DBIS News 
Keep up to date with what's happening in the school with our fortnightly newsletter.
Christmas newsletter
Dear Parents
Seasons Greetings: While this first term is long in duration, it seems to have gone by very quickly. I have been delighted at the work by our students in all curriculum areas, both in and beyond their classrooms. One of the special aspects of our school centres around the positive interactions between our students. It is a timely reminder during this festive season to amplify the wonderful goodwill extended by our students to each other and to all adults at our school.
Success at school in all of these areas is not accidental. It is a direct consequence of the quality partnership between parents and staff at our school. Thank you as parents for making the most of our open door practices. I also want to thank all of our amazing staff – nearly 140 in total. Everyone at our school works hard in every aspect to do our best for our students. It is a special pleasure to work with you all.
Special Seasons Greetings to everyone. May all the family times together and with friends delight and warm you all – with smiles and giving always evident. Best wishes to you all for a safe and happy New Year. We look forward to having all of our wonderful students back for an exciting term two, starting on Monday 4 January 2010!
Happy Hanukah: A very Happy Hanukah to many of our school families celebrating the festival of light, beginning tomorrow evening.
New Secondary School In Discovery Bay: We are delighted to announce that Discovery Bay International School will be extending our operation to provide further quality Secondary School education. We plan to open a new building on our existing school site to cater specifically for Year 7 through to Year 11 students, in preparation for their International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE). At this point, we are able to indicate the following:
- We will continue to develop our current Year 7 and Year 8 classes with Year 7 to 9 offered in the 2010 / 2011 school year, Year 7 to 10 offered in the 2011 / 2012 school year and Year 7 to 11 offered in the 2012 / 2013 school year and beyond.
- Our curriculum will continue to be based on that of the National Curriculum of England and Wales with Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 through to IGCSE.
- Maximum class sizes are set at 22.
- There will be two classes at each Year level, therefore a maximum of 44 students at respective year levels.
- High quality Key Stage 3 and Secondary teachers will continue to be recruited, as has already been taking place.
- The new Secondary School building will consist of two floors with an open air, heated swimming pool on the top (to be used by both Primary and Secondary students).
- We will be seeking to build an eco friendly building and associated teaching spaces.
- To secure a place in either Year 7, 8 or 9 for the 2010 / 2011 school year and beyond, a deposit of $21,000 is required. This deposit will be credited towards the first two months of school fees.
Further information will be presented at a meeting to be held in the last week of January 2010. For general enquiries, you are welcome, as always, to contact our Primary / Secondary School office.
This is a very exciting development for our school, representing a great step forward in providing parents and students with another choice in quality Secondary School education.
Staffing: We bid farewell to Kate Bower who leaves Sunflower and Starlight Nursery classes. Kate is off to an exciting new life in Sweden. Thank you Kate for all you have given to so many of our Nursery children. Merridy Smits is also stepping down as one of our Targeted Support teachers. Thank you also Merridy for your special touches with our students at Primary School. Merridy will continue to be working with us in a supply teacher role.
We have Kate Hopewell taking both Sunflower and Starlight Nursery classes for the next two terms. Helen Bonner also starts in Kindergarten, taking over from Jane Hendley in Castle Reception as Jane moves through to her Head of Kindergarten position. Julie Phelps and Helen Tsang will join our Targeted Support team as full time teachers – adding to the quality of work already in place with our students.
A special welcome, as always to our new staff and best wishes to our departing staff.
Reports: All Year 1, 2 and 3 reports will be issued tomorrow. Please remember that these reports are a set of summary statements on the application, progress and achievements of your child. As always, please take the opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher for any further discussion concerning the ongoing learning and general development of your child.
Christmas Carols: Thank you all again for the special and festive evening held in the Globe on Tuesday. It was great to have such a response, with so many of our younger students present. Thank you to Jane, Jayne and Ben for your choral work – and thank you to everyone on our talented staff for your coordinated efforts in putting the evening on for our community.
International Food Fair: Further to our recent ‘thank yous’ to all involved – we can now confirm that aside from the main goal of having a hugely successful community day, we also raised over $280,000. This is $90,000 up on last year – again a record amount at the time. Funds raised from this year’s Food Fair will go directly into resources and activities for our students at school right now. Over ten percent of the funds will go to our two main school charities – the Read to Feed Heifer Foundation and our two students sponsored through World Vision.
Other funds will go towards Smart Boards in the Nursery Classes, additional and replacement computers throughout our school, the art exhibition and other Friends of the School events, including our recent Christmas Carols evening.
Thank you all once again for your amazing support!
Dress Up Reminder: Everyone in Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary is reminded to dress up tomorrow – a Christmas theme of red or green. This is just a fun day dress up time.
Representative Sports: Sport at DBIS has had a very busy and successful first term. A very big thank you and well done goes to all of our players who have represented our school in either netball, football, hockey or touch rugby.
Students simply would not get these opportunities without the efforts and commitment of the coaches involved, so a very special thank you goes to all of our staff coaches who are doing a great job with all teams. It is a pleasure taking our students to games and tournaments and the atmosphere and support created by our parents really adds to that, so thank you also to all of our parents.
We had a fantastic end to the term for our Year 4 – Year 8 netball players in yesterday’s tournament against Discovery College. It was a successful afternoon with no DBIS team losing a game. More importantly, all players from both sides made a super effort and played with great sportsmanship. The support from staff, parents and students on the side really added to a fun and very exciting afternoon. Thank you once again to all of our netball coaches for your work with your teams.
Our Year 6 girls netball team have been playing in the Hong Kong Netball Association Primary league on Sunday mornings andthey received their certificates last week for finishing in second place. Well done to all the girls involved.
Although we finish school for the Christmas break on Friday, the Year 6 soccer team still have some work to do on Saturday. They will be playing in the last soccer tournament of the year at the ESF school’s tournament at KGV school. We wish them the best of luck for Saturday.
Term 2 looks to be just as busy and exciting with many fixtures already on the calendar. Remember, anyone can join in any of our sports clubs with or without previous experience. Please check our school website for updated information on all extra curricular sports and tournaments.
Charity Fundraising: A very sincere thank you must go to the parents who have helped raise money for charity by selling baked goodies and the now sold out knitted teddy bears. Your support and effort is greatly appreciated and the success we have had in raising funds is all down to you.
Gill Hadley – Physical Education Coordinator
Arrival at School: A gentle reminder that unless students are to be at school for extra curricular activities in the morning, Primary students should not be on site until 8:25 am.
Fees, Levy and Other Related Payments: Please be reminded that it is our school policy not to allow outstanding fees to be carried forward into the following term. Kindly send in any outstanding payments to our school office on or before 4 January 2010.
School Buildings: A quick reminder to our school community – the maintenance and enhancement of our current school buildings continues to be operated carefully and within our exiting financial capacity. Refurbishment, general maintenance and ongoing development forms part of our annual, medium and long term budget provisions.
Kind Regards
Grant Ramsay
Principal
Community Notices
Disclaimer - The following notices are presented as a community service. While the content is proofed and generally summarised, it is important to state that the information contained in these Community Notices in no way reflects Discovery Bay International School policy or practices.
CHRISTMAS BALL: Dont miss the Discovery Bay Residents Christmas Ball to be held at the Golf Club. Organised by the DB Sports and Recreation Group and the Golf Club, the event will be held out on the Jade 6 tee looking out over spectacular views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. Dress is evening wear. Sam Clayton has organised a special menu and there will be dancing to Signal 8. Tickets are HK$699 and all proceeds go the Christina Noble Foundation - a charity for abused children.
There are still some tables left so please contact Kathy Tse at the club 29873703 or
Details can be found on the DB Forum http://www.discoverybayforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb231/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1259735937
