Shi Jie - Spring 2011

視界

SHI JIE - TO LOOK OUT INTO THE WORLD THE MAGAZINE OF DISCOVERY COLLEGE SPRING 2011 Grow. Discover. Dream.

Focus on

SCIENCE

DC’s Primary Production Sheer Genie-ous

MANDARIN

‘Real life’ learning explored through the use of authentic materials

SPRING 2011

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MANDARIN

SPRING 2011

A STRONG FUTURE STARTS WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION Occasionally success can come from luck.

An original idea, a lucky break, but it is most often that success comes from hard work and a solid foundation of knowledge.

Perhaps like no other time in history, a foundation based in maths and science can lead not only to career success, but is also necessary to sustain and improve the environment we live in.

Two of the most dominating industries in Hong Kong and worldwide are investment banking and construction. Though essentially different in function, both are linked by a common need for individuals with strong engineering skills. This very systematic way of thinking and strong ability in maths provides both the analytical and problem solving skills required by both professions. This combination is highly valued.

The current trend in the construction industry is to look for better, greener ways to build. Sustainable design is a growing necessity as our natural resources become more and more scarce and our environment becomes more and more polluted. It will be the architects and engineers who have the creativity and flair for design and the solid foundations in maths and science who will be sought after to build these buildings so crucial to our future development.

Discovery College through the IB curriculum gives students the opportunity to look at the world with an open mind.

Starting from Year 1, students are building sound foundations in science and maths that will help to shape the future for us all.

Charles Wong School Council Chairman

A STRONG FUTURE STARTS WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION

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SPRING 2011

CONTENTS

CONTENTS 11

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視界 Shi Jie

Spring 2011 EDITOR Amy Freed

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Contents | Autumn 2010 FEATURE Tools for a Lifetime

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FOCUS ON SCIENCE The Magic of Science

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STAFF PROFILE Yvonne De Jesus / Clement Tam

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DC NEWS Parents Inquire into Mathematics in the PYP

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Calculated Competition SEAMC is more than a competition, it deepens your love for maths and friendships COMMUNITY Getting Festive Discovery Arts Fest raises the bar CAMP Education Outside the Classroom ALUMNI Where are they now O Canada, the Van Riet Papp’s go Guelph

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SHOWCASE MUSIC Annual Concert Series DC’s Cobra choir

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COBRA SPORTS

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MILESTONES 27

CONTENTS

PHOTOGRAPHY Danielle Libine

MANDARIN Authentic materials create ‘real-life’ learning for Chinese B students 26

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Stephanie Barker Mark Beach Michael Burrows Robert Chaytor Bec Clements Terry Evans Tra My Hickin, Year 9 Andy Kai Fong Peter Lasscock Maggie Lee Margaret Lee Alexa Massingham Sunwoo Nam, Year 8 Clement Tam Vania Tiatto Rachel Yeung, Year 9

STORY EDITING Sabine Borgia CIRCULATION & CONTACT Discovery College 38 Siena Ave Discovery Bay HONG KONG

Tel: +852 3969 1000 Fax: +852 2987 8115 Email: office@discovery.edu.hk Website: www.discovery.edu.hk Circulation (1500)

視 界 is printed on Alpine Satin which is PEFC certified, Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) and manufactured under ISO14001 certification, using 100% virgin fibre from well-managed forests.

SPRING 2011

DC NEWS

YEAR 7 TO LAUNCH MICRO GARDEN Young people are intensely curious and ought to be given the opportunity to explore the world outside the classroom and engage in authentic and experiential learning environments.

That is the message that will be given to Year 7 students who will participate in the school’s first Microgarden project as part of a geometry unit in Mathematics. The over arching focus of the entire unit is ‘Community and Service,’ which provides an understanding of the role of mathematics in the community and the way geometry is applied to real-life situations.

Once the secondary students have designed and prepared the garden area, they will hand over the trowel to the primary students in Year 3.

The microgarden initiative will fit perfectly into the central idea of their transdisciplinary unit entitled, ‘Humans Have an Effect on the Environment They Live in.’

The students will explore the positive and negative consequences of their daily choices, reasons for environmental decision-making, as well as assume responsibility for their choices. There will also be other curricular links to the Microgarden programme in the Matter and Balanced Lifestyle units.

ADVERTISING AGE

Year 5s explore the impact of advertising by setting up their own agencies ‘A good ad is one simple idea, with humanity in it, that connects with consumers, that represents the value system of a company and then can connect it with the consumer.’

Donny Deutch, Advertising Executive

agencies to develop a range of tools from packaging to logos, jingles and slogans, to publicise an imaginary product of their choice. They even worked with the Digital Literacy team to develop a 60 second commercial describing the features and The Flash B benefits of their innovative Go anywhere in a flash! products.

We’re exposed to it every day, sometimes over a thousand images, though we aren’t often aware of its impact. It can help us decide what cereal to eat, what clothes to wear, and who’s cool and who’s not.

It’s advertising; and our Year 5 students have been investigating its persuasive powers.

Straps you on while flying! 保证安全！ Comes with a free helmet! 买Flash Board，送一个 头盔！ It can also fly! 会飞跃的滑板！

Only $19.90

Completion of the unit called for the students to incorporate persuasive writing, branding and product placement techniques, to reach their target audience and ultimately win parents’ votes that their agency had the best advertising campaign.

只卖十九块九毛。

As part of their ‘How We Express Ourselves’ unit, students focused on the central idea that “Media influences how we think and the choices we make” to inquire into the effects media has on our lives.

Students formed their own advertising

YEAR 7 TO LAUNCH MICRO GARDEN

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SPRING 2011

FEATURE

Tools for a Lifetime As we approach the end of our third year of operation, we can take confidence in the fact that we are now fully authorised in the PYP and MYP, with a focus now on the introduction of the IB Diploma in August 2012. The preparation for this is already underway with DP candidate status confirmed and the appointment of teaching staff for next year to help us prepare for when our senior students step into Years 12 and 13.

In this issue of Shi Jie, we look particularly at science and mathematics. The teaching of these subjects as concepts (as opposed to just learning facts, equations and theories, or doing experiments) starts from the time students enter school in Year 1 and leads through to the IB Diploma and beyond. Concepts such as logical deductions and inference, problem solving, higher level thinking, creativity, and not accepting arguments (or dismissals) based on authority but from evidence, are important life skills for us all.

These skills are taught in various ways and in subjects well beyond science and mathematics, e.g., humanities and languages include things such as looking for bias in various accounts of events.

Our IB curriculum, starting with the PYP and throughout the MYP and DP, encourages students how to think, how to evaluate and judge, how to process information and come to rules and conclusions about the world. Getting that right will arm our Discovery College students with a powerful set of tools that will literally last them a lifetime, even in this world of constant change.

Mark Beach Principal

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TOOLS FOR A LIFETIME

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TOOLS FOR A LIFETIME

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SPRING 2011

Science FOCUS ON

SCIENCE

The Magic of

THE MAGIC OF SCIENCE

Year 8s are Masters of Science Magic What have non-Newtonian fluid, tonic water geysers and the burning of cold, hard cash got in common?

Over the last few weeks Year 8 students have been investigating chemical reactions as part of their Human Ingenuity unit, ‘What is it?’ The culminating assessment task allowed students to ‘perform’ a science ‘magic trick’ and explain the science behind it. The students were permitted to use any household materials, including cornstarch, dry ice, food colouring and candles, to name but a few.

Just five groups were chosen to take centre stage in the theatre for ‘Finals Day,’ where members of the College community were asked to vote on their favourite ‘act.’

It’s not X-Factor, it’s not American Idol, it’s the Year 8 Masters of Science Magic!

The best mystical, magical acts featured: THE LAWS OF EGGITY and the magical upside-down egg trick. Students watched in amazement as an egg was literally ‘sucked’ into a vessel, making for a truly gravity defying spectacle. “We enjoyed the practical side of this unit and got to experience things we wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said the team.

LIMITED EDITION: How to transform ordinary cream into yummy ice cream by altering the freezing point of water. “Every other group chose a ‘wow factor’ experiment. We wanted to do a simple trick that people could taste!”

THE GOO CREW: “Our non-Newtonian goo was a hit with the audience,” team members said. And who would have thought cornstarch, food colouring and ordinary tap water could be used to such wonderful effect?

Andy Nightingale Secondary Science & Maths Teacher

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SCIENCE THE MAGIC OF SCIENCE

SPRING 2011

Year 9s produce broadcast on environmental and societal impact of acid rain The students in Year 9 have been working on the production of a news broadcast based on the scenario that acid rain fell in Hong Kong for a period of 20 minutes from 7.34pm the night before for their unit on the ‘Chemistry of Acid Rain.’

Students were required to examine the effects of acid rain on the urban and natural environments and its impact on the lives of residents. The news broadcast was intended to inform the audience about what happened and why.

‘In our broadcasts we had to independently research and feature a range of topics relating to acid rain, including what it is and how it affects the social, natural and urban environment. We then had to show the world our knowledge and understanding through a CommonCraft video, an interview and a studio

broadcast. From our previous experience with CommonCraft style videos in Year 8 Science, we were able to incorporate our prior skills and technique into our broadcast,’ say Year 9 students Tra My Hickin and Rachel Yeung, the authors of this report.

‘We were provided with plenty of help from Mr. Lin, who joined several of our classes to teach us the technical side of this project. He taught us about general news broadcasts and how they are produced, from the generation of ideas to the final outcome you see on television. We were shown many ways to create a news broadcast and to make it informative as well as interesting.

focused on the effects on the environment or the damage to historical monuments, whilst others approached the task in a humorous way, including celebrity events featuring Willow Smith and Justin Bieber.

‘During the unit we also learned about the drastic effects acid rain can have on the environment and humans. If the rain has a dangerously low pH, which means the rain water is extremely acidic, it can kill fish and pollute bodies of water such as lakes, streams and reservoirs. This has deepened our appreciation for wildlife in Hong Kong.

‘Mr Lin also helped us film our broadcasts in the broadcasting studio. We were given one chance, so we all carefully prepared beforehand a detailed and professional script, storyboarded it then gathered props and costumes to create a polished finish for our broadcasts,’ they explained.

‘Overall, we had lots of fun participating in this project and we’re sure everyone learned lots about acid rain and its impact on the environment. We also learned how to work better in teams and with different software programmes to produce our broadcasts. It was a great experience and we’re sure the future Year 9s will enjoy it just as much as we do,’ added Tra My and Rachel.

‘Every group interpreted the proposed circumstances differently. Some groups

Tra My Hickin and Rachel Yeung Year 9 Students

Year 10 look at molecular structures As part of their chemistry unit, Year 10 students look at the structure and properties of giant molecules (macromolecuees), in this case graphite and diamonds. The students gained an appreciation for how chemistry plays a role in almost every aspect of their lives from the foods they eat to the air they breath. Knowledge of the nature of chemicals and chemical processes provides insights into a variety of physical and biological phenomena thus is often referred to as the central science. The students also investigated how certain key groups of chemicals such as crude oil have had political, ethical, social, cultural and environmental implications.

THE MAGIC OF SCIENCE

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SPRING 2011

STAFF PROFILE

YVONNE DE JESUS

Incorporating art and design into teaching mathematics

Discovery College’s newest addition to the mathematics teaching team, Yvonne de Jesus, likes to think of herself as a mathematics “artist,” a description stemming from her creative teaching style and technique, and qualities that make this native New Yorker a fun, affable and respected maths teacher.

As a student Yvonne says she was chiefly interested in the Arts and Fashion Design, yet she consistently excelled in Mathematics, and upon the advice of a mentor, decided to follow a career in Education.

Never one to resist a challenge, Yvonne kick started her teaching career at an inner city school in New York City, where she taught maths to students who were on a superintendant’s suspension for previous weapons possession.

She says the experience showed her background in, and passion for, art to be an invaluable asset. By combining her

Last year, she moved with her husband and two teenage girls to Hong Kong, a city she had never visited before, to start a teaching position at Discovery College and experience Asia, where the culture is “very different,” she says. The move was made possible through an interview process via Skype, and despite her first introduction to DC being rather awkward, as Mr. Lasscock spilt his drink all over her, Yvonne said she is making the most of her time here.

imaginative thinking with her proficiency in mathematics, she was able to incorporate different teaching methods, and capture the attention of the students, who varied widely in ability and needs.

Five years later, Yvonne started working internationally and

Yvonne’s ultimate goal in life is to

spent the next six years teaching maths at a private school in the Dominican Republic. The new location was in complete contrast to her last. She said the students at the new school were easy to connect with and motivate, and made her feel as though she were part of a family.

work through her “bucket list” of things to do before she dies. Before then, she would love to retire to Spain, and finally become an artist.

human resources system, overseeing the College’s financial systems and assisting with the preparation and analysis of financial and management reports. In addition, my role also involves provision of advice and support across a broad range of contemporary human resource issues such as interpretation of policy and procedure, performance management and improvement, case management, recruitment and selection and occupational health and safety.

corporate background would tell you the vast difference between working for a school and a business organization. What really stands out for me is the that DC recognises the quality of work-life balance, which is a crucial factor in maintaining job satisfaction.

DC staff are encouraged to pursue their own area of interest outside work. Personally I enjoy the sense of control and flexibility by regularly engaging myself in soccer coaching programmes and long distance running.

CLEMENT TAM

Managing two roles

Having lived in Sydney for 16 years, I returned to Hong Kong in 2006 and joined Discovery College in 2009 as HR & Finance Manager.

As I had always been working as a financial accountant before coming into this dual role, it didn’t take long for me to find the HR aspect fascinating and challenging. In this role, I am responsible for the management of the school

I like the challenges, variety and scope of my role, and the people I get to meet and work with. Any DC staff with a previous

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YVONNE DE JESUS / CLEMENT TAM

I think no matter where we work, the commonality is that people are the most important resources in any organization. And in education the focus on people is significant as it is firmly geared towards the development of the human potential of the youngsters.

Taking a long-term view, a better-educated workforce will bring a faster growing economy and greater social benefits, which offers more opportunities for us all.

SPRING 2011

ALUMNI NEWS DC NEWS

PARENTS INQUIRE INTO MATHEMATICS IN THE PYP Early this term many Discovery College parents were involved in a series of PYP Parent mathematics workshops. The workshops were an opportunity for families to develop an understanding of what mathematics instruction is like in a PYP context and environment, and to discover ways to support their child’s mathematics learning at home.

It was great to see a buzz of learning, as over 80 parents inquired into and further developed their own understanding of mathematical concepts. Parents reflected on and shared their school mathematics experiences and compared them with what research shows about the teaching and learning of mathematics today. Parents worked on a range of

Here are some comments from parents who attended the workshop:

‘I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. The whole concept of having good ‘number sense’ is fantastic. I love the way the programme encourages students to understand the reasons WHY they do certain things - not just ‘how’ to do it!’ Jane ‘The PYP math programme is nothing like the boring and arduous Math classes I remember

mathematics problems and shared their strategies with others.

We are extremely fortunate at Discovery College to have great parent-teacher partnerships where on any given day you can walk around the Primary school and see parents and teachers working collaboratively to enhance student achievement and ensure student success.

One of the main benefits of having the Primary Years Programme Parent workshops, where parents and teachers can work together, is that they send a clear, consistent, and positive message to students that school is important, learning is important and achievement is expected.

Thank you to all parents, teachers and students who attended and participated enthusiastically in all tasks.

from “my time” in class... this approach is intelligent, tactile, interactive and applicable to real life. The PYP math workshop was not only fun and eye opening, but I think necessary to better understand what my children are learning and how to support them at home. I strongly recommend to any parents that might have

missed the first round not to miss the next one. You will never see Math education in the same way.’ Danielle ‘New country, new school and so much information to digest and yet the idea of a Mathematics Workshop was very appealing.

That was not because I liked Math so much.

I was hoping to get an insight into how my kids (Y1, Y5, Y7) are learning the different concepts.

I got more than that. I learned that mathematics is not scary at all. I saw how much fun it can be and how many different ways there are to explain one concept.

Coming out of the workshop I felt that I will be able to help my children at any stage of their mathematical development, but also that the MYP and PYP offer great resources and opportunities to support any child at any stage of learning. Importantly, I was able to see all of my newly acquired knowledge in action as I helped out in a Year 4 and Year 2 class over the next couple of days.

I am grateful that I took the opportunity to take part in this workshop. It gave me a lot of new knowledge and I met a lot of new people.’

Kathrin Bec Clements PYP coordinator

PARENTS INQUIRE INTO MATHEMATICS IN THE PYP

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SPRING 2011

DC NEWS

CALCULATED COMPETITION

SEAMC is more than a competition, it deepens your love for maths and friendships For many people 24 February 2011 may have been an ordinary Thursday, a day just like any other. However, for some Year 8 to Year 10 Discovery College students, such as Sunwoo Nam, this was the day they had long waited for and were so thrilled yet nervous about.

it. Indeed the level of tension decreased with each passing round and maths question solved. We started to enjoy the competition more as the different rounds merged and we were tasked with solving fun, logical-thinking puzzles.

‘Two days filled with numbers and equations culminated in a gala dinner and dance on the final day, and standing in the ballroom we celebrated the achievements we had made during the competition. The winners of the individual round and team rounds were announced and we thoroughly congratulated the award holder’s accomplishments not only as a participant of SEAMC but as a group of people having a connection with mathematics.

Sunwoo gives a personal account of how this day marked the start of a journey along which new friendships were formed with students of varying nationalities and mathematics abilities from across Asia, meeting at the annual international mathematics competition, SEAMC 2011, in Brunei. She says that despite their differences, friendships emerged as the students expressed themselves through their knowledge of numbers and love of mathematics. She ends by saying the intense atmosphere at the competition and the, at times, heated discussions among the work teams had seemingly transported participants to a world belonging to mathematics.

‘For most of us, maths was something we liked that we had interpreted as being very factual and based on textbook learning. Never before had we been given the chance to look beyond these assumptions and recognise the real power and meaning of mathematics. The SEAMC competition taught us to expand our vision of mathematics, to think from different perspectives and use our insights as a tool to connect with others who share a passion for mathematics.

‘Everyone was in cheerful spirits and there were lots of smiles to be seen at the airport. We were all proud of ourselves for being the first students to participate in SEAMC as Discovery College representatives. I, too, was excited to face the challenges that lay ahead and to meet people of my age with the same interest from around the region.

‘SEAMC is described as being a competition, but speaking for us the students of Discovery College, it presented a highly memorable opportunity to look at mathematics from a whole new perspective and learn to love it more.’

‘The competition started the following day at 9.00am sharp. We found ourselves sitting with 234 other participants from 40 international schools in a massive ballroom at the Brunei Hotel, where we were staying. The students were sat next to each other behind rows upon rows of tables, while the teachers walked around inspecting the students under the glare of large projector screens that were pointed at us. These elements added to the tension and apprehension that silenced the room as we sat waiting for the first individual round to commence.

‘To begin with, none of us were used to being in a test situation where you were given a limited amount of time to solve each question.

However, the more we did it, the more relaxed we became and the less we stressed about

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CALCULATED COMPETITION

days to solve problems. The team rounds also gave Discovery College students the time to get to know each other better as we worked arduously together to solve the maths problems.

Sunwoo Nam Year 8 Student

‘In spite of the competitive nature of the event, we took the opportunity at SEAMC to build friendships with students from other schools, such as during the longterm question, in which we were given two

COMMUNITY

SPRING 2011

GETTING FESTIVE

Discovery Arts Fest raises the bar This year’s Discovery Arts Fest from 28 February to 5 March proved to be an amazing week that raised the bar with high profile international and local artists working with our students across the fields of music, drama and performing arts. In total, there were 99 individual events provided by 28 artists, groups, students and staff.

Highlights of the week included internationally acclaimed Ceet&Kongo explaining the history and importance of Graffiti as an art form; renowned US based music educator Doug Goodkin letting us know why he thinks music matters; internationally recognised local artist Kasey Wong explaining how art can make us think about our environment; senior students running workshops for other students on Chinese opera; stunning work produced by students for the silent Art Auction; and a variety of highly successful comedy nights hosted for students and parents.

Arts Fest is entirely self-funded with the funds from events such as drama performances by Faust’s Touring Theatre with performances of Peter and the Wolf & Splat, Comedy Night and the Student Art Auction raising approximately HK$100,000 to support the artists and provide the materials required to make the week happen.

Peter Lasscock Deputy Head of College

GETTING FESTIVE

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SPRING 2011

DC NEWS

NO BOUNDARIES BORNEO

Successfully moving 75 students out of Hong Kong to different corners of the world for one week has proved our inaugural No Boundaries Week to be a major achievement. Months of careful planning paid off as students and staff returned safely and with stories aplenty from New Zealand, China, Borneo and Japan.

No sooner had they landed than the planning for this autumn’s crop already underway. With a cohort more than twice the size, the logistics will be more complex and families are understandably cautious amid heightened fears of the reoccurrence of natural disasters in the wake of the Japan tragedy and nuclear crisis.

Nevertheless, we expect November’s trip to deliver another fruitful ‘Grow. Discover.

Dream’ experience for our students, as they head for New Zealand, China, Spain, Laos, Thailand, Japan and other parts of Hong Kong.

‘After No Boundries I understand m

CHINA

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‘...people can come together as one through understanding, appreciation and respect.’

JAPAN

more about life and what it offers.’

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DC NEWS

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NO

SPRING 2011

SPRING 2011

ENTER THE DRAGON The Chinese New Year was celebrated in style at Discovery College on Friday, 28 January with two major events organised by students: a Fun Fair and Chinese New Year Assembly.

The festivities began with the Fun Fair which set students the task of designing and hosting an activity for other students. All classes from Year 4 up were assigned a Chinese city and were requested to develop an activity to celebrate a particular aspect of that particular city’s culture or traditions.

Each class was divided in half and both groups had to take turns either running an activity or participating in the activities offered by the other classes. Each student was given a ‘passport’ and received a city stamp when they completed an activity. At half time the groups swapped round.

By the end of the day all students had run one activity and experienced around eight others that included paper cutting, lantern making, calligraphy, the chopstick challenge, the signs of the zodiac, dancing, dumpling making, tying knots and ping pong playing. All Year 1-3 classes were paired up with senior students for the activities, and for some of the little ones having a ‘big brother or sister’ to take them around was the highlight of their day.

The talents of Discovery College students in singing, dance and the performing arts were showcased during the Chinese New Year Assembly.

Student performances featured Kung Fu Fan, traditional dancing and singing from the finalists of the Chinese language singing competitions that had been held for Primary and Secondary students over the preceding weeks. A highlight of the event was the first ever awakening of the House Dragons, to battle it out in the House Dragon Dance Competition.

Peter Lasscock Deputy Head of College

ENTER THE DRAGON

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CAMP

SPRING 2011

EOTC

EDUCATION OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM DC’s EOTC programme takes a holistic approach to enriching students’ educational experience, encouraging Years 7, 8 and 9 to venture beyond the confines of their classrooms and explore the urban and natural environment.

Year 7s took the opportunity to navigate the city, in teams, on a two-day Hong Kong Hustle that offers students a unique format to independently deal with real-life situations,

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sense the frenetic pace of life away from Discovery Bay, and widen their perspective of society.

the theme for our Year 9s as well, who were treated to five days at the YWCA educational facility in Cheung Cha.

Further afield, Year 8 students enjoyed four days camping in the Sai Kung Country Park, where they joined in a number of organised activities, including kayaking, hiking, orienteering, community cooking and archery.

They spent the first part of the week learning new skills through mountain biking, rafting, beach games, drama activities, the ropes course and archery, and as if that wasn’t enough, took the remainder of the week to walk the 25 kilometre trail from Tai O along the coastline back to Cheung Cha.

Enjoying the great outdoors continued to be

SPRING 2011

ALUMNI

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

O Canada, the Van Riet Papp’s go Guelph Discovery College alumni Owen and Paige Van Riet Papp had been living in Hong Kong for four-and-a-half years when they learned they would to move back to Canada. The brother and sister share their experience of resettling in their homeland after a break overseas.

Where do you live now?

We live in Guelph, in Southwestern Onterio, Canada. Located about 100 kilometers west of Toronto, Guelph is a vibrant community of 118,000 people.

What brought you there?

We moved back to Canada to be close to our family and friends.

behind our house where we can hike and feed the ducks.

What do you miss most about Discovery College?

We miss our friends from all over the world.

Paige also misses the playground.

How does your life in Canada differ to life in Hong Kong?

The temperature is much cooler in Canada!

We get to see all 4 seasons change. We get snow in the winter and lots of it!

What kinds of activities are you involved in?

We have a very busy life here. We both swim for a pre-competitive club. Paige loves to dance! She takes ballet and hip hop classes.

This past winter we both learned how to downhill ski and plan on skiing every winter from now on.

What school are Paige and Owen attending?

We attend a brand new school called Westminster Woods Public School. Owen is 9 years old and in Grade 4. Paige is 7 and in Grade 2. Our younger brother Austin who is 4 will be starting kindergarten in September at our school.

What do you like best about your new home?

We like all the space we have. Everyone gets their own bedroom now! We have a large basement where we can always play and run around. We also have a nice pond and forest WHERE ARE THEY NOW

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SPRING 2011

SHOWCASE

MUSIC

ANNUAL CONCERT SERIES

As part of Discovery College Arts Fest, the Music Department produced three concerts in Arts Week and the prelude to it. Once again these concerts highlighted the magnificent talents of the students as DC they provided several hours of high quality entertainment for responsive audiences.

Young Performers Evening and Music Recital Evening were held in the week preceding Arts Fest and presented music of different genres. The Young Performers night allowed students in the Primary School to showcase their talents on a variety of instruments and styles. The evening always showcases some exceptional solo performances and this year was no exception.

Music Recital Evening was a new concert concept and was particularly suited towards students that have been studying music as a classical art form. This concert set a new standard of recitals at the College and was indeed a wonderful evening. It is hoped that students learning traditional cultural instruments will be able to perform next year.

The Annual Concert was once again an amazing way for the College to celebrate and finish Arts Fest with many students highlighting their music talents. Once again the small ensembles of various genres and solo performances were outstanding, delighting a full house.

At present a team of students studying recording and music production are busy recording and mastering selected performances from the concert series, and this should be available from September.

Robert Chaytor Music Teacher

A BALANCING ACT

Year 3 learns to make balanced choices Natasha Clausen, mum to Savanna in 3TES, came to school recently to take all Year 3 students for a yoga session, to highlight the importance of exercise for the mind as well as the body. She taught them several poses such as the camel, the seal, donkey kick and candle, and how to breathe well to relax and meditate.

Natasha’s yoga instruction ties in with our unit of inquiry, ’Who we Are,’ which encourages the children to consider the

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ANNUAL CONCERT SERIES

central idea that making balanced choices helps us lead a healthy lifestyle. Another morning they were put through a more rigorous exercise session with LeAnn Stanhope (pictured) that combined a fitness test and martial arts with some crazy dancing.

students’ questions concerning the central idea.

Our guest speakers answered many of the students’ questions about healthy lifestyles and helped them in their personal inquiries, as they tried to answer the

Terry Evans Year 3 Team Leader

The children’s findings and new understandings will be shared with other students next term.

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THE ARTS

LORD OF THE FLIES

Year 9 put on an exhilarating performance of author William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ in February as part of their interdisciplinary unit to incorporate music, drama and art into a stage production. They frightened, entertained and overwhelmed the audience with a powerful and evocative performance that was enhanced by the technical aspects of the show.

Composed and performed by the students, the music helped to create an industrial wasteland setting, in line with the production concept, to portray the central theme of the destructive nature of humans with regard to their behaviour towards each other and the surrounding environment.

Through experimentation with different sound effects, the students produced music to create a highly tense and eerie atmosphere, reflective of the situation in which the characters found themselves.

To explore ways of marketing the theatre production, students created their own posters to advertise tickets sales, and they were challenged with trying to capture the essence of the performance in their design.

All of the students of Year 9 worked long and hard on this unit and the final performance was a true testament to their considerable effort and talent. An enormous congratulations to all of Year 9 for a hugely successful production and work unit, and to Mr Peneyra for his inspiring set and lighting!

Alexa Massingham Drama Teacher

DC’S COBRA CHOIR The Discovery College Cobra Choir brought together 46 Year 4-6 students who joined 700 students from other ESF primary schools in early April to lift their voice in song at the biannual ESF Primary Choral Concert, aptly named ‘Raise the Roof.’

Anyone who has passed the Primary music room during a Tuesday or Thursday lunchtime over the past three months has likely been serenaded with one of the twelve songs the choir memorised leading up to their performance. They sang brilliantly as part of the Young Performer’s Evening and Annual Concert, and managed to raise the bar as well as the roof in this latest appearance.

The repertoire for the concert was picked to expose young singers to a wide variety of genres and languages. They opened the concert with a variety piece, A La Cart, that takes the melody from a Mozart piece, and ended with a resounding medley from the band Queen. Chinese teachers were proud to listen to their performance of Chang Ting Wai, sung completely in Mandarin.

Were parents impressed? Absolutely! Maren Gasser, parent of Year 6 student Anne, had this to say. ‘It was a great performance. The music teachers and students must have put in a lot of effort to learn the songs. It was especially amazing considering the schools only had an afternoon to put all the choirs together.’ Choir President Rachel Telford said, ‘The concert was a fun experience for all the DC students who took part. It gave us an opportunity to sing in a concert with students from other schools.’

It’s been a wonderfully rewarding experience conducting the Cobra Choir so far this year. Their hard work during rehearsals and enthusiasm at concert time astounds me, and I am eager to watch them build on their success.

Michael Burrows, Music Teacher LORD OF THE FLIES

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SHOWCASE

ALADDIN

SPRING 2011

TRULY MAGICAL

The Discovery College Primary production, ‘The Magical Lamp of Aladdin,’ was truly magical. A cast of 59 students captured the attention of the audience over two nights of outstanding performances. The production was the culmination of six months of hard work. For many, it was the first time that they had performed in front of a live audience and each cast member certainly rose to the occasion.

The Magical Lamp of Aladdin was based around the classic story of Aladdin (Luc Gemassmer), his monkey sidekick Alakazam (Charlie Walsh) and the beautiful Princess Jasmine (Chloe Sercombe). Evil magician Jammal (Rachel Telford) tried to trick Aladdin in a malicious scheme to acquire a magical lamp containing a wish-granting genie. But Aladdin tricked Jammal and claimed the magic lamp for himself, using its power to win the Princess and impress the Sultan (Orion Keung). Through another wicked ploy, Jammal regained possession of the lamp and kidnapped Jasmine. To set things right, Aladdin faced Chop-Chop (Isabella Snow), the merciless executioner. At last, Aladdin and Jasmine were reunited, and Jammal was transformed into a new person. Also we met the three wish-granting genies (Jessica Foreman, Shreya Srivastava and Anne Gasser), the whining Ali ‘Bubba’ (Jacqueline Camp), the fire-breathing dragon (Melanie Collingwood) and the haughty Sultan’s wife (Angelica Olivo).

Our very talented drama teacher Mr Frank Donnoli, a committed team of staff members and parents worked with great energy and dedication towards making the performances such a memorable event. This team of people coupled with the great casting, hard work and professionalism of the students made the play outstanding. A resounding success and truly a magical experience enjoyed by all.

Vania Tiatto Head of Primary

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TRULY MAGICAL

SPRING 2011

SETTING US APART

Discovery College’s Performing Arts Technician Oliver Peneyra and his team of volunteers, Jingjing Hobson, Tuttis Mabunga, Merry Surya and Christine Allado, designed and built all the amazing sets for the Aladdin performance. Oliver’s work at the school has so far included the sets for Bugsy Malone and Lord of the Flies as well as running his backstage technical team called ‘The Crew’.

SETTING US APART

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COBRA

COBRA SPORTS Badminton This year DC ambitiously entered four teams in the ISSFKH competitions.

The U12 Boys placed highest in their division, followed closely by both the U14 Boys and Girls. The U16 boys made a valiant and positive effort in the toughest division. This was on top of the fact that most of the U16 players were involved in the basketball competition which finished in the week before badminton started. A change in the rules meant that only the top four teams went into the finals. On last year’s rules the U12 Boys and U14 Girls would have just slipped in to the finals. The final placings did not really show just how well our teams played with many matches including close scores and losses by only one point.

Basketball The U14 boys basketball team had an outstanding season, winning all of their home games and losing only one away game during the regular season. In the playoffs the boys performed exceptionally well and managed to win the bronze medal for their division, defeating Korean International School in a thrilling final. The boys showed tremendous teamwork throughout their matches with all players raising their individual skills and knowledge of the game from match to match.

This is the first year for Discovery College to participate in the U16 tournament. Despite having a losing record, the team was closely matched with every team we played – the team lost by less than 3 points in 4 out of 5 games! The players learned to play together as a team and the stifling defense is a major strength of the Cobras. The players’ effort can be seen in their improvement over the course of the season. Students at DC are very enthusiastic and dedicated to the sport and we anticipate a giant leap forward for the boys U16 team next year!

Netball Netball continues to grow at the College with two teams competing in the Sunday competition in Term 1 and another in the Term 2 competition.

Alongside the competitive teams, the junior netball CCA is proving to be a prolific breeding ground for tomorrow’s DC stars. Our congratulations to all the girls who committed to practises and games this year.

Coached by the unstoppable Kaylene Adcock, the juniors in Term 1 and then the juniors and seniors in Term 2 are able to look to next season with enthusiasm.

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COBRA SPORTS

SPRING 2011

SPORTS

Rugby Discovery College Rugby has gained momentum this year with an increase in playing numbers, competitions and the introduction of new players. The Cobras fielded 5 teams into various competitions, with each team gaining outstanding results. Here are the highlights from the season: • Under 14 Girls winning the schools 7 a-side contact competition.

• Under 12 Mixed team winning the “fair play” award in the 12 a-side competition.

• Primary Mixed team earning 2nd at the annual ESF tag competition.

• Primary Boys touch team gaining silver at the DB beach rugby tournament.

• Primary Girls touch team reaching the semi-finals at the DB beach rugby tournament.

Equestrian Discovery College established an Equestrian team after a number of students had expressed interest. The team had a number of practices and participated in a competition with encouraging results. Natalie Walker placed first in the jumping competition, and Olivia Wessler came fourth out of 16 riders. We look foward to continued success with our Cobra Equestrian team next year.

Football DC Cobra football teams had excellent seasons. Both squads competed remarkably well throughout the season in a much higher age grade, valuable preparation for the coming years. The girls played in an Under 16 league finishing in outstanding 2nd place with 1 draw, 1 loss and 3 wins.

The boys completed their pool with 3 losses and 2 wins. It’s a true credit to the students, who at times were playing players much bigger than them.

Golf The DC golf team and DC Development Golf Team has grown from 3 members to 15 members this season. Although a few members are beginners the future is quite promising as they are practicing and taking lessons on a weekly basis at the Discovery Bay Golf Club. The training sessions are conducted by professional golf coaches from J&J Golf Academy, including swing lessons on the driving range, short game lessons at the best short game area in Hong Kong, and on course practice!

We had a good start this season by wining 2 trophies at the Hong Kong School Teams Championship 2011 held at Hong Kong Golf Club. Mimi Ho shot 76, winning by 1 stroke in the girls 14-17 age group and Aaron Ng, played exceedingly well to win the boys 13-14 age group. With the growth of the Cobra Golf Team we are looking forward to continuing our wining results in the future.

SPRING 2011

PRIMARY ATHLETICS DAY Purple, Green, Blue, Red and Yellow houses ran, jumped, threw and cheered their way through this year’s spectacular Primary Athletics Day. Sunny April skies and warm weather welcomed the students who were eager to give it their all out at the Kwai Chung Stadium. Cheered on by an impressive crowd of parents, all Houses embraced the spirit of the competition, with Yellow House winning the day by a very close point margin.

The day concluded with the Year 6, four x 100 relay. The first time on a track for many students, the race was a combination of speed and endurance. From the clap of the starter to crossing the finish line students from all Houses showed themselves as true competitors.

PRIMARY ATHLETICS DAY

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SPRING 2011

MANDARIN EVENTS

MANDARIN Authentic materials create ‘real-life’ learning for Chinese B students Traditionally, foreign languages were often taught using predominantly textbooks and workbooks. This tended to promote a very teacher-centric approach whereby the teacher directed students through a series of exercises, culminating in assessments restricted to the contents of these text and workbooks. Although teacher-directed instruction is a critical element of the foreign languages programme at Discovery College, our MYP Language B teachers have been working hard to supplement students’ learning experiences with student-led inquiries that use ‘real-life’ materials and give students the opportunity to respond to authentic questions.

In Year 9 Chinese B, students used Chineselanguage materials such as maps, restaurant menus, ferry timetables, bus timetables and tourist information pamphlets collected by Ms Maggie Lee from Macau.

Students worked in groups to develop an itinerary for a family day trip to Macau that would meet the diverse needs of a typical family. Students still relied on their course books to acquire and reinforce the correct language usage necessary to complete the

MODEL UN It has been an exciting year for our DC Model United Nations (MUN) delegates. The CCA, which provides an academic simulation of the United Nations for students from middle school through to university, was offered for the first time this autumn. More than 400,000 students participate in MUN globally, and our own DC chapter expanded quickly as there is considerable interest among the College’s

task, however, for students to be successful in this activity they had to apply their language skills to a much more authentic context and take greater responsibility for the direction of their learning. The result was a more engaging

learning experience for both teacher and students.

‘In my Chinese class, Ms Lee found some great tasks for us to do. It helped us learn more about a country, it made us learn more Chinese characters and it also helped us improve on our organisational skills. Our task was to plan out a day trip for our family in

students in international issues. For Year 9-10 students, this year’s highlights included participation in HKMUN and Li Po Chun; and for our Year 7-9 delegates, the culminating event was the ACUMEN conference in April.

HKMUN MUN conferences bring students from different chapters together to engage in diplomatic discussions as representatives, or delegates, of particular countries. DC’s Year 9 and 10 students represented Greece and Barbados in HKMUN events as they crafted resolutions with other delegations on the issues of aging populations, the illicit drug problem, smallisland developing states, and the digital divide.

Students attended the first caucus at KGV in January before hosting over 200 students at Discovery College the following month.

The extensive research and preparation of

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MANDARIN

Macau. That, I tell you, was very fun,’ says Year 9 student Nina Rossiter.

‘We got into small groups, and were given a big board of the many activities that they have in Macau. We chose the restaurants, the transportation system, the leisure activities and many sightseeing areas. We were also given a list saying what each person in the family wanted or did not want to do. That was a great challenge for the groups. Finally, we put our research from the boards together and made it into a paragraph, like a letter with a schedule for our parents.

‘I really loved this task. It was one of my favourite tasks this year. I loved how it was not fake hotels, spas, souvenir areas and such like, instead, it was all real, therefore making us students want to go to Macau more and follow the schedule that we made.

I’m sure everyone in the class enjoyed this too, and I’m excited that the students next year can experience this realistic travelling task too,’ adds Nina.

Maggie Lee Mandarin Teacher

our delegates made it possible for them to work with students in Years 12 and 13 from throughout the region.

Our delegates experienced the formal nature of the UN at the General Assembly held at West Island School from 22-23 February. The students’ tables were configured in the same way as those found at UN headquarters, complete with microphones and country flags, to engage in amending and passing resolutions crafted at previous caucuses. The Venezuelan Consul-General then addressed students before they celebrated their successes at a festive banquet.

LI PO CHUN The annual MUN conference at Li Po Chun United World College is becoming legendary in Hong Kong for its accuracy in simulating UN committee work, and we were delighted that

SPRING 2011

MILESTONES

MILESTONES Congratulations to our DC Teachers

Sophie Grace born 26 November 2010 to Donna (Digital Literacy Coordinator) and Pete Ellery

Joseph Jasena, English & Humanities Teacher & Parima Saitharatanapongse, married 19 December 2010

Leonardo Charles born 27 October 2010, with sisters Lucia and Francesca - Grandchildren to Terry Evans, Year 3 Teacher

Congratulations!

Big sister Ella with Dylen born 26 March 2011 to Amy and Damien Barry, Year 2 and Year 4 Teachers

Gonen Galor and Momoko Ishii participated!

The two represented Israel, respectively, on the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip; and the Counter-Terrorism Committee to address the mission in Afghanistan.

In preparation for this event, the students researched the issues as well as the parliamentary procedure required in UN debate. Participation at Li Po Chun inspired Momoko to consider future conferences, such as the one offered each summer at Harvard University.

ACAMUN CONFERENCE The ACAMUN conference at Shekou International School from 9-11 April was attended by eighteen of our middle school MUN students, who had boarded a bus for Shenzhen. Eighty other young delegates joined them with the goal of finding solutions for

issues of international concern. Our students represented the UK, Nigeria, Israel, Haiti, Mexico, and Cote D’Ivoire on four committees and the General Assembly.

Movie night and a superlative awards ceremony balanced the serious side of the conference with some social fun. Nina Rossiter, a Year 9 delegate commented, ‘I enjoyed pretty much everything! Debating, meeting up with other schools, getting to know people in your own school, stressing on the resolution and the relief of your resolution being passed… I want to do it again!’

for their dedication this year in establishing our chapter and representing Discovery College around the region. We look forwards to growing our student involvement next year and watching as they mature in their skills as young diplomats.

Stephanie Barker Humanities Teacher

We are so proud of our delegates MILESTONES

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SPRING 2011

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CONGRATULATIONS!