| Hong Kong International School | |
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Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion, and our lives to service and global understanding.
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| Location | |
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| Repulse Bay and Tai Tam, Hong Kong |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private Day |
| Established | 1966 |
| Head of school | Richard W. Mueller |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Enrollment | 2600 |
| Color(s) | Burgundy(Red), White, Navy (Blue) |
| Mascot | Dragon |
| Affiliation | Lutheran |
| High School Principal | Patricia Klekamp |
| Middle School Principal | Linda Anderson |
| Upper Primary Principal | Bruce Kelsh |
| Lower Primary Principal | Maya Nelson |
| Campus surroundings | Private Campus |
| Website | http://www.hkis.edu.hk/ |
Hong Kong International School (HKIS) is a prestigious international private school in Tai Tam and Repulse Bay, Hong Kong. Founded in 1966 by a group of Christian businessmen, HKIS spans from reception one to the twelfth grade. Its Lower and Upper Primary Divisions are located in Repulse Bay, and the Middle and High Schools are located in Tai Tam. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges has continuously accredited Hong Kong International School since 1971. The school was also selected by the Good Schools Guide International for review.[1] Additionally the school has been recently chosen as the top private international school in the Top 10 Private International Schools in Hong Kong list in the China Service Mall site. [2]
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History
Hong Kong International School was founded in September 1966, its first location consisting of makeshift premises including residential flats in Chung Hom Kok. The founders were the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Hong Kong government and the American business community in Hong Kong. The original school overlooked Repulse Bay and housed 120 students. HKIS continued to expand over time, which led to the creation of a second building in Repulse Bay, and finally an additional campus in Tai Tam. Currently, the school is undergoing its fourth major infrastructure development plan. Rugby is the premier sport at HKIS. HKIS hosts the annual Tai Tam Tens Rugby Tournament, in which rugby teams from across Asia participate. The winning team of the Tai Tam Tens is awarded the Fullterton Cup, which is named after former HKIS rugby player Jodi Fullerton, who died in a tragic New Year's Eve accident in Lan Kwai Fong. HKIS Rugby is frequently invited to participate in tournaments hosted IASAS schools such as Singapore American School and International School Kuala Lumpur.
Institution
Organization
The school is divided into four divisions, all co-educational: Lower Primary (Grades R1 and R2-Grades 1 and 2), Upper Primary (Grades 3-5), Middle School (Grades 6-8) and High School (Grades 9-12). There are two main campuses. The Repulse Bay campus is for students from pre-kindergarten to the fifth grade. The students at the Tai Tam campus attend grades 6-12.
Each division of the school has its own administration, as well as separate student government organizations. The entire school is overseen by the Head of School, Richard Mueller. The school year 2009-2010 is going to be Richard Mueller's last year as Head of School as he resigns.
As of 2006, nearly 2600 students and 480 faculty and staff occupy the two separate campuses of HKIS. Four libraries house a total of 110,000 books, periodicals and technological resources.
Academics
The school follows an American-styled curriculum, offering various Advanced Placement courses and 3 foreign languages.
Students in the High School division are required to study interdisciplinary Humanities, United States History, Biblical Studies, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and also meet various requirements in Fine Arts, Information Technology, Asian Studies, and Physical Education & Health. As HKIS is affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), religious education is a compulsory element of the curriculum.
Independent Study and Senior Option, where students design their own coursework and present their studies to faculty advisors, are also offered.
The average SAT scores for the graduating class are:
Critical Reading: 610 Mathematics: 670 Writing: 620
Fine arts
HKIS has an extensive fine arts program, offering numerous courses in the Performing and Visual arts. At least one arts credit is required for graduation, with at least one half-credit course in performance/studio arts and, if only the minimum requirement is met, a one half-credit fine arts survey course.
In regard to the school band program, HKIS hosts the annual Southeast Asia Honor Band Program and invites several major schools from the region (i.e. Jakarta, Taipei) to participate. HKIS also provides three honor bands of its own: the Middle School band, the Junior Varsity band and a Varsity honor band. In 2005, the High School Wind Ensemble earned first place at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. The entire Middle School band performs twice annually: once publicly, often in Stanley or City Hall, and once privately, usually in the Middle School Gymnasium. Other instrumental programs include the strings program, which also performs twice a year. In 2006, they placed a respectable 3rd in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, in addition to performing in Indiana, USA. HKIS also is home to various choirs. Most notably, the High School Madrigals choir, which has received awards in various competitions, and the passionate always learning Concert Choir.
The High School visual arts program is well-regarded. In the program's strong emphasis on socially conscientious art, students from the High School art program were invited in 2005 to participate in The Art Miles Mural Project, as well as the 100 People World Portrait Project (100People.org). The film program has also expanded in the past several years, now boasting the Tai Tam Virtual Film Festival, judged by industry professionals as well as media instructors throughout Hong Kong and the Asia region.
Aside from conventional art forms such as painting and sculpting, the Middle School also offers classes in lifeskills, such as cooking, web publishing, and movie editing. Whether it be acting, stage building or costume design, students in both High School and Middle School are also able to participate in the quarterly school plays and yearly musicals. Students may also take courses in drama and speech. Musicals such as Oliver!, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Annie!, and The King and I are regularly hosted and performed by students.
Student life
Students are involved in many extracurricular activities, the diverse offerings including student government, various publications, social activism, and the performing arts program.
Clubs
Club involvement is considered an "integral aspect of the educational experience" at Hong Kong International School.[3] As of the 2007-2008 school year, HKIS has a total of 70 registered clubs, with an especially strong focus in community service. Students in the High School are able to form their own official clubs with the approval of the faculty and student government.
A prominent club of HKIS is the Interact Club, which hosts the annual fashion show that gives money to various charities. The show displays a number of professional and student designs, and showcases student performances.
Student publications
Junto Magazine, Hong Kong International School's student-run newsmagazine, is published regularly throughout the academic year.
Orientale is Hong Kong International School's yearbook. Graduates receive half a page to customize, with their own personal quote, portrait, description, and collage.
Ambrosia Magazine, currently in its 23rd volume, is an annually-published arts and literary magazine featuring poetry, prose, and artwork by members of the HKIS community. Every year, the publication names a Poet Laureate to honor the best poetry submission.
Chuan Long Magazine is Hong Kong International School's bilingual publication. Released regularly, the magazine features articles written both in English and Chinese, maintaining a focus on Asian culture.
Student government
The main body of student government is the Student Senate, which consists of mostly elected student representatives and several faculty advisors. The High School annually elects an Executive Council, composed of the Presiding Officer, the Senator of Student Life, the Senator of Academics, the Senator of Public Relations, the Senator of Interim and Athletics, the Senator of Discipline, Senate Treasurer, and Senate Secretary. Additionally, each grade elects a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer to act as class representatives.
Athletics
Football is the premier sport at HKIS. HKIS' football (soccer) team is currently the champion division 1 of the Hong Kong School Sports Federation (HKSSF). They have beaten the 4-time Champion of the Jing-Ying Tournament in 08-09 school year.
The football team entered the HKSSF three years ago, in the 2005-2006 season as a division 3 team. They swiftly moved up to the highest level of the competition.
In 2009-2010 season, the HKIS A Grade football team won the HKSSF Division 1 league. Icluding the five games of the group stage, the semi finals and the finals, the team has scored 21 goals and conceded 3, winning all seven of them. In the semi finals the boys thrashed DBS, the defending champion with an astonishing score of 5:0. HKIS then played against KGV in a thrilling finals that had to be won through penalty shootout. The score after full time was 0:0, with HKIS winning the penalty shootout with a score of 4:1. This is the first ever division 1 title in Hong Kong local school league for HKIS.
HKIS hosts the annual Tai Tam Tens Rugby Tournament, in which rugby teams from across Asia participate. The winning team of the Tai Tam Tens is awarded the Fullterton Cup, which is named after former HKIS rugby player Jodi Fullerton, who died in a tragic New Year's Eve accident in Lan Kwai Fong. HKIS Rugby is frequently invited to participate in tournaments hosted IASAS schools such as Singapore American School and International School Kuala Lumpur.
Recent developments
During the 2006-2007 academic year, HKIS celebrated its 40th year anniversary. One of the biggest events included the 40th Anniversary Reunion held in Hong Kong during the long weekend of 15-19 June 2007.
The Middle School had completed a new annex during the summers of 2009 putting in new classrooms.
Notable alumni
- David Begbie '94, founder of Crossroads International
- Edison Chen , actor and singer, famous for his 2008 photo scandal
- Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest
- Eliza Orlins, From Survivor: Vanuatu and Survivor: Micronesia
- Charlotte Agell, author of several children's books and young adult novels
- Kevin Cheng, actor and singer
- Juno Mak, singer and record producer
- Mark Shostrom, Emmy-winning makeup artist
- Nicholas Tse, singer-songwriter and actor
- Taku Hirano percussionist for Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks
- Joe Alexander, 8th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
References
- ^ http://gsgi.co.uk/countries/china/hong-kong/hong-kong-schools-considered-by-expats
- ^ http://www.at0086.com/rank/en-us/20080129210013968.html
- ^ HKIS School Clubs
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
