Dear West Island community, 

This Monday, the Sports Hall, Auditorium and MPH were filled with university stalls from areas including Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. We had over 150 universities participating this year that were open to Year 9 to Year 13 students and parents. 

We were the first ESF school this year to do the fair and it was a success. Students said they found it to be a good opportunity to talk to the universities' representatives face-to-face, and many of them were able to do so with the universities they had been interested in. Others said they discovered some new universities that piqued their interest.

Thank you to the Higher Education team for your month of work for making the university fair possible.

And on Tuesday, the fire drill was conducted together orderly and efficiently. Thank you to all staff and students for helping to evacuate the building quickly - A6 entrance was clear within 2 minutes and Sandy Bay just under 5 minutes. It was a great collective effort and showed our school community's collaborative spirit.

Star Search started this week with video auditions. We can't wait to see our stars on stage next month to shine. Thank you to Mr Ben Jolly along with other performing arts faculty and staff for reviving the annual event for the second year.

Also, a WIS student group "The Torch" raised 10,000 HKD of donation for the KELY Support Group.   

Next Thursday, a home game for the U20 Boys Basketball team against KGV is to take place at the Sports Hall.  

Last but not least, your voice can help us improve the school's newsletter, so we invite you to fill out this survey to provide your feedbacks for the school's communications.

An early Happy Mid-autumn Festival to everyone and a gentle reminder that next Wednesday is a public holiday.

Have a good weekend,

Vicki Hallatt

Principal

第77屆香港學校音樂節（2025）

The 77th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, 第77屆香港學校音樂節（2025） (24 February to 26 March 2025) is open for registration. 

To register your child’s intention to compete in the HK Schools Music Festival please complete this form by Wednesday 25 September 2024.

You are strongly advised to read the Enrolment Information including the Syllabus and the Rules and Regulations to gain thorough understanding of the requirements before enrolment. 

Applicants should liaise with their private instrumental or voice teacher to ensure they are following the rules and regulations for the category they wish to enter. West Island School will submit your application but it is your responsibility to ensure your application and entry meets the requirements of the competition.

Please check the HKSMSA website on a weekly basis for all the updated information. If you have any further queries, please email me.

Techni Photo will be in school Sept 26 and 27 (Thursday and Friday) to take individual student photographs and Dynasty group photographs.  Please note that all students will have an individual photograph taken as these are used for our school database.  In addition to this we will take a pre-16, post -16 and whole school photograph.

Where will the photographs be taken? 

All individual and tutor group photographs will take place at the 3rd floor foyer.

What time do I need to be there?

Please make sure you note the time of your photographs and arrive 5 mins before. The timings can be accessed here.  You may be in a lesson without your tutor during your allocated time, so please let your class teacher know you need to go down for your photograph.  

Can siblings have their photographs taken? 

Yes. Siblings can also go to the Multi Purpose Hall which is located on the 3rd floor from 1330 - 1400 lunchtime during these 2 days for family photos. No pre-booking is required.  

What happens if my child is absent on Tuesday and misses their individual photograph? 

If students miss both days of photo taking at school, they can book an appointment (T: 2803-5988) before 31 October 2024 at the Techniphoto Studio for a private session. 

The studio address is Flat C1, 3/F, Phase 5, Hong Kong Spinners Industrial Building, 760-762 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Can I purchase my child’s portrait photograph?

Yes. Details will be shared with you over the next few weeks, should you wish to purchase your child’s individual portrait and/or dynasty group photograph directly from Techniphoto. 

Please note that Students Should Wear Dynasty Shirts for all the Group Photos.

In an effort to make this year's Coffee and College event as easy for people to attend as possible, we are publishing all dates, times, and topics at the beginning of the year. We will be presenting the 9 most popular topics based on parent responses to a recent survey. If you are interested in a topic but will be unable to attend a specific event, all sessions will be videoed and shared via our Youtube Channel, "WIS Careers", accessible via this URL: https://www.youtube.com/@wiscareers2243 If you subscribe you will automatically receive a notice each time we post a new video.

If you register for a session, we will send you a reminder email, and also automatically send you the recording of that event - usually 2-3 days after the event has been completed. All events will occur in the Auditorium. Typically we will present on the designated topic for 20-30 minutes, followed by a topic-specific time for Q&A, and lastly an open time for Q&A on anything related to post-secondary education/plans.

We request that you register for events you intend on attending so we can plan for the associated logistics based on expected attendance. Please be reminded that WIS does not have parking available for parent usage. If you would like to register, please use this link: https://forms.gle/85iB7eaZCNsxXkWj9

The Higher Education team is currently in the process of meeting with Year 13 students and parents to discuss their university applications. To ensure these meetings are productive, students must complete their presentations beforehand. Parents are requested to join this meeting in person or online.

Navigating the path to Higher Education can be exciting yet daunting. The HE team will support and guide all our students and assist with university applications, personal statements, interview preparations, and scholarship opportunities.  We will also commence career lessons with the Year 12’s later in term 2, providing guidance and resources to assist their higher education journey. If students have any questions, please stop by the Careers Office at A 505 or reach out to your HE Counselor for support.

Han & Ming - Srijita Ghosh 

Qing and Song - Michael Hirsch

Tang and Yuan - Jelena Chung

Key dates 

University Visits @ WIS: Open for students only  (only for the Year 11s, 12s and 13s)

Union College and Wheaton College - USA 

16 September 2024 - Time 10:45 am to 11:05 am | Venue: C402

University of Southern California  - USA

17 September 2024 - Time 10:45 am to 11:05 am | Venue: C402

HKU Bioinformatics - Hong Kong 

24 September 2024 - Time 1:20 pm to 2:05 pm | Venue - MPH 2

University of Virginia - USA 

25 September 2024 - Time 01:20 pm to 02:05 pm | Venue: C402

New York University - USA

17 October 2024 - Time 10:45 am to 11:05 am | Venue: C402

School of Arts Institute Chicago

06 November 2024 - Time 01:20 pm to 02:05 pm | Venue: C402

For details on University Visits and Webinars, please click Here

For more details on External events and Summer programmes please visit the school website

Mame Mor Ndiaye, M.A Associate Dean of Undergraduate Admissions from Wake Forest University, visited WIS on September 12  to talk more about their university and admission process and requirements. 

This week, our team has been actively attending information sessions organized by universities, including the London School of Economics, Dartmouth, Duke University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University. These sessions have provided valuable insights into their academic offerings, campus culture, admission processes, and the unique opportunities each institution presents.

Join us on 18 October from 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm at RCHK for a celebration of our rich cultural diversity! Whether you want to perform, enjoy the festivities, or run a game stall, we welcome you.

Please click on the respective links for details and registration.

Performer: LINK
Audience: LINK
Game Stall Owner: LINK