Island School PTA Newsletter

Together as a community, we have supported and cared for each other through this unique year. Even though the first term started and ended with online learning, thankfully we were able to have several weeks of on-campus learning where the excited voices of students could be heard through the school. With 2020 coming to a close, the Island School Community can be proud how we faced these historical events together.

Covid-19 restrictions have prevented social ISPTA events that normally take place during Term 1, however we have been very active with virtual events. ISPTA was very busy at the beginning of the year. We participated in welcoming the Y7 parents and new parents, as well as in the first round of virtual parent information evenings for each year level. As always, our popular WhatsApp groups have offered parents a way to stay in touch.

We participated in two on-campus school information sessions, one for the current Y7 parents, and the other for possible 2021 year Y7 parents. Our AGM took place on campus on October 14th. After all the zooming, it was a pleasure to meet some of you and to also work with some of our parents in person (properly physically distanced of course).

During the first term we have hosted virtual coffee mornings for three different year levels (Y8, Y9 and Y11). We have also teamed up with our Higher Education department to host coffee mornings for Y11, Y12 and Y13 where the HE counsellors share information on the HE process, and address parent questions. ISPTA participated in organising the Diwali Week and Christmas Countdown, and even though both celebrations faced some limitations from physical distancing, they brought joy and excitement to school life.

With restrictions on travel and activities, ISPTA's Wellness working group has put together some family fun for the break, please see details on this newsletter and participate in the baking, exercise and crafts with your family.

We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a new year of peace and happiness.

Tania Shao

Chair, Island School PTA Ltd

- Mr Lord's Christmas chocolate cake truffles

Here's some tasty inspiration for the Family Fun Bake from Mr Lord!

- Paper snowflakes by Cathrin Ho

Catherine Ho is an Island School parent and has kindly created this video showing how to create paper snowflakes. You may have seen her paper snowflake handiwork decorating our school campuses.

- Holiday crafts from Rosanna Nongdhar

Rosanna Nongdhar is an Island School parent and PTA committee member. She is very passionate about following the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse,and Recycle). Click on the image below to view her Gift Tag and Xmas Tree creations.

- Mr Siu's holiday workout

Let’s stay fit during this season with workout sessions by Mr Siu. Click on the links below for videos and weekly challenges! (You need to login to a Google account to access the videos - any Google account will work.)

Fitness Videos – Episode 1 , Episode 2 , Episode 3

7 Day Xmas Challenge. Please click on Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 to view details.

- Yoga for the holidays

Sheetal Jhaveri is an Island School parent and qualified yoga instructor who is kindly sharing her knowledge of some simple yoga poses for the Islander Community to do over the Winter Break. You can find Sheetal via Instagram or Facebook.

Yoga Asanas Descriptions: Please here to view the different descriptions of Yoga Asana (poses).

Yoga Asanas Video: Click here to view Sheetal demonstrating the variety of yoga poses.

- Sign our holiday card!

Thinking of posting your Season’s Greetings to your IS teachers and staff? Please click here to sign our virtual card. We suggest using a PC/laptop for easier message upload.

Diwali celebration week took place at Island School on Nov 13th-20th. Working together, students, teachers and parents decorated the school and organised events to celebrate this special time of year. ISPTA donated Diwali decorations, rangoli colours and diyas for art activities.

ISPTA was proud to be able to support and sponsor the celebrations. Thank you to all the parent volunteers and donors, without you we would not have been able to achieve all that we did.

On November 27th students, teachers and parents decorated the school campuses ready for the Christmas season. The festive decorations lightened the last days of on-campus learning before moving to on-line. ISPTA donated decorations last year and this year, including beautiful crafts from our volunteers.

ISPTA is proud to be part in bringing Christmas cheer to the campus this year as well. Thank you to our parent volunteers, you are instrumental to our support of the school community.

ISPTA coffee mornings for Y8, Y9 and Y11 took place during the first term. Members of the senior leadership team spoke about topics relevant to each year level, and answered parent questions.

The Higher Education Team and ISPTA teamed up for Higher Education coffee mornings. The HE team answered questions on course selections and HE process, submitted earlier by parents. The coffee morning was well attended, with over 80 parents joining the meeting.

The recordings of the Higher Education coffee mornings can be found from Vision newsletters or from the links below:

Y11 HE x ISPTA coffee morning on Dec 8th

Y13 HE x ISPTA coffee morning on Dec 1st

Y12 HE x ISPTA coffee morning on Sept 29th

Y13 HE x ISPTA coffee morning on Sept 15th

The Island School Parent Teacher Association Limited Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday 14th October, 2020. Our new committee looks forward to serving the Island School community, and hopes to see you all in the ISPTA events, whether online or in person.

ISPTA support to the Island School community remained uninterrupted during last school year. Though our fundraising efforts were limited this year, by using our reserves ISPTA was able to donate over $200,000 in products and services that will enhance the learning experience of our students in this school year. During 2019-20 the following ISPTA funded items were delivered.

Drama: Audio & Visual Equipment

EAL: SRA Reading LAB Comprehension Kits

Music: DJ Hardware

Design & Technology / Wanbo: Plastic shredder

Film: Lightform projectors

Food Tech: Rice Cookers, Pressure Cookers, Fryers

PE: Heart rate monitors

Science: ABO blood type simulation, Brain pop, Build your own solar cell, CSI PCR Reagent Kit, Gizmos online resource, Horizon Energy box, Kitchen Chemistry kit, Pocket Anemometer, Student Digital Joulemeter, Vacuum Pump (Oriental), Wind renewable energy kits

In addition, the 12 Days of Christmas charity auction in 2019 raised $31,080 towards Island School Trust’s Nicola and Kenneth Bursaries. The bursaries will be awarded to students from local schools throughout Hong Kong who are in genuine financial need to complete their sixth form education.

What are the ISPTA WhatsApp Groups for?
The ISPTA WhatsApp Groups are strictly for current IS parents, to bring
together the IS community to discuss school related topics.

How to identify ISPTA groups for current IS parents
All official ISPTA Whatsapp groups are created by the ISPTA phone number, 67652453.
You can recognise the year-level WhatsApp groups from their blue background logos.

How to join the new official ISPTA WhatsApp Groups
If you have not yet joined the ISPTA WhatsApp Groups please fill in this form
or email the PTA manager — pta@online.island.edu.hk

ISPTA Key Dates

• Y12 PTA Coffee Morning: TBC
• Y07 PTA Coffee Morning: Wednesday, February 10, 2021
• Y10 PTA Coffee Morning: Wednesday, February 24, 2021
• Y13 PTA Coffee Morning: Monday, March 1, 2021

Keep an eye on our emails and WhatsApp groups for updates and other events

Please see school calendar at http://island.edu.hk/calendar/ for details on school events

ISPTA is collecting 2nd hand uniform and books. Please click here for the details and a list of welcomed donations.

As part of our sustainability efforts, ISPTA facilitates an unofficial Facebook marketplace Island School Community Buy Sell & Swap where members of the Island School Hong Kong community can buy/sell/gift/swap school related items. This group is only for actively enrolled families, students and staff of Island School.

When joining, you will be asked to state your affiliation to Island School. Any request to join that does not include this information within 7 days will be declined. Please read the group rules before posting.

Examples of items that are approved:

• School uniform pieces
• Uniform shoes
• PE shoes
• Sports shoes, such as football or rugby boots / cleats
• Other sports equipment, such as tennis, table tennis or badminton rackets
• Musical instruments
• Bags, including school bags and bags suitable to school camps or quest week travel
• Camping gear relevant to school camps, including clothing
• IB course books
• English readers required or recommended by school
• Other books relevant to school work
• Calculators and other stationery items related to school work
• Electronics related to school or hobbies
• Other items related to relevant hobbies
• Other similar items

ISPTA reserves a right to approve all posts. ISPTA is not part of any arrangement and will not facilitate them.

ISPTA is reaching out to parents to continue donating mother tongue books – books in languages spoken at homes of our Island School students – in new or near-new condition in approximately Y7-8 reading level.

As the Library has already good collection of books in English, Chinese, Japanese, French and Spanish (languages are taught at IS), they are focusing on all other mother tongues: Hindi, Korean, Norwegian, Russian, Dutch, Urdu, you name it! Library is interested in both books originally written in mother tongues, as well as mother tongue editions of some of the very popular fiction series, like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Land of Stories, The Diary of Wimpy Kid, etc.

For further questions, please contact our librarian, Mr Chris Lee at chris.lee@online.island.edu.hk, or ISPTA at pta@online.island.edu.hk. Books can be dropped off at the library on either campuses.

A big thank you to all parents who have already supported the mother tongue books collection! Many great books have been added to Library’s collection thanks to your generosity.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions, please email us at pta@online.island.edu.hk

Island School School Council: Tania Shao

ESF Committee of Parents: Manju Anand and Tania Shao

Island School Trust: Jennifer Seeto

Contact us

Email: pta@online.island.edu.hk
Website: https://island.edu.hk/pta-home/
Location: 95CJ+P9 Hong Kong
Phone: 6765 2453

Disclaimer:
Island School PTA is the owner of the copyright in all content of this publication. Distributing, modifying, copying or using any content of this publication in any manner for public or commercial purposes without written permission from Island School is strictly prohibited. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of Island School or the English Schools Foundation.