Island), additional corridor redesigns, and the building of the Early Years Environment (EYE) to look forward to when school opens in August. There’s a facilities usage plan being completed that examines how we currently use space in the school, as well as suggesting some visionary projects that will be revealed in the fall. A new Upper School Vice Principal will help us as we transition Grade 6 into the Upper School, while a new Director of Advancement will come on board and look to re-energize the Annual Fund. I’m sure you’ll warmly welcome them both and offer your support, as well as your new Head of School, Jane Camblin.
CDNIS is a very special school. In our years as educators, Marie and I have been in many great schools, but we have certainly treasured our time here as unique. I want to wish all the parents, Godwin Hwa and the Board of Governors and Members, teachers, staff, and students our very best in the years ahead. Marie and I will miss the energy of Hong Kong, the connections established, and the pride of progress being made at CDNIS. We have been so fortunate to be part of the growth within this community and I want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve. Good luck and please, keep in touch. And if you pass through White Rock, British Columbia, do contact us. We may be out sailing or camping or canoeing or pursuing new adventures we haven’t even thought of yet – but we would love to stay connected!
06 | Inspire Excellence
TRANSITIONING TO THE UPPER SCHOOL Explaining the shift to a five year MYP programme By Tim Kaiser, Upper School Principal From August 2020, Grade 6 students at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) will move to the Upper School and begin their first year of the IBMYP Programme. Thus, the MYP Programme at CDNIS will become a 5 year programme, aligning our IBMYP programme with most schools in the world. Grade 5 will then become the culminating year of the PYP. Next year, Lower School teachers will be preparing both Grade 5 and Grade 6 to transition to the Upper School in 2020. There are a number of very important reasons behind this change. First of all, in recent years, research in neuroscience has shown that adolescence is a crucial time for brain development, providing an exciting window of opportunity for learning. In fact, adolescence is a time when the brain is actively remodelling, making new connections and pruning connections away that are under-used or under-prioritized. Furthermore, the way that students use their brain in adolescence will determine the structure of their adult brain. It is therefore
imperative that schools provide opportunities for adolescents to make valuable connections in their learning pathways through the following means: • a safe and stable classroom environment. • constructive, social interactions with adults and peers. • support from teachers and counsellors who know them well both as students and as human beings. • development of family and community ties • enhancement of self-esteem. • development of self-management, decision-making skills, leadership skills, independence, and responsibility • making learning engaging and relevant to their everyday lives. • building learning around real-world problem-solving. • moving them from the concrete to the abstract through exercises in critical and creative thinking. • emphasizing physical activity. • providing opportunities for experiential learning.
Inspire Excellence | 07
Our challenge at CDNIS has been to create a programme that aligns with our students’ needs, with the understanding that every school environment and school culture has nuanced differences. At CDNIS, we are better situated than most schools to create and celebrate a ‘one school’ approach as the student leaves the PYP, transitions to the MYP, and then to the DP. The IB leaves these transitions to individual IB schools to effect, but as stated in our Strategic Plan: Strategy 2021, our task has been to address these transitions and to provide a springboard from one programme to the next that propels our students to greater success.
To date, our students have been exceptionally wellprepared to meet the challenges that lie before them. In education, however, we always seek to reflect and improve and Strategy 2021 has given us the opportunity to reflect on our programmes and practices to address how best to meet the needs of the CDNIS learners in Grades 6 to 8. We will be adopting several adaptations to our existing programme beginning in August 2020 that will put our students on an even higher path to success. Here are some of the adjustments we are investigating as we continue to review our current practices and consider exciting opportunities for the future: • Grade 6s will have an 8-week adjustment period from the PYP in which their first eight weeks in the Upper School look very much like their last eight weeks in the Lower School. • create a transition in which the final time in Grade 8 will look more like Grade 9. • renovate hallways, classrooms, and multi-purpose
spaces on Levels 8, 7 and 6 to give this group a clear identity in CDNIS and create a greater sense of belonging. • move to interdisciplinary teaching teams in which a core teacher e.g. a teacher of both Humanities and English and a second teacher of Science and Math will provide academic support as well as social and emotional support as teachers come to know their students better through greater contact time. • create a schedule that allows for stand-alone subject teaching along with interdisciplinary teaching for the occasions when interdisciplinary teaching affords a richer and more authentic learning experience. • create a schedule that provides the ideal class length for this active group of learners (e.g. 60 minutes). • create opportunities for self-directed, personalized learning through a scheduled block such as LearningX. • create opportunities such as LearningX and regular assembly times to focus more specifically on the development of self-management and executive functioning skills and on the cultivation of good character. We have been pleased to share these ideas and exchange opinions at a series of consultation meetings involving parents, teachers, board members, and students. We will also welcome Ms. Nathalie Millette in August 2019 as the new Upper School Vice Principal of Transition Years Grades 6-8. Nathalie will have a year to work with us prior to the launch of the programme in August 2020. We are very excited about these developments as they uniquely meet the targeted needs of the young adolescent learner at CDNIS!
08| Inspire Excellence
LEAVING THE CDNIS NEST Students Reflect on their 15 years at CDNIS As the inaugural Pre Reception class walked through the doors of Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) in 2004, the group of three-year-olds began a journey of discovery and learning which they could not have dreamed of. This year, 18 members of this Pre Reception class will walk across the LLAC stage to collect their diplomas, culminating their 15 year journey at CDNIS. The school is so proud of how these students have grown throughout this time, as they leave their Nam Long Shan nest and spread their wings to fly to destinations new. To commemorate this milestone, CDNIS organised a surprise for this select group of students. As luck would have it, their teacher in Pre Reception, Gillian Little, is still teaching at the school! The reunion with Ms. Little took place in the very same classroom where their CDNIS adventure began. The school even printed off their class photos from 15 years ago, including large posters of the students’ individual portraits. The 18 students gasped with shock as memories came flooding back when they entered the classroom, and Ms. Little was there to congratulate each one of the students with a warm embrace. This was a lovely occasion for all
involved, as they took trips down memory lane and reminisced about their early years at CDNIS. After posing for photos, the students were invited to reflect on their time at school, and how it has shaped them into the person they are today. Enjoy reading a selection of their stories here. Empowering engagement locally and globally is at the heart of the vision and mission of CDNIS. Vance, one of the 18 students, has realised his full potential through
Inspire Excellence | 09 taking photographs around the world during Experience Weeks, hosting Model United Nations at CDNIS, and exploring new parts of Hong Kong through the AYP. Vance would not be the person he is today without having grasped the many opportunities to engage with the community around him in Hong Kong and beyond. He plans to study at the University of Exeter on a full scholarship after graduation. “There are many student led initiatives where students can start their own projects,” Vance adds. “The school specialises in giving students opportunities, and it’s something that I’m very grateful for.” Participation, enjoyment and success is the motto for the CDNIS Timberwolves programme. Playing on a T-Wolves sports team forms many of the most cherished memories for students, and for Eugenie, this was no different. Among the highlights of her time at CDNIS are singing in the Forum with Alan Dick, beloved Lower School Principal, and striving for victory with her volleyball and touch rugby teammates in Hong Kong and abroad. “I’ve never really seen this place as a school, it’s more like a second home,” said Eugenie. “Even though people in the school come from different cultural backgrounds and the school is very welcoming to everyone, there is definitely a ‘Canadian vibe’.”
and helpful about their subjects, but also encourage students to pursue interests outside of the classroom.” Jackie has a place to study musical theatre at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and he credits the visual and performing arts programmes at CDNIS for allowing him to discover his passion for the arts. “Through the school I was able to be a part of theatre, music, and art clubs, all of which helped me decide to pursue musical theatre,” he said. “My counsellor has also done a great job of helping me pursue my college dreams and getting me excited for the next adventure.” Reflecting on the impact that CDNIS has had on his life, Jackie chose to evoke the Canadian classic Land of the Silver Birch to bid farewell to the place that so many students have called home: “If life were a river, CDNIS would be my canoe. From making lifelong friends to learning about the world and what it has to offer, I have drifted through beautiful scenery and experienced wonderful adventures. Now, leaving this school, all that’s left to do is ‘dip dip and swing’.”
The close knit community at CDNIS has fostered many relationships which students treasure. Some of the friendships formed at school are ones that will last a lifetime. Charlotte, who plans to study economics at a university in the UK, cites these relationships as one of the things she will miss most about our school. She reflects that the group of 18 students, and others in the class of 2019, have diverse interests which have been fostered by the teachers at CDNIS. “The school has a really good balance of academics and extracurricular activities,” she said. “Teachers are very knowledgeable
Relive the surprise party!
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NEW EARLY YEARS ENVIRONMENT Learn more about the new learning spaces for our youngest students By Zoe Heggie, Lower School Vice Principal August 2019 will see the opening of Canadian International School of Hong Kong’s (CDNIS) fully modernised, refurbished Early Years Environment (the EYE, as it will be known). As part of the school’s strategic plan, Strategy 2021, multiple stakeholders have been looking at ways to maximise the use of all the learning spaces in the school. The Early Years classrooms were seen as ripe for redevelopment due to their age and inconsistency of size. The EYE will be a fantastic new learning area for Pre Reception and Reception students, fully customised to suit the learning needs of those ages. This idea was further supported by an ever-expanding body of research about how young children learn best. The concept of flexible open learning spaces, plus small breakout classrooms, has been gaining traction in the arena of early childhood education as being optimal for very young learners. CDNIS is understandably keen to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring we are able to offer a world-class early years education, and so the EYE was born. After some research and development looking at comparable international schools’ Early Years spaces, we began the tendering process to engage a professional architect to help us turn this vision into reality.
The EYE will have five classrooms (as our current Early Years setup does), but they will be made smaller and of uniform size, with wide doorways and lots of glass. This enables us to open up a large centralised area in the middle of the EYE, which will house many of the learning zones and challenges that research has shown young brains need access to on a daily basis. The EYE will mean that teachers are able to collaborate and share resources, so that every student is able to
Inspire Excellence | 11 access their preferred learning areas, each and every day, through access to the centralised learning area. Research has shown that following student interests in this age group is one of the key factors in optimising learning. A particularly important component of the EYE is the ability to help students connect with nature and the outdoors. Children are living increasingly indoor lifestyles in the 21st century, and medical professionals across the world are even starting to prescribe outdoor activity as treatments. The EYE will have bifold glass doors opening out to both sides of the ninth floor: one to access our existing playground with all its equipment and resources, the other to our garden sensory area that will contain sand, water, mud and stones.
Even in inclement weather, the expanse of glass and natural light in the EYE will enable its inhabitants to feel connected with the natural world. Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and a sense of wonder: an important aspect of lifelong learning. This building project will not affect the cornerstones of the Early Years programme at CDNIS. We are known for our caring and supportive approach to a child’s first years of school, and none of this will change, as this is the
central tenet of any quality early years education: warm and trusting relationships with responsive and caring adults. We have established a reputation for having a very experienced, well qualified Early Years teaching team. This will remain in place. Redesigning the learning spaces will enable this talented, dynamic and committed group of professionals to take their pedagogy and practices to another level. With the opening of the EYE, CDNIS aims to be a global leader in the field of early childhood education, a long neglected phase of education until relatively recently. There is a well-used phrase among early years professionals: “the environment as the third teacher.” This essentially means that by giving careful thought to the set up of a learning space, children are able to learn not just from the teacher or independently, but also by interacting with the environment around them. The state of the art facilities of the EYE will enable CDNIS to provide many such metaphorical third teachers. The foundation for all future academic and personal success is laid in the early years of a child’s life, and this summer, CDNIS will be providing the most stable of all foundations for its youngest students. After that, the sky is their limit.
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MUSIC TO YOUR EARS Learn more about the unique music department at CDNIS By Robert Dacho, Music Department Head/Film Studies Teacher
From City Hall to AsiaWorld-Expo, Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) bands perform all over Hong Kong. The CDNIS music department continues to capitalise on our students’ passion for music, which has led us to focus on delivering a strong, competitive band programme. With the adoption of the IB, we have been encouraged to develop the programme beyond just performance. We offer an excellent balance of practical skill development with critical thinking, analytical, creative, and self reflection skills. As the ‘real world of music’ becomes more digital, so have we. Students are well versed in music production software such as Garageband and Logic Pro X, and notation software including Muse Score and the full version of Finale. Not all students at CDNIS are members of a band, but students still have the opportunity to benefit from a grounding in music education through the regular curriculum. Recent timetable changes have created further developments in the music programme with students in Grades 7 and 8 experiencing a carousel approach to the arts with time shared equally between music, drama, and visual arts. Students in Grade 7 have excellent opportunities to experience both the satisfaction of learning a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument, and enjoying ukulele playing and digital music skills.
New also is the Grade 8 programme, where students may continue to experience the full gamut of the arts or focus exclusively on instrumental music emphasizing skill development with the goal of participating in performances. This has been very successful as students may choose the arts experience that best meets their level of interest. For a band programme, this model is now paying dividends with a number of students continuing with music in Grade 9 on the rise. If this trend continues, our band programme will only develop in strength in the coming years. Our after school concert bands regularly play at events all across Hong Kong, and are wonderful ambassadors for our school. One such event is the Southeast Asia Band Festival, which we have been hosting at our LLAC
Cultivate Character | 13 theatre since 2008, with various international schools participating from across Hong Kong and southern China. Every band, regardless of age level, is rated based on their years of performance experience. There is no ranking. Every band chases a top rating of “superior”. We have three concert bands at CDNIS and they all performed in the festival this year. Under the adjudication of two highly qualified local musicians, we are very proud of the fact that our Grade 8 Band and Wind Philharmonic both achieved a rating of “superior”. Of the nine bands that performed this year, our Symphonic Winds was awarded the highest honour of “Superior with Distinction”, a distinction only awarded to bands that demonstrate not only precise technical skill, but also a special “wow” element in their performance. The fact that Symphonic Winds has stood alone in achieving this rating for three consecutive years is truly remarkable. Our Stage Band also won the opportunity to perform at the AsiaWorld-Expo before the opening keynote address of the IB Global Conference earlier this year. They played for a packed hall of 1,800 Asia Pacific IB delegates. It was quite a thrill to perform with such fantastic musicians in a massive venue with the band’s performance projected live on huge video screens. This was another proud moment for our music programme, and a fantastic advert for CDNIS on the whole, cementing our position as a school to be reckoned with in the region. Students who participate in after school bands develop a wide variety of skills. Interestingly, a majority of students involved in our after school bands are not currently enrolled in the music programme, for a variety of reasons.
This suggests that a large number of students actively seek opportunities to perform, enjoy the personal satisfaction that ensembles create, and look for ways to reduce stress and incorporate balance into their busy lives. The beauty of ensemble performance is that with hard work and dedication, the outcome is always greater than the sum of the individual parts. It’s only through a concerted effort that great musical satisfaction can be achieved. This is what our students have come to enjoy and expect. Music ensembles demand an extraordinarily high degree of collaboration, cooperation, listening skills, technical skills, focus, and leadership, and these are skills which students use to thrive at CDNIS and beyond. Watch a selection of performing arts videos.
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FAREWELL TO A LEGEND Catharine Ho puts down her paintbrush after 25 years at CDNIS After 25 years of serving students, parents and the Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) community, Catharine Ho, Visual Arts Department Head has decided to leave the school. Ms. Ho is grateful for the time that she has spent working at CDNIS with the amazingly talented students and faculty. Despite her fondness for CDNIS and Hong Kong, she has decided to move home to Canada with her husband. Ms. Ho sat down with Red & White to reflect on her time at the school.
What is your proudest moment as a teacher at CDNIS? There are so many to choose, from a moment in class where a student, who was perhaps a reluctant artist, pulls a print and looks up with such pride on their face, to standing back and watching one student encourage another, to the final DP art exhibitions where everyone is just glowing and the students are sharing the work of the past two years with parents, friends and teachers and you can see how much they have grown both artistically and as people. Something I have come to look forward to is when students who get into the world’s top art programmes come back to visit and tell me they have been well prepared and are doing well. I have been blessed with many such moments. What is the legacy at CDNIS? How would you like to be remembered? I have heard that other schools have much lower numbers of participation in the arts with only the top art students taking art classes. I believe that art is for everyone and I hope that I have created an environment where every student feels they can create art and their efforts are celebrated. The physical legacy is that over the years I have decorated almost every corner of this 14 floor campus with student art. My team has worked hard to
Cultivate Character | 15 show that the arts are alive and well at CDNIS. I have had great feedback from visitors who say it is obvious, when one walks the halls of our school, that we have a very successful art programme. Our New York style gallery is the jewel in our crown of display spaces. Of course, much of what has been done couldn’t be achieved without the support of our administrators, the facilities management team and most importantly, the dedicated Educational Assistants Iris Chang and Yukiko Wong. I am grateful that every initiative that I have put forth has been supported wholeheartedly. What is the biggest change that you’ve witnessed at CDNIS? When I first arrived we were a small school of 300 students in an old building but we had big dreams. We were known for our caring and friendly faculty and a quality Canadian education, and 25 years later, we are still a friendly and caring community, though much larger! We have always delivered a quality education and our students, from the start, were gaining entry to world class universities, however, the last 10 years we are making a bigger mark internationally and the pace of learning is much faster. I guess that is the way of the world as technology is a driving force these days. The challenge is to remember that the technology is only a tool and not lose sight of the importance of teaching and learning and developing the whole child and not just the written curriculum.
What is the value of a grounding in the arts for students? The arts are what survives of any culture, it is what makes us human. There is also growing evidence that students who have a wider skill set will have the advantage in any chosen career. There is an explosion in art careers with new technology leading the way, and other areas that combine art with other disciplines like the business side of art or psychology and art therapy are also growing. I believe that creativity is the driver for innovative thinking, and students with a grounding in the arts are better able to think outside the box and this benefits all disciplines. The arts are what makes life enjoyable at a personal level but they also permeate everything we do.
What are some lessons that your students have taught you? That sometimes you need to stop, throw the curriculum out the window and respond to what is happening in the studio since the plan and the reality don’t always match up. That one of the most empowering things you can do for students is to get out of their way. Set them up with the skills and knowledge they need, then let go and watch them fly but always be there to catch them once they learn from the successes as well as mistakes. That sometimes failing is the best lesson in life as so much can be learned from taking risks and being willing to fail. And last but not least, not to take myself too seriously and be ready for a laugh, after all, we are here to enjoy the process and the journey.
“One of the most empowering things you can do for students is to get out of their way. Set them up with the skills and knowledge they need, then let go and watch them fly but always be there to catch them once they learn from the successes as well as mistakes.” Catharine Ho
Visual Arts Department Head
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RENEWABLE ENERGY Grade 6 students dig deep into renewable energy solutions As the world continues to grapple with finding suitable renewable energy sources, Grade 6 students at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) recently completed a unit of enquiry on systems that require energy. As CDNIS moves towards becoming a sustainable school, through initiatives such as the rooftop photovoltaic “farm”, food composter and energy savings plans, students are at the forefront of this movement. Through learning about different energy sources during this project, especially renewable energy sources, students are encouraged to propose solutions to the world’s problems, including climate change and changing energy sources. The central idea in this unit of enquiry was that systems requiring energy are created to respond to human demands. The two main lines of enquiry in this unit were how humans have influenced the supply and demand of energy, and the use of design and engineering to harness energy efficiently and sustainably. When focusing on renewable energy sources, the students learned about innovations in other parts of the world, getting inspired by the out-of-the-box thinking that is taking place. At the end of the unit, the learners had two options: to research an existing system and
explain it, or to design an efficient energy source for CDNIS, and present their idea to the School Environmental Education Development (SEED) committee. Students worked in groups of two or three, allowing them to work on their teamwork skills, and engage in project based learning, gaining knowledge and skills through responding over a period of time to the challenge of thinking about energy sources. There were many ideas for renewable energy sources that were knocking around Ms. Vicki Cheung’s Grade 6 class, including installing solar panels on the roof (a variation of which will come to fruition in the next academic year with the installation of a photovoltaic farm). Another idea involved harnessing the kinetic energy generated through the swing on the 9/F playground, using a pulley system. The students presented their energy ideas to the class, and the best three groups were chosen to present to the SEED committee. Students from the first group, researching existing energy systems, had the opportunity to present their learning to Grade 3 students, who were also engaged in a unit of enquiry on energy. Grade 6 students from both groups
Cultivate Character | 17 made good use of the makerspace area in the 8/F area, designing prototypes for their presentations. This was an excellent chance for them to engage in hands-on learning. Despite the challenge of learning how to use new tools, students benefited from the process of making. When pressed on which project stood out the most, Cheung pointed to a group of students who came up with an innovative idea for solar panels for the roofs at school, which would provide energy for the school and also heat up water collected in troughs attached to the panels. “This was an interdisciplinary project,” explained Cheung. “Through creating infographics for their presentations, students incorporated learning from math to accurately depict their research.” Group members Coco, Mischa, Jayden and Trevis were intent on harnessing the power of the sun with their idea. “I think that we could improve the school by using more energy from renewable sources,” explained Trevis. However, their initial two ideas were deemed to be unsuitable. The group initially wanted to explore solar panels on windows, as they had seen the idea used in other parts of the world, but they decided that it would be too expensive. An idea to affix solar panels to the tops of laptops was also considered, but it also seemed impractical. By settling on the idea of solar panels on the roof, the group learned a lot about the history of solar energy, and what its potential may hold for the human race. “I think it was interesting to learn about renewable energy, because it’s important for the future of the planet,” exclaimed Mischa. The winning team, as selected by the SEED committee, came up with an innovative bike chair concept. After
observing their classmates, team members Lauren and Karis saw that many of them fidget. They thought it might be an interesting idea to convert the kinetic energy created into energy to power the classroom. The two students had to go through many versions of their idea to get to a working model. Through trial and error, they were able to connect a pedal to a generator, and they also did detailed research into bicycle parts. They credited their first place finish to their presentation and in particular their infographics, which had diagrams and explained their project well. “I learned a lot during this project,” said Karis. “At the beginning, we weren’t on task, and if we had tested out our ideas earlier, we might have had more time to build an even better prototype. Since the world is so polluted from using non-renewable energy sources, I think that it’s important that we find alternative solutions soon.”
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SEASAC TENNIS GLORY CDNIS Boys team triumphant in Jakarta Earlier this year, the Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) SEASAC tennis team etched their names into the Timberwolves history book by going where no team has previously been, winning gold in Division 1. Expertly marshalled by coaches Smriti Safaya and Roland Liu, the winning team was comprised of Grade 12 players Adrian, Julian and Stephen, Grade 11 players Adam, Jay and Vidur, and Justin and Jak in Grades 9 and 8. The tournament, hosted in Jakarta, pitted schools against each other in matches consisting of five ties: three singles ties and two doubles ties. In the opening match against the defending champions, UWC Dover, after CDNIS won the singles 1 and 2 ties, and UWCD won the two double ties, the match was finely poised as Adam’s singles 3 tie concluded. Knowing full well that the match hung in the balance, Adam began to feel nervous as he attempted to get his team off to the best possible start. Thankfully, Adam closed out a tight set to give CDNIS the victory. “I think this was when the whole team really started to believe that this could be our year and we could go all the way,” explained Coach Safaya. “To beat the defending champions gave the team a big confidence boost.”
The rest of the tournament mirrored the opening match, with the singles players Stephen, Jay and Adam playing some spellbinding tennis. The three of them didn’t drop a set, as CDNIS marched into the final with group stage victories against Harrow International School and UWC East followed by a a semifinal win against the hosts, the British School Jakarta. The doubles players fought valiantly, but had less success. An untimely injury to Justin necessitated some shuffling within the ranks, and Vidur came in as a reserve player and gave a good account of himself.
Cultivate Character | 19 lost the next game to go 7-6. At 40-15 in the next game, I went for a winner but missed. On the next championship point, we had a long rally backhand to backhand, before I spotted an opening and drilled a winner down the line to take the match. The whole team ran on court to celebrate with me!”
As the tournament entered the final day, the spectre of UWC Dover, so often CDNIS’ nemesis through the years, loomed large in the final. “I told the team before the final that this was the last chance for our seniors to win gold, so they should fight for every point,” said Coach Safaya. “We had great belief that we could win the match, because we had won against them in the group stage.” The final proved to be a tight affair, and with the score at 2-2 after CDNIS won the Singles 2 and 3 ties, and UWCD the Doubles ties, it was decided by the singles tie which lasted the longest. Singles 1 player and team captain Stephen was locked in a titanic battle with his opponent, with the topsy turvy tie going the distance.
For coach Safaya, this was a bittersweet victory, coming in her last tournament as coach. Having been involved with many near misses with the CDNIS tennis team at SEASAC tournaments, she was ecstatic at finally lifting the trophy. “To win gold was an incredible achievement for our team, considering every other team had ITF and nationally ranked players,” she explained. “I was very impressed with the team spirit. Everyone on our team encouraged and rooted for each other. Each player can be very proud of the tennis they played, and how they conducted themselves on court. To win the sportsmanship award showed that they were able to win with class.” Team captain Stephen echoed coach Safaya’s comments on the team spirit, crediting their togetherness for pushing the team over the line. For Stephen, a stalwart of the CDNIS tennis programme who has been on the SEASAC team since he was in Grade 6, this was also a fitting swan song to his CDNIS tennis career. With some strong tennis players coming through the ranks, the future for CDNIS tennis looks bright.
“To be honest, I choked a bit at the start of my match,” revealed Stephen. “Even though I had beaten my opponent in the opening match, I knew he was a good player, and he started this match very strongly.” At 5-1 down with the set and the trophy slipping away, Stephen dug deep, relying on the encouragement of Coach Roland during changeovers, who told him to keep going and trust in his game. “I started to feel my opponent getting tight, and I slowly got back into the set,” said Stephen. “I wasn’t afraid to play ugly and keep a lot of balls in the court to come back. Taking it one game at a time, I clawed my way back to 5-5, then 6-5, then 7-5. Then I started to get nervous again! I
“I’ve been on the SEASAC tennis team since Grade 6, and it was awesome for the team to finally win Gold for the first time ever! Our team spirit this year was very strong, and that’s what got us over the finish line.” Stephen, Grade 12 student
20 | Cultivate Character
CDNIS AT THE IB CONFERENCE Students and Teachers wow audiences topics of their expertise to the 1,800 attendees, sharing their knowledge with fellow IB educators based in Asia and abroad. Lower School Principal Helen Kelly, a seasoned IB conference presenter, shared her experience about incorporating future ready learning at CDNIS. She explained why future ready learning is essential, then delved into the three goals of future ready learning: play, experiential and hands on learning, and the pedagogical research to support them. Dr. Kelly also included examples of future ready learning in the Lower School and Upper School, and how CDNIS incorporates student agency. She ended with sharing the experience of transitioning to future ready learning within a school community, and how to bring the community on board with the journey. Educators at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) stay at the forefront of pedagogy and best practices by taking advantage of various professional development opportunities offered throughout the year, in Hong Kong and abroad. Multiple members of the teaching staff were fortunate to attend the International Baccalaureate (IB) Global Conference, held in Hong Kong in March 2019. In addition to attending, four teachers and a member of the senior leadership team presented on
“The conference was a good opportunity to exchange ideas with other schools, and see what’s working for them,” explained Kelly. “It was also a fantastic opportunity to showcase what CDNIS is doing, and it definitely enhances our reputation in Asia. This is a great advertisement for CDNIS, as educators hear about the great strides forward we have taken in the area of future ready learning while considering their future career moves”.
Cultivate Character | 21 Prior to the conference, organisers reached out to Kenneth Tang, Upper School Humanities teacher, to invite him to take part in a panel discussion with fellow IB graduates who are now IB educators. It was interesting to hear the reflections of the panellists, who all graduated in different years, to see how the evolving IB impacted their journey as students and teachers. Tang believes that transitioning from an IB student to a teacher has helped him become more open minded. In his business management and economics classes, he tries to draw parallels between what students are learning with other subject disciplines. For example, the approaches to learning in business, preparing for presentations, will also help them in Theory of Knowledge. He believes that he can relate to the ups and downs that students go through during the Diploma Programme (DP), because he went through it himself. He knows that the Diploma Programme is extremely rigorous, but he encourages his students to have perseverance. Another piece of advice is to lean on the support of teachers, and to also have a strong peer support group. “I enjoyed listening to the keynote speakers in the rest of the conference,” said Mr. Tang. “A clinical psychologist that presented reminded educators to consider student well-being, and that building rapport with students is important to encouraging them to become life-long learners. She stated that by investing time into students and understanding who they are as people, teachers would be able to improve their teacher student relationships, which would aid their learning.” MYP Coordinator Julie Cook and Local and Global Engagement Coordinator Smriti Safaya presented on service learning in the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The main focus of their presentation was on the how, rather than the why, since they were presenting to a room full of IB educators. They introduced tools for service learning planning that would help in different situations, from one-off events, to plans for multi-grade whole-year
service learning opportunities. They also shared the CDNIS action model, based on the MISO method of media, interview, survey and observation. Grade 7 and 8 students at CDNIS have had to think outside the box to take action. For example, several students this year were concerned with animal rights, but most animal shelters in Hong Kong require you to be above 18 to volunteer, so students had to think of other ways to take action. “We received lots of good feedback from the presentation,” said Ms. Safaya. “I don’t think service opportunities between schools should be a competition. A lot of the workshop attendees thanked us for sharing our resources for service learning planning with them, and I hope that it can benefit lots of students in other schools.” In addition to staff presenters, it was a real honour to have CDNIS students involved in the opening ceremony of the conference. After auditioning, the CDNIS Stage Band was chosen to perform for the opening act of the conference, playing in front of 1,800 attendees. Two Grade 6 students, Lauren and Takdeer, also introduced the first keynote speaker, speaking flawlessly and showing fewer nerves than some adult presenters! The contributions from across the entire community to the conference cements the status that CDNIS enjoys as one of the premier IB world schools in the region.
“We received lots of good feedback from the presentation. I don’t think service opportunities between schools should be a competition. A lot of the workshop attendees thanked us for sharing our resources for service learning planning with them, and I hope that it can benefit lots of students in other schools.” Smriti Safaya
Coordinator of Local and Global Engagement, Humanities Teacher
22 |Empower Engagement Locally and Globally
GOING GREEN What are the green initiatives at CDNIS? By Smriti Safaya, Coordinator of Local and Global Engagement/Humanities Teacher As environmental consciousness expands globally, so does community-wide action towards sustainability at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS). Building on the achievement of a silver-level Green School Award in 2015, many groups and individuals at school continue to devote significant time and energy to make the campus an even greener-minded institution, leading to greater recognition in the HK community. CDNIS won another Green School Award in 2018, this time at the bronze level. This is good news! Though we’ve embedded more opportunities for environmental education in our curriculum, and created a more complex waste-management system and stronger multi-stakeholder involvement, the overall standards for the award scheme have been raised: a healthy sign that positive change towards sustainability is prevalent throughout Hong Kong’s educational institutions. An even more competitive award scheme recognized CDNIS’ green efforts by bestowing the bronze level Hong Kong Award for Environmental Excellence at a ceremony officiated by HKSAR Chief Executive, Carrie Lam. To receive the awards were Amelie, a Grade 4 Roots & Shoots
environmentalist, and Pak San, a Grade 12 student and co-president of the Environmental Club. The judging panel was impressed by the level of student agency and the commitment by various community members. Co-chairs of the School Environmental Education Development Committee, Brent MacEachern and Smriti Safaya, presented on sustainable initiatives including Green Mondays, the new waste management system and the composter to address food waste, annual GreenWeeks, and the solar panel project.
Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 23 measure marine debris and coastal biodiversity at the Shui Hau mudflat in southern Lantau. • mindfulness: Green Roof yoga sessions run by expert parents and staff. GreenWeek is an annual week-long series of events encouraging community involvement, and we are always looking for more opportunities to showcase initiatives by staff, students and parents alike.
Awards are always affirming, but what tangible change happened at CDNIS this past year? Entrak, the real-time energy monitoring system and platform that allows us to evaluate our energy use every 60 seconds, shows that after achieving an 11% reduction during the 2017-2018 school year, we’ve continued to reduce by a further 4.5% during the 2018-2019 school year! That amounts to a savings of more than $62,000. With savings like these and some financial support from CISPA, CDNIS bought a 60kg composter that addresses our food waste issue on a daily basis. This machine, incorporated into environmental and geography lessons in the Upper School, is the first step in making our own compost. The material is then used as fertilizer to enhance the nutrient content of our Green Roof growing beds, which are managed mostly by the Lower School Green Thumbs club, led by teachers Amy Koo and Tim Brown, with support from Wild Roots Organic horticulturist, Kai Hui. The hands-on experience of growing kale, tomatoes, beans and culinary herbs, and the process of separating one’s food waste into clear bins to see what gets wasted, has prompted our community to reduce food waste by an impressive 50.9% when compared with the average of the 2017-2018 school year! Other whole-school initiatives like GreenWeek 2019 (April 23-30) showcase how CDNIS uses various approaches to touch upon concepts of sustainability: • staff professional development: various experiential adventures around Aberdeen highlighted environmental issues of marine waste in the harbour, urban biodiversity in the country park, environmental issues around the town centre, and DIY opportunities for common home products. • visual arts: the 9/F Green Gallery features environmental paintings, photography and graphic printing. • a sharing economy: hosting a Swap, Not Shop to address fashion and consumptive wastefulness. • personal action: Roots & Shoots student leaders teaching how to make household cleaning products; a homemade pop-up pickle shop by teacher, Ryan Scott, and his Grade 2 class; and e-club’s plastic-free initiative, selling metal straws and bamboo toothbrushes. • citizen science: participation in the global City Nature Challenge to measure urban biodiversity using the iNaturalist app, and a Grade 9 geo-science field trip to
Throughout the year, interest clubs and organizations keep the sustainability message alive with collaborative connections. Some of these stories have been shared on the Taking Action website’s blog. The School Environmental Education Development (SEED) committee is a multi-stakeholder consultancy and action-oriented group of concerned students, staff, administrators and parents that meets every six weeks to prioritize environmental campaigns and initiatives. The Lower School Roots & Shoots club, supervised by Lower School staff Bonnie Calanchini, Liz Chow and Divya Gurung, engages 60+ Grade 3-5 students weekly on issues of environmental advocacy and tangible personal action. Besides annual beach clean-ups, the Upper School e-club and gardening club joined forces over the Bottle Project to greenly beautify a more hidden part of the campus with repurposed plastic bottles and water-based plants (4/F back LLAC stairs). These initiatives are in addition to the environmental education programmes embedded in the CDNIS curriculum, which will only grow in strength given our upcoming involvement with WWF as one of their One Planet School partner institutions from August 2019 onwards. The green future is bright under the red roof of CDNIS!
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WEARABLE ART FASHION SHOW Students imagine the future in interdisciplinary project In March, Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) Grade 5 students strutted their stuff during their wearable art fashion show. Decked out in wearable art outfits that they designed themselves, the students worked with CDNIS’ first designer in residence, Shanon Pamaong, to imagine a new world through art, music, technology and design wearables. This fashion show project was part of the of the How We Express Ourselves Unit of Enquiry. Students worked in small groups of three to four to complete one look comprised of wearable art accessories to be worn by one model for the Grade 5 Wearable Art Fashion Show. Each student was responsible for producing at least one accessory. The theme of the show was “futurism” and groups were instructed that their outfits should display a specific element of futurism in a creative or original way. The concepts essential to futurism are power, technology, speed, geometry and repetition. JoAnne Sandul, Visual Arts teacher, supervised students as they embarked on this project. She remarked that at the beginning, she had to push many students out of their comfort zone with their designs. “Go big or go home!” was something she said to students time and time again,
as they brought their initial designs for her approval, some of which were timid and safe. “I told the students to to allow their creative juices to flow, so that they could come up with innovative designs that would look good on the runway. This allowed them to be risk takers, an attribute of the IB learner profile.” Some students had the opposite problem however. Becky Goodwin, a Grade 5 homeroom teacher, noted that for students with grand designs at the beginning, part of the
Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 25 learning process was to flesh out their ideas into smaller tasks, in order to see if it was practical to bring them to life or not. Both teachers agreed that it was a great project for the Grade 5 students, with plenty of opportunities for hands on learning and creativity. The project was also trans-disciplinary, incorporating learning from different subjects. Some students had LED lights as part of their outfit, which they coded to light up at specific times. Many outfits also featured shapes which were made with a laser cutter. For many students, sewing was a new skill, which they just learned. This was made possible through a series of workshops held by teachers, enabling students to learn specialised skills.
fashion show. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to work with an industry expert, as Pamaong is a well known fashion designer. He founded the Fashion Institute of the Philippines and produced award winning students from the TV series Project Runway. Pamaong was impressed by what he saw, and had this to say about working with CDNIS students: “It was a very good experience working with them, I was amazed by their creativity! This project allowed the students to cultivate their creative spirits, and it introduced them to the world of fashion, which I think they appreciated. I was impressed with their ability to execute what they were being taught, and they had lots of questions!” The fashion show itself was a huge success, with students stepping out onto the catwalk in front of their peers and parents to display a wide array of accessories to go with their outfits. Students were understandably nervous about walking down the runway, but thanks to some practice and encouragement, all the students did a fabulous job on the day of the show.
Working in groups also brought challenges for some students, and an opportunity to improve their skills of collaboration. From the outset, they had to agree on a theme, as the different accessories had to match each other. Groups also had to delegate tasks to different members, in order to complete all their tasks. The Grade 5 students grew through this process, and were helping each other out by the end of the project. Grade 5 student Emily was one of many students to enjoy working on the project. “It was a lot of fun!” she exclaimed, “I liked that we got the opportunity to work with other people. It was also cool to be given responsibility, because we got to pick the theme of our accessories ourselves, and then our teachers helped us.” Emily’s group eventually settled on the theme of triangles, and she used a laser cutter to create a triangle necklace, which she then spray painted gold and silver. During the last week of the two month project, Grade 5 students worked with CDNIS’ first designer in residence to put the finishing touches on their outfits before the
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Find out more and enroll here.
FUN FOR ALL AGES Find out more about the varied offerings at the CDNIS summer programme There’s a range of options on offer during Canadian International School of Hong Kong’s (CDNIS) summer programme. With half-day and full-day offerings, and activities for students aged 2 and up, there is something to suit everyone. Whether children are picking up a new skill or polishing an existing one, they will have a whale of a time! Activities in the CDNIS summer programme are either led by teachers, who customize activities, or external service providers who bring their expertise to benefit the summer school participants. The wide range of activities include academic offerings in STEAM and languages, in addition to the ever popular Cambridge Summer School, with courses designed and taught by University of Cambridge academics. If a student is hoping to play sports, for the first time this summer CDNIS will be running an ISG Nike sports camp, focused on flag football. Soccer, Timba Swim School, and gymnastics are also offered, among other sports. For younger students, the Kindergarten Fun programme
is ideally suited, with activities structured around reading, cooking and math, plus music and movement. The multi activity camp challenges students to keep their mind and body fit through Kickin’ Kids Muay Thai, Mixed Media Art, Maker’s Workshop and more! Courses in multi activity are available for those aged 4-6, 7-8 and 9-12. Courses on life skills encourage participants to focus on the whole self, with guidance counsellors teaching on making friends and healthy habits, and another course on cooking healthy meals. My Thanh Mac, coach of the Hong Kong national public speaking team, will also be teaching students how to have fun with public speaking. Younger students benefit from the summer school programme in myriad ways. Interacting with other children from different schools helps to develop their social skills, especially as most activities have a teamwork component, which also builds their teamwork skills. Even the young campers who are naturally shy, usually come out of their shell after a few days, engaging with the stimulating activities. Many incoming students to CDNIS join the summer school programme to familiarise
Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 27 themselves with the campus, and make friends with current CDNIS students, friendships which last into the next academic year and beyond. The Cambridge Summer School has been running at CDNIS for eight years, and brings several current University of Cambridge academic staff to Hong Kong to teach a wide range of courses at a near 1st Year University of Cambridge level. Courses offered this summer include The Meaning of Science, International Human Rights Law, Engineering a Sustainable Future and more. The courses on offer are multi-disciplinary and cover a wide range of subject areas, appealing to students with a broad range of interests. The opportunity to engage with a Cambridge academic is a fantastic one for budding scholars, and the engaging discourse during classes is sure to stretch students. Although the programme is not geared towards preparing students for applications to Cambridge or other universities, the classes are aimed towards stimulating the intellectual curiosity of the participants, and allowing students to dive deeper into their academic interests. Many former Cambridge summer school students have been successful in subsequent applications to the University of Cambridge and other highly selective, research-intensive universities. Two new courses run by external service providers that are sure to be popular this summer include offerings from UCode and Ivy Camps USA. In keeping with the focus on future ready learning at CDNIS, UCode aims to equip students with the skills and mindsets needed to tackle the changing world economy. Python for young beginners, aimed at 6-8 year olds, introduces fundamental concepts in science and technology to young learners. Using the latest technology, such as the LEGO EV3 Robot, participants are able to develop critical thinking skills to enable them to solve tomorrow’s world problems. The course, aimed at older students, follows a curriculum developed in conjunction with faculty from Cornell University. Through learning the coding language Python, participants code robots to overcome challenges increasing in difficulty, acquiring computational thinking abilities that will stand them in good stead for the future. Ivy Camps USA has partnered with ActiveKids to bring their brand of progressive curriculum mixed with exciting
recreational activities to the summer programme at CDNIS. Founded by Ivy League graduates, the camps offer dynamic activities for children aged 5-12, in an American style camp right here in Hong Kong. The Junior Ivy activity for ages 5-6 aims to pique the interests of younger learners in the two main camp topics, STEAM and business. By introducing them to fundamental concepts, and allowing plenty of opportunities for public speaking, these young campers will be well on their way on their journey of learning. Older campers between the ages of 7-12 can choose between a STEAM or Build Your Own Business track. For the latter, following Ivy Camp USA’s own programme, children will have hands-on experience at learning what it takes to create and run their own business idea. With something for everyone, students are sure to have fun learning something new at CDNIS’ summer programme!
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PHOTOVOLTAIC FARM Harnessing the energy of the sun Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) has always had an environmental ethos that grows stronger every year. Some of the more well-known initiatives include the school’s “No Cup, No Coffee” for staff and students, a composter programme focused on reducing food waste in the cafeterias, and an electricity reduction programme which includes “Lights Out Friday” and turning off the air conditioning when a room is not in use. While climate strikes are a good idea to assist in raising awareness, it is the daily activities we do at home, at school, at work, combined with government action, that will make the biggest impact.
set to operate for the next decade, this solar farm could reduce the school’s energy costs by up to $600,000/year and pay for itself in less than six years.
A new and exciting initiative that recently received the go-ahead from the school’s Board of Governors is the installation this summer of a photovoltaic “farm” on top of the Lower School and LLAC. These two roof areas have the potential to harvest over 159,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, thereby helping to reduce CDNIS’ annual carbon footprint by over 2,744 tons of carbon dioxide. The amount of power CDNIS will generate in this project will reduce the school’s energy consumption and provide plenty of learning activities across all grade levels. Imagine what could be done in this region if more rooftops were covered in panels and glass photovoltaic tiles!
Head of School David Baird said, “We have been working on bringing this solar farm to CDNIS for more than a year and I am tremendously excited about this project. We are liaising closely with Helios/Siemens on the necessary documentation with Hong Kong Electric, as well as with the Buildings Department for the necessary approvals. If all timelines are met, our community could see our solar farm working by mid-August. A huge word of appreciation needs to be extended to our Director of Business Administration, Peter Wong, for his efforts and long hours of behind the scenes work on this project, as well as to the Board for investing in a project that is both economically feasible as well as educationally sound.”
Part of the Solar Voltaic programme will include a display board in the 9/F lobby that will show a variety of energy and cost saving metrics. With the Feed-In-Tariff rebate
Through initiatives such as these, CDNIS is proud to contribute to a greener future for our planet.
In addition to this large scale energy solar farm project, electrical circuits in five classrooms have been redesigned and connected to monitoring devices so that students can see the impact they have on their energy consumption by examining lights, air conditioning and wall plugs, all on separate circuits. Still in a trial phase, the students in each of the five classrooms can compare usage through the new Blue Sky App.
Empower Engagement Locally and Globally | 29
AN INSIGHT INTO RBC Upper School Students explore a career in finance
Upper School students at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) were treated to a fantastic opportunity this year, when they took part in a special programme exploring careers in the financial sector in conjunction with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). The programme took place in two parts, a group of four RBC employees held a panel discussion at CDNIS, and students also had the opportunity to visit the RBC trading floor. The panel discussion was very informative, and the four staff present, including a Rates Trader in the Capital Markets team and a Senior Director, discussed a wide variety of topics. They were keen to stress the different paths they took to reach a career in finance, and even the different roles available within a large bank such as RBC, catering to employees with different skill sets. Students were interested to learn about the soft skills that successful figures in the world of finance need to cultivate. The panellists also fielded many questions from an enthusiastic audience, including challenges facing women in the industry, the pros and cons of roles in finance, and what a typical work day looks like. A few weeks later, Upper School teachers Kenneth Tang and Raymond Loo brought a group of 12 students from Grade 9 to Grade 11 to RBC’s Hong Kong office in Central for a tour of their trading floor. These students had an opportunity to meet with industry professionals in roles from Finance & Accounting, Foreign Exchange Desks, Trading of Financial Instruments, and Risk Management to learn what they do on a daily basis in the office and on the trading floor. It was an eye opening experience for many of them, as learning about $10 million single transactions and seeing this in person is a
rare opportunity. Multiple RBC staff took time away from their trading desks to talk with the students and give them an insider view of how the capital markets, banking and financial institution operates. Maybe one day, these students will be taking future CDNIS students on similar tours! CDNIS is grateful to RBC and the Guidance Office for organising such a comprehensive opportunity for students interested in the world of finance. They benefited greatly from the experience of interacting with professionals to learn more about future career opportunities.
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria and Martin Eichtinger, Governor and Minister for Housing, Labour and International Relations of the Government of Lower Austria, learn how Upper School students code on a visit to CDNIS. (left)
Staff engaging locally by taking part in a clean up of Aberdeen Harbour, during a professional learning day. (right)
Head of School David Baird with his senior admin team during his farewell party. (below)
Grade 6 students engaging with TAKA, an Japanese graffiti artist who was at CDNIS as an Artist in Residence, by designing and painting two murals in school. (above)
Grade 6 student Max explaining his project about the history of the telephone, inspired by his hero Alexander Graham Bell, at the PYP exhibition. (left) Canadian Rugby 7s Team visits CDNIS. (right)
In the next edition of RED & WHITE In your next edition of Red & White we will bring you another collection of inspring, cultivating and empowering stories including...
Saving the Oceans
Artists in Residence
Find out how a group of CDNIS students organised a conference to discuss the issues around ocean conservation, and take action.
Funded by the generous CDNIS community, learn how CDNIS students have benefited from interacting with real world artists.
Apple Education Summit CDNIS teachers and students explained how technology aids learning in the classroom in school at this summit.
Canadian International School of Hong Kong 36 Nam Long Shan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong Phone: (852) 2525 7088 Fax: (852) 2525 7579 schoolinfo@cdnis.edu.hk cdnis.edu.hk