Shi Jie - Spring 2013

視界

SHI JIE - TO LOOK OUT INTO THE WORLD THE MAGAZINE OF DISCOVERY COLLEGE SPRING 2013 Grow. Discover. Dream.

Focus on

RESTORATIVE PRACTICES STANDING OVATION

Battle of the Bands Brings Down the House

Year 9 Camp

Teamwork, Confidence, Leadership

SPRING 2013

ContentS

Building relationships The world around us is increasingly complex. News reports are filled with stories of multifaceted global issues and the search for comprehensive solutions.

Imagine if every person took a moment to think about their actions and the impact they have on those around them. What conflicts, misunderstandings, or harsh feelings could be avoided? At Discovery College, every member of the campus community is committed to Restorative Practices, which challenges each of us to do just that.

The leaders of the future – our students – will need to be able to effectively communicate and reach compromise to be successful in their careers, in their relationships, and in their roles as advocates within their community.

Restorative Practices give our students an opportunity to gain these important skills through their every day interactions. Instead of punitive punishments, students are challenged to think about their actions and identify the ways in which those actions affect others. By recognising missteps and working to be part of an equitable solution, students gain skills in conflict management and compromise that will be invaluable as they go into the world.

I am confident that our students will rise to this challenge and be able to constructively solve problems, and in the process, to grow as individuals and as leaders.

Charles Wong School Council Chairman

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

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CONTENTS

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Shi Jie

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Spring 2013 EDITOR Michelle Mouton

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Contents | Spring 2013 FOCUS ON RESTORATIVE PRACTICES Guiding Principles Firm, But Fair Implementing the Practice Training and Practice

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STAFF PROFILE Sue Thomas Susie Blomfield

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HAPPENINGS Arts Fest 2013

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CLASSROOM Cutting Up Adding Up to Fun

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OUTDOORS Teamwork, Confidence, Leadership

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DC NEWS Service in Action All That Jazz Rise Up and Sing Self Study Underway Peachy Performance

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ALUMNI Where Are They Now? Chad and Sasha Perche

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PHOTOGRAPHY Danielle Libine Claire Fraser

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)

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SPORTS Leaping Ahead Cobra Sports

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STUDENTS Standing Ovation Student Photography

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CONTENTS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Kirsten Anderson Matt Baron Mark Beach Michael Burrows Matt Davis Frank Donnoli Andrew Dove Adrian Gan Taha Hashim, Year 11 Peter Lasscock Galen Law-Kun, Year 12 Dianne McKenzie Jason Mckimmon Peter Muir Andy Munn William Nolan, Year 9 Nicole O’Brien Elspeth Shaw Cameron Smith, Year 10 Shirley Tang, Year 8 Sue Thomas

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.

Lunar new year Fun fair Discovery College’s Lunar New Year Fun Fair gave students, staff, and the community an opportunity to engage in elements of Chinese and Asian culture. Students of all ages moved around the school sampling activities designed and run by other classes, mother tongue groups, and staff. These included making lanterns, playing ping-pong, trying dumplings, and working with shadow puppets. It was a wonderful way to lead up to the Lunar New Year holiday with everyone coming together as one school.

LUNAR NEW YEAR

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LUNAR NEW YEAR

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GUIDING

PRINCIPLES

At Discovery College, all staff and students are beginning the journey to grow and embed the understanding, thinking, and use of Restorative Practices throughout our community. In the coming months and years, further information will be provided to all involved in order to ensure proper training is completed. Each staff member and most students at DC are familiar with the framework and terminology related to Restorative Practices, and they are committed to following this when dealing with conflict and discipline. The key components of Restorative Practices offer guidance for handling a multitude of situations. Keeping the practices at the top of one’s mind is important to everyone at DC, and the use of this consistent process and terminology will ingrain Restorative Practices in everyday occurrences.

GUIDING

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FOCUS on

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restorative practices

Firm, but fair Restorative Practices is not a quick fix philosophy; it takes time and commitment to build and sustain relationships. At times these relationships are challenged through actions or behaviours by individuals. When this occurs, it requires attention at the source of the harm in order to challenge it, question its impact, and find a way forward. The conversations and actions that take place are not a soft option; rather, individuals have to face what they have done, relate to the harm they have caused, and find a way to put it right. Often, this includes accepting and implementing constructive outcomes for themselves.

Everyone has made mistakes, but often an individual runs away from the problem caused because it is difficult. Alternately, a punitive outcome is given to the individual immediately, but it has no long term impact on an individual’s thinking or behaviour. Restorative Practices does not support these kinds of outcomes. Instead, it causes an individual to be responsible for his or her actions and accept consequences for those actions. Students perceive this practice as being firm, but fair.

an argument or a theft – and the acknowledgement that it is the impact on a human level that persists.

The social science of Restorative Practices offers a common thread to tie together theory, research, and practice in diverse fields such as education, counselling, criminal justice, social work, and organisational management. The understanding of the Social Capital Model, shown below, is at the heart of this practice. The over arching philosophy is making, maintaining, and repairing relationships and fostering a sense of social responsibility and shared accountability.

In order to facilitate a restorative approach to discipline within our school, we wish to ensure there is high support and also high personal accountability. This enables us to hold students to high standards of behaviour while also providing the support and encouragement necessary for them to meet these expectations. The restorative approach emphasises working with students to educate them to appropriate behaviour. In this way the restorative approach is seen as authoritative rather than authoritarian. The accountability and outcomes determined are different in each situation, depending on the motives and individuals involved.

The concept of Restorative Practices evolved from the model and practices of restorative justice. Restorative justice is a way of looking at criminal justice that emphasises repairing the harm done to people and relationships rather than only punishing offenders. It focuses on the break down and the repair of a relationship – whether it be from

The Social Capital model

Control (limit-setting, discipline)

HIGH

LOW 8

FIRM, BUT FAIR

TO

WITH

PUNITIVE

RESTORATIVE

authoritarian stigmatising

collaborative reintegrative

indifferent passive

protective rescuing

NEGLECTFUL

PERMISSIVE

NOT

FOR

Support (encouragement, nurture)

The Social Capital Model depicts the possible ways in which teachers or parents could respond to behaviour from young people. In a punitive response, the wrongdoer is held to high standards, but with a low level of support. This can fail to result in any change in behaviour.

In a permissive response, by contrast, the wrongdoer may find much support without being held accountable for their actions.

It is the aim of the Restorative Practices to be operating in the top right quadrant of this window.

HIGH

Source: Blood 2004.

Adapted from Wachtel, T. 1999.

FOCUS on

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restorative practices

IMPLEMENTING the Practice We believe that through Restorative Practices we will enhance relationships among students, teachers, and parents, and in doing so, nurture a sense of community at Discovery College. This will develop a positive school climate in which young people feel connected, which is the best environment for learning. This environment supports not only relationships between students, but also the relationships among all members of our community. Although the focus of this article is on the impact for students, there are practical implications for all. Applying this practice demands that the school community initiate and respond to each of the levels of interaction, as shown in the chart at right.

Conferences and Circles: 1-5% of students; Repair harm and relationships

Restorative Chat: Minor conflicts resolved using mediation prompted by the sentence starters

The upper third of the triangle, conferences and circles, addresses the scenarios we hear about most often: an action challenges what our community believes to be right when an individual breaks the rules.

We all have immediate feelings as to what the outcome should be, but we are challenged to stop and ask what happened and for what reasons, rather than jumping to our own conclusions. Each of us has opportunities to learn every day, and in many instances learning comes from making mistakes and then adapting behaviour in the future.

This is true whether the situation involves a mathematics problem or an interaction with another person. Though often, when harm is caused, it is the result of an interaction with another, and this is where the Restorative Practices are applied. There are very concrete and tangible outcomes from these conferences and circles where personal accountability is high.

The second layer demonstrates a strategy that goes unnoticed in many instances and yet is a conscious approach by the staff of DC, a growing number of our students, and parents. Restorative Chat is used to address the small moments of conflict that just need guiding and nurturing rather than halting and controlling. This is where the energy of DC staff currently is being directed.

And finally the base level that underpins everything is the fostering of relationships that in turn supports teaching and learning. We need to build this foundation and help our students develop self awareness and awareness of others. In addition, we hope to encourage students to recognise injustice and understand how to act upon it. Each of these

All Students: Explicit Developmental

At Discovery College, we are implementing strategies at each of the stages in the Restorative Practices Continuum shown below. Some are in the early stages and others more widely implemented. It is an exciting journey for the College and one where individual responsibility is of the utmost importance.

Sue Thomas Vice Principal, Secondary

Restorative Discussion

Victim/Harmer Mediation

Active, nonjudgmental listening.

A challenging situation.

When both sides see where the harm occurred and their part in it, they work together to resolve the issue with an impartial third party.

Each person involved listens and says how they feel. An understanding is built to why an event occurred.

Restorative Practices Continuum

Informal

skills develop as an individual ages, and at DC, we are looking at ways to progressively enhance, develop, and encourage these skills in all of our students. This will have an impact on day-to-day interactions, which will produce more positivity and generate fewer problems.

Affective Statements

Allows for communication of feelings and reflection on actions.

Formal

Circles

Formal Conference

Used to build understanding and share ideas and experiences, helping develop social norms within a group.

Where there is harm, it plays a major role in making things right.

A meeting where those who have acknowledged harm meet those they have harmed.

They come to an agreement that will go toward repairing the harm.

IMPLEMENTING THE PRACTICE

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restorative practices

training and practice In January, Marg Thorsborne returned to Discovery College for three days. Marg is an international consultant with offices in Australia and London, and is an expert in Restorative Practices and its application at home, school, and workplaces. Marg led training for all new teachers and Educational Assistants in the area of Restorative Practices, and also provided facilitator training for five primary and five secondary teachers who make up the Restorative Practices team. This facilitator training allowed the team to provide further training and ongoing support for students, teachers and parents, and to be able to facilitate Restorative Conferences needed as a result of more serious incidents.

Primary School Implementation The aim of the Primary Restorative Practices team is to provide opportunities to develop Restorative Practices across the primary school.

This is being done by dedicating staff meeting times for teachers to share experiences of using Restorative Practices, working with students in role playing scenarios, gathering student voice, providing resources for teachers and students, and offering workshops for parents to learn more. For instance, the Coffee Conversation held in April was focused on Restorative Practices.

In the primary school, many teachers are becoming experienced in solving problems using Restorative Practices. Kim Cassel, a Year 6 teacher says, “Having conversations using the Restorative Practices questions is helping all of us to see each student as an individual person with their own set of experiences, insecurities and feelings. Developing a language to talk about these three things will hopefully help all of us to understand each other better.”

Kim has also used Circle Time in her classroom to help solve issues with her students in a restorative manner. Circle Time allows students to express what it’s like for them in certain situations, and provides an opportunity for the class to reflect on how their actions may impact other people. As in all Restorative Practices, Circle Time has a no-blame approach, and is aimed at making things right for everybody. Martin De Barr, another Year 6 teacher, describes this as, “a process where those involved are supported in making things right. We always look for winwin outcomes.”

At the end of the second term, the Primary Restorative Practices team surveyed students in Years 4, 5, and 6 on their social well-being and their experiences with Restorative Practices at school. The survey was completed digitally and anonymously as a means of measuring the effectiveness of the Restorative Practices in primary.

One student commented that in the yard they sometimes see, “students getting into different situations and the teachers and students come to help, and in the end the problem is solved and peace is restored.” Other students said that they felt Restorative Practices were working for them and that student leaders should be trained and made visible in the yard, which is something the Restorative Practices Primary Student Team is hoping to build upon.

Matt Baron Upper Primary Leader

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Primary Student Team In January 2013, six students in Years 5 and 6 were identified by their teachers as excellent candidates to work with Marg Thorsborne and the Discovery College staff on developing skills in Restorative Practices. Charlotte, Casper, and Julia from Year 5, joined Casey, Joey, and Ulrika from Year 6, along with some students in the Secondary school, to form the Restorative Practices Student Team.

The students were initially introduced to the concept of Restorative Practices by Marg in a two-hour workshop. They learned about the Restorative Practices questions used at DC and were given an opportunity to work with teachers and test them out.

Since this initial training, the Primary members of the team have met several times. They have worked closely with Educational Assistants and members of the Primary Leadership Team to further develop their skills at solving problems with and for others. They have used role play to work things out in a range of scenarios so that a positive outcome is possible for all concerned. By practicing Restorative Conversations, students are becoming better equipped to handle conflict situations.

The Restorative Practices Primary Student Team is very enthusiastic about developing a greater understanding of Restorative Practices and they have proposed some exciting ideas for the future.

One such idea is the training of more Primary students in Restorative Practices in order to have students solving their own problems without the intervention of adults. Students are currently considering ways to identify the trained “RP students” in the yard, so they can be called upon by fellow students to help sort out minor problems.

In the recent online survey of Year 6 students, one child stated, “I get bullied very rarely at school, because Restorative Practices has helped me so much.”

In a separate interview after solving a problem using Restorative Practices, a Year 5 student said, “It felt so good to speak about what happened. When I owned up to what I did I felt nervous, but I knew it was the right thing. I felt good about making a solution to a problem I was involved with.”

These pioneering primary students have become instrumental in moving Restorative Practices forward at DC, and have proven they have the “right stuff” to make things right for themselves and others.

Matt Baron Upper Primary Leader

Focus on Restorative practices

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Application in the Secondary School All students in Secondary have participated in assemblies explaining the philosophy and rational for Restorative Practices at DC. As the expertise grows within the staff, the methodology to resolve problems using Restorative Practices becomes more embedded in the College. In addition to the one-on-one conversations that are on-going, there have been a number of class conferences and one full community conference in the last five months.

time using a talking stick (made up of all their responses) where the issue or harm is explored. The power of this class conference is to give every individual a voice in a safe and open environment. Everyone hears all points of view, which is often affirming as they realise they are not the only ones feeling a particular way, and each student has the opportunity to reflect on others’ thoughts and feelings.

Collectively, students can determine agreed upon outcomes and consequences for the future.

Class Conference A class conference is put in place when there are issues arising where a number of people are being affected. Before the conference begins a “no-name, no- blame” survey is given to the students. The anonymous survey includes these questions: What’s it like to be in this Learning Team/class? What happens to you? What’s happening to others? What would you like this Learning Team to be like? What suggestions do you have?

Community Conference A Community Conference is a face-to-face meeting of the community of people affected by an incident which has caused serious harm within the school or community. The scripted conference provides a forum in which those who have caused harm, the victims, and their respective supporters seek ways to identify, repair and prevent future harm in the wake of a serious incident.

Though simple, these questions allow each individual to share their thoughts and ideas about any issues. The conference facilitator then collates the responses. This information then becomes a very powerful tool to begin the conference before the structured sharing

At DC we used a community conference to resolve the harm caused by the theft of laptops. The conference itself involved 16 people, including the co-facilitators of the conference, the individuals directly responsible for the incident, the victims, other parties

affected who owing to their position had to manage the fallout, and supporters of the victims and those causing the harm.

This conference lasted for approximately three hours to ensure all parties were heard and the outcomes were agreed to by all. During the conference, the action taken by the police was at no time part of the discussion, and no new issues or information were brought to the table because all parties had shared their thoughts, feelings, and possible strategies for moving forward in individual meetings prior to the conference.

At the conclusion of the conference there were agreed outcomes for those who had caused harm. These terms were not put in place as punitive responses to the action, but rather to rebuild the relationships that had been harmed.

As we go forward and students, staff, and parents become more familiar with the Restorative Practices approach, we hope that relationships and connections will become stronger and lead to a very positive learning environment for all.

Sue Thomas, Vice Principal, Secondary

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STAFF PROFILE

Sue ThomaS

Vice Principal, Secondary Sue Thomas has lived in Hong Kong for the past nine years. Sue previously worked in Australia, the UK, and Kuala Lumpur, and brings all of that experience to Discovery College. She joined the staff in August after eight years as Vice Principal at South Island School. Sue has been one of the team implementing the Restorative Practices at Discovery College.

Sue has a passion for photography, and prides herself on seeing the beauty in the world around her. She can find the loveliness in any scene, and enjoys capturing that with her lens. When she isn’t out with her camera, you will find her out with her dog. She claims that Bella is often the one walking her, as the old dog’s energy and wagging tail generally lead the way. She enjoys sharing her home with friends and providing them with hearty and nourishing dinners.

Educated in the UK, Sue earned her Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree in Physical Education and Mathematics, at Brighton University.

She jokingly notes her degree demonstrated “brains and brawn.” Her training provided understanding of learning development of Years 1 to 13, and she has utilised this knowledge by working in two allthrough schools prior to DC. Sue finds this aspect of Discovery College to be the most appealing.

She especially likes that Year 1 and Year 12 students are walking through the same doors seamlessly and sharing interactions each day. This is what drew her to DC, and seeing the growth and mentorship among the students is what makes her smile the most!

Visiting author shares writing passion Discovery College students were privileged to have an author visit from Alan Gibbons in March. Alan is from the UK, and he has won 12 literary awards. He has written 53 books, many of which have been translated into 25 languages. He spent two days at the College talking with students in Years 4-9, facilitating short writing workshops and sharing insights about storytelling and writing.

Alan offered interesting presentations to the students, and held the audience’s attention with humorous and stimulating talks. His visit culminated in a quick session about how to write a great story. Alan shared several main tips, including encouraging our young authors to use a number of descriptive words to set the scene, to create an atmosphere for the story, and to ensure the characters are the type of people you want them to be.

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His writing workshops were very inspiring for the students. Many of the students had started stories with a similar story stem, and Alan encouraged them to think about what they see in their mind and make the images come alive on the page through their words. His overarching message to our students was that language is the important skill when writing, and reading profusely is the pathway to mastering language.

It was a fantastic author visit, and Alan left behind a flurry of budding writers and many students scrambling to read his books.

Dianne McKenzie Head of Library

STAFF PROFILE

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Susie blomfield

Higher Education Counsellor Susie Blomfield joined the staff at Discovery College in January as the Higher Education Counsellor. She has lived in Hong Kong for 12 years, having moved here from Beijing, where she and her husband set up a company with the China Daily Newspaper Group specialising in overseas education counselling.

Before working at DC, Susie worked in Yew Chung International School in Hong Kong, where she was Head of University Guidance Counselling for their schools in Hong Kong and China.

Many things about DC make working here fun for Susie, but she especially enjoys working with such a diverse group of students from different backgrounds and cultures. She also says the warm sense of community at DC has made her first several months very welcoming. As the Higher Education Counsellor, she is excited to be working with DC’s first cohort of graduating students and preparing them for their next step at university.

Susie is originally from the UK, and earned a BA in English and History at university there. She also earned a Post Graduate Diploma of Education, specialising in English, and a Master’s Degree in Special and Inclusive Education from the University of Hong Kong.

Susie and her family live in a remote monastery village in Ngong Ping, and she enjoys the quiet tranquillity there, where her only neighbours are monks and nuns. She also enjoys hiking in the hills, and she and her husband are avid collectors of Chinese antiques and contemporary art. Susie’s two sons are both students at DC, and she is grateful for the opportunity to be working at the same school and see them so happy.

She loves living in Hong Kong, and sees it has her home. Though she grew up in the UK, Susie’s grandparents were married at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, and her mother was born here also. Now having her two children born here as well, you could say she’s come full circle.

SUSIE BLOMFIELD

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Happenings

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happenings

For the fifth consecutive year, the Discovery College PTA supported the 2013 Discovery College Arts Fest in February. The Arts Fest parade opened the week-long festival of performing and visual arts, which offered students unique insights and experiences led by local and international artists and educators.

During the festival, students had the opportunity to learn about graffiti, Chinese watercolour painting, stage fighting, karate, as well as dragon dancing, street dancing, and body percussion. In the upper secondary, the students also chose from a diverse range of electives ranging from architecture and design, to theatre and photography.

As always, parents played an important role in the Arts Festival. The students benefitted from parents in almost all the Primary year groups telling stories and sharing their musical and cultural heritage.

The annual Silent Art Auction and Exhibition, where students across the school took part in producing collaborative works of art, also featured the winning entries from the Year 10/11/12 photography competition, which was based on Hong Kong culture. (See page 26 for the winning images.)

Events open to the public this year included the ever-popular children and adult comedy shows and for the first time, a comedy show for secondary students. Get Real Theatre Company performed Alice in Wonderland to a full theatre.

New this year was the DC Arts Fair, where artists and students were able to exhibit and sell their original work. During this special evening, the Discovery Bay community was able to witness the range of talent in our school and community. The Arts Fair featured performances from the DC Cobra Choir, professional lion dancing, the Year 6 dragon dancers, DMR ballet dancers, and Bollywood dancing.

The PTA is proud to fund and support the Arts Fest. It has always been the PTA’s intention that the Arts Fest would become self-funding. This year, through the generous support of parents, teachers and members of the public, we achieved that goal. The money was generated from ticket sales of the three comedy shows and Alice in Wonderland, the works sold in the Artwork Auction, the donations from Patrons of the Arts, and those who attended our very first Arts Fair.

Elspeth Shaw, DC Parent

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CLASSROOM

CUTTING UP In Year 10 Science, students performed a full dissection of a frog this spring. The goal was to properly identify all organs of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and reproductive systems.

Students enjoyed the tactile experience and gained a new respect for life. The skills learned will be helpful in diploma biology and in university level biology courses, should a student want to pursue a career in medicine or surgery.

Adding up to fun

Students Participate in World Maths Day It is difficult to succinctly summarize why mathematics is such an important subject. Galileo said that “The great book of nature can be read only by those who know the language in which it was written, and that language is mathematics.” He added, “Mathematics is the way to understand all sorts of things in the world around us.” It is well known that it impacts all aspects of life. Simply, I believe that mathematics improves the ability to problem solve and analyse, and it develops our thinking skills.

In recognition of this, DC students in Years 7-9 celebrated World Maths Day by participating in the Mathletics International Online Competition.

Each student completed as many questions as they could in 60 seconds and received points for correct answers and improving their scores. Students competed at various levels of difficulty against other students around the world. In total, DC students answered almost 90,000 questions over the span of 24 hours. We hope that parents will encourage their children to keep practicing and building their basic mathematics skills through Mathletics throughout the year. Practice is important in maths!

Andrew Dove Head of Secondary Math Department

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ADDING UP TO FUN

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outdoors

Teamwork, Confidence, leadership

Year 9 Camp in Cheung Sha As an integral part of our school programme, the Year 9 students attended a very successful five-day camp in Cheung Sha. Students stayed at the HK YWCA Sydney Leong Holiday Lodge from Monday 25 February – Friday 1 March. Throughout the programme, students participated in a variety of activities designed to build confidence, teamwork, communication, independence, leadership skills, and outdoor technical skills.

Fun at the Facility At the facility, students were able to participate in beach games and swimming, which were group favourites. There were also several facility-run activities, including rock climbing, archery, abseiling, and a ropes course. The camp wouldn’t have been complete without the opportunity to cook a barbecue in the afternoon!

Dragonfly Day An outside provider offered mountain biking and an amazing race, with options for beginner, intermediate, and advanced groups.

The advanced group hit the popular mountain biking trail around Chi Ma Wan, while the other groups concentrated on bike safety and confidence building in Mui Wo. This day of fun and adventure was finished off with a Dim Sum style dinner outing at one of the popular Mui Wo restaurants.

2 Day Hiking Experience The entire year group put in a lot of effort for a two-night, two-day hiking experience

across Lantau Island. Groups left from Tai O and two nights later returned back to the facility. The distance travelled was more than 25 km, and students were given maps as well as the skills required to navigate themselves along the journey.

Students packed all their equipment into a large backpack for the long trip and used their own two feet as transport.

There was a real sense of adventure with everyone sleeping in tents or opting for just a camping fly (a waterproof roof) as their home for the trip. The weather was fantastic, and along with the nightly fire, the glowing phosphorescence visible in the ocean at both campsites was a highlight for many.

Huge thanks must go to all the Discovery College staff that worked very hard to make this camp such a success.

This year’s camp was one of the best yet and the whole Year 9 cohort should be very proud of the way they conducted themselves.

Jason Mckimmon Education Outside the Classroom Coordinator

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DC News

service in action

Year 12 Students Teach in Tung Chung While being internationally-aware students in the hub of Discovery Bay, we often forget to recognise the local issues that surround our own community of Hong Kong. However, as five of our very own Year 12 students Anthony Dillon, Sie Rossiter, Claire Holubowskyj, Sienna Stubbs, and Momoko Ishii discovered this year, there are issues literally around the corner.

Several months ago, the opportunity arose for some of our senior students to take part in a project run by the Kuok Foundation, aiming to support lowincome families from the Yat Tung Estate of Tung Chung, by teaching English on an after-school basis. What began as a rewarding opportunity to fulfil CAS requirements, has developed into an extraordinary experience for our senior students.

For Anthony, a Tung Chung Resident, it has been quite surreal, and given him a new lens in terms of looking at his surroundings.

“This experience really allowed me to broaden my perspective of my community and the society I live in.”

“This experience really allowed me to broaden my perspective of my community and the society I live in, teaching me the softness required to deal with children but also the difficulties they face as a non-English speaking group learning English for pretty much their first time,” he said.

While the experience has been memorable for the students, they have also had the opportunity to step into the shoes of teachers, another incredible challenge according to Sie.

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“I joined the project to challenge myself in teaching a class. Before I was on board with the project, I had only tutored students one on one, but this experience taught me to organise activities which involve group work, and how hard it really is to engage a class of 20,” she said.

Claire is also clear in describing her teaching experience and how it has impacted her.

“As a teacher, I help them with different activities, practice their pronunciation, help them learn new vocabulary, as well as improve their grammar through different activities,” she said. “It has been really quite eye-opening because I can see the improvement in these kids, and it has shown me how important it is to have a desire to learn new things and just how far that can take you.”

As students with assessments always at the forefront of our minds, we often put aside the importance of CAS and Community & Service, but as this project has demonstrated, they can provide an excellent opportunity to apply our academic ability in a reallife situation, while learning more about oneself.

Taha Hashim Year 11 Student

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DC News

All that Jazz

Year 11 MYP Exhibition Year 11 music students had the opportunity recently to take on the role of jazz musicians. They explored the various styles of jazz, the history of jazz, and the lives of some of the early jazz pioneers. Students were exposed to some of the leading jazz repertoire and had opportunities to perform jazz arrangements as a whole class. The skills they worked on included jazz articulation and phrasing, the swing feel, basic jazz harmony, and bass lines. The unit also had a focus on how to shape an effective improvised jazz solo.

“I really liked working with the band and practicing my improvised solos and learning how to be more creative with my music,” said student Wei Chen Lo.

for a public performance, which took place on 6 March, and featured their interpretations of great jazz standards by Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Duke Ellington, and many others.

The students expanded their performance abilities during this unit. Alex Campbell particularly enjoyed learning about its origins and nuances.

“I really liked it because it is a new form of music I hadn’t studied before. It branches off into so many genres of music that we listen to today, and it was really nice to know the roots,” he said. “I really enjoyed and was challenged learning different styles of music on the bass guitar. It was actually really complicated!”

Students also gained experience in analysing a jazz piece and going through the same process a professional jazz musician would undergo when learning a new jazz piece. This included chord voicing and identifying a range of important elements of jazz including form, scales for improvisation, and commonly found jazz chord progressions. This knowledge will be crucial for these young musicians’ development but also their future creativity, as Nicole Lau shared.

The goal of the unit was to give Year 11 music students some basic experience in this rich and complex music genre and to build upon the skills they developed in last year’s Blues unit. Neil Rockenhaeuser gained an appreciation for jazz music through the unit.

“I really enjoyed working with my group, and I learned a lot about jazz theory, which I can use as a composer and musician in the future,” she said.

Although we don’t expect our Year 11 students to suddenly fill up their iPods with jazz music, we hope this unit will instil a new appreciation for jazz and it’s contributions to contemporary music styles.

Most importantly the students applied these skills by forming their own jazz bands and rehearsing and arranging jazz standards in preparation

Matt Davis Secondary Music Teacher

“I didn’t really listen to Jazz before but now I really really enjoy it, “ he said. “Now that I have been exposed to jazz, I want to do it all again!”

ALL THAT JAZZ

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SPRING 2013

DC NEWS

RISE UP AND SING

Cobra Choir Performs in ESF Concert

See more photos of the concert online!

In March the Cobra Choir joined forces with all the ESF Primary Schools to sing in the ESF Primary Choral Concert. “Gonna Rise Up Singing” was the theme of this year’s concert held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai.

More than 800 talented children from ESF primary schools performed in the concert, with nearly 1,600 parents and supporters in the audience.

Students had the opportunity to meet peers in other schools and share their musical talents. Discovery College was well represented, with 72 students from our Years 4, 5 and 6 performing that evening.

“I made a new friend from Quarry Bay!” said Year 4 student Ashlin Fung. Ashlin also said she wasn’t intimidated by the large audience, even though it was her first time performing in a large venue.

Charlotte Riedel, Year 5 student, agreed that singing with the other schools was a good experience.

“It was quite fun singing with the other schools,” she said. “I think we had nice harmony.”

The concert showcased a range of wonderful musical styles, including Latin, Putonghua, folk songs, classical selections, and themes from popular motion pictures. Several songs featured spirited choreography, which added to the enthusiastic performance of our students.

Alfred Lo, a Year 6 student, said he most enjoyed singing “Kuna Karamu,” a Swahili song. He said that learning the songs and choreography was fun, and he enjoyed getting to perform with the choir.

The performance was fantastic and a testament to the hard work the choir has been putting in over the past few months. Congratulations to all the students involved in making the concert so successful!

Michael Burrows, Primary Music Teacher

Self Study underway DC Prepares for Accreditation

Discovery College has been undertaking a year-long self study in preparation for a team visit from the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Western Academy of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Following a successful preliminary visit, where Discovery College was commended on many aspects of our organisation, programmes, and facilities, Self Study Teams made up of all teaching staff, representative support staff, volunteer students, and parents were established. These teams are examining 20 areas of the school’s operation, including our guiding statements, curriculum, staffing, governance and leadership, and operational systems.

Each self study team has been busily collecting evidence and rating each area around a set of standards and indicators. As they do so, they are identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and the teams are writing strategies for improvement. At the halfway point in January, Discovery College’s progress was strongly validated by CIS-WASC’s Ray Davis during an interim visit.

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RISE UP AND SING

The information collected by the committees will form a report which will be reviewed by a team of international educators. This team will spend a week at Discovery College in October next academic year. The accreditation team will look at the evidence demonstrating how we have assessed ourselves, and they will make recommendations based on what they observe.

This self study and accreditation process is widely seen across the globe as a rigorous quality assurance process for schools.

Accreditation is also widely respected by tertiary institutions as a sign of a quality learning and teaching programme. Further updates about the accreditation process will be provided to the Discovery College community in the months ahead.

Peter Lasscock Deputy Head of School

DC News

SPRING 2013

Peachy Performance

James and the Giant Peach On March 20-21, the Primary School staged the production of James and the Giant Peach.

This dramatisation of Roald Dahl’s beloved book by Richard George was performed at Discovery College by students in Years 5 and 6. The production process was designed to layer the complexity of live performance into manageable steps. The concept of layers in the actual stage play, set design, lighting, sound, and of course the performance of the actors was the focus of this process. All the resources provided by the Discovery College Theatre were utilised to ensure that the experience for the students, teachers, and parents was nothing less than a full one.

The choice of James and the Giant Peach as the Primary School Production satisfied both educational and artistic goals. The script demanded discipline and risk-taking from the actors whilst providing scope for fun and celebration. Part of the rehearsal process involved script-writing workshops, dance workshops, music, and costume design.

Several ideas emerged during these workshops that were incorporated into the script.

The enthusiasm, energy, and practical assistance of the Discovery College staff, parents, and students made the theatre production process a rewarding experience and once again the persistence, drive, dedication, and talent by all, made the show a resounding success.

Frank Donnoli Primary Drama Teacher

PEACHY PERFORMANCE

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SPRING 2013

ALUMNI

where are THEY NOW

Chad and Sasha Perche

Where do you live now?

We are living in Perth, Australia. We moved here in July 2012.

What brought you there?

We moved from Perth to Hong Kong when I was two years old but after 10 years, my mum was keen to move back home. She had booked me into my current school, Scotch College, when I was born so it was always a possibility that we would return to Perth for my secondary schooling.

Where do you go to school?

I am attending Scotch College, and my sister Sasha is attending North Fremantle Primary School.

What are some differences between your new school and Discovery College?

Scotch College is a very traditional school for boys and it was established in 1897. It has both boarders and day pupils. Scotch is quite different from Discovery College as it occupies 22 hectares of land. This means the school is spread out and has huge sports fields.

We play a lot more competitive sport here. The school uniform rules at Scotch are stricter than at DC so I’ve had to get my hair cut short.

What types of activities are you involved in?

I’ve been playing more sports in Australia. During the summer Sasha and I ran in Little Athletics competitions on Saturdays and at school I’ve been playing basketball in an inter-school competition every Friday afternoon. Next term I will be playing Australian Rules football. As a cocurricular activity I’ve been involved in the Community Service club at school. We live very close to the beach so we enjoy going to the beach on weekends. I’ve tried surfing for the first time in Australia.

What do you like best about your new home, how is it different from living in Hong Kong?

I enjoy seeing my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins here in Australia. The weather in Perth is good and we have really clear bluesky days all the time. Life is good in Australia, but I do miss my old DC friends. I am visiting Hong Kong in May and looking forward to catching up with some of my old friends then. Sasha says she misses her friends and her Year 1 teacher, Mrs Romano.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW

SPRING 2013

Leaping ahead Kwai Chung Sports Ground provided the perfect setting for the 2013 Primary Athletics Day, which took place on 15 March. All 600 students from Years 1-6 participated in each of the six events with great enthusiasm and determination to do their best.

The vocal House support and colour added to the wonderful atmosphere. Cheers of encouragement from parents who were able to attend added to the spirit of the day. The day finished off with the exciting House relays, with selected students from Years 4-6 sprinting as fast as they could go. Congratulations to all of the students and teachers who were involved in the successful day.

LEAPING

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SPRING 2013

Cobra Sports U14 Girls Basketball In their first basketball season, the Under 14 girls advanced into the qualifying stage, which began with the semi-finals. In the first qualifying game, the team won over DBIS by a few baskets. In the final, the girls tried their best but lost to Kellet with a score of 20-8. The girls finished in 2nd place overall and got a silver medal which was a fantastic effort by a new team. - Shirley Tang, Year 8

gross score category. Shinya Mizuno and Taichi Kho were in the top 20, and Emi Kingan and I took the top two places in the net score category.

There’s a quote by ice hokey player Wayne Gretzky: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” The DC golf team to me has always exemplified this, and we have established a team with a solid golfing foundation to build on. We thank the teachers, parents, and our fellow students for their wonderful support. - Galen Law-Kun, Year 12

U14 Boys Basketball This season of basketball for the Under 14 boys was a challenging one, and the whole squad felt they could have achieved more. The squad managed to qualify for the top 8, which was a bit unexpected. Every team member was dedicated, and as the team captain I can tell you that every individual in this team gave 110% every time they set foot on the court. In the end we came up short in the quarterfinals, but for all of us it was a good learning experience to improve our co-operation and teamwork. - William Nolan, Year 9

U13 Netball For the first time, DC entered the Under 13 Sunday HKNA Netball competition with a large representation of primary students. It was most impressive to watch our DC students play with such tenacity and spirit. The team embodied great sportsmanship and teamwork each time they came together. We particularly thank the committed parents who supported the team, especially Kaylene Adcock who provided much appreciated guidance throughout the season. - Nicole O’Brien, Coach

U16 Girls Basketball The girls Under 16 basketball team missed out on the final playoffs this year. However, the girls enjoyed the season immensely and the teamwork and camaraderie that developed within the team was remarkable. The development of individual skills and understanding of how to play as a team was also very impressive. It was a pleasure to coach a group of fine young people who have already asked to start pre-season training several weeks in advance. - Adrian Gan, Coach U16 Boys Basketball The boys Under 16 basketball team made it to the semi-finals again this year but were unable to overcome a tough ISF team to make it to the final. With an increased emphasis on team structure and set plays, the team proved they were a force to be reckoned with. The team has proven their commitment to improving further by continuing to train as a group weekly since the close of the season. Overall, another successful season was enjoyed by all involved. - Matt Baron, Coach U20 Girls Basketball Going into the Under 20 division with a team of mostly 16 year-olds, the team was always going to be challenged to reach the finals of the competition. This, however, never had a negative influence on the team’s attitude, as they proudly played to the best of their ability every week.

Some great individual improvements were made, and collectively the team became more and more competitive with each game. We can look forward to next year’s season with high expectations. - Peter Muir, Coach Golf The DC Golf Team began in 2008, and since then the team has grown to 5 members. It has been a prolific season, and we have a number of excellent individual and team performances to be proud of. At the DC Golf event held in December 2012, Mimi Ho took first place in the overall

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COBRA SPORTS

Secondary A Netball The DC Cobras trained hard for the Sunday netball league. The season provided a chance to learn how other teams play and to develop our skills when in game situations. Our goals were to optimise the space, refine skills, and communicate with each other. We did well in achieving our goals, and there has been a tremendous improvement in our level of game play. We narrowly missed going to the finals by losing our last match by one point; however, we look forward to the next netball season! - Kirsten Anderson, Coach U16 Boys Rugby The DC U16 Rugby Squad has had a first great season with 2 wins, 2 losses, and a draw. The team has sparked further interest in rugby throughout the school, and it seems to be a growing sport for DC. - Cameron Smith, Year 10 U16 Girls Rugby An extremely exciting season was capped off in the last round by the Cobra U16 girls who beat Australian International 28-5, in what was to be the competition final. The squad took complete control in the match, smashing AISHK back in defence, attacking with flair and precision, and scoring a number of top quality tries. Congratulations to this talented squad who are HK schools U16 Rugby Champions! - Andy Munn, Coach Primary Sports This is the most successful year for the younger Cobras, with a number of medals coming back to DC. The highlight of the primary squads has been the enthusiasm, willingness to listen, and ability to perform new ideas in match situations. Primary Netball earned second overall. Beach Touch Rugby boys earned 2nd overall in cup, and the girls were cup winners.

The Mixed Basketball @RCHK were winners of the cup. A huge thank you to parents Amanda Walsh, Kaylene Adcock, and Vahe Derhovagimian who have helped coach different Cobra teams. - Andy Munn, Coach

SPRING 2013

students

Standing OVation

Battle of the Bands Brings Down the House The Battle of the Bands is an annual event that is a favourite on the House Calendar. It brings together students from each House to form a band at short notice and choose a song based around a different theme each year.

After a short lead up and practice, the bands performed at the end-of-term assembly on the 22 March to the whole school - for many their biggest audience ever!

This year the theme was “Pop Rock,”’ which afforded each band a wide scope to choose an item to entertain the school. Bands were asked to select songs that reflected the idea of “Unity.” Competition again was intense with each house giving it their all. Great renditions of popular music selections were performed by all Houses.

A high-powered judging panel comprising Mark Beach, Vania Tiatto, and Andy Kai Fong spent considerable time deliberating over the performance. Scoring was based around musicality, technical facility, ensemble skills, song presentation, and entertainment value.

The final results were very close - perhaps the closest in the history of this competition. The judges made the tough decision and awarded a joint first place to Lie Huo (Red) and Jin Shu (Purple), whose bands both impressed the audience with their song medleys and polished

performances. They were closely followed by Liu Shui (Blue) in third, and another tie was announced for fourth place to Re Tu (Yellow) and Qing Mu (Green).

Congratulations to all the performers who shared their talents with the school, and to all the faculty and staff who organized such an entertaining end-of-term event.

The crowd favourite was a special surprise performance by the staff band who performed an impressive version of Queen’s “Under Pressure.”

Peter Lasscock Deputy Head of School

STANDING OVATION

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students

Student Photography A photography competition was held during Arts Fest. The judges had the tough task of choosing the top ten photographs, shown here. First place was awarded to Amanda Thorsen for Alleyway Break (a).

Joint second place went to Dana Young for The Old Practices (i) and Essence of HK (e), Viola Graef for Contrast (g), Amanda Thorsen for The Green Bowl (c), and Emma Yong for HK Lights (b). Joint third place winners were Viola Graef for The Streets (f), Emma Yong for Wet Days in HK (j), Jasmine Chau for Keep the Old or Start From Brand New? (h), and Ashley Brooks for Take Me Home (d).

b

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a

e

g

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STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY

STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY

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SPRING 2013

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