West Island School Newsletter: WISdom Weekly

Principal's Update

Our first half-term has brought great energy across our school. Let’s look back at how much we have achieved together with Mrs Hallatt in her latest Principal's Update video.

Announcements and Reminders

ESF Hub Guide on updating Medical Information is available on the parent website here. We strongly encourage parents to keep your child's details up-to-date.
Half Term Break is from Saturday, 17 October. Monday, 26 October is a staff development day with no school for students. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday, 27 October.
Diwali Ball will bring our school community together on Thursday, 12 November. The event features student performances. Early bird tickets are available until Monday, 26 October through this link.
Box of Hope Charity Campaign will take place from Monday, 2 November to Friday, 6 November. Please refer to the information in this letter and the packing list.

Find Your Purpose, Realise Your Potential

Ski and Snowboard Trip to Niseko, Japan, from 27 March to 3 April 2027, is an exciting opportunity led by our teachers. Registration is open to students from Year 8 to 13. Please discuss as a family before completing this form by Sunday, 18 October 2026.

Dynasty Day

Our Term 1 Dynasty Day brought everyone together to celebrate house spirit. Students participated in a dynamic range of activities throughout the day, including dodgeball, splash bash, rowing, Star Search, and quiz. It was a day full of friendly competition and school pride.

Star Search Winners

The final showcase of the Inter-Dynasty Star Search highlighted the talent of our students. Congratulations to all our winners and runners-up for their impressive performances. Well done to every participant who shared their passion for the performing arts on stage.

2026 ID Star Search Category Winners.pdf

Hispanic Week

Our European Languages Department organised Hispanic Week, celebrating the Spanish language and diverse cultures of Spanish-speaking countries across the globe. Students engaged in interactive lesson activities, including making comecocos (fortune tellers) and alebrijes (folk-art sculptures), creating cultural maps, and playing musical bingo. A highlight of the week was a dynamic flamenco workshop, where students explored traditional rhythms and artistic expressions.

Our Year 12 students enthusiastically demonstrated their passion for Spanish language and culture by singing and dancing to "Bonito, Bonito" during their lesson. We hope everyone enjoyed the Hispanic Week activities.

Year 9: Your Future in Design

On Thursday, Year 9 students explored I/GCSE and BTEC subjects with our Technology Faculty. Subject teachers provided guidance on future pathway options, while Year 10 and 11 students proudly presented their outstanding design work to their younger peers. This interactive session offered valuable insights to help our Year 9 students make informed subject choices as they prepare for their next step.

European Languages: Competenace Course

Students in our European Languages Department recently explored non-verbal cultural communication. Through dynamic traditions, from the powerful Haka and expressive Indian Classical Mudras to Hip-Hop and the Cha-Cha Slide, they discovered how movement tells stories and builds respect across cultures. It was an inspiring, hands-on experience showing that communication is expressed through movement just as much as speech.

International Schools Science Debate

Last Friday, ten West Island School students competed in the second International School Science Debate Competition (ISSDC) at Discovery College, placing 4th overall. Debating topics such as AI ethics and contemporary socioscientific issues, our students presented clear, persuasive arguments to the judges. Special congratulations to Zachary for receiving a nomination for the Best Debater Award, and to Ziao for his excellent leadership as co-President of the ISSDC.

IBCP First Aiders

As part of their IBCP Personal and Professional Skills course, a group of Year 13 students completed Level 2 Basic First Aid with CPR and AED training. Led by our Health and Wellbeing Coordinator and School Health Professional, this practical session is part of our 'Adulting' unit, equipping students with life-saving skills and essential practical knowledge to prepare them for life beyond West Island School.

Student Leadership

Head Students: Fruit Distribution

This week, our Head Students launched a new wellbeing initiative to promote healthy eating by handing out apples and bananas. Working alongside the Wellbeing and Office teams, our student leaders secured government funding to distribute fruit to students once a month. This initiative aims to establish positive, lifelong eating habits and support student success across all year groups.

Wellbeing Ambassadors: AIA Mental Health Summit

Last Friday, our WIS Health Ambassadors led a workshop at the AIA Mental Health Summit at the AIA Vitality Hub. This community initiative focused on promoting mental health awareness, stress management and youth emotional support. Through hands-on activities, including rock painting, self-reflection postcard writing and kindness jars, our students helped participants explore themes of self-identity, community support and self-acceptance.

Student Council Collaboration

On Monday afternoon, our Student Council hosted a collaborative leadership summit with representatives from all student leadership groups across the school. Student representatives shared their recent contributions and discussed practical ideas to further strengthen our school community. Well done to all participating student leaders for their proactive efforts and dedication to building a supportive and inclusive environment for everyone.

Sports Leaders: KS Swim Gala

Last Friday, our Year 10 Sports Leaders supported Kennedy School at their Year 6 Swim Gala. The event offered a great opportunity to build connections in the ESF family. Applying skills from their Sports Leadership course, our students demonstrated leadership and cross-year-group teamwork by supporting the primary students throughout their races.

CAS Corner

Debate & Public Speaking

Our Debate and Public Speaking group made observable progress during their recent sessions. Students worked collaboratively to refine their arguments and build confidence in public speaking. Everyone is developing essential communication skills while preparing for upcoming competitions.

Momentum Dance

Our CAS dance group continues to make excellent progress during their weekly sessions. They have been exploring self-expression and team collaboration through performance. The group is currently creating and choreographing original pieces to build their performance skills. We look forward to seeing their creative work presented later in the school year.

Sports

Quick links for your bookmarks: Sports Website | Sports Guide | WIS Sports Live

Volleyball: U20 Girls

On Monday, our U20 Girls Volleyball team demonstrated supportive teamwork and outstanding determination during their match. Everyone maintained great resilience throughout, representing the school community with pride.

High Performance Student Athletes

Dance:

As a member of the Hong Kong U21 National Football team, Year 13 student Mikayla also competes at an elite level in group dance. Recently, her dance troupe participated in the Evolution Dance Competition, a prominent international performing arts and dance event. Her group placed first, which automatically qualified them for the Grand Finals in Australia.

Fencing:

Year 13 student Haidi secured a historic gold medal in the team event at the FIE Cadet Épée & Junior World Cup in Hong Kong, China, representing the Hong Kong Junior Team. Haidi is now in Casablanca, Morocco, to train and compete alongside the senior team at the Senior World Cup.

Netball:

Year 9 student Nica and Year 12 students Téa and Ines have been selected to represent Hong Kong at the U21 Netball Tournament in Sydney.

Rugby:

Year 13 student Milo represented the Hong Kong U20 Rugby team in Chile this week. Milo showcased great athletic skill, sportsmanship, and dedication on the global stage.

Swimming:

Year 8 student Jamie earned three gold medals at the Division 1 Short Course Age Group Swimming Competition (Part 3). Well done on her outstanding performances in the 100-metre freestyle, 50-metre butterfly and 100-metre backstroke.

Staff Spotlight: Creative Writing

Mr Leung, our English teacher, has been featured at the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Museum in Providence, Rhode Island. The exhibit showcases the history of Asian migration and celebrates multinational identities through the themes of immigration, identity, and belonging.

Mr Leung shared his creative writing process, encouraging students to pursue their passion for writing. “I get the itch to write whenever my chest gets a little fuller or tighter. What starts on the page is often quite simple – what is this feeling? It helps to ground it with something tangible, like its texture: is it soft or prickly? Then, give it a name. And finally, a story. Only then, does my chest open and there I see a strange version of myself. I show him my work and we discuss what I got right.”

Upcoming Events

Diwali Ball: 12 November

Our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) warmly invites you and your family to our annual Diwali Ball. This special occasion brings our school community together to celebrate our rich cultural diversity and share in the festive spirit. We look forward to seeing you there.

Date: Thursday, 12 November
Time: 6pm - 9pm
Location: 3/F Auditorium, West Island School

Dress Code: Traditional festive or colourful attire

Ticket Details:

Tickets are available through this link. You can click on "Buy on Map" to choose your seat. Each ticket includes a seat for the performance and a buffet dinner.

Students who perform at the Diwali Ball do not need to purchase tickets. If family members of student performers would like to watch the performance, please secure tickets before 5 November.

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