Upper School Newsletter January 15, 2024

UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan 16            CCA 2 Begins                                    Jan 16            Assembly - HONOR ROLL                  Jan 16            Theatre Production 5:00pm                  Jan 18-21       CISSMUN                                            Jan 19            Talent Show                                        Jan 19            Swimming at Nanjing                            Jan 19            Varsity Robotics at Shanghai                Jan 19       SISAC Basketball at Shanghai/Suzhou  Jan 23            Grade 10 DP Fair  2:15-3:00                  Jan 25            Coffee Morning                                      Feb 8              Spring Festival Festivities                    Feb 9-18        Spring Festival Holiday                        Mar 19           Student Led Conferences                      Apr 3-5  Tomb Sweeping/Spring Break  (no school)  Apr 26       Professional Inservice (no school)  Apr 26-27   ACAMIS Leadership Conference

      CLICK HERE for More Photos     

  A NOTE FROM ADMINISTRATION  

Mr. Fursey Gotuaco

Upper School Principal

COMFORT ZONES

"LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE"

                                  Neale Donald Walsch

"DON'T CONFUSE COMFORT WITH HAPPINESS"

                                            Dean Karnazes

As educators, we spend most of our time pushing students out of their comfort zones.  We are pulling, nudging, encouraging, dragging, and championing them to step out of their comfortable places of anonymity.  We work to shine a spotlight on every student and try to convince them to embrace their potential for greatness.  

Many of our students will be choosing topics for essays, projects, poems, or even designs... Will they be willing to challenge themselves?

Many will be choosing an CCA.. Will they be willing to try something different?  

Many will be choosing a place to sit at lunch... Will they be willing to sit next to someone they don't know?

Let's encourage our kids to try different choices that may be uncomfortable.  It is in these small steps that they learn courage, risk-taking, and possibly failure.  But as long as they get up after each misstep then they will grow from that resilience.  That growth is when we do the best learning.  They say that we grow wisdom from our knowledge.  We grow knowledge from our experiences.  We grow experiences from our failures.  Let us champion our students to grow and help others grow.  

At HIS, we have a great variety of activities for students to try and experience.  Each one of these adventures gives them the opportunity for growth.  And from that growth comes confidence.  That confidence will transfer to all other aspects of their life.  From these experiences, our students learn to overcome the challenges they will face in their future.  And we will be there to cheer them on!!!!

Opportunities to cheer this week are.... 

- Assembly for HONOR ROLL on Tuesday at 2:20pm

- Dramatic Scenes on Tuesday at 5pm 

- Talent Show at 4:30 on Friday

- Boys Basketball in Suzhou this weekend

- Girls Basketball in Shanghai this weekend

- Robotics in Shanghai this weekend

- MUN in Shanghai this weekend

- Swimming in Nanjing this weekend

ITS A GREAT DAY TO BE AN HIS DRAGON!!!

PS - Try our new weekly PARENT POLL below to challenge your own comfort zone.

DRAGON SHOP CATALOGUE

Please see attached the QR code to the new Dragon Shop catalogue. This will take you to a page that allows you to browse it as a digital magazine so it's nice and interactive :) 

CLICK FOR CATALOGUE

HIS PAFA Festive Lunch

A wonderful way to welcome the CNY!

Enjoy a wonderful lunch with fun activities, delicious food, and great company! Scan the QR code to register.

                                  HIS                                              COLLEGE COUNSELING INFORMATION    

Carrie Sun

Upper School Counselor

As the university application season unfolds, it is time for students to meet acceptances, denials and be waitlisted. It is important that parents navigate this period with sensitivity and wisdom. Here are some key tips to consider:

· Respect Privacy on Social Media: Refrain from posting your child's university results on social media platforms. Remember, not every student's journey is the same, and such posts can inadvertently cause distress to others who may not have received their desired outcomes.

· Maintain Discretion in Sharing News: Celebrate your child's success, but consider keeping it within a close circle of family and friends. Over-sharing can create unnecessary attention and pressure.

· Avoid Assumptions About Others: It's important not to speculate on why certain students were accepted into a university and others were not. Admissions decisions are complex and often based on a multitude of factors unknown to us.

· Steer Clear of Entitlement: Expressing sentiments like "this is not fair" can foster a sense of entitlement. University admissions are competitive and multifaceted, and it's important to respect the process.

· Separate Worth from Results: The outcome of a university application does not define your child's worth or capabilities. Emphasize this to your child to help maintain their self-esteem regardless of the result.

· Focus on Positivity: Don't let negativity take over this experience. It's important for your child to feel your support and optimism during this time, regardless of the outcomes. Your child will feed off your energy. Make it positive.

· Trust the Process: Understand that most students end up where they are meant to be, even if it's not their first choice. Every university can offer unique opportunities and experiences that can be equally valuable.

If you need any advice on acceptance results or have any questions about the university application process, please reach out to your university counselor.

UPCOMING SAT ADMINISTRATIONS

TEST DATE                       REGISTRATION

  MAY 4                                   APRIL 19

  JUNE 1                                   MAY 17

BEST UNIVERSITY YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

We encourage students to contact one of the university counselors  with any questions about university entrance requirements. 

                  Mr. Mark Donagher     markdonagher@hisdragons.org.cn

                          Ms. Iris Zhang     iriszhang@hisdragons.org.cn

                          Ms. Carrie Sun    carriesun@hisdragons.org.cn

                     Dr. Ryan Beddows    ryanbeddows@hisdragons.org.cn

                      Dr. Monica Prieto    monicaprieto@hisdragons.org.cn

PARENT POLL

HELLO PARENTS!  We thought we could have a little interactive fun on the Newsletter.  Every week, we will have a poll for you to take and hopefully give you a chance to get to know each other a little better.  Here it is, our very first PARENT POLL!

Click to take POLL

PAFA Kitchen Session 4! It’s cooking time!

Join us and learn from our HIS community members how to prepare an easy but delicious lunch meal from their cultural region, to enjoy it afterward together! 

Limited spaces (24) please RSVP by scanning the QR code in the poster. 

*Let us know if you want to share your skills and country flavors and be one of our Community Chefs, the simpler the better.

Contact us: pafaevents@hisdragons.org.cn

Fridays HIS Artisan Food Market is back! 

Every Friday from 2:30 to 4:30 pm

Every Friday HIS along with our community Artisans will offer to purchase tasty treats and excellent snacks from the different food vendors attending.

Come for a pleasant afternoon to end the school week, and head out for a relaxing and fun weekend with a happy stomach!

For information, contact Ms. Andrea: andreastubbs@hisdragons.org.cn

International Baccalaureate  Diploma Programme

TOK TALK

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Student Leadership is a priority here at HIS. 

Each week, we spotlight a student leader and give them an opportunity to tell you about their clubs, sports, and activities.  

TEA CLUB

Wendy Zhu

Founder of TEA CLUB

I am Wendy from 10th grade, and my family is a generation tea maker. I have also received training as a tea maker and learned more about tea culture. I started CCA on tea culture with the aim of sharing this traditional intangible cultural heritage with the school community.

On my CCA, I led my classmates to learn about the classification of tea, different methods of brewing tea, and how to taste different kinds of tea. What’s more, recently our CCA also went to Hangzhou to conduct on-site inspections and learning at the Tea Expo. Among them, we had exchanges and communication with multiple tea experts and even tasted some tea varieties that were not seen in daily life, we have really gained a lot.

UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS

Middle School Uniform Guidelines 6-8

Middle Schoolers should wear tan shorts, trousers, or skirts and a navy blue polo shirt (short or long sleeved) with the HIS book logo. A navy fleece or cardigan sweater with the HIS logo or other approved outerwear such as the HIS hoodie sweatshirt can be worn in the cooler weather. All students must wear laced shoes.

High School Uniform Guidelines 9-12

High Schoolers should wear tan shorts or trousers, or plaid skirts (girls only) and a light blue Oxford cloth button down short or long sleeved short with the HIS book logo. A navy fleece or cardigan sweater with the HIS logo or other approved outerwear such as the HIS hoodie sweatshirt can be worn in the cooler weather. All students must wear laced shoes.

Students will be asked to remove outerwear (coats, hoodies, sweatshirts, etc) in lessons unless they carry the HIS logos. Students who are cold will be invited to go to the Dragon Shop to purchase acceptable HIS items. 

Families can purchase items at the Dragon Shop open 

Mondays to Fridays from 

8:05am - 2:45pm and 3:15pm - 4:00pm

For more information, please contact the Dragon Shop: olivexu@hisdragons.org.cn

                                               LUNCH                                              

See the updated lunch menu weekly and monthly as posted on the school website. 

Lunch Menu

HIS Mission Statement

We provide international learners with opportunities to pursue academic and personal excellence within a caring community.

Hangzhou International School
2190 Xiangbin Road, Bin Jiang District, Hangzhou 310052
Phone: +86 571 8669 0045
Email: news@his-china.org Website: www.his-china.org