Message from the Principal

An exciting week ahead!

Sometimes I wish that I was at school again! Even though the teenage years can be quite challenging as we make that complicated transition to adulthood, I often look on with a little bit of envy when I think about the opportunities available to KGV students. I also think back to my school days when a trip to a local creek to take water samples for a few hours was a major highlight! So when I walk around the school and talk to students about their upcoming Challenge week activities, it reminds me of the world of opportunity our school, teachers and parents provide for our students.

Whether it be Incredible India, Taste of Cambodia, Culture in the Balkans, Salamanca Spanish Language, Borneo Wildlife Conservation, Japan Judo Camp, Shanghai Chinese Language, Mongolian Adventure, to Journey to the Himalayas and Hearts for Hue in Vietnam (to name just a few) the options are exciting. There is also an outstanding variety of local trips such as Film workshops, Vex Robot Challenge, Drone Photography, Community Service, Hong Kong Diving, Dance around the world, Journalism in the local community, Music legends song writing, Underwater Robotics, App Development, Pottery on Peng Chau and a range of Community service options, the opportunities are just as amazing.

I am participating in the exciting Great Race in and around Hong Kong and I am also looking forward to spending time at the Year 7 camp as they engage in hiking, water activities and adventures around Hong Kong. Like the students, I am also very excited to be sleeping in our KGV library on Thursday night!

The fundamental purpose of this week is learning. I think that we learn most by doing, and when we are ‘in the moment’, working to solve a problem and creating an outcome. Challenge Week is not a ‘holiday week’; it is experiential learning designed to challenge capabilities, attitudes, thinking, identity and relationships with others.

I also think that it is important that teachers and parents look for opportunities to create meaning for our young people. So again this year, I have taken the opportunity to reflect on what I think challenge Week is all about, and to share my thoughts by email today to all students and to encourage them to reflect on Challenge Week and the opportunities it provides: I hope our students think about opportunities to:

• Be in the moment. This is an amazing learning opportunity. Whether in Hong Kong or overseas, the challenge and experience will be unique. Take time to stop every now and then and ‘take it in’ and think about where you are and what a unique experience you are having;
• Be grateful. Grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program and to have the support of parents, teachers and the school. Also be grateful for your own circumstances, especially when you see other people who may not have the same opportunities.
• Be safe. Have a great time and be adventurous, but your safety and that of your group is the number one priority.
• Be a team. The challenge experience is about the people you travel with, as much as the people you might meet. Embrace new friendship opportunities and to strengthen bonds and create new connections.
• Be a contributor. The amount of effort you put into something is usually strongly related to what you get out. Don’t be a passenger and seek opportunities to be positive, encouraging, proactive and supportive of each other and of the KGV staff travelling with you.
• Be excited. Have some fun. Laugh with your friends and most importantly, laugh at yourself.
• Be a learner. Try and make sense and meaning of what you are experiencing and learning. Learning often occurs through reflection so try to take some time to think and talk about what you learnt and what challenged your beliefs and perceptions?

I would like to thank the parents for their support regarding Challenge Week. It is not easy to allow your child to travel and possibly be away from home. Your support for our international and local programs is appreciated, as together; we provide this experiential learning opportunity for ‘your child, our student’ to help them ‘be their own remarkable’.

Thank you to all our staff who have led the organisation for their trips and are taking the responsibility to ensure our students have a wonderful and safe experience. I would also like to acknowledge the work of our wonderful administration staff for their organisational contribution.

Lastly, I would like to thank our Vice Principal Mr Carrell and Mr Goff who are our Challenge Week Coordinators, for their leadership and organisation of this significant event. Their work in overseeing the process will enable this learning opportunity to take place. We very much appreciate their efforts and leadership.

Don’t forget to register for the KGV Gala Race Night 2019! Read more here.

Kind regards

Mark Blackshaw
Principal
King George V