Principal’s Message
Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends of WIS,
Thank you to families who were able to join our Inter Dynasty Sports Finals last Friday. There was great team spirit and the results for new WIS records are now out. The overall winners of the Dynasty Sports Cup were Han. Well done to you all.
Equestrian senior riders Jade Leshetz and Hannalore Beijerbergen also took part in show jumping heats this week in preparation for final competition in March. Congratulations to Jade as a rosette winner at the event.
The news over the last few weeks has been interesting to read. Global forces appear to be creating more sharply focused questions about sovereignty. Whether it’s a wall being built in the Americas, leaving a long standing union in Europe or who to pledge allegiance to in Hong Kong – debates in our daily news feeds which flow from differing perspectives about the same concepts: sovereignty, belonging and freedoms. Perhaps we are more similar than we realise?
The joy of an international school is creating a curriculum to understand universal concepts and how culture and identity can lead to differing perspectives. The curriculum allows us to help young people make these connections, elevate their thinking to a global outlook and to nurture open minded and caring attitudes. Ultimately, for our young people to view themselves as leaders of change for the common interest of all humanity. We are half way through the academic year and it is really encouraging to see how much work our teaching teams have undertaken to further develop West Island School’s curriculum. In particular, our teams are beginning to work more deeply with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Specifically, as we approach Chinese New Year, many families may want to support our WIS student leaders looking at life below water. From 28 January and working alongside the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, there will be a series of information events held in school to raise awareness about eating or buying shark fin products. Talk to your children in coming weeks if you would like to know more and consider the action you could take as a family to make a difference – as simple as choosing the menu you’ll eat over the Chinese New Year holiday. I wish the team every success with their campaign.
I know that the PTA’s efforts will step up further in the next month as organisation for Spring Fair begins in earnest. Can I ask that you save the date of Saturday 16 March and share this with your many friends and family. We are really lucky to be chosen for an upgrade to our auditorium this summer and we have a target to equip it with audio-visual equipment that will serve us for the next decade. There’s a big wish list and it would be great to get the whole community focused on that.
Don’t forget the festival of music from 12-14 February which was rescheduled due to Mangkhut.
Keep going with mock examinations Year 11 and Year 13 – almost there.
Coming up:
Year 8 Parents’ Evening: Tuesday 22 January 2019
ESF HK Run: Saturday 26 January 2019
CNY Assembly: Friday 1 February 2019
