1
PO LEUNG KUK
CHOI KAI YAU SCHOOL
IN THIS ISSUE
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2
June 2016
14th Anniversary Open Day PAGE 1
World Scholar’s Cup PAGE 3
Confucius Teaching PAGE 4
IB Art Exhibition PAGE 6 Sports News PAGE 8
Study Tour PAGE 10
Alumni News PAGE 12
Principal's Words CKY CKY
It seems it has been no more than a blink of an eye, and yet our 14th academic year is coming to its end and our 15th school year is about to begin. Our Speech Day, as well, is fast approaching and before long, we will be celebrating the graduation of our fourth cohort of students. Whether time sits still or passes by at lightning speeds hinges on how purposefully we choose to live our lives, and I hope we will continue to learn from our experiences and past mistakes. I am happy to see that the communal spirit is well founded and cherished in CKY, where magnanimous support and help is always at hand. I hope our students will extend the camaraderie they enjoy at school wherever they go and with whomever they meet.. The second edition of our CKY Newsletter is now published online. I am grateful for our teachers and students’ dedication and hard work. Their articles and reflections have certainly revealed the different aspects of school life with which our joy is shared and achievements celebrated.
Head Principal, Dr. Lau Siu Ling
Open Day… Two words which conjure up mixed feelings among the school community. Happiness and joy, for example, mingled with wonder, pride, even nostalgia, and closely followed by exhausCon! Open Day is one date in the school calendar where CKY opens its doors to an assortment of visitors, including special guests from Po Leung Kuk, an impressive army of supporCve parents, a bevy of rapidly overgrown alumni, and a large dash of prospecCve parents and Year 1 students who were all wondering the same thing ‘would we be happy coming to this school?’ Their ques7on was answered resoundingly if our students’ fabulous performances were anything to go by. A wide array of school orchestras, wind-bands, choirs, dance groups, and hand-bell teams showcased their skills during spectacular pieces. Parents and coaches beamed with pride, and onlookers gawped at the performers’ precocious talent. That something in this school, which every child is good at, is oHen found in the performing arts, as shown by the plethora of musical and dance performances that received rapturous applause on Open Day. Performing arts are not the only field in which our students excel. Sports featured heavily throughout Open Day, with football, basketball and volleyball allowing for some friendly compe77ons between student and parent-teacher teams.Although the parents and teachers were oHen decidedly thrashed, sport fixtures offered a welcome opportunity for players to bond (and for adults to take more exercise), all in the name of fun! Friendly compe77on was found not only on the spor7ng pitches or at the swimming gala. There was healthy rivalry among around forty game booths which doRed along the ground floor. Strolling through the en7cing and occasionally ingenious games brought out the inner child in each of us; one who longed for and loved the funfair! Booths brandished cuddly toys and other big prizes to capture aRen7on and tempt game players to part with their 7ckets.
th Anniversary Open Day 1414th Anniversary Open Day Saturday, 19 Saturday 19thth March 2016 March 2016
Put simply, there seemed to be so much going on during Open Day; more than could possibly be included in this one ar7cle. And we are yet even to men7on morning exercise. A rite of passage for every Year 1 student on Open Day (photos of which alumni oHen reminisce, laugh or slightly cringe over), the choreographed dance and chants of over 170 six-year-olds leH the audience with facial expressions which alternated between a broad smile and that dis7nct face which says ‘oh, bless..!’.
The interac7ve classrooms allowed visitors to gain a glimpse into how learning at CKY is both exci7ng and fun. Laboratory demonstra7ons revealing the wonders of Science inspired ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ among the par7cipants, while Art offered visitors the opportunity to ‘Picasso their face’. Drama performances entertained and amused, as did Library storytelling in the reading garden (a garden which reclaimed its intended use back from the IB students, who seem to have marked the territory as their chill-out It took months to plan and 7ring work space…). on the day from everyone involved. But a milestone event such as Open A day’s worth of booth playing, interDay celebrated the 14 Anniversary of ac7ve learning, sports specta7ng and the school’s founding, as well as performance apprecia7on leH many everything that is great about CKY. visitors in need of food and nourishDiverse student talent, strong parent ment. Junior Master Chef in the Food support, close year-level and departTechnology room produced a delightmental teams, all coming together as ful spread of tasty dishes, prepared one school community, to show every and cooked by our very own Gordon visitor the finest of what a CKY educaRamsays and Nigella Lawsons in the 7on is all about. making. Café on the Hill faced s7ff compe77on not only from the snack shop, but also a new kid on the block, Pizza Express. The pizza stand had a roaring trade and happily donated a certain amount of profits to the CKY fundraiser. Each 7cket booklet bought was an indirect dona7on to the school fundraiser – funds which will enable CKY to con7nue inves7ng in excellent Jason Chin school facili7es for our students. Senior Teacher th
Page 1
In the first ac7vity we put Meal Worms into containers with different condi7ons and observed what kind of environment they liked most—wet or Catque nonsultus losuntium auctus dry? Bright or dark? The Meal Worms, imihilibus. Sim res! Iptilne oribus ficae according to our ia pece observa7on, quam huciendum catque non-liked the sultus wet losuntium and dark auctus sides. imihilibus. In the Sim heart res! Iptilne oribus ficae quam huciendissec7on session, we dissected a real dum ia pece. pig heart.
Open Day English The English department succeeded in running a booth as well as an English game room for Open Day. In the booth we encouraged contestants to try their luck in “Character Pong” where they were cheered on as they needed to get the ping pong ball to land into empty cups in one bounce. This brought tremendous amount of joy to each and every person! Every cup had a famous writer on it and allowed the contestants an opportunity to delve into the fantas7c history of some of the most superb books that grace our shelves.
LOREM IPSUM
Orchestra Performance
The orchestra performance was a great success. On the day, we performed ‘Selec7ons from West Side Story’, which comes from a popular movie. West Side Story is a tragic story, and the dark theme, sophis7cated muEqually, our English room of- sic, extended dance scenes, and focus on sofered many a laugh and enjoy- cial problems marked a turning point in American musical theater. In our performent as those who entered mance, we focused on conveying the sadness were treated to an array of dif- of the story. It turned out to be a great sucferent games ranging from Pin cess, the performance was very moving.
the quill on Shakespeare, Disk Throw (where a contestant threw disks onto story characters and aRempted to name them), and “Fun with Phonics” where people iden7fied and matched an object with the correct phone7c sounds. The department also played Mix and Match with the students, which tested the memory of anyone who tried their hand Overall, the kids really engaged with games in an atmosphere where they not only had the opportunity to experience learning with their parents, but also to have fun at the same 7me.
Travis Dell English Teacher
Henry Lee 9D
Open Day Biology Have you ever held a worm before? Have you ever dissected a real heart? Have y o u e v e r l o o k e d through a microscope and seen the 7ny members of our world, so small that we cannot see them with our raw eyes? In the Biology Lab (6/F) on Open Day, visitors, student volunteers and teachers who have an interest in biology went to the biology lab to experience the wonder of Science and technology. There were three amazing sessions in total, including: 1. Observing meal worms 2. Heart dissec7on 3. Microscopes
It was put in the fridge for quite a long 7me, which was good, because it was not bloody or anything. In fact, it was quite cool. I mean, it is not every day you get to dissect a real heart, right? The teachers taught the visitors the parts and func7ons of the heart, which I did not know myself. She cut open the heart and let us touch the different textures—with gloves on, of course. For the final ac7vity, we looked through microscopes. There were lots of different specimens, like: human tooth, hair follicle, Daphnia, etc. I personally found the Daphnia most interes7ng. It was transparent and alive. ALIVE! Through the microscope, I could see it moving and its heart bea7ng. These ac7vi7es would not have been a success without the enthusias7c visitors. They were eager to know more, especially the kids, which was not what I expected. All in all, signing up for biology was worth it, and I would like to thank all who contributed, especially the teachers and visitors for spending so much effort and carrying out this ac7vity. Janice Wong 6A
The ac7vi7es were all very fun and interesting, and I highly recommend you to come next year. Page 2
World Scholar’s Cup When I decided to join the World Scholar’s Cup for the third time, my friends asked, “Again? Did you not participate in the last few year’s already? Are you not bored?” To which I answered, “The World Scholar’s Cup experience only gets better every year.” Group Picture
Having parIcipated in the World Scholar’s Cup for the past three years, I have aRended the Global Rounds in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and the Tournament of Champions twice – all of them eye-opening experiences where I got to meet and befriend scholars from around the world. The seamless blend of compeIIon and socializaIon among scholars is one of the qualiIes I admire most about the event. The social and cultural elements, such as the Scholar’s Ball and the Cultural Fair, are equally important compared to the academic elements, which is what makes World Scholar’s Cup so unique and invaluable. As a student leader in training sessions, I am especially impressed by the progress we have accelerated as a school. AKer two years of being the host of the Hong Kong regional round, CKY has emerged as one of the strongest and most victorious schools in Hong Kong. We won a total of 161 awards, including earning the Itle as the overall Champion Team in the Senior Division (Kelvin Ho 9C, Clement Ho 9D, Owen Yeung 9A), coming First in Individual
Showcase
WriIng (Eunice Li (12A) and Second in Overall Individual Scholar (Kelvin Ho 9C), our best achievements yet. AKer rigorous training sessions over the course of four months, I have w i t n e s s e d t h e g r o w t h a n d maturaIon of many junior scholars, who have improved exponenIally in acquiring knowledge, debaIng and wriIng. In the training sessions this year, we decided to take a more inclusive approach – all senior scholars were responsible for researching on certain topics and teaching them to the juniors, in contrary to the previous years where we had only a few student leaders teaching the enIre range of subjects.The change in teaching methods definitely made training sessions more interesIng and inclusive.
I r e a l i ze d t h a t e n c o u ra g i n g discussions and quesIons would aid junior scholars to understand materials with more depth and breadth while nurturing them into inquisiIve learners. The success of our trainings was exemplified in the closing ceremony where our juniors did equally well as the senior scholars who led the sessions. AKer achieving terrific results in the regional round, it is now important for scholars to work even harder for the Global Round, where more than 3000 scholars who have excelled in their regional rounds from all around the world will gather and compete. The level of compeIIon will be more immense than many of our scholars have ever experienced, and I hope that the Global Round in Bangkok this year will serve as an even greater moIvaIon for them to strive for the best.
Best Writer
Overall Champions The World Scholar’s Cup is more than just an academic compe77on. It is an event that embraces global values and diversity. Scholars excel in personal development as well as fulfil their role in a team and in the greater community. The compe77on celebrates acceptance of people from every corner of the world and fosters increased cultural understanding that will no doubt prepare us to be beBer global ci7zens in the future.
Eunice Li 12A
Page 3
7A
(
)
:
Page 4
1)
:
2 3 4
Page 5
Students and visitors picking up postcard souvenirs, signing the guestbook and enjoying refreshment prepared by the art students.
IB Art Exhibition March 15th to March 19th, 2016. The annual Visual Art IB Gradua3on Exhibi3on was showcased from March 15th to March 19th, 2016. Nine young ar3sts from the Year 12 gradua3ng class have created art pieces ranging from a wide range of media, including drawing, pain3ng, photography, video art, ceramics, i n sta l l a3 o n a r t , fa s h i o n a n d sculpture. Their marvellous pieces have impressed all visitors and inspired many students at the school. Nine dedicated and enthusias3c gradua3ng art students were involved in organising this exhibi3on displaying a body of work under their chosen theme, which they created over the two-years as part of their IB diploma requirement for
visual art. Based on their personal interests and curiosi3es, they have explored various themes such as the hybrid culture of Hong Kong, the economic turmoil in Hong Kong, utopia, ďŹ nding comfort, dream versus reality, the living environment of Hong Kong, recovery, repe33on, and vulnerability versus strength.
and school open day. They were undoubtedly a group of skilled and passionate students who moved everyone with their passion towards their work. Their enjoyment in crea3ng and presen3ng art is beau3fully reected in their works.
As part of the exhibi3on, these art s t u d e n t s c r e a t e d t h e i r o w n postcards as souvenirs for the visitors and an exhibi3on booklet. Throughout the whole prepara3on process, the eort of teachers and students made the exhibi3on a great success. The graduates also shared their stories and experience in crea3ng their works during the opening ceremony of the exhibi3on Michelle Wang Art Department Head (Secondary)
Page 6
Exhibition Highlights
Principal Lau and Ms. Michelle Wang, IB art teacher, with the graduating visual art class of 2016.
Principal Lau, Dr. Abrioux, Designated Principal Ng, Vice Principal Ms. Chong, Vice Principal Ms. Lam, secondary art department, Mr. Hernan and the graduating visual art class of 2016.
Vanessa Lam explains her video piece, Hong Kong Soup (2015), to younger students.
Featuring four art pieces of Levana Chow, under the theme, “Dreams versus Reality”
Terence Mak focusing on the theme of “Economic turmoil of Hong Kong”
“Excuse me, may I pass through here?” (2016) - a mixed media installation by Tiffany Tsui.
Page 7
in the
Sports
News
Page 8
Division 3 Overall Champions
Page 9
Division 3 Overall 5th Position
Junior and Senior Volleyball Team 2015-16 inter-school volleyball compe::on. This week we have worked extra hard to fully prepare ourselves for the c h a m p i o n m a t c h , o u r f e l l o w classmates and parents were there to support us once more. With all the support and commitment we were able to perform at our best level and come out as champions.
Captain’s words… Volleyball is not just a sport. It is also about team spirit. Thinking back to one of the matches, we were all so exhausted and dispirited, the quality of our play was really low and we were devastated. However, instead of throwing in the towel, we screamed and shouted our chant as thunder. It was so powerful that it brought our team back together, and Ainally, we blew the competition away! Team spirit is the key to success, without team spirit, we would not have been able to overcome all of the obstacles and get to where we are today!
Venus Lam, all smiles after winning the game
Every Wednesday and Friday a.er school, the volleyball team comes together to train for the compe::ons in the upcoming year. During training, we have to first warm up before going into various exercises. While we prac:ce physically, we also improve our mentality and try to overcome adversi:es. Last Saturday, the b grade team competed in the inter-school volleyball semifinals against Logos Academy. Lots of our classmates and parents were there to support us for which we are really thankful for. In the first set we lost at 25-27, so for the second set we stuck together as a t e a m a n d b r o k e f r e e o f o u r insecuri:es, ul:mately winning the s e c o n d a n d t h i r d s e t w i t h perseverance and teamwork. This upcoming Sunday b grade team will be facing the final match in our long, enduring yet exci:ng journey of the
The C grades on the team are compe:ng in the first round of the inter-school compe::on. We currently hold the top posi:on among all the other schools in the district group. Our aim for this year is to place first, and the next compe::on will be on 24/4. C grade Volleyball girls came out as champions in the Division 3 and have been promoted to Division 2 for coming academic year.
Chris Fung 9A Page 8
B Grade Basketball Girls a.er their ďŹ nal game HKSSF Inter-school Basketball Match Results update (2015 – 2016) Girls Basketball Team B Grade: 5th Place Girls Basketball Team C Grade: 5th Place enough to people for A-grade girls basketball team. Although the girls basketball team does not win a lot of awards like other sports teams, I never regret my choice of joining the school's basketball team. I may not have any medals after joining the basketball team for six years, but it has re w a rd e d m e w i t h a l o t o f experience and memories, and given me the opportunity to befriend with some of my best friends. We win together, we lose together, and no matter what happens, we are still a team. Thanks to them, I am not scared of trying and failing, because I know that they will be there for me. Frankly, I can no longer tell if I like to play basketball because of the sport itself, or if I just enjoy playing basketball with them. All I know is that I will definitely miss the time we play basketball together.
IGCSE
Y10C Queenie Chan This year, we have improved as a team and have become closer than we have ever been. Unfortunately, we were not able to get into the semi-finals and lost in the quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row in the inter-school basketball competition. It is possibly the last match for all of the year 10 students, as there might not be
I would like to take this chance to say a few words. First, to the Cgrade girls basketball team, good luck and add oil, I wish you all the best in the upcoming competitions. To the B-grade girls basketball team, thank you for playing basketball with me, I really do enjoy it. Last but not least, to you, who are reading this, go down to the basketball court and play, for all you know, your future best friends might be waiting for you down there! 10B Michelle Lam
Being a part of the B Grade Girls Basketball Team is like being in a big family, where you and your teammates train hard and work together towards the same goal. Being able to play Senior Girls in action during a division a sport that we game enjoy and have teammates who laugh with you through ups and downs is definitely something we love about the team. We complain a lot about how tiring our trainings are, but they are part of what makes our school life complete.Throughout the
Junior and Senior Basketball Girl team 2015-2016
years, our team have made a lot of progress. On a personal level, we have improved our skills and endurance; and as a team, we play better together and the chemistry has been there. We have had a lot of extra training sessions and friendly matches in weekends which have improved our performances in the matches. Although it was quite upsetting that we were not able to make it to the semi finals this year, we believe that we have tried our best and do not have any regrets towards our achievement.
Dorothy Chan 10B Page 9
Study Tours
Year 6 and Year 7
Map of the Night Safari
Final Show
Sky walk in Gardens at the bay
Ar#ficial tree Groves in Gardens at the bay
Year 7 Singapore In this Year 7 Singapore Study Tour, we went to numerous attractions including Gardens by the Bay, the Merlion Park and the Night Safari. The trip created many memories for us and made us discover a new side of Singapore. This was no doubt one of my favourite study tours, and of course the most meaningful and unforgettable one.
The weather in Singapore was extremely hot and humid throughout the trip. The cloudless sky let the sun shine directly onto the ground, making the temperature unbearably high. The environment around was surprisingly clean, not a garbage in sight. Trees and plants are planted all around the city. The government has also built a lot of greenery and envi-
ronmental friendly structures around like Gardens by the Bay, so as to make Singapore a ‘Garden City’.
provided us with an experience of walking through rainforests, plains and meadows.
The two most memorable visits in this study tour were the Night Safari and the Gardens by the Bay. We arrived at the Night Safari around eight o’clock in the evening. The teachers arranged us to ride on Safari Jeeps. It was very dark and quiet around. Our hearts filled with curiosity as we passed through looming shadows of trees and plants with the raJling sound of the Jeep. The speaker enthusiasKcally welcomed us and introduced each animal to us with fun details. We observed each animal from close distance; astonished by its behaviour and characterisKcs. The Safari simulated a realisKc habitat for the animals to live in, also
We visited the skywalk o f t h e s u p e r - t r e e Groves, in the Gardens by the Bay as well. The a r K fi c i a l s u p e r- t r e e Groves were humongous, with thousands of vines and ferns growing up. We felt the tropical touch of nature when slowly walking up the super-trees. The sun beamed in with the refreshing wind, bringing in pulpy fruit smell. When I arrived at the top, I felt dizzy looking at how high we were. From above, we overlooked at different structures around the Merlion bay. Walking through the narrow bridge, we enjoyed ourselves taking pictures and observing the surroundings.
In this tour, we experienced the touch of nature and learnt more about Singapore’s environment. In schools, we enjoyed our times learning with our buddies and we compared the differences between Singapore and Hong Kong. This tour made me realize how precious nature is. Reflecting back to Hong Kong, if we kept on polluting this city, soon, all local animals and plants will vanish. We must learn from Singapore and keep our place unpolluted and healthy.
7F Joshua Lee
Page 10
West lake
6F students next to the bund
Principal addressing all the students & parents before the meal
6F Eunice Lee
Page 2 11
Alumni News
2011
12
12 ──
Nickson Ng
── :
Page 12
Kelvin Wong Hi everyone, my name is Kelvin Wong and I studied at CKY from 2003 until 2012. After my IGCSE and part of my IB course, I decided to continue my education in the United States and in May 2015, I graduated from Indiana University of Bloomington, majoring in Communications and Culture. I am now focusing on further developing myself and my career. Whilst studying overseas, I discovered a couple of things that I miss about CKY. Things such as seeing the same group of friends and teachers every day where it seemed that everyone was literally in convoy with each other every second. With only a knock on the staffroom door, teachers’ assistance would always be there for you without reservation. Basically, when I went to university, everything I mentioned above changed. I found that I was not as close to my friends and professors when compared to the relationships I
developed at CKY and nothing seemed to be spontaneous anymore. I still keep in touch with my friends from CKY, whether they be from my year group or below, as well as with some of the teachers and even the principal herself. I contact them through social media mostly but also I enjoy visiting them personally especially when I return to Hong Kong during the summer holidays. Ever since I left CKY, I have learned how to be more independent, taking care of myself and friends and most importantly treasuring each moment that I have spent with my friends, teachers and family. I especially refer here to my friends and teachers in CKY. Throughout time and as the years go by, they have become a part of my family, and life mentors.
at the age of 19, other than that I would say being a CKY alumnus is also something to be proud of. It has always been an honor to be a part of the CKY family, the second dearest and closest family. Since I have left CKY and studied in America, and am now back from graduation, it is time to conquer the next stage of life, my own career. I have started applying for various jobs in different fields, gaining experience from the various interviews that I have been invited to and hoping that some of the companies will offer me a job that is suitable to me. My advice to CKY students is do not be afraid to go for anything that seems impossible, at least you have tried and will not have regrets. Just be prepared and always strive for greater success.
My proudest achievement by far is being the youngest graduate from my university, graduating
Page 13