Renaissance College, Hong Kong

Renaissance College Hong Kong

The Hang Ming Street entrance of RCHK
Location
5 Hang Ming Street
Ma On Shan
Hong Kong
Coordinates 22°25′05″N 114°13′30″E / 22.418163°N 114.224939°E
Information
Type Secondary and Primary School
Established August 2006
Principal Dr. Harry Brown
Years offered Years 1 to 13
Enrollment 1880+[1]
Campus type Urban
Houses 4 (Qing, Ming, Song, Tang)
Website www.renaissance.edu.hk
Logo of Renaissance College

Renaissance College, Hong Kong (Chinese: 啓新書院, abbreviated: RCHK) is a private independent international school in Ma On Shan, Hong Kong, serving primary and secondary students. It is managed by the English Schools Foundation (ESF). It provides IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme to all students according to their year level.[2] It is one of three ESF schools in Kowloon and the New Territories that provide schooling for secondary students, the others being King George V School and Sha Tin College.

History

On 26 October 2001, Phoenix International School's former school, Canadian Overseas International School closed because of financial difficulties owing to the bankruptcy of the company which provided financial support to the school.[3] Approximately 380 students lost their school.[3] The Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) decided to set up a temporary new school named Phoenix International School, and managed by ESF. Meanwhile, the EMB promised the ESF to give them land for a permanent campus. The permanent campus was completed in 2006 and was named Renaissance College, officially replacing Phoenix International School in September. The school was officially given the status of IB World School in 2007. Mr. Peter Kenny, principal of the College since its foundation, was succeeded by Dr. Harry Brown in summer 2009.

Technology

The College partners with Apple Inc., spending HK$60,000 to 80,000 to provide iMacs and MacBooks, and MacBook Pros, running on Mac OS X operating system.[4] Projectors and interactive whiteboards are also installed in most classrooms.

Secondary students attending RCHK are required to bring laptops to school everyday.[4] Laptops can also be borrowed from the school ICT centre during the school day. There is wireless internet connection in the school, allowing students to have access to the internet within the boundaries of RCHK. Students use the RCHK Student wifi-connection, staff use the RCHK Staff wifi-connection and visitors use the RCHK Visitors wifi-connection.

Since the summer of 2011, all students from Years 6 - 11 are required to purchase a Mac laptop computer through school's discount programme, and a one off technology fee to cover all the software licenses needed for studies. Year 4 and 5 students are loaned Mac laptops which stay in the hub area in a bus. Years 12 and 13 students were allowed to use any laptop computers they have on hand. Years 1 - 4 students are being provided with iPads for their studies. ICT centre provides loaned computers only for students awaiting out of stock order, or extended repair time.

Primary School

The Primary School consists of 36 classes across Years 1 to 6. There are approximately 870 students and 40 teachers in the Primary school. Teachers in the primary section come from various parts of the world such as New Zealand and the U.S. School runs from 8:40 am to 3:00 pm. There are 185 days in a school year. The lunch break is 50 minutes and the morning break is 20 minutes. There are 8 periods each day and each period lasts 40 minutes. Classrooms for primary school students are located in the school's Primary school block, with year 1 and 2 on the 1st floor, years 3 and 4 on the 2nd floor and years 5 and 6 on the 3rd floor. In addition, the rooftop is used as a place for primary students to use during recess and lunch. On each is a hub area in each year group; a hub is a centre of activity for a year group. Classrooms lead off from the hub. There are books and computers in the hub.

Secondary School

The secondary section of RCHK is attended by middle and high school students, ages 11 to 18. The middle school, Years 7 to 11, follows the Middle Years Programme, while high school students in Years 12 and 13 undergo the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, with approximately 1,000 students in total. The secondary school runs from 8:30 am until 3:10 pm from Mondays to Thursdays, and 8:30 am until 1:00 pm on Fridays, with morning breaks from 10:40 am to 11:00 am and lunch breaks from 1:00 pm to 1:50 pm (due to teacher meetings).[5]

Learning at RCHK

Renaissance College is an English medium international school and an accredited member of the International Baccalaureate (IB).

RCHK are authorized to offer all three IB programmes: Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the IB Diploma Programme (DP).

Each IB curriculum programme promotes the education of the whole person, emphasising intellectual, emotional and social growth. This holistic approach encompasses the fields of Languages, Humanities, Sciences, Mathematics, Technology, Physical and Health Education and the Visual and Performing Arts.

RCHK also offer one of the strongest Chinese language programmes in the international education system and are the only school in Hong Kong to offer the DP Theory of Knowledge (ToK) taught in Chinese and English.

Innovative teachers from around the world have played a significant role in the development of each programme, emphasising collaborative learning and critical thinking. Students are encouraged to develop their natural curiosity, take responsibility for their own actions and show empathy and compassion for others.

RCHK encourage input from staff and students, ensuring a dynamic curriculum that responds to the needs of our school community.

Notes and references

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Renaissance College, Hong Kong.
  1. ↑ Renaissance College. "Principal's Message". Archived from the original on 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
  2. ↑ International Baccalaureate Organization. "Renaissance College". Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wen Wei Po. 加國際校停辦影響400學子 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 啓新書院一人一電腦 (in Chinese). Ming Pao. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  5. ↑ Renaissance College Hong Kong. "School Hours". Retrieved 2011-03-01.

External links