Principal’s Message
Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends of WIS,
Some highlights to share with you as we near the end of our first term about progress in achieving our school aims.
Working with Aberdeen Welfare (NGO), Marcus Cheung, Matthew Ha, Timothy Yuen and Neil D’Cunha took part in in home visits to the elderly at Shek Pai Wan Estate in Aberdeen. This service is part of the ‘Home in Shek Pai Wan,’ project, which aims at helping newly arrived residents adapt to the new environment. A key school aim is for students to take action for collective well-being and I can’t think of a better way for building our caring neighbourhood network.
Ehren Voon won the Gold Medal for Black Belt 1st Dan Poomsae competition after just two years of training. Hard work and passion have seen him make rapid progress and already ranking as a 1st Dan black belt! An example of mastery of learning at its best.
The excitement and engagement in maths was tangible on Wednesday with the return of Inter-Dynasty Mathematics Competition, where six dynasties took to the Sports Hall to battle it out. Students took part in a high energy combination of mental and physical agility – congratulations to Ming for embracing challenge and support in physical and cognitive learning simultaneously. (And well done to Mr Madden and Mr Bengey for being creative enough to find this unique combination)
Parents are learners too! Our vision is for you to be the best you can be. Two great opportunities for your calendar, as ‘Savvy Sapiens’ are offering a “Parents Leadership Roundtable” to discuss different ways to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in children on Monday 8 October. We are also providing an interactive talk and information evening to inform yourselves of the challenges young people face in the teenage years. A panel of experienced youth workers will facilitate a parent workshop on 28 November about drugs in Hong Kong, risks to adolescents and informed parenting strategies to help young people through the vulnerable teenage years.
Finally, after the pollution levels this week – taking collective action for shared guardianship of the planet. Since the beginning of term, we have challenged young people and staff to make small changes in our building on a daily basis and face up to the poor consumer habits we share in Hong Kong. We have ordered an audit of our solar panels which were last updated 10 years ago, we have planned to install a composter for the community to recycle our food waste, we have begun to get rid of our single use plastics and disposables (still a way to go) and we are sourcing biodegradable bin bags. As the seeds take hold, we are consciously and mindfully fine tuning the small things to make the difference.
Well done West Island global citizens!
