Dear West Island community,

The rain and thunderstorm of the week have not wavered our community strength in being open to everything steadfast and exciting.

For sports this week, congratulations to U14A boys for winning in the Monday HKSSF final. Please read on to find out more about our students' sports achievements over the week. 

Also on Monday, the blood donation went smoothly. Thank you to all the students, parents and staff who took part in it. And a special thank you to Dr Carol Song for making it happen at the school.

In this week's newsletter, we look at what the GCSE art students have to say about their artworks shown in Tuesday's exhibition. Each of their sketchbooks in the exhibition have shown the individual journey they have been on for exploring themes, self-expression and experimenting with techniques. Thank you to the art faculty members for nurturing these students and helping them achieve their artistic visions.

On Wednesday's Year 11 graduation, we celebrated our students' growth into the wonderful young people they have become. Students - as GCSE exams start today, while you put in the work into exam preparations, please also know that your scores do not define you as a person or your success. And remember to enjoy your time too; As you look back on today in years to come, the memories you have made can be what truly stay with you. 

Thank you to Mr Guy Hewson and Ms Elaine D'souza, Ms Jo Besisira-Williams, all the Year 11 tutors, as well as all those involved in the Year 11 graduation.

Please read on as we share more about our students' achievements, activities and what more have been taking place at West Island this week.

Have a lovely weekend.

Vicki Hallatt

Principal

Boys C Grade Basketball Team were crowned Champions of the HKSSF Interschool Basketball Competition on Monday.

Photos by Multimedia Display&Events Coordinator Ivo Lipanovic

Last week, the first district-wide scout camp held in 4 years where scouters aged 6 to 16 from the English speaking district, The Silver Jubilee Group, got together for a weekend of fun and camaraderie. Please see below for WIS students' photos at the camp.

On Monday, April 22, West Island School successfully hosted a blood drive for the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service. We are thankful to the teachers, support staff, Year 11 and 12 students, parents, and the staff from Kennedy School, who all came together to make this drive a success. 85 units of blood were donated at the drive, beating WIS’s target of 80 units! There are no alternatives to blood, so these donations can go a long way in saving lives. 

This was the first donation experience for many. Olicia Choy (12M2) said, “I’m nervous but excited!” She added that she’d “heard that the finger pricking (when testing for haemoglobin levels) is more painful than the donation itself”. Chloe Leung (12T2) shared a similar outlook, adding that “it was a good experience”, and she “wanted to help save lives”. Ms Cunliffe, an experienced donor, shared that she liked doing her part to help the community and that the process was quite quick. Her top tip for first-time donors? Look away when they insert the needle!

Special thanks to Dr Song for leading the Blood Drive. Shoutout to Alena Kiu (12Q3), Megan Ho (12M3), Chloe Young (12S1), Tanvi Shadija (12T3), Kaitlin Tse (12Y2), and Abigail Tong (12Y3) for being student helpers when organising the drive, and helping out on the day.

written by Sahana Iyer (12S3)

Year 7 student Scarlett Dang won the following art awards for her two artworks. Please see below for the award certificates and winning artworks.

At Coffee Morning at Kennedy School this week, Mr Guy Hewson talked to year 6 parents about transition to year 7. 

Year 12 

• The Higher Education team is conducting meetings with Year 12 students to address their university applications and discuss their desired educational paths. Parents are encouraged to participate in these meetings either through Google Meet or by attending them in person at WIS. To facilitate parental involvement, students must email their Higher Education counselors if their parents wish to join the meetings. 

• The Higher Education team has commenced career lessons with the Year 12 students. These lessons are conducted once per cycle and are designed to support and prepare students for their university applications and the transition from high school to post-secondary.

Cycle 1 - we introduced the students to the department, provided them with the timeline for Years 12 and 13, outlined the objectives of the course, and discussed how to research universities and courses. The slides have been shared with students via Google Classroom and to parents by email.

Cycle 2 - we gave an overview of international applications, the application procedure, and platforms and ways to research for countries such as The UK, US, Hong Kong, and Canada. 

Cycle 3 - we introduced students to choosing universities and factors to consider when choosing one. We also introduced them to the Reach-Match-Safety strategy.

Cycle 4 - students used the Reach-Match-Safety strategy and worked on their university list.

Cycle 5, 6 and 7 - students have been introduced to the concept of a brag sheet and its various elements.

Cycle 8 and 9 - students were introduced to how to write a personal statement and essays for their university applications. They were also provided with an explanation of the UAG (university application grade).

The Higher Education team supports students with applications to all countries. Students are requested to reach out to their Higher Education Counsellors for any advice or support required.

The HE Team will be conducting 2 more parent information sessions this term

May 30th - Introduction to the HK and UK application processes

June 12th - Introduction to the US and Canadian application process 

Please sign up via the link HERE if you have not already done so.