1. education
2. school

DHANARA
the weekly newsletter of the Australian International School Hong Kong
Dhanara is the Aboriginal word for message stick
15 February 2012 (Term 1, week 3)
Continually Striving for Excellence
Our extensive Parent Survey for 2011 covered more than 300 factors related to your children’s educational experience at the school,
with a total of 405 parents completing the questionnaire, an excellent participation rate of over 50%. This represents a significant
increase over 2010, when 375 families took part.
In both Primary and Secondary Divisions, parents were most satisfied with the caring, culturally diverse, inclusive and welcoming
environment that exists at the school; the excellent, student-focused, teaching and the comprehensive Australian and IB curriculum,
which ensures a seamless transition to tertiary studies in Australia upon graduation, as well as solid preparation for students intending
to study at other overseas institutions.
Parents of Primary Division students stated that the school’s outstanding qualities are its caring community, the open and equal
opportunities available to all students and values such as honesty and integrity that are instilled in students as part of their overall
education at the school.
For parents of Secondary Division students, the most significant benefits stated were the well-rounded education students receive,
the strong sense of Australian culture and community that exists and the positive, encouraging environment that instills a sense of
self-belief in students.
More comments from parents and a detailed breakdown of the results will be given in the 2011 Annual Review which will be distributed
to AISHK families in the near future.
We greatly value the views parents and students have about the school, that they then make known to us, as this information
provides us with valuable feedback on our performance and serves as a guide for our operational and strategic planning as we move
forward.
While the results of our Survey were very pleasing, there is always room for improvement. A number of issues were raised by our
responders which we will be addressing over the next 12 months.
Key areas to be addressed include a request for further development of the school curriculum, continued staff development, more
attention to be paid to our Chinese studies and Representative Sports programs, improved communication between the school and
parents regarding their child's progress and enhanced, and further development in all aspects of, student welfare.
As a leading International School in Hong Kong, AISHK is committed to a continual review and improvement in all aspects of its
operations. With this year’s theme being the Year of Personal Discovery, we are determined to Exceed Expectations, one of this
year’s maxims, and actively encourage our students to do the same in their own lives.
Career News
On Thursday, 15 March, from 4:00pm to 6:30pm, we are holding our annual Career Talks afternoon. Our Talks are designed to help
students think about a variety of careers and encourage them to consider a range of post school options. For this event to happen
we need volunteers from our community to share their career experiences with our students. If you or someone you know is able
to volunteer time to speak to students about their occupation and/or career journey please let me know. Each presentation is for 30
minutes to a small group of interested students.
Education UK, organised by the British Council, is holding its annual exhibition on 25 and 26 February, from 1:00pm to 7:00pm at the
Hong Kong Convention Centre, Wan Chai. More details can be found at www.educationuk.org.hk/events.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School is holding a Career Seminar “Discover Accounting and Finance: Becoming a
Successful Professional” on Saturday, 3 March, from 10:30 to 2:00pm. You need to register for the event at http://www.cuhk.edu.
hk/acy2/careerseminar/. For more information contact Feona Crawford – Careers Advisor / [email protected].
Dhanara 15.02.2012 Page 1
Primary News
It was a great pleasure to welcome new parents to the school at the Morning Tea and see so many parents at the two Parent
Information Nights we held last week. We hope that you found the sessions informative and useful. I look forward to meeting other
parents at our ‘Welcome Barbecue’ on Friday, 17 February.
It was very pleasing to see that the children settled into their new classes so quickly. It is often a time of anxiety as they wonder
what the new teacher will be like and whether there will be friends in the new class group. The first weeks are filled with so many
new things; new structures, new classmates, new routines and ways of doing things. This is an important process for children to
experience as we work together to assist them in becoming responsible and independent citizens of the world. As a school we have
structures in place that we believe make our school a happier and a safer place. We also have procedures to foster team spirit and
a sense of belonging and community.
Getting a good night’s sleep often comes down to routines. When children stay up late, school performance and behaviour can be
affected. The number of nightly sleep hours required by children varies by age. In general, five-year-olds should get eleven hours
sleep, nine-year-olds need ten hours and fourteen-year-olds require at least 9 hours.
For better sleep it is important to maintain a routine bedtime pattern to prepare the brain for sleep. Exciting, high energy, activities
should be avoided within one hour before turning lights out. Pre-bedtime activities like taking a bath, teeth brushing and reading will
signal to the brain that it is time for sleep. Exercise, caffeine and sugary foods should be avoided. The ideal sleeping atmosphere is
a dark, quiet, cool room. Technology should be removed from the bedroom.
Insufficient sleep and poor sleep habits have been linked to health problems, moodiness and irritability, reduced memory function
and delayed reaction times.
So as we all settle into a routine for the new school year, make sure you enforce regular bedtime with appropriate hours of sleep for
your children and remember to remove technology from the bedroom.
PRIMARY ASSEMBLIES
Leonie Drew
The Next Assembly:
Week 3: Early Childhood Assembly (Prep - Year 2)
17 February at 11:10am
Principal Primary, Co Head of School
[email protected]
Upcoming Assemblies:
Week 4 - 24 Feb (Year 3 - 6)
Week 5 - 02 Mar (Prep - Year 2)
Week 6 - 09 Mar (Year 4)
Week 7 - 16 Mar (Prep - Year 2)
Week 8 - 23 Mar (Year 5)
Week 9 - 30 Mar (Prep - Year 6)
Assemblies on odd weeks begin at 11:10am and even
weeks at 11:20am
Class Representatives
Thank you to all our wonderful parents who have volunteered to be Class Representatives this year. If you would like to volunteer it
is not too late. The list below shows the positions still vacant in red. Please email to Sharyn Kitchener: [email protected]
if you wish to sign up.
First Name
Family Name
Year Group
First Name
Family Name
Year Group
First Name
Family Name
Clarke
Reception AM
Year 2T
Reception AM
Year Group
Year 2T
Sharyn
Kitchener
Year 5B
Primary
Tennille
Brooke
Moore
Reception PM Denise
Year 5W
Qvist
Year 3L
Kate
Phillip
Year 5B
Reception PM
Preparatory G Juliana
Davies
Year 3L
Year 3K
Katrina
Mel
Longbottom
Chomley
Year 5O
Year 5O
McDonald
Bristow
Orgill
Year 3K
Year 3W
Year 3W
Amanda
Tristan
Margaret
Taylor
Stein
Johnson
Year 6D
Year 6D
Year 6S
Ali
Arancibia
Preparatory G Fiona
Preparatory N Donna
Preparatory N Amanda
Amanda
Annabel
Taylor
Archer
Preparatory H
Preparatory H
Year 3P
Year 3P
Juliet
Jane
Lawson
Echaluce
Year 6S
Year 6N
Nicole
Phillips
Preparatory H
Year 1T
Year 1T
Year 1B
Nicole
Belinda
Phillips
Dungey
Year 4R
Year 4R
Year 4F
Year 4F
Lisa
Kim
Jenny
Hunt
Plumbridge
Dev
Year 6N
Year 6N
Year 6R
Year 6R
Year 1B
Juliana
Davies
Year 4S
Secondary
Year 1V
Year 1V
Year 2M
Year 2M
Year 2R
Year 2R
Kate
Maz
Julie
Martin
Creagh
Price
Year 4S
Year 4A
Year 4A
Year 5C
Year 5C
Year 5W
Darelyn
Julie
Melinda
Suzanne
Annabel
Phillis
Price
Connelly
Atkin
Archer
Julie
Peel
Angela
Katz
Angela
Katz
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
Dhanara 15.02.2012 Page 2
Secondary Newss
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting a number of our new parents at the Parents Association Morning Tea and this Friday I look
forward to yet another opportunity to meet members of our parent community at our 2012 Welcome BBQ. To all those parents who
are able to find the time to attend events such as these, please accept my personal thanks, as I do appreciate how difficult it can be
to reorganise busy schedules to attend school functions, especially those that take place during the working day.
It is very important that the school and the home work together to support the students in our care and by attending events such as
these, opportunities arise for conversations, even if informally, between parents and teachers. It is conversations like these that help
build a stronger network of understanding and support for students, both at school and in the home - a network that makes the task
of enhancing student learning and helping them achieve their very best all the more effective. I look forward to working with all our
parents once again this year to enrich, even further, each and every student’s educational experience at AISHK.
As part of our school's preparations for the Year 12 external examinations, each year, we are required to appoint Test Supervisor(s)
to oversee the Higher School Certificate and IB Diploma examinations. These examinations take place from around mid-October to
the end of November.
To help our students become more familiar with the format of these external examinations, our school employs interested parents
and/or members of the community to act as examination supervisors, for both the formal external sessions themselves and for each
of our senior examination sessions held throughout the year.
Prior to October this year, this role will typically involve attendance at examinations held at the school between 8:00am and 4:00pm
on specified days. This could potentially require a commitment of up to 6 school days, as indicated in the examination periods
published in our school calendar for 2012. Parents and community members who are interested in supervising the actual external
examinations in October and November would, by being involved in the internal examination sessions held throughout the year,
become more familiar with all of the protocols involved in supervising the formal examinations.
Therefore, in order to commence preparations for this activity, I am calling for expressions of interest from any parents or members of
the community who may be willing to serve as supervisors during the examination periods indicated in our school calendar.
Please note that the NSW Board of Studies does state that the following restrictions apply to potential applicants applying to supervise
their examinations in October and November. These are: the successful nominee cannot be “any person who has a child or near
relative sitting for the 2012 NSW Higher School Certificate nor hold the position of a clerical, casual, relief, part-time or permanent
teaching staff at the school”.
Undertaking these duties does entitle participants to a nominal remuneration. For further details and registration of an Expression of
Interest, please contact our Secondary Office at the school at your earliest convenience. We welcome your participation in what is a
very valuable part of the examination process.
Phil Waugh
Principal Secondary, Co Head of School
[email protected]
AISHK Rugby: Results
Sport
Rugby
Team / Age Division
B Grade
Opponents
RCHK
Score
19-46
Top Scorers
Ben Schats
Date
Venue & Time
16.02.2012
Kings Park 4:30pm
AISHK Rugby: Upcoming Matches
Sport
Team / Age Division
Opponents
Rugby
B Grade Girls
KGV
SIS
YMCA
17.02.2012
Kings Park 4:30pm
Rugby
C Grade Girls
STC
17.02.2012
Kings Park 4:30pm
Rugby
B Grade
STC
19.02.2012
Kings Park 4:30pm
Rugby
D Grade
Position Vacant: Classroom Assistant / French Immersion Program
AISHK is looking for a Classroom Assistant for our French Immersion Program.
The successful applicant will be supporting teachers in the development of French
oral skills, literacy and numeracy in students and supporting student learning
by providing appropriate models of language under the direct supervision of
teaching staff. He or she will also be required to peform remedial duties and
work with students with particular needs as required.
Work Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 3:30pm. Term time only.
Conditions: Dependent Visa holder or Hong Kong Permanent Resident only
Commencement Date: End of February 2012
Dhanara 15.02.2012 Page 3
School Wide News
Parents wishing to enrol siblings of AISHK students at the School
Siblings of students already enrolled at AISHK are given priority on our waiting list with regards to entering the school. However, in
order to receive a priority classification, parents wishing to enrol an additional child will need to submit their child's application to enter
the school on or before 31 March of the year prior to the year they would like their child to commence school. Whilst the 31 March
deadline is applicable, we strongly recommend that applications are made as early as possible, preferably two years ahead of the
intended year of entry. This is particularly important for parents wishing to enter their child into Reception Year.
Please also note that the application date may also determine whether a child will be able to attend morning or afternoon Reception,
as allocation of places will be determined by the date of the application. Please note that having a sibling already attending the school
does not grant parents an automatic right to enter their child in their preferred class. Applicants who lodge their application earlier are
usually offered their choice of class first. We are now accepting applications for 2014, while applications for 2015 will commence in
January 2013. If you have any further questions regarding applying to enrol a sibling at the school please contact Lynette Wong in
our Admissions Office at [email protected]. She will be happy to assist.
Year 12 IB Extended Essay Presentations
The Extended Essay is a core component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and provides students with an
opportunity to explore an area of interest indepth. This month, Year 12 IB students will be presenting feedback on their progress so
far towards completion of their Extended Essays. The presentations will take place on Thursday, 23 February. The topics they have
chosen are varied in nature, thought-provoking and, in some cases, controversial.
All members of the school community are invited to attend these presentations which will take place from 5:00pm til 6:00pm in Rooms
615, 616, 617 and 618. Parents of students in Years 9 to 12 are cordially invited to join us in the Auditorium at the end of these
presentations for the Seniors cocktail evening.
PDHPE
Over the past two weeks students in Years 3 - 6 have enjoyed skipping activities
during their afternoon sport sessions. It was encouraging to see their skills develop in
such a short time. Skipping improves fitness, flexibility, coordination, balance, rhythm
and symmetry. Unfortunately, with the space restrictions in Hong Kong, skipping is
fast becoming a lost art.
A small group of our Year 5 and 6 students have been selected to take part in the
first Hong Kong Primary Schools Athletics Meet today at Tai Po Stadium. We wish
these students all the best and look forward to publishing their results in next week’s
Dhanara.
Australian International School Hong Kong
Parent Association
SessionÊ2:Ê22ÊFebruaryÊ-ÊSupportingÊourÊchildrenÊthroughÊtheÊtransitioningÊprocessÊ
(IsobelÊCouttsÊWeakley,ÊSchoolÊCounsellor)
SessionÊ3:Ê29ÊFebruaryÊ-ÊAboutÊtheÊschoolÊ(MrsÊLeonieÊDrewÊ-ÊPrincipalÊofÊPrimaryÊandÊCo-HeadÊofÊSchool)
SessionÊ4:Ê7ÊMarchÊ-ÊChineseÊcultureÊ/ÊTipsÊfromÊsomeÊexperiencedÊhands
TIME:Ê8:30-10:00AMÊ(FINALÊSESSIONÊRUNSÊTOÊ10:30AM)
LOCATION:Ê9THÊFLOORÊSTAFFÊROOM
WeÊareÊproudÊtoÊpresentÊaÊseriesÊofÊfourÊworkshopsÊforÊparentsÊwhoÊareÊrelativelyÊnewÊtoÊAISHKÊandÊtoÊHongÊKong.Ê
TheÊsessionsÊwillÊprovideÊanÊopportunityÊtoÊlearnÊaboutÊtheÊstagesÊofÊtransitionÊweÊallÊgoÊthroughÊasÊweÊmoveÊawayÊ
fromÊourÊfamiliarÊhomeÊcultureÊandÊadjustÊtoÊaÊnewÊplaceÊandÊnewÊexperiences.Ê
ThereÊwillÊbeÊtimeÊtoÊshareÊinsightsÊintoÊtheÊhighsÊandÊlowsÊofÊmovingÊfromÊyourÊcomfortÊzoneÊintoÊ
aÊnewÊlife.ÊThereÊwillÊbeÊaÊparticularÊfocusÊonÊhowÊweÊsupportÊourÊchildrenÊinÊdealingÊwithÊtheseÊ
transitionsÊandÊhelpingÊthemÊtoÊfeelÊpositiveÊaboutÊmanagingÊchange.
TheÊworkshopsÊwillÊbeÊfacilitatedÊbyÊIsobelÊCouttsÊWeakley,ÊSchoolÊCounsellor.
SomeÊexperiencedÊhandsÊfromÊtheÊParentÊAssociationÊwillÊalsoÊbeÊonÊhandÊtoÊ
offerÊpracticalÊadvice.
ToÊattendÊpleaseÊRSVPÊtoÊAndreaÊRaperÊat:Ê[email protected]
Dhanara 15.02.2012 Page 4
Parent Association
Australian International School Hong Kong
Parent Association
Welcome to A.I.S.H.K.
FromÊtheÊPresidentÊofÊtheÊAISHKÊParentÊAssociation,ÊMrs.ÊJoÊSanger
TheÊ AISHKÊ ParentÊ AssociationÊ warmlyÊ welcomesÊ
youÊ toÊ ourÊ SchoolÊ and,Ê ifÊ youÊ areÊ newÊ toÊ HongÊ
Kong,ÊtoÊthisÊvibrantÊcity.ÊWeÊhopeÊyourÊtimeÊhereÊ
willÊbeÊaÊhappyÊone,ÊandÊweÊinviteÊyouÊtoÊjoinÊusÊinÊ
ourÊactivitiesÊthroughoutÊtheÊcomingÊyear.
2012: The Year Ahead
TheÊprimaryÊobjectiveÊofÊtheÊParentÊAssociationÊisÊtoÊpromoteÊ
closeÊ co-operationÊ andÊ contactÊ betweenÊ parentsÊ andÊ theÊ
School,ÊandÊtoÊsupportÊtheÊschoolÊinÊtheÊgeneralÊwelfareÊofÊallÊ
students.ÊTheÊAssociationÊalsoÊorganisesÊfundÊraisingÊactivitiesÊ
soÊthatÊweÊcanÊhelpÊtoÊenhanceÊtheÊworkingÊandÊrecreationalÊ
environmentÊofÊtheÊstudents.ÊFundsÊraisedÊduringÊtheÊyearÊareÊ
donatedÊ toÊ theÊ SchoolÊ toÊ supportÊ programsÊ forÊ theÊ studentÊ
body.
AllÊ parents/guardiansÊ andÊ permanentÊ staffÊ ofÊ theÊ SchoolÊ areÊ
automaticallyÊentitledÊtoÊbecomeÊmembers.ÊParentÊAssociationÊ
meetingsÊareÊheldÊonceÊaÊmonthÊduringÊtermÊtimeÊandÊparentsÊ
areÊencouragedÊtoÊattendÊtheÊmeetingsÊandÊtakeÊanÊactiveÊroleÊ
inÊtheÊrunningÊofÊtheÊAssociation.ÊDetailsÊofÊParentÊAssociationÊ
meetingsÊareÊpublishedÊinÊtheÊschoolÊnewsletterÊÒDhanaraÓ.
IfÊ youÊ wouldÊ likeÊ furtherÊ information,Ê orÊ ifÊ youÊ wouldÊ likeÊ toÊ
volunteerÊ yourÊ helpÊ inÊ anyÊ way,Ê pleaseÊ contactÊ usÊ atÊ
[email protected]Ê
FridayÊ17ÊFebruaryÊ:ÊOfficialÊAISHKÊAnnualÊWelcomeÊBarbecue
2011 Executive Committee
President:ÊJoÊSangerÊ•ÊViceÊPresidentÊ&ÊSecretary:ÊJennyÊDevÊÊ
&ÊIanÊCarrollÊ•ÊTreasurer:ÊKarenÊHeeneyÊ
TermÊOne
TuesdayÊ7ÊFebruary:ÊWelcomeÊMorningÊTeaÊinÊtheÊAuditorium
AlsoÊduringÊTermÊ1:Ê NewÊParentsÕÊForums.Ê
Ê
Ê
Ê
HostedÊbyAndreaÊRaper.
Ê
Ê
Ê
15-22ÊFebÊandÊ7-13ÊMarch
TermÊTwo
FridayÊ11ÊMay:ÊMothersÕÊDayÊLunch
ThursdayÊ14ÊJune:ÊFathersÕÊDayÊBreakfast
TermÊThree
DuringÊTermÊ3:ÊNewÊParentsÕÊForum
TermÊFour
SaturdayÊ3ÊNovember:ÊAISHKÊSchoolÊFair
MondayÊ10ÊDecember:ÊCarolsÊNight
2011 General Committee
ClassÊRepresentativeÊCoordinator:ÊSharynÊKitchenerÊ
WelcomeÊCommittee:ÊLindaÊRogersÊ&ÊNatalieÊMcDonaldÊ
NewÊParentsÊWelcomeÊCoffee:ÊLizÊRedfern
ParentÊForums:ÊAndreaÊRaper
GraphicÊDesign:ÊAngelaÊKatz
GeneralÊCommittee:ÊJaneÊEchaluce
ATTENTION!
IfÊyouÊwouldÊlikeÊtoÊattendÊoneÊofÊour
TermÊ1ÊNewÊParentsÕÊForums,
pleaseÊemailÊAndreaÊRaperÊat:
[email protected]
Dhanara 15.02.2012 Page 5