Discovery College Annual Report 2013-14

Annual Report 2013-14

Grow. Discover. Dream.

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Our Vision Statement Grow.

Be passionate about being the best you can be.

Discover.

Find wonder in the world around us.

Dream.

Dare to make a difference for yourself, humanity and our planet.

Our Powerful Learning Statement

Contents School Council Report

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Accreditation 3 Celebrating the Class of 2014

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ESF Stakeholder Survey

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Visible Learning 8 Academic Achievement

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IB Diploma Results

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Professional Learning

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Wellbeing 18 International Mindedness

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Financial and Property Needs

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Financial Reports

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By the Numbers

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At Discovery College we believe that powerful learning and teaching occurs under a shared spirit of respect, which dignifies and prizes our diversity of experiences and perspectives, reaches into our traditions as well as into the future, excites a passion for ongoing inquiry and strives to help all learners reach for enduring excellence.

The Year in Review Mark Beach, Principal It is the nature of schools to be vibrant and exciting places, so trying to summarise the achievements of an entire year tends to be a difficult task, especially so when the student body ranges from Year 1 to Year 13, as it did for the first time in the 2013-14 last year. Two significant achievements stand out from last year, both milestones in the development of the College.

In January 2014, Discovery College achieved full authorisation with CIS/WASC (Council for International Schools/Western Association of Schools and Colleges).

This was a lengthy process starting with a preliminary visit in 2011 and culminating with a visit by 12 international educators, who spent a week in the College appraising us against a series of self-studies. It was no surprise that we succeeded with flying colours, and received a report that stated “Discovery College richly deserves accolades for the progress that has been achieved in the past six years.”

Of particular note, the College was commended for: • establishing and implementing a clear Vision Statement that guides students’ learning and is widely recognised as the focus for the entire school community; • staff creating a stimulating and engaging learning environment within their classrooms; and • the teaching staff for their clear professionalism, expertise and commitment The report also listed area in which the College needed to continue developing. As a fully accredited school, DC will need to submit regular progress reports and can expect follow-up visits every five years.

The second milestone came at the end of the year with the graduation of our first cohort of Year 13 IB Diploma students.

These young men and women achieved overall results that were not only almost identical to those that were predicted, but more importantly, all moved on to university or gap year pathways that will grow and challenge them in the years to come. Our first Diploma results matched those of our ESF sister schools in their first year of offering the Diploma, and I am confident that the Discovery College grades will continue to improve year by year. When we graduated our Year 13 students in June, I also couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that they were leaving us as mature, confident and caring young adults, well prepared for not only their tertiary education but also for the uncertainty of life beyond that. I could not have been more proud.

2013-14 saw our third year of Y11 students graduating with MYP certificates. The college has been monitoring these grades carefully, as they provide one indication of success in the IB Diploma. Last year saw our best ever results, with an average of 5.49 of a maximum of 7 across 83 eligible students. Students, teachers and parents can be justifiably pleased with the results of this year group.

In this report, we highlight these milestones and other activities from the year, as well as the progress made toward the five key priorities established by staff for the 2013-14 year: • build shared understandings of what an assessment-capable, visible learner does; • build a culture of professional learning that is rigorous, evidence-based, collaborative and autonomous; • embody international mindedness; • nurture student, staff and community wellbeing; and • ensure that the long and short term financial and property needs of the school are met.

These key priorities guided our work this year, and ensured that we provided an exceptional educational environment for our students, and a solid foundation for the future of Discovery College.

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School Council Report Charles Wong, School Council Chairman The Discovery College School Council spent considerable time this year reviewing the financial and property needs of the school, alongside the College leadership team, to provide the best possible governance for the College.

The School Council is composed of representatives from the parents, teachers, and staff of the College, as well as representatives from the wider community. These individuals are volunteers who willingly share their knowledge, skills and experience for the benefit of the College as a whole. The guidance offered and decisions made form part of the framework within which our teachers work and ensure that the learning and wellbeing needs of students and staff are met.

Six of the members of the DC School Council listed below have completed their service, with some having served for six years, since the opening of the College. I wish to thank Elspeth Shaw, Kimberly Whiley, Marcello de Guisa, Ernest Lin, and Robert Chaytor for sharing their time and expertise with us. I have had the privilege of working with these individuals, and have been humbled and encouraged by their immense dedication to the College in this time. It has been an honour to work along side them through the early years of the College’s development and to see the tremendous growth and success of the DC. I too am one of those concluding my term on the School Council, and I cannot help but reflect on the last six years. As noted throughout this annual report, the College has seen numerous milestones this year that demonstrate it is no longer a new school, but one that is fully established and thriving. As such, the School Council continues to look at the long and short term needs of the College, some of which are highlighted later in this report along with the annual financial statements.

Finally, I would like to thank the DC community for allowing me the opportunity to lead the School Council over these challenging, exciting and most rewarding past six years. I look forward to the many achievements the College will undoubtedly see in the coming years.

School Council 2013-14 Chairman Charles Wong

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ESF Representative Vivian Cheung

Parent Representative Margaret Hinch

Staff Representative Robert Chaytor

Principal Mark Beach

Community Representative Marcello de Guisa

Staff Representative Jason Edwards

Parent Representative Elspeth Shaw

Community Representative Alfred Wong

Staff Representative Pat Romano

Parent Representative Frederic Guiral

Community Representative Ernest Lin

Co-Opted Member Kimberly Whiley

Discovery College

Discovery College earns accreditation Discovery College has successfully gained Council of International Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (CIS/WASC) accreditation. This process was the final step in our international quality assurance process that sees us as a fully authorised three programme International Baccalaureate World School – now with CIS/WASC accreditation. This accreditation is the successful result of a two year process involving all teaching staff, in addition to many parents and students, in a exhaustive self study. A visiting team spent a week in the College in November 2013 evaluating every aspect of our operation. In late January 2014 we received CIS accreditation.

The college received 16 Major Commendations ranging across all areas of operation including guiding statements, teaching and learning, and governance.

The positive nature of the report was summed up in the concluding statements section: “All members of the school community should take a moment to review and appreciate their accomplishments.” The WASC accreditation arrived soon after, and the accreditation letter commended us on the “stellar aspects of the school and the quality of instruction being offered.”

The report also highlighted some areas that can be developed. These included formal evaluation of our guiding statements, developing an overarching curriculum plan to strengthen links between the PYP, MYP and DP, and maintaining a continuing focus on planning and communication on the financial situation of the school. CIS/ WASC accreditation is an ongoing process that works in a collaborative cycle. This involves reporting back on progress to address all major recommendations by November 2015, a minor report and visit after 5 years and full re-accreditation at 10 years. This process will be aligned with the IB re-authorisation process so that one combined visit occurs per cycle. A copy of the concluding statements can be found on the Discovery College website.

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Celebrating the Class of 2014 On Wednesday 28 May 2014, Discovery College held the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2014, the first graduating class of the College. The evening recognised the many accomplishments of this class of student leaders, and officially marked the transition of these 53 students to alumni.

Special guests included ESF CEO Belinda Greer and Secondary Advisor Chris Durbin, representatives from Discovery College’s School Council and PTA, as well as current and former staff. In addition to the presentation of graduation certificates, the ceremony featured several elements that reflected important elements of the College that were of special importance to this class of students, including student voice, the arts, academics, and citizenship.

“I am very proud of this group of students and their growth and leadership throughout the last six years at the College,” said Principal Mark Beach. “It is an incredibly rewarding time for them, but also for the College as we celebrate this important milestone.”

Students had an opportunity to share their reflections through two elected representatives, Eleanor Rice and Barak Michaelis, who provided thoughtful remarks on their time at Discovery College. The student with the highest academic grades during the two-year Diploma Programme, Claire Holubowskyj, was recognised as the Valedictorian and offered inspiring words to her classmates as they embark on the next phase of their lives. Sie Rossiter was recognised with the citizenship award for her contributions to the wider life of the college community. Graduates also performed some musical selections during the ceremony. Pianist Jasmine Wong performed, as did contemporary musicians Christopher Jenkins, Max Carrey, and Jonathan Healy.

The students shared this special evening together and reflected on the connections they have formed with one another and with the College. As Eleanor Rice stated in her speech, “We had the privilege of being part of the Discovery College community – a community which not only supports and encourages each other but a community in which we have been lucky enough to have had the freedom to feel safe and secure, a community which has been integral to the growth of every student standing here today.”

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Alumni Moving Forward Throughout the 2013-14 academic year, the class of 2014 prepared for their assessments, university applications, and IB Diploma exams, but they also began to think about their role as alumni of Discovery College.

An important aspect of the role of Discovery College’s young alumni is to serve as role models for future classes at DC. Already in the few months since graduation, DC alumni have shared their expertise with students at the College. The Year 12 students benefited from a talk by alumnus Thomas Au in early August 2014 regarding the IB programme and his experience completing the Diploma and preparing for univiersity. Similarly, alumna Mimi Ho, who was also one of DC’s first scholarship students, provided a video for the 2014 Scholarship Morning Tea in which shared her university experiences as a student athlete with current DC scholarship students.

As seen on page 6, Discovery College alumni are pursuing university studies, service work and employment opportunities around the world. Before leaving for their next adventure, several alumni met in early August to catch up with their classmates one more time and wish one another well on the next phase of their lives.

DC alumni and staff met for a summer farewell lunch before the alumni began their university studies.

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Class of 2014 Graduate Destinations All of our students earned their qualification, enabling them to be accepted to top universities around the world. Students have chosen to pursue academic studies in a range of subjects, while several have selected work or service opportunities in a gap year before pursuing university studies. Listed below are the university placements for the class of 2014. The number in parentheses indicates multiple graduates attending the university.

United Kingdom

Destinations of 2014 graduates by percentage

Oxford University University College London (2) University of Warwick University of the Arts London University of Durham Goldsmiths, University of London University of Exeter Lancaster University (2) University of Sheffield University of York University of Nottingham Plymouth University University of Gloucestershire University of Kent (2) University of Warwick

Canada

University of Toronto University of British Columbia Concordia University Simon Fraser University Ryerson University University of Waterloo Emily Carr University of Art and Design

United States

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Colby College Bowling Green State University Wooster College Northeastern University University of Cincinnati Illinois Institute of Technology California State University Fresno

Hong Kong

Hong Kong University Chinese University of Hong Kong (2) HK University of Science and Technology SCAD Hong Kong (4)

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Europe

Trinity College Dublin, Ireland The Hague, Netherlands

China

University of Nottinghgam, Ningbo (2)

ESF Stakeholder Survey Results The biannual ESF stakeholder survey was held in all ESF schools, PIS schools and kindergartens towards the end of the last academic year. The survey was in a new format so is not directly comparable to previous years results.

Variations of the survey were sent out to all parents, teaching staff, support staff and students in Year 4 and above. In almost all areas Discovery College received highly positive results.

Response Rates

The following response rates were received from the four stakeholder groups.

Stakeholder group

Return

Parents 25% Teachers 81%

Highlights

Support staff

The following questions showed a high degree of stakeholder support from all groups. In all cases below the scores are close to or identical to the ESF averages.

38%

Students 35%

Percentage of group who Strongly Agree or Agree Question

Parents

Students

Teachers

Support staff

Q1. I believe DC’s Vision and Guiding Statements are appropriate for the community we serve. [Grow, Discover, Dream, IB learner Profile and Powerful Learning Statement]

96%

91%

96%

100%

Q2. The educational programme offered by the school is preparing students for the future. [PYP, MYP/DP]

91%

92%

95%

90%

Q3. (teachers) Q4. (parents) Students at this school make good progress, regardless of ability. [Slight variations for each group]

88%

Q3. (student) My school is a welcoming and friendly place.

Q9. (parent) My child enjoys school.

95%

91%

Q5. Teachers and educational assistants (EAs) at this school are enthusiastic and committed. [This refers to the teaching body, as opposed to you as an individual teacher.]

89%

87%

94%

Q7. I am informed about what is happening in this school.

90%

87%

87%

89%

Areas for Growth

The following responses are being investigated further, with strategies currently being implemented in order to address them.

Communication remains a priority and systems are constantly being reviewed and improved to ensure that both formal and informal channels are provided for parents to be constantly informed of their child’s progress.

Reviews and redevelopment are underway with the following systems: • Gateway Assessment, Recording and Reporting • DC website • Explorer • Parent email systems • Internal communication with staff Percentage of group who Strongly Agree or Agree Question Q3 (Parent) I am informed about my child’s progress, including areas that my child can improve.

Q7. I am informed about what is happening in this school

Parents

Students

Teachers

Support staff

78% 75%

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Key Priority: Build shared understandings of what an assessment-capable, visible learner does.

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

Based on the key research of John Hattie and professional learning attended by the Primary Leadership Team, a priority focus was established to support teachers in embedding visible learner practices within their classrooms, following with the school-wide priority. Within Primary, professional learning times were dedicated to developing assessment capable learners. As a result teaching and learning practices have continued to develop to ensure that students are assessment capable. Students know where they are in their learning, what their next steps for learning are, and how they will achieve their goals.

In addition to this, the ESF Maths Review took place at DC, with ESF visitors Dave Kirby, Rebecca Clements, and Chris Barr, coming to DC to review our Maths programme. The nature of an ESF review is to provide generalised feedback to the school based on what was observed. The feedback was based on 22 lessons observed; discussions with teachers, school leaders and students; student work; and documentation provided by the school. Key findings included: • Many examples of high levels of learning.

• High levels of student engagement.

• Very strong leadership of maths, including a clear written curriculum; time (meeting the requirements of the Primary Essential Agreement); a maths coordinator/ VP who is highly valued and appreciated by colleagues; collaborative planning structures in place; and the use of data to track students.

One area that will continue to be developed as a result of this review is problem solving strategies within more open-ended tasks.

Middle Years Programme (MYP)

Preparations for the August 2014 Next Chapter changes continued in earnest this year. All MYP subject areas had new guides to familiarise themselves with, leading to a comprehensive review of the scope and sequence of units of work and the written curriculum. This review was also mindful of the need to continue to ensure smooth transition from the MYP into the Diploma Programme (DP).

Many teachers from across a range of departments attended IB workshops, which addressed key aspects of the Next Chapter. These teachers then developed and led in-school workshops for the entire secondary school during our internal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions. The feedback from teachers from other schools who attended our workshops indicated that we are well placed to implement the Next Chapter.

A new initiative in the MYP was the introduction of a Year 11 work experience programme. All Year 11 students undertook a 4-day internship at a workplace of their choice. Students went through a process of resumé and cover letter writing, approaching workplaces seeking an internship, learning about appropriate dress and decorum in the workplace, and then writing ‘thank you’ letters at the conclusion of the experience.

Student feedback indicated that they found this experience valuable and rewarding. We look forward to continuing to grow and offer this programme to all Year 11 students.

The 2013-14 MYP results were excellent and were a further improvement on the previous two years results. Approximately 97% of eligible students were awarded the MYP Certificate.

The mean subject grade for every subject group was above the 2013 average, significantly so in Sciences and Design.

Diploma Programme (DP)

This was a significant year, as the first cohort of students completed the IB Diploma and graduated from the College.

The students embraced the challenges of completing the final formal assessments and sitting the final exams. While striving to meet the increased intellectual and organisational demands of study at this level, students put into practice the “learning how to learn” skills acquired in previous years and achieved very creditable results (see page 14).

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Studied alongside the six academic subjects, the Theory of Knowledge course enabled students to make connections across disciplines and explore what it actually means to know something. The Extended Essay, started in Year 12 and completed in Year 13, allowed students to research in depth an area of interest to them, and gain experience in writing an academic paper. These two “Core” components were instrumental in preparing students for the rigours of study at University level. Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) is the final piece of the Diploma Programme, and Year 13 students brought to fruition long-term projects that were initiated in Year 12. Our hope is that our alumni will carry forward this sense of obligation to the local community and wider society into their future lives.

year. Our Year 4 and 6 DC Ambassadors hosted the visitors by touring the campus and sharing what it is like to be a learner at DC. The visitors attended lessons and interacted in a variety of settings with students and teachers.

Our Senior Students in Years 12 and 13 continued to enjoy privileges, including non-uniform, use of a study room, study periods, and an exit pass enabling them to leave school when not in lessons. With these privileges came responsibility – students learned how to manage their time without direct supervision, and acted as leaders and role models to younger students.

In Secondary, 2013-14 in particular was a year of reflection, evaluation and change for Language B team at Discovery College. Both Chinese and Spanish programmes in MYP and DP have shown a steady growth.

In addition to practicing their Chinese, DC students used the opportunity to learn more about life in Beijing through the eyes of these students. Children’s book author Martha Keswick visited Discovery College twice this year, in January and May. Martha’s “Pangu” Chinese Comic Series and “Mei Mei & Max” are popular with students, and shared her stories and experiences with the students. The Year 2-6 students and all enjoyed hearing her stories and gained an understanding of how these books were developed.

In Learning Team time, students carried out work on important areas such as CAS, the Extended Essay and Higher Education applications. They also had “Leisure” sessions, in which they learned important life-skills such as how to keep fit and how to cook basic but nutritional meals. Pastorally oriented sessions encouraged an awareness of positive relationships and healthy decision-making.

Many newly recruited teachers came to us with extensive DP experience, and we continue to send teachers to DP workshops to increase their expertise in delivering the programme. As our experience in the DP grows, our involvement with the wider IB community will further develop. We currently have on staff nine Assistant Examiners, two DP Workshop Leaders, one School Visit Team Member and one Deputy Chief Examiner.

Chinese and Language B

Much growth and development has occurred in the Chinese programme throughout the school year. In particular, for Primary Chinese, a review of the Pathway 3 Yearly Overview took place. The revised version will be shared with the community and used in 2014-15. Members of the Chinese team were also involved in the development of the new ESF Scope and Sequence documents. This is now complete and DC will transfer to the updated curriculum throughout 201415. This curriculum is available to parents through DING! In addition to a focus on the curriculum, the Primary Chinese team provided opportunities for students to practice and share their Chinese learning throughout the year. For example, the Chinese Speech Competition drew 50 participants across all year levels and pathways. Lots of talent was showcased and 12 excellent speakers were chosen for an Award of Excellence. Students also had the opportunity to practice their Chinese when 21 students from Beijing Zhong Guan Cun First Primary visited the College this

For our Diploma students, the overall results for Language B were positive. We had eight students who got a full mark of 7 for the final grade in Chinese B, which is 17% of the students completed this course. This is a great achievement for the first DP cohort at Discovery College. In the MYP, the Language B team reworked the DC MYP scope and sequence for Phase 1 to 5 of Language B course and Chinese Language & literature course as well in order to prepare the Next Chapter changes from August 2014. This will ensure a smooth transition for students from MYP to DP. Outside of the classroom, the DC Chinese debate team earned the first runner-up place in the finals of the Hong Kong International Schools debate competition. This was the most outstanding achievement for DC Chinese debate team in its fourth year of competition. The Chinese debate team members hope to build on their experiences so that younger year level students will be inspired to participate.

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Highlights Drama

Discovery College staged productions in the Primary and Secondary schools this year. The Primary production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe showcased action sequences and suspenseful performances, while the Secondary production of Legally Blonde: The Musical entertained audiences with witty dialogue and impressive musical and dance performances. Both productions showcased the acting talents of students and gave students important insights into theatre productions on stage and behind the scenes. The drama department also supported a student led performance platform; Bits and Pieces provided the opportunity for Year 11 and 12 students to take on the role of director and work with Year 7 and 8 students to create their interpretation of moments from well known plays.

Visual Arts and Film

For the first time, DC presented the IB Diploma Visual Arts Showcase which highlighted the work of our graduating Visual Arts students. The launch of the Discovery College Film Competition this year gave students across the College with a new vehicle to express their creativity. Primary and Secondary students created original films on a variety of topics that demonstrated a range of creative ideas. Across the College, visual arts curriculum reinforced themes of exploration and self discovery and gave students an opportunity to try new things and share their talents.

Music

The musical performances at DC this year highlighted the range of musical abilities across the College, bringing classical, jazz, contemporary and rock to the stage. The Discovery College chamber orchestra, stage band, jazz ensemble and choirs performed at several DC events and community gatherings throughout the year. Lunch-time concerts also provided avenues for students to share their talents, practice their performance skills, and show support for their peers.

Cobra Sports

Participation in sports grew this year with more than 50 Cobra teams throughout all age levels offered at the College including cross country, badminton, basketball, equestrian, football, golf, netball, rugby, tennis and volleyball. In both Primary and Secondary, students had the opportunity to learn skills in time management, teamwork and sportsmanship, in addition to enhancing their athletic skills.

DC proudly took home team championships in U20 girls volleyball, U20 boys football and U12 girls badminton.

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Learning Development Team

During 2013-14, the LDT continued to work industriously to ensure that all students experienced the best possible outcomes, both in and beyond the Discovery College classrooms. Keeping at the forefront of our minds the need to support teaching staff in the College with teaching and learning strategies for all students, particularly those with learning differences, we continued to play an active and highly visible role in the planning and providing of professional development. This included creating transparent systems of electronic communication so that teachers were aware of all the developments that could affect LDT students in their classrooms.

In the spirit of collaboration and continuing professional development to support the learning outcomes of all students, we continued to build links with specialist organisations beyond DC. Matt Barker, Head of LDT, continued on the boards of both the Dyslexia Association of Hong Kong (DAHK) and the Special Education Network in Asia (SENIA). The LDT also took a leading role in many ESF wide initiatives, including working on a Primary ESF action project to refine and improve the student referral process for class teachers across the foundation, as well as attending a series of workshops on supporting Gifted and Talented students.

ESF held its first SEN specific CPD day at Beacon Hill School in May, and two DC staff presented well attended workshops.

Also in May, Matt Barker, Head of Learning Development was appointed ESF’s Secondary Curriculum Group Leader for SEN. This is a two-year appointment and involves Matt liaising and working across the foundation’s secondary schools to provide CPD, create an action plan and oversee a working party committed to driving forward the support provided for students with diverse needs.

Integral to our philosophy of providing an inclusive environment for all learners, the LDT continued to coach, collaborate and consult very closely with the three Primary and two Secondary LDT educational assistants. The LDT team also continued to advocate for students for whom English is not their primary language in her role as Mother Tongue Coordinator for the College and ensured that the Mother Tongue programmes and initiatives continued and expanded.

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Academic Achievement Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS)

Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPs) are taken by all ESF students at the start of Year 1 and Year 2. PIPs are administered by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University (CEM) and are taken by over 3,000 schools, most of whom are in the U.K. and following a British curriculum. The assessment is a computer based assessment for which each student is given a standardised score for Mathematics, Reading and Phonics, as well as a Total Score. The mean standardised score for each component is 50 (this indicates the average student in the whole PIPs cohort) with a standard deviation of 10. A score of 60 indicates achievement in the top 16% of all CEM students and a score of 70 in the top 2%. The assessment is not age related which is significant given that DC students in Year 1 are on average nine months younger than their counterparts in the U.K.

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International Schools Assessment (ISA)

The International Schools Assessment is a tool specifically designed for benchmarking international schools and provides detailed diagnostic information on individual students. It measures mathematics, reading and writing ability, and it is carried out in Years 4, 6, 8 and 10. All parents in these levels receive a detailed report on their child. Other ESF schools do this in Years 4 and 6 but not in Secondary.

This year Discovery College performed very strongly in the majority of elements of the ISA test across year levels. In Year 4, 8 and 10 in Mathematics, Reading, Narrative and Exposition DC students are either ahead of ESF (only done in primary ESF schools) and ISA means or very close to them.

Middle Years Information System (MidYIS)

This computer adaptive test is completed by all Year 7 students. It measures vocabulary, mathematics, nonverbal reasoning, skills and accuracy and is used by all ESF secondary schools. Overall results in this instrument are presented in four bands where A is the highest achievement and D is the lowest. In an average school, 25 percent of students fall into each band. This performance is measured against a school cohort primarily made of schools from the UK, and this information is used to benchmark our Year 7 cohorts. It serves as another measure to identify where support is needed and to correlate with teacher judgement in the MYP. DC students continue to perform strongly with approximately 75 percent of students at DC in either band A or B overall.

In Year 4 DC students were above the ISA cohort in Reading, Writing-Narrative and Writing-Exposition (4 of 4 measures). In Year 6 DC student were slightly below the ISA cohort in Mathematics but not significantly different in all other measures. In Year 8 DC students were above the ISA cohort in Mathematics, Reading and WritingNarrative (3 of 4 measures) and not significantly different in Narrative. In Year 10 DC Students were above the ISA cohort in Reading Writing-Narrative and Writing-Exposition (4 of 4 measures).

Students Earn ICAS Honours Three students at Discovery College earned the highest score in an academic subject in the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) across all of Hong Kong in the spring of 2014. These students each received the ICAS Medal in their respective subject.

This year’s ICAS Medal winners from Discovery College were: • Kevin Xin, Year 8 - Science in English. (No. 1 of 1449 students who sat the test in HK). Kevin also won the Science medal in his year level last year.

• Yan Yau Cheng, Year 9 – Science in English. (No. 1 of 1333 students) • Ella Robert Edwards, Year 10 – Writing. (No. 1 of 644 students) The ICAS is administered and marked by an external company, and is offered to students across Hong Kong and around the world. Participation in the assessment is voluntary for students at Discovery College. In addition to the nine ICAS Medal winners, the College also had 82 students earning High Distinction, meaning they scored in the top one percent in Hong Kong. In the last four years, 12 students at Discovery College have earned an ICAS Medal as the top student in a subject at their year level in HK.

The following students received High Distinctions, placing them in the top 1% in Hong Kong: • Year 12: English - Isabella Dia-Tsi-Tay; • Year 11: English – Subhiksha Bhoovarahan, Howard Cheng, Kathy Lau, Michael Xin and Shane Dsouza; Writing – Nicholas Beale; • Year 10: English – Aaron Oshlack, Alex Wong, Catherine Shaw and Jason Chan; Writing – Ella Robert-Edwards; • Year 9: Mathematics- Yan Yau Cheng and Howard Cheng; Science -Yan Yau Cheng; English – Emily Weinstein, Aashman Vyas, Cherie Ho, Howard Cheng and Yan Yau Cheng; Writing – Aashman Vyas, Cherie Ho and Emily Weinstein; Year 8: Science – Kevin Xin; English – Jocelyn Chan, Nicole Woo, Rachel Cheng, Ryan Zhang, Kelly Su and Nicole Wun; Writing – Nicole Woo, Danny Kim, Perlei Toor, Rachel Cheng and Nicole Wun; • Year 7: English – Mihika Jindal, Aryan Shetty, Emily Hemmings and Sophia Kim; • Year 6: English – Olivia Kynaston; and • Year 5: English – Hyung Jun Kim, Chor Wei Tang and Hazel Wun; Writing – Maelee Baron and Mia Mueller.

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IB Diploma Results - Class of 2014 Discovery College’s first cohort of IB Diploma students graduated in May 2014. The summary information here illustrates their results. Discovery College is very proud of the achievements of all students in its first graduating class, with students achieving a wide range of scores reflective of their hard work and ability.

IB Results in Context

Data published in the press and on various websites indicate that the mean score of 31.9 is lower than many other schools in Hong Kong. In order to put this data in context, the following should be noted: • Not all IB Diploma schools in Hong Kong publish their results.

• Some schools are selective at admissions and on entry into Year 12; Discovery College is not.

• Most IB Diploma schools in HK offer alternative programmes at Year 12 & 13, with only the strongest students doing the IB Diploma. In some cases less than 20% of the students take the IB Diploma. At DC, 94% of students were entered for the full IB Diploma.

• Discovery College is a community school primarily serving the needs of students in Discovery Bay. We offer pathways (full IB Diploma and IB Diploma Courses) in which all students can achieve success. Students keen to try the full IB Diploma, even though they may struggle, are given the opportunity to do so.

• The results of schools new to the IB Diploma generally improve over the first few years, as subsequent cohorts have the benefit of peers’ experiences as an example to learn from and are therefore better prepared. This was true of other schools in ESF. In ESF’s first year offering the IB Diploma, in 2009, their average score of 32 was virtually the same as DC’s in the first year.

Summary Results - May 2014 DC (May 2014)

Worldwide (May 2013)

Number of students entered for the full IB Diploma

49

61,644

Number of students entered for IB Diploma Courses

3

65,640

Number of students achieving the IB Diploma

45

48,637

Number of students achieving a Bilingual Diploma

11

13,730

% of students achieving the IB Diploma

91.8%

79.0%

Mean points score for all IB Diploma students

31.9

29.9

% of students achieving 30+ IB Diploma points

69.4%

46.4%

% of students achieving 35+ IB Diploma points

28.6%

24.3%

% of students achieving 40+ IB Diploma points

8.2%

6.4%

Mean grade for all subjects 5.05 4.70 Mean Core Points (for Extended Essay and ToK)

1.55

1.11

* IBO Worldwide data for May 2014 is not yet available so May 2013 data has been provided. The worldwide data has stayed fairly consistent over the last few years.

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DC Student Score Distribution

Higher Education Office

Number of students

In 2013-14, the Higher Education Office (HEO) focused on finalising and submitting university applications for Year 13 students.

It was an exciting year as our first cohort prepared for this milestone. In addition, the HEO continued preparing Year 12 students for their upcoming university applications.

To ensure that students and families are well prepared, the HEO also focused this year on educating parents and students in Years 10-12 on the preparation they should undertake for educational and vocational futures.

Score earned

The chart above shows the full distribution of scores earned by Discovery College students. The highest possible score in the IB Diploma is 45.

Actual Score to Predicted Score Correlation

To provide students with guidance and support, the higher education counsellor at DC offered individual and group counselling to students. The expertise of the higher education office in university systems around the world enables the counsellor to keep students and parents informed about the requirements for tertiary studies, the latest trends, the wide variety of courses on offer and the entire university application process.

Actual Score / 45

In addition, to ensure communication with students and parents is open and available, the HEO continued its newsletter to parents highlighting important university deadlines, admission test preparation sessions and tools for success. The online programme “Family Connection� offered through Naviance, provides a way for DC to track and analyse data about college and career plans so that the College receives important information relevant to DC students. In turn, students and families to research colleges and careers, keep track of their university applications and receive specific information about events, scholarship opportunities and other university and career information.

Predicted Score / 45 The graph above shows the correlation between overall scores predicted by teachers and the actual results achieved. The correlation coefficient of 0.81 shows that our predictions were in general very accurate.

In 2013-14, Discovery College was visited by representatives from a wide range of universities and colleges from around the world, which allowed students and their parents to make valuable contact with admission officers. Information Evenings, University Fairs and Career Days also took place to better prepare students for their future plans.

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Key Priority: Build a culture of professional learning that

is rigorous, evidence-based, collaborative and autonomous.

Primary professional learning

It has been another exciting and innovative year for professional learning opportunities. Teacher inquiries for all Primary staff were focused on building teacher capacity. Teachers engaged in various areas of inquiries aimed at improving student outcomes. DC worked closely throughout the year with Maureen O’Rouke from Edpartnerships. Her focus was to support us in developing a rigorous framework for professional learning. She worked closely with leadership teams and team leaders across the school to develop roles as teacher-leaders in supporting class teachers through inquiry.

Professional learning for Educational Assistants this year was differentiated according to their needs; which ranged from introductions to the Primary Years Programme, reading strategies, and behaviour management. All EAs had a focus on using feedback within the classroom. EAs, along with Vania Tiatto, focused on developing a Education Assistants capabilities framework which supports in directing needs for professional development.

Teachers and middle leaders participated in leadership development programmes such as Emerging Leaders, Performance Coaching and Senior Leadership Conference through ESF. Many teachers also participated in ESF discipline-based trainings, and five Primary staff attended the Asia Pacific IB Conference in Singapore.

Three teachers participated in a 12-week online programme through the Harvard Graduate School of Education, “Making Thinking Visible,” and five teachers also attended the 21st Century Learning Conference held in Hong Kong in December.

This was another exceptional year in terms of the professional learning opportunities both internally, and externally for primary teachers and staff.

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Myriad opportunities for Secondary staff

Secondary staff participated in three broad categories of professional learning during the 2013-14 year, all of which helped to increase skill development and collaboration across the College.

The first of these opportunities came from ESF CPD days.

Offered at the ESF Centre, these workshops attract many staff with courses ranging from Performance Coaching to First Aid, data analysis to skill development on Gateway, our student management system. There were also Restorative Practices workshops attended by our new staff. The benefits of this professional learning are two-fold - they are high quality and they are relatively cost-effective for the College.

IB Workshops and external conferences provided a second avenue for professional learning. DC continues to stay ahead of requirements with the training of staff in MYP and DP courses relevant to their teaching. The College saves funds by mostly recommending staff do the first layer of their MYP training online. This allows them to do a more in-depth workshop a little later in their time at DC. The MYP has introduced the ‘Next Chapter’ and with it a series of workshops to allow schools to make the necessary changes.

Five DC staff attended these workshops, and upon their return helped with the preparation at DC in all curriculum areas, which continues in 2014-15.

IB requires every staff member who teaches a DP subject be trained, and DC prioritises the professional learning for those staff. The College has also been working to ensure continuity through our professional learning budget in combination with our recruiting of teachers, with the goal of having teaching backup for all subjects in the DP. External conferences included those offered by Special Education Network in Asia and a Feedback for Effective

Thinking Conference attended by three staff in Nanjing. The DC Curriculum Coordinators stay abreast of development and thinking in their programmes by attending IB Asia Pacific Conferences. This year Brian McCann, Diploma Coordinator, attended. DC also made a commitment to Higher Education by ensuring attendance at one of the significant conferences each year; Susie Blomfield, Higher Education Counsellor, attended this in Nice, France.

Finally, internal professional learning also supported the staff in a number of ways this year. We introduced Teacher Inquiries this year with the support of our external provider, Maureen O’Rourke from EdPartnerships, and also our Primary colleagues. Understanding inquiry so that we might teach through inquiry was one of the goals. Another goal was allowing some flexibility for staff to choose their professional learning by examining what they understood about the students they teach and where their needs are. Significant time was allocated to this every Tuesday afternoon for over half of the year.

As a school, DC designed its own conference for two days.

Every staff member attended workshop designed and delivered by our staff and ESFC staff, and directly related to our annual priorities - Visible Learning (facilitated by Bec Clements and Sam Rodgers) International Mindedness (facilitated by Lyn Coote and Brian McCann), Wellbeing (facilitated by Matt Baron, Tracey Chitty, Sue Thomas and Evonne Drakousis) and Professional Learning (facilitated

by Leanne Sercombe and Andy Kai Fong). This was a huge success with great feedback from staff.

Staff professional learning is an important investment for us each year and staff enjoy many great opportunities to learn and share with each other. Discovery College has a great culture of learning amongst all staff and this comes from the type and quality of opportunities we offer.

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Key Priority: Nurture student, staff and community wellbeing.

Secondary Student Support and Wellbeing

At the start of the year we made structural changes as to the size and number of Learning Teams in Secondary. This meant that the number of learning teams increased from four to six in Years 7-11, and due to current numbers of students remained stayed at four in Years 12 and 13. As the year groups roll up the number of learning teams will grow to six in the Diploma years as well. The rationale for this was to ensure that every student and family had a consistent contact person and also someone who would know all aspects about an individual student. With this in mind the Learning Adviser and the Dean in most instances also move with the students from year to year.

The Student Support and Wellbeing programme was strengthened through the articulation of five core strands: self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. Also the utilization of ‘experts’ within the school and outside enriched the learning. Visits by Hong Kong police to explain the laws around sexual relationships and internet usage, DC’s Student Counsellor running stress management sessions, and parents assisting with preparation for work experience are a few ways in which these expert guests enhanced the programme.

Restorative Practices (RP) continued to direct our working with students in situations where they needed help to address things that had gone wrong. The ‘Student Support Triangle’ was introduced and outlined the process and procedure for staff and students when things were not going well. At each level there were exit points where students would be congratulated and celebrated if they made positive steps forward.

Evonne Drakousis took over the role as Secondary Counsellor, supporting students, staff and parents, with a focus on wellbeing and stress management.

Harriet Cheng continued to be our government-funded Social Worker and put in place a number of group activities that benefit individuals and communities outside of the school. She provided opportunities for our students to teach English in local schools and to also work with the elderly – enriching everyone’s lives.

Students as Leaders

The number of opportunities for students to lead their peers and others developed further through the year.

The Peer Support programme has run for a number of years in the school.

This year the selected students in Year 10 explored explicit communication and leadership skills, and then utilised these by providing the opportunity for Year 7 students to discuss issues that were relevant to them.

This six-week peer-led activity built peer relationships, enhancing social understanding and communication across the year groups. The Year 7s also reported back that they now know more people as they move around school. They also commented that it was great to have someone who is not an adult listen to their thoughts and concerns. This peer led approach for enhancing social and emotional wellbeing of young people will continue at DC. Restorative Practices leaders were also introduced this year. RP continued to be in the forefront of our thinking, with the specific focus of building relationships. Four students from each year group gained training on how to intervene and help peers when there was a break caused in a relationship; the students then shared and learned from these experiences.

Assembly Monitors, Year Activities Leaders, and Ambassadors all emerged as opportunities for students to try a leadership role in a broad range of areas, adding to the other leadership experiences available in the College.

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Student Council

The Student Council reached its maximum projected size last year with the addition of our Y13 representatives.

With the demand of the final year of Diploma, these students took more of a mentor and support role, and the Y12 representatives co-chaired the Council for the year.

Highlights included: • the expansion of the Student-run CCA programme, not only in the number of activities offered, but also in the setting up of a student sports coaching programme for Y12&13 students; • the establishment of a Cafeteria Advisory Group who met regularly with Chartwells to provide feedback and suggestions on how the food services in the school could be improved; • a greater range of cultural stories banners for the web site, and direct input in the DC International-Mindedness Committee; • the planning of a TEDx-type week for 2014-15 to include guest speakers and related activities; and • a set of proposals for the development of student spaces in the College to better meet the needs of our growing roll.

Scholarship Students

In the 2013-14 year, 60 students at Discovery College received a scholarship to support their education.

The students selected for scholarships

demonstrate a commitment to the College and serve as role models for their peers. In addition to demonstrating good citizenship, the students excel in the area of their scholarship (academics, sports, music, drama or visual arts).

The scholarship fund also supported a wide range of college activities apart from the individual scholarship recipients, including much of the learning support; technicians in art, music and PE; some of the external sports coaches; and subsidies for activities, bus transports and events.

came together and designed an activity where all students could work together across the primary and secondary sectors. Run over an afternoon, the House Picnic provided an opportunity for primary and secondary students to eat together and then participate in a range of activities in groups of mixed age. It was pleasing and affirming to see senior students hand in hand with junior students participating in a range of activities. The House programme now includes 17 minor and major events, with more planned for next year as our House system continues to grow and develop.

House Leadership

Class Captains

The five Houses at Discovery College are the only structured vertical connection for students from Year 1 to Year 13 to interact, work together and compete. The Student House Captains

Upon election by their peers, the Year 3-6 Class Captains attended a leadership seminar led by Mr Baron and Mr Donnoli. The student leaders inquired into what leadership means by exploring three questions that focussed on leadership knowledge, skills and attitudes: What do I need to know as a leader? What do I need to do as a leader? How should I be as a leader?

Following the leadership seminar, students met fortnightly to discuss initiatives that they could lead and participate in that would make the school a better place. Examples include surveying classes for ideas on how to improve the playground spaces, helping with Arts Fest, Box of Hope, meeting and greeting VIP guests, and informing the student body of upcoming events.

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Parent Engagement

One way the College has attempted to increase communication and collaboration with parents is the introduction of additional opportunities for parents to come to the College and learn about their children’s learning.

A new programme offered in 2013-14 was the Parent Information Fair held in August 2013. In previous years, the College held multiple information sessions across Primary and Secondary on a range of topics. Feedback received prompted the consolidation of these sessions and creation of an afternoon/evening event that was more time efficient for parents. The key purposes of the Parent Information Fair were to enable parents to meet staff, familiarise themselves with learning programmes, understand DC systems and processes and have any questions answered. Many parents attended the information fair sessions and gained valuable information for the start of the academic year.

Parent workshops in the Primary School offered more in-depth information about aspects of the learning programme, including the Primary Chinese curriculum and reading skills and workshops. The Coffee Conversations offered in Primary provided an opportunity for parents to talk with school leaders and teachers about issues relevant to them in an informal setting. A typical Coffee Conversation session included some sharing of information by both the school and parents around a central theme, followed by discussion about what can be done at home to further support the lives of our students. Topics last year focussed on student wellbeing at school and at home. The first session explored how student wellbeing can be measured, monitored and promoted. The second session looked at student wellbeing through The Five Love Languages for Children. These parent workshops were well attended, and are being continued in the next academic year.

Family Fun Day

Discovery College’s annual Family Fun Day provided another opportunity to engage the community and build relationships among and between students, parents and staff. A colourful mix of games, challenges, creative craft activities, delicious food, great entertainment and enticing commercial and charity stalls all contributed to a fun and very successful 2013 Family Fun Day. Primary parents and students did a wonderful job running the arts and craft stalls, where children made Christmas cards, masks, crowns, tiaras, photo frames, paper fans and more. Secondary students, teachers and parents did a great job of organising a fun line-up of games and activities including the popular ‘sponge the teacher,’ face painting, coloured hairspray, ‘trash or treasure,’ football shoot competition and basketball challenge. Students also enjoyed testing their fitness against teachers and parents in the Spinworks spin cycle challenge.

Parents representing a host of countries organised and hosted the international food stalls, sharing a fantastic range of culinary delights throughout the day.

Families also enjoyed purchasing delicious baked goods donated by DC parents at the ever-popular cake stall. As always, the highlight of the day was the musical entertainment provided by our very talented students, together with dance performances from community groups and a fun Capoeira flash mob. Family Fun Day would not happen without the very generous support of the many parents, teachers, students and community sponsors who contribute to the success of the day.

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DCPTA Report Sue Meldrum, DCPTA Chair Discovery College is so much more than a place of academic learning and achievement. It is an international community of teachers, staff, parents, families, sponsors, supporters and friends, who as a cohesive partnership, are focused on achieving a common goal – providing our children with the best possible education. The DCPTA exists to supports that goal through its comprehensive programme of events, initiatives and services, which support the school community and help enrich the school life of parents, teachers and students. In 201314, the DCPTA conducted a ‘Strategic Review;’ to reflect on its achievements since the school opened seven years ago and to establish a plan for the future. The most significant factor in the review was the Parent Survey, which requested specific feedback on the role and priorities of the DCPTA. We were delighted to receive 308 responses from a mix of Primary, Secondary and Diploma parents representing 28 nationalities.

As a result, the PTA committee focused on streamlining its role in response to parent feedback to ensure alignment with the priorities reflected in the survey results. In summary, the survey recommended the DCPTA focus on activities, events, services and/or initiatives which: • increase student participation in fundraising with a strong focus on community, international mindedness, diversity and charity; • incorporate the whole family, such as a sports-related charity event eg. a family walk/hike or a DC Relay Race; • improve communication and information channels for new parents; • improve communication between parents and the school; • inspire, support and inform students and their parents, such as through a guest speaker programme; • encourage cultural integration within the school community; and • offer opportunities which enable cost-savings for parents, including through the PTA shop.

In response to this mandate, the DCPTA took steps to actively address these priorities with the following results: • The DCPTA was proud to be involved in the graduation of the College’s first Year 13 cohort by providing the gowns for all students and assisting with the funding of their graduation celebration. Similarly, funds were also made available to the graduating classes of Year 6 (PYP) and Year 11 (MYP) to assist in catering for events attended by family and friends.

• The DCPTA, together with the school organised and staged Arts Fest. The DCPTA continues to work with the College on the rebranded Arts and Culture Festival reflecting DC’s international mindedness and multicultural community.

• This year’s Family Fun Day fundraising efforts were predominantly student-led. For the first time since the inception of Family Fun Day, 10% of the proceeds were donated to charity.

• In spring 2014, the DCPTA once again sponsored the DC Dragon Boat team. A DC Youth team was created this year, enabling parents and students to train together. The youth team was successful in winning the runner-up trophy.

• The introduction of the DCPTA guest speaker programme included two talks offered to parents and students this year, ‘Planning and Financing your Children’s Higher Education’ and ‘Healthy Eating for Children.’

• A new parents coffee morning was held on the first day of the new school year and DCPTA presentations were given to new parents. The DCPTA was represented with stands at the DC Information Fair and at the ‘Back to School’ Fair held at DBIS. A comprehensive video highlighting the role and activities of the PTA was shared during these presentations.

• In the earlier part of the year the Discovery Sunday Music Concert Series was staged, not only as a fundraising event, but as a way to bring families together to share in a musical experience. The highlight of the series was The Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir, who performed with the DC Cobra Choir.

• The Annual Student Directory was produced featuring cover artwork by one of the school’s Visual Arts scholarship students. The Directory facilitates communication between families outside school hours. Similarly, the DCPTA continued to fund and coordinate the Class Parent Representatives (CPR) programme in the Primary School. This network ensures the establishment of a vital communication link as well as supporting social activities, which bring families together outside school hours. In the Secondary school, students in each year group also received their annual DCPTA funding.

• The PTA Shop expanded its commercial role this year by introducing supplies, such as the non-mandatory stationery packs, which were sold at a very competitive price, saving parents time and money. Additional cost–saving initiatives are currently being investigated for future implementation.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the DCPTA Committee for their hard work and dedication throughout the past two years of my term as Chair. The members are volunteers who work tirelessly to make a difference in our school community, and it has been a privilege to be a part of that dedicated team. Thank you also to those parents who have given generously of their time to support the DCPTA and the school. Your contributions, however large or small, are appreciated and go a long way in helping our community achieve its goal of providing the best education for all our children at Discovery College.

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Key Priority: Embody international mindedness.

International Mindedness Guiding Statement The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. As an IB World School, Discovery College used the 2013-14 year to refocus on international mindedness.

Throughout the last two years, DC staff have focused on developing a shared understanding of international mindedness through various forums, including: • a two-day IB professional learning session led by two external presenters and two DC staff; • a half-day workshop for all DC staff led by vice principals Lyn Coote and Brian McCann; • the formation of an international mindedness committee, focused on developing a guiding statement and determining the broad areas of curriculum, relationships and events and environment, which encompass international mindedness; • feedback from the College’s IB programme coordinators and staff on the initial draft of the guiding statement; • a review of IB documents and related organisations and publications; and • a review of the learner profile attribute from risk taker to courageous and the inclusion of spirituality in the descriptor of balanced.

Through these opportunities, Discovery College’s International Mindedness Guiding Statement was created. IM continues to be a completely interwoven component of our curriculum, focus on wellbeing, and a consideration of our school events and environment.

Class teachers continue to consider multi-ligualism, global engagement and intercultural understanding when planning, teaching and assessing units of work, with consideration of concepts being developed, the role of action and service in learning, and the transferable attitudes and skills that are being developed.

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Components of the International Mindedness Guiding Statement are explained under the three broad categories of relationships, curriculum, and events & environment.

Relationships

The College commitment to well being fully supports international mindedness. Four specific components of relationships to be considered to promote and support international mindedness are: • personal responsibility - assessing one’s own cultural knowledge and sense of identity, including bias and perspectives • valuing diversity through our language and interaction with others • dealing with conflict in a respectful way through the restorative process • integrating cultural knowledge and seeking to understand others

Curriculum

A model was developed which aims to capture the core components of the DC curriculum across all IB programmes that support the development of international mindedness.

The core components were identified by DC staff and supported by various IB documents. Its purpose of the model is to serve as a lens through which staff view units of work and their teaching programmes.

During the 2013-14 year, curriculum units in the College reinforced many of the tenants of international mindedness.

For example, Mother Tongue continued to be a focus in units of inquiry in the Primary curriculum, as parents supported immersion in big ideas of units. Parents from diverse language backgrounds worked with small groups of students who shared that mother tongue. This provided depth and common understanding to key words and concepts in units of work.

The transdisciplinary nature of units of inquiry continued to develop as teachers and students accessed a wide range of subject areas to support learning, the connection of specialist teachers to class units strengthened and the use of primary sources to support learning increased. Teachers continued to focus on the model of learning moving from personal to global, in a constructivist approach to inquiry.

Year level celebrations focusing on units of work celebrated the diversity, open mindedness, commitment and curiosity of students. They also highlighted the essential elements of the PYP, namely concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes and action, as well as the attributes of the Learner Profile.

Similarly, the MYP Personal Project exhibition in Secondary offered opportunities for students to share their insights and understanding into a particular topic and to learn from one another throughout the process.

Many learning experiences outside the classroom provide students with opportunities to engage with people with different life experiences and be transformed through the experience. The No Boundaries programme in particular enables students to experience the world through the eyes of people from very different cultural backgrounds.

Events & Environment

Through all school events, the school environment and our

curriculum we celebrate each individual. In supporting this diversity of students, staff and families we recognise that by increasing our understanding of diverse cultures, group experiences, traditions, values and beliefs we can enhance our relationships with one another and hence, create culturally responsive environments where everyone feels valued and respected.

Celebrations which acknowledge a particular group’s values, traditions, experiences or beliefs, and events of global significance may occur at an individual, class, year level, school and college level.

Staff and students are encouraged to share particular days and events of cultural or global significance as they occur within their classes and as year levels.

The Student Council also placed an increased focus on celebrating special events from many cultures by inviting their peers to share stories of how a particular cultural event is celebrated by their family or home country. These were then shared with the College community on the DC website.

In 2014-15 the College-wide Arts and Culture Festival will reinforce the importance of cultural understanding and help students discover and learn about new cultures, explore the arts and gain a greater understanding of the world around them.

International Mindedness at DC is a commitment to celebrating our diversity where people know themselves and others, and demonstrate empathy by thinking globally and acting ethically.

DC International Mindedness Guiding Statement, 2013

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Community Engagement Community Engagement activities play an important role in learning, and they also help to reinforce many of the concepts of international mindedness. Through MYP Community & Service (renamed Community Engagement in 2014-15), DP Creativity Action Service (CAS), and through action in the PYP, students gain empathy and respect for the needs of others. The personal and interpersonal development of students through working together to identify and discuss community needs allows students to grow and become responsible compassionate citizens. Like many other IB world schools, Discovery College aims to have our students committed to being actively involved in efforts that support and advance the community.

DC views its students as a part of the DC community, the Discovery Bay community, the Lantau community, the Hong

A vital aspect of all Community Engagement activities is that they offer the students involved an opportunity for learning.

It is also essential that students develop an understanding of the issues they are involved in addressing.

Involvement in community engagement also aims to extend the student, and as students progress through the IB programmes they should include activities that see them working beyond the school community. Whichever community a student is supporting, a relationship of respect should be established and promoted between the two groups. The best results for community development take place when a working relationship is created, where all parties are involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of service activities.

A number of No Boundaries activities also have service as a part of the experience. In setting up these community engagement opportunities, a focus is given to working with the community being visited, rather than simply doing something for that community. This is done in order for students to gain an awareness of the destinations they visit and some of the issues that people face in these locations by trying to understand the issues rather than oversimplifying them. The planned service activity is one that is relevant, meaningful, challenging and directly addresses an identified community issue.

Students are also involved in reflection – before, during, and after each trip – to have them consider their perceptions about the people and places they visit as well as how the experience may have challenged them personally. They are asked to reflect on what they learned about themselves, their relationship with others, and the importance of teamwork or leadership in their experience.

Kong community, and the global community. Students are therefore encouraged to be actively involved in activities that benefit these different communities. Often activities that serve the local community also benefit communities on a larger scale. Volunteerism, awareness campaigns and advocacy actions are also examples of community engagement. Students may undertake activities on their own initiative, or join existing groups either in or outside of school.

There are strong links between the written curriculum and community engagement. Often it is what students explore in the curriculum that inspires and motivates them to take action to address an issue of public concern. There are also units of work at DC that could be considered service learning, where students investigate, plan and act on service related activities while meeting specific curriculum goals.

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Examples of some community engagement activities at DC in the 2013-14 year include: • A group of Year 9 students organising activities at DC related to World Food Day; • A group of students involved in delivering an English literacy programme in Yat Tung estate; • Primary students involved in supporting the Box of Hope drive; • Some No Boundaries groups preparing to deliver various programmes to support the community that they visited; • Students planning and delivering CCAs to their peers or younger students; • Students organising supply drives for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines; • Students visiting elderly people in Tung Chung residences to assist in delivering wellbeing programmes; and • The DC Labour Rights group striving to improve working conditions in targeted areas.

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Key Priority: Ensure that the long and short term financial and property needs of the school are met.

Facility enhancements In collaboration with ESF and the School Council, the long and short term needs of the College are reviewed each year, establishing priorities for facility needs as well as financial planning. This year, we saw the opening of the Wellness Centre, which created a signature space to support student wellbeing. In addition, to meet the classroom needs of a growing student body, numerous other classroom renovations took place. Removable walls were inserted in a number of classrooms to allow for flexible space to support co-teaching and collaborative classroom activities.

Considerable work was also done behind the scenes to lay the foundation for the foreshore redevelopment project, the major works for which are scheduled to begin in the 2014-15 academic year, providing a community sports pitch as well as PE teaching space for the College.

The financial reports of the College are included at right, and are reviewed regularly by the School Council and ESF, ensuring that the needs of the College are met.

Wellness Centre

As the College continued to grow, enhanced facility spaces were needed to meet the growing demands of our student population and support their overall wellbeing. One such space is the Wellness Centre, which opened during the 2013-14 academic year. The Wellness Centre provides additional PE teaching space, but is primarily dedicated to Diploma students and their physical and mental wellbeing. The Centre offers structured fitness classes before school, during lunch and after school for students in Years 12 and 13. In addition, Diploma students can visit the wellness centre independently during their study periods to exercise on their own or to meet with the Wellness Coordinator. Students can benefit from nutritional guidance, personal wellness plans, or group trainings. Classes offered include a range of fitness options such as yoga, circuit training, cardio boxing, TRX and free weight training. In addition, seminars held in the Wellness Centre include topics on healthy eating, proper nutrition, and understanding core strength.

The development of the centre and many of the first programming came from a student wellness committee made up of four students from the Year 13 class. Student involvement in the centre has continued with the introduction of Wellness 26 | Discovery College Ambassadors from the Year 12 and 13 classes to encourage and support their peers in their wellness journey.

2013-14 Budget and Expenditure Actual 2013-14 HK$’000

Budget 2013-14 HK$’000

Income Tuition fees (gross)

127,515

128,651

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-

Rental

2,532

2,115

Transfer from previous years’ scholarship fund surplus

1,310

1,310

Others

7,474

7,376

138,847

139,452

116,309

113,942

14,124

14,665

Depreciation

1,480

1,584

Repairs and maintenance

4,153

3,220

Management and administrative expense to ESF

1,707

1,707

Development and operating agreement (DOA)

10,991

10,991

Scholarship fund and hardship allowance

12,752

12,865

Total Expenditure

161,516

158,974

Surplus / (Deficit) before capital income

(22,669)

(19,552)

Nomination rights

4,950

1,000

Non-refundable building levy (NBL)

7,233

6,874

12,183

7,874

(10,486)

(11,648)

Donation

Total Income

Expenditure Staff expenses Other expenses - operational

Capital Income

Total Capital Income

Surplus / (Deficit) including capital income Draft results as of 10 October 2014, prior to intra-company adjustments.

Notes: • As a Private Independent School (PIS), Discovery College receives no Government funding/grants. DC is entirely self-funded.

• Discovery College is required to pay back ESF’s capital investment over a period of time. This is an annual cost to the College.

• There are specialised staff salaries funded out of the scholarship fund, which helped to reduce our 2013-14 deficit.

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Discovery College Community By the Numbers

Student Enrolments Discovery College had another steady year of enrolments in 2013-14. The major milestone included the expansion of Secondary into Year 13. The data below represents student enrolments and withdrawals (those who left the College) for the academic year 2013-14, including summer.

Year Level

Year 1

Total number of students

120

Total number of withdrawals

Year Level

Total number of students

Total number of withdrawals

10

Year 7

113

6

Year 8

109

11

Year 2

120

8

Year 3

120

6

Year 9

106

12

2

Year 10

97

7

Year 4

90

Year 5

90

2

Year 11

89

15

Year 6

90

11

Year 12

50

5

Year 13

54

1

Staff Nationalities In 2013-14 the staff at Discovery College comprised individuals from 24 countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, Spain, Fiji, England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Peru, The Philippines, Seychelle Islands, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States.

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Student Nationalities Discovery College has a diverse student body made up of students from around the world.

In 2013-14, 47 countries were represented by our students.

Nationality, number of students (percentage of total shown above)

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Discovery College 38 Siena Ave Discovery Bay Lantau Island Hong Kong discovery.edu.hk 30

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