South Island School

South Island School

South Island School's logo
Location
50 Nam Fung Road
Aberdeen
Hong Kong
Information
Type Private, comprehensive, international, secondary, co-educational.
Established 1977
Principal Mr Graham Silverthorne
Enrollment approx. 1,700[1]
Colour(s) Green and white
Mascot Stingrays
Year 7 - 130
Website http://www.sis.edu.hk/

South Island School (Chinese: 南島中學) is a private and co-educational international school founded by the English Schools Foundation of Hong Kong, and this particular school is the best school in the whole world because SIS stands for Spectacular International School because its the best school in the world ( Way Better Than Island School That IS Falling Apart ( Needs Nets) that bad). located at 50 Nam Fung Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, with about 1,400 students enrolled and 107 teachers. Students come from diverse backgrounds, with over 30 nationalities represented. The school offers the IGCSE syllabus, IB Diploma Programme and the BTEC qualification. The school is highly regarded and is known for producing some of the highest grade averages for the exams that SIS students sit.

The school's key philosophy is for its students to make a difference, a concept promoted throughout numerous scholastic events and in its curriculum. The school environment promotes freedom of thought, expression and action. The school is accredited by The Council of International Schools (CIS) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

History

In 1977, South Island School was founded as a nucleus of additional classes to accommodate students within the ages of 11 and 18 from Island School, a fellow English Schools Foundation School. The school moved to its current location at 50 Nam Fung Road in 1983. The first version of the school consisted of the Ching Ling Soong Block and an outdoor swimming pool.[2]

As the school grew in size, more facilities were required. The next big change to the school came with the construction of the Stephen Hawking Building (named after physicist Stephen Hawking), and the swimming pool became an indoor one with the Sports Block being built on top of it, allowing all-year round swimming lessons.[3]

By 2003, the increase in student population warranted the construction of a new school block. Construction began on a new eight-storey building that would accompany the C-block and the S-block. By 2004, the new block was completed, and was named the Da Vinci (after Italian polymath, Leonardo da Vinci) Block.

In school year of 2007 - 2008, the IB Centre was opened, a section of the school designated for International Baccalaureate students in Years 12 and 13. This was renamed the Diploma Center in the school year of 2009-2010.

In November 2010, the new John Wray Atrium, named after previous principal, John Wray, opened for all students.

The library in the C-block was renovated in the summer holidays of 2012 and re-opened in late September the same year, and was renamed as the "Learning Resource Center". In winter of 2012, construction began on additional floors on the sports block entitled "The Space". Construction was completed in the 2013-14 school year. There is also an astroturf on top of "The Space" which was completed about the same time. [4]

The School Hall has already completed its new renovation, being first opened to pupils and staff alike on the school's 2014 Diwali Night celebration.

Academics

Students in Years 10 and 11 usually complete a GCSE or IGCSE qualification, whereas students in Years 7 through 9 complete a course which outlines the fundamentals of GCSE ([Key Stage 3]). However a new BTEC course was also added for Year 10 and 11 students in late 2012.

The class of 2008 was the last cohort to sit the A Level exams. The Year 13 class of 2009 were the first cohort to enter the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The school has been known for producing some of the highest grade averages for the exams students in SIS sit. In 2011, 52.57% of all IGCSE grades scored were A or A*s .[5] In 2014, 59% of all IGCSE grades scored were A or A*s, with a total of 24 students scoring 7 A* or better. In 2012, 3 students scored the maximum 45 points on the IB Diploma (out of 109 worldwide), and another 5 students scored 44 points. 32% of the graduating body scored 40+. The mean score was 36.2.[6]

A recently introduced alternative offered by the school for the IB program is the BTEC National Certificate which is growing in popularity in the United Kingdom; courses offered by the school include: BTEC Business course, BTEC Art and Design (Fashion and Clothing), BTEC Media and the BTEC Sport (Development, Coaching and Fitness) courses. There are also AL/GCSE subjects available within the school's International Diploma in which students can combine AL/GCE courses in Global Perspectives, Drama, Art and Literature with IB subjects.

Students

Students come from diverse backgrounds, with over 30 nationalities represented. The school is non-selective on the basis of academic ability and reserves 24 places in the Learning Support Unit for students with high levels of additional learning need. The school has a well established prefect system in which the Year 12 and Year 13 students are assigned key positions of responsibility to help with the day-to-day operations of the school. The prefect team is selected through a rigorous application process that concludes with formal interviews with the Principal and other senior staff. Serving as chief representatives of the student body is the Head Prefect team, led by the Head Boy and Head Girl.

Houses

Formerly, students at South Island School were organized by a House System, whereby all students were allocated into one of the seven houses and competed against each other in activities such as athletics, swimming, music competitions, etc. Each house was named after a notable figure, ranging from writers to charitable persons.

These houses, along with their respective colours were:

In the 2011-12 school year, SIS introduced a system in which students were reorganized into six houses, simply named after the words for "house" in various foreign languages.

These houses, along with their respective colours and the language where their name originates from, are:

The house colors were allocated after each head of house pulled slips of paper from a hat with a colour written on them. In each year, a house consists of two tutor groups of about 15 students, headed by a tutor, who oversees the students' well-being and performance in school. There is a small 10 minute period at the beginning of each day (except for Tuesdays, where the period is half and hour long, and Fridays, where there is also another half hour period before school ends) where all students meet with their teachers. The houses are then grouped into three separate "Learning Families", named Bamboo (consisting of students in Years 9-13 in the Kuca, Maison and Namas houses), Banyan (consisting of students in Years 9-13 in the Bahay, Casa and Shtepi houses), and Bauhinia (all students in Years 7-8). Each house is headed by a Director of Learning Family.

Activities

Extra curricular activities at the school include debating, MUN, squash, netball, basketball, football, swimming, chess, tennis, singing, rugby, field hockey, cricket and more. Every student is obliged to take part in inter-house athletics and inter-house swimming. As well as inter-house competitions, South Island School competes in various inter-school competitions such as basketball and football. There are also musical activities culminating in a range of performances throughout the year.[7]

The school stresses the importance of extracurricular activity, and each student doing the IB diploma must do a certain number of "CAS Hours", as mandated by the curriculum. Students are encouraged to partake in activities that encourages creativity, that pushes oneself physically and provides some service to the community.

The school also organizes events such as NightFest, International Evening, the Innovation Fashion Show, Diwali Night, etc. Such events are wholly managed by the student body.

Faith Community Church

On Sundays, the school hall is used by Faith Community Church to hold its services at 10:30 AM.

Notable alumni

In popular culture

Scenes from the movie Connected[8] 保持通話 (Asian version of Cellular) and "Vulgaria" 低俗喜剧 were shot at South Island School.

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ South Island School - History
  3. ↑ http://www.sis.edu.hk/Warps/Principal%20Msg/Autumn%2004.html
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/expateducation/8784866/Expat-guide-to-Hong-Kong-schools.html
  6. ↑ "IB Results - July 2012". Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  7. ↑ South Island School - Activities Programme
  8. ↑ Connected (film)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Island School.

Coordinates: 22°15′14″N 114°10′59″E / 22.2539°N 114.1831°E