TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台北歐洲學校 European Secondary Campus Newsletter EDITION 18 FRIDAY 13TH JUNE 2014 Fri IN THIS ISSUE A word from the Head of the BSHS Section Message from Head Page 1 Message from Assistant Page 3 Chrysta Garnett Head ESCPA Page 4 The end of the academic year is always bittersweet with the combination High School Graduation Page 5 From German Section Page 7 of celebration and awards assemblies celebrating the phenomenal success of our students in their academic and personal endeavours, coupled with Music Concert Page 9 the inevitable sadness of the necessary farewells to departing students Year 6 Visit Page 13 and staff members. Our Leavers’ Assembly this year saw the resurrection Y7 Ocean Project Page 16 of an old BSHS tradition with our student leavers receiving a TES teddy, a Y9 IA Hike Page 19 special memento of their time with us. H1 Outward Bound Trip Page 22 IB Spotligh Page 24 Yale MUN Page 28 Student Council Page 29 Tabitha Day 31 Harmony Home 34 Tabitha Cambodia 36 Dates for your Diary Technology is a wonderful thing and the advent of Skype, Snapchat, Summer Vacation 14 June Facebook etc means many of our students can maintain their international First Day of School 19 August friendships and we look forward to hearing about the continued success of those students sadly leaving us. Keep in touch! th ESC Newsletter · 13 June 2014 1 TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台北歐洲學校 We also say goodbye to several long standing and well respected teaching colleagues who between them haveMessage given TES over 35 years offrom service. We wishJames the following colleaguesWoodall the very best of luck and our warmest wishes and thanks for their dedication they have shown our young people during their time with us: Bronwyn Thompson, Craig Morris, Tara Laing, Chris Laing, Tara McNeil, Vicky Chen, Melody Feng, ElissaAssistant Campbell, Tim Sing Head Key and Karenof BSHSWang from (KS3 the British – Section;HS) Agnès Trinelle from the French Section; and Gabriele Macher and Franz-Joseph Neumann from our German Section. An action packed end to a wonderful year at ESC culminated with an exciting announcement relating to the further development of our facilities made by Dr Weston this week. TES Board of Governors have acquired some land in Yang Ming Shan where new ESC sports facilities will be developed over the summer. We anticipate that our new soccer pitch and tennis courts will be ready for use by our students next Term. Other developments planned for the European Secondary Campus during the summer: the installation of a state of the art digital sound system in the Atrium; two new self service charging stations for our latest hardware purchases (additional laptops, tablets and chrome books for student use); and the refurbishment of student study areas in Phase 2 and Phase 1 buildings. I would like to personally thank all parents, students, colleagues and parents association members for your continued support of the school this year. A school is only as good as the people who inhabit it, and I am very grateful to the TES community for the rich and multi faceted contributions it makes to the education of the young people in our care. I hope that you all have restful summer vacations and I th look forward to seeing you all again for the start of school on August 18 . ESC Newsletter · 13th June 2014 2 TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台北歐洲學校 James Woodall Assistant Head The sheer size of this newsletter is a direct reflection on what has been an incredibly busy end to the year. Graduation, Outward Bound trips, hikes, Year 6 transition, the list goes on and on. Firstly I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who have given up their own time to attend overnight trips and weekend events. One of the true strengths of the school has to be the commitment and dedication of the staff. These trips and events only succeed because of the staff we have here at the ESC. Graduation is always one of the highlights of the ye ar and once again it was a huge success. The venue at the CCU is fantastic and the evening was enjoyed by the students, parents and staff who attended. On Saturday evening the High School students got to celebrate one last time at the Prom. Mr Cornes and his Student Council team did an amazing job of bringing the evening together with a record 180 tickets being sold. There wasn't a spare seat in the room and it was a lovely atmosphere. Please enjoy all the articles in this edition as they really show what a vibrant, fun and busy place TES is and show how lucky our students are to be part of this institution. I would like to close by thanking the Pastoral Team of Mr. Imbleau, Mr. Sing Key, Mr. Matthews and Mr. Latchford for their tireless work throughout the year. It is appreciated so much by myself but also by all the students who they care for. A special mention to Mr. Sing Key who is leaving this year. It has been a real pleasure to work with him over the years and I am losing an incredible colleague as well as a good friend. I am sure you will join me in wishing him and his wife Gloria the very best in their futures together. Have an enjoyable and safe summer and I look forward to seeing everyone again in August. ESC Newsletter · 13th June 2014 3 TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台北歐洲學校 The ESC PA Thank you for all of your support throughout the 2013-14 school year. This year was another exceptional year and it could not have been like this without you. We would like to express our biggest gratitude to our leaving active members who have continuously been working hard in supporting the school community. You are who make our school special. You will really be missed. Sylvie Baudard Brian Burriston Rian Hui Mike Humphrey Sharon Hung Betty Lieu Gabriele Macher Christel Schenckbecher To all of you, either startingａnew adventure from this summer or returning to school in August, we wish you and your family an enjoyable summer. ESC Newsletter · 13th June 2014 4 TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台北歐洲學校 ESC High School Graduation 2014 This year we celebrated our 11th Graduation Ceremony at the impressive Chinese Cultural University for the Graduating Class of 2014. Sixty one students graduated from TES this year – with twelve of those students achieving the distinction of having studied with us for more than ten years; three of whom having spent their entire school life with us. This wonderfully talented and spirited group of exceptional young people together represent twenty one cultural backgrounds, from America to Venezuala, Austria to New Zealand. One of our High School traditions and highlights of the graduation year are the student nominations for the two representatives to give the Graduate’s speech on behalf of the student body. This year, Chi Wen Chang and Vernon Lin achieved this honour and provided an entertaining, profound and fitting final word on behalf of their friends and fellow students. Mr. Latchford our IB Co-ordinator continues to carve out a reputation for himself as the keynote graduation speaker and this year he did not disappoint. Having spent two years working very closely with all sixty one students, Mr. Latchford has seen them through the troughs and peaks of their IB studies and should be commended for his tenacity and commitment to enabling our graduates to achieve their very best. The standing ovation our students provided following his wise words spoke volumes. High School Diplomas were presented by our CEO, Dr Allan Weston and myself, and allowed parents and students a moment to reflect on stage on the culmination of years of academic study. Their intended undergraduate destinations will see our students study a range of diverse subjects: Cinematography, Architecture, Neuroscience and Zoology to name but a few. ESC Newsletter · 13th June 2014 5 TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台北歐洲學校 My thanks for the choral interludes go to Formosa Voices led brilliantly by Tara McNeil who provided entertainment both before, during and after the ceremony, as well as to our special guest Blacker Sia who helped closed proceedings with a series of uplifting metaphors comparing our graduates to eagles perched on a cliff top ready to soar and embrace their futures. Our warmest wishes go with Class of 2014 and their parents for the significant contributions they have made to our school. We are very proud of the people they have become and look forward to what they will continue to be. Chrysta Garnett Head of British Secondary and High School Section. ESC Newsletter · 13th June 2014 6 TAIPEI EUROPEAN SCHOOL 台北歐洲學校 Mittlerer Bildungsabschluss an der Deutschen Schule Taipei Zum siebenten Mal wurde an der Deutschen Schule Taipei erfolgreich die Abschlussprüfung zum Mittleren Bildungsabschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz durchgeführt. Da alle acht Prüflinge den Bildungsgang des Gymnasiums absolvieren, haben sie mit dieser Prüfung nicht nur den Mittleren Bildungsabschluss sondern auch die Berechtigung zum Eintritt in die Qualifikationsphase der gymnasialen Oberstufe erworben. Da sie gleichzeitig die Prüfung zum International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) der Universität Cambridge abgelegt haben, qualifizieren sie sich zum Besuch sowohl der deutschen Oberstufe als auch für alle britisch-internationalen Oberstufenprogramme. Herzliche Glückwünsche! Lars, Anja, Nicolai, Stephan, Ronny, Anja, Fiona und Theresa mit Schulleiterin Garnett (BSHS), Schulleiter Fritzen (GS), CEO Dr. Weston, Leiter der deutschen Auslandsvertretung Dr. Zickerick und Prüfungsleiter Leidinger Die Prüflinge hatten bereits im März die zentralen Abschlussklausuren geschrieben, bei denen die Aufgabenstellungen direkt vom Sekretariat der Kultusministerkonfe renz kommen.