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The name The GIST is an acronym for the German Swiss International School Times; it is also the English word for ‘das Wesentliche’, the essence.

the/

der GERMAN SWISS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TIMES

ISSUE NO 80 | DECEMBER 2015

徳瑞國際學校

FEATURES ................................................................... 2Crossing Over: Teaching Cross-Stream ........................................2

Summer at GSIS .........................................................................4

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS ............................................. 6World Scholar’s Cup ....................................................................6

Model United Nations ................................................................9

ON THE SPORTSFIELD ................................................. 10GSIS Sports Recap ....................................................................10

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT ............................................. 12Project Update .........................................................................12

Building Blocks ........................................................................13

ALUMNI AFFAIRS ....................................................... 14Piecing Back Puzzles ................................................................14

COMMUNITY ............................................................. 16Christmas in the Air at GSIS ......................................................16

BUSINESS COLLEGE .................................................... 18Business and Culture ................................................................18

In this issue

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The GSD learns Geography in English. So I thought if they learned Geography in English, why not learn some Mathematics in

English, too. I mentioned it to Oliver Liebenberg, Head of Mathematics (GSD) and he was quite keen. Thus we arranged a swap of our classes just for a few lessons - I taught Oliver’s K07 class in English, and he taught my Y08 class in German.

Teaching Experience

It’s actually a much harder job for Oliver and for the German teachers because all the English stream students learn German but they are not as fluent as the GSD students are in English. So for me, I went in and taught equations, and it was quite interesting for the K07 students to see how we write things and how we do things in English. You might think the Mathematics is the same because we got the same equation. But the way we talk about it in English, the way we write it even, is a little different, and the language behind it is different. An example would be the way we write percentages. If we want 35% of something, we would write it as a decimal.

I was teaching them a few technical English terms to do with equations and they were teaching me some German. It was a really really interesting experience. I think Oliver enjoyed it as well, although to start with the students did find it quite difficult to follow him teaching Mathematics in German. But over the period of three lessons, they gradually got better at it and I think those lessons became more successful as well. Recently Charles Yorke and Nadine Poller had done the same with their classes. They’ve swapped older students K08, Y09, and taught a topic in the other language and showing the students the different approach.

Exploring Cross Stream Collaboration

Besides the pilot project in Mathematics, some of the GSIS Mandarin teachers teach in both streams and the ESD and GSD music teachers collaborate cross stream, too. Naturally the GSIS sports teachers have a lot of interaction not only between the streams, but also departments.

But there isn’t much for Mathematics teachers and I am trying to put into practice of having the German Stream and the English Stream to come together on some things.

FEATURES

Crossing Over: Teaching Cross-StreamPaul Jackson, Head of Mathematics (ESD) tells how it all started

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The annual Math contest called the GECKO Math Contest is one of these initiatives; it brings Y07, K06, and Y06, Primary, English Secondary, and German Secondary together in one contest. We are doing little bits to try and work together on this.

It’s great as it helped me to get to know some of the German students through this and a few of them say hello when they are walking around. So you get to know all of the school rather than just your stream within the school.

We all must strive to get the students to see the same subject from two different points of views.

German Schools Abroad are located in an environment where students, with various degrees of competency, naturally live and work with two languages in and outside school.

The guidelines for the Deutsche Internationale Abitur Prüfung (DIAP) state that bilingual subject matters may be taught either in modules or in sequences. In the module system, entire units are taught in the secondary language (English). At GSIS in K07 to K09, Geography is taught bilingually (German/English); from K10, it is taught in English. From K08, History is taught bilingually (German/English).

FEATURES

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Summer at GSIS

Going to school at GSIS can be exciting, fun and sometimes challenging. Ever wonder what it’s like to spend your summer at GSIS? We met

with Mr Robert Davidson, our Head of Special Needs Education and Counselling who leads the summer school programme, to take a peek of the particulars at GSIS Summer School.

GIST: How did GSIS Summer School first get started?

Robert Davidson (RD): The original idea was to maximise the use of the school facilities. However, we quickly realised that summer school is a chance to connect to the larger local community we are part of. Running summer school soon became a way for us to encourage people to get to know the spirit of GSIS and come to our school – whether it’s kindergarten, primary or secondary. We really want to make sure that the wider community knows that the German Swiss International School is a great place that you would want to be part of.

GIST: What is interesting about the GSIS Summer School?

RD: Something that’s always been really different for our summer school is that the vast majority of the children are from local schools, unlike our ISAC Camp or Easter Camp which are predominantly for GSIS students. This year, we had 130 children coming in for the programme and about 95% of those children are from the local school community.

We know that parents hope for something wonderful, something different so we have developed the concept of doing a lot of arts, ICT, and PE which is something the students may not focus heavily on in their regular schooling environment. The teachers will also plan a

theme for the class and incorporate it in various activities. For example our five and six year olds were doing a unit on insects and mini-beasts and their artwork task was to draw insects. They were reading stories about mini-beasts in the library and played games such as pretending to be little bugs in the Sports Hall.

GIST: What do you see are the biggest improvements in a child from the beginning of summer school until the end?

RD: We have two types of children within the camp – the ones who come year after year, looking forward to the different learning environment and wonderful times, and new students who attend for the first time.

For new students, I would see trepidation and a little bit of nervousness on the first day. Although we want the children to predominantly speak English to each other and their teachers, there is also an opportunity for them to use their native language with their peers. The biggest improvement you can see by the second or third day; the new kids get really comfortable and they start to enjoy themselves. The children realise that our summer school is not going to be an environment where homework is heaped on them and that they are not going to be sitting at their desks working individually on worksheet for hours.

GIST: How does GSIS Summer School differ from other summer school programmes?

RD: Most of the other international schools who run summer schools target their own students and also have a much more academic component. The key difference would be is that our focus is fun, enjoyment, whilst learning new and exciting things, and speaking in English. We are really trying to make sure that these children have a great time, are busy exploring and they go home tired and are eager to come back the next day.

We also try to keep the student-teacher ratio low for maximum impact. This year there were 9 classes and each class had about 15 students, which is much lower than what these kids would typically experience in their regular classes. We want to try and make sure they get as much interaction with the teachers and international schooling flair as possible.

Thank you Robert for your summer school insights! It was great to get to learn more about the GSIS Summer School. We definitely look forward to the programme next year, which will be held at our Pok Fu Lam Campus.

SUMMERSchoolHELLO

FEATURES

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Friday 4 March 2016

Island Shangri-La

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Starting their journey from Hong Kong, our World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) team battled all the way from the Global Round in Kuala Lumpur

to the Tournament of Champions at Yale University. It was a long and challenging road to the top, yet the GSIS Team not only made it to the Tournament of Champions; three students outshined all of their other worthy opponents and won the championship for the Junior Division. We sat down with the winning team, Ruth Scharff-Hansen (Y09), Melissa Adams (Y09), and Gordon Chi (Y10) for an insider’s view of their experience at the World Scholar’s Cup and Yale.

GIST: How did it feel to be able to go all the way to Yale University for the World Scholar’s Cup?

Ruth: I think it was really inspirational for us, because it’s not an opportunity that everyone gets. It was really cool to be able to see what life is like in one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

Melissa: It was almost kind of surreal. I couldn’t really contemplate and imagine that we were half way across the world for a debate tournament when we should’ve been in school. But it was a lot of fun seeing how people lived there, and what it

was like if we were actually to go to Yale, which a lot of us aspire to.

Gordon: This is the first time for me and when I went there, it was very fascinating to see the building structure, which is really beautiful. It was also pretty special to see how the students interact and the community there as well.

GIST: What preparations did you make for the World Scholar’s Cup?

Melissa: Quite a lot. Even before you reach Yale, there are two other rounds to qualify. We had one in Hong Kong and then a global round with 2,500 juniors in Kuala Lumpur. To get to these three stages, you had to study certain materials that the organisers assigned. They give you topics, but you have to compile your own research within your team.

Ruth: I think the WSC tests your teamwork pretty well, so you have to get along with your group. You have to make sure you are helping each other, instead of putting each other down. You also have to know the material really well yourself in order to succeed.

An Intellectual Journey Returning with Gold (and Alpacas!)

World Scholar’s Cup

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

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Gordon: Elaborating on the course material, I think many of us studied on the airplane.

Ruth: The flight attendants were complaining a bit because we were debating rather loudly on the plane.

GIST: What activities were you involved in during your time there?

Gordon: There was a keynote speaker when we arrived as we got into the groove of it. The actual events started from the Scavenger Hunt, which was the ice breaker for the convention. After that, the first three events we had were the Scholar’s Challenge, the Team Debate, and a Collaborative Writing. There’s also the Scholar’s Ball, which is a more relaxed disco event where people can dance.

Melissa: We also had Scholar’s Bowl the day after, which was the last event we did so we had to add up the scores quickly. As a team, we had to answer a bunch of questions on a big screen in front of the whole stadium. We had a clicker to select our answers from multiple choice questions.

Gordon: It’s a pretty stressful event.

Ruth: The Scholar’s Bowl is like a game show but on a really large scale, and everyone is participating in it. It’s really stressful when they showed the final answer and it’s worth a lot of points. Some of the questions were [worth] 10,000 points, and you know this counts for a lot. So you don’t really want see the answers when they put it up on the screen.

Melissa: I always hid behind my hands.

Ruth: It’s the most stressful thing ever, but overall it was pretty fun. And after you have done it, you are glad that you did it. We also learned a lot from it. Referring to the keynote speakers, I think they were really inspiring, especially as one of the keynote speakers was someone we were studying for the competition. We were studying Sasha Zamler-Carhart’s music and he gave us a speech, which we found pretty interesting.

GIST: Which activity is your favourite?

Ruth: I like the Scholar’s Challenge.

Melissa: Academically, I like the Team Debate because it is more engaging and you get to know the other team. But socially, I really liked the Scholar’s Ball.

Gordon: I guess the Team Debate is very interesting and the people there were very nice. They gave you sound feedback and the judges were always courteous to us, which is always good. I liked the Scholar’s Challenge as well.

GIST: What were some of the challenges you have faced during the WSC?

Ruth: I think sometimes with the Team Debate, you argue against a lot of people from different places who might deliver in different styles. Especially for this competition, you have to be very polite with them. You have to give them feedback afterwards that is discreet and constructive. So you have to really make sure that your manners are very good there, which I think is a great exercise.

Gordon: You have to introduce yourself, and all that type of stuff.

Ruth: Yeah, and you have to say, “I think that your style was really good,” with constructive feedback and not criticise too much. It does make everyone feel happier at the end, although it’s bit different from normal debate competitions in Hong Kong.

GIST: What are some tips and pieces of advice for other students who wish to join WSC?

Melissa: I think when you study, it’s quite easy to get genuinely interested in the topic and you can do well in it. If you still can’t find anything that you like about the topic, just remember that you’re doing it for a purpose. Because when you actually get there, it is so much fun and it is all worth it.

Ruth: It’s very rewarding to win and go on stage, and share the experience with your friends in school and bring it back home. At first you might not be that interested, but once you go into a topic a lot, you will actually find that there is something in it that relates to you or that you find interesting. Or at the very least you can use for your GCSE or IB later in your school career. It does pay off to know these things.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTSSTUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

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Gordon: There’s so much more to it than just a competition. The friends you make during the event and sightseeing. For example in the Global Round, we went to amusement parks, and this time we toured New York, which is a lot of fun balancing out the stress of the competition. Just don’t get too stressed out by it.

Ruth: Last year, one of the trips that they offered at Yale was a trip to Boston so you got to see Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology with tours at each university. It is a really good experience for anyone thinking of attending these universities. That was really eye-opening for me.

GIST: Last but not least, why are there alpacas everywhere at the WSC?

Melissa: It is the mascot and that is because the founder of the WSC is from Chile.

Ruth: They were also thinking of making emu the mascot, but they decided on the alpaca. It is very funny because every year, they distribute alpacas at

every round that we go to. I have like ten alpacas in my bedroom already.

Melissa: They give out alpacas in the middle of the Scholar’s Bowl, which is the most stressful event. After we were freaking out about the answers, whether we got it right or wrong, the organisers will be like “Alpacas!”

Ruth: And they were like “Come over! Have some alpacas!”

GIST: Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience at the World Scholar’s Cup and congratulations once again for being the champion of the Junior’s Division!

Our school and students would also like to thank our alumni Jacqueline Cheng-Bhuralal, (Class of 2002 and a former GSIS debate team member) for her generous sponsorship of the World Scholar’s Cup trips to the United States.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

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Model United Nations

When it comes to e n v i r o n m e n t a l issues, what is the

first thing that usually comes to your mind? Is it climate change, air pollution, or the imbalance of biodiversity? With the list of never ending problems our environment faces today, it is vital for the younger generation to be aware and mindful of them. GSIS students took one step further and participated in the Hong Kong Junior Model United Nations (MUN) 2015, discussing and tackling global issues with 21 other secondary schools in Hong Kong.

With ten committees representing delegations from a variety of nations, the Junior MUN employed their grey matter and researched, proposed, and debated solutions to the most pressing environmental, economic and social issues facing the world today.

Dylan Robinson (Y08) and Anuj Samant (Y09) who were part of the Environmental Protection Committee as Delegates for Pakistan won the award for the Best Environmental Protection Plan at the Conference. In their committee, the topics were “Improving Water Quality in River Watersheds for Farming” and “Decreasing Pollution Caused by Increasing Populations.”

“It was challenging for me to research on the topic for a country that doesn’t have many resources on it and to write out the resolution in a short period,” Dylan recalled. “They gave us about one hour but it wasn’t long enough to write down a detailed resolution.”

Using basic research tools such as Google, Dylan and Anuj gathered as much information as they could from government and NGO websites in the limited time allowed. Using their initiative, they

even tried to contact the Consulate General of Pakistan in Hong Kong but unfortunately were unable to reach them.

Their goal was to persuade Belgium, the only developed country represented in their environmental committee, to provide funding for their initiatives to be implemented in Pakistan. Dylan cited education as the root of these issues, explaining that many citizens in undeveloped countries were uneducated, therefore unaware of the problems at hand.

This Junior MUN experience opened the eyes of our students to topics that may not be as well-known and allowed them to fight for nations that are suffering from these matters.

“These problems are important for the livelihood of many people, but not as many people in richer countries are affected,” reflected Dylan. “So from this MUN experience, it gave us the insight on these poor countries and what specific issues they are facing.”

While Dylan and Anuj shared their experience and resolutions with the class, Dylan planned to do more by starting his own charity.

“I’ve been thinking about having a charity for a little while,” said Dylan. “The main issues that I’d like to tackle would be helping to educate people in poor countries, not specifically about one issue, but rather on a range of issues that are important but not necessarily as widely known in the world.”

Though the world faces many problems today, it is encouraging to know that our younger generation are keen to fight, using the best of their abilities to make our world a better place!

Dylan Robinson (Y08), Delegation for Pakistan, Environmental Protection Committee talks Junior MUN

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

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New Tennis Programme kindly sponsored by alumnus, Oscar Chow (Class of 1993).

HKSSF-Island East Primary Swimming Competition: Grade A Girls received 3rd place and

Grade B girls won 2nd place in overall race.

PRIMARY SWIMMING

SECONDARY GIRLS NETBALL

Senior Girls Netball vs. KGV

ALBA Interschool Basketball Tournament

GSIS I vs. Harrow

ESF Basketball League: Grade B Boys were crowned Champion; Grade B Girls won 2nd place.

BASKETBALL

GSIS Sports Recap

ON THE SPORTSFIELD

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FOOTBALL

GSIS A Side U11 Football Tournament 2015

SECONDARY SPORTS DAY

PRIMARY SPORTS DAY

BOULDERING

Left: Daniel Soh (Y13) won 2nd in Boys A Team for the Just Climb Bouldering Competition.

Right: Misha Fischer (Y10) started climbing only this September and won 2nd place in Girls B Team for the Just Climb Bouldering Competition.

Top: Natasha Hirt (Y11) won 3rd place, breaking total dominance of Sha Tin College at the Just Climb Bouldering Competition.

ON THE SPORTSFIELD

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The past few months at the Peak Campus have seen yet more exciting progress in the Campus Development Plan. Our Secondary students and teachers arrived back from their summer breaks eager to settle into their rebuilt Lower Building, which completed our Secondary facilities and

complemented the Middle Building with additional classrooms, state of the art science laboratories and new teacher and administrative offices. Since August, it has been great to see school life flourish in these corridors and classrooms as students and staff feel increasingly at home in their new environment.

Meanwhile, visitors to the Peak Campus will have not been able to miss the protective orange netting around the Upper Building which gives away its status as an active construction site. Indeed, the works on our new Primary school have been progressing at a brisk pace – right on schedule – as we prepare for an August 2016 opening at the start of next school year. Crucial work on the foundations of the Upper Building was undertaken across the summer and the project has now moved to its constructional phase that will shape the fundamental structure of the transformed Upper Building.

Designed with young learners at the heart of our planning, the new Upper Building will be a fantastic home for our Primary departments. At the centre of the building will be a radically remodelled space, as the old courtyard becomes a skylight-covered multi-purpose hall for sports, assemblies and the performing arts. Overlooking this hall will be the brand new Primary library – a wonderful environment for our students to acquire a love of reading and enquiry. Meanwhile, bright and attractive classrooms will provide the very best setting for students’ lesson times and new offices will mean our Primary administration and teachers are provided the working room they need.

We look forward to sharing further updates with you in the new year as this final phase of the Campus Development Plan moves from vision to reality!

Project Update

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

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Building BlocksC

ommunity lies at the heart of German Swiss International School. Our students connect with one another from their very first days in Kindergarten and Primary and many build strong friendships that remain throughout their time at GSIS and into their years as internationally-networked alumni.

From its very beginnings, our school has been shaped by its families, volunteers and staff. Today, we see this embodied in our Boards and Committees, the KPR system, and the countless hours dedicated by parents, teachers and support staff to driving GSIS towards a bright future.

The GSIS Building Blocks Campaign calls on this very same community to shape our future by becoming active builders. In support of the Campus Development Plan, the campaign gives supporters the chance to name their unique ‘’brick’’ plaque, as acknowledgment for their generous contribution.

These blocks will form a brightly coloured, eye-catching wall on the outside of the Middle Building at the Peak Campus. The wall will be a true testament to the GSIS community’s school spirit and generosity for all to see.

To buy a block and for further information please visit the Building Blocks Campaign Website (http://gsis.hk/buildingblocks).

Or alternatively contact Simon Phillips, Head of Development at Development@gsis.edu.hk or by phone 2825 8172.

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

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ALUMNI AFFAIRS

This season marks the time of reunion for our alumni, with major get-togethers happening in Europe and Hong Kong. We are encouraged and delighted to know that even out of school, the bonds in the GSIS alumni community are still strong and ever growing.

Berlin Reunion

In October, a GSIS Reunion was organised in Berlin, attracting alumni from all over Europe to reconnect and tour the city with GSIS Berliners. From sightseeing on a cruise of the river spree, to eating Chinese food, to catching up over German beer, this weekend-long reunion created unforgettable memories for old and new friends.

While alumni in Europe have been busy reconnecting with each other, a lot of action has also been happening in our home of Hong Kong. The GSIS Alumni Office organised an Alumni Reception at the beginning of November, updating our alumni on the progress of the Campus Development Plan and inviting volunteer engagement in initiatives such as careers

Piecing Back Puzzles

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ALUMNI AFFAIRS

activities and alumni leadership. There was a great response from our alumni and we thank all of you for showing interest and enthusiasm in being more involved with the school community!

25 Year ReunionAt the end of November, leading up to the Christmas Bazaar, we welcomed the Class of 1990 as they celebrated their 25th Year Reunion here in Hong Kong. Overseas GSIS 1990ers flew back to the island, uniting about twenty old classmates together for this special occasion. Local representatives of the class organised a series of activities including an evening at the Happy Valley Race Course, a Thanksgiving Reunion dinner, a boat trip, and a grand gathering at the GSIS Christmas Bazaar. After many years spent overseas, it is always great to come back and retrace your footsteps in Hong Kong.

Christmas BazaarThough the GSIS Christmas Bazaar was a special one this year for the Class of 1990, many other alumni also gathered at this annual event to celebrate the start of the holiday seasons and catch up with each other. Not only did our alumni come back to school for the Bazaar, quite a few went hands-on. These alumni worked with the Parents Committee in organising the event and volunteered for the Alumni Beer Stand, pumping out fresh beer and cider for Bazaar goers. GSIS thanks all of you who helped out and gave back to the school community.

As the year hasn’t ended just quite yet, we have a few more alumni events lined up in the holiday season:

� 19 December 2015: Class of 2005 Ten Year Reunion at the Peak Campus

� 26 December 2015: Alumni Christmas Party at PLAY

Come and enjoy the last of this year at the Alumni Christmas Party and stay tuned for more exciting events to come next year!

For more information on upcoming events, please contact the GSIS Alumni Office at alumni@gsis.edu.hk.

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COMMUNITY

Christmas in the Air at GSISBazaar 2015

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COMMUNITY

GALA CONCERT

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Working overseas, expatriates often encounter cultural differences and habits unlike those practiced back

home. Hence, it is important for our Business College students to learn and understand the culture of greater China and Asia, in order to adapt and work successfully in this region. The Business College has invited Matthias Hendrichs, a German native with almost 20 years of working experience in Europe and Asia, working in senior management positions for companies such as Bertelsmann and BASF, to share his knowledge.

Matthias also started two digital businesses in Germany and Hong Kong, flexing his expertise in digital strategy, marketing, and venturing. He is currently the Managing Director of Gao Feng Advisory Company and has vast experience in strategy consulting, entrepreneurial activities, and senior corporate management in Asia.

Matthias led an animated and discussion-fuelled talk with our students, using simple yet strong infographics to convey prominent cultural differences between Germany and China. Students were enticed to ask questions and shared their own stories interacting with local colleagues, observations of the local community, and opinions on certain practices.

“Mr Hendrichs conveyed in his dynamic and informative report many valuable tips how to successfully do business in an intercultural environment. His impressiv and versatile career encourages me to follow my idea of launching a startup.”

Justus v. Pachelbel B15F, Trainee at MGB Metro Group

"For us as young internationals it is always interesting to hear from more experienced expats in Hong Kong. Mr Hendrich's personal development and knowledge about the Chinese market serves us all as an example and encourages to more entrepreneurial venture."

Julie Mismahl B15F, Trainee at Hermes OTTO International

Matthias Hendrichs: Talking Cultural Differencesin the Workplace at the GSIS Business College

Business and Culture

BUSINESS COLLEGE