DGS

DGS Orchestra Exchange and Performance Tours Newsletter Issue No.15 (July 2015)

School Council Chairman: The Rt Revd Andrew Chan Vice-chairman: The Revd John L Menear (until 30th June 2015) Supervisor: Mrs Doris Ho, JP Honorary Treasurer: Mrs Josephine Chang Members: Mrs Stella Lau, JP (Headmistress, DGS) Mrs Emily Dai (Headmistress, DGJS) Mrs Sheilah Chatjaval Prof Nelson Chen Mr Ronnie Cheng Ms Stephanie Cheung Mrs Yvette Ho Prof Arthur Li, GBS, JP Mrs Ng Saw Kheng, JP Prof Helen Shen Mrs Susanna Wong Mr Marco Wu, GBS Ms Benita Yu The Hon Madam Justice Yuen, JA Ms Yvonne Chan (DOGA President) Ms Deirdre Fu Tcheng (PTA Chairman) DGS Tel: 2277 9100 DGJS Tel: 2277 9200 Address: 1 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong DGS Website: http://www.dgs.edu.hk DGJS Website: http://www.dgjs.edu.hk

This academic year has been especially exciting for the DGS musicians. Under the leadership of Mr. Kin Fung Leung as our school’s Artistic Director, the musicians have been given performance opportunities to bring their music to Shenzhen, Taiwan, and later to Macau. On 18 January 2015, our Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra, Concert Band and Senior Choir were invited to perform in the Shenzhen Concert Hall. The concert hall had wonderful acoustics, and our girls enjoyed every minute of that performance onstage. It was an eye-opening experience for so many of us to perform in a world-class concert hall, and the performance was well-received. During the Easter holidays, we went on an exchange programme to Taiwan for four days. We made our first stop at Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School, one of the top boys’ schools in Taiwan. Ensembles from both schools performed, followed by a fun time exchanging our thoughts on music with each other. The brass section from our school received a cardboard with greetings and drawings from their brass students. A student who played the tuba also showed us a video of their marching band competitions. We were so impressed by their strength and flexibility while playing their instruments! That afternoon, we visited Taipei First Girls’ High School. Once we got off the coach, we were overwhelmed by their exuberant and elaborate welcome. They were extremely friendly, talking with us and introducing their school to us. Knowing that it was one of the top girls’ school in Taiwan, we were at first intimidated, only to be surprised by their joy and down-to-earth hospitality. On top of our own instrumental exchanges, we were treated to a live joint performance of their marching guard, honour guard and colour guard, which were reported to be amongst the best in Taiwan. The choreography and guard sequence were very impressive, and we were dumbfounded as we watched the instrumentalists dance and march so uniformly to the music! On the second day of the tour, we had a collaborative exchange concert with the above two high schools and Chingshin Middle School. Our String Orchestra played the Fourth Movement from Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence and the third movement from Shostakovich’s Third String Quartet. Our Symphony Orchestra played Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture and the Fourth Movement from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. For the final piece, players from all four schools joined together to play the Die Moldau by Smetana. We learned a lot simply by playing with newlymade friends from the three Taiwan schools. It was a very valuable opportunity performing with them.

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From these exchange concerts, we could tell that they must have practised a lot just like we had done throughout the school year. One thing that impressed us most was their passion for music. They told me that they sometimes also sacrificed their lunch hours to rehearse on their own. On the third day of the trip, we went to Tainan by the Taiwan High Speed Rail and arrived at the National Tainan Girls’ Senior High School. We had our last concert there that evening, when we played Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture with their students. This piece was chosen by their conductor because it was a very fitting piece to celebrate collaboration between educational institutions. The chemistry between our musicians and theirs was so strong, shaping each phrase beautifully and propelling the music forward. We were treated to a wonderful stay at the beautiful ShangriLa hotel that final night in Taiwan. Waking up on the last day of the exchange tour, we went to the Chimei Museum, which is famous for its collection of musical instruments and fine European art. Some of the string players were invited to enter a room that was closed off to visitors. It was filled with over a thousand antique string instruments produced big names like Stradivari, Amati and Guarneri. Some girls were given the rare opportunity to play these instruments, some of which were worth over ten million US dollars, including the world’s oldest known cello. It was an experience of a lifetime and we knew that such a VIP tour of the museum was definitely difficult to come by. Besides performing, we also went to two night markets in Taipei: the Shilin Night Market and Ximending shopping district. Night markets are a trademark of Taiwan. The whole street bustles with food vendors and excited food-lovers. We believe our stomachs grew twice as large when we saw the wide variety of food we could eat. We hope this exchange tour is the first of many years of collaborative opportunities for DGS musicians. This music exchange tour has opened my eyes and ears to a greater understanding of music, and why there is such a strong focus on music education in DGS. This trip has opened doors for us to see the music scene in secondary schools beyond Hong Kong, opening up conversations with people our age to talk about music, which we all love. We also got a glimpse into their school life, and what it means to be a music student in these top-notch high schools in Taiwan. We had learned so much from these new friends, and we look forward to more opportunities to grow and learn from other students! We would like to thank the principals and students of the four schools in Taiwan we had visited for giving us a wonderful and memorable time in Taiwan. It is such a beautiful place and our trip would not have been so fruitful without their organization and planning of the interesting exchange activities. I also sincerely thank all the teachers who had been taking care of us throughout the exchange tour. Without them, the 56 of us would not have had such an enjoyable time in Taiwan! I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to our artistic director, Mr. Leung, for taking our music outside of Hong Kong, and I could not have asked for a more enjoyable time than what we had at the exchange activities. Finally, I also thank our headmistress, Mrs. Lau, for giving us the wonderful opportunity to go to Taiwan and Shenzhen for these eye-opening performances. These trips had been such a blessing to us, and we are so very grateful for what we had gained. As we get ready for our exams, we also look forward to our final performances of this school year in Macau and at home in our 155th Anniversary Celebration Concert. Lam Hei Yu, Music Prefect and Chairlady of the DGS Symphony Orchestra 2014-15 2

Outstanding Students Success of DGS Girls Celebrated Our girls achieve excellence in areas beyond their studies. Their efforts and success are often recognised and celebrated in prestigious local and international awards. This year, we are particularly happy to witness the following girls’ success in the SCMP Student of the Year Award and Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award: SCMP Student of the Year Student of the Year – Sportsperson: Tam Yik Ching, Kitty Student of the Year – Linguist: Winner (English): Liu Hui Kay Nicole, Winner (Cantonese): Wong Elaine Student of the Year – Scientist & Mathematician: 1st runner-up: Au Andrea Chor Kiu Student of the Year – Performing Artist: 1st runner-up: Leung Wing Man Christy Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award 2014-2015 Outstanding Student Award: Ma Yuen Kwan Vanessa Finalists – Level of Distinction: Chou Stephanie, Chiu Tsz Ching Sara, Tse Chun Yee Careen, Wong Elaine Knowing interviews can be challenging, we have asked the girls to share with us their interview experience and their success stories! 1.

Were there any questions which you felt difficult to answer during the interview? Christy: It was probably most difficult to describe my goals in life. Playing the harp has been my favourite hobby for many years, and I hope to continue touching others’ souls through my playing. However, I am also open to the possibility of exploring other areas for tertiary education – it would seem unwise to limit myself this early on in my life otherwise. Vanessa: Yes actually. I was asked to explain some of the discrepancies in my grades. Effectively it was a question asking me to explain my strengths, weaknesses, and how they came to be, while also asking me to propose concrete plans for improvements. Putting my entire life into the span of a minute would be like asking a camel to squeeze its way through the eye of a needle. I felt I probably gave an inadequate response to that question.

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What was a memorable moment during the whole selection process? Elaine: It was a pleasure to meet the other shortlisted candidates. Many of them are the best Chinese debaters in Hong Kong – I’ve watched them debate both as a member of the audience and as a debater on the opposing bench. They always seemed like unreachable targets of perfection, and in all honesty I hadn’t thought of knowing them in person. While we were waiting for our turn, we talked a lot about debating and how this activity had shaped us into who we are today. We all had a good time together and we still keep in touch. Christy Leung: On the day of interview, I met fellow candidates of different fields of expertise, for example beatboxing and ballroom dance. Unlike other categories, the performing artists category probably has the widest variety of extracurricular profiles – and yet they were so confident! As they focused on their practice, the saying “ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have got the most out of what you had to give” came to mind. I reassured myself by saying that I should trust in myself and place my faith in the Lord.

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Was there anything about your competitors or the competition that completely blew you over? Christy: After the interviews, finalists of each category of the competition were filmed for the final introductory video to be played during the Award Luncheon. When I arrived at the venue, I spotted a group of finalists waiting for their turn to be filmed. To my surprise, they did not judge me or question me about my previous achievements. Instead, they immediately welcomed me and we casually talked about our interests, showing me that friendships should be prioritized before competition.

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Which part of the selection process did you find most difficult to grasp? Christy: I had to choose a short piece which adheres to the theme “Make a Difference, Be the Change”. I had to think for quite a while of a suitable yet captivating piece, considering in what way the composer could stand out from others of the same era, as many people might know 20th century harp music is mainly romantic.

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Given the prestige of this competition, pressure on nominees representing the school is inevitable. Did the pressure affect you and how did you cope? Nicole: I think it was not very difficult because of all the support the school provided. I have Mrs C. Chan, Miss G. Yu, Miss I Cheung to thank for guiding me through applying on their online system and refining the framework of my speech. Because of their support, everything went swimmingly and I’m truly grateful for the extra time and work they put into this. Kitty: It motivated me to do well at the interview. I didn’t want to let down the nominees and the school. Nothing can stop me once I have decided to do something eg. to win this competition. Although I felt a little bit nervous at the beginning of the interview, I knew I should calm down, finish my speech slowly and keep smiling.

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What did you find unique about this competition? Elaine: I’ve always seen this as another competition but it turned out to be much more than that. On the day of the prize presentation, I was so surprised by the scale of the competition, since there were many famous people, including heads of schools. It made me feel doubly honoured that I could even be a part of it. Christy: Previously, I competed in harp competitions at both local and international levels. In the competitions, I performed a programme ranging from 10 to 15 minutes. However, in the Award, I had to perform a piece of less than 5 minutes. The time limit of the programme reminded me that in music, it is not how long or how short a piece is that matters. Most importantly, I should think about how to impress the audience by making full use of the piece to bring out its characteristics and implications out of such a short piece. Kitty: The prestige maybe? I am delighted to win it for DGS. It’s not only about my own pride but our pride!

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Innovating Teachers – DGS Staff Development Programme On 29 and 30 April 2015, DGS teachers got to become students again as they engaged in a series of talks, conferences and outdoor pursuits as part of their professional staff development programme. The activities were held at Noah’s Ark Resort in Ma Wan on the first day, followed by departmental conferences and sharing of innovative teaching strategies at the DGS campus on the second day. During the programme, staff members were able to bond and gel as a team, and learnt important information on issues and topics which affect students today. On the morning of the first day, teachers got up bright and early to visit the Noah’s Ark Resort. They attended a very stimulating lecture on the detection and treatment of depression amongst school-age children given by Dr. C.P. Tang, a child psychologist from Kwai Chung Hospital. The talk proved particularly relevant, as Dr. Tang fielded questions related to symptoms of depression within the school setting. After a generous lunch at Noah’s Ark, staff members showed their mettle and spirit of adventure as they tackled a series of competitive challenges designed to promote teamwork, including a bridge building (lashing) exercise and a rope-climbing obstacle course. There were many happy faces amongst teachers that afternoon as they gained a sense of accomplishment from the tasks. They realised from the activities that they could overcome any obstacle as a team. On the second day, staff members returned to the DGS campus and attended another informative talk on cyber-crime delivered by Ms. Ng Kam Kuen from the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. This was followed by departmental conferences on the progress and initiatives made in teaching pedagogy within respective key learning areas. A sumptuous lunch was provided at a restaurant located at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. In the afternoon, teachers gave feedback on teaching pedagogy initiatives and mobile learning experiences for the benefit of colleagues. Topics shared included mobile platforms such as Nearpod and Moodle, and flipped classroom. All in all, the staff development programme proved to be very worthwhile for teachers in terms of teambuilding and the sharing of ideas. A preliminary survey conducted after the programme indicated that teachers were overall very satisfied with the programme; they felt they had learnt ideas which could enhance their effectiveness in teaching as well as in the pastoral care of students.

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Exchange Programmes with India & New Zealand Exchanges are an important part of life at DGS. Every year, we have exchanges with our partner schools overseas. Our girls benefit in ways they did not imagine.

India On 30 March 2015, my buddy finally arrived at DGS! She was amicable and easy to get along with right from the start. I couldn’t wait to reciprocate the hospitality my host had shown me when I visited India last year. When I gave her a tour of DGS, she was amazed by the spaciousness of the campus. Afterwards, we had ice-breaking activities and quickly bonded over our mutual love for competition. During lunch, we ate rice noodles together. Much to my surprise, she was able to use chopsticks efficiently. We exchanged souvenirs excitedly. I had carefully chosen some gifts that might remind my buddy of Hong Kong. There was a miniature lion dance costume and a box of “dragon beard” candy for her family back in India. On the third day, she showed an aptitude for art during the Chinese Painting Workshop. She painted delicate, beautiful blossoms on the paper and impressed everyone. She even learnt how to write her name in Chinese. In return, she tried to teach me how to write my name in Hindi. After school ended, I offered to show her around Hong Kong. Unfortunately, she had many activities planned and didn’t have much time to spare. The day of their departure came too fast. Before they left, they performed their dance routine on stage. They wore traditional Indian clothing and make-up. I felt amazed to see my buddy dancing and I was very proud of her! The dance went quickly and they had to leave. My buddy and I may have many cultural differences. However, that did not hinder our friendship. Instead, it has allowed us to learn more about the lifestyle of our respective country. In one week, I had bonded with my buddy and I know I will never forget her! Ellery Gopaoco

New Zealand On 22 March 2015, two girls came all the way from Diocesan School for Girls in New Zealand to DGS as exchange students. I was one of the girls receiving them, and it was a very rewarding experience. This exchange programme lasted for roughly three weeks. As a host, I had the pleasure of having one of the exchange students, Ruby, stay with us. At first, I was very worried that she might not get used to living with my family in Hong Kong. Then, through our text exchanges, it turned out that Ruby and I were quite alike! We both come from a big family, enjoy watching movies and eating! It was a Sunday morning when Ruby arrived. My parents and I went to the airport to pick her up. Later in the afternoon, my mum decided to take her to the local wet market to shop for food. Ruby was very fascinated by everything she saw. We were even talking with a fruit storekeeper about fruits from New Zealand! When we got home, my mum taught her how to make dumplings. It was really fun. She got along really well with my sisters and they absolutely adored her. We were laughing the whole time and we took many pictures. I took Ruby to the Ladies’ Market and we were both astounded by the crowd there. Ruby bought many souvenirs, and I managed to get the shopkeepers to lower the price for her! I also took her to different shopping malls. Even though I didn’t buy anything, I had a great time giving opinions about her choices. Ruby spent the Easter holidays with us as well. We went to Macau together, and it was a fantastic trip! We went to dine in a famous Portuguese Restaurant and had a marvelous Serradura cake as dessert. We also visited the Ruins of St. Paul’s and ate pork chop bun while strolling down the busy Macau streets. While we were in school, Ruby and her friend, Olivia, got to experience the typical school life of a Hong Kong student. We had the most fun in T&L and PE lessons. Ruby and I, along with my group mates, made macaroni and cheese. For our PE lessons, we did a 9-minute running test and played a game of dodgeball. My classmates and I were all shocked when Ruby ran 16 laps for the test while the average for us was 9 laps! During our English lesson, Ruby joined our heated discussion of a poem. She put forward many creative ideas and we were able to see the poem from a new perspective. Ruby shared with me that she enjoyed our assemblies, particularly the class ones. She thought they were very interesting and special. This exchange programme has been a very memorable and unique experience. Even after Ruby has returned to New Zealand, we are still in touch and we often share our day. I am looking forward to July when I will be the one visiting them! I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in this programme. I will definitely volunteer and be a school buddy again! 6

Kelly Wan

DGJS

DGJS Scheme and School Cleaning Day Daily Giving Joyful Service Scheme Our school motto, ‘Daily Giving Joyful Service’, shows that the School places a strong emphasis on teaching our students the importance of giving to their community. To further promote this virtue in our students, the School started a Daily Giving Joyful Service scheme to educate our students to think more about the community rather than merely pursuing their own interests. Students are encouraged to take up a wide array of service posts around the school to help make the school community a better place. Students can help look after plants around the school, read to their Little Sisters or take up leadership roles in music groups or sports teams. Cleaning Day To complement the Daily Giving Joyful Service scheme, whole school cleaning days were held four times this academic year in October and November 2014, and March and May 2015. With the assistance of the teachers, students cleaned up their own desks, chairs, lockers and the common areas of the classrooms. For the first Cleaning Day in October, parent helpers were invited into the Pr. 1 to 3 classes to teach our younger students effective and efficient ways of cleaning. Mrs C Chiang, our music teacher, also composed a cleaning song which is broadcasted to students while they are cleaning, creating a relaxing and uplifting atmosphere.

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Sharing by Old Girls and Parents Assembly sharing on Community Service Work To expand our students’ horizons on how people can help around Hong Kong, special guests were invited to speak to our students during assembly. In November 2014, Miss Lisa Lau Man-man, BBS, MH, JP shared her community service experience with our students. Miss Lau is a DGS alumna and designer consultant by profession. She dedicates many hours of her life to serving on different boards in Hong Kong to help create a better city for us to live in. One special position she held was when she was appointed as the Chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health from 2008 to 2014. She organised many anti-smoking campaigns around the city to promote the cause and shared with the girls the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and using their voices and actions to spread this critical message to people around them. In December 2014, Ms Jacqui Kwan, a DGS alumna and former parent, visited our school with three of her furry friends. Ms Kwan volunteers her time as a foster parent at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). In the past 10 years, she has had over 100 young puppies and sick dogs come through her house. Most of these dogs have been rescued from puppy farms, prosecution cases or were stray dogs from the streets. She helps these abused animals recover from the physical and emotional harm they suffered and find permanent and loving homes for them to live in. In the past six years, Ms Kwan has also been serving as a member of the Executive Committee for the SPCA. This position allows her to make important decisions which minimise animal cruelty in our city. To conclude her sharing at the assembly in three words, the next time you think about adding a furry member to your family, ‘Adopt, don’t shop’! In February 2015, Mrs Yvette Ho, past DGS PTA Chairman, was invited to share her work at Changing Young Lives Foundation (CYLF) with DGJS students. Mrs Ho began by sharing photos and stories of ten children who lived in extremely deprived conditions, such as cubicles and bed-spaced apartments, and had to do homework on their beds and earn their living at night collecting discarded paper, cartons and tins in the centre of affluent Hong Kong. She explained to our students how CYLF identifies these youngsters who need help and supports and empowers underprivileged children towards a better life through education and development programmes that nurture the mind, body and spirit. At the end of her sharing, Mrs Ho concluded by saying, ‘Remember, “Daily Giving Joyful Service” begins with those around you. Every night when you go to sleep, please thank God for everything you have, because not every child is as lucky as you are. But with a loving heart and a positive attitude, you too can improve the lives of the less fortunate bit by bit.’ In January 2015, our students met Miss Phoebe Lam, DGS Class of 2012. Since joining DGS in S1, she became very active in doing community service work and became aware that God wants her to use her abilities to help others and to live a purposeful life. Due to her engagement in the community and her outstanding achievements in personal development, leadership and social services, Phoebe was awarded the Top 10 Outstanding Youth Award, a prestigious prize presented by the HKSAR Home Affairs Bureau and Commission on Youth. Through her sharing, our students learned that no matter how busy their lives are as students, it is important for their personal growth to play a role in serving society. The girls’ eyes were opened to the many different kinds of service work available even just within the school community and realised that, through practising our school motto, ‘Daily Giving Joyful Service’, they can help the needy and in doing so gain wisdom, intelligence, perspective and a bigger heart.

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Good Lab and Good Kitchen Visits Visits to Social Enterprises To expand students’ horizons and encourage them to generate ideas on how they can serve the community, the Junior Prefects and selected Pr. 5 and 6 students paid a visit to a few social enterprises in February 2015. The tour was led by our Headmistress, Mrs E Dai, Mrs J Leung, Miss E Poon and Miss C So. Students were inspired by the range of services they saw on their visits to Good Kitchen, Good Lab and Diamond Cab, and developed insights on a variety of social issues in Hong Kong. Good Kitchen’s employees come from a variety of backgrounds. Environmentally-friendly materials are used in its furnishings, and the Kitchen itself embraces low carbon living. Seasonal dishes are prepared without MSG and with minimal cooking oil and salt. Good Lab aims at facilitating collaborations across different social sectors and setting up ventures that develop innovative solutions to existing social problems. Diamond Cab (HK) Ltd. has six barrier-free cabs offering point-to-point transportation services for wheelchair users and is a safe and legal means of transportation for wheelchair users and their carers. Girls found the visits profoundly meaningful and became determined to become future leaders through inspiring changes that impact others’ lives positively. Reflection on Social Enterprise Visit When Mrs. Dai announced that we were going on a school trip to Good Lab and Good Kitchen, a social enterprise, we were all excited, but confused since the term ‘social enterprises’ was an unfamiliar one. Curious to find out, we searched the Internet and found out that a social enterprise was an organisation that employed strategies to benefit the environment and the community instead of maximising their profit. With our newfound information, we were eager to witness the location ourselves and find out more about this fascinating organisation. First, we went to Good Kitchen. Good Kitchen is a social enterprise that helps weak communities. Inside Good Kitchen, there is a shelf full of products made by weak communities called the ‘Good Corner’. Proceeds are donated to the weak communities to help them financially. Good Kitchen is a wonderful restaurant that cares about the environment and the Hong Kong community. The Good Lab builds a community of change makers by providing learning programmes and experimentation opportunities for the development of innovative ideas. Like Good Kitchen, the Good Lab embraces environmentally friendly practices. At our visit, we understood that we do not necessarily have to be professionals if we want to help others. Instead, we can use our creativity to think of something to make the world better.

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After our visit to Good Kitchen and Good Lab, we learnt about another social enterprise, Diamond Cab. Diamond Cab is a social enterprise that caters for disabled people who have to travel to different places and aren’t able to find a suitable or safe vehicle to take them there. They have a 24-hour hotline available at all times, though they prefer advanced booking. Once a call for help is made, a Diamond Cab drives over to the person in need and picks them up, then takes them to wherever they requested. During the journey, the drivers offer their most sincere care towards the passengers and often make the passengers feel at home. The CEO of Diamond Cab, Miss Doris Leung, told us that the inspiration behind this project was her mother. Her mother was permanently disabled after two operations on her brain tumors and became too weak to take care of herself. The family’s experience with wheelchair accessible vans left a lot to be desired. Miss Leung then decided that she needed to take action to change the situation, and that was how Diamond Cab was founded. These visits were not only memorable but also tremendously educational. We not only learnt a lot about social enterprises but also learnt to live up to our school motto, ‘Daily Giving Joyful Service’. By Ashely Yu, Anna Chiu, Chan Tsz Wing, Lee Cheuk Lam, Ngan Sze Yuen of Primary Six

Primary Two Theatre Outing On 6th February 2015, five library mums and three teachers accompanied the Pr. 2 girls to a theatre production of “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts as part of Kidsfest Hong Kong 2015. Based on the picture book by Judith Kerr, this adaptation for the stage saw great success in London’s West End before making its way to Asia. The girls were treated to plenty of magic, joined in with sing-a-longs and became completely mesmerised with the tea-guzzling tiger. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this chaotic tea-time story, which was filled with surprises.

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Jan Latta Talk On 3rd March 2015, Pr. 1 to Pr. 6 students had the unique opportunity to meet an Australian wildlife photographer and author, Jan Latta. During the talk, students’ eyes were opened to the exotic beauty of endangered creatures such as the big cats of Africa, pandas in China and orangutans in Borneo. They sympathised with their plight and became more aware of the actions people can take to save them. At the end of the talk, students asked a string of questions in their eagerness to learn even more.

王文華講座 二零一五年二月一日，家長教師會邀請了台灣著名兒童文學作家王文華來我校舉行三場名為「當文學撞到兒童」 的閱讀講座︰為小一及小二年級而設的「快樂閱讀」中，王老師繪影繪聲為同學講述美滿幸福的青蛙故事；為小 三至小五而設的「尋訪仙山之旅」中，他以引人入勝的方式探討環保議題；而為小六至中二而設的「經典重讀— 《西遊記》」中，他向同學分享改寫《西遊記》一書的心得。王老師的演講生動有趣，聲情並茂，在場的嘉賓及同學 均聽得捧腹大笑。 講座結束後，王老師又為同學舉行簽書會，同學都相當興奮，更有一名一年級的同學把王老師在演講中所分享 的故事進行「二次創作」，並把她的「作品」送了給王老師。講座活動後，小學部圖書館特設「王文華作品借閱 角」，整個三月，借閱角裏的圖書總是被同學「搶借一空」！

王文華老師和同學合照。

當王文華老師提到秦始皇的「芭比娃娃」時， 同學們反應熱烈。 11

PTA PTA Executive Committee 2014-2015 Supervisor: Mrs Doris Ho, JP Headmistresses: Mrs Stella Lau, JP Mrs Emily Dai Teachers: Mrs Annie Lee Ms Rosanna Chu Chairman: Ms Deirdre Fu Tcheng Vice-chairmen: Ms Winnie Cheung Mrs Chlorophyll So Hon Secretary: Mrs Audrey Tam Hon Treasurer: Mr Danny Ma Hon Auditor: Mr Andy Ngan Members: Mrs Janice Chan Ms Sherlynn Chan Mrs Cecilia Cheng Mrs Michelle Cheng Mrs Conny Ching Ms Catherine Siu Doo Mrs Andrea Kee Ms Sylvia Leung Ms Vanessa Leung Mrs Stella Ma Mrs Emmy Mong Mrs Esther Ng Mrs Bianca Tan

Student Activities Brownies Annual Outing The annual outing was held on 10th January, 2015. This year, the Brownies participated in a Disney Youth Program Synergy in Science. From there they learned the interaction between technology and creativity and gained an understanding that when parts are put together, they can achieve a lot more. Cooking Workshop With the kind help of Mrs Yvette Ho, Mrs Catherine Doo and all the parent helpers, a cooking workshop was arranged for the Brownies on 5th March and 12th March, 2015. The Brownies learned how to cook baked ham, sweetcorn and cheese macaroni. All participants enjoyed the event very much.

Cooking Club Little Healthy Chefs Forty Primary 4 girls, together with a team of 16 enthusiastic parent helpers, embarked on a new extra-curricular activity during lunchtime, aimed to let our girls learn the basics of cookery and to inspire them in domestic science. Our ex-PTA Chairman, Mrs Yvette Ho and two other parents were kind enough to donate the electric ovens and stoves for this project. All the volunteer parents put in many hours of hard work preparing the equipment for the project and the ingredients the girls need every week. The Science Room on the 8th Floor is now transformed into a basic domestic science room during lunch time every Thursday.

Our Little Healthy Chefs made a total of four delicious dishes: Madeleines, Macaroni and Cheese, Shepherd’s Pies and K-rolls. Our talented demonstrators demonstrated the cooking process whilst the girls ate their lunches. Special thanks go to these demonstrator parents who prepared the ingredients to the tiniest pinch of salt for each of the five groups of girls. Needless to say, the demo dishes were devoured in no time in each session. The last session was conducted on 16 April 2015, and a “bento” comprising each of the four dishes made was presented to Mrs. Dai as her lunch for the day.

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PTA-Exco Activities Food Tasting Tasting of Food for the Snacks and Lunchboxes Provider for 2015-18 On 17 April 2015, Mrs Stella Lau, Mrs Emily Dai, teachers from the Senior and Junior Schools, girls from the Senior and Junior Schools and parent volunteers came together to participate in the blind tasting of food samples provided by three participating bidders for lunchbox supply from September 2015 to July 2018.

The Student Activity Centre on 8/F of the Junior School was transformed into a tasting room with three big buffet tables. Teachers, students and parents had to taste each and every kind of food from each of the three bidders, and award marks according to their attractiveness and taste. These marks constitute part of the consideration in determining the winning bidder in the lunch tendering process. All participating teachers and parents had a pretty full lunch by the end of the session.

DGJS and DGS Sports Day Members of the PTA were invited to join the “400M Walking Race” at the DGS Sports Day on 25th November, 2014. Together with teachers of the Senior School, several members of the PTA executive committee walked briskly around the race track in the Wanchai Sports Ground. It was a fun occasion for the parents to meet the teachers on the sports ground, and the PTA would like to thank Mrs Lau and Mrs A Lee for the arrangement. It is hoped that more Senior School parents may join the event next year. On 10th February, 2015, in the Junior School Sports Day, a parent-teacher relay walking race was also held, with 10 teachers of the Junior School and 10 members of the PTA executive committee participating. There were 5 teams representing the 5 houses, each team consisting of 2 teachers and 2 parents. The race is symbolic of the co-operation between parent and teachers and it’s also an attempt to promote positive interaction between parent and teachers in a relaxed environment. With the smooth running of this “trial run”, it is also hoped that parents other than the exco members would join the race to represent different houses next year. The PTA would like to thank Mrs Dai, Mrs Yau and all the teachers who participated in the relay for making this possible.

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Parent Teacher Activities Parent – Teacher Gatherings Junior School Gatherings for P4 parents To improve communication between parent and teachers, two sessions of breakfast meetings were held for Junior School P4 parents on 16 and 21 April 2015. All parents of p4 were invited to meet with Mrs Dai and the subject teachers of P4. After Mrs Dai’s message to parents that they should try to encourage the development of generosity and empathy in their girls, quoting the famous educator Howard Gardner’s views that “wit” and “grit” are no longer the only ingredients for success, parents were free to mingle with teachers to discuss any topics of interest. It was an informal gathering with breakfast (of dim sum and cup cakes) sponsored by the PTA. The PTA is glad to assist with the organization of this event and to promote better home-school cooperation. Senior School Gatherings for S1-S3 parents On 9 May 2015, the PTA also sponsored similar sessions for S1-3 parents of the Senior School. Hundreds of parents from each of S1, S2 and S3 attended the event. Each session lasted for over one and a half hours and began with a presentation by Mrs Lau and the subject heads (English, Chinese, Maths, Liberal Studies, Science and Humanities). Parents were then invited to enjoy a mini buffet where they mingled with all the teachers who teach their daughters’ year for an informal chat. Many parents found that they gained a better understanding of the secondary school curriculum, the DSE system, as well as the strength and weaknesses of the their daughters generally. It is an invaluable opportunity for the parents to learn more about their daughter’s school life, especially during this critical stage when the girls are turning into adolescents, and home school cooperation became all the more important. On behalf of all the parents, the PTA would like to thank Mrs Stella Lau, Mrs Annie Lee, Mr Lam Siu Keung and Mrs Paulina Hui for all their kind assistance in making the event possible. The PTA would particularly like to thank the teachers who dedicated their Saturday morning diligently presenting to the parents and answering the questions from parents with patience and sincerity.

Parenting Corner – some useful parenting resources 做孩子的學習好夥伴－作者王文華 面對孩子在家庭和校園內最常發生的課題，天底下的父母遇到的問題都大同小異，而且只要找 對方法，一切也都不成問題！「解決」孩子提出的疑難雜症，王文華老師早已練就出一套「王 氏心法」，提供20道簡單實用的學習錦囊，並且毫不藏私地在本書中與為教養問題感到困惑的 父母親分享。讓您成為孩子的學習好夥伴。 由PTA中文閱書會主管Mrs. Esther Ng推介

Closing the Gap: A Strategy for Bringing Parents and Teens Together – by Jay McGraw Parents, does your teen withdraw to his or her room at every opportunity? Does she talk with you about her friends? Does she participate in discussions at meals? When did you start seeing your teens as crazy little demons instead of your loving children? In this entertaining, informative, and life-changing work, the author introduces a new plan for both teens and their parents to work through the issues that divide them and, in the process, rediscover the love that initially defined their relationship. Topics discussed include: Dos and Don'ts for Parents and Teens; Parent and Teen Myths and Ten Ways to Bridge the Gap and Reconnect. Recommended by Mrs Stella Lau, Headmistress DGS

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PTA Seminars Nurturing Responsibility and Accountability Following the extremely well received seminar by Mrs. Josephine Ling last year on “Love: Come Home”, she held a follow-up seminar in November 2014, which explores how boundaries should be set once a trusting relationship is established.

What fathers need to know in bringing up their young daughters In collaboration with St. Andrew’s Church, we invited Dr. Dave Currie to hold a fatherhood seminar for our fathers. The course focused on the important role of fathers for their daughters. It was amazing and touching to see over 250 fathers participating in a Friday evening seminar.

Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) in improving parentchild relationship and learning efficiency Around 50 parents participated in the 5-morning session workshop in April. Parents learned to improve their parenting skills by seeing the unique character in each child. We have received positive feedback from parents not only on the contents but also the timing of the workshop is held. Some parents prefer seminars and workshops during school hours which spare them from additional child-care arrangements.

Christian Mothers’ Bible Study Group In collaboration with St. Andrew’s Church, the bi-weekly Christian Mothers’ Bible Study Group was rolled out since January 2015. Mothers were glad to have a unique platform where they could study the Bibles and explore motherhood through sharing.

點燃孩子的語文熱情 PTA中文閱讀會在30/1/15邀請台灣兒童文學作家王文華老師與本校家長分享他的閱讀寫作心得及他的童話世 界。 王老師在家長的演講會中與我們分享怎樣「點燃孩子的語文熱情」，他提到香港的父母較擔心子女的中文水平， 他強調寫作離不開閱讀，可以多閱讀經典，多些利用日常生活創作。最後講述他的作文心法。他的分享讓父母及 師長們學會怎樣成為孩子的學習好夥伴。 15

PTA Outings Educational Visits P1-6 girls went on different yet interesting excursions in early December 2014 arranged by the PTA. P1 and P2 girls spent a relaxing day in Holiday Farm and Lake Egret Nature Park respectively where they had the opportunity to appreciate nature and engage in simple handicraft activities.

P3 and P4 girls separately toured Zen Organic Farm and HKFYG Organic Farm to understand what organic farming involves and what benefit it brings.

P5 girls visited the pictureque Ma Wan and learnt about its historic importance as they strolled along the old village. They were also introduced to renewable energy techonolgies through specially arranged guided tours. P6 girls had a fun-filled day exploring the many beautiful well-preserved heritage sites in Macau, while learning the historical, cultural and economic development of this neigbouring city through talks by local guides and interactive mobile learning devices. They thoroughly enjoyed not just the sight-seeing but the sumptuous lunch of authentic Portuguese cuisine! Special thanks go to Mrs Dai, Mrs E Yu and Ms Zhang and the big group of parent helpers who have contributed their precious time and effort to make these excursions safe, interesting and educational for the girls.

P6 Dongguan Garment Factory Visit On 24 April 2015, Mrs Dai and teachers, with the help of a group of dedicated parent helpers, led over 100 P6 girls to visit the Crystal Garment Factory in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. The girls toured around the factory and saw for themselves the labour, raw materials and equipment involved, as well as understood the many stages of garment production through briefings by experienced docents. Apart from the learning, the girls were most delighted to have the opportunity to design their own mini-T shirt as a souvenir. Everyone agreed that it was one of the most eye-opening experience to see a factory in real operation!

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DOGA

Lisa Lau – Caring for the HK Community Miss Lisa Lau (Class of 1980) has served as the Chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) for 6 years till October 2014. During her tenure, she successfully headed an anti-smoking promotional campaign which left a lasting legacy of a healthier Hong Kong, and brought about a heightened awareness of the perils of smoking. Under her chairmanship of COSH, significant progress was achieved through the education of the public on the hazards of secondhand smoke, the ban on display of all forms of promotion of tobacco products, cumulating in the successful lobbying and the eventual passing of various legislation amendments, including the increase in tobacco tax and the implementation of comprehensive tobacco control measures. In 2013, Lisa was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Government for meritorious public and community service, particularly for her valuable contribution to the advocacy of tobacco control. After handing over the reins of COSH to the next generation of tobacco fighters, Lisa continues to serve the HK community on various quasi-governmental boards and charitable organisations such as Sir David Trench Fund Committee, The Sports Commission, Action Committee Against Narcotics, Independent Police Complaints Council and Hong Kong Sinfonietta. After completing her studies at DGS, Lisa pursued undergraduate studies in the USA, majoring in advertising, and eventually started her own graphics and advertising consultancy after working for her family garment manufacturing business. DOGA Editorial Sub-Committee met with Lisa to explore the factors which led her to devote herself to service in the community. I: Interviewers

L: Lisa

I: What were the factors which shaped your involvement in community service? L: My father was a big believer of community services, and devoted many years of his active life to serve on the board of charitable organisations and many education related groups. Following in his footsteps, I started volunteering for the “Summer Youth Program” of the Home Affairs Department, where I served as the program’s publicity and education sub-committee convener. In 2000, I became a member of COSH, and eventually taking the role of chairman in 2008 before retiring in October 2014. I enjoy identifying problems and tackling them with solutions from different angles. From the varying roles I play on volunteer organisations, I derive an enormous level of satisfaction from learning about the multi-faceted needs of the community, and challenging myself to finding solutions for them. I: Did your time at DGS shape you towards servicing the community? L: Dr. C J Symons definitely had a huge influence and instilled in us the motto of “Daily Giving Service”. I recall in one morning assembly, Dr. Symons spoke about a girl who lost her wallet at school. Instead of criticising the morals of the pickpocket, Dr. Symons placed emphasis on the responsibilities of the girl who did not take care of her own belongings in the first place. From Dr. Symons, I learned to view societal responsibilities from multiple angles, instead of from any single perspective. I: What advice do you have for DGS girls? L: My advice for DGS students today is, “As you encounter different responsibilities at different stages of your lives, it is crucial to set goals as to what you aim to achieve. Trying your best is often far more important than mere eventual achievements. DGS girls have often demonstrated that they can work with confidence. This self-belief will eventually translate into success in achieving your objectives.” I: Would you like to share any of your future goals? L: Going forward, my goal is to better manage my time between personal, business and community service work. For the community, I would like to focus on the development of arts, culture and sports for the youth. My passion for the arts remains unabated, as I run a graphics design company and will continue to help to place internships for art school students. We applaud Lisa’s contribution to our society and wish her every success in all her pursuits.

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Activities 30th Anniversary Reunion of the Class of 1985 It was an unforgettable evening of happy reunion after 30 years for over 30 alumnae from the class of 1985 on 3 January. Many of them made a trip back to Hong Kong from all corners of the world, including Australia, Vietnam, the USA and UK for this milestone. The 30th anniversary celebration began with a tour of the state-of-theart new campus. The alumnae from overseas were especially fascinated by the school’s development and expansion. Afterwards, they returned to the DOGA Room for refreshments and had a good time choosing attractive DOGA souvenirs they missed at the Mini Bazaar. A lot more picture-taking, sharing and updates carried on over an intimate dinner at the Kowloon Cricket Club. The highlight of the night was a slide show about the good old school days which filled everyone with memories and laughter! The class looks forward to many more reunion celebrations to come!

“Cantate Domino” – Diocesan Graduate Singers Annual Concert Choir Sub-Committee The Diocesan Graduate Singers held its annual concert on 17 January at the DGS Auditorium, with a record attendance of over 750 people. We were very honoured to have Diocesan Riga Choir and The Diocesan School Old Boys’ Association Choir (DSOBA Choir) as guest performers for the evening. In line with the concert theme of “Cantate Domino”, Sing to the Lord, the repertoire that evening was mainly songs of praise and prayers to our Father, including classics such as Sanctus, Kyrie Eleison, Alleluia, Gloria, and Benedictus, some of which were sung in traditional Latin texts. In addition to enjoying the rapturous performance by the DSOBA Choir, we were thrilled to jointly perform with them. It was a delightful evening, and all who attended the concert came away with music still ringing in their ears!

Legacy and Succession Planning Talk Social Sub-Committee On 11 April, we were honoured to have barrister Ms. Thelma Kwan to speak about Legacy and Succession Planning. Given Ms. Kwan’s 24 years of private banking wealth management experience together with her legal expertise on family and trust law, the 67 attendees gained valuable tips on better asset planning for themselves as well as for their family. The talk closed with an interactive Q&A session and some attendees even Shirley Chan, Chairlady of Social Sub-Committee, presented a souvenir to Ms. Thelma Kwan requested for another session to follow up on the same topic.

Interhouse Netball Tournament Sports Sub-Committee The annual DOGA Inter-house Netball Tournament was held on 7 February where over 60 DOGA players represented their respective houses. Notwithstanding the fierce competition between the houses, all of us enjoyed reuniting with old school friends and cheering for our houses. After a grueling 3-hour tournament, Hurrell claimed the overall champion by beating third-time returning victor Sawyer, which came second. Symons secured third place.

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Membership Sub-Committee Events Membership Sub-Committee The Membership Sub-Committee rounded up several annual activities with success. In December 2014, we embarked on our 9th Mentorship Programme. Following the previous success of this programme, we received an overwhelming response with 55 pairs of mentor-mentee matched this year. Over 60 alumni visited the DOGA Room at the Mini Bazaar held on 18 December, 2014. DOGA members enjoyed refreshments and good fellowship while taking a break from the fun-filled activities at the Min|azaar.

Mini Bazaar

9th Mentorship

Programme

Dinner gathering with HKU ST alumna

S6 Talk

On 10 February, about 20 HKUST students joined our Sub-Committee members for a meaningful dinner gathering. Through sharing of our experiences, we were able to help newly-graduated S6 girls better cope with university life and allow them to strengthen their bonding with fellow alumnae now at HKUST. Around 150 S6 students participated in a talk at the school campus on 9 March, where we discussed how to and encouraged them to stay connected after graduation. We also introduced DOGA to these students on their last day of school before the DSE Exams. On 28 March, we enjoyed a delightful tea gathering with over 50 new members, class reps, mentors, mentees, and senior committee members of the DOGA. It was a great turnout supported by alumni from 19602014! Members Tea Gathering

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Art Club Spring Activities 2015 Art Club What’s better to celebrate the Year of the Ram than with your own personalised red packets, designed and printed all by yourself? A special workshop was held on 7 February at the Senior Art Room where alumnae and their families (over 90) rolled up their sleeves and got their hands (plus faces for some) dirty to craft unique red packets with great enthusiasm. Our artistic members and their children created original designs ranging from popular Frozen characters, ram drawings, traditional Chinese New Year motifs to even impressionist images! All designs were then carefully printed with red paint on blank golden lai-see packets. Everyone was eager to impress friends and relatives with their distinctive handprinted red packets in Chinese New Year!

Red Packet Design and Print Workshop

On 28 March, members and their families gathered for a fun-filled Easter Basket Workshop. Alumnae busily stuck multi-coloured yarns onto the eggs, while the children were having an exciting time sticking different sizes of pompoms, felts and beads together to make their beloved bunnies. As a final touch up, they decorated their baskets with colourful ribbons and tiny chicks. All participants were happy with their baskets filled with bunnies and rainbow-coloured eggs to celebrate Easter.

Easter Basket Workshop

Congratulations DOGA is happy to announce that Kimberley Vanessa Cheung (Class of 2012) has been awarded the Top 10 Outstanding Youth Awards presented by HKSAR Home Affairs Bureau and Commission on Youth to commend her outstanding achievements. Kimberley is a Year 3 student at HKUST and has won bronze for the Women’s Foil Team event in the 17th Asian Games in Incheon.

Upcoming Events July August September October November December

Careers Talk; Support of Job Shadowing Programme (S5) Entering University Students Gathering University Groups Gathering; Art Club Event DOGA Annual Dinner (30 Oct); DOGA Netball League; Medic Group Gathering; Community Services Event Mentoring Programme Kick-off Meeting Art Club Event; Careers Talk; DGS Mini-Bazaar; End of Term Netball Match DOGA vs DGS

Details of the events will be updated periodically. Please visit www.doga.org.hk to obtain the latest information. DOGA Office: 1 Jordan Road. Tel: 2771 5881, Email: [email protected] Joining DOGA: Any old girl of DGS or DGJS (whether resident or abroad) who has completed at least one academic year at DGS or DGJS is eligible to apply for membership of DOGA Ltd. Details of the application can be found at www.doga.org.hk. 20

Class Reunion Gathering: Alumnae who are interested in organising their class reunion gathering at the School, please contact DOGA office for further information.