Co-curricular activities
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The co-curricular program at Island School is viewed as an integral part of the development of all students. Through a rich and diverse program, students should be able to experience safe, enjoyable and challenging activities which will enable them to develop and grow into successful and happy young adults.
Students should learn how to work collaboratively through being part of a team, whether it is a sports team, debating, hiking in the hills or playing in the orchestra. They will learn about commitment and responsibility to themselves and one another.
By becoming involved and committed to co-curricular activities, it is hoped that students will learn integrity and self-discipline in coping with situations which they may not encounter in the classroom. Students will come to realize that involvement and success contributes to the school spirit and allows all students to take pride in the success of the school within the community.
A flavour of the different activities on offer at Island School can be found in the activities brochure on the school Gateway (is.tg.esf.edu.hk) which students and parents can access with their own log-in.
Inter-House Competitions
The emphasis for these is participation. We want as many students to become involved as possible.
Each year the students of each House compete in a cumulative competition for a trophy which is presented at the end of the school year. The competition involves all students and includes a wide range of sports (such as cross country, basketball, soccer, netball..) as well as quizzes, chess, Battle of the Books and debates.
The competitions are divided by class group into A, B, C and D grades. Regardless of age, students represent their class accordingly. Many of these events take place within school, but some, like the finals for the swimming and athletics competitions are off-site.
Houses select ‘sports captains’ whose responsibility it is to liaise with classes to create teams for the various sports/events coming up. Relay teams for swimming and athletics also need to be organized by the sports captains.
The finals of swimming and the athletics are whole school events, attended by parents, staff and all students. Houses encourage participation from spectators, who can dress up in House colours, bring mascots and banners – even if they are not actually competing.
Please click here for the points from interhouse competitions.
Hong Kong Schools Sports Foundation
The HKSSF are a quasi-government body tasked with the organisation of sports events across Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories for all primary and secondary schools. They organise thousands of matches for hundreds of member schools each year.
Island School has won the much coveted Bauhinia Bowl (which used to be called the Omega Rose bowl) many times. The Bauhinia Bowl is awarded to the top co-educational sporting school based on the performance of teams and individuals in all sports entered by the school for a school year.
In order to compete in these competitions, students are organised by age into A, B and C grade. Student performers are required to have a ‘sports I.D. card’ issued by the HKSSF.
International Schools Sports Federation Hong Kong
This body was formed in 2006 and is an alternative organisation for inter-school sports between the International schools in Hong Kong and now boasts 21 member schools. Island School has been involved in a gradually increasing number of sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball and badminton in recent years.
The age grouping for the ISSFHK leagues is Under 20; Under 16 and Under 14 for boys and girls. No I.D. card is required.
English Schools Foundation
As a group, ESF secondary schools participate in numerous inter-school leagues, tournaments and events each year. The age grouping for these follows the same guidelines as the HKSSF system, with the addition of a D Grade which is for Year 7 students only. The majority of these events are for the younger age groups.
The ESF sports teachers run events such as a biathlon, cross-country, volleyball, swimming galas, athletics meets and basketball tournaments at various times of the year. There is no ‘trophy’ at the end of the season for these competitions. The emphasis is very much on participation.
It is sincerely hoped that students will find some sporting opportunities within this structure that captures their imaginations and gives them some real challenge. It is believed that the House system ‘feeds’ a successful inter-school system. By gaining some exposure and experience in the House competitions, many students gain the confidence to strive to succeed at inter-school level.
HKSSF Sports Registration
Students wishing to compete in HKSSF organised events must be holders of a current sports registration card. The cards are only valid for one school year and run from August until June each year. Cards have to be presented to match/event officials prior to competition as proof of age and school. Island School registers all students from Year 8 to Year 13 in August each year. This is done at the student’s first PE lesson in August.
The registration procedure is as follows:
Each student from Year 8 to Year 13 must produce the following at their first PE lesson of the year:
- 2 current passport photographs;
- A photocopy of either, their HK I.D. card or, if this is not available, the page from their passport with their photo and date of birth.
Costs
There is a general activities fee which we ask parents to pay at the beginning of each school year. For the year 2010-2011 this amount will be HK$400.
This fund pays for purchase of equipment, hiring of venues and buses for the teacher-run activities, as well as the whole-school inter-house sports competitions. This money also funds the whole-school events like the hiring of Victoria Park Swimming Pool for the inter-house swimming finals. In addition some activities attract an extra fee because they have specialist coaches or extra equipment costs.
Sports Kits
In the past, school team kits were provided by the school. For 2010-11each team or squad member will obtain their own team kit through the PTA shop. These kits have been subsidized by the PTA. All school teams will wear the same colours: Red shirt, Blue Shorts and Red Socks, with small adaptions to suit the sport. Players will be able to have their number and name on the shirt for a small fee.