QUALITY SCHOOLS GUIDE OCT 2020 BRACING FOR A DIGITAL FUTURE Well-rOUNDED EDUCATION EDITOR'S MESSAGE COME JOIN OUR VIRTUAL LOWER PRIMARY OPEN HOUSE Ensuring everyone is Explore a world of UP TO SPEED innovation and play or all the havoc the Covid-19 pandemic has It is important, therefore, that schools maintain a October 7, 2020 wreaked on the community, there is at least close liaison with students and parents to make sure that 5 - 6 pm F one rather unexpected benefit – and that is the nobody falls behind in terms of equipment and technical catalytic role it plays in quickening the pace of e-learning, capability. In view of the lack of face-to-face contact, and enabling the application of technology in academic teachers should also ensure that every student participate pursuits. fully on cyberspace. E-learning is a major thrust ahead for education It is a revolution that requires a whole new set of Meet our delivery, and there is no turning back, so the sooner the protocols and discipline, and an extra level of attention school, the teachers, the students and the parents master to details in the planning, implementation and reviewing administration, the technique and skills, the better. Those who boldly processes. and confidently seize the opportunity will have a definite learn about our advantage over those who balk at the challenge. campus, curriculum Taking an overview of the education scene, it is obvious that there are varying levels of preparedness for and teaching this sudden online switch which happened only half a year ago, and many are still acclimatizing to the new mode of philosophy. interaction and the technical know-how involved. Features Editor Reception1 - Grade 2 4 to 7-year-olds Register Here: 1 www.hkis.edu.hk/openhouse/lowerprimary CONTENTS 12 EDITOR'S MESSAGE 01 Ensuring everyone is up to speed FEATURE 06 Middle-class kids most switched on 16 HIGHLIGHT Yew Chung International School 10 Growth and self-discovery: two perfect scorers reflect on their time at YCIS Hong Kong Academy 12 20 years of educational excellence 22 INTERVIEW "Quality Schools Guide" is published by The Standard Christian Alliance P.C. Lau Memorial International School 14 Nurturing bilingual world citizens of tomorrow Display Advertising Department 3/F., Sing Tao News Corporation Building, 7 Chun Cheong Street, The Woodland Pre-Schools Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, 16 Tseung Kwan O, Developing young minds for the future New Territories, Hong Kong Advertising Hotline: (852) 3181 3311 Hong Kong International School 18 Fax: 2758 3579 “Start slow to go fast” All rights reserved. Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong Features Editor: Andy Ng 20 Preparing children for higher education and beyond Reporters: Gigi Wong Designer: Lucy Ng Business Director: Irene Chan Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong 22 Website: www.thestandard.com.hk A bicultural approach to language learning Email: [email protected] QSG_OL_FF.indd 1 11/9/2020 ��4:30 CONTENTS 26 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS American International School Hong Kong 24 Nurturing confident, caring, and well-rounded students since 1986 Christian Alliance International School of Hong Kong 26 A global school embracing student-centered learning 28 American School Hong Kong 28 Providing a holistic American education EIS International Preschool 30 Learning in nature The Harbour School 32 Unlocking the best in every child The Independent Schools Foundation Academy 34 Cultivating critical thinkers with the passion to learn 36 Korean International School – International Section 36 Inclusive education Kornhill International Nursery 38 Fostering a love of learning in the early years Renaissance College Hong Kong RCHK: Inspiring creativity and nurturing global 40 citizens with the benefits of an all-through environment 38 DIRECTORY 42 International schools 52 Educational centres / others 40 (edited-25-AUG)The Standard-275mm-210mm.pdf 1 25/8/2020 4:13:25 PM FEATURE Middle-class kids most switched on With online learning in full swing amid Covid-19, the academic performance gap between gifted and underperforming students will likely be widened, writes Cara Chen. hile many students have struggled to adjust to online learning and some schools have yet to perfect remote teaching arrangements, a recent survey has C W M found that students from middle-class families are able adapt to the new norm quickly. Y Conducted by the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted CM Education, the survey on the impact of the epidemic on gifted MY students and their families shows 56.6 percent of respondents' CY children adapted to online learning in less than a week, while 31.5 percent of them needed less than a month. The survey was CMY conducted between the end of June and mid-July, receiving K 362 responses. Although the response rate of nearly 9 percent was not high, Eric Fung, head of the academy's research division, said the respondents' portraits produced by the questionnaire matched those of middle-class families, so the results were typical. The result showed 20 percent of the parents surveyed could afford to send children to schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme, which requires a higher tuition fee, and nearly 60 percent of parents hold a bachelor's degree or above. “The survey results confirm our belief that families of gifted students have sufficient capacity and resources to help their children learn at home,” said Fung. 6 7 FEATURE Ng Ka-yiu, a secondary one student who studies science subjects at the academy, is one of the successful cases who has adapted to online learning over a short period. In the early stage of online learning, Ng encountered numerous technical and time-management problems, which were later solved with his parents' help. Since then, studying at home has been easier for him. He started to identify a need to fill up his bonus time at However, results also showed that about 19 percent of home by extending his school courses to personal interests. He parents said their relationship with their children deteriorated. decided to set up a YouTube channel to share knowledge from The major reason was that their children were addicted to video his favorite science subjects. games, followed by poor attitudes toward studying. As they began to appreciate spending more time together Issac Gai, a secondary four student, is the opposite, one of during the epidemic, Ng's mother said the whole family the 12 percent of respondents taking more than a month to get mobilized to support Ng's channel: mom takes care of the used to learning remotely at home. Gai, who loves sport and filming, dad buys the materials for the experiments and his mathematics, said he was not motivated to study because of sister promotes the videos online. “I'm so happy that he finds the one-way online teaching mode. me every day to discuss the film subject,” she said. He was also easily distracted and lacked self-discipline, The survey showed more than 42 percent said that their resulting in him missing homework deadlines, being late parent-child relationship had become more harmonious. for classes, and becoming addicted to playing video games. “Parents indicated that the increased communication time Gai described the days of school closure as “decadent and helped to enhance mutual understanding and promote their depressing”. relationship,” Fung said. Fung said that gifted students usually find it easier to dive into a particular field. The good side is, for example, they like mathematics and continue to study it, so they show aptitude and success. Yet, the bad side is that if the online course is too easy for them or they are not interested, they will give up easily. He recommended that parents help their children make schedules while studying at home, allowing them to learn to manage themselves. Illustration by Lucy Ng 8 9 HIGHLIGHT YCIS strives to nurture academically able students who are bilingually proficient, globally minded and well prepared to Growth and Self-Discovery: meet the challenges of the 21st century. calmly. Her teachers’ attentiveness to students’ wellbeing and their willingness to share their own life wisdom was something Isabella will always remember. Two Perfect Scorers Reflect Support for University Applications YCIS has a dedicated team of six counsellors at University on Their Time at YCIS Guidance Office (UGO) to advise students one-to-one on their university applications and career planning. The UGO regularly s a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s IB organises visits from local and overseas universities, as well as exams were cancelled and final grades were awarded the annual university fair hosting institutions from all around based on coursework, predicted grades and historical the world. Isabella believes her University Guidance Counsellor A contributed to both her professional and personal growth. Her assessment data from schools. The uncertainties surrounding the unprecedented situation was definitely a cause for great counsellor was extremely responsive to emails and was always concern for many students in Hong Kong and across the globe. on her own interests again. Christy is also now considering happy to answer any questions whenever she visited her in the It was therefore a surreal moment for students Isabella Yao studying other subjects at university such as the Visual Arts, a UGO. More importantly, Isabella felt she received a lot of moral and Christy Yuen of Yew Chung International School (YCIS) medium she is interested in using to tell stories, or something support from her counsellor, especially when she had to deal when both found out they achieved a perfect score of 45 as specialised as East Asian Studies. Asked what she would with rejections for some university applications. Her counsellor points for their International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.