Newsletter-Friday, 6 October 2023

Dear West Island community,

Inside and outside of classrooms, we are seeing students creating and engaging in opportunities to improve the world, each in their own unique way. In this week’s edition of the newsletter, we celebrate our inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who are helping to create a better and more peaceful world.

This Wednesday, Year 9 students proudly exhibited their models of Hong Kong sustainable village houses created from recycled materials at home. “For communities to be sustainable, they require strategies for urban planning and infrastructure”. This was the statement of inquiry that Year 9 used as a starting point for their designs, aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr. Head, who teaches the unit, said that by redesigning a village house in Hong Kong, students were required to research and problem-solve ways to reduce waste and input, including saving electricity and water; they were also to consider the use of wastewater, food production, and building materials. In addition to realising their designs in 3D they communicated their proposals and findings through videos and posters. The top 10 designs will be put forward to compete in the UK’s Royal Geography Society’s Young Geographer of the Year.  

Well done Year 9, you demonstrated a willingness to take action for the local community and inspired all of us to consider our collective responsibility for well-being, sustainable development and guardianship of the planet.   


Our students are not only making a difference in class but through their wider learning.  A group of Year 12s are making sure we work together as a community to donate lots of canned food to help those in need in Hong Kong. Their slogan is “CANpaign”.   We agree wholeheartedly with your slogan: We CAN work together to make a positive impact by being caring and compassionate towards each other and our planet. 


In addition to service and project work, students make an impact through their words and Year 12 student Ira Ratnaparkhi did just that. At an event held by the Indian Consulate Ira spoke about Mahatma Gandhi’s life and the way he showed compassion and care for all human beings with whom he interacted. Ira reminded the Hong Kong community about the important messages from Gandhi which are still so important today– the importance of working towards equality for everyone.


Please enjoy reading about the Year 9’s design posters and thoughts about sustainability in the section below and the rest of our community’s news.  


Best regards 


Clare Haworth


Interim Principal


Some students and staff have noted an error code whilst trying to vote for one of the four Sovereign Art Prize finalists from West Island. We believe this is due to too many people voting from the same WIS IP address. 

If you are also experiencing difficulties, please kindly vote from a different location or Wi-Fi IP address. 


Ira Ratnaparkhi (Year 12) participated in an official event held by the Indian Consulate in Hong Kong to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 154th Birthday. Ira delivered a speech about one of Gandhi's letters, the historical context, learnings and insights and relevance to Global Goals even today. The event was held on 2 October 2023 in the presence of the Consul General of India and South Africa.


Students provided service by collecting canned food donated by community members to help those in need. This is part of the CAS activities, and more food drives are to take place this month.

Parents, you are very welcome to drop canned food donations at the collection stations at school. The collection will be open until next Friday 13 October.


British artist Eleanor McColl who is based in Hong Kong gave two days of art workshops to Year 10 and Year 12 West Island art students.  Students were introduced to creating new backgrounds and stencilling techniques.

McColl said: “My aim was to introduce students to some of the techniques and processes I use to create my art - I often work with silhouettes that house multiple images. I like to rip and tear my media, then work on top of with paint and inks to create multiple layers. I hope I inspired the students to step outside their comfort zones.  It was wonderful to have the whole day to do this, as we were able to work without time pressures and really explore different media. I was blown away by enthusiasm of the students. "


The WIS PTA invites you to join our first Coffee Morning of the year hosted in the staffroom from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. This is a chance to meet and network with other parents as well as welcome new parents. It is also an opportunity to help us shape future PTA events on behalf of the parent community and share your ideas of how parents can actively assist with school and community development. Please RSVP by completing this form. 


The Annual WIS Diwali Ball is coming up on 16 November so please "save the date" in your calendars. The invitation and booking information will be released next week.



Sonics Unicorn, a Pokfulam-based netball team whose players are all West Island Year 7 and 8 students, won a silver medal in the U12 category at this year’s      Netfest HK which was held on 16th September. Congratulations to all the players–Amy Darracott, Holly Power, Amelia Balfour, Amelia Percival, Sophia Dannaoui, Amika Potgeiter, Jade Solia, Gianna Kwok, Charley Scher, Kim Liden, Giulia Mazzucato, and Qhawekazi Monin. 


Congratulations to the A-grade basketball boys for winning their first HKSSF game! After a series of tough losses, The boys showed diligence and carried WIS to an overwhelming victory of 18 - 61 against Queen's College, taking one step forward in bringing home the HKSSF trophy. Starting the game at a slow pace, the team displayed excellent skills and sportsmanship all throughout, ending the game with a triple score. A commendable job to Hyeon Woo Kang, Aman Hotwani, Gabriel Da Graca, Phoenix Brooks, Vincent Blondeau, Haydn Cheung, Lorenzo Gaetano Monti, Angus Bruce, Stefan Churchill and Jovian Law and especially Coach Anton Marsh. Good luck to the team in their upcoming game against Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No.2 next Thursday at Chai Wan Sports Centre. Fans are encouraged! 


Our congratulations to student Sytric Chan who achieved the top mark in Hong Kong for IGCSE Computer Science. 


Jayden Wong participated in the Hong Kong Karatedo Youth Game 2023 organized by the Karatedo Federation of Hong Kong, China Limited last Sunday. He belongs to the boy 10-11 age group. There were 31 participants in the competition. After two hours of competition, Jayden got the second place. This is the best result Jayden has ever achieved in similar events.  Jayden's family is very excited and proud.


Kennedy School will be holding their first Festive Fair on 17 Nov.  Please see details below: 


Well done to Jody Chu who received the grade “Distinction” in New Era Academy of Drama and Music (London) Limited’s three categories–Public Speaking (Grade 6) , Acting (Grade 6) and Speech and Drama (Grade 7).


University Visits @ WIS : Open for students only  (only for the Year 11s, 112s and 13s)

The Chinese University of  Hong Kong: 11 October 2023 Time: 13:20 to 14:05 | Venue: TBC

HKUMed (only for the Year 11s, 112s and 13s): 17 October 2023 Time: 13:20 to 14:05 | Venue: TBC

University of Calgary:  19 October 2023 Time: 10:45 to 11:05 | Venue: TBC

For more details on University Visits and Webinars, please click here

Webinars for Year 12s:

University of Cambridge
Applicant’s Webinar Series Until 23 November

University of Cambridge is hosting Applicant Webinar Series which continues on various dates throughout October and November. This is a great opportunity for Year 12 students to receive free guidance from University admissions staff.
Topics include personal statements, interviews, admissions assessments, and more…
Click on this Link -  View the upcoming webinars  > 

Careers Session with the Year 13s

The Year 13 students now have the opportunity to participate in informative and engaging Careers Sessions organised by the Higher Education (HE) team. The HE team has prepared these sessions to equip the Year 13s with the necessary knowledge and resources to make informed decisions about their university applications and career pathways. 

Year 13s 

All Year 13 students now have access to Google Classroom. The university lists for college applications have now been submitted to the careers team. We kindly request parents to sign the university application form and remind students to review their list and submit the same if it has not been done so already.

Year 7s

The Higher Education team met with Year 7 parents this week during the parent consultation evening.


Ms Kirsten McNeil competes in the 19th Asian Games hosted in Hangzhou. Ms McNeil is representing Hong Kong in hockey and has been part of the national set-up for some years, and this is a huge stage for her to showcase her skills. The past few months have seen her commit to a busy training schedule and it is a great example for the WIS community on the importance of balance in work and life as we pursue excellence in everything we do. We wish Ms McNeil every success!


Congratulations to Mr. Alex Murchie (pictured here with coach Harry Wright from 26 Training) who was awarded Adult Athlete of the Month by 26 Training.  Well done on your commitment to 'activity' and this achievement Mr. Murchie.